A sailor goes ashore
4. January 2022
FFS has signed Tommy Lian from rival company BOA. After spending his entire working life at sea, the seaman will now lead the FFS fleet from land.
From the head office in Strandgaten in Farsund, fleet manager Tommy Lian will assist the tugboats in FFS.
Text and photo: Sveinung W. Jensen, Tellus communication
- My job is, among other things, to assist our tugboats when they are out on assignments. There are always a thousand questions that come up, says Tommy, who has long experience as a skipper on tugboats. First 19 years at FFS, then the last seven years at BOA.
- It is special to be back. Although many of the colleagues from that time are still here, there is no doubt that FFS is a completely different company today, says Tommy, who gets the title fleet manager and becomes part of the management team in the company.
HE WILL WORK with operations manager Leif Steinar Simonsen, technical manager Stian Hoholm, HSE and QA manager Odd Svein Hansen and of course the boss himself - John W. Nilsen.
One of the things that triggered the return to FFS is the responsibility Tommy gets for the simulator that was purchased a couple of years ago.
From an office on the ground floor of the administration building in Strandgaten, he will assist skippers, helmsmen and others in the company to test skills and share knowledge.
TOMMY SHALL also ensure that all tugboats are prepared for the increasingly frequent OVID inspections required by the oil industry. OVID stands for «Offshore Vessel Inspection Database».
- If we are to take assignments offshore, we must have the paperwork in order, says Tommy.
He has worked on a tugboat all his working life, and experienced a bit of everything at sea. He hopes to be able to benefit from this experience in his new role.
- I will work closely with the crews who are out on assignments. Life on board a tugboat is extremely varied. No tows are alike. Therefore, challenges always arise that the crew has not encountered before. I will be available and help where I can, says Tommy, who hopes to avoid growing completely stuck in the office.
- IS IT NEEDED of course I step in and work on board the tugboats, Tommy smiles.
But so far there is more than enough to do on land. Compared with similar shipping companies, the FFS office is low-staffed. On the other hand, those who work here have a long sailing time out on the seven seas.
- We have a lot of experience from tugboats, tanks and offshore, and that gives us a huge advantage, says Tommy.
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