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Witherby Publishing Group

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Coordinates: 55°52′45″N 3°31′40″W / 55.879159°N 3.527648°W / 55.879159; -3.527648
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55°52′45″N 3°31′40″W / 55.879159°N 3.527648°W / 55.879159; -3.527648

Witherby Publishing Group Ltd.
Founded1740
FounderThomas Witherby
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Headquarters locationLivingston, West Lothian and Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Key peopleCaptain Dr Iain Macneil (CEO), MNM,[1][2][3] Kat Heathcote (Commercial Director),[1] Gillian Macrosson, MD.[4]
Revenue£14.9 million (2022),[5] £10 Million (2020).[6]
No. of employees55[1]
Official websitewww.witherbypublishinggroup.com

Witherby Publishing Group, formerly known as Witherby Seamanship, is a technical publisher of maritime, nautical and navigation training, reference and regulatory materials.[1] The company is the resulting merger of Witherby Books and Seamanship International in January 2008.[1] Beginning with its origins in 1740 it lays claim to being the oldest independent publisher in the English-speaking world.[7][8][9]

Witherbys publish guidance titles with numerous shipping bodies and maritime NGOs. These include the International Chamber of Shipping, the UK Chamber of Shipping, BIMCO, OCIMF, SIGTTO, North P&I, the UK P&I Club, the International Association of Classification Societies, the Merchant Navy Training Board and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST), as well as acting as an official electronic distributor for the International Maritime Organization.[10][11][12][13][14] Witherbys are an official distributor of INTERTANKO publications.[15]

The company holds working groups, which include specialist consultants from relevant sectors, as well as in-house technical advisors, authors and editors, to produce their publications.[16]

History

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The company's tradition of publishing and bookselling was initially started by the stationer Thomas Witherby at the company's founding in 1740 in the City of London.[17][18] The early company developed as a stationers and as a copier and producer of legal documents, including articles of agreements, bonds and pro-forma contracts for marine insurance and carriage of goods by sea, operating in proximity to the maritime trade of the adjacent Coffeehouses.[18] From 1749 until 1873, the company was located at Birchin Lane, adjacent to Lombard Street in London before later moving to several premises, including a building in Clerkenwell and later in Aylesbury Street, Islington.[18] Throughout this period, the operating name of the changed from Witherby and Son to Witherby and Company, including a subsidiary HF and G Witherby that specialised in ornithology books under the auspices of Harry Forbes Witherby, a descendant of Thomas Witherby.[18] The collections of the early Witherby company are available at the London Metropolitan Archives.[18]

In 1998, the company Seamanship International was begun by Iain Macneil providing training materials for the maritime industry from Scotland and in 2008 the company bought out and merged with Witherbys, moving the business to Scotland (the physical printing arm of the company was sold off under the name WKG Print).[17][19] Since relocating to Scotland, the company has expanded to become one of the largest maritime publishers in the world, publishing over 400 titles to over 110 countries in the world.[20][1][10] It is estimated that there are more than a million Witherby ebooks in use on over 40,000 ships.[19] In 2017, the company was awarded a new coat of arms by the Court of the Lord Lyon which includes Scottish Blackface rams and the Birlinn, an historical West Highlands galley.[21]

In December 2020, David Balston, a former Royal Navy Vanguard-class submarine Commander, Prime Ministerial advisor and head of Policy at the UK Chamber of Shipping joined Witherbys as Deputy Chairman and non-executive director.[22][23][24] In March 2023, David Balston was appointed Chairman of Witherbys.[25][26]

Location

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Navigation House in Livingston

The company has registered offices in Edinburgh, Scotland, with the main offices and warehouse being located at Navigation House in Livingston, Scotland.[27]

Products

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Witherbys publishes on a range of maritime technical and operational subjects including navigation, Ballast Water Management, ECDIS, Oil tanker operations, LNG tanker operations, seamanship, ship stability and passage planning.[28]

Together with the UK P&I Club, Witherbys publishes the marine reference book Carefully to Carry, which contains guidance on the safe carriage, loading and storage of cargo on cargo ships.[29][30] In September 2021, with the UK P&I Club and CAE, Witherby published a safety publication entitled Maritime Team Dynamics, a safety book comparing aviation and maritime incidents.[31][32]

In February 2019, in conjunction with BIMCO and International Shipcare, Witherbys released the Ship Lay-up Guide.[33]

In response to IMO efforts to require cyber security to be addressed under the International Safety Management Code, in November 2019, together with BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping Witherbys published the Cyber Security Workbook for Onboard Ship Use.[34][35] A second edition was published in October 2020.[36][37]

On behalf of OCIMF and the International Chamber of Shipping, the company publishes the International Safety Guide for Oil Tankers and Terminals (ISGOTT), which is used as a reference guide on most oil tankers and in most terminals.[38][39] A sixth edition of ISGOTT was published in June 2020.[40] With OCIMF, Witherbys also publish the Mooring Equipment Guidelines, the 4th edition was published in 2018.[41]

In partnership with the International Chamber of Shipping, Witherbys publishes Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse On Board Ship: Guidelines for Owners and Masters on Preparation, Prevention, Protection and Response.[42] In 2021, the sixth edition of the publication was released, offering guidance on how to protect the ship and crew via a range of security measures, while reducing the risk of drug trafficking occurring on board.[42][43] Witherbys also publish the ICS guidance on Maritime security with a publication entitled Maritime Security - A comprehensive Guide for Shipowners, Seafarers and Administrations.[44][45]

With Maritime Industry Australia, Witherbys publish a Passage Planning Guide for the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait.[46][47]

Together with BIMCO, the company publishes an annual guidance title on contractual risks entitled Check Before Fixing.[48][49]

In 2021, the company issued Witherby Connect, an eBook reader software for the marine industry.[50][16][51] Also in 2021, the company launched an LNG carrier mooring tool called SHIPMOOR in partnership with the research company HR Wallingford.[52][53]

In June 2022, with BIMCO and the Danish Pilotage Organisation DanPilot, the company published a Passage Planning Guide on the Baltic Sea covering the region from Skagen to Bornholm.[54] In August 2022, in partnership with ICS and BIMCO, Witherbys published a guidance title for the shipping industry on biofouling entitled Biofouling, Biosecurity and Hull Cleaning.[55][56]

In 2023, together with the International Chamber of Shipping, the company released an updated version of the industry publication Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse On Board Ship.[57]

In January 2024, the company published an updated edition of The Pilot Ladder Manual which details regulations and procedures on maritime pilot pilot ladder embarkation and disembarkation.[58] In 2024, the company released ECDIS Passage Planning and Watchkeeping, an updated title for maritime professionals using ECDIS.[59]

Awards

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Awards for the publisher have included the Queens Award for Enterprise, a Lloyds List Training Award and a Green Award.[4][60][61] In March 2017, the company won the Sea Transport Award for 'best marine training material publishing company'.[62]

Charitable Trust and Scholarships

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In 2020, the company funded two publishing scholarships with Edinburgh Napier University and the University of Stirling.[63] In 2021, the company offered a scholarship for an MLitt in Publishing Studies at the Stirling University Centre for International Publishing and Communication.[64]

The company manages a charitable trust which provides funds for sport, arts and education in Scotland.[65] In 2010, the trust paid for sports equipment for children in Malawi.[66] In 2019, the trust lead fundraising efforts to provide a gift of a new Steinway piano to St Mary's Music School in the West End of Edinburgh.[67][68][69] For Christmas 2020, the trust funded the Witherby Arts Festival to support emerging musicians in Scotland.[70] In June 2021, the trust supported the summer camp of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO).[71] In September 2021, the trust donated £4,000 to the community Cairngorm Biathlon & Nordic Ski Club.[72] In December 2021, the trust celebrated reaching £1,000,000 of charitable giving since 2011.[73]

In March 2023, the trust donated £105,000 to provide scholarships and bursaries for students from rural backgrounds to attend the University of the Highlands and Islands.[74][75][76] In August 2023, the trust sponsored a summer music festival to support emerging artists at the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness.[77][78]

MV Astra

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In 2020, Witherbys purchased MV Astra, a 24 metre Finnish-Swedish ice class rescue ship[79] (formerly operated as the lead vessel of the Swedish Sea Rescue Society).[80][81] The ship undertook conversion work in 2021 and is provides research opportunities for Witherbys, including the undertaking of an expedition to complete a 22,000 nautical mile circumnavigation in 2021/2022 via the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn.[80][81][82][83][84] The voyage began in December 2021 departing from Lanzarote.[83] The ship then sailed to the Pacific Ocean via Cape Horn. By mid-February 2022, the ship had reached its halfway point of a 25,000 mile circumnavigation.[85][86][87] On 16 May 2022, the ship completed its circumnavigation becoming the first sub-24m motor-powered vessel to circumnavigate the globe via the southern capes, setting a new world record for this class and voyage.[88][89][90] The ship was listed for sale in 2023.[91]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Scots marine publisher helps Australians navigate Barrier Reef". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  2. ^ "UHI Inverness students honoured at graduation ceremony". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Recipients of the 2022 Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service". UK Government. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Gillian Macrosson: new Witherbys MD". Publishing Scotland. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  5. ^ "WITHERBY PUBLISHING GROUP LIMITED". Companies House. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Specialist publisher weathers the storm". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Witherby Seamanship International Ltd". Publishing Scotland. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  8. ^ "2015 Company Fact Sheet" (PDF). Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  9. ^ "Witherby History". Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  10. ^ a b "2017 Company Fact Sheet" (PDF). Witherby Publishing Group. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  11. ^ "Witherbys to publish books for the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology". IMarEST. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  12. ^ "Chamber of Shipping and Witherby". Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  13. ^ "International Chamber of Shipping and Witherby". Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  14. ^ "BIMCO STEPS UP FOCUS ON PUBLICATIONS". Sea News. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  15. ^ "INTERTANKO and Witherby". Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  16. ^ a b "Launch of Online Library". Hellenic Shipping News. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  17. ^ a b "Witherby Company History". Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  18. ^ a b c d e "Witherby and Company". London Metropolitan Archives. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Books from Scotland". Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  20. ^ "Herald Scotland – Witherby on the Crest of a wave". Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  21. ^ "Historic publishers get new coat of arms". The National. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  22. ^ "Witherbys bolsters board with appointment of David Balston". Scottish Business News. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  23. ^ "New Deputy Chairman appointed at Edinburgh publisher". Edinburgh Reporter. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  24. ^ "Balston joins maritime publisher Witherbys". The Bookseller. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  25. ^ "Witherbys appoints David Balston as chairman". Witherbys. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  26. ^ "New Chair appointed at Edinburgh publishers". Edinburgh Reporter. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  27. ^ "Witherby – Today". Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  28. ^ "How to ensure VSAT modems cannot be hacked". Riviera Maritime. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  29. ^ Carefully to Carry. UK P&I Club. 2018. ISBN 9781856097376.
  30. ^ "UK P&I CLUB RELEASES UPDATED VERSION OF ITS CAREFULLY TO CARRY PUBLICATION". Dry Cargo International Magazine. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  31. ^ "UK P&I Club launches safety book in conjunction with CAE". Hellenic Shipping News. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  32. ^ "New Book Compares Aviation and Maritime Safety and How to Avoid Incidents". Handy Shipping Guide. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  33. ^ "Witherbys Releases Ship Lay-up Guide". Marine Link. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  34. ^ "Book Review: Cyber Security Workbook for On Board Ship Use". Maritime Executive. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  35. ^ "How to ensure VSAT modems cannot be hacked". Riviera Maritime. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  36. ^ "Keeping ahead of digitization". Hellenic Shipping News. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  37. ^ "ICS – Cyber Security Workbook". International Chamber of Shipping. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  38. ^ "ISGOTT". OCIMF. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  39. ^ "ISGOTT". Maritime Executive News. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  40. ^ "Udated edition of ISGOTT published". Hellenic Shipping News. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  41. ^ "OCIMF Releases Updated Mooring Equipment Guidelines". Maritime Executive. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  42. ^ a b "ICS publishes guidelines on combatting drug trafficking". Ship Insight. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  43. ^ "90% of all cocaine trafficked via sea". Splash 247. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  44. ^ "ICS issues security guidance in new publication". ShipInsight. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  45. ^ "ICS: New guidance on maritime security". Marine Log. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  46. ^ "Maritime Industry Australia confirms photo competition winner". The Express. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  47. ^ "WINNING IMAGE TO APPEAR ON NEW WITHERBYS COVER". Daily Cargo News. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  48. ^ "New Check Before Fixing 2021". Hellenic Shipping News. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  49. ^ "New BIMCO Check Before Fixing published". Ship Insight. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  50. ^ "Witherbys connects seafarers with launch of online library". The Digital Ship. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  51. ^ "New online knowledge platform introduced". Riveria Maritime Media. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  52. ^ "Mooring tool launched by HR Wallingford/Witherby partnership". LNG Industry. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  53. ^ "Groundbreaking mooring tool launched by HR Wallingford/Witherby Partnership". Hellenic Shipping News. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  54. ^ Harris, Harry (July 2022). "PASSAGE PLANNING GUIDE BALTIC SEA". Navigation News. Royal Institute of Navigation. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  55. ^ "Biofouling, Biosecurity and Hull Cleaning, First Edition". Tanker Operator. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  56. ^ "Biofouling: A multi-layered ESG problem". Lloyd's List. Retrieved 22 August 2022.(subscription required)
  57. ^ "Latest edition of Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse On Board Ship published". Ship Management International. April 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  58. ^ ""The Pilot Ladder Manual", 2nd Edition by Kevin Vallance". Marine Pilots.com. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  59. ^ Kypriotaki, Anastasia (10 September 2024). "Book Review: ECDIS passage planning and watchkeeping". SAFETY4SEA. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  60. ^ "Marine publisher goes Green". Green Awards. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  61. ^ "WITHERBY GROUP, Joins Green Awards schemen". Shippingnet.eu. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  62. ^ "Transport News Sea Transport Awards 2017". Transport News. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  63. ^ "Witherby, with Edinburgh Napier and Stirling, launches publishing scholarships". The Bookseller. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  64. ^ "Witherbys scholarship for the MLitt in Publishing Studies". Stirling University. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  65. ^ "Home Page". Witherby Publishing Group Charitable Trust. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  66. ^ "Livingston firm bring joy to Malawi children". Daily Record. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  67. ^ "Steinway gift for Scotland's national music school". Rhinegold. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  68. ^ "Flagship gift from Germany for St Mary's". The Edinburgh Reporter. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  69. ^ "Pupils tuned in for a special delivery to school". Scottish Field. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  70. ^ "Scottish talent spread Christmas cheer at Witherbys Arts Festival". The List. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  71. ^ "RSNO Summer Camp begins in July". The Edinburgh Reporter. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  72. ^ "Cairngorm Biathlon & Nordic Ski Club on track to deliver top winter trails". Strathspey & Badenoch Herald. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  73. ^ "Witherby Publishing Group Charitable Trust celebrates reaching £1m of giving". Publishing Scotland. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  74. ^ "New fund established to help rural students". University of the Highlands and Islands. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  75. ^ "Witherbys launches scholarship for rural students in Scotland". The Bookseller. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  76. ^ "Studying at UHI: Find Out About Scholarships & Bursaries". The Orkney News. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  77. ^ "Eden Court Under Canvas summer festival returning to Highland capital". The Northern Times. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  78. ^ "Voices of Under Canvas: Silk and Salt". Eden Court Highlands. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  79. ^ "A Proper Little Ship - The Rugged Astra". Passage Maker. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  80. ^ a b "Glenn's ship's attempt to break record". Isle of Man Courier. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  81. ^ a b "ASTRA' Expedition". MV Astra. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  82. ^ "Crew's Douglas pitstop on way to attempt record-breaking sailing". Isle of Man Courier. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  83. ^ a b "Crew in historic motorboat set sail for Southern Capes on a merchant route in attempt at world-first circumnavigation". Nautilus Telegraph. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  84. ^ "Maritime Publisher Aims to Set a Yachting Record in Southern Ocean". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  85. ^ "Crew Successfully Reach Halfway Point On World-First Circumnavigation". Hellenic Shipping News. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  86. ^ "West Lothian businessman attempts world-first sail around the globe". The Daily Record. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  87. ^ "Barra man zeroing in on a world first". Stornoway Gazette. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  88. ^ "Iain Macneil and converted lifeboat MV Astra set new world record". Motorboat & Yachting. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  89. ^ "Sailor Iain Macneil's epic global voyage sets record". The Times. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  90. ^ "Highland man sets new record for sailing 'the wrong way' around the world". STV News. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  91. ^ "ASTRA Yacht For Sale". Worth Avenue. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
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