Fleet managers find managing crew changes between different countries difficult even in the best times. Greywing, a platform that automates maritime operations and is supported by Y Combinator, today launched a solution it calls an industry-first. Crew Change is a solution that helps shipping companies to manage COVID-19 regulations such as quarantine, testing and quarantine for their crew members.Crew Change uses data from S5 Agency World to stay on top of the ever-changing requirements for vaccinations, testing, and quarantine. Greywing founder and chief executive officer Nick Clarke believes Crew Change could save fleet managers millions by streamlining crew changes and finding the most cost-effective routes for transporting crew. It also plans routes and reroutes if necessary. This has a trickle-down effect that affects the rest of the supply chain.Greywings solutions also help fleet operators with important tasks like transporting crew to ships and assessing the sea routes for pirate risks. Clarke explained to TechCrunch via email that Greywings was initially created to assist the maritime industry in reducing piracy risks in the Gulf of Guinea, offshore Somalia and other areas.He said that we discovered that by going above and beyond, we could provide intelligence on where the crew could disembark in order to solve the top priority for seafarers returning home to their families.Greywing began receiving requests from clients for assistance in managing crew changes when the COVID-19 pandemic began. There were people stuck on ships that couldn't get them off or on. Hrishi [Olickel], my co-founder, and I looked into the problem. We saw the increasing complexity of global lockdowns and realized that it was an issue that would not go away.Clarke said that crew managers must keep up with changes in immigration regulations in hundreds of countries around the globe and in thousands of ports. Complicating matters further is the fact that many crew members are of different nationalities and often have to comply with different restrictions.The crew change process is largely analog. A manager of a vessel chartered by a third party may not be able to find its next destination unless they email the captain. Many crew changes are planned using spreadsheets. Flight bookings can be made via email or by phone.Crew change management was an old problem, even before the pandemic. However, with some additional considerations and data added at random, it became impossible for any team to understand.Greywing was able create Crew Change through small modifications to its piracy risk reduction methodology. It is now integrated into Greywings risk reporting system, CRY4.Clarke stated that the company collaborated with S5 Agency World as it is considered one of the most respected global port agencies. This means that their data can give us a clear view of what's happening on ground, so shipping owners are able better predict and manage what's happening. Crew Change plans to add 20 more data sources.Crew Change, Clarke stated, is capable of updating information about visa, quarantine, and testing requirements within 15 minutes or less (or one day if more complicated data).
