The need for safe navigation, even under unfavourable conditions, climatic and other, led to the constitution of Thira Boatmen's Union, a Union that for decades is the communication bridge with the land. The ships and the experienced seamen that man the fleet of Union, are found in 24hour readiness and they hurry in each Authority call for research and rescue, for transport of patients and doctors in smaller islands as well as in sea pollution control projects.

Apart from the personnel, which amounts to 74 individuals and includes skippers, governors, cablebinders, divers and other specialities, Thira Boatmen's Union claiming the higher technical specifications of maintainance and control for her fleet, has created a ultramodern ship yard in privately-owned region in the region of Vllihada.

Also, the Union is proud for the shipbuilding of `Atlantis Santorini I', the first ship of surface-bottom in the world that realised dives from 2003 until 2005. Thecomment of Mr. Makis Kanakaris, Chairman of Thira Boatmen's Union is evident and works out a auspicious future: `The same creative concern that led us to the shipbuilding of 'Atlantis Santorini I', still leads today the dreams of Union: the supply of tractor that will shield absolutely harbour facilities and the building of one full-equipped antipollution station that will deter each marine environment destruction danger'.

QUALITY POLICY

The Thira Boatmen's Union works for the promotion of safety, the prevention of unsecure acts and wounds as well as the damage prevention in financial elements or even in the environment. This elements compose a policy for the quality, which characterizes all the Union's activities.

This policy constitutes realised priority for the Administration of the Boatmen's Union and responsibility of all personnel. This priority acquired substance with the process of certification according the Quality Management System at the model ISO 9001:2000 by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA). The Union's certified activity is “Cablebinding and Boatmen Services Providing”. The process of Certification began in 1999 and up to today it has granted the Union to a powerful arsenal with application methods for the Quality Management Policy, like the following:

• The regular system examination for the quality management from the Administration, which constantly watches the system, so that it eliminates the problems which emerge and it anticipates their reappearance seeking the Continuous Improvement.
• The internal controls, which can reveal and determine non-compliances and install Corrective Energies (Corrective Actions) for their direct solution and prevention of their reappearance.
• To depth analysis of Customers Complaints, so that is anticipated the repetition of pointless energies and be taken direct metres for the customer's satisfaction.
• The continuous personnel education and practice in high schools, seminars, meetings but also in real situations of emergency in boats, in cases of marine pollution environment etc.

OBJECTIVES

The fixed objectives reflect the Engagement of the Boatmen's Union personnel in quality, safe navigation, the pollution evasion and the Continuous Improvement. Also they are at such way structured, so that they cover the all spectrum of Union's activities and boats that the Union controls.

To achieve the above central strategic importance axes, the Union has formulated concrete objectives of quality, which it attends it observes unswervingly:

• Engagement to pay all effort and available means with regard to the continuous improvement of output and the pollution evasion. For this aim safety rules have been created against the all recognized dangers.
• Observation Guarantee of the International and National Regulations, Models and governmental requirements.
• Fulfillment, and where possible, overlap of customers requirements and ship owners.
• Maintenance of efficient communication channels among all the interested parts: customers, boats, institutions of certification, payments and personnel of offices.
• Maintainance for all boats and their equipment in the higher possible operational level with final aim the safe navigation and environment protection.
• Most optimal operation of each ship to avoid dangerous situations and any threat to the human life.
• Achievement at minimal 95% of ships availability.

THE PROFITS

Some of the visible and direct profits resulted for Thira Boatmen's Union by the equitable and reliable application of the Quality management system at ISO 9001:2000 are:

• The permanent Improvement in the quality of provided services via the methods of troubles prevention instead of localisation methods.
• The clarification of competences and responsibilities via the adoption of explicit organisational structures.
• The rational management of Thira Boatmen's Union resources as about the finances as about the human potential. Concretely, in the sector of human potential, the activities are programmed excellently also standardised, based on concrete Processes, Written Procedures and Instructions that decrease considerably per year preparation and minimise the probability of error. Also, the newcoming personnel receives complete and systematic education about subjects related with the work nature of the Union. This has contributes considerably to a more general qualitative and environmental culture.

In conclusion, the Certification of Quality Management System at ISO 9001:2000 by an International Fame Accredited Institution as Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance, provides to the Union the outside good testimony, in order that her customers are absolutely certain for the reliability and the high level of her services.

Special importance has the strict and strictly observed education, aiming at the readiness of all personnel of Union - as much in the land as in the sea. With the continuous realisation of high schools (drills), which is focused in the confrontation of extraordinary situations, as much in the confrontation of incidents for the Protection of Human life in the sea, as in the Protection of Environment, has been achieved a high level of readiness and correspondence in difficult cases. It should not is overlooked the important role which played the Union and her decisive attendance at the duration of recent shipwreck of cruise boat 'Sea Diamond' in Santorini. The touching efforts of boat evacuation and rescue of all passengers, with the all available means the Union allocated, in combination with the most excellent organisation and realisation of this enterprise, proves practically, once more the high level of education and readiness.

The Thira Boatmen's Union observing the Engagement for high level services and the high level education of the personnel, confirms and it proves these Continuous Improvement of all of critical parameters that distinguishes and elects the Union in pioneer.

Finally, beyond the strictly cliental relations and other Public and Private institutions have realised the profits from a such certification. Characteristic example constitutes the Merchant Marine Ministry (YEN), which collaborates with the Boatmen's Union on issues benefit of support in local but also supralocal level that concerns the public health, the environment protection, the port's safety, the research and rescue, cultural subjects, education and training.