News Hound

ChatGPT: The AI chatbot that will change the way marine surveyors work and live

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ChatGPT is set to change the digital landscape for good
ChatGPT is set to change the digital landscape for good

Article by Mike Schwarz, IIMS Chief Executive Officer

ChatGPT is in our midst. The one thing we know for sure is that in this modern digital world, things never stand still for long and there is always something bright, shiny and new coming along to challenge us, threatening to change the digital landscape and the way we operate for good.

ChatGPT is one such innovation. Perhaps you have already heard about this phenomenon, or maybe it is completely new to you. As a business acquaintance said to me when I asked her about it, Continue reading “ChatGPT: The AI chatbot that will change the way marine surveyors work and live”

ABS releases Port State Control deficiencies from quarter 4 in 2022

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Port State Control inspections have proven to be an effective tool for eliminating substandard vessels that may be in operation, which may impact maritime safety and the marine environment.

A ship is regarded as substandard if the hull, machinery, equipment or operational safety and the protection of the environment is substantially below the standards required by the relevant conventions or if the crew is not in conformity with the safe manning document.

Evidence that the ship, its equipment, or its crew do not comply substantially with the requirements of the relevant conventions or that the master or crew members are not familiar with essential shipboard procedures relating to Continue reading “ABS releases Port State Control deficiencies from quarter 4 in 2022”

Serious injury to crew members during maintenance work reveals Transport Malta Investigation

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Serious injury to crew members during maintenance work on board Pearl LNG
Serious injury to crew members during maintenance work on board Pearl LNG

Transport Malta has published an investigation report about an incident which resulted in serious injury to three crew members during maintenance work on the fire jockey hydrophore tank on 23 February 2022. The ‘violent’ dislodging of the inspection cover was the result of a pressurised hydrophore.

Shortly after 1430 on 23 February 2022, three crew members on board the Maltese registered LNG carrier Pearl LNG, were involved in an accident about 185 nautical miles West Southwest of Saint Nazaire, France. At the time, the crew members were attempting to remove an inspection cover on one of the vessel’s hydrophores, when the cover dislodged violently from the hydrophore. This caused a serious injury. Continue reading “Serious injury to crew members during maintenance work reveals Transport Malta Investigation”

Proper EPRIBs use is critical says the Marshall Islands

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The Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime Administrator has issued an important reminder after an increase in both false Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) distress alerts and issues with their registration.

The Ship Registry has reminded the industry of India’s Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) iMerchant Shipping Notice No. 04 of 2023 which highlights that EPIRBs should be registered and deregistered as required. Otherwise, false EPIRB alerts can obstruct and delay Search and Rescue operations. Fines may also be levied for false EPRIB distress alerts in Indian waters. Continue reading “Proper EPRIBs use is critical says the Marshall Islands”

Red Ensign Group brings together expertise to focus on supporting maritime

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An ongoing commitment to pioneering technology, sharing resources and continuing improving the expertise it offers to the maritime world at large as well as its own members was the focus of the recent REG Technical Forum.

The Red Ensign Group Technical Forum was held in Southampton (UK) and included delegates from Anguilla, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands and the UK. Continue reading “Red Ensign Group brings together expertise to focus on supporting maritime”

IMO Ship Systems and Equipment 9: Key highlights

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The IMO Ship Systems and Equipment Sub-Committee (SSE) Session 9 took place from 27 February to 3 March 2023. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the technical and operational requirements for systems and safety equipment on ships.

Lloyd’s Register has issued a helpful summary report that includes an executive summary for those requiring a general overview, but also more technical information for those who would like more detail on the discussions that took place.

Key highlights and outcomes from SSE 9:
– Finalisation of the draft International Code of Safety for Diving Operations (Diving Code). Continue reading “IMO Ship Systems and Equipment 9: Key highlights”

Has the post Covid boating boom bubble burst?

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There are signs that the global boating market is returning to normal after sales surged during the Covid-19 pandemic. Online marketplace, Boats Group, reports that the total number of boats sold worldwide decreased last year for the first time since before the pandemic.

The change towards more typical market conditions emerged in 2022 as the total number of boats sold dipped by just 4.3% compared to the same period pre-pandemic in 2019. By comparison, boats sold in 2020 and 2021 were down 15.9% and 11.8% respectively, compared to 2019.

“For the first time in three years, we’re seeing consumer demand soften,” said Courtney Chalmers, vice president of marketing at Boats Group. Continue reading “Has the post Covid boating boom bubble burst?”

Rescue boat lifting arrangement failure

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The deterioration of the rescue boat release hook support structure is shown
The deterioration of the rescue boat release hook support structure is shown

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime Administrator has recently been notified of a marine casualty which occurred aboard an RMI-registered ship’s rescue boat that resulted in the injury of two crewmembers.

During a planned drill, the ship’s rescue boat was being lowered to the water with two crewmembers aboard when the release hook support post failed. The rescue boat and two crewmembers fell about 9 meters to the water. The two crewmembers were quickly recovered from the water and transported ashore for medical treatment. Immediately prior to the incident, the rescue boat had been hoisted, swung over the side, and lowered several meters without anyone on board. Continue reading “Rescue boat lifting arrangement failure”

Maritime & Coastguard Agency appoints Virginia McVea as Chief Executive Officer

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Virginia McVea has been appinted as the MCA's Chief Executive Officer
Virginia McVea has been appinted as the MCA’s Chief Executive Officer

Virginia McVea will become the new Chief Executive Officer of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA), overseeing the work of the agency as it responds to tens of thousands of incidents at sea every year, inspects thousands of UK-registered ships and protects over 11,000 miles of our coastline.

Her appointment comes at an important time for the MCA, as it continues working to ensure the UK is the world’s best-performing coastal state and takes a leading role in both the international and domestic maritime arenas. Continue reading “Maritime & Coastguard Agency appoints Virginia McVea as Chief Executive Officer”

Are lithium-ion batteries safe on yachts – and other vessels?

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Image credit: Stevie-Iona Vaughan/Facebook
Image credit: Stevie-Iona Vaughan/Facebook

Authored by Mike Schwarz, IIMS Chief Executive Officer

“Mike’s suffering from mild hysteria”, they said. Well, perhaps I have been, yes. The cause of my hysteria? Lithium-ion batteries and fires caused by them! There are believed to have been nearly 70 fires last year alone involving large and superyachts. As more new information on this subject comes to light on a regular basis, I simply have to come back to it time and time again and share what we know. It is a massive and worrying subject and one that is consuming the finest technical minds in the marine world right now. We all need to be aware of the phenomenon for it will not resolve any time soon. As always, I say I understand fully the need to decarbonize and embrace this technology and am not against progress. But it comes at a price and one we need to be prepared to pay. Continue reading “Are lithium-ion batteries safe on yachts – and other vessels?”

EMSA plans to streamline Flag State Inspections

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The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has announced it has developed and released the Flag State Inspection functionality in RuleCheck. The objective of this innovative functionality is to support the work of flag state inspectors performing periodic flag state inspections (not statutory).

RuleCheck facilitates the work of the PSCOs by filtering the applicable requirements of the international instruments and regional procedures for a specific ship according to its type, Continue reading “EMSA plans to streamline Flag State Inspections”

Major shipping carriers set to join forces to tackle safety of cargo

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Safetytech Accelerator has launched a collaborative technology acceleration initiative with Evergreen Line, HMM, Lloyd’s Register, Maersk, the Offen Group, ONE (Ocean Network Express) and Seaspan as ‘Anchor Partners’ aiming at reducing cargo fires and losses overboard.

Some of the world’s biggest maritime cargo carriers have joined forces with the world’s first industrial safety technology accelerator to launch a fresh initiative to reduce cargo loss at sea.

The scale and breadth of the challenges facing operators is growing and continues to evolve. These include the increasing carriage of lithium-ion batteries either in containers or within electric vehicles on car-carriers Continue reading “Major shipping carriers set to join forces to tackle safety of cargo”

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