IIMS News

Hugo Du Plessis HonMIIMS obituary

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The sad death of Hugo Du Plessis has been announced at the age of 94. Expert yacht surveyor and author of a guide to fibreglass boat construction and maintenance, Hugo had been an Honorary member of IIMS for some years.

Highly regarded in the cruising world, Hugo was an experienced sailor. Born in 1923, he and his sister were home educated before he went on to boarding school and then to Southampton University where he studied electronics.

Hugo was just 16 when the Second World War broke out and he served with his father, Gerald, in the Boldre Platoon Home Guard.

Growing up in the English New Forest, Hampshire, in close proximity to the Beaulieu and Lymington rivers, his love of boats was born. Many happy hours were spent negotiating the low tide mudflats in various craft from a Sharpie to a canoe before he eventually purchased his first yacht, Crimson Rambler.

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Gori launches a three-blade propeller for sailing boats

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Gori launches a three blade propeller for sailing boats
Gori launches a three blade propeller for sailing boats

Danish propeller manufacturer, Gori, has launched a new three-blade propeller for sailing boats. The new folding propeller is an evolution of the original three-blade version they introduced in 1994 but lacks the ‘overdrive’ function.

The ‘overdrive’ function allowed the helmsman to choose the propeller pitch and profile in the water while sailing forward, by regulating the yacht’s shift and throttle control. It would then operate the same in reverse by first folding closed through the movement before opening again.

This new three-blade propeller has the same features as the standard propeller including the 360o pivot when switching between forward and reverse with the same pitch in either direction for improved stopping.

The original three-blade propeller had a very low Continue reading “Gori launches a three-blade propeller for sailing boats”

RNLI and Helly Hansen announce strategic partnership to help save lives

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RNLI and Helly Hansen announce strategic partnership to help save lives
RNLI and Helly Hansen announce strategic partnership to help save lives

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Helly Hansen have announced a new strategic partnership that will support the lifesaving charity’s aim of defeating drowning.

Helly Hansen, the global technical sailing brand founded in Norway in 1877, has committed to supporting the RNLI for the next five years through a variety of life-saving activities. These include delivering drowning prevention messages to their customers, generating income, supporting fundraising and safety campaigns, product innovation and supplying the very best kit to the RNLI’s lifesavers.

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Improper securing arrangement of sea strainer cover leads to vessel capsizing

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Improper securing arrangement of sea strainer cover leads to vessel capsizing
Improper securing arrangement of sea strainer cover leads to vessel capsizing

Shipowners P&I Club has issued a case study about the capsizing of a vessel due to a loose port side sea strainer. Whilst double banked alongside another tug for four months awaiting a placement in dry dock, a harbour tug suddenly developed a list to port. Crew on board at the time quickly investigated to try and determine the point of water ingress, but struggled as the water level reached approximately 1 metre in height in the flooded engine room.

As the engine room crew tried to establish and stop the source of ingress, the deck crew were adjusting the mooring ropes to keep the vessel safely alongside as the vessel listed further to port. Eventually, the master took the decision to abandon the vessel as it was no longer safe to remain on board.

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Orams Marine nominated for World Superyacht Awards for their refit work on Latitude

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Orams Marine nominated for World Superyacht Awards for their refit work on Latitude
Orams Marine nominated for World Superyacht Awards for their refit work on Latitude

Auckland-based Orams Marine has had one of its refit projects nominated for a World Superyacht Award in the refit category. The awards are organised by Boat International to recognise the design, engineering and construction achievements of the global superyacht sector the past 12 months.

Orams Marine was included in the nomination for the work it carried out on the 45-metre yacht Latitude which underwent an extensive refit at the yard. The work included a full repaint, engineering work and major structural alterations.

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Ferretti Group announces the launch of its first Riva 110 Dolcevita yacht

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Ferretti Group has launched the first model in its new Riva 110 Dolcevita class
Ferretti Group has launched the first model in its new Riva 110 Dolcevita class

The all-GRP superyacht features styling by long-term collaborator Officina Italiana Design, including chrome inserts and extensive glazing that surrounds the main deck owner’s cabin and raised pilothouse. A focus on al fresco living is evident throughout the Riva 110 Dolcevita, from the foredeck seating area, complete with spa pool, to the aft sunlounging area on the upper deck.

She has been fitted with Ferretti’s unique submersible transom, which allows for quick tender launches as well as direct access to the sea. The system features a garage door that can fold down to create a bathing platform before lowering into the water when needed.

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Kongsberg and Wilhelmsen joint venture to launch an autonomous shipping only organisation entitled Massterly

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Kongsberg and Wilhelmsen joint venture to launch an autonomous shipping only organisation entitled Massterly
Kongsberg and Wilhelmsen joint venture to launch an autonomous shipping only organisation entitled Massterly

The inexorable race to develop autonomous ships has taken another step forward with the announcement of an autonomous shipping only joint venture between well known shipping major Wilhelmsen Group and technology company Kongsberg, entitled Massterly.

“Norway has taken a position at the forefront in developing autonomous ships,” said Thomas Wilhelmsen, Wilhelmsen group CEO.

“[Through] Massterly, we take the next step on this journey by establishing infrastructure and services to design and operate vessels, as well as advanced logistics solutions associated with maritime autonomous operations. Massterly will reduce costs at all levels.”

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Norway targets IMO to halve global shipping emissions by 2050

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Norway targets IMO to halve global shipping emissions by 2050
Norway targets IMO to halve global shipping emissions by 2050

Global shipping should set a goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Norway’s government and shipowners’ association said on Thursday before talks by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London next week.

Norway’s fleet is worth about $45 billion, the fifth most valuable in the world behind Japan, Greece, China and the United States. Norway’s shipping includes offshore, gas, chemicals, car vessels, dry bulk, crude, crude products and containers.

The IMO, which says international shipping represents about 2.2 percent of world carbon dioxide emissions, will meet from April 9-13 to develop a strategy to combat climate change. Shipping was not included in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

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DNV GL issues standard for the transport and installation of wind power plants

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DNV GL issues standard for the transport and installation of wind power plants
DNV GL issues standard for the transport and installation of wind power plants

DNV GL, the world’s largest independent energy advisory and certification body, has published its new Renewables Certification standard DNVGL-ST-0054 “Transport and installation of wind power plants” in co-operation with a wide number of industry players – wind turbine developers, wind park operators, investors, transportation companies and suppliers all of whom were contacted in the summer of 2017.

The main objective of it is to provide the approach ensuring the structural integrity of the main components of the wind power plant during the transport, installation and decommissioning works.

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Australian Transport Safety Bureau chooses Rembrandt manoeuvring simulator software

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Australian Transport Safety Bureau chooses Rembrandt manoeuvring simulator software
Australian Transport Safety Bureau chooses Rembrandt manoeuvring simulator software

BMT has announced that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Australia’s national transport safety investigator, has purchased a licence for its navigation and manoeuvring simulator, Rembrandt.

This follows on from other recent adopters including the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the Dutch Safety Board.

Phil Thompson, Managing Director at BMT commented: “We are seeing growing momentum and awareness within statutory bodies worldwide in the value of digital evidence generation. Key capabilities of Rembrandt include its ability to automatically read VDR and AIS to deliver a high-fidelity reconstruction. More recent developments include the ability to take full control at any time within the reconstruction replay to explore a range of alternative “what if” scenarios – a key enabler for forensic analysis and reflective learning.”

Rembrandt is Continue reading “Australian Transport Safety Bureau chooses Rembrandt manoeuvring simulator software”

New guidance on firefighting equipment standards

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New guidance on firefighting equipment standards
New guidance on firefighting equipment standards

The US Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance has published a new document entitled “Guidance on Implementation of New Standards for Fire Protection, Detection, and Extinguishing Equipment.”

This guidance covers changes to the regulatory requirements for fire protection, detection, and extinguishing equipment used on inspected and uninspected vessels, Outer Continental Shelf facilities, deepwater ports and mobile offshore drilling units.

The policy documentation points to changes after the US Coast Guard’s 2016 “Harmonization of Standards for Fire Protection, Detection, and Extinguishing Equipment” rulemaking.

This change affects all inspected and uninspected vessels. The most immediate change relates to portable and semi-portable fire extinguishers. Additionally, Continue reading “New guidance on firefighting equipment standards”

Lessons Learned from El Faro on main propulsion published by USCG

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Lessons Learned from El Faro on main propulsion published by USCG
Lessons Learned from El Faro on main propulsion published by USCG

The US Coast Guard has published a safety alert to inform operators and other interested parties of the role that the main propulsion lube oil system was found to have played in the El Faro incident. They have recommended that operators, especially ships’ engineers, review the operational procedures and limitations of vital propulsion machinery and verify compliance with SOLAS, Classification Societies and regulatory standards.

The El Faro sank along with its 33 crew onboard in October 2015, marking one of the worst maritime disasters in US history. The USCG official report on the sinking of the El Faro revealed that loss of propulsion during heavy weather was contributing to the sinking. The exact operational status of all vital El Faro engineering equipment prior to the casualty could not be determined, but bridge audio recordings indicate that the vessel lost lube oil pressure to the main propulsion turbine and reduction gear bearings, resulting in loss of propulsion.

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