News

IIMS CEO answers questions about new Marine Corrosion Professional Qualification

We put some questions to Mike Schwarz, Chief Executive Officer of the International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS), about the new Marine Corrosion Professional Qualification which is launching in June 2021.

What prompted IIMS to develop this new qualification?
“IIMS has a proud record of delivering training and education to marine surveyors going back 20 years and we were the first organisation to provide such opportunities to professionals working in this field. The award-winning IIMS diploma in marine surveying is highly regarded to this day and is constantly being updated and refreshed.

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Boat Works Stage 3 expansion drives job opportunities

Boat Works Stage 3 expansion drives job opportunities
Boat Works Stage 3 expansion drives job opportunities

Just one year after the completion of the $100 million marine infrastructure expansion which resulted in the world-class superyacht facility and marina berths, The Boat Works Stage 3 has been ushered in, a new services hub for marine professionals, representing an additional $30 million investment. The new workshop expansion is the final opportunity for marine businesses to secure tenancies in the two yards located in the Gold Coast Marine Precinct and demand is high, with over 60 percent already leased.

Construction has been spurred on due to the high demand of boats – an exponential growth triggered since opening the additional Continue reading “Boat Works Stage 3 expansion drives job opportunities”

Loss of containers off Hawaii due to poor cargo loading procedures

Poor barge loading resulted in the loss of 21 cargo containers into the ocean off the coast of Hawaii last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in its report on the accident.

The barge Ho’omaka Hou, owned and operated by Young Brothers, LLC, was being towed by the Hoku Loa approximately 6.9 nautical miles north-northwest of Hilo at the time of the accident on 22 June 2020. The accident resulted in $1.6 million in damages, but no injuries.

The NTSB determined the probable cause of the collapse of container stacks onboard the barge was the company not providing the barge Continue reading “Loss of containers off Hawaii due to poor cargo loading procedures”

Loss prevention app developed by marine insurance company

Loss prevention app developed by marine insurance company
Loss prevention app developed by marine insurance company

The Alandia Loss Prevention mobile application, designed by Alandia’s superior Loss Prevention experts, offers an innovative hands-on solution for professional mariners for transforming everyday routines into truly proactive safety management.

Proactive maritime safety management requires efficient communication, regular reporting, and up-to-date safety know-how. Alandia, known for offering superior  prevention to its customers, has developed a mobile application to help foresee and prevent any accidents that might involve a vessel, its crew, or any damage to the marine environment.

“The main purpose of the Alandia Loss Prevention application is to minimize losses and keep operations accident-free by enhancing communication and integrating safety observation reports into daily routines,” says Martti Simojoki, Senior Loss Prevention Manager at Alandia.

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Cyprus Shipping: Cyprus incentivises registration for boats and superyachts

Cyprus Shipping: Cyprus incentivises registration for boats and superyachts
Cyprus Shipping: Cyprus incentivises registration for boats and superyachts

The Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry (SDM) has updated its ship registration policy with the introduction of technical standards for four types of vessels. These new technical and safety standards are designed to attract boat and superyacht owners to the Registry of Cyprus Ships, as well as increasing safety standards.

The new technical standards specify technical requirements on areas not currently covered by national, European Union, or international legislation. They have been developed as part of government policy on the Registration of Vessels in the Cyprus Register of Ships and are applicable to the following categories of boats and superyachts: Continue reading “Cyprus Shipping: Cyprus incentivises registration for boats and superyachts”

Composites and recreational boating industry team up to make headway on circular economy

European Boating Industry (EBI) and the European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA), representing respectively the Recreational Boating and Composites industries at European level, have agreed on a new partnership. The aim is to jointly tackle the key challenges around circularity of composites used in the recreational boating industry and promote sustainable recycling solutions to the supply chain for end-of-life boats. Composites are the main material for manufacturing of recreational boats.

Following a common understanding of the importance of the circular economy and aiming to find solutions for end-of-life composites, EBI and EuCIA agreed a formal partnership. The aim will be to find common approaches to the key issues of dismantling, recycling, and the Continue reading “Composites and recreational boating industry team up to make headway on circular economy”

100 years on since the RNLI used tractors to launch lifeboats, the Institution looks back

Image credit: British Illustrations
Image credit: British Illustrations

RNLI lifeboats often take centre stage in rescues, however, many can’t launch without a tractor and the dedicated shore crew. Operators often launch the lifeboat in raging seas and darkness, and a safe, quick launch can make the difference between life and death. The lifeboat and crew might get the public’s attention, but the tractor and the shore crew are the unsung heroes who more than pull their weight – literally.

This year marks 100 years since the RNLI introduced tractors to launch its lifeboats and the technology nowadays – with the very latest Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLRS) – is unrecognisable to all those years ago.

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Remote inspections accelerating to meet challenging times

Remote inspections accelerating to meet challenging times
Remote inspections accelerating to meet challenging times

Bureau Veritas’ white paper, entitled “Remote inspections – A solution for the present, an opportunity for the future” is now available and can be downloaded below. It outlines how important it is for companies to rely on remote inspections to ensure business continuity and thei vision goes much wider than the maritime sector and across industry in general.

Organizations worldwide are rethinking the way they do business, following the rapid acceleration of digitalization trends and uptake of remote working. This has created both challenges and opportunities across sectors, driving a shift towards remote inspection that has revealed multiple advantages says Bureau Veritas.

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DNV’s annual report: A year unlike any other

DNV’s annual report: A year unlike any other
DNV’s annual report: A year unlike any other

As one of the most challenging years in DNV’s 157-year history, the strong financial result is a testament to the strength and resilience of the company and the hard work and dedication of employees worldwide. DNV’s annual report 2020 detailing DNV’s financial and sustainability performance is now available. Group President & CEO Remi Eriksen noted in the annual report: “It is particularly when times are tough that I am reminded how proud I am to work for this company.”

As lockdowns began sweeping across the globe in early 2020, the uncertain prospects ahead led to tough decisions being taken by management. More than half of the workforce was placed on partial furloughs or salary cuts to quickly curb costs. Strong customer relationships and a swift shift to digital services such as remote surveys, inspections and audits, enabled DNV to continue to support customers’ operations. A robust IT infrastructure and significant investment in digitalization in previous years enabled the majority of Continue reading “DNV’s annual report: A year unlike any other”

Updated guidelines for the carriage of seed cake in containers issued

Updated guidelines for the carriage of seed cake in containers issued
Updated guidelines for the carriage of seed cake in containers issued

The International Group together with the Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS) have jointly released an updated version of the “Guidelines for the Carriage of Seed Cake in Containers”.

For reference, the term Seed Cake refers to pulp, meals, cake, pellets, expellers and other similar cargo where edible vegetable oils have been removed from oil-bearing seeds, cereals or commodities with similar properties. The carriage of Seed Cake cargoes continues to cause confusion and the potential for undeclared or misdeclared cargo remains high, with the consequent risk of fire on board container ships.

As the new version of the guidelines notes: It is vital that Seed Cake that is not classified in Class 4.2 of the IMDG Code. In fact, it should Continue reading “Updated guidelines for the carriage of seed cake in containers issued”

Australia’s domestic superyacht industry booming

Australia is experiencing a boom in its superyacht industry, doubling in size. Vessels have been attracted to Australia and its buoyant domestic charter market. With borders closed, many superyachts have moved to Australia to offer a luxury alternative to overseas travel. This increase in charter activity in Australian waters provides a huge economic lift for the country.

Seemingly this increase in vessel activity has a direct correlation to the new charter legislation passed by the federal government in December 2019. The passing of the Special Recreation Vessels (SRV) Act of 2019,  coupled with the closure of international borders have contributed to accelerated growth of the industry.

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Report on fatal carbon monoxide poisoning aboard motor cruiser Diversion published by MAIB

Report on fatal carbon monoxide poisoning aboard motor cruiser Diversion published by MAIB
Report on fatal carbon monoxide poisoning aboard motor cruiser Diversion published by MAIB

The MAIB has released a report on fatal carbon monoxide poisoning aboard the motor cruiser Diversion. At about 2000 on 4 December 2019, the bodies of two men were discovered in the cabin of the privately owned motor cruiser Diversion, which was moored to a quay in the centre of York, England. The bodies were those of the boat owner and his friend, who had spent the previous evening in the city centre socialising with former work colleagues and were spending the night on board.

Both men had died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. The carbon monoxide had leaked into the cabin from the boat’s diesel-fuelled cabin heater exhaust.

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