IIMS joins forces with four other leading organisations to form the Maritime Professional Council of the UK to influence lawmakers

The logo of the newly formed Maritime Professional Council of the UK
The logo of the newly formed Maritime Professional Council of the UK

Shipping and boating are going through huge technological changes, but the industry’s professional bodies say their expertise needs to be listened to when policy decisions are made in this vital sector. To make this easier five professional bodies have formed the Maritime Professional Council of the UK to make sure policymakers are aware of the considered professional opinions of those with the qualifications, expertise and experience to provide informed advice on the many policy decisions that need to be made.

The Council will bring together the collective voices of the United Kingdom based professional organisations for the British Merchant Navy and associated maritime industry. It will promote professionalism within the industry and offer expert opinion on maritime matters to the Continue reading “IIMS joins forces with four other leading organisations to form the Maritime Professional Council of the UK to influence lawmakers”

Karen Brain responds to Jeffrey Casciani-Wood about the use of reported dimensions in reports

Karen Brain responds to Jeffrey Casciani-Wood about the use of reported dimensions in reports
Karen Brain responds to Jeffrey Casciani-Wood about the use of reported dimensions in reports

In the June edition of the Report Magazine, Jeffrey Casciani-Wood submitted a letter to the editor and invited Karen Brain to give a comment on the following, when he wrote: ‘Perhaps the most common of the errors that I have seen over the years is the use of so-called reported dimensions, not measured ones. I should point out that the marine surveyor’s report is a legal document and therefore requires content that he/she has measured, weighed, tested, or examined, whatever, not what he/she has been told by a third party who may, or may not, have given him/her valid and correct information. Reported dimensions are hearsay and, as such, are not admissible in Court, except under very special circumstances.

The precise definitions of the principal dimensions of a boat up to 24 metres in length are given in the publicly available document ISO8666, a copy of which should be in every small craft marine surveyor’s library. I would like to see Karen Brain’s comments on this paragraph’. Jeffrey Casciani-Wood Continue reading “Karen Brain responds to Jeffrey Casciani-Wood about the use of reported dimensions in reports”

New IIMS small craft remote tonnage measurement surveyor training approved by MCA

IIMS set to roll out remote tonnage measurement training for small craft surveyors
IIMS set to roll out remote tonnage measurement training for small craft surveyors

A proposal by IIMS to extend its popular face-to-face tonnage measurement training into an innovative remote online format has been accepted and approved by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA). The innovative approach to delivering this training, which is open to both IIMS members and non-members, marks new ground for the Institute. The first online seminar will be delivered on 22 September from 10.00 (UK time).

To become formally authorized to process tonnages through IIMS you need to be a member, and Part I and Part II must be completed. Those who wish to study Part I only, the UK online tonnage measurement theory, may do so to extend their surveying knowledge.

Continue reading “New IIMS small craft remote tonnage measurement surveyor training approved by MCA”

The John Excell Award for Outstanding Achievement is announced

The International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS) has launched an award in memory of yacht and small craft marine surveyor, John Excell. The John Excell Award for Outstanding Achievement is open to all students enrolled on the distance learning diploma in marine surveying. It will be awarded on a periodical basis to deserving students – those who deliver not only outstanding academic achievements but who also demonstrate first-class interpersonal skills. Suitable recommendations will be put to the IIMS Education Committee for review and acceptance.

John Excell, who was an Honorary Fellow member of the Institute, died in April 2021 following a long illness at the age of just fifty-one. Continue reading “The John Excell Award for Outstanding Achievement is announced”

What caught my eye last month

Is your new bike stuck in the Suez Canal on the Ever Given?
Is your new bike stuck in the Suez Canal on the Ever Given?

There is never a shortage of news stories as far as the shipping and boating world is concerned, many of them bearing bad tidings of more incidents and accidents the have happened at sea. In fact, daily maritime news feeds fill my inbox to capacity. Some of these articles are of great importance and relevance, others rather more frivolous by nature. There is room for both of course.

Sometimes these articles leave room for further thought and require more digging around to really understand what is at stake, often creating more questions than they answer. Anyway, here are three news items from the last month that caught my eye. Continue reading “What caught my eye last month”

The IIMS Report Magazine June 2021 edition published

Read the June 2021 Report Magazine online in e-reader format or in pdf format.

The highlights and feature articles of this special 136 page edition of The June 2021 Report (the biggest ever) to mark the 30th anniversary of IIMS include:
– The design of cathodic protection schemes for canal craft
– Seafarers ‘N’ Ever Given respect. What will we do this time so that history is not repeated?
– Containers overboard – is theory overtaking practice?
– Stitch by stitch: The art of sailmaking is alive and flourishing
– Could our ‘old friend’, the wind, be the solution to reducing the fuel consumption of ships?
– Seaman’s Manslaughter: An arcane US statute turned enforcement risk
– Elevators on ships – failures, service, and maintenance
– How well does Cathodic protection negate corrosion when used in seawater filtration?
– A personal account of gender diversity at sea
– A look back at 30 years of IIMS history and articles by a number of Past Presidents
– A day in the life of Nick Parkyn

 

Cygnus Instruments: Famous Face Gets a Lesson on Surveying and UTG

Cygnus Instruments: Famous Face Gets a Lesson on Surveying and UTG (Sir Tony Robinson pictured left)
Cygnus Instruments: Famous Face Gets a Lesson on Surveying and UTG (Sir Tony Robinson pictured left)

Cygnus Instruments developed the Multiple Echo technique in the 1980s in conjunction with IACS (International Association of Classification Societies).  This special ultrasonic technique uses a “single crystal” probe utilising multiple back wall reflections to both ignore coatings (such as anti-fouling paint) and to give an accurate and reliable result on metal thickness.

Mr John Heath, a highly experienced and respected marine surveyor with over 40 years’ experience is the IIMS Technical Director and a board member.  He recalls using his first piece of Cygnus equipment back in the 1980s.  “I certainly remember using the very large oscilloscopes, pencil and tracing paper to conduct diminution surveys – and naturally, I recall what a revolution it was for our industry. Continue reading “Cygnus Instruments: Famous Face Gets a Lesson on Surveying and UTG”

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.

Continue reading “IIMS CEO answers questions about new Marine Corrosion Professional Qualification”

The death of two IIMS stalwarts announced

The past week has been one of great sadness for me personally, the IIMS head office team, Institute members, and the wider maritime industry with the announcements of the passing of two IIMS champions. Last week, I received news of the passing of Peter Morgan HonFIIMS. Peter died on 4 April. And then just a week later, news that John Excell HonFIIMS had lost his brave battle and succumbed to a long illness reached me. The news of both deaths affected me greatly.

Detailed obituaries are being prepared for both men and will appear in the June 2021 Report Magazine.

But for now, let me try and make sense of what has been the toughest of weeks as both men were well known to me and many others. Indeed, both in their own ways gave so much to the Institute and will be sorely missed.

Continue reading “The death of two IIMS stalwarts announced”

IIMS publishes the March 2021 Report Magazine edition 95

The Report Magazine, edition 95, published by IIMS
The Report Magazine, edition 95, published by IIMS

The International Institute of Marine Surveying has published edition 95 of The Report Magazine, March 2021. The 108 page publication has placed an editorial emphasis on two topical and concerning issues:
1) shipping container incidents at sea and;
2) the unintended consequences of Brexit affecting the marine surveying profession in certain parts of the EU.

The highlights and main feature articles of this edition of The Report Magazine are:

– The CTU code – why we need it
– VAT on boats post Brexit explained
– Container stack collapses (causes and solutions)
– New insights into MSC ZOE in shallow water that require further action to prevent future container loss
– Tackling the scourge of container ship fires
– The Estonia disaster continues to be a bottomless source of learning
– Costly claims for crane failures caused by human errors
– From composite evolution to vessel construction revolution
Continue reading “IIMS publishes the March 2021 Report Magazine edition 95”

Who knows where the time goes?

A new entry to my blog is long overdue. As an aside, the title of this blog –  ‘Who knows where time goes’ – is one of my favourite songs, written by the talented and much missed Sandy Denny, and sung by her when with Fairport Convention, one of my favourite bands. Perhaps that plug will get me a free ticket to a future gig? But although I digress shamelessly, the fact is that one day simply merges into the next due to the pandemic and the current lockdown in the UK, as time slips easily by. With the inability to do much at the moment, a work day in the week is little different to the weekend it seems. Our lives are disrupted and mundane, but for good reason. Let’s hope this pandemic clears through soon. And yes, these are challenging times, not just for many working marine surveyors who are finding it hard to go about their lives as normal, but for many others too. Please stay safe and if you are working at this time, do carry out enhanced risk assessments. Continue reading “Who knows where the time goes?”

IIMS launches a standalone Professional Qualification in Marine Corrosion

The Professional Qualification in Marine Corrosion sets a new standard
The Professional Qualification in Marine Corrosion sets a new standard

After many months of detailed product development, the International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS) is pleased to announce the launch of a new standalone, affordable professional qualification in marine corrosion – subtitled marine corrosion and prevention in small vessels, ships and offshore structure. Prospectus for the Professional Qualification in Marine Corrosion

The programme has been written primarily with marine surveyors in mind, those whose job it is to inspect, understand and report on corrosion. The new Professional Qualification in Marine Corrosion is pitched at education level 4.

The developer and content producer behind this new qualification is Mike Lewus, a name known to some members as he has presented at various IIMS events and seminars. Mike has an encyclopaedic knowledge of corrosion and has spent many years as a technical lead with the British Stainless Steel Association.

Continue reading “IIMS launches a standalone Professional Qualification in Marine Corrosion”

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