Clipper Ventures calls for independent inquiry

Clipper ventures yacht
Simon Speirs was lost overboard while working forward when tragically his tether line hook distorted and released. Image © Clipper Race

Following an investigation into the tragic death of Simon Speirs, Clipper Ventures has called on the Department for Transport to hold an independent inquiry to establish the full extent of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) investigatory teams’ failure of professionalism, impartiality and honesty.

On the 18th November 2017, Simon Speirs, a 60 year old retired solicitor, fell overboard whilst helping to reduce sail. The yacht, CV30, owned by Clipper Ventures, was participating in an around the world race and was experiencing increasing winds and sea state in the Southern Ocean. Mr Speirs was tethered to the boat but fell overboard due to a freak failure of a tether safety clip. Mr Speirs was recovered but could not be resuscitated. Continue reading “Clipper Ventures calls for independent inquiry”

Shipwreck of 500-Year-Old Vessel Discovered in Baltic Sea Looks ‘Like it Sank Yesterday’

Underwater picture of the wreckage - Credit: Deep Sea Productions/MMT
Credit: Deep Sea Productions/MMT

An international team of scientists has announced the discovery of a shipwreck. The 500-year-old ship remains pristinely intact in the cold, dark depths of the Baltic Sea.

Scientists say the shipwreck is perhaps the best preserved shipwreck of its period yet to be discovered.

It was first detected in 2009 by the Swedish Maritime Administration using state-of-the-art sonar. For years it went unexplored until earlier this year when, as part of work carried out by survey specialists MMT, the wreck was identified as having great archaeological and historical significance.

Further inspection of the wreck was led by Dr. Rodrigo Pacheco-Ruiz, Continue reading “Shipwreck of 500-Year-Old Vessel Discovered in Baltic Sea Looks ‘Like it Sank Yesterday’”

The opportunities that long haul flights present for strategic thinking

IIMS Logo on a rock at sea, with a lighthouse behind itLong haul flights present the perfect downtime for thinking and reflection in my opinion. Those endless hours whiling away the time in the air, wondering how many more absurd movies you can watch or books you can read, is a challenge! It’s true, I do a lot of strategic thinking when I travel. My colleagues tease me whenever I come back from a long trip as my head is stuffed with good ideas, well some are good, some less so.

How lucky for me then that I am about to head out to Australia the week after next – more thinking time – stopping in Singapore on the way back. I am particularly thrilled at the number of members and non-members who have signed up for the two day IIMS Australia seminar in Brisbane. We are quite a crowd. I am very much looking forward to meeting both those I know well and those who I have never Continue reading “The opportunities that long haul flights present for strategic thinking”

Maritime Annual Report 2018-2019 published by the UK Government

Maritime Annual Report 2018-2019
Maritime Annual Report

The UK Government has released its Maritime Annual Report 2018-2019 and Nusrat Ghani MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Transport, Minister for Maritime, says in her introduction:

“As Maritime Minister over the past year I have had the privilege to see first-hand the extraordinary work done across the sector. I am delighted to say that this period has seen Government deliver ground breaking work, and this report shines
a spotlight on a number of these outstanding achievements.

This year we have published Maritime 2050, a long-term strategy that lays out our ambitions for the sector. It is the first strategy of its kind in a generation, and it is indicative of the type of ambitious, original Continue reading “Maritime Annual Report 2018-2019 published by the UK Government”

Norway plans to eliminate accidents involving recreational boats

Norway plans to eliminate recreational boat accidents
Norway plans to eliminate recreational boat accidents

The Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Torbjørn Røe has initiated an action plan to reduce the number of serious accidents related with the use of recreational boats in Norwegian waters. The government has a zero-accidents vision for boat traffic.

The target is to achieve zero accidents associated with recreational boats at sea. For this reason, the Norwegian Maritime Directorate was tasked to prepare the plan, which covers the period from 2019 to 2023.

In addition to the zero vision, an ambitious milestone for the first period has been set: 50% reduction in the number of fatalities associated with use of recreational boats before the end of the planning period.

“We want everyone to come home safely when they have been on the sea, Continue reading “Norway plans to eliminate accidents involving recreational boats”

Tiger One report by MAIB says impact of collision lessened by the use of a kill cord and robust construction

Tiger One was severely damaged.
Tiger One was severely damaged.

The MAIB has published its report into the incident on the River Thames involving Tiger One. At 1738 on 17 January 2019, the commercially operated rigid inflatable boat Tiger One hit a mooring buoy on the River Thames in London, England, at a speed of about 26 knots in darkness. Two passengers and the boat’s two crew were taken to hospital with minor injuries. Tiger One was severely damaged.

Tiger One was one of two 12m RIBs owned and Continue reading “Tiger One report by MAIB says impact of collision lessened by the use of a kill cord and robust construction”

Murrills House set to become the Institute’s permanent home as IIMS opens crowdfunding opportunity

Murrills House is set to become the permanent home for IIMS
Murrills House is set to become the permanent home for IIMS

In a strange turn of events, Murrills House in Portchester, UK, is set to become the new Head Quarters of the IIMS. But wait a minute I hear you say. IIMS is already headquartered in Murrills House isn’t it? Yes you are right of course. IIMS has been renting these offices for the past decade since its move from Gosport. But with the end of the lease looming, IIMS entered into talks with the landlord earlier this year with a view to the Institute acquiring the freehold of the property and adjacent land. The outright purchase of suitable office accommodation rather than renting one was something that the membership voted in favour of at the 2018 AGM.

So now IIMS would like your help. We are reaching out to the members and supporters of the Institute to invite them to make a financial donation towards the essential maintenance we would like to undertake upon completion of the deal to secure Murrills House as the Continue reading “Murrills House set to become the Institute’s permanent home as IIMS opens crowdfunding opportunity”

MAIB Annual Report 2018 and review published

MAIB Annual Report 2018 has been published
MAIB Annual Report 2018 has been published

The MAIB 2018 Annual Report  has been published and is available to read in full as a 104 page pdf document which can be downloaded below.

Captain Andrew Moll, Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, says in the MAIB Annual Report 2018 introduction:

“2018 was a challenging year for the MAIB, though to some extent it was business as usual. The year saw 1227 accidents reported, just a few less than the previous year; and 23 investigations started, up from 21 in 2017 but still lower than 2016 when the Branch started 29 Continue reading “MAIB Annual Report 2018 and review published”

Update on contaminated fuel from St Petersburg following the discovery of Carbon Tetrachloride

FOBAS confirms the presence of Carbon Tetrachloride in the contaminated fuel
FOBAS confirms the presence of Carbon Tetrachloride in the contaminated fuel

Following a late June alert regarding contaminated bunkers that were supplied in St Petersburg, Russia, the Lloyd’s Register Fuel Oil Bunkering Analysis and Advisory Service (FOBAS) has published an update on 12 July, in which it confirms the presence of Carbon Tetrachloride in the contaminated fuel.

On 26 June, FOBAS issued an alert to say it was investigating a number of samples bunkered in St Petersburg, Russia, taken from mid-April to the beginning of May. During the use of these fuels, vessels reported a range of, including damage to plungers and M/E and A/E filter damage.

Investigation showed that the operational problems resulted from damage to fuel injection equipment of main and auxiliary engines, as Continue reading “Update on contaminated fuel from St Petersburg following the discovery of Carbon Tetrachloride”

IIMS plays a leading role in the development of a new Marine Surveyor ‘Trailblazer’ apprenticeship scheme now approved by government with funding

ew Marine Surveyor 'Trailblazer' apprenticeship scheme
Marine Surveyor ‘Trailblazer’ apprenticeship scheme

IIMS has played a leading role as part of a small but dedicated team that has worked hard over the past two years to develop the framework for an apprenticeship scheme (‘Trailblazer’) for the marine surveying profession in the UK.

The working group has been chaired by Alan Cartwright, Blabey Engineering Ltd, with Mike Schwarz, IIMS CEO, in attendance from the outset. More recently, Alan Larsen, SCMS, joined the working group to help shape its direction. Di Fitch from John Moores University in Liverpool in conjunction with Mark Aberdein has been ever present and has brought her considerable specialist knowledge in the area of Continue reading “IIMS plays a leading role in the development of a new Marine Surveyor ‘Trailblazer’ apprenticeship scheme now approved by government with funding”

Smart fuel hose set to enhance safety at sea

Smart fuel hose set to enhance safety at sea
Smart fuel hose set to enhance safety at sea

“A fire in the engine room is any seafarer’s worst nightmare,” says Tom Backlund, Wärtsilä’s General Manager Large Bore Engines.

This is especially true when it comes to fuel leakages in vessel engine rooms. This is why the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulation, enforced by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), stipulates a number of minimum safety standards for operations throughout the vessel, including the engine room, with a strict limit for splash guards’ surface temperatures that could ignite liquid and cause fires.

Wärtsilä continuously delivers improvements to its engines and has introduced a variety of new solutions to comply with the hot surface Continue reading “Smart fuel hose set to enhance safety at sea”

Hapag-Lloyd tests ship-painting robots

Ship-painting robot in motionTraditional manual work is increasingly being replaced by automated processes, such as self-driving Automated Guided Vehicles in container terminals. Thanks to robots, the quality of ship painting can also be improved and the docking time shortened. Hapag-Lloyd is currently testing the process with nine ships.

Keeping barnacles, mussels and algae off the hull – the subject of fouling is as old as shipping itself. Fouling dramatically increases drag, which results in high fuel consumption and makes it harder to achieve climate targets. So, it’s a question that repeatedly arises: How can fouling be efficiently and reliably prevented over a period of five years, when a vessel will have to go into a shipyard anyways for its regular classification survey? Continue reading “Hapag-Lloyd tests ship-painting robots”

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