ICOMIA launches essential new Paint Colour Guide: Yacht Coating Technical Guidelines

New from ICOMIA - the Paint Colour Guide: Yacht Coating Technical Guidelines
New from ICOMIA – the Paint Colour Guide: Yacht Coating Technical Guidelines

The International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) has produced a Paint Colour Guide: Yacht Coating Technical Guidelines as a result of their work with leading yacht coating manufacturers including Akzo Nobel, Hempel, Boero, CMP Chugoku and specialist coating consultants the Safinah Group.

The guide has been produced by ICOMIA members, for their members and the wider marine sector, in conjunction with industry technical experts including yacht paint surveyors, inspectors, chemists and formulators. It aims to provide clear, objective industry guidance on the use of paint colours and yacht coatings.

The days of yachts being painted only with the typical blue hulls and white superstructures are long gone. Continue reading “ICOMIA launches essential new Paint Colour Guide: Yacht Coating Technical Guidelines”

Marine Surveyors Association of Bangladesh celebrating thirty years

The Marine Surveyors Association of Bangladesh conference made the front page of the Chittagong daily paper
The Marine Surveyors Association of Bangladesh conference made the front page of the Chittagong daily paper

On Saturday 16th September 2023, I had the absolute pleasure to attend the one day conference at Hotel Agrabad, Chittagong, Bangladesh, as Guest of Honour, to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Marine Surveyors Association of Bangladesh (MSAB). An audience of more than 100 delegates from the marine surveying profession and wider local shipping industry had assembled to take part in the event. The conference was also broadcast live via Facebook. Continue reading “Marine Surveyors Association of Bangladesh celebrating thirty years”

What caught my eye: August 2023

Young teens launch model boats to circumnavigate Antarctica
The boys with their model boats. Photo credit: MacNeill Ferguson
The boys with their model boats. Photo credit: MacNeill Ferguson

They say you have to catch them young! This is such a wonderfully curious and quirky story, I simply had to bring it to your attention. Ollie Ferguson (13) and his brother Harry (11) of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, have launched replica vessels of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror to circumnavigate Antarctica in what is probably a world’s first. The brothers have been inspired by the 1839-43 scientific expedition that discovered the Ross ice shelf. According to an article from The Guardian, the models, both more than 3 feet long, will follow the circumpolar current around Antarctica. The journey is more than 12,500 nautical miles and could take two or more years to complete.
According to their father, MacNeill, the boats have cameras onboard to catch pictures of penguins and whales for Harry.

Continue reading “What caught my eye: August 2023”

Maritime fuel fraud results in approximately $5 billion in losses

FuelTrust’s new report finds that in the past year, over 600 vessels were disabled through fuel problems, despite the fuel being ‘on-spec’, resulting in estimated global supply chain losses exceeding $5 billion. FuelTrust’s analysis found that between 2021 and 2022, more than 39% of global bunkers exhibited a fuel content delta of 2% or more compared to the amounts stated in their delivery paperwork. The primary issue identified was the introduction of water into the fuels during the journey from onshore storage tanks to the ship’s bunker tank. This problem typically involved an increase from 0.1% to above 0.25% water content, which, although below the regulated threshold, still resulted in average losses of $14,910 per affected delivery, FuelTrust highlights. Continue reading “Maritime fuel fraud results in approximately $5 billion in losses”

Documentary series Coastguard: Every Second Counts set to air from 2 July

For the first time, the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is bringing a TV audience a behind-the-scenes documentary series. The new series, Coastguard: Every Second Counts, which rund for six episodes will air on Sunday 2 July at 9pm on Channel 5. It offers viewers the chance to see the wide breadth of work covered by the agency.

From the surveyors who check the safety of vessels to the nail-biting rescues HM Coastguard carry out, viewers will see that safety always underpins the work across the agency. The MCA granted full and exclusive access to TV crews for 12 months to allow time to provide insight into the varied, complex and, at times, tragic work of the maritime regulator in the UK. Continue reading “Documentary series Coastguard: Every Second Counts set to air from 2 July”

Electric boat and ship markets gaining momentum, says IDTechEx

In its new report “Electric Boats & Ships 2024-2044,” technology company IDTechEx has provided granular 20-year forecasts in unit sales, battery demand and battery market value for the electric ferry, electric cargo/container, electric Ro-Ro, electric cruise, electric OSV, electric tugboat and electric recreational boats by power class. It also shared technology analysis and price information on marine Li-ion battery systems ($/kWh 2020 – 2044) and electric propulsion systems.

The company pointed out that across the land-based electric vehicle sectors, there is mostly a transition to battery-electric propulsion Continue reading “Electric boat and ship markets gaining momentum, says IDTechEx”

What caught my eye: June 2023

Why has Venice’s Grand Canal turned bright green?
Photo credit: Italy's national fire brigade
Photo credit: Italy’s national fire brigade

An area of Venice’s famous Grand Canal has turned fluorescent green due to the presence of fluorescein – a chemical commonly used in underwater construction to help identify leaks, Italian authorities say. On 28 May 2023, residents of Venice took to Twitter after an area of phosphorescent green water was spotted near the Rialto Bridge in Venice. Authorities were called, and environmental agencies began investigating the source of the bright green water. Following samples of the water being taken, the Regional Agency for Environmental Continue reading “What caught my eye: June 2023”

IIMS 2023 AGM, Dinner and Conference Report

Some of the delegates who attended the IIMS Conference
Some of the delegates who attended the IIMS Conference

Over three days in early June, IIMS hosted its first international in-person event since the pandemic in and around the Southampton area in the UK, which consisted of a dinner and conference. The event consisted of a Directors’ dinner, quarterly management board meeting, formal dinner, Annual General Meeting and the main conference itself.

The dinner, held at Chilworth Manor Hotel, drew over 50 attendees from all branches of the surveying profession. The beautiful evening allowed diners to congregate outside on the patio before dinner was served. David Pestridge said Grace, followed by Peter Broad, who proposed the Loyal Toast. Guest speaker, Neil Roberts, Head of Marine & Aviation at Lloyds Market Association gave an excellent address after dinner. Continue reading “IIMS 2023 AGM, Dinner and Conference Report”

Vision Marine prepares for mass production of battery packs

Vision Marine Technologies has acquired industrial tooling to support the production capacity of more than 10,000 battery packs per year. This includes the tooling for the marine custom-designed battery pack’s cell stack and cooling system and the bolstering of the company’s intellectual property and ownership of the conception and design of the pack’s external casing.

“Our voyage towards mass production represents a monumental milestone for Vision Marine,” remarked Alexandre Mongeon, CEO and Continue reading “Vision Marine prepares for mass production of battery packs”

IIMS presents two Blue Water Awards to longstanding friends

IIms presents two blue water awards to longstanding friends
iims presents two blue water awards to longstanding friends

At the Conference dinner, held at Chilworth Manor, Southampton on Tuesday 6th June, IIMS chose this occasion to publicly recognise two people who have made a big contribution to Institute life, but in very different ways by honoring them with blue water awards. Here is a transcript from Mike Schwarz’s dinner speech announcing the presentations, which were presented by Peter Broad, IIMS President.

He said, “It is now my pleasure to announce two prestigious Blue Water Awards and in doing so, I am recognizing two people who have been fundamental in underpinning the work of the Institute over many years. Both are long-standing friends and colleagues from entirely different industry sectors and backgrounds. Continue reading “IIMS presents two Blue Water Awards to longstanding friends”

From ‘Sofa to Sailboat’ a unique challenge for one IIMS member

John-Kenneth D Habbershaw (left) and Farris Collins
John-Kenneth D Habbershaw (left) and Farris Collins

A leisure sailor and IIMS member and his inexperienced ex-Team GB crewmate are moving from their sofas onto a tiny 17ft sailboat to cross the Atlantic Ocean in aid of charity. In December 2023, John-Kenneth D Habbershaw, a Yacht and Small Craft Marine Surveyor, and his crewmate Farris Collins will take on an incredible challenge as they cross 3,000 miles of the Atlantic Ocean, unassisted in a tiny upcycled 50-year-old ‘Leisure 17’ sailboat, which has been nicknamed their ‘dinghy with a lid’. The pair aim to raise £100,000 in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, Mind, MS-UK, and St Helena Hospice. MS-UK and St Helena Hospice are based in Colchester, Essex, UK. Continue reading “From ‘Sofa to Sailboat’ a unique challenge for one IIMS member”

Angry response voiced at Seawork over proposed new MCA Workboat Code 3

The proposed MCAs Workboat Code 3 has drawn angry responses
The proposed MCAs Workboat Code 3 has drawn angry responses

Anger erupted and spilled over at the MCAs handling of the Workboat Code 3 consultation process at the Seawork conference. Accusations were made that the MCA (Maritime & Coastguard Agency) is not communicating new coding regulations that could have disastrous consequences for small workboats.

There was standing room only at the UK’s Maritime & Coastguard Authority Workboat Code 3 update presentation at Seawork as the Workboat Association teetered close to expressing a vote of no confidence in the UK’s statutory body. Something of a showdown with Continue reading “Angry response voiced at Seawork over proposed new MCA Workboat Code 3”

Instagram Posts from the IIMS @iimsmarine

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