New production facility as Oyster Yachts makes a significant investment

New production facility as Oyster Yachts makes a significant investment
New production facility as Oyster Yachts makes a significant investment

Oyster Yachts is undertaking a considerable expansion programme by acquiring an additional 27,000 sq ft at the Hythe Marine Park, Southampton. The additional space will be used to create a state-of-the-art production facility for the new Oyster 495 yacht.

“With several Oyster 495s already sold, investment in this dedicated production facility fits seamlessly with our growth strategy,” says Oyster’s CEO Richard Hadida. “We have great plans for Hythe Marine Park, this location is already a centre of excellence for boat building, and it is the ideal location for our expansion of Oyster.”

Oyster Yachts is moving into the historic Grade II listed Continue reading “New production facility as Oyster Yachts makes a significant investment”

Yanmar underway with field demo testing for hydrogen fuel cell

Yanmar underway with field demo testing for hydrogen fuel cell
Yanmar underway with field demo testing for hydrogen fuel cell

With marine environmental regulations tightening worldwide, in December 2020 the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry formulated its ‘Green Growth Strategy towards 2050 Carbon Neutrality’. The strategy highlights the development of energy and power sources that reduce the impact on the environment, including those for vessels powered by carbon-free fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia. Looking towards the future of powertrain technology, Yanmar has developed a maritime fuel cell system that incorporates hydrogen fuel cell modules from Toyota’s MIRAI automobile. The system was installed into Yanmar’s EX38A FC pleasure boat for field testing. The boat Continue reading “Yanmar underway with field demo testing for hydrogen fuel cell”

Returned goods relief grace period post Brexit extended by six months

Returned goods relief grace period post Brexit extended by six months
Returned goods relief grace period post Brexit extended by six months

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced a 6-month extension to the 1-year grace period previously put in place by the government for returned goods relief. The announcement follows representations from the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and British Marine asking for a 3-year transition period. The organisations say the 1-year period of grace effective from 1 January 2021, in respect of the three-year condition for RGR, was not sufficient as many factors affect the repatriation of vessels, including travel restrictions, the Schengen area immigration restrictions, insurance restrictions and the length of sailing season.

The new announcement extends the grace period for RGR until 30 June 2022 for all goods including recreational craft, regardless of when Continue reading “Returned goods relief grace period post Brexit extended by six months”

Cruising Association: New survey suggests four out of five are set to quit long-term cruising in EU waters

Cruising Association new report. Image credit: Gordon Knight/EIWS/CA
Cruising Association new report. Image credit: Gordon Knight/EIWS/CA

A survey carried out amongst Cruising Association (CA) members who keep their boats on the rivers and canals of Schengen countries has revealed that 80% of British owners are likely to sell their boats and give up cruising altogether, or move their base to a non-Schengen country.

Overall figures for coastal cruising boat owners are expected to be broadly similar although with more sailing out of Schengen waters to other cruising grounds.

The failure of the UK government to negotiate a fair deal with the EU means that UK citizens can now only visit Schengen countries for 90 Continue reading “Cruising Association: New survey suggests four out of five are set to quit long-term cruising in EU waters”

Flooding of towing vessel caused by a lack of monitoring

Flooding of towing vessel caused by a lack of monitoring
Flooding of towing vessel caused by a lack of monitoring

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published an investigation report on the flooding of the towing vessel ‘Alton St Amant’ while moored in the Harvey Canal in New Orleans. The incident resulted in an oil discharge into the water. The investigation identified lack of pre-inspection and monitoring procedures for water transfer as a key cause of the incident.

On May 17, 2020, about 0530 local time, a shipyard worker reported that the towing vessel Alton St Amant was partially submerged while moored at a shipyard in the Harvey Canal in New Orleans, Louisiana. There were no crew members or shipyard workers aboard the vessel. Approximately five gallons of diesel fuel were released into the water. Damage to the vessel was estimated at $1.5 million. No injuries were reported. Continue reading “Flooding of towing vessel caused by a lack of monitoring”

Colregs violation that caused three deaths result in prison sentence for skipper

Colregs violation that caused three deaths result in prison sentence for skipper
Colregs violation that caused three deaths result in prison sentence for skipper

A commercial vessel’s skipper has been convicted after passing too close to a small motor boat off the coast of Sussex, UK capsizing it and leaving three men dead as a result – a result of violation of colregs. David Marr was in charge of the fishing vessel Vertrouwen just after midnight on 6 August 2017, when it passed extremely close to the James 2, a smaller leisure fishing craft which was swamped and sank. Only one of the four men on board survived, after being picked up from the water five hours after the boat sank. The other three men all drowned. Marr was jailed for one year at Lewes Crown Court on 12 March.

The only survivor told Lewes Crown Court that they saw the Vertrouwen from about a kilometre away and all four men had been signalling “like mad” before the collision. Despite this, the Vertrouwen carried on in the same direction at the same speed and the James 2 was Continue reading “Colregs violation that caused three deaths result in prison sentence for skipper”

RYA licensing arrangement in Spanish waters after Brexit

The Spanish flag being flown on a vessel at seaSince Brexit there have been a few individuals who have been working almost non-stop to find solutions and trying to prevent incorrect facts being reported in the news and on social media platforms. The last few days have seen some news articles published in Mallorca that have been fundamentally incorrect and inaccurate and many boat owners in the Balearics are receiving mixed and confusing messages over RYA licensing arrangement and what they can and cannot do.

These are the facts as confirmed by multiple legal opinions:
Why has the acceptance of RYA Licensing arrangement in Spain changed?
From the 1st of January 2021, as a result of Brexit, the Spanish ceased to accept all RYA and ICC [international Certificates of Competence] on any Spanish flagged vessels. This prevented anyone with RYA/ICC Certification from operating on a Spanish flagged vessel. Continue reading “RYA licensing arrangement in Spanish waters after Brexit”

Potential new costs of trading second-hand vessels between the UK and EU highlighted

British Marine and the RYA have now received further information from both the EU Commission and the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on the trade of pre-owned CE marked second-hand vessels between the UK and EU following the UK’s exit from the European Union.

Both the UK and EU have confirmed that any trade between second-hand vessels between the UK and EU will be required to meet the obligations set out in either the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) in the EU or the Recreational Craft Regulations (RCR) in the UK when placed on either market after the 1 January 2021.

Continue reading “Potential new costs of trading second-hand vessels between the UK and EU highlighted”

HM Treasury confirms decision to maintain recreational boaters’ entitlement to use red diesel beyond April 2022

HM Treasury confirms decision to maintain recreational boaters’ entitlement to use red diesel beyond April 2022
HM Treasury confirms decision to maintain recreational boaters’ entitlement to use red diesel beyond April 2022

The lobbying campaign, mounted by The Cruising Association, Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and British Marine which the three supported in various ways, has argued successfully that having two colours of diesel including red diesel would cause fuel supply problems and impact on safe sailing in the UK.

The decision allows for easy refuelling in England, Wales and Scotland and will avoid the logistical and environmental difficulty for the fuel supply industry of changing to white diesel, they say. Now pleasure craft in Great Britain will be able to use red diesel and pay fuel suppliers the difference between the red diesel rate and the white diesel rate, on the proportion intended for propulsion use.

For heating purposes, a vessel with a separate tank will still be able to use red diesel at the lower duty rate. The percentage relief scheme for heating use, for a craft with one tank, is to be announced. Continue reading “HM Treasury confirms decision to maintain recreational boaters’ entitlement to use red diesel beyond April 2022”

Two prominent British membership organisations join the campaign to challenge HMRC’s post-Brexit plans

Two prominent British membership organisations join the campaign to challenge HMRC’s post-Brexit plans
Two prominent British membership organisations join the campaign to challenge HMRC’s post-Brexit plans

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and British Marine (BM) are adding their voices to the campaign to challenge HMRC’s post-Brexit plans for private leisure craft and the implications thereof.

The marine industry bodies say that they’ve been working for some time to establish what the future holds for recreational boaters now that the transition period has ended and to clarify what measures the Government intends to put in place for VAT, import duty, Returned Good Relief (RGR) and Temporary Admission (TA).

With a view to address the issues of concern and develop workable guidance, the RYA and BM have endeavoured to engage with various HMRC policy teams to provide sector knowledge and experience. Continue reading “Two prominent British membership organisations join the campaign to challenge HMRC’s post-Brexit plans”

Report reveals fire on Finlandia Seaways ro-ro cargo vessel caused by catastrophic main engine failure

Report reveals fire on Finlandia Seaways ro-ro cargo vessel caused by catastrophic main engine failure
Report reveals fire on Finlandia Seaways ro-ro cargo vessel caused by catastrophic main engine failure

At 2003 on 16 April 2018, the Lithuanian registered ro-ro cargo vessel Finlandia Seaways sufered a catastrophic main engine failure that caused serious structural damage to the engine and a fire in the engine room. The vessel’s third engineer, who was on duty in the engine room at the time, sufered serious smoke-related lung, kidney and eye injuries during his escape.

Finlandia Seaways was 11nm east of Lowestoft on a regular voyage from Zeebrugge to Rosyth when one of the main engine’s connecting rods broke. Several of the engine’s major internal rotating components were thrown through the side of the crankcase into the engine room, and a short but intense fire occurred. Within 20 minutes the crew had conducted a muster, sealed the engine room, activated its carbon dioxide fxed fire-fighting system and extinguished the fire. The third engineer was recovered Continue reading “Report reveals fire on Finlandia Seaways ro-ro cargo vessel caused by catastrophic main engine failure”

Preventing human errors (DPO) when changing Dynamic Positioning control modes

Preventing human errors (DPO) when changing Dynamic Positioning control modes
Preventing human errors (DPO) when changing Dynamic Positioning control modes

There have been several reports of incidents on Dynamic Positioning (DP) vessels where control was lost because the DP operator (DPO) failed to correctly switch control between different operating stations, notes Mr. John Southam, Loss Prevention Executive at North P&I Club.

Investigations rarely find the cause to be a technical malfunction or an issue with the DP system set up, such as a network error. It is more often caused simply by the incorrect actions of the DPOs.

The importance of redundancy
In some cases, these incidents have been a result of a momentary lapse in concentration, which can happen to anyone. But just like the DP system itself, bridge teams Continue reading “Preventing human errors (DPO) when changing Dynamic Positioning control modes”

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