Small Craft News

MCA propose a new code of practice to allow pleasure vessels to be temporarily used for business purposes and as race support boats

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The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is seeking feedback from the public on a new code of practice for intended pleasure vessels (IPV)

The MCA would like feedback on a new proposal to allow pleasure craft to be temporarily used for business purposes and as race support boats.

The organisation has been working with British Marine, RYA, and the Yacht Brokers, Designers and Surveyors Association (YBDSA) to develop the new code of practice which is due to be published on 1 January 2019.

The code is divided into parts. The first refers to intended pleasure vessels (IPV) to be used for temporary commercial reasons and the second for said craft to be used to support race boats.

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Maud makes a welcome return to her homeland in Norway after 100 years

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Image courtesy of Maud Returns Home
Image courtesy of Maud Returns Home

Maud, the ship that Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen tried to reach the North Pole with, returned to Norway on Monday after nearly a century.

The vessel arrived in Bergen, where she spent two days back in July 1918 on her way to the high Arctic.

Maud was raised from the seabed in Cambridge Bay, Canada, over the summer of 2016 by the Maud Returns Home project.

Named for Queen Maud of Norway, she was built for Amundsen’s second expedition to the Arctic and launched in June 1916. In the summer of 1918, Amundsen departed Norway. His ambition was to sail into the high north and deliberately get stuck in the ice so the ship Continue reading “Maud makes a welcome return to her homeland in Norway after 100 years”

Lively Lady back on the water after refit 50 years on from her global circumnavigation

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Classic yacht Lively Lady is back in the water 50 years after her first single-handed global circumnavigation, following a full repaint and extensive refit at Hayling Yacht Company.

The refit work to restore the 36ft cutter was carried out by volunteers from the charity Around and Around and included replacing the deck, reassembling the wheelhouse, installing new electrics and an interior refit, alongside a repaint using Jotun Yachting paint products.

“The hard work carried out by the volunteers at Around and Around has certainly paid off, with Lively Lady looking better than new and in a condition which will see her through the next 50 years,” said Jim Brickwood, business development manager at Jotun Yachting UK.

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River Canal Rescue reports a record number of emergency call-outs

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River Canal Rescue has responded to a record number of call-outs this summer.

From June 1 to July 31 the breakdown and emergency assistance firm responded to 902 call-outs and undertook 223 major rescues or repair jobs.

During the same period last year, there were 833 call-outs and 208 major rescues or repairs.

One of its recent major rescues – on July 20 – was to raise a 70ft narrowboat from Macclesfield Canal.

The boat sank in lock nine of Bosley’s 12 lock flight after appearing to have got caught on the lock gate cill. It was the owners first day out on their first boat.

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MAIB issues urgent safety bulletin after keel failure to a commercial yacht

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The MAIB is investigating the keel failure and capsize of the UK registered commercial yacht Tyger of London while on passage from La Gomera to Tenerife, on 7 December 2017. The five persons on board were rescued from the water by the crew of a nearby yacht.

Tyger of London was a Comar Comet 45S designed by Vallicelli & C and built in 2007 by Comar Yachts s.r.l, at Fiumicino, Italy. In common with other vessels built by the shipbuilder, the Comet 45S could be fitted with a choice of two keels:
Continue reading “MAIB issues urgent safety bulletin after keel failure to a commercial yacht”

RCR launches new decontaminating bilge water filter

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River Canal Rescue has developed a new filter that removes oil, fuel and other hydrocarbons from bilge water before it’s pumped into canals, rivers or the sea.

Bilge Away can be retro-fitted to pre-installed bilge pumps and as the bilge water passes through the filters, a patented active component absorbs hydrocarbons, storing the compound in an environmentally-friendly cartridge that can be composted or incinerated.

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Following the report by Maritime NZ into a fatal accident new regulations are introduced

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Photo credit: Maritime NZ
Photo credit: Maritime NZ

In the aftermath of the report published into a fatal accident in which two crew members of the yacht Platino died back in June 2016, Maritime NZ has announced regulatory changes. These apply to safety requirements for recreational vessels leaving New Zealand ports and for other recreational vessels operating in New Zealand waters.

The incident
Platino is a 19.78 metre-long sailing yacht built in 1997-98 Continue reading “Following the report by Maritime NZ into a fatal accident new regulations are introduced”

Environment Agency opens consultation on proposed increases to boat registration charges

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Boat owners who keep or use a boat on waterways managed by the Environment Agency – and other interested parties – are being encouraged to participate in a public consultation over plans to increase boat registration charges.

Proposals for boat registration charges for 2019-20 and 2020-21 will include an increase of 5.7% for the River Thames, 7.5% for Anglian Waterways, 10% for Upper Medway Navigation and 7.7% for unpowered and boats covered by joint registration agreements.

“An increase in charges is essential to work towards creating a sustainable service that covers the cost of maintaining our valued waterways and delivering a safe and efficient service for our customers,” explained Mark Ormrod, national manager for navigation at the EA.

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Choose the right CO alarm, but be aware of false claims warns BSS

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Following recent media reports about non-working, imported carbon monoxide (CO) alarms sold on internet shopping sites, the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) is cautioning boaters that choosing the right CO alarm is an especially critical decision as boats can fill in minutes, sometimes seconds, with lethal levels of the highly toxic gas.

The BSS has teamed up with the CoGDEM (Council of Gas Detection & Environment Monitoring) to urge boaters to choose one from the list of CO alarms suitable for boats as recommended by the makers of independently certified products. Continue reading “Choose the right CO alarm, but be aware of false claims warns BSS”

IIMS set to trial an 8 day practical training module

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One of the two lead tutors, Martin Evans, leading a practical hull hammer tapping session
One of the two lead tutors, Martin Evans, leading a practical hull hammer tapping session

In a bold initiative as part of its award-winning Professional Qualification in Yacht & Small Craft Marine Surveying, IIMS is set to trial an 8 day practical module for the first time in October 2018.

Prospective students should arrive with an understanding of vessel construction and systems. Over an intensive 64 hours studying, the course will equip students to apply this knowledge to practical surveying techniques and report writing so that they can leave with the ability to carry out surveys on typical 8-10m sailing and motor vessels.

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2018 second half IIMS training and events calendar

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IIMS has lined up a bumper crop of training and networking events for the second half of 2018 and there is something for all members to dip in and out of. Many of the events are now open to online delegates too, so you can take part no matter which part of the world you are in.

Wednesday 22 August
Basics of coating technology online 90-minute seminar from 12 noon (UK time). Your host and presenter for this seminar is Gareth Thomas, Technical Support Team Manager, Speciality Coatings, International Paint Ltd, a division of Akzo Nobel.
Open for online only bookings now – click here for details. Continue reading “2018 second half IIMS training and events calendar”

The importance of kill cords reiterated by UK Coastguard following an incident

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The UK Coastguard has issued kill cord safety advice following a recent incident when two men were thrown from their speedboat in the afternoon of 12 July off the coast of Kent. The kill cord is designed to ‘kill’ a boat engine in case the driver goes overboard.

At around 2.25pm on 12 July, HM Coastguard received a number of 999 calls reporting that two men had been thrown from a speedboat, which then continued unmanned until it crashed into the sea wall at Minnis Bay Margate. The two men were rescued by the RNLI Lifeguards.

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