In response to interest expressed recently by IIMS members, a decision has been taken to form a new inland waterways group. IIMS member, Chris Williams, has agreed to head up the group (supported by several others) under the auspices of Large Yacht & Small Craft Working Group Chairman, John Excell. The initial intention of the group is to meet formally twice a year for training days around the UK and to communicate and network through various social media channels to share information and best inland waterways surveying practice. The first practical training event is planned for Thursday 19 April 2018 at Croxley Green, Watford at the P&S Marine Yard on the Continue reading “IIMS forms an Inland Waterways Working Group and announces first training event”
Training
Annual Western Mediterranean LYSCWG on 26-27 April
As in previous years, IIMS is hosting an event around the Palma Superyacht Show on the island of Majorca on Thursday 26 to Friday 27 April for large yacht and small craft surveyors. In recent years the event has gone from strength to strength and the agenda for this year looks equally appealing.
On the first morning the group will meet outside the Superyacht Show entrance to be transported the few miles to take a look at the METALNOX facility at Calvia.
Meet at 08.45 – Transfer to METALNOX by bus
Continue reading “Annual Western Mediterranean LYSCWG on 26-27 April”
Boat Safety Scheme certification charges set to rise as part of new four year business and investment plan
The Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) Management Committee has agreed a new four-year business plan to resource its work to 2022 and invest in improvements that will have an even longer-term benefit. The plan also includes the first price rise in certification charges for eight years.
BSS Examiners will pay a new price of £36 (excluding VAT) for each certification they issue to a boat, which is a £7 rise that they will likely choose to pass onto customers.
The new price will apply from 1 April 2018 and the Scheme intends holding it for at least the whole of the four-year business plan period, which is designed to coincide with the four-year lifespan of BSS Certification.
The new BSS business plan includes additional support to BSS Examiners, projects to improve the quality of examinations and enhancements to customer service.
The Scheme acknowledges that times are tough and boaters face other price increases associated with their Continue reading “Boat Safety Scheme certification charges set to rise as part of new four year business and investment plan”
Report on the IIMS and British Stainless Steel Association one day seminar
A combined audience of nearly 50 real-time and online delegates assembled on 23 January at a venue near Portsmouth UK for the first joint IIMS and British Stainless Steel Association training day under the auspices and guidance of tutor and course author, Dr Mike Lewus. The topic of the day? ‘Marine Corrosion and its Prevention in Small Vessels’. The subject of the day? Corrosion and lots of it too. There was plenty of hard science taking delegates back to their early school and education days but interspersed with practical reviews and discussion around particular types of corrosion, from pitting and crevice to stress cracking corrosion using photographic and anecdotal evidence.
Mike and his team produced a fabulous, comprehensive and very thick course manual for delegates a copy of which now sits in the IIMS Continue reading “Report on the IIMS and British Stainless Steel Association one day seminar”
New regulations from the Danish Maritime Authority for operating personal watercraft come into force
Following the launch of new regulations from the Danish Maritime Authority, effective from 1 January 2018, operators of personal watercraft must complete a theoretical as well as a practical test.
As part of the Danish Government’s efforts to enhance the safety of those using the sea for recreational purposes, the Danish Maritime Authority will now require operators of personal watercraft and the like to hold a special personal watercraft license.
Everyone who wants to operate a personal watercraft must Continue reading “New regulations from the Danish Maritime Authority for operating personal watercraft come into force”
IIMS releases its outline training plans for 2018
IIMS is pleased to outline its training programme for 2018.
23 January 2018 – Corrosion in stainless steel special day seminar near Portsmouth run for us by BSSA
26 February – Online Report Writing course (also autumn)
March or April 2018 – Inland waterways training day at Watford, UK
26 March 2018 – LYSCWG rig training day at Southampton
26/27 April 2018 – Western Med LYSCWG at the Palma Superyacht Show
14 May 2018 – Tonnage classroom and practical training IIMS head office, Portchester (limit 15 delegates)
15 May 2018 – Certifying Authority Spring training day (South Coast)
May 2018 – AMELS factory visit Holland
May 2018 – Coatings training day for general surveyors at Gouda, Holland
31 July to 3 August – 2018 IIMS and eCMID South East Asia Conference, Sydney
12 September 2018 – 24 hour rolling Marine Surveying International Fest
October 2018 – Eastern Med LYSCWG training event, Malta
29 October 2018 – LYSCWG ‘super’ training day Portsmouth
12 November 2018 – Inland Waterways Group – Surveying LPG on boats (venue to be confirmed)
19/20 November 2018 – LYSCWG Glasgow, Scotland
In addition to the above, IIMS will organise one further days’ training for Certifying Authority surveyors. Dates and more information to follow soon.
A range of online only seminars broadcast live through the Zoom platform will be announced soon.
Future-proofing through training – The Nautical Institute Command Seminars
Training and professional development needs to be addressed at the highest level if we are to continue to improve maritime safety, concluded attendees at The Nautical Institute’s 2017 Command Seminar series.
At the most recent event, held in Cyprus, attendees emphasised that it is important to ensure continuity in the maritime profession, making sure that seafarers make the most of new technology, while maintaining existing skills and knowledge. “New technologies will be used to support the Master’s decision, but mentoring and training need to be intensified in the new context of digitalisation,” said speaker Captain Alexander Legowski of OL Shipping.
Over the course of 2017, more than 500 people from a broad spectrum across the industry, from cadets to sailing Masters and senior industry figures, have attended The Nautical Institute’s five Command Seminars. The seminars were based around the theme of navigation accidents and their causes, looking in some detail at how the industry can best cope with the changes expected over the next 15 years. Continue reading “Future-proofing through training – The Nautical Institute Command Seminars”
IIMS and BSSA to deliver a special one day seminar entitled Marine Corrosion and its Prevention in Small Vessels
IIMS has joined forces with the British Stainless Steel Association (BSSA) to deliver an essential one day seminar called ‘Marine Corrosion and its Prevention in Small Vessels’. The day’s seminar programme will be delivered by Dr Mike Lewus, Technical Advisor, BSSA on Tuesday 23 January 2018 at Lakeside, North Harbour, near Portsmouth commencing at 09.00. Delegates who cannot be there in person may join online live via Zoom. IIMS was so impressed with Mike when he spoke at the London Conference on the same topic, that they have engaged him to expand his presentation into a whole day’s seminar. And this is the result.
IIMS and eCMID Singapore seminars 2017
IIMS has planned and organised a three day programme of events taking place in Singapore from 31 July to 2 August 2017.
Venue: Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore by Shangri-la
1A Cuscaden Road, Orchard, 249716 Singapore
See hotel web site
The three day event provisional programme comprises in brief:
Monday 31 July: International Institute of Marine Surveying Seminar
Tuesday 1 August: eCMID AVI Seminar
Wednesday 2 August: eCMID AVI Accreditation Course Continue reading “IIMS and eCMID Singapore seminars 2017”
Inaugural eCMID Conference report
IIMS in conjunction with Marine Surveying Academy delivered a hugely successful first eCMID one day Conference, which took place in Amsterdam by Schiphol Airport on 25 April.
The feedback from the event, which drew around 40 delegates, was extraordinarily positive. On behalf of IMCA, Chris Baldwin said how delighted he was with the number of Accredited Vessel Inspectors that have already come forward to join and be accepted on the scheme. He praised IIMS for their delivery of the programme and its robustness.
eCMID AVIs play a key role inspecting and auditing offshore vessels in the oil and gas and renewables sectors. The Conference was a chance for some of them to come together to network with other AVIs and to learn abut the programme and its constituent components.
Report on LYSCWG Palma training
A group of 15 IIMS members and non-members came together for the two day IIMS Western Mediterranean LYSCWG training event – something of an annual gathering these days. Despite inclement weather on the first morning, the group followed a classroom session about NDT testing gauges by going under several vessels made of different materials to test the kit. Thanks to Jon Sharland from Tritex NDT for bringing his gear over from the UK.
Ian Lewis gave an insight into cold cure products manufactured and marketed by Wencon. Those present were genuinely impressed to see examples of applications that had been carried out to effect repairs. After lunch, the group were guests of the Global Yachting Group and Continue reading “Report on LYSCWG Palma training”
New handy guide surveying metal craft published by IIMS
IIMS has released for publication a new handy guide entitled What a Marine Surveyor needs to know about surveying metal craft. This brings the total number of publications in the What a Marine Surveyor needs to know about handy guide series to thirteen. More manuscripts are in the pipeline too and will be published as the year goes by.
Steel boats may be made of a variety of metals. Very old vessels may be built of iron. Ordinary carbon steel, usually called mild steel, is commonly used. Shipbuilding quality steel is not used as much as it is not easy to source. Cor-Ten steel is sold as a low rust product, but there is no universal opinion about this special formula.
In this handy guide on surveying metal craft, written by the doyen of marine surveyors, Ian Nicolson draws on some comparisons:
Surveyors are detectives, looking for clues. When they find them, they have to deduce what caused such things as discolouration, dents or broken fastenings. Surveying is also like veterinary work, as both practitioners cannot get answers to questions asked. Good eyesight, excellent lighting and an enquiring mind which never falters on the job are what surveyors need.
Continue reading “New handy guide surveying metal craft published by IIMS”
