Woof woof – The four-legged robotic welder has arrived
The world, it seems, is changing before our very eyes as AI continues to take hold. I read about the launch of a new robotic welder called Rove, or more precisely, a robotic welding system. At first glance, this invention looks strangely like my dog! But take a closer look, and you will understand why this innovative little fellow is making waves in shipyards.
Shipbuilding, heavy construction, and large-scale fabrication face a shared constraint: massive assemblies, inconsistent fit-up, and workpieces that cannot be moved, let alone fixtured inside of a welding cell, says Path Robotics, the company behind Rove. Continue reading “What caught my eye: June 2026”
Recently, I attended the annual Certifying Authority BCC meeting at the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) in Southampton, which drew about 40 attendees. All the UK Certifying Authorities and the Recognised Organisations were represented and present. We were joined by senior and key MCA personnel and others from the Jersey and Cayman Islands registries. For the large part, it was business as usual as the regulator announced new initiatives, interpretations and to give a general news update on a series of policies and ongoing work behind the scenes. 
This is not the first time that floating sauna stories have come to my attention, so clearly, you can see I am fascinated by this concept. It is just, well, so whacky!
It troubles me once again that I feel the need to start this month’s column by raising the topic of lithium-ion battery fires, especially as the story I want to share with you is a land-based one that happened recently, and not a maritime disaster. You may know of my keen interest in this technology and the challenges surrounding it. The incident I want to speak about, and share with you, is a massive fire in the Scottish city of Glasgow. A major fire broke out in a vape shop adjacent to the city’s main railway station. Over the coming hours, the fire 
This month, I want to address the matter of recurring safety issues in our industry, and I pose the simple question, to which there is no easy answer: “What are the barriers to progress?” Of course, I don’t have the answers, but as a joined up, interconnected industry, perhaps we could do as we seek to make incisive inroads into ship, crew and vessel safety. Over the years, the realisation for enhanced safety training and mechanisms has grown and is now accepted as the norm, as has their implementation, but still, we see the same old type of incidents and accidents recurring. 
Of course, the sea, ships and boats have inspired artists for centuries – as well as me, although my artistic skills are not at the level of Joey Blazek! The original work of art (pictured right), entitled Matagorda Pilot Transfer, was painted by US artist Joey Blazek and measures 30 by 48 inches. It depicts a dramatic scene of a pilot transfer underway, and his expressive style of painting really caught my eye.
For my first two stories this month, I turned to the UK inland waterways, always a source of inspiration. The first story is shocking as you are about to find out.
You don’t need me to remind you of the catastrophic incident in March 2024, which resulted in the MV Dali totally destroying the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, killing six highway workers in the process. It really is one of the most spectacular and tragic maritime accidents in recent times, witnessed around the world by millions. We have covered the story in more detail elsewhere in this news bulletin, 
Well, it is not often that I find myself at the centre of the news, but so it seems this month. On my trip to Goa in September to participate in the IIMS Indian Conference, I met up with Nishit Doshi from Trader Magazine, who has closely followed the Institute’s progress over the past decade. We chatted, and I gave an exclusive interview to him. He was keen to know about my journey over the past decade, leadership ethos, and how IIMS continues to evolve and remain relevant amid sweeping changes across the maritime industry. Reading Nishit’s