CEO blog

Here’s hoping for a calmer year ahead – 2023

Posted on by CEO
The Legacy of the Fjords. Image credit thefjords.no
The Legacy of the Fjords. Image credit thefjords.no

Welcome to 2023. I wish you all the best for a fulfilling and successful year ahead despite the global challenges that surround us.

The January news bulletin is a bumper start to the year. I have decided to introduce a new feature that will appear in this and subsequent monthly news bulletins. Compiling the IIMS 2022 Safety & Loss Prevention Briefings Compendium late last year made me aware of just how many marine incidents and accidents are reported each month, many of which go unnoticed. I decided rather than saving them all up to publish at the end of this year, I’d share them with you on a month-by-month basis. I believe it is important to give surveyors (and the Continue reading “Here’s hoping for a calmer year ahead – 2023”

Carnage at sea in August. What’s happened and why?

Posted on by CEO
Superyacht Hooligan pictured. Photo credit - Nomme Rescue Unit, Tallin
Superyacht Hooligan pictured. Photo credit – Nomme Rescue Unit, Tallin

We hear all the time about exciting breakthroughs in new technology and enhanced safety management systems designed to keep lives and assets safe at sea. We read in various reports that, in general, the number of serious incidents and accidents is falling year on year, leading to my use of the phrase ‘carnage at sea’. So, what on earth went wrong in August? It was carnage at sea! If you can help me to make sense of it all, please do so! Continue reading “Carnage at sea in August. What’s happened and why?”

Lithium-ion batteries – should we be concerned?

Posted on by CEO
Six stacks of battery modules in one of the battery rooms. Illustration: The battery contractor
Six stacks of battery modules in one of the battery rooms. Illustration: The battery contractor

I have written this short article following the publication of a report into a Lithium-ion battery fire onboard the ‘MS Brim’ which generated the investigation by the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority. The vessel in question is the ‘MS Brim’, a 2019-built all-electric excursion catamaran offering excursion tours in the Norwegian fjords. Although not a technical man, I am troubled by some of the report findings, and forgive me as I have cherry-picked the bits that concern me most from a lengthy report. Continue reading “Lithium-ion batteries – should we be concerned?”

Looking back over a difficult month for world affairs

Posted on by News Hound
Geoff Waddington (pictured left) being presented with his President's medal by Paul Homer
Geoff Waddington (pictured left) being presented with his President’s medal by Paul Homer

Rarely am I lost for words, but I have found updating this blog at this time harder to compose than usual. You know full well why this is of course, given the state of the world currently. My colleagues and I have been appalled at the situation developing in Ukraine. The invasion has dominated the marine headlines, as well as the general news, for several weeks now – and rightly so, for it is the only news in town that matters currently.

The immediate threat to shipping and crews was not apparent when the invasion began but is far clearer now. There are many in the Continue reading “Looking back over a difficult month for world affairs”

From shipping catastrophe to Reality TV via defective lifejackets!

Posted on by News Hound
Photo credit: The Dubrovnik Times
Photo credit: The Dubrovnik Times

Mike Schwarz casts his eye back over last month’s eventful and eclectic marine news involving defective lifejackets.

Another maritime accident of catastrophic proportions as MV X-Press Pearl sinks
Those who have followed my writing over the years will know my feelings about such events very well. Yes, we all know shipping is a dangerous business, of course. But yet again, here, on the face of it is another example of an accident that could have been prevented according to initial reports. Obviously, it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the investigation.

Like many others, I watched in disbelief as this tragedy unfolded before my eyes over a period of two weeks, following the devastating fire Continue reading “From shipping catastrophe to Reality TV via defective lifejackets!”

What caught my eye last month

Posted on by News Hound
Is your new bike stuck in the Suez Canal on the Ever Given?
Is your new bike stuck in the Suez Canal on the Ever Given?

There is never a shortage of news stories as far as the shipping and boating world is concerned, many of them bearing bad tidings of more incidents and accidents the have happened at sea. In fact, daily maritime news feeds fill my inbox to capacity. Some of these articles are of great importance and relevance, others rather more frivolous by nature. There is room for both of course.

Sometimes these articles leave room for further thought and require more digging around to really understand what is at stake, often creating more questions than they answer. Anyway, here are three news items from the last month that caught my eye. Continue reading “What caught my eye last month”

The deaths of John Excell & Peter Morgan announced

Posted on by News Hound
The sun rising over the clouds
The sun rising over the clouds

The past week has been one of great sadness for me personally, the IIMS head office team, Institute members, and the wider maritime industry with the announcements of the passing of two IIMS champions. Last week, I received news of the passing of Peter Morgan HonFIIMS. Peter died on 4 April. And then just a week later, news that John Excell HonFIIMS had lost his brave battle and succumbed to a long illness reached me. The news of both deaths affected me greatly.

Detailed obituaries are being prepared for both men and will appear in the June 2021 Report Magazine.

But for now, let me try and make sense of what has been the toughest of weeks as both men were well known to me and many others. Indeed, both in their own ways gave so much to the Institute and will be sorely missed.

Continue reading “The deaths of John Excell & Peter Morgan announced”

The Ever Given Suez Canal Incident

Posted on by News Hound
Ever Given. Photo credit: Vesselfinder
Ever Given. Photo credit: Vesselfinder

I am minded to write this post for my blog on the very afternoon that the mega container ship, Ever Given, is freed from her unfortunate mooring, which has been her home for the best part of a week. The freak incident with the Ever Given, (causes unknown at this point), is yet another reminder of the perils of shipping and our reliance on it. And it has certainly hit the world news headlines big time, not surprisingly. Smit Boskalis, it seems, has done a remarkable job to free her. I know little of such intricate salvage situations, but clearly they handled it in such a way as to preserve the ship and her valuable cargo. Only time will tell, once inspected more fully, if there is hull damage. It serves as a reminder to the dangers and hazards of shipping, some of which cannot be envisaged until it is too late, which lurk around each corner.  I can only imagine the cost to marine insurers and vessel owners will run into many billions.

Continue reading “The Ever Given Suez Canal Incident”

Who knows where the time goes?

Posted on by News Hound
Fairpot Convention cover
Fairpot Convention cover

A new entry to my blog is long overdue. As an aside, the title of this blog –  ‘Who knows where time goes’ – is one of my favourite songs, written by the talented and much missed Sandy Denny, and sung by her when with Fairport Convention, one of my favourite bands. Perhaps that plug will get me a free ticket to a future gig? But although I digress shamelessly, the fact is that one day simply merges into the next due to the pandemic and the current lockdown in the UK, as time slips easily by. With the inability to do much at the moment, a work day in the week is little different to the weekend it seems. Our lives are disrupted and mundane, but for good reason. Let’s hope this pandemic clears through soon. And yes, these are challenging times, not just for many working marine surveyors who are finding it hard to go about their lives as normal, but for many others too. Please stay safe and if you are working at this time, do carry out enhanced risk assessments. Continue reading “Who knows where the time goes?”

Remembering the novelty of face-to-face training

Posted on by News Hound
Remembering the novelty of face-to-face training
Remembering the novelty of face-to-face training

Do you recall those days when we used to get together in a room to do some face-to-face training and networking? It seems an age ago already with Zoom and Teams taking over as the was to train. So, imagine my angst when the planned 7 day practical course at the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis, which had been under development for more than a year, was placed in jeopardy by the pandemic. It was unclear if we could run the event safely until just a couple of weeks prior. But I am delighted to say we managed to get the course away with a reduced number of 6 students.

I spent a day with the students – social distancing and other sensible pandemic measures were in place naturally. As I write, the course has just one more day to run, including the multiple choice testing for students to undergo. Over the week, students have had the chance to get their hands dirty learning skills in the workshops about vessel structure as well as undertaking some practical activities with GRP. Continue reading “Remembering the novelty of face-to-face training”

The IIMS surveyor network is proving its worth

Posted on by CEO
Gameboard pieces on a map
Gameboard pieces on a map

Strange and positive things can and do happen at times of great adversity it seems, even for a marine surveyor. And let’s face it, the world is facing adversity like no other most of us will have seen. I repeatedly hear from small craft surveyors around the world that they have had their busiest ever year. Yes, the rules of survey have changed, but many people in the world have decided this is the perfect time to purchase a boat remarkably. Equally cargo and commercial ship surveyor are reporting that they too are busy. But again, the rules of engagement and survey are different now.

A number of members have informed me that they are Continue reading “The IIMS surveyor network is proving its worth”

With a spate of marine accident what price human life at sea?

Posted on by News Hound
Container ship sinking at sea
Container ship sinking at sea

Of course, we have always known that the sea can be and is a treacherous place at times; but the past few weeks have seen a spate of distressing incidents and accidents, seemingly occurring on an almost daily frequency and resulting in the loss of life with substantial damage to vessels and cargoes around the world. Before I became involved in my role as CEO of IIMS, I was blissfully unaware of the sheer number of lives lost at sea, as indeed are most members of the general public. The reason for that is simply that most marine accident, apart from the really major ones, never make the general news agendas. When I tell my friends and family about the tragedies that routinely happen at sea, they are disbelieving.

The personal distress I have felt having seen details of one marine accident after another dropping into my inbox has compelled me to write a blog Continue reading “With a spate of marine accident what price human life at sea?”

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