Ballast operation and maintenance practice

Ship de-ballasting
Ship de-ballasting

Britannia P&I Club has seen several pollution incidents involving the accidental transfer of cargo into an adjacent ballast water tank. The main causes are pitting or corrosion of cargo tanks which results in cargo being flushed out during ballast water operations. These incidents have highlighted the importance of crew awareness of ballast principles and best practices. In this guidance Britannia Club explores best ballast operation and how to maintain ballast tanks to prevent such claims. Continue reading “Ballast operation and maintenance practice”

The Challenges of Transporting Reefer Containers

A pack of reefer containers
A pack of reefer containers

Reefer containers is a complex piece of engineering and has, over the years, become more reliable, and can be trusted to transport perishable goods vast distances, with little or no impact on quality.

It is easy to forget therefore, that the vessel crew still has an important part to play in ensuring that these fragile cargoes are delivered safely, and that the actions of those on board can make a significant difference to the claims experienced by an operator.

Reefer containers carry a wide variety of refrigerated goods, of which fresh produce, frozen meat and fish, dairy products and pharmaceuticals are only a few. A single reefer container may carry a cargo value of several hundred thousand US dollars or more.

Each type of cargo varies in its requirements for carriage temperature, humidity, stowage arrangements and ventilation. Continue reading “The Challenges of Transporting Reefer Containers”

Report comment tips for yacht and small craft marine surveyors

Yacht on the sea
Yacht on the sea

IIMS is often asked by members how much depth and detail they should give when preparing their reports and what should have been inspected and reported on. Remember, you will have carried out a forensic inspection when surveying the vessel, so it is important that your final written report accurately and factually reflects what you have seen. And always write your report in the past tense. The advice below is aimed towards yacht and small craft marine surveyors

So, here is a helpful guide for yacht and small craft marine surveyors with some suggested useful phrases to include in your reports. Continue reading “Report comment tips for yacht and small craft marine surveyors”

Inventory of Hazardous Materials

Run aground ship
Run aground ship – Inventory of Hazardous Materials

The updated Hong Kong Convention will enter into force on 26 June 2025. It will require new ships and existing ships of 500 GT and above – no later than 5 years after the entry into force of the Convention, or before going for recycling, if this is earlier – to have onboard a valid International Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) certificate.

The Hong Kong Convention was first adopted in 2009 to address, in a legally binding instrument, the environmental, occupational health and safety risks related to ship recycling, taking into account the particular characteristics of maritime transport and the need to secure the smooth withdrawal of ships that have reached the end of their operating lives. Continue reading “Inventory of Hazardous Materials”

Checklists for the inspection of ladders and gangways

Man looking up at a ladder and gangway
Man looking up at a ladder and gangways

A risk alert which highlights that a new regulation refers to the construction, installation, maintenance and testing requirements for ladders and gangways as detailed in MSC.1/ Circ.1331 ‘Guidelines for Construction, Installation, Maintenance and Inspection/Survey of Means of Embarkation and Disembarkation’ has been issued. In May 2008 the IMO adopted SOLAS regulation II1/3-9 concerning the ‘Means of embarkation on and disembarkation from ships’, which entered into force on the 1 January 2010. Continue reading “Checklists for the inspection of ladders and gangways”

Lightning protection at sea

Lightning breaking across the dark sky
Lightning breaking across the dark sky

Venturing across the expansive open sea is an exhilarating yet unpredictable experience, with ever-changing weather patterns constantly threatening the safety of boats, their crew and passengers. Among the most dreaded natural occurrences faced by boat owners are lightning strikes. Fortunately, the advent of advanced technologies, like the Sertec CMCE (Compensador Múltiple de Campo Electroatmosférico) Lightning protection de-ionising technology, now offers boat owners a dependable solution to shield their vessels from the destructive impact of lightning strikes. A technology that does not allow the conditions for a lightning strike by de-ionisation, creating a protected area into a balanced stable state, so that no build-up of opposite charge exists even in the most severe storm and while under motion; a technology that is passive and requires no power. Continue reading “Lightning protection at sea”

Transportation of electric vessels containing lithium batteries

Boat on fire with the red words EV floating above it
Boat on fire with the red words EV floating above it

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has issued this safety advisory notice to inform the public and raise awareness of the risks involved in the transportation of electric vehicles (EVs) powered by installed lithium batteries that may have been damaged due to submersion in waters during extreme weather events. When transported in commerce, EVs containing these damaged batteries may present particularly significant hazards to the public, including property damage, injury, and even death. Our intention with this notice is to prevent those things from happening.

Furthermore, PHMSA wishes to remind potential shippers of EVs—including vehicle owners, salvage companies, and vehicle transport companies—that they have a responsibility to assess EVs for potential damage to their installed lithium batteries and to observe the specific requirements in the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) for both the transportation of EVs containing lithium batteries, and for the transportation of damaged and/or defective lithium batteries in commerce. Continue reading “Transportation of electric vessels containing lithium batteries”

Bills of Lading: Basic concepts and issues

Introduction

A bills of lading is a contractual document issued by the carrier by sea of goods which such carrier takes possession of and transports. Generally, a bill of lading would contain details about the transported goods such as the type, quantity, weight, value, and date of shipment of such goods. From a definitional perspective, it is difficult to give a precise definition of a bill of lading, but it could certainly be said to possess the following essential attributes:

(i)It serves as a transport receipt which the carrier gives to the seller for transporting his goods;

(ii)It serves as evidence of contract between the carrier and the exporter; and

(iii)It serves as a document of title for the importer or the buyer.

From the above, it is evident that there are the following parties primarily involved: Continue reading “Bills of Lading: Basic concepts and issues”

LPG safety on Inland Waterways boats

River canal boat
River canal boat

The aim, with LPG, was to improve boater safety by reviewing key elements of gas safety, while linking design, commissioning and maintenance together as crucial factors to gas system success. There is scant academic work existing that relates to the inland waterways, and virtually no academic research into gas safety on boats. It is hoped this project will open the debate and encourage other projects.

Why LPG on boats?:

  • LPG is in widespread use on boats for cooking and heating: with an estimated 60,800 of 80,000 vessels, or 76% understood to have LPG systems.
  • The sector is undergoing demographic change: it’s estimated the liveaboard population has grown from 15% in 2011, to 27% in 2020 (CRT research).
  • There are areas of intense concentration of liveaboard boaters, for example there are an estimated 5,000 liveaboard vessels in London alone (CRT research in 2018), mainly off-grid and using LPG daily.
  • Correct gas system installation, testing and maintenance is obviously crucial to safety.
  • But it’s not just fire and explosion risk, longer term health considerations, such as chronic CO exposure and other products of combustion e.g. formaldehydes, needs to be considered.
  • Academic work in other sectors shows link between neurological illness and poor appliance operation; Prof Ben Croxford is a notable author in this area.

Continue reading “LPG safety on Inland Waterways boats”

Introducing the history of ceramic coatings

A man spraying ceramic coating on a yacht
A man spraying ceramic coating on a yacht

Ceramic coatings, or to give them their full and correct technical name, Polysilazanes, were introduced into the superyacht sector in the early years of the 21st century, as a transparent, durable protective coating.

Many industrial coating applications of Polysilazanes in their various formulations are well documented and researched. In the plastics and composites industry they were developed and utilised as a release agent for moulds. Most homes are familiar with them as a nonstick coating for pans and knives. In the superyacht industry they were introduced as a surface paint protection, after being used as an anti-graffiti paint for trains in Northern Europe. They are renowned for their high adhesion to most substrates, and their excellent anti- adherent properties. They are also extremely hard, cure well at low temperatures, and have excellent chemical crosslinking that ensures high chemical and thermal stability. Continue reading “Introducing the history of ceramic coatings”

How to improve grain cargo shortage claims?

by Kenji Koike, MIIMSGrain

There are many kinds of dry bulk cargoes traded worldwide, but the main cargoes are iron ore, coal and grains.

The method of determining the trading quantity for these trades is a ship draft survey or a shore scale, and which one to adopt depends on the contract between the shipper and the consignee, but in practice it is generally determined by the type of cargo. Usually, a draft survey is used for iron ore and coal, and a shore scale is used for grains.

In this report, we would like to pick up shortage claims about grain cargo that are occurring frequently around the world and propose improvement measures. Continue reading “How to improve grain cargo shortage claims?”

Minimum Steel Thickness for Narrowboats: A discussion paper

By Tom Keeling MIMarEST and Peter Brookes CEng, MIET, affillIIMS. Tom Keeling and peter Brookes are inland waterways-based marine surveyors. Both have run independent consultancy businesses in this sector for many years, specialising in the survey of steel thickness of narrowboats and their hulls. 

Man on a bargeMarine surveyors and boat owners are regularly heard to say there is a minimum 4.0mm of hull thickness required at time of survey of a steel narrowboat. Some brokers even publish videos of such information, with some surveyors enforcing it (Whilton Marina, 2012 and 2016). Boaters are subject to it and repair often follows. In a recent article, Geoff Waddington (2021) explains there is confusion in the industry about wastage limits, and consequently acceptable residual hull plate thicknesses, and opinions among surveyors ‘vary wildly’, with some quoting 3mm acceptable minimum plate thickness, others using percentage loss. This short paper explores what a standardised acceptable limit for diminution, and therefore residual steel plate thickness for narrowboats, could be. It describes a variety of methods of calculating the design plate thicknesses (scantlings) and the minimum acceptable residual plate thickness. In doing so, this paper aims to serve as a guide for inland waterways marine surveyors, boat owners, repairers, and insurers alike. Continue reading “Minimum Steel Thickness for Narrowboats: A discussion paper”

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