An Australian National Marine Hull Claims Register: Is now the time?

An Australian National Marine Hull Claims Register: Is now the time?
An Australian National Marine Hull Claims Register: Is now the time?

The Australian Marine Insurance sector still relies on fragmented state registries and siloed Insurer records. A national hull claims register could transform underwriting, fraud detection, and buyer confidence – but lessons from New Zealand show the benefits come with real challenges.

Australia’s boating community is one of the largest per capita in the world. There are 905,000 registered pleasure craft vessels in Australia, (including over 95,000 PWCs), excluding Northern Territory where there is no mandatory vessel registration required. Continue reading “An Australian National Marine Hull Claims Register: Is now the time?”

Lightning protection at sea: What superyacht owners and crew need to know

Modern superyacht with metaphorical lightning protection barrier
Modern superyacht with metaphorical lightning protection barrier

Lightning is one of nature’s most powerful and unpredictable forces – and for those at sea, it can be a serious hazard. With around 44 lightning strikes occurring every second worldwide, the threat is far more common than many realise. But how likely is a lightning strike to affect your vessel? Are sailing yachts more vulnerable? And what protection systems are available to reduce the risk? In this article, we explore the real-world risks of lightning at sea and how vessel owners and crew can stay safe with lightning protection at sea. Continue reading “Lightning protection at sea: What superyacht owners and crew need to know”

Future of superyacht refits: Sustainability and smart tech

Future of superyacht refits: Sustainability and smart tech
Future of superyacht refits: Sustainability and smart tech

With the future of superyacht refits market evolving faster than ever, shipyards are under pressure to keep up with rising client expectations. Sustainability, advanced technology, and operational transparency have shifted from being optional extras to defining factors in determining where and how yacht owners choose to refit.

For many in the fast-paced world of yachting, gathering the insights needed to make informed refit decisions can be time-consuming and complex. That’s why, with the expertise of KRM Yacht Refit & Rebuild, Turkey’s first official superyacht rebuild and refit facility, Yachting Pages explores how priorities have changed, what truly makes a shipyard stand out, and how sustainability and smart technology can be marketed as a competitive edge in today’s market. Continue reading “Future of superyacht refits: Sustainability and smart tech”

The burning question: understanding shipboard firefighting foam regulations

The burning question: understanding shipboard firefighting foam regulations
The burning question: understanding shipboard firefighting foam regulations

When it comes to firefighting foams for shipboard use, many marine surveyors feel uncertain about new and upcoming regulation and how it affects their clients. In addition to the new International Maritime Organisation’s regulations on PFOS in shipboard firefighting foam regulations, there are also new EU regulations on PFAS, and the UK’s Health and Safety Executive  is currently in a consultation period concerning its draft legislation on PFAS. Many countries have also issued their own PFAs regulations or plan to do so, so the regulatory landscape is complex, contradictory and fragmented. Continue reading “The burning question: understanding shipboard firefighting foam regulations”

Research finds maritime professionals rejecting full AI adoption

Research finds maritime professionals rejecting full AI adoption
Research finds maritime professionals rejecting full AI adoption

A recent study by Thetius in partnership with Marcura, has revealed maritime companies are stuck in the early stages of AI adoption, unable to scale beyond small experiments as widespread optimism collides with implementation reality.

The study “Beyond the Hype: What the maritime industry really thinks about AI” combined over 130 survey responses and in-depth interviews with maritime professionals, revealing a sector that is both eager and cautious: 82% are optimistic about AI and 81% are running pilot projects. However, 37% have personally witnessed AI failures and only 11% have formal policies to guide scaling. Continue reading “Research finds maritime professionals rejecting full AI adoption”

Global Shipping Business Network report

Global Shipping Business Network report argues that dangerous goods reshape the fires at sea landscape. The Global Shipping Business Network report focuses on the risk mitigation of the transportation of lithium-powered products in the maritime industry, which finds itself under increasing pressure to safely transport larger volumes of dangerous goods.

According to the Global Shipping Business Network report “Fires at Sea, A New Landscape – Risk Mitigation Strategies for Safe Transport” dangerous goods (DG) given their potential consequences, have received significant attention in conversations surrounding cargo handling. Continue reading “Global Shipping Business Network report”

How well do you know the different types of marine spills?

ITOPF Handbook 2025/6
ITOPF Handbook 2025/6

ITOPF has published the 2025/26 edition of its Handbook, providing information on the different types of pollutants encountered at sea and the challenges, impacts, and response options associated with each especially marine spills.

Marine spills can involve a wide variety of substances beyond oil, including vegetable oils, chemicals, bulk cargoes, and plastics, each behaving differently in the marine environment and posing distinct risks. In its latest Handbook, ITOPF outlines the main categories of pollutants, their effects, and the approaches typically taken to manage them. Continue reading “How well do you know the different types of marine spills?”

Lessons from three generations of marine surveyors

By Austin O’Keefe Local Lloyd’s Agent, Marine Surveyor and Cargo Claims Specialist
By Austin O’Keefe Local Lloyd’s Agent, Marine Surveyor and Cargo Claims Specialist

When I think about what ties my career to my father ’s and grandfather ’s careers before me, three generations of marine surveyors, one word comes to mind: integrity.

In this line of work, credibility is your currency. A surveyor’s report can carry weight equal to millions of dollars in insurance liability, and if you’re not willing to stand by what you’ve written, you have no business putting pen to paper. That’s not to say you can’t change your opinion upon receipt of further evidence; but in such instances the facts together with the surveyor’s revised position should be presented promptly otherwise, there could be consequences, i.e., loss of trust, loss of clientele, and in worse cases, professional liability. Continue reading “Lessons from three generations of marine surveyors”

Review of Maritime Transport 2025 Report published by UNCTAD

Rebeca Grynspan, UNCTAD secretary-general
Rebeca Grynspan, UNCTAD secretary-general

In her foreword to this year’s Review of Maritime Transport 2025 report, UNCTAD secretary-general writes as follows:

“Global maritime transport has entered uncharted waters.

Not since the closure of the Suez Canal in 1967 have we witnessed such sustained disruption to the arteries of global commerce. Ships that once transited the Red Sea in days now sail for weeks around the Cape of Good Hope. Freight rates that were relatively stable for years now swing wildly from month to month. Supply chains we thought were resilient have proven fragile. Continue reading “Review of Maritime Transport 2025 Report published by UNCTAD”

Rotten wood and poor inspection caused historic Maine schooner demasting

This Schooner photograph for illustration only
This Schooner photograph is for illustration only

The is a distressing case about a fatal accident that should never have happened. And as the investigation has revealed, a series of poor, inadequate and ineffective inspections and surveys that failed to discover serious rotten wood, would appear to be largely to blame and caused historic Maine schooner demasting.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has released a critical report on the demasting of a historic schooner, blaming the catastrophic incident on rotten wood that had gone unnoticed for years due to poor inspections. About three years after the mainmast of the 144-year- old schooner Grace Bailey broke during a routine voyage, causing the death of one passenger and leaving five others injured, a detailed investigation has established that the structural integrity of the mainmast had long been compromised by rot. Continue reading “Rotten wood and poor inspection caused historic Maine schooner demasting”

How a tragic pilot ladder accident led to regulation changes

How a tragic pilot ladder accident led to regulation changes
How a tragic pilot ladder accident led to regulation changes

In a milestone for maritime pilots’ safety, on June 26 2025, the International Maritime Organization(IMO) significantly improved Pilot Transfer Arrangement (PTA) requirements by adopting amendments to International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulation V/23, as well as new mandatory PTA Performance Standards. The Performance Standards are incorporated into SOLAS, giving them the full force of international law. The path to this achievement began on a tragic day more than five years ago. On December 30, 2019, Captain Dennis Sherwood, a New York State- licensed pilot, was killed in a tragic pilot ladder accident. He fell while embarking a container ship using a combination arrangement with a trapdoor. Continue reading “How a tragic pilot ladder accident led to regulation changes”

When can an insurer deny a claim

When can an insurer deny a claim
When can an insurer deny a claim

An insurer deny a claim is a refusal by an insurer to indemnify an insured under the terms of an insurance contract.

Firstly, what forms an insurance contract? It is formed from three types of documents:

  • The Insurance Schedule
  • The Insurance Policy Wording
  • Any Endorsement

So, all of these must be read together to understand the terms of an insurance contract. Therefore, there are many terms in a contract of insurance that may be applied by an insurer for the purpose of refusing to indemnify an insured. Against popular belief of many insureds, this does not mean that insurers claim departments spend their time scrawling through insurance contracts to find a reason not to indemnify a client! Just to be clear for readers of this article, by indemnify we mean not to defend an insured and/or not to pay out on a claim. Continue reading “When can an insurer deny a claim”

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