IIMS Past President, Geoff Waddington, is a successful yacht and small craft marine surveyor. Over the years he has written a number of articles, including some about the UK inland waterways sector. In this article, he sets out to explain and make sense of some of the confusion and inconsistencies that exist between the various current rules and regulations.
First of all, let’s consider the issue of conformity. Continue reading “Inland Waterways Craft and the conflicting regulations”
The Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS) Charcoal Work Group has updated its “Guidelines for the Safe Carriage of Charcoal in Containers”, reflecting the updated IMDG Code requirements, Britannia P&I Club has highlighted.
The 2024 edition of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code included changes in the requirements applying to charcoal. This edition, incorporating Amendment 42-24, became voluntary from 1 January 2025 and will become mandatory from 1 January 2026. According to Britannia Club, charcoal as a cargo presents unique stowage and handling requirements and requires strict safety protocols. In addition to the fire hazard, misdeclaration is known to result in the carrier being unaware of the risks. Continue reading “Safe carriage of charcoal in containers”
Subchapter M regulations in the United States established towing vessel safety regulations overseeing inspections, standards and options for safety management systems. Operators are required to have a Certificate of Inspection from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to maintain fleet operations. The more than half a decade that has passed since the inception of the subchapter M towboat rule affords an up-close-and-personal look at how it is going. The scorecard is a mixed bag. More than six years ago, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) began inspecting towing vessels for compliance with the new towboat rules; specifically, 46 CFR Subchapter M. It has been a long road to compliance with many starts and stops, and much learning on both sides of the law. Continue reading “SubChapter M Towboat Rules: Six Years On”
Increased usage of lithium-ion batteries aboard yachts and superyachts presents significant risk for the maritime industry and it is compounded by the rapid evolution of technology with which regulatory oversight struggles to keep apace. But now we must ask: Are Lithium-ion batteries a growing risk for yacht fires?
On 9 January 2025, a fire broke out on board the m/y Naisca IV while moored near Marseille. Initial indications are that the fire, which ultimately destroyed the Naisca IV and caused damage to two neighbouring yachts, originated from a lithium-ion battery. While efforts were made to mitigate environmental harm, the extent of the loss remains uncertain. Continue reading “Lithium-ion batteries: a growing risk for yacht fires?”
The maritime sector is experiencing a transformative shift as Artificial Intelligence redefines how ships are operated, maintained, and navigated. Maritime is embracing AI with open arms, driven by the need for increased efficiency, safety, and sustainability. AI’s ability to process vast amounts of data and make real-time decisions is helping optimise voyages, reduce fuel consumption, improve navigational safety, and ensure better reliability across the board. Let’s take a closer look at AI in the maritime industry.
The maritime Artificial Intelligence market is expanding rapidly. Continue reading “AI in the maritime industry: An overview”
LiBs batteries are increasingly used in the marine industry. Their advantages are many: compact and cheap, with higher energy density, they can help to cut down sharply on fossil fuel use. Problems are rare, but when things go wrong the results have a high impact and take up emergency resources for a considerable time which has spawned the phrase: Lithium batteries don’t commit suicide. They’re murdered. Continue reading “Lithium batteries don’t commit suicide. They’re murdered”
Mark shares some essential lithium-ion battery safety advice and guidance to give a better understanding of the risks associated with this technology. Giving his expert’s guide to lithium-ion battery fire prevention.
Lithium-ion battery powered devices don’t pose an increased risk if devices are maintained in good working condition and people follow some basic rules. From a fire service perspective, the vast majority of lithium-ion battery fires we’ve seen have been caused by human error.
Many of these simple rules that should be followed are almost all related to battery charging. Ensure that the charger you use to charge your particular device is the specific charger that’s recommended by the manufacturer. If you buy a quality product from a reputable retailer, you can be confident that the correct charger will be supplied with that product. However, if you buy a discount replacement charger online you need to be very aware where that product is coming from. Continue reading “An expert’s guide to lithium-ion battery fire prevention”
An increasing number of vessels have encountered unexpected port state issues related to sulphur emissions limit exceedance caused by inaccurate readings. These false readings are of exhaust monitoring equipment. This technical news emphasizes the importance of calibration and maintenance routines, and of monitoring equipment performance. Continue reading “How to identify false readings of exhaust monitoring equipment”
Over one third of ballast water treatment systems fail PSC inspections despite 95% of systems having successfully passed commissioning tests.
Information submitted by Global TestNet to the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee MEPC82, which took place last year, revealed that 29% to 44% of operational systems are failing to remove invasive species in the >50µm range, with more than 100 organisms of this size routinely found in every 1m3 of treated water. Continue reading “One third of ballast water treatment systems fail PSC inspections”
New guidance on achieving stable lifting operations has been developed by a sub-working group of the Heavy Lift Exchange Forum, a DNV-initiated round table for heavy-lift shipping companies. Members of the working group are from the companies BBC Chartering, BigLift Shipping, DNV, Heerema, Jumbo Maritime, SAL Engineering and United Heavy Lift.
What is best practice when it comes to cranes lifting loads onto, off and between ships in port or at sea? New guidance from an industry forum initiated by DNV dives into the key considerations and calculations to help ensure these hazardous operations are performed safely to reduce the risk of loss to life, property and the environment. Continue reading “New guidance on achieving stable lifting operations”
ITOPF has studied the potential damage and liabilities arising from a shipping incidents involving Li-ion battery powered vessels.
In its “Fate, Behaviour, Potential Damage & Liabilities Arising from a Shipping Incident Involving a Li-ion Battery Powered Vessel” report, at least half of existing vessels with Li-ion batteries utilise the technology as part of a hybrid system paired with a traditional combustion engine using conventional fuels (or possibly biofuels). Continue reading “Consequences of incidents involving Li-ion battery powered vessels”
Electric propulsion systems are making waves in the world of recreational boating. As technology evolves, these systems bring plenty of perks compared to traditional internal combustion engines. At the same time, they also come with their own set of challenges. Let’s dive into the benefits and hurdles of electric propulsion for recreational boats, giving boating enthusiasts and industry folks a clear picture of what’s on the horizon. Continue reading “The benefits and challenges of electric propulsion for recreational boats”
Instagram Posts from the IIMS @iimsmarine