News Bulletins

View the June news bulletin in full: IIMS News Bulletin June 2025 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader magazine format.

Two ‘lite’ podcast versions are also available to listen to. Yacht & Small Craft Surveyors (run time 24 minutes) and Commercial Ship Surveyors (run time 25 minutes).

It may have passed you by, but there seems to have been a string of eye-catching large yacht fires erupting since the start of 2025. So, what is behind this surge in large yacht fires and is it acceptable? Of course not, and it is not yet entirely clear, are the simple answers. Whilst the reason for a boat fire is not always known instantly, lithium-ion batteries are said to have been the cause of one devastating fire in Marseille in January, which kick started this unwelcome run of boat fires. The fire in question spread to two nearby yachts. The second yacht was also a total loss, while the third sustained severe damage to her port side. Oil booms were deployed to mitigate the environmental harm. Who knows what the final cost to insurers will be once the dust settles? But this incident started an alarming trend.

View the May news bulletin in full: IIMS News Bulletin May 2025 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader magazine format.

Two ‘lite’ podcast versions are also available to listen to. Yacht & Small Craft Surveyors (run time 19 minutes) and Commercial Ship Surveyors (run time 27 minutes).

Often, my monthly introduction column to the News Bulletin is driven by the prevailing news at the time of writing and comments reaching my inbox. This month is no exception – only that in the past few weeks, there have been two far reaching topics of conversation that have produced larger than normal reactions and much debate. The first is the UK government’s exceptional call for evidence to decarbonise the UK’s fleet of under 400gt vessels. The second matter – my visit to the IMS Baltimore Conference coincided with the announcement by President Trump of the new global tariffs. I have since been asked by many what impact the tariffs might have on the shipping and boating industry, and specifically on the marine surveying sector. In truth, I simply do not know at this stage any more than you do.

View the April news bulletin in full: IIMS News Bulletin April 2025 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader magazine format.

Two ‘lite’ podcast versions are also available to listen to. Yacht & Small Craft Surveyors (run time 19 minutes) and Commercial Ship Surveyors (run time 23 minutes).

I wanted to start my column this month by posing a question! What on earth is going on in the Red Sea with a succession of dive boat incidents and accidents in recent times? The latest in this saga of unfortunate events happened on 6 February when a dive boat on tow capsized, spilling 6 crew into the water. Thankfully, all were recovered safely. The tour boat Triton had just completed maintenance and was en route to Hurghada when it capsized. Who on earth is inspecting these vessels and passing them as fit? In this day and age, this is unacceptable, and I can but only add my voice to the many others who want answers, not least the families of those who have so needlessly lost loved ones. I call for an urgent review by the local maritime authorities and urge them to raise surveying standards in the Red Sea to prevent future incidents.

View the March news bulletin in full: IIMS News Bulletin March 2025 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader magazine format.

Two ‘lite’ podcast versions are also available to listen to. Yacht & Small Craft Surveyors (run time 21 minutes) and Commercial Ship Surveyors (run time 25 minutes).

If you read my column back in January, you may recall that I questioned the future of indoor boat shows, following the collapse of several important indoor events at that time. Now I have read the 2025 edition of the Dutch indoor show has been cancelled, and future editions of the Gothenburg boat show have been curtailed due to economic conditions. Tough economic conditions seem to be a key reason why three well-known and highly respected British yacht brands have hit the headlines for the wrong reasons recently. I am referring to Princess Yachts, (about 260 jobs were lost in late 2024), Sunseeker (around 100 people temporarily laid off in December) and Fairline (which fell into administration at the end of January just weeks after the business changed ownership and is now awaiting a new buyer). So, what’s going wrong?

View the February news bulletin in full: IIMS News Bulletin February 2025 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader magazine format.

Two ‘lite’ podcast versions are also available to listen to. Yacht & Small Craft Surveyors (run time 18 minutes) and Commercial Ship Surveyors (run time 24 minutes).

Late last year, I read an article that resonated with me and set me on a train of thought because it concerned an issue facing not just the surveying profession, but many other industry sectors too. The headline was ‘GREY HAIR. Too much on the canals?’

What struck me was the correlation with the marine surveying profession. The article highlighted the need for younger people (with less grey hair) to step up and join the ranks. Let me assure you there is nothing wrong with grey hair per se – (I have plenty) – for with it comes knowledge, experience and expertise. But what happens when those grey hairs retire, fade away and disappear?

View the January news bulletin in full: IIMS News Bulletin January 2025 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader magazine format.

Two ‘lite’ podcast versions are also available to listen to. Yacht & Small Craft Surveyors (run time 24 minutes) and Commercial Ship Surveyors (run time 27 minutes).

Let me start my first column of the new year on a slightly downbeat note by posing this question for your consideration: “Are we witnessing the death of indoor boat shows?” A recent announcement confirming the cancellation of the Paris Boat Show scheduled for April 2025 is disappointing, especially as it comes hard on the heels of a similar decision made late last year to cancel Boatlife 2025 in the UK. The Fédération des Industries Nautiques (FIN) – the French federation for the nautical sector – made the announcement that the Nautic-en-Seine boat show will not take place. The federation says the decision was made in light of current market conditions, which FIN believes no longer guarantees the full success of the show’s first edition.

View the December news bulletin in full: News Bulletin December 2024 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader magazine format.

Two ‘lite’ podcast versions are also available to listen to. Yacht & Small Craft Surveyors (run time 22 minutes) and Commercial Ship Surveyors (run time 28 minutes).

If I told you the marine surveying profession is showing small signs of starting to self regulate itself, you could be forgiven for thinking I have taken leave of my senses perhaps. Marine surveying remains essentially an unregulated profession and there seems little global government interest in doing much about it. How can it be right that someone with no practical industry knowledge, limited or no surveying skills, a lack of relevant general experience, can set themselves up as a surveyor and do this work? Yet as we all know they are out there, undercutting professional surveyors to get the job if needs be and providing low-grade surveying. Apart from anything else, this tarnishes the surveying profession and undermines those who have spent years honing their craft and skills.

View the November news bulletin in full: IIMS News Bulletin November 2024 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader format.

Two ‘lite’ podcast versions are also available to listen to. Yacht & Small Craft Surveyors (run time 23 minutes) and Commercial Ship Surveyors (run time 25 minutes).

I wonder – do you ever stop for a moment to think where the next generation of good quality, professional marine surveyors might come from? Training and enthusing the next cohort of marine surveyors is of critical importance and should be something that concerns us all. It is a subject that is dear to the Institute’s heart of course, and we have been doing some work in this area recently. Gen Z (pronounced zee) is a term I do not care for. But this generation sees the world through different eyes, including mine and perhaps yours too. Their expectations are different, aspirational for sure, born, as they are, from the new technological age. Marine surveying is not the only business trying to reshape itself as an appealing and potentially rewarding career option to attract fresh blood.

View the October news bulletin in full: IIMS October 2024 News Bulletin (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader format.

Two ‘lite’ podcast versions are also available to listen to. Yacht & Small Craft Surveyors (run time 21 minutes) and Commercial Ship Surveyors (run time 24 minutes).

So, what are we to make of the recent sinking of the superyacht Bayesian in the Mediterranean and the tragic loss of life? I wanted to talk about this story, not to share an opinion, nor to add to the myriad of conspiracy theories that are circulating everywhere. Let’s leave it to the experts to determine the facts. It is clear that the superyacht encountered a rare and destructive weather event. My reason for raising this topic is that I have been overwhelmed by the shockwaves this incident has sent through the superyacht sector and surveying profession. My inbox has been jammed with messages from members wanting to share their thoughts, including from one who has even surveyed the boat! I have received a variety of data from many sources, including a copy of the Bayesian’s Stability Information Booklet. It has been many years since a marine accident, perhaps not since the Cheeki Rafiki tragedy, has gripped the yachting world to such an extent. Of course, everyone wants to know what happened and needs answers, but let the authorities do their work and allow the investigation to take its course.

View the September news bulletin in full: IIMS News Bulletin September 2024 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader format.

‘Lite’ categorised podcast versions are also available to listen to. Yacht & Small Craft Surveyors (run time 21 minutes) and Commercial Ship Surveyors (run time 22 minutes).

Well, it has been a momentous few weeks in the life of IIMS and I am keen to bring you up to speed and share our latest news, about which the team and I are very proud. Over the past 2 years, IIMS has been working steadily behind the scenes towards achieving ISO 9001 certification. It has been a lengthy and at times exhausting process; but finally, following our recent external audit carried out by DNV, I am delighted to inform you we have done it!

Last year I met the Bangladeshi Director General of the Department of Shipping on my trip to Chattogram. We spoke about delivering the IIMS Professional Qualification in Commercial Ship Marine Surveying locally and he was supportive. Imagine my delight to hear from Capt Zillur Bhuiyan FIIMS when he confirmed we have our first 9 students enrolled in the programme.

View the August news bulletin in full: IIMS News Bulletin August 2024 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader format.

‘Lite’ categorised podcast versions are also available to listen to. Yacht & Small Craft Surveyors (run time 22 minutes) and Commercial Ship Surveyors (run time 21 minutes).

This month I would like to start my column by talking about change. It probably won’t have escaped your notice that the UK has a new government. A new government is undoubtedly bursting with energy and new ideas, but what does it mean for the UK maritime landscape (or should that be seascape)? There was no mention of the maritime sector in the various manifestos pre-election. Time will tell.

Something else I am keen to tell you about is the eCMID Accredited Vessel Inspector Accreditation Scheme run on behalf of IMCA by IIMS subsidiary, the Marine Surveying Academy. The scheme was launched in 2015 and a couple of weeks ago it was brought to my attention that we had received our 1,000th application for accreditation.

View the July news bulletin in full: IIMS News Bulletin July 2024 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader format.

‘Lite’ categorised podcast versions are also available to listen to. Yacht & Small Craft Surveyors (run time 19 minutes) and Commercial Ship Surveyors (run time 23 minutes).

At last month’s AGM, IIMS awarded Fellowship status to Rory Marshall and an Honorary Fellowship to Zennon Cheng. You can read in more detail why the Institute has chosen to recognise these two exceptional individuals for their contributions in entirely different areas of the marine surveying profession.

The AGM also saw a changing of the guard as Peter Broad stepped down following his two-year stint as President to be replaced by Capt Ruchin Dayal. David Pestridge was also elected as the new Deputy Vice President.