News Bulletins

View the May news bulletin in full: IIMS News Bulletin May 2022 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader format.

Two of our own have hit the news headlines over the past month. I call Albert Weatherill ‘one of our own’, for he is one of the longest-standing IIMS members. These days he is Managing Director of Van Ameyde McAuslands. A couple of weeks ago Albert wrote an article that was instantly picked up by the shipping and boating press. He rightly argues that seized maritime assets could pose a “significant risk” to ports, harbours and marinas if there is no requirement to ensure mega yachts detained under sanction rules are not properly maintained, made safe, or deactivated and exposes the safety concerns. One wonders why no-one had thought to question what would happen when over 100 mega yachts are effectively impounded, seemingly in the blink of an eye.

The Institute’s 2022 Annual General Meeting is fast approaching. The online meeting will be broadcast live from Murrills House, Portchester at 14.00 on Tuesday 7th June. The meeting will be recorded and made available on the IIMS YouTube channel for viewing at a later date for those who are interested but cannot make the date.

View the news bulletin in full to continue reading: IIMS News Bulletin April 2022 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader format.

Rarely am I lost for words, but I have found this month’s news bulletin introduction harder to compose than usual. You know full well why this is of course. My colleagues and I have been appalled at the situation developing in Ukraine, along with many other people around the world. 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.

On a different but related note, I have read some concerning articles about the likely impact on the superyacht sector, which experts are predicting is in for a gloomy period. Before war broke out the superyacht sector was a vibrant and hugely successful industry employing an estimated 250,000 in Europe alone. With economic sanctions now starting to bite, this is a trying time for those companies for whom superyacht new build and refit is their source of income.

View the news bulletin in full to continue reading: IIMS News Bulletin March 2022 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader format.

The shipping and boating business is constantly evolving to meet new challenges and rarely sleeps for long, but changes happen quicker in some areas than others, yet sometimes not fast enough it appears. If you are wondering what I am going on about, you will read in this bulletin about the looming crisis facing the offshore wind sector.

The March Report Magazine – edition 99 – is published and available to read today in both pdf and/or eReader format. It is another edition packed with thought provoking features and articles that offer the reader not only a diverse mix of informative reading material, but some practical information and advice too.

I am pleased to welcome Rosie Webb to the IIMS head office team as Office & Web Administrator. You can read more about her in this bulletin. If you are reading this and are based in Australia, I should draw your attention to the public consultation of Australia’s Domestic Commercial Vessel Safety legislation which is now open.

View the news bulletin in full to continue reading: IIMS News Bulletin February 2022 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader format.

2022 has kicked off in busy fashion for IIMS on several fronts and there are a number of ongoing projects during January that have kept my colleagues and I with our heads down at our desks!

There has been a rush of new membership applications in recent weeks, so if you have recently joined and are reading this bulletin for the first time, welcome to the organisation. Perhaps the biggest project for some time to report on is the rollout of the new IIMS student education portal for those enrolled and studying the distance learning Professional Qualifications. More than twelve months in the making with our software partner, eDot Solutions in Goa, we finally went live on 10 January.

The reaction I received following the publication of the 2021 Safety & Loss Prevention Briefings Compendium has been astonishing. Although the importance of the compendium was apparent to me when compiling it, I had not anticipated the extraordinary feedback. If you have yet to download your free 100-page copy of the compendium in pdf format, you can do so now.

View the news bulletin in full to continue reading: IIMS News Bulletin January 2022 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader format.

A number of members have asked when face-to-face Institute events and meetings can begin again. In truth, I have no idea and at this time do not expect to be travelling internationally in 2022. We have provisional plans to hold the AGM in June in the grounds of IIMS Head Office, Murrills House, but for now there remains a question mark over that.

Since I took up my role with IIMS, I have never managed to fully get to grips with the sheer number of accidents that happen at sea. It shocked and horrified me then and still does. I read something recently from Standard Club that said they process 7,500 claims per annum – and that is just one organisation. Multiply that up and the number of annual claims must surely run into tens of thousands. For me this is unacceptable and more must be done. It is with this in mind that I decided to publish the first edition of the IIMS 2021 Safety & Loss Prevention Briefings Compendium. It runs to 100 pages and the sole aim is to bring together as many of last year’s incident/accident reports and loss prevention guidance as possible into one easy-to-use electronic magazine format. There is content relevant to marine surveyors of all disciplines, and I believe this publication is an essential addition to your online resource library. I would encourage you to share it with your professional network.

View the news bulletin in full to continue reading: IIMS News Bulletin December 2021 (pdf format) or click to read it in eReader format.

Let me start with a heart-warming story in these still challenging times. IIMS launched the John Excell Award for Outstanding Achievement earlier this year following John’s untimely passing. I am delighted to inform you that the first two recipients of the award have been announced. And in Christopher Keenan and Matthew Willis, we have found two exceptionally gifted students. Elsewhere in this bulletin, you can read more about them and their citations.

For the first time, IIMS has put together a year-end Big Quiz. A bit of fun, there are 75 multiple-choice questions that will test your general marine knowledge. The top-scoring IIMS member will have his or her fees refunded as the first prize, but non-members are welcome to take the quiz. The questions can be accessed and answered online.

I would like to mention the new Shipbuilding Acquaint Course that Peter Broad (Deputy President) has been working on for some time.

Let’s hope 2022 gets us firmly back on track to some kind of normality. If you celebrate Christmas, then I wish you a happy one with family, friends and good cheer. But no matter if you do, or do not, may I wish you prosperity and good fortune for the New Year.