News Bulletins

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

I am always happy to champion good and worthy causes, especially those that fit within the current environmental landscape that we are being so challenged by. So, I am grateful to Peter Franklin of YachtMedia for alerting me to the excellent work that has been undertaken by Brighton University about the global problems associated with the thorny subject of end-of-life boats. It seems the boating world continues to turn a blind eye, which is no longer acceptable. The situation is deteriorating, or at best making only improving marginally, in what is now becoming a major environmental catastrophe requiring serious attention.

The past few weeks have been eventful with some lengthy and important meetings. An annual audit visit from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency – these days online – is never a fun event to look forward to. Their aim? To dig deep to ensure that IIMS is operating its Certifying Authority in a professional manner and in keeping with our procedures manual and the contract by which we are governed. Fortunately, they seemed happy and there were no nasty surprises for either side and, importantly, no red flags! The following day saw a Certifying Authority committee meeting. This was rapidly followed by an Education Committee meeting. It is pleasing to report one of our largest student intakes to study for the marine surveying Professional Qualifications at the start of last month.

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

At the start of last month, I had the pleasure to stand shoulder to shoulder with colleagues from four other well-known UK-based professional maritime organisations onboard HQS Wellington in London. The reason? We were onboard to launch The Maritime Professional Council of the UK (MPC). The event attracted over forty VIP guests, including three members of the House of Lords. Launching a new lobbying group is a bold initiative. Our collective desire to want to assist the lawmakers to make better maritime regulations, based on knowledge and experience, is a genuine one.

And on the subject of collaboration with other organisations, I’d like to mention our support for the Norman Finlay Memorial Development Scheme, which is designed to increase the amount of small commercial vessel seafarers and those with a passion for these types of craft moving into advanced careers ashore within the sector.

President, Geoff Waddington, has written a hard-hitting article entitled ‘Beware the challenges of surveying steel hull inland waterways craft – and other considerations’. If this is the type of surveying you are engaged in, I would urge you to read Geoff’s article and to take note.

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

In the past few weeks, several members have commented to me that in their opinion IIMS has become expert at developing and delivering quality training that meets the needs of the marine surveying profession. I am grateful to them for their unsolicited comments and am happy for my colleagues and I to accept the plaudits. I know just how much time and effort we (and those who assist in developing the course and seminar material alongside us) put into perfecting our training offerings. However, I rather hope IIMS is recognised as more than just a training organisation, although I cannot deny we have more exciting training opportunities up our sleeve.

I received an email recently from IIMS member, James Newcombe, one of very few experienced and recognised yacht and small craft surveyors practicing in New Zealand currently. He made two interesting observations and I am sure he will not object if I quote him verbatim. James said, “I joined the IIMS not just for back-up support, or a community to belong to, but also, more importantly, to increase my knowledge.” I hope we deliver all of that and more for members and yes, that takes us full circle back to training and surveying knowledge resources.

I recommend the September Report Magazine, another bumper edition, which has just been published.

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

Covid-19 regulations in the UK have changed recently as the government seeks to unlock further. Will it make a big difference for marine surveyors in the UK? Possibly. And just when we thought we were heading into calmer pandemic waters, two of my colleagues came into contact with people who have tested positive and had to self-isolate. I labour the point about Covid only to highlight that it remains a hazard to us all, not just in the UK.

The IIMS team is now back working full time from Murrills House. Fortunately, before my colleagues had to self-isolate, we managed a highly successful overnight team building event, which brought us altogether face-to-face as a group for the first time in over 18 months. I have included a few photos in this news bulletin to give you a flavour of what the team got up to.

Another story that broke in the last month that caught my attention was indirectly related to the pandemic. The US Coast Guard has published its 2020 Boating Safety Statistics Report and the findings show a rather depressing surge in fatalities during the pandemic. Click to read the full story and the report. In 2020, the report reveals there were 767 boating fatalities nationwide, an increase of 25%. These are troubling statistics and can only be explained by the fact that so many more people have taken to the water in the last 18 months – many of them, I suspect, first-time boaters.