Marine News - International Institute of Marine Surveying

Pride Mega Yachts prepares to launch the largest ever superyacht to emerge from China

Posted on April 10, 2018April 10, 2018 by News Hound

On Sunday 8th April in Yantai, China, Pride Mega Yachts rolled out its latest 88.5-metre (290-foot) superyacht Illusion Plus in preparation for her launch.

With her keel laid back in December 2010, when the company operated under the name CIMC Raffles Yacht Ltd, her build re-started on speculation, and is now valued at $145 million USD.

Branded by the shipyard as “the superyacht for the future”, Pride Mega Yachts states that one of the most valuable assets of the design is its interior volume, which, with a beam of 15.4m and draft of 4m, totals a volume of 3,603 gross tonnes, making her the largest ever superyacht to have ever been built in China.

According to Pride Mega Yachts, Illusion Plus has been developed using world-class consultants and designers to ensure she exceeds exacting standards set by the company.

Spread over six decks, her modern exterior lines come from the boards of Rainsford Saunders Design, who describe her profile to Continue reading “Pride Mega Yachts prepares to launch the largest ever superyacht to emerge from China”

ClassNK publishes guidelines for use of drones in class surveys

Posted on April 10, 2018April 10, 2018 by News Hound

Leading classification society ClassNK has released its Guidelines for Use of Drones in Class Surveys. These guidelines incorporate the applicable range and procedures for use of drones in class surveys, the technical considerations for safe operation and the requirements for drone service suppliers.

Because drone-related technologies are improving at an extremely rapid pace, application in diverse fields is increasingly expected. In the maritime industry as well, efforts aimed at utilization in the field of inspections and surveys are being carried out.

At the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), discussions on the use of Remote Inspection Techniques (RIT) including drones in class surveys are already underway, and IACS Rec. 42 (Guidelines for Use of Remote Inspection Technics for Surveys) was revised in June of 2016. A revision of the related IACS Unified Requirements has also been completed and will take effect in January 2019.

On the other hand, when flying a drone in places such as Continue reading “ClassNK publishes guidelines for use of drones in class surveys”

DMS Holland to start developing stabilisers for fast-planing yachts

Posted on April 10, 2018April 10, 2018 by News Hound

Following the successful development and subsequent launch to market of the electric roll damping system for yachts up to 30 metres, the MagnusMaster, DMS Holland has now started, in cooperation with Brabant Engineering, the development of a roll damping system for fast-planing yachts up to 30 metres.

This new AntiRoll damping system, like the MagnusMaster, will be produced as a standard-series stabiliser. Until now, AntiRoll has only been developed as a ‘custom build’ for super- and mega yachts. DMS Holland will be taking this patented dual-axis fin stabiliser and using it to form the basis for their new system. The fundamental concept behind AntiRoll remains the same, namely high-aspect fins that rotate whilst sailing and flap whilst the yacht is at anchor. It is stabilisation at fast speed that will form the extra addition and make it a 3-in-1 stabiliser. “How this will actually be achieved we are keeping to ourselves for a little while longer yet,” says Patrick Noor, DMS Holland’s co-owner responsible for sales & marketing.

Arnold van Aken, inventor of the dual-axis fin stabilisation AntiRoll system and co-owner / Technical Director of DMS Holland explains: “For years we have been Continue reading “DMS Holland to start developing stabilisers for fast-planing yachts”

Bavaria Yachts celebrates 40 years of manufacture

Posted on April 10, 2018April 10, 2018 by News Hound

Bavaria Yachts is celebrating 40 years of business and an operational model that has most recently produced the Bavaria C65.

Founder Winfried Herrmann saw a gap in the market for a new domestic boatbuilding company and alongside his business partner Georg Haubner, with whom he ran window production company ‘HeHa’, publicly launched the first Bavaria yacht models.

In 1979 the company acquired its first production facility and subsequently appointed designer Axel Monhaupt. In the 1980s, yacht and charter agent Josef Meltl joined Bavaria Yachts, adding expertise that was instrumental to the company’s successful charter market entry.

From 1992, Slovenian J&J Design designed the new models, while in 2000, the company’s first motorboats were launched. 2014 saw Bavaria Yachts enter the multihull market with the purchase of the French catamaran manufacturer Nautitech and in 2015, the Bavaria Nautitech 46 Open was launched.

Expert design has been a constant focus of the Continue reading “Bavaria Yachts celebrates 40 years of manufacture”

Hugo Du Plessis HonMIIMS obituary

Posted on April 10, 2018May 19, 2025 by News Hound

The sad death of Hugo Du Plessis has been announced at the age of 94. Expert yacht surveyor and author of a guide to fibreglass boat construction and maintenance, Hugo had been an Honorary member of IIMS for some years.

Highly regarded in the cruising world, Hugo was an experienced sailor. Born in 1923, he and his sister were home educated before he went on to boarding school and then to Southampton University where he studied electronics.

Hugo was just 16 when the Second World War broke out and he served with his father, Gerald, in the Boldre Platoon Home Guard.

Growing up in the English New Forest, Hampshire, in close proximity to the Beaulieu and Lymington rivers, his love of boats was born. Many happy hours were spent negotiating the low tide mudflats in various craft from a Sharpie to a canoe before he eventually purchased his first yacht, Crimson Rambler.

Continue reading “Hugo Du Plessis HonMIIMS obituary”

Gori launches a three-blade propeller for sailing boats

Posted on April 9, 2018May 12, 2025 by News Hound

Danish propeller manufacturer, Gori, has launched a new three-blade propeller for sailing boats. The new folding propeller is an evolution of the original three-blade version they introduced in 1994 but lacks the ‘overdrive’ function.

The ‘overdrive’ function allowed the helmsman to choose the propeller pitch and profile in the water while sailing forward, by regulating the yacht’s shift and throttle control. It would then operate the same in reverse by first folding closed through the movement before opening again.

This new three-blade propeller has the same features as the standard propeller including the 360o pivot when switching between forward and reverse with the same pitch in either direction for improved stopping.

The original three-blade propeller had a very low Continue reading “Gori launches a three-blade propeller for sailing boats”

Improper securing arrangement of sea strainer cover leads to vessel capsizing

Posted on April 9, 2018April 9, 2018 by News Hound

Shipowners P&I Club has issued a case study about the capsizing of a vessel due to a loose port side sea strainer. Whilst double banked alongside another tug for four months awaiting a placement in dry dock, a harbour tug suddenly developed a list to port. Crew on board at the time quickly investigated to try and determine the point of water ingress, but struggled as the water level reached approximately 1 metre in height in the flooded engine room.

As the engine room crew tried to establish and stop the source of ingress, the deck crew were adjusting the mooring ropes to keep the vessel safely alongside as the vessel listed further to port. Eventually, the master took the decision to abandon the vessel as it was no longer safe to remain on board.

Continue reading “Improper securing arrangement of sea strainer cover leads to vessel capsizing”

Norway targets IMO to halve global shipping emissions by 2050

Posted on April 6, 2018April 6, 2018 by News Hound

Global shipping should set a goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Norway’s government and shipowners’ association said on Thursday before talks by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London next week.

Norway’s fleet is worth about $45 billion, the fifth most valuable in the world behind Japan, Greece, China and the United States. Norway’s shipping includes offshore, gas, chemicals, car vessels, dry bulk, crude, crude products and containers.

The IMO, which says international shipping represents about 2.2 percent of world carbon dioxide emissions, will meet from April 9-13 to develop a strategy to combat climate change. Shipping was not included in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

Continue reading “Norway targets IMO to halve global shipping emissions by 2050”

DNV GL issues standard for the transport and installation of wind power plants

Posted on April 5, 2018April 6, 2018 by News Hound

DNV GL, the world’s largest independent energy advisory and certification body, has published its new Renewables Certification standard DNVGL-ST-0054 “Transport and installation of wind power plants” in co-operation with a wide number of industry players – wind turbine developers, wind park operators, investors, transportation companies and suppliers all of whom were contacted in the summer of 2017.

The main objective of it is to provide the approach ensuring the structural integrity of the main components of the wind power plant during the transport, installation and decommissioning works.

Continue reading “DNV GL issues standard for the transport and installation of wind power plants”

Australian Transport Safety Bureau chooses Rembrandt manoeuvring simulator software

Posted on April 5, 2018April 5, 2018 by News Hound

BMT has announced that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Australia’s national transport safety investigator, has purchased a licence for its navigation and manoeuvring simulator, Rembrandt.

This follows on from other recent adopters including the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the Dutch Safety Board.

Phil Thompson, Managing Director at BMT commented: “We are seeing growing momentum and awareness within statutory bodies worldwide in the value of digital evidence generation. Key capabilities of Rembrandt include its ability to automatically read VDR and AIS to deliver a high-fidelity reconstruction. More recent developments include the ability to take full control at any time within the reconstruction replay to explore a range of alternative “what if” scenarios – a key enabler for forensic analysis and reflective learning.”

Rembrandt is Continue reading “Australian Transport Safety Bureau chooses Rembrandt manoeuvring simulator software”

New guidance on firefighting equipment standards

Posted on April 5, 2018April 5, 2018 by News Hound

The US Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance has published a new document entitled “Guidance on Implementation of New Standards for Fire Protection, Detection, and Extinguishing Equipment.”

This guidance covers changes to the regulatory requirements for fire protection, detection, and extinguishing equipment used on inspected and uninspected vessels, Outer Continental Shelf facilities, deepwater ports and mobile offshore drilling units.

The policy documentation points to changes after the US Coast Guard’s 2016 “Harmonization of Standards for Fire Protection, Detection, and Extinguishing Equipment” rulemaking.

This change affects all inspected and uninspected vessels. The most immediate change relates to portable and semi-portable fire extinguishers. Additionally, Continue reading “New guidance on firefighting equipment standards”

Lessons Learned from El Faro published by USCG

Posted on April 5, 2018May 19, 2025 by News Hound

Lessons Learned from El Faro on main propulsion published by USCG

The US Coast Guard has published a safety alert to inform operators and other interested parties of the role that the main propulsion lube oil system was found to have played in the El Faro incident. They have recommended that operators, especially ships’ engineers, review the operational procedures and limitations of vital propulsion machinery and verify compliance with SOLAS, Classification Societies and regulatory standards.

The El Faro sank along with its 33 crew onboard in October 2015, marking one of the worst maritime disasters in US history. The USCG official report on the sinking of the El Faro revealed that loss of propulsion during heavy weather was contributing to the sinking. The exact operational status of all vital El Faro engineering equipment prior to the casualty could not be determined, but bridge audio recordings indicate that the vessel lost lube oil pressure to the main propulsion turbine and reduction gear bearings, resulting in loss of propulsion.

Continue reading “Lessons Learned from El Faro published by USCG”

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