Britannia P&I Club has issued information about what actions to take when loading different bulk cargoes to meet the requirements of the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code. The shipper is responsible for providing the master (or their representative) with sufficient information in advance to allow safe preparation for loading, stowage, and carriage of the nominated cargo under the requirements of the IMSBC code. Continue reading “Meeting the requirements of the IMSBC Code”
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) in its newest series of reports regarding the safety of ammonia use in ships has reviewed critical causes and patterns in ammonia-related maritime accidents. Among the alternative fuel options, anhydrous ammonia has drawn a lot of interest from the marine industry for its potential to become a long-term solution for decarbonisation. The comprehensive review of accidents however, highlighted on EMSA’s report “Safety of Ammonia for Use in Ships”, has underscored critical causes of these incidents that allow identifying recurring patterns and highlighting critical areas for preventive or corrective measures for application in the maritime sector. Continue reading “Valve failures is the lead cause of ammonia-related maritime accidents”
The is a distressing case about a fatal accident that should never have happened. And as the investigation has revealed, a series of poor, inadequate and ineffective inspections and surveys that failed to discover serious rotten wood, would appear to be largely to blame.
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has released a critical report on the demasting of a historic schooner, blaming the catastrophic incident on rotten wood that had gone unnoticed for years due to poor inspections.
About three years after the mainmast of the 144-year-old schooner Grace Bailey Continue reading “Rotten wood caused historic Grace Bailey demasting”
The London P&I Club has renewed its warning to shipowners, operators, and charterers over the risks linked to loading dry chemicals in Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs), and the incorrect storage and handling of jumbo bags with the launch of a new video that provides loss prevention advice.
The alert follows several incidents involving cargo fires and damage—particularly on bulk carriers and general cargo ships, with many cases reported at Chinese ports. The Club warns that failure to strictly comply with all relevant International Maritime Organization (IMO) Continue reading “Incorrect storage and handling of jumbo bags can lead to significant claims”
Lloyd’s Register (LR) has issued a regulatory update stating that, PFOS will be banned in fire extinguishing media from January 2026 – including firefighting foam. This applies to both fixed and portable systems and equipment.
In particular, the IMO developed amendments to SOLAS Chapter II-2 and the High Speed Craft (HSC) Codes (1994 and 2000) which were adopted in the following resolutions: Continue reading “PFOS banned in fire extinguishing media from January 2026”
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has issued a safety notice highlighting the risk of green patina build-up on high-pressure water mist nozzles, which can compromise the effectiveness of onboard firefighting systems. According to the notice, while witnessing routine testing of a fixed firefighting system during an annual exam aboard a foreign passenger vessel, the Coast Guard discovered multiple high-pressure water mist nozzles that were incapable of discharging water. Consequently, the firefighting system failed to activate in multiple accommodation spaces. Continue reading “Safety alert issues about green patina build-up on water mist nozzles”
Given that 90% of international trade is transported across oceans, maritime safety is critical, and the shipping industry has made significant improvements in recent years. During the 1990s, the global fleet lost 200+ vessels a year. This total had halved by 10 years ago and is now down to a record low of 27 as of the end of 2024 is a key finding of the Allianz Safety and Shipping Review 2025.
This compares with 35 a year earlier (vessels over 100 gross tonnage [GT]), down by around 20%, with a 75% decline in total losses over Continue reading “Allianz Safety and Shipping Review 2025”
The UK MAIB has released its MAIB annual report 2024. Last year, the MAIB received 1,515 reports on marine casualties/incidents and started 15 investigations – 7 of which involved loss of life.
Overall, the MAIB recorded 1,631 reports of accidents to UK vessels worldwide or any vessels within UK coastal waters during 2024. A total of 1,753 vessels were involved. Continue reading “UK MAIB Annual Report 2024 published”
The Isle of Man Ship Registry has released its Isle of Man Ship Registry’s 2024 Casualty report. It contains an analysis of the data and trends identified from casualty reports submitted to the Ship Registry during 2024.
Over the course of last year, the Ship Registry said there were 53 Accidents, 34 incidents and 7 casualty reports. There was one fatality, 8 serious injuries and 22 minor injuries reported. Continue reading “Isle of Man Ship Registry’s 2024 Casualty report”
This year’s Port State Control Concentrated Inspection Campaign (PSC CIC) will focus on ballast water management, DNV has announced.
The CIC is set to take place from 1 September to 30 November 2025.
Every year, PSC regimes determine a specific focus area during regular inspections. For 2025, the Paris and Tokyo MoUs have agreed to run a CIC on the topic of ballast water management (BWM). It is expected that the majority of PSC MoUs will participate in this year’s CIC. Continue reading “PSC CIC on ballast water management”
DNV offers guidance on the matter of corrosion in ballast water & cargo tanks, highlighting that the actual corrosion rate may differ, with factors like temperature and coating condition playing significant roles in the deterioration process.
According to DNV, the actual corrosion rate in ballast and cargo tanks may differ from the assumptions in the rules and the embedded corrosion models. DNV survey data reveals a significant rise in corrosion findings in water ballast and cargo tanks in oil tankers and bulk carriers at the third renewal survey, with a peak at the fourth renewal. That means that for some vessels, Continue reading “Corrosion in ballast water & cargo tanks”
IIMS CEO, Mike Schwarz, has been alarmed at what seems to be a growing number of destructive yacht and boat fires incidents reaching his desk since the start of 2025. Mike has been motivated to write this article so he can set out and catalogue some of the higher profile fire incidents, as well as some of the less well publicised ones.
This is an expanded article following the introduction I wrote for the IIMS June News Bulletin on this subject. It may have passed you by, but there seems to have been a string of eye-catching large yacht and boat fires erupting around the world since the start of 2025 with devastating consequences. So, what is behind this surge in yacht and boat fires? Is there a common thread? Not sure yet, is the simple answer. Continue reading “What’s behind the latest spate of boat fires?”
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