A US$30,000 off-spec grain cargo dispute claim directed at the wrong surveyor has prompted International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) to warn marine surveyors of the liability exposure they face when the scope of their instructions is not precisely recorded.
A marine surveyor was appointed by the seller of a grain cargo to conduct a joint survey at the load port. The buyer accepted the cargo and subsequently sold it on. At the discharge port, the ultimate buyer and consignee alleged the grain was off-spec due to the presence of ambrosia seed and other impurities. Continue reading “ITIC warning to marine surveyors following US$30,000 off-spec grain cargo dispute”
The International Maritime Pilots’ Association (
This month, I want to address the matter of recurring safety issues in our industry, and I pose the simple question, to which there is no easy answer: “What are the barriers to progress?” Of course, I don’t have the answers, but as a joined up, interconnected industry, perhaps we could do as we seek to make incisive inroads into ship, crew and vessel safety. Over the years, the realisation for enhanced safety training and mechanisms has grown and is now accepted as the norm, as has their implementation, but still, we see the same old type of incidents and accidents recurring. 
Of course, the sea, ships and boats have inspired artists for centuries – as well as me, although my artistic skills are not at the level of Joey Blazek! The original work of art (pictured right), entitled Matagorda Pilot Transfer, was painted by US artist Joey Blazek and measures 30 by 48 inches. It depicts a dramatic scene of a pilot transfer underway, and his expressive style of painting really caught my eye.
