has an impact on the services and delivery from Class.


I have worked in Asia almost continuously for the last 15 years as a Senior / Principal Surveyor for LR and then for DNV and now for Owners, as Project Manager. Since about 2011 there has been a significant reduction in ex-pat placements. It is just not cost effective for Class Societies or Owners to pay for ex-pats (and their families) to have positions overseas anymore. So we see many more local staff being employed to fill these positions. While local staff have, in many cases, excellent experience and training, sometimes it is hard for them to be dispassionate and authoritative with their co- workers. I maintain that we still need a few ex-pats within Class Societies and Owners Teams to support the local staff.


Q3. It must have been a massive cultural change for you, but what was the inspiration and motivation that made you decide to head to South Korea to further your surveying career?


Having worked in Falmouth for three years as a Surveyor for existing ships, (at the start of my career with LR), I felt that I needed to get some experience of ‘new building’. In 2002 there were internal opportunities within LR for new build surveyors in South Korea. I applied and was successful in getting the job, but having no new build experience, or qualifications, I was sent to Nagasaki, Japan, to work in the LR office in Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), as a Surveyor under development, which was a fantastic opportunity for me.


MHI is one of the few shipyards in the world (at that time) that still manufactures all the major components as well as the hull structure for new builds. I was therefore able to observe everything from propeller


shaft forging and machining, propeller castings, steam turbine manufacture and dynamic balancing, main propulsion gear boxes manufacture, high pressure and auxiliary steam boiler manufacture and testing, switchboard and motors being manufactured and tested, as well as learning about hull structure and block fabrication. The huge benefit to me of attending at MHI was that they are one of the few shipyards in the world that make MOSS Type and Membrane Type LNG containment systems. This was my first exposure to LNG ships and launched me in to this exciting part of the new building industry.


After ten months at MHI I achieved my Certificates of Authorisation as a New Build Surveyor for Machinery, Hull and LNG Systems. I then moved to South Korea and started working in DSME shipyard in Okpo as a Surveyor on a Shell LNG project, working with a great Senior Surveyor as my Mentor.


Q4. It is known that you are now involved with some cutting edge shipping technology, but without giving away any sensitive commercial information, what are the characteristics of the vessels you are engaged with and what makes them special?


Since 2002 I have continued to work mainly within the LNG new building market.


LNG (mainly methane) is transported in LNG Carriers in a liquified state at – 163 °C. This obviously has its technical challenges to keep the liquified cargo away from the steel hull structure, to stop embrittlement and cracking. There have been a number of technology changes to improve the insulation and methods of containment over the past 15 years and there are more to come.


There are currently approximately 480 LNG Carriers


76 | The Report • December 2017 • Issue 82


in the global market with 115 on order, or under construction. LNG is a clean fuel that needs no refining, so the LNGC’s are essential part of the supply chain (known as ‘Floating Pipeline’) between the Production and Consuming Terminals.


Technology keeps changing and the use of LNG as a marine fuel is accelerating with the introduction of ever higher restrictions on NOx and SOx emissions form ships.


LNG is now a very attractive alternative clean fuel for tankers, container ships and passenger vessels. This is forcing very rapid technology advances to cope with these new demands for LNG Bunker Tanks and Dual Fuel Engine Technology.


Interesting times lie ahead.


Q5. What has been your most frightening experience on survey and why?


On a Sunday in mid-February (cold and windy) I was duty Lloyd’s Surveyor in Cornwall, Falmouth, and had a call from a laden BP tanker that had come into Falmouth Bay with a burnt out main engine lube oil pump motor.


I attended onboard and established that the motor was being removed ashore for re- winding but that this would take at least three days.


The vessel was scheduled to discharge at Milford Haven on the Tuesday.


In the early days of mobile phones and poor coverage in the south west of UK – it was very difficult to get in contact with my Senior Surveyor, or Area Manager to ask for advice. However, I was contacted by the BP Superintendent who made it very clear that the ship ‘MUST SAIL’ with only one operational lube oil pump. Commercial pressures you understand!


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