Q3. During your career you will have seen many changes in the maritime sector and the marine surveying profession. Going forward what do you think, in your opinion, the surveying profession needs to do to enhance its image?


The biggest change I’ve witnessed comes from mergers and acquisitions. Proud professional companies of engineers and master mariners who once provided high- end technical services to clients lost their identity when taken over by larger companies. Corporate platitudes aside, our opinion was the new mega-companies were nothing more than a giant melting pots of mediocrity where surveyor’s technical expertise/recommendations were frequently squashed in favour of commercial interests.


Underwriter’s attitude is the second point. Underwriters have become profit driven while making it difficult for the Insured to get Cover. The current marine insurance market can be described as ‘risk averse’. This especially applies to the traditional western insurance companies and syndicates whose Underwriters are under considerable pressure from their capital providers to show good profits year after year.


Their financiers seem to forget insurance is a risk business.


This has resulted in reduced capacity being offered and Underwriters only accepting risks that ‘fit the box’ relating to a narrow range of parameters provided by their actuaries who only look at the numbers and the past records. Stepping outside these parameters becomes a serious


personal risk for the underwriter. As the yacht insurance market has many parameters influencing ‘risk’, the number of underwriters now willing to insure in this area has dropped substantially which has reduced competition and given them more ability to be selective and charge higher premiums.


The surveyor must now work his way through this quagmire.


Q4. When you look back over your business life of many decades, what two achievements give you the most pleasure and satisfaction?


The 30-foot yacht on which I sailed around Cape Horn had no roller furling, no anchor winch, no self- steering, no fridge, no toilet, no radio, no electronics. We had a sturdy watertight hull. Stout rig. Good sails. A place to cook, a place to navigate and a place to lie down. Good anchor gear when we got close to land. That experience opened up the world for me.


My second achievement was becoming a master mariner which opened career doors - and is still opening doors.


Q5. I’d like to ask you about the onslaught of modern technology, including report writing software and remote surveys amongst them. What are your views on this matter – a boon or not?


I am an old school surveyor with no experience with report writing software or remote surveys but here are my thoughts.


Our profession does appear to be leaning in this direction. Will this new technology be a good servant or a bad master? Theoretically, it is feasible option. In worst case remote surveys could put us out of business. Whether we agree or not, this new technology is already with us and brings with it a set of circumstances we must deal with but are not prepared for. The process has not been thought through. Remote surveys could be subject to abuse. The biggest danger I see is that remote ‘attendance’ could lead to mistakenly determining the safety of a vessel, and that in turn involves people’s lives.


Q6. Where the next generation of marine surveyors as well as seafarers will come from is taxing everyone’s minds. What are your thoughts on this?


I honestly do not know.


Q7. Given your broad range of experience you are uniquely placed to offer advice to the new generation of surveyors. What advice might I persuade you to pass on?


The International Institute of Marine Surveyors clearly states in their Code of Ethics:


“A Surveyor member will discharge his professional responsibility with integrity and shall at all times advise or report in a fair and factual manner without prejudice or favour.”


Stick to that code and never waver even one millimetre off the line. Ever.


The Report • June 2023 • Issue 104 | 141


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