The present publication shall be treated as one of the most authoritative resources for litigation in the admiralty court, offering unparalleled commentary and analysis of admiralty law along with insights on the court's jurisdiction and procedures. Here is the fifth edition of this brilliant title, which has become the premier reference for contemporary maritime practitioners.

It addresses various topics not found elsewhere, such as the effects of insolvency, the relationship between jurisdiction and practice, applicable limitation periods, the influence of international conventions, and the litigative approach to collision claims.

This updated edition incorporates new case law and significant changes to practice and procedure and it also discusses the implications of Brexit and updates to CPR Part 61 and its associated practice directions, particularly concerning limitation claims and the recent rules for pleading collision claims. This book is the essential choice for anyone engaged with admiralty law, serving as a crucial resource for maritime professionals in England and the international common law community.

Here is one more guidebook belonging to the Master's Guides series developed and released by the experts of The Standard Club, sharing their valuable experience with the idea of promoting the best practice and raising seamen's awareness of the fire safety and associated risks, particularly onboard ferry vessels of today.

The content of the volume will be equally useful for every person serving onboard ships, and the other categories of people engaged in the maritime industry will definitely benefit. This is not a textbook, so the readers are expected to possess some basic knowledge and understanding of the topic.

And this knowledge will be significantly expanded by applying the information shared in the pages of this volume, addressing the most critical areas of fire prevention, as well as detecting fires and fighting them, with due attention paid to the advantages and disadvantages of every single method covered. As a result, people who have acquainted themselves with this book, will be better prepared to fight and sort of fire.

Despite all recent technological advancements in the field of provision of marine safety, including the newest e-navigation tools and modern satellite systems, as well as the perfectly developed training methods for contemporary navigators, maritime collisions continue to remain a prominent issue in major maritime casualty statistics. While collisions may not always be the leading cause within these statistics, when they do occur, they often lead to significant losses.

These incidents can result in severe consequences, including loss of life and personal injury, marine pollution, fire, explosions, cargo loss, and property damage. A maritime collision is defined as "the violent encounter of a moving body with another." Notably, collisions at sea do not necessarily involve direct contact between two vessels; they may also occur between a vessel and structures such as bridges, wharfs, or cranes. Such incidents are classified as 'allisions'. The foundation of maritime collision law can be traced back to ancient Roman law, which lacked specific navigational rules apart from customary maritime practices and jurisprudence regarding fault and liability for loss or damage. In 1840, the Trinity House navigational rules were established, followed by the first UK statute to incorporate navigational rules in 1846, which evolved alongside additional statutory regulations in 1851, 1854, and 1858.

The first diplomatic conference focused on navigational rules took place in Washington in 1889, convened by U.S. President Benjamin Harrison, resulting in the first comprehensive set of international navigational regulations that came into effect in 1897. Subsequent conferences in Brussels in 1910 and London in 1948 and 1960 made further revisions to the international collision regulations. A significant overhaul occurred in 1972, led by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), culminating in the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, known as COLREGs 1972. These regulations have been adopted by nearly all maritime nations and are "applicable to all vessels upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith."…

We all know that seafaring is as such a very dangerous enterprise, since there are so many threats that the seafarers of today have to face every single day. In addition to the storms and hurricanes, pirates, hijacking and other unpleasant events, one of the most terrific hazards is still the destructive force of shipboard fires.

Knowing that any mistake can cause catastrophic fire means that all of the crew members of your vessel shall be provided with proper training and follow proper policies and procedures as necessary and at all times. Good vessel construction, housekeeping and maintenance, following the established safety procedures, and keeping shipboard fixed and portable fire-fighting systems fully operational are all important for preventing fires. Your firefighting training can one day save the ship, cargo, and the lives of your fellow crew members and passengers.

Let us spend some time discussing the very essential fire prevention aspects, commonly used fire extinguishing agents and systems, as well as the personal protective equipment (PPE) that are required for all those involved in the firefighting activities, and, of course, fighting the fire itself. It goes without saying that the provisions of the Safety Management System Manual shall prevail at all times.

Maintaining a safe environment is considered absolutely crucial in fire prevention, and this means constant vigilance from all crew members, demonstrated at all times. They shall always ask themselves questions like - are there any potential hazards from the work that you are performing, such as sparks or ignition, are the proper procedures for welding, cutting or hot work followed, including issuance of the hot work permit, etc.

Have a close look around your work area – are there any combustible materials lying around, such as faulty electrical installations, poorly insulated exhausts, or fuel and oil leaks? These may see like small issues, but, if left untreated, they could lead to disaster. The practice shows that many fires can be avoided by timely checking the equipment for damaged wires, faulty electrical connections, and putting oily rags into a sealed container. Make sure that you never place combustible materials near a heat source, like exhaust pipes or heaters. The engine room is deservedly treated as a home for many hazards, such as ruptured lines and pipes, loose fittings, and oil leaking from equipment. Immediately repair any leaks.

Another area of the vessel where chance of the fire is high, is the galley. The galley can never be left unattended while cooking. By maintaining a clean galley, grease accumulation will not be present to fuel the fire. Ensure the exhaust fans and ductwork are cleaned regularly as these are the major sources of galley fires.

Here are few things to look for in the galley:

- Accumulation of grease and oil on cooking appliances

- Grease or soot in the fans and exhaust

- Rags and garbage are disposed of in the correct containers.

In the next article, we will have a look at the fire extinguishing agents available today to the seafarers onboard their vessels.

The ultimate guide of the author of the present guide was to explain the most important issues of the hatch cover security and also to steer the mariners towards active due maintenance of the hatch covers. It would definitely be less expensive to maintain the weathertight integrity of the hatch covers through the attention to detail and periodic checks and works, than to pay the possible claims for the wet-damaged cargo.

Moreover, it is critically important for safety at sea and for the protection of the sea environment to keep the covers weathertight and strong. We all know that leaking hatch covers are considered a principal cause of wetting of the transported cargo. The hatch covers may leak for various reasons, but the root cause is usually their poor maintenance of failure to close the covers properly.

The chapters of this guide provide the description of the hatch covers and their function, leakage problems and leak detection tests, some common false beliefs about hatch covers, tips on monitoring and inspection, procedures for proper maintenance and repair of the hatch covers, and also some necessary information relating to the safety of the operations. The appendices contain the procedures to opening and closing of the covers, and condition assessment forms.

This guide was prepared and published with the intention to alert the crews of the marine ships to the serious danger of a truly catastrophic loss that can be caused by the failed piping, the authors have tried to raise the awareness of redundancy in the design of the ship piping and of the difficulties that are usually involved in the inspections of the pipes.

It is quite clear that the prevention of the piping failure may only be achieved through the proactive approach of the crew members to the inspection, periodical maintenance and repair of the ship piping arrangements. Though the corrosion effect on a hull is widely known, not everyone knows and considers the piping corrosion. However, piping poses a hidden danger to the ship, people on board, and environment. The pipes convey various fluids or allow air to pass through and are treated as the means of the operations of many control systems, they are penetrating nearly every enclosed space on board the ship.

This guide provides the basic information on the ship piping and systems, pipe design, tips on maintenance and repair of the pipes, shows some causes of the pipe failures etc. Some typical mechanical joints and procedure for the pressure test of the piping is there in the appendices.

The present publication belongs to the popular Master's Guide series by The Standard Club. Any ship handler shall have a clear understanding of what is actually happening with the ship under his command - not only that but also, and maybe more important - what will happen with the ship in a short time.

The proper knowledge of the theoretical basics will make it easier to identify the maneuvering characteristics of the ship and quickly evaluate the skills required to control the ship. Such knowledge is considered critically important in a harbor environment when the vessel encounters narrow channels, cross-winds, currents and close quarters situations. In fact, berthing shall be treated as the culmination moment of any voyage - this is the very moment when the ship is mating with a stationary and solid berth.

That is why it requires gentle and precise control which is demonstrated by the ship handlers in harbors all over the world every day. Most of the vessels dock safely most of the time, however the final outcome of the maneuver chosen and conducted by the ship handler is not always fully successful - this may eventually result in a ship demolishing jetties, hitting berths running aground and even colliding with other ships - and this actually happens at a really alarming frequency...

The present publication was written the address the various areas of the ship hull construction, covering literally everything starting from the types of ships and materials used for construction, and up to the welding technologies applied and quality control. The material is arranged in a very logical way and deals with the structural arrangement of the vessels featuring transverse and longitudinal; systems of framing, on the basis of the calculated service loads.

The author provides detailed and understandable explanations of the essential structural elements of the hull together with the most commonly used structural sub-assemblies. The construction of the ship’s double-bottom has been presented in detail along with the fore- and aft-end structures, midship section and other critically important areas. All materials normally used for the ship construction have been covered, including steel, FRP and aluminum alloys, with particular attention paid to the preparation of the construction materials, cutting and joining techniques, welding etc.

The formation of the residual stress in the hull structures has been addressed with the focus made on the buckling of thin metal panels caused by the welding. In short, all aspects of ship hull construction have been covered including the methods used for the nondestructive examination of the metal surfaces and welding seams.