Our Services
Collisions and Groundings: Investigations and Litigation
Recent years have seen a rise in the number of criminal proceedings brought against masters and crews in relation to incidents at sea. Solis has recent experience in providing expert evidence in several such cases in courts in Asia, including a number of collision cases involving loss of life in 2013.
Another recent case of note involved the collision between the ‘YAO HAI’ and the ‘NEFTIGAZ 67’ which reached the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong; the judgment from which can be read here.
Solis consultants are able to provide expert advice with respect to the following aspects of collision and grounding incidents:
- Navigation issues
- Bridge management
- Pilotage
- Manoeuvring – All vessels types and size
- Personal injury
- VDR, ECDIS, AIS and VTIS analysis
- 2D and 3D simulation
- Damage and repair surveys
- Passage Planning
- Pollution
Recent years have seen a rise in the number of criminal proceedings brought against masters and crews in relation to incidents at sea. Solis has recent experience in providing expert evidence in several such cases in courts in Asia, including a number of collision cases involving loss of life in 2013.
Another recent case of note involved the collision between the ‘YAO HAI’ and the ‘NEFTIGAZ 67’ which reached the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong; the judgment from which can be read here.
Solis consultants are able to provide expert advice with respect to the following aspects of collision and grounding incidents:
- Navigation issues
- Bridge management
- Pilotage
- Manoeuvring – All vessels types and size
- Personal injury
- VDR, ECDIS, AIS and VTIS analysis
- 2D and 3D simulation
- Damage and repair surveys
- Passage Planning
- Pollution
Solis consultants have been involved in a number of high profile and politically sensitive wreck removal and salvage operations worldwide. In the past year Solis consultants have attended major marine casualties in France, China, Indonesia, Brazil and Singapore including a panamax container vessel, a passenger ship and a jack-up rig as well as capesize and panamax bulk carriers.
Specific areas of expertise are as follows:
- Special Casualty Representative (SCR)
- Salvage naval architecture
- Ship to Ship (STS) operations
- Salvage and wreck removal management
- Tendering and bid evaluation
- Salvage dangers investigation
- Lightering, bunker, cargo removal and storage
Solis consultants have been involved in a number of high profile and politically sensitive wreck removal and salvage operations worldwide. In the past year Solis consultants have attended major marine casualties in France, China, Indonesia, Brazil and Singapore including a panamax container vessel, a passenger ship and a jack-up rig as well as capesize and panamax bulk carriers.
Specific areas of expertise are as follows:
- Special Casualty Representative (SCR)
- Salvage naval architecture
- Ship to Ship (STS) operations
- Salvage and wreck removal management
- Tendering and bid evaluation
- Salvage dangers investigation
- Lightering, bunker, cargo removal and storage
Strength and Stability Investigations
Solis is able to provide technical advice in relation to a range of stability and strength issues which include the following:
- Cargo shifting
- Flooding
- Grounding
- Cargo loss
- Securing and lashing
Solis is able to provide technical advice in relation to a range of stability and strength issues which include the following:
- Cargo shifting
- Flooding
- Grounding
- Cargo loss
- Securing and lashing
FIXED OBJECT DAMAGE AND UNSAFE PORTS
Fixed object damage (FOD) can involve port structures, bridges, breakwaters and floating platforms as well as cranes, ramps and ship loaders at the ship to shore interface. Mitigating high repair costs requires swift action to safeguard and secure evidence. It is also vital to gather forensic information and other data needed to determine probable causes and the extent of any damage and consequences.
In 2013 Solis consultants have been involved in arbitration and mediation hearings in relation to unsafe ports and berths in which computer modeling and electronic plotting have proved to be of particular importance.
Our areas of expertise include the following:
- Site attendance
- Forensic investigations
- Temporary repairs
- Berthing energy analysis
- Consequential loss mitigation
- Betterment evaluation
- Fender and mooring assessments
- Structural analysis
- Quantum and schedules
- Hazard and risk assessments
- Bid evaluations
- Expert reports
Fixed object damage (FOD) can involve port structures, bridges, breakwaters and floating platforms as well as cranes, ramps and ship loaders at the ship to shore interface. Mitigating high repair costs requires swift action to safeguard and secure evidence. It is also vital to gather forensic information and other data needed to determine probable causes and the extent of any damage and consequences.
In 2013 Solis consultants have been involved in arbitration and mediation hearings in relation to unsafe ports and berths in which computer modeling and electronic plotting have proved to be of particular importance.
Our areas of expertise include the following:
- Site attendance
- Forensic investigations
- Temporary repairs
- Berthing energy analysis
- Consequential loss mitigation
- Betterment evaluation
- Fender and mooring assessments
- Structural analysis
- Quantum and schedules
- Hazard and risk assessments
- Bid evaluations
- Expert reports
Cargo loss and damage incidents form a significant proportion of the incident investigation work that Solis Marine is involved with, often from a dispute resolution perspective, but also in relation to salvage and wreck situations.
Our master mariners have experience of a wide range of cargoes including bulk, refrigerated, liquid, container and general cargo. Our SCRs have also worked in casualty situations dealing with cargoes ranging from containers and hydrocarbons to a wide variety of bulk and project cargoes where discharge, transport, storage and sale have been issues dealt with.
Cargo issues regularly require input from our naval architects in terms of lashing calculations and motions analysis. In a recent case of cargo shifting, our naval architects identified an inconsistency in a commonly used lashing calculation software package produced by one of the major Classification Societies; Solis Marine’s input has since been utilized to update the software accordingly.
Cargo loss and damage incidents form a significant proportion of the incident investigation work that Solis Marine is involved with, often from a dispute resolution perspective, but also in relation to salvage and wreck situations.
Our master mariners have experience of a wide range of cargoes including bulk, refrigerated, liquid, container and general cargo. Our SCRs have also worked in casualty situations dealing with cargoes ranging from containers and hydrocarbons to a wide variety of bulk and project cargoes where discharge, transport, storage and sale have been issues dealt with.
Cargo issues regularly require input from our naval architects in terms of lashing calculations and motions analysis. In a recent case of cargo shifting, our naval architects identified an inconsistency in a commonly used lashing calculation software package produced by one of the major Classification Societies; Solis Marine’s input has since been utilized to update the software accordingly.
Computer Animation of Shipping Incidents
The use of computer animation to simulate shipping incidents continues to become more important as a method of providing a quick and simple visual reproduction of actual events or alternative scenarios. Using VDR, ECDIS and witness statements Solis utilises the latest graphical software and automated processes to produce computer animations that are easy to follow, flexible and importantly, cost effective.
In 2013 Solis animations were used in a high profile criminal trial in Indonesia as well as in mediation and arbitration hearings in the UK.With VDR and ECDIS becoming critical to investigations, computer animation can be invaluable from initial case preparation through to final hearings.
Complexity can be tailored according to budget and examples of the application of these graphical representations are provided below:
- Collisions
- Jetty / berth allisions
- VDR, ECDIS, AIS and VTIS data presentation
- Salvage – illustration of salvage methods and ship condition
- Wreck removal – demonstration of methodology and feasibility
- Navigational issues and chart plotting
- Internal arrangements and damage
The use of computer animation to simulate shipping incidents continues to become more important as a method of providing a quick and simple visual reproduction of actual events or alternative scenarios. Using VDR, ECDIS and witness statements Solis utilises the latest graphical software and automated processes to produce computer animations that are easy to follow, flexible and importantly, cost effective.
In 2013 Solis animations were used in a high profile criminal trial in Indonesia as well as in mediation and arbitration hearings in the UK.With VDR and ECDIS becoming critical to investigations, computer animation can be invaluable from initial case preparation through to final hearings.
Complexity can be tailored according to budget and examples of the application of these graphical representations are provided below:
- Collisions
- Jetty / berth allisions
- VDR, ECDIS, AIS and VTIS data presentation
- Salvage – illustration of salvage methods and ship condition
- Wreck removal – demonstration of methodology and feasibility
- Navigational issues and chart plotting
- Internal arrangements and damage