The next time you are buried under emails, consider this – the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime Administrator’s (the “Administrator’s”) Technical Team receives more than 400 emails a day requesting technical support and assistance for its registered fleet. The Technical Team, which handles inquiries 24/7/365, uses digital technology to maintain transparency and efficiency across its worldwide team. Each inquiry is tracked on the Technical Status Board, giving full visibility to the team worldwide, and allowing most requests to receive a response within 24 hours. Additionally, in 2022, a digital portal was launched for clients to receive declarations of approval for the use of International Convention on the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) electronic record books.
“Technology allows us to provide streamlined, efficient, and comprehensive technical service to clients and stakeholders in ways we could not before,” said Dave Wamsley, Senior Vice President, Technical. “Strong technical support is more than just a nice to have for owners/operators, it is critical to safe vessel operation, especially as onboard technology and design continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in our industry.”
As the industry has invested in advanced technologies and alternative energies, the Technical Department has strengthened its resources with qualified and knowledgeable staff to provide timely and accurate information to stakeholders. Regional Technical Managers, Richard Dias in Hong Kong; Vasilis Kamitsis in Piraeus; Hung Diep in Long Beach; Senior Technical Support Manager Elizabeth Caswell in Houston; as well as shared resources in other regional offices field requests for technical assistance from owners, operators, Classification Societies (Class), Recognized Organizations (ROs), shipyards, naval architects, and other industry stakeholders. Technical assistance is a critical component to safe vessel operation and therefore, technical support is provided free of charge.
“Although the regulatory environment is increasingly complex, it has not kept pace with changes in technology. To meet the needs of owners and operators of RMI-flagged vessels as they evaluate solutions for decarbonization and efficiency on board, we work closely with industry stakeholders to review, assess, and evaluate technology and solutions,” noted Dave.
In addition to participating in joint development projects, technical team members regularly contribute to Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOP) and Hazard Identification (HAZID) evaluations run by Classification Societies (Class) and other stakeholders to assess potential risks and hazards associated with new technologies and solutions. In fact, because the industry is changing so rapidly, the team has dedicated resources to assess, review, and evaluate new technologies.
“Discussions about new and advanced technologies with Class and ROs are essential to the Administrator’s work with owners/operators,” said Dave. “We greatly value these discussions and exercises. Our participation not only adds a flag perspective to the discussions in the early stages of technological review, but also brings additional expertise and insight back to the owners and operators.”
The Technical Department meets with members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) annually, both individually and as a group, to support strong working relationships and open discussion about technical trends. In addition to inquiries and requests, the Technical Department also is involved in pre-registration vetting – an essential component to maintaining a quality registry.
“Before a vessel comes into the Registry, we make an assessment as to whether the vessel can uphold the high-quality standards of our fleet,” said Dave. “Knowing the condition of a vessel is critical for us, as well as for the owner/operator. We do not want any surprises in the registration process.”
Vessels more than 20 years of age require an age waiver and pre-registration inspection to enter the RMI fleet. Bulk carriers older than 15 years are required to undergo a pre-registration inspection while other vessels older than 15 years old require a review of previous safety surveys, including hull gauge reports. The Technical Department works in coordination with the vessel owner/operator, especially in situations where a vessel is being sold, to accommodate an owner’s needs or requirements of the seller.
The Technical Department’s pre-registration vetting process and coordination with the Fleet Operations Team are keys to the Registry’s outstanding, consistent, and long-term port State control record. The RMI Registry is the only registry in the world to achieve 20 consecutive years on the United States Coast Guard’s QUALSHIP 21 roster and remains whitelisted with the Paris and Tokyo Memorandums of understanding, while also maintaining favorable rankings with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
“The fact that the RMI Registry continues to grow year-after-year, while maintaining high-quality standards is a real testament to the coordination and cooperation of our teams, especially Technical and Fleet Operations,” noted Simon Bonnett, Chief Maritime Officer of International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI) which provide administrative and technical support to the registry. “We maintain a high-quality fleet because we continually invest in building the resources our clients need to make informed decisions in this dynamic market.”
As the industry continues to innovate and advance to meet the forthcoming decarbonization targets, the Technical Department will continue to strengthen its support of owners and operators of RMI-flagged vessels.
“We really view all of our owners and operators as partners, and we appreciate each and every request for information or assistance,” noted Dave. “We recognize that today’s technical environment is more complex than ever before, and it is not feasible to expect an owner or operator to successfully operate in this dynamic environment without support,” he concluded.
