The book mainly relates to steel merchant vessels. Several types of material have also been covered which may be found on such vessels, together with GRP which is used in various other types of vessel.

Lifting appliances on board ship, particularly ship’s cranes, are critical to a vessel earning freight. A ship is only earning money, ie, freight, when carrying cargo at sea. If the deck cranes are out of action in port the vessel will have downtime which in turn reduces the vessel’s earning capacity. For this reason, and the safety of the crew, ship’s cranes should be well maintained, usually whilst at sea, to reduce the possibility of port downtime.

If you’re looking for a broad overview of supercargo operations, this will certainly cover off the essentials. It’s of particular relevance to readers looking to direct their career towards a consultancy or supervisory role in this field, giving a good understanding of the industry and the position of a ‘supercargo’ in particular. While some form of shipping-related experience is expected, author Mike Wall does a commendable job of making the subject accessible to complete novices too. No easy task.

The book is aimed at those wishing to become independent marine surveyors and consultants. It covers many aspects of their work with some covered in depth. It covers different types of marine survey and marine consultancy assignment including hull damage, explosions, fire, pollution, sinkings, salvage and bunker disputes. Collisions, cargo disputes, crew injury and machinery failure are also covered with several examples.