Bob is a Master Mariner with over 16 years’ experience working at sea.
He spent his career on a diverse range of vessels in both the deep sea and offshore sectors, including extensive work on Dynamic Positioning vessels specialising in sub-sea operations. Prior to joining Stann, he spent four years in law enforcement, the investigation and evidence gathering skills from which he brings to the forefront of his work at the firm.
Bob is the first choice for owners who need boots on the ground when it really counts. He has spent significant periods of time acting as owners’ representative in difficult jurisdictions including South Korea, Belgium, Israel and Indonesia. His technical proficiency makes him an assured presence in the early stages of complex investigations. Often among the first on the scene, he has represented Owners on site during several ongoing and high-profile salvage operations, and he regularly provides remote support to Senior Management and Emergency Response Teams during live incidents.
Bob is particularly adept on cases involving an engineering or technical component. He has provided support to owners in multiple serious fire incident responses, and is regularly consulted in the aftermath of potential MARPOL regulation breaches. He has also undertaken difficult investigations on behalf of Owners and Insurers into incidents that resulted in death in service. More broadly, he has worked on a wide range of Admiralty cases including collisions, groundings, and breach of charter claims.
Bob's Career Highlights
Emergency Response and Investigations
Bob has attended live incidents and undertaken the follow-up investigations of the following:
The grounding of the Diana.
The engine room fire and grounding of the Blue Star.
Cargo fires on board Kouyou and Lowlands Mimosa.
The piracy of Poerania Sky, and the kidnap and ransom of her Master and officers.
The boarding of the chemical tanker Stolt Tenacity by Greenpeace protestors.
Bob has also completed over a dozen investigations and audits in response to alleged MARPOL violations.
Disputes
Bob has handled the following disputes:
Common Law and LOF salvage claims including AEOLIAN GRACE.
War Risk claims including AFRA OAK.
A vessel and crew member detention in Mauritania following an alleged multi-fatality collision, and the prompt civil settlement of the matter locally.
Two multi-vessel collisions in the Suez Canal.
An allision with a crown-owned asset in Morocco.
Multi-million-dollar business interruption claims following an allision with new container terminal berth in Mumbai and the machinery breakdown of a reefer ship.
Consulting and Projects
Bob has attended on board as Owner’s Representative to oversee:
The year-long project of interim repairs to the Stolt Groenland and the disposal of fire-damaged cargo.
The towage of an immobilized vessel to repair yard on the Parana Rivier, Argentina.
The transhipment of cargo of a bulk carrier grounded off Indonesia.
The pre-disposal survey of a burned-out car carrier in the Philippines.
Bob has also attended vessels, embassies, and law courts in Indonesia over several years in relation to the detention of several vessels by the Indonesian Navy.
