Emergency Response: +44 20 7781 0130
Senior Marine Manager
Chris is a Mariner with 13 years sailing experience on a range of vessel types including FPSO, ULCC, VLCC and petrochemical tankers, as well as offshore safety-standby, supply and seismic survey vessels.
Chris has established a 20-year career in Asia since coming ashore. He worked as a Casualty Investigator with a major Maritime Law Firm and a Consultant at a leading Global Maritime Consultancy.
Chris is an assured presence in the initial stages of a marine incident; he has been involved in the investigation stages on numerous casualties. Chris has considerable practical and operational experience over a range of vessel types, including liquid and dry bulk, gas, passenger, container, cement, dredger, tug/towage, offshore and other specialised builds.
Equally at home extracting and assessing electronic evidence, taking statements, reviewing historical records, or leading on-site investigations, Chris’ investigations have previously taken him all across Asia and into Europe to protect the interests of clients. Chris has also been called upon to give closed-door expert evidence into government agencies tasked with the creation and maintenance of maritime policies.
Chris' Career Highlights
Chris has the following experience attending live incidents:
H&M representative for grounded general cargo vessel under SCOPIC salvage in China.
P&I representative for grounded bulk carrier after liquefaction in the Philippines.
Recovery and loss mitigation for heavy weather loss of multiple seismic survey towed streamer cables in heavy weather in China.
Collision alongside of a laden bulk carrier with associated salvage and pollution response efforts in China
Chris’ experience includes the following:
London Arbitration concerning compaction damage to 60,000 tonnes of bagged cement clinker delivered to Sri Lanka.
Personal injury claim resulting from sea-strike deceleration of hydrofoil ferry service heard in Hong Kong.
Two-vessel collision in congested river transit area heard in Hong Kong.
London Arbitration concerning spoiling dispute of 55,000 tonnes bulk soybean.
Examples of Chris’ work in this area:
Numerous stability and lashing suitability assessments, including timber cargo short loading on deck due to ballast surveyor negligence, breakbulk short loading due to loadline immersion, and steel plate and coils.
Numerous cargo damage incidents from heavy weather, including poor routing of vessel with steel coils, improper timber shoring in vessel with industrial pipes, and improper stacking of cargo in vessel with solar panel project cargo.
Numerous vessel damage incidents, including Panamax cargo hold damage from stevedores and equipment, shell structure on Panamax bulk carrier from collision and Handymax crane collapse from stevedore misuse.
Numerous containerised cargo losses, including the One Apus, Co. Kobe and, Cosco Nagoya.
Numerous vessel collision and allision incidents, including sinking of dredger WD Fairway after collision with MSC Joanna, a putting-by incident in Hong Kong waters, and three-vessel collision off Korean coast.
Chris’ experience includes the following:
Auditing offshore support vessels on behalf of a major oilfield services provider, before their use in-field, in Europe.
Preparation, execution, and assessment of vessel drydocking and repair plans in China.
Advising the commercial department of an offshore vessel owner in the drafting of bespoke sub-contractor contractual terms in Europe.
Overseeing salvage sales of large quantity damaged edible goods, including large quantity bulk seeds/grains and reefer containerised goods in China.
Arranged for rapid Class approval to load cargo onto hatch covers of Handymax bulk carrier, after cargo refused for loading in China.
Examples of Chris’ work in this area:
Conducting more than 1,000 vessel risk assessment and loss prevention audits in South Asia, South East Asia, and Europe.
Led a team to undertake government and coastguard study into vessel licencing and safety at a major city port, by comparison to similar large ports globally. Presented closed-door findings to government and related safety agencies.
Managed the production of vessel-traffic risk assessments for construction projects in Hong Kong and China
Plan and undertake port and berth suitability surveys in Indonesia, and China.
Risk assessment for nickel ore mine and associated offshore cargo loading facilities on behalf of large bulk carrier operator in Indonesia.