Solis Marine's Team South Africa, Captain Mike Melly and Brendon George, attended the annual conference of the Maritime Law Association of South Africa in Cape Town from 4 - 6 September 2026. Captain Ken Ellam ably led the delegation, flying in from Singapore for the week.
This year's theme, "Risk, Responsibility and Exposure in Today's Shipping Environment", was a timely one. Ken drew on some of our recent cases to present on the intriguingly titled "Hidden in the Hold". The presentation covered a wide range of sub-standard practices and how they affect seaworthiness. These range from improper stowage ("buses on bags") to mis-declared cargo, which leads to container vessel fires, often with the loss of life and the vessel.
Ken's presentation also offered a window into the wide range of services Solis Marine provides to the industry. We are seeing many improperly stowed cargoes shipped, only for them to collapse when the weather and seas turn foul. Too many masters give in to pressure from charterers' representatives, forgetting that they and their owners will have severe headaches to sort out later. Deck stresses, lashing calculations and other basic considerations sometimes receive scant attention. We have seen cases where deck stresses exceeded permissible limits by four to six times, causing lasting damage to overstressed hatch covers.
With containers, the cost of declaring dangerous goods tempts less scrupulous shippers to declare hazardous cargo as non-hazardous. These containers are often stowed below deck, and when fire inevitably breaks out, tragedy follows. A growing number of insurers are calling for warranty surveys before and during loading, to prevent losses in the first place. Our worldwide team can offer these surveys, including in ports where poor practice is commonplace, and our consultants stand ready to assist when accidents do happen. Contact Captain Ken Ellam at k.ellam@solis-marine.com if we can help anywhere between Shanghai and Cape Town, or contact our London office for Europe.