Knowledge can be broad or deep; rarely both.

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British luxury yacht manufacturer Sunseeker has been acquired by KCP (Key Capital Partners). KCP was established in 1952 and has offices in New York, London, Singapore, and Washington DC. Their goal is to make Sunseeker ‘the best producer of yachts in the world’. Regulatory approvals are expected to complete in the coming weeks.

The deal marks the third change of ownership in less than two years. Sunseeker employs around 2,000 people across its Dorset facilities, making it one of the largest employers in the south of England. They have recently started production of their largest model to date, the Sunseeker 134 (40.45m LOA).

Media reports suggest KCP plan to install Antony Sheriff as non-executive chairman. Sheriff’s previous roles include Plymouth-based yacht builder Princess Yachts, where he served as CEO from 2016 to 2023.

The Grand Union Canal Transfer is a water transfer project between two water companies, Affinity Water and Severn Trent, working with the Canal & River Trust. The domestic water supply is under increasing pressure from population growth, increased demand, climate change and the need to protect ecosystems. The canal network has transported people and goods for two centuries and it’s busier now than ever before.

The plan is to use it to help transfer recycled water from the Midlands to the Southeast to supply those communities who have a deficit of water. This scheme is key to delivering a sustainable and reliable water supply for the future and reducing our reliance on water from other sources, including unique chalk stream habitats. It will also secure future water availability for canal navigation.

Read more here: https://guctransfer.co.uk

Buying your first boat is a BIG THING. There are a whole raft of things you need to think about and for the inexperienced first time buyer that can be pretty daunting. Being able to take a knowledgeable boaty friend along with you on the journey makes sense, but not everyone has one. That’s where 'How To Buy Your First Boat' comes in.

This free 50 page booklet will take you through the key steps you will probably encounter in a typical boat purchase. It will do this in a logical order and with suggestions, tips and advice along the way. It will equip you with enough knowledge to help you go from the first tentative steps of working out what you want, to looking at adverts, to how to view and then buy your first boat, taking the keys for the first time and preparing to head off into the sunset. You will gain the knowledge and confidence you need to make sensible decisions, choose the right boat for you and navigate the buying process from start to finish.

There is an oft quoted saying, not always said with the kindest of intentions, that somebody is a ‘jack of all trades but master of none’. What is often missed though is the second part of this quote that finishes ‘but they are often better than a master of one’.

This quote sets up the perennial question of whether it is better to be a generalist with broad expertise across several disciplines or a specialist with deep knowledge or one or a few disciplines. In the maritime industry there are obvious roles for both types of person. For example, let us compare a marine surveyor to a coded welder. The small craft surveyor needs a broad range of knowledge about all of the things that go into making a boat. Welding, laminate layup, electrical systems, rigging, engines, sails, and so on. They don’t need to be a master craftsman in any of these skills, but need to know enough about each to know what good and bad looks like so they can make sound recommendations to their client.

The large ship surveyor needs equally broad knowledge of ship construction, operations, class rules and the requirements of whichever flag the vessel is registered under. Again, likely to be a generalist, possibly with a previous specialist role.

The coded welder by contrast is likely to have very deep technical knowledge of their trade and specific, practical experience honed over many years. They are most likely to have always been a specialist.

Every role in the maritime industry is generally better suited to either a generalist or a specialist. Generalists are considered to have greater adaptability in handling crisis situations and are better suited to finding success when the future is uncertain. Specialists by contrast are more likely to deliver higher success rates when operating within their sphere of expertise.

On balance I would argue that the majority of roles operating at sea benefit from a more generalist approach. The compliment ‘They are a good hand in a storm’ is often given to that crew member who can always be relied upon to contribute to and deliver operational success across all types of scenario. Being great at your role matters, but so does taking the time to understand the roles of others to enable you to step in when they are down.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Most LPG systems on boats will make use of one or more flexible gas hoses. These hoses often lead a tough life in moist environments, often attached to poorly secured heavy objects at one end and a fixed point at the other. They often share their living space with a multitude of solvents, lubricants and other fuels.

It make sense to use quality hose manufactured to an accepted specification. For small craft that means hose manufactured to BS EN 16436 (2014) or the previous BS 3212 standard. For hoses on the high pressure side of the regulator the hoses must be marked to BS EN 16436 Class 3 or BS 3212-2. For hoses on the low pressure side it should be BS EN 16436 Class 2 or BS 3212-2.

All flexible gas hose should be marked with the month of manufacture and the standard applicable when made. The Boat Safety Scheme does not specify at what age hoses should be replaced but Requirement 7.7.4 states that:

“Hose must be free of leaks, flaws, brittleness, cracking, abrasion, kinking, ‘soft’ spots, or joins. On hoses covered with metal braiding the braiding must be free of signs of damage or deterioration including corrosion and kinking”.

Service life is usually defined as the time an item has been in service. Most hose manufacturers certify their hoses to have a 7 year shelf life in accordance with BS 2230 which can be extended to 10 years if they remain in good condition. Some chandlers have 2 year old hoses on the shelf, which whilst they may still be in ‘as new’ condition, have already used up part of their service life as the date of installation is rarely marked on the hose.

Worth noting that there is no universally agreed age by which a hose should be replaced. Some will use 5 years as the maximum, others say 10 years. The best approach is to check them regularly and once they get to 5 years, condemn them as soon as their condition starts to deteriorate.

When disconnecting to change a cylinder, take a minute to pass the hose through your hands whilst running a 180 degree bend along the hose. Notice any cracks, stiffness, cuts / rubs or soft spots and it’s time to change.

Whilst the cylinder is out of the locker, tip a bucket of water into the locker to check that the locker drains freely overboard and isn’t leaking into the engine or rudder space or worse still the accommodation.

When you fit a new length of hose yourself, be sure to get the right spec, cut and clip it so that the date of manufacture is readily visible and when buying new braided hose, be sure it has a date collar fitted.

If you are in any doubt about the integrity and safety of your gas system, get a marine certified Gas Safety Register engineer on board to do a full system health check and pressure test.

Gas hose is not expensive, but the result of a gas leak and explosion will be.

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In my latest YouTube video I found the gas system on a late 1980s Westerly Tempest yacht to fall short on several counts, some of them serious. A small craft surveyor doesn’t need to be qualified to comment on the gas system. But they must be able to identify common defects and know when to recommend calling in a Gas Safe Register engineer to put things right.

With the boating world now getting ready for better weather, why not treat yourself to some new gear for the boat owners or marine surveyors in your life or as a treat for your boat. I have put together several collections on Kit.Co which are all personally recommended items and most of which I own.

From boat safety equipment to books about sailing and the tools and books a marine surveyor needs; there really is something for everyone!

By the board – Anything that has gone overboard. Make sure that is where any escaped gas ends up. #BucketTest

“My wife has just sailed to the Caribbean.”

“Jamaica?”

“No, she wanted to.”

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