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Led by Samuel Plimsoll Simulacrum
The ship operations and management specialism of the maritime series, following the coverage of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers' Ship Operations and Management syllabus. Twelve modules take the practitioner inside the running of ships — the management functions, ship types and cargoes, flag, class and the ISM Code, costs and operational accounting, crewing, marine insurance, running the voyage, bunker management, voyage estimating, and the law of ship management. Led by the Samuel Plimsoll Simulacrum, with marine insurance taught by Edward Lloyd, costs and estimating by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley, and the law module by Lord Mansfield.
Led by Samuel Plimsoll Simulacrum
The question
A ship is a business run every hour of every day — so what are the functions that keep her running, and who performs them? This module covers the functions of ship management: the seven key functions (commercial, operational, technical, crewing, bunkers, finance, administration) and the responsibilities in each; the organisation structures from all-in-house through part-contracted to fully contracted-out; and the structure and essential components of a ship management contract, with the standard BIMCO SHIPMAN form.
Outcome
You can identify which functions are engaged in a shipowner's situation, how they might be organised, and how the management contract would be shaped. (Shipowners, operators, and managers)
Sub-units
Led by Samuel Plimsoll Simulacrum
The question
Can you sketch every ship type from a tweendecker to a VLCC, and read what she can carry from her plans? This module covers ship types from the operator's view: the basics of design and construction and the suitability of types for cargoes and trades; the principal dry-trade and wet-trade ship types with sketches and dimensions; ship-borne cargo-handling gear; the full measurement terminology (displacement, DWAT, DWCC, GT, NT, LOA, LBP, moulded depth, draught, air draught, bale and grain cube, TEU, lane metres); and the reading of capacity, general arrangement, deadweight-scale, and stowage plans.
Outcome
You can identify a suitable ship type for a cargo and trade and read its operational particulars from the plans. (Ship types)
Sub-units
Led by Samuel Plimsoll Simulacrum
The question
What does each major cargo demand of the ship that carries it, and how is its condition on delivery proved? This module covers the cargoes from the operator's view: the characteristics of the major world cargoes (ores, oil, grain, steel, coal, containerised cargo, fertilisers) and their market importance; stowage factors, stability, compatibility, cleanliness, and segregation; the purpose and basic headings of the IMDG Code for dangerous goods; and cargo outturn and the role of outturn reports, tallying, sampling, and damage surveys in settling claims.
Outcome
You can explain a cargo's operational demands and how its outturn would be documented and any claim settled. (Cargoes)
Sub-units
Led by Samuel Plimsoll Simulacrum
The question
What makes a ship lawful and safe to operate — her flag, her class, her certificates, and the safety system the ISM Code requires? Taught by Samuel Plimsoll, this module covers the regulatory heart of operations: the choice of vessel nationality (national flag, open and international registries, flags of convenience) and its cost impact; classification societies, register entries, class maintenance, and the survey types; SOLAS and loadline certification; the basic requirements and audits of the ISM Code; the commercial surveys (on/off-hire, pre-loading, draught, bunkers); and safety, risk, and environmental management under MARPOL and US OPA.
Outcome
You can identify the flag, class, certification, survey, and environmental requirements that bear on an operating ship. (Registration, classification, port state control, ISM Code)
Sub-units
Led by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley Simulacrum
The question
Costs fall into three quite different families — so can you tell a fixed cost from a daily operating cost from a voyage cost, and why does it matter? Taught by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley, this module covers the cost structure: fixed costs (return on capital, amortisation, debt servicing); daily operating costs (crew, victualling, stores, lubricants, insurance, P&I calls, repair and maintenance, drydocking, communication); voyage-related costs (bunkers, port costs, canal dues, loading and discharging); and the importance of preparing and monitoring budgets and presenting financial results.
Outcome
You can classify any cost as fixed, daily operating, or voyage-related and explain why the distinction matters for the budget and charter economics. (Costs)
Sub-units
Led by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley Simulacrum
The question
Money must come in and go out correctly and on time, or the best-run ship loses what she earns — so how is the daily financial housekeeping done? Taught by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley, this module covers operational accounting: the critical importance of freight and hire collection and acting on late payment; port disbursements and the agent's role, including estimated disbursement accounts and advance funds; the calculation and settlement of demurrage and despatch claims; and the monitoring of dealings with the many contractors and subcontractors a ship engages.
Outcome
You can explain how freight is collected, how port disbursements are handled, and how a demurrage claim is settled. (Accounting)
Sub-units
Led by Samuel Plimsoll Simulacrum
The question
The crew is the ship — so how does the manager balance safety, certification, and cost in manning her? Taught by Samuel Plimsoll, this module covers crewing: crew management and the role of the master; the elements of crew cost (basic wages, overtime, allowances, leave, social costs); the relationship between flag, crew nationality, manning levels, and recruitment; the advantages and disadvantages of crewing agencies; and the STCW regulations and the role and potential intervention of the ILO and ITF, including on non-national-flagged vessels.
Outcome
You can reason about crew cost, the flag and manning requirements, and the STCW/ILO/ITF considerations in a manning situation. (Crewing)
Sub-units
Led by Edward Lloyd Simulacrum
The question
When does Hull and Machinery cover respond, when do the P&I clubs, and what are general average and salvage? Taught by Edward Lloyd, whose coffee house founded the marine market, this module covers marine insurance: the difference between H&M and P&I; H&M markets, Institute warranties and Time Clauses, additional cover, and Total Loss and Constructive Total Loss; the P&I mutual associations, calls and supplementary calls, and the cover they provide; general average and when and why to declare it, and average adjusters; the limitation conventions; salvage and Lloyd's Open Form; and the handling of cargo claims.
Outcome
You can identify which cover responds to a loss or liability, and whether general average or salvage is engaged. (Marine insurance)
Sub-units
Led by Samuel Plimsoll Simulacrum
The question
Once the ship sails, how does the operator run her voyage — commercial and technical departments in concert, instructions clear, performance watched, routing planned? Taught by Samuel Plimsoll, this module covers vessel operations: the interactive roles of the commercial operations and technical departments; the importance of complete voyage instructions; the monitoring of loading and discharging via the notice of readiness, statement of facts, and timesheets; contractual compliance including speed and performance; the repair, maintenance, storing, and drydocking programmes; and vessel routing in light of geography, meteorology, loadline zones, canals, and waterways.
Outcome
You can explain how a voyage is operated and the documents and routing considerations engaged. (Vessel operations)
Sub-units
Led by Samuel Plimsoll Simulacrum
The question
Fuel is the single largest voyage cost — so how does the operator get the right fuel, of the right quality and quantity, at the right port? Taught by Samuel Plimsoll, this module covers bunker management: the types of bunker fuel and their characteristics and the importance of quality and quantity measurements, sampling, and testing; the precautions to avoid environmental problems; the key players in the bunker market; bunker contracts and standard forms such as FuelCon; and the location of the main bunker ports.
Outcome
You can reason about fuel quality and quantity control, the bunker contract, and the choice of bunker port. (Bunker management)
Sub-units
Led by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley Simulacrum
The question
Before a ship is committed, can you estimate what a voyage will earn and cost, and compare one employment against another? Taught by Penelope Smythe-Bottomley, this module covers voyage estimating: its importance in ship operating and the mechanics of an estimate including daily operating costs and route calculation; the effect of loadline and stability on maximising cargo lift; the planning of bunker ports against both bunker cost and cargo maximisation; and drafting simple voyage estimates from data, including comparisons of different employment, alternative routes, and voyage versus time charter.
Outcome
You can produce a voyage estimate from data, account for the cargo-lift limits, plan the bunkering, and compare against an alternative employment. (Voyage estimating)
Sub-units
Led by Lord Mansfield Simulacrum
The question
The independent ship manager stands in a web of legal relationships — so what is his exposure to owner, cargo, and third parties, and what happens when a ship is arrested? Taught by Lord Mansfield, this module covers the law of ship management: the legal relationship between owner and independent manager and the manager's relationship to cargo interests and third parties; the manager's role in handling cargo claims; the effect of arrest in rem, freezing orders, and late hire payment; and the shipowner's responsibility for cargo carried under a time charter.
Outcome
You can identify the legal relationships engaged in a management dispute or a ship under arrest, the manager's role and exposure, and the owner's responsibility for the cargo. (Law relating to ship management)
Sub-units