Specialist superyacht rigging and inspections company Marine Results International SL announces LEEA (Lifting Equipment Engineers Association) accreditation for its load testing and heavy lifting certification service. Marine Results provides heavy lifting inspections, certifications and installations service within its rigging and survey projects, focused on the superyacht sector. The LEEA accreditation now adds an official accreditation to the service offered by Marine Results.

It is not groundbreaking to state that motor vessels and sailing yachts are getting bigger, along with their tenders, toys and rigs. This has implications for the lifting gear onboard. Tensile strengths of composite lines now far exceed that of steel, but some of the standards around their application may not have kept pace with their development. SuperyachtNews speaks with Lockie Stewart-Baker, from the Marine Results head office in Palma, to discuss Marine Result's move towards the LEEA certificate and how they see this meeting the evolving requirements of today’s fleet. 

When asked about the standard itself, Stewart-Baker added, “As longstanding rigging suppliers, the accreditation to LEEA enables us to capitalise on our many years of experience in designing, producing and load testing running rigging for large sailing yachts.” Speaking on the potential disparity between commercial industry and superyacht approaches to inspection, Startet-Baker continues, “The thorough examination and load testing of lifting equipment are becoming more and more important in the Superyachts industry, bringing it more in line with the commercial industry.”

Speaking on the traditional system for training on and inspecting lifting equipment, Stewart-Baker sees a way to streamline. “The conventional training is via the crane manufacturer, which in our experience can be a long process to complete; this is understandable when you consider how many other specialisations they have. So, what we've approached, is in our view, the next best thing: LEEA, which is an internationally recognised association. Hopefully, we can collaborate more with the manufacturers in the future, which is something we would like to do.”

Further elaborating on the current relationship between lifting equipment inspection and legal culpability, Stewart-Baker sees it as too simplistic. “The way the law is written in the UK is that a competent person can inspect the equipment, which means anyone who has enough experience in the lifting industry can do it. But the issue is then if there is an accident and you've inspected the equipment; the investigators are going to come after you”. Further underpinning their belief in the certification, Stewart-Baker added, “That's the big part of doing the LEEA course; having someone you can turn to for advice and support, and training. They have said that you have the knowledge to do these inspections and carry them out safely.” 

Stewart-Baker hopes that their move towards the LEEA certification will help Marine Results keep pace in an evolving market sector.  “What it also allows us to do is go on a superyacht and inspect their equipment;  Tender lifting strops, soft slings, cranes, working over the side equipment etc. We are at the point where we're developing our own tender lifting strops that meet the standards, and where we can, we are moving away from metal parts, which is pretty groundbreaking stuff.”

The loads put through lifting gear may lead to failure or a fault; preparing for this eventuality requires a supply chain that is transparent and traceable, which Stewart-Baker believe Marine Results can now achieve. “We have a full traceability system so that we can trace back to each batch number of the rope from the supplier, who spliced the rope and assembled the lifting bridle; and we are doing that with all of our rope we supply.”

Concluding their position on the certification, Steward-Baker summarised. “The LEEA course has stepped up our game even further regarding our approach to lifting equipment within our company”.

Image credit: Marine Results International SL

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