 Hudson
Marine Management Services Inc. is pleased to announce that
the company and Yacht-Secure Ltd. have forged an agreement to
promote yacht security in the US and Canada and provide maritime
security assessment and training to yacht owners, skippers,
crew and other personnel involved in yacht security.
Maritime security
is the focus of the new Maritime Transportation Security Act
2004 (MTSA) recently enacted by US Congress and the International
Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code implemented July
2, 2004, by the IMO in response to worldwide terrorism.
Becoming certified under the ISPS Code
is necessary for yachts carrying more than 12 paying passengers
or weighing over 500 tons.
A fundamental aspect of qualification for
certification under the Code is the need for Skippers to become
qualified as Ship Security Officers (Yachts).
Under the terms of the agreement, Hudson
Marine will have exclusive use of the trading name “Yacht-Secure”
and its materials within the United States of America and
Canada. While Hudson Marine’s subsidiary, HudsonTrident,
will develop and promote the business of yacht security, Yacht-Secure
Ltd. will act as adviser, technical consultant and certification
authority.
Services provided by Yacht-Secure International
are available to anyone involved in super-yachts and yachting
generally, particularly:
- Yacht owners
- Yacht management companies
- Charter companies
- Yacht designer
- Yacht builders
- Professional Skippers
- Marine insurers
Working with the owners and Skippers of
charter yachts - either power or sail - the Yacht-Secure International
team will:
- Provide advice and guidance on all aspects
of the ISPS Code.
- Train the Skipper of the yacht to become
qualified as a Ship Security Officer (Yachts) either by
means of a two-day, shore-based course or by training on
board on a one-to-one basis.
- Work with the Skipper on the production
of a yacht security assessment. This process will involve
detailed inspection of every aspect of the vessel followed
by production of an equally detailed assessment document.
- Produce and test a Yacht Security Plan.
- Where appropriate, arrange for US Coast
Guard or other national coast guard inspection leading to
full ISPS certification of the vessel.
Yacht-Secure Ltd. was established to service
the needs of the super-yacht industry in response to the requirement
of the ISPS Code for certain classifications of super-yachts
to be certified, and to provide security backup for smaller
vessels whose owners plan to go blue-water cruising.
The directors of the company comprise marine
security professionals with lifelong experience in the industry
as well as experienced blue-water yachtsmen.
Last year the company gained UK MCA (Maritime
and Coastguard Agency) approval for the world’s first
specialist course to train Ship Security Officers (SSO) specifically
for yachts.
Donald Forbes, CEO of Yacht-Secure Ltd.,
said, “This agreement provides a huge boost for maritime
security measures throughout the United States and Canada.
The combination of specialized courses from Yacht-Secure Ltd.
of London and the ability of Hudson Marine Management Services
Inc. to deliver will make security training and the appropriate
certification widely available to all categories of yachtsmen
- both power and sail.”
HudsonTrident Maritime Security Services,
the fully owned subsidiary of Hudson Marine, is recognized
worldwide as a leading provider of maritime security assessment
and training. The company specializes in ISPS Code compliance
services, such as ship, port, and port-facility security assessments,
reports and plans and DNV-approved Company Security Officer
(CSO), Ship Security Officer (SSO) and marine security awareness
training.
HudsonTrident’s ISPS Code ship security
assessments, ship security plans and training puts ships,
CSOs and SSOs in complete compliance with the ISPS Code.
“We are quite excited about this
new venture that offers yacht designers, yacht builders, owners,
managers, charter companies and professional Skippers the
same high-quality standards and security services that HudsonTrident
provides to large commercial ships, ship-owners and -managers
trading internationally,” said Per W. Christensen, president
of Hudson Marine Management Services Inc.
In addition to its headquarters in
the metro Philadelphia area, HudsonTrident has positioned
itself in key strategic locations throughout the Americas
and Europe. Offices in Houston and Los Angeles support needs
for maritime security services in the Gulf, South America
and Pacific regions. HudsonTrident’s office in Washington
serves federal agencies and Atlantic corporate entities. The
London, Oslo, Rome and Piraeus offices cater to the requirements
of European, Middle East and Southeast Asian ship owners,
port authorities and marine facilities, and HudsonTrident’s
international network of affiliates provides global maritime
security support.
For further information
contact:
Timothy W. McLellan
tel: +1 856 486 0800
e-mail:
Donald Forbes
tel: +44 20 7379 3888
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