Principal Master Mariner
AFNI, Member of the Lloyd’s SCR Panel
work
San Francisco
Career Summary
David Ireland joined Brookes Bell in 2021 and brings with him a wealth of experience. He has been based in Singapore and the USA and handled numerous cases for P&I Clubs, Hull & Machinery Underwriters, Shipowners and Lawyers involving various vessel types.
Background
David has conducted various suitability, pre-delivery, re-delivery, pre-purchase voyage risk analysis, demolition and marine warranty surveys; collision investigations involving vessels at sea, in port approaches and anchorage areas, post collision and grounding emergency offloading and follow up major docking hull repairs; attended at various vessel damages, cargo shift cases involving vessel systems and including berth and fixed object damages; handled various cargo contamination issues primarily involving tankers and has provided expert advice and opinion on tanker operations in court and at arbitration in the UK and USA.
Appointed to the SCR panel in 2016, David has attended vessel groundings, refloatings and salvage operations world-wide for various insurance clients and has considerable experience in wreck removal operations including preparation of Invitation to Tenders (ITT), tender analysis, including qualitative and quantitative assessments, assisted in contract negotiations and attended on site throughout complex wreck removal operations, working closely with local authorities to ensure compliance with contractual requirements.
David has served in all ranks up to and including Master in the tanker industry trading worldwide with the major oil companies and shipping companies involved in this trade spending the last nine years as Master of ULCC and VLCC tankers trading primarily in the Middle East, the Americas, Far East and Africa.
During a 28 year career in the tanker industry he gained extensive experience of tanker terminals throughout the world, including navigating in and around tanker ports, berthing operations and cargo handing at tanker ports. David gained extensive experience in Ship-to-Ship transfer operations worldwide, including offshore lightering operations on the US Gulf Coast, deep sea STS off the US West Coast, west coast of Africa and various locations in the Far East.
Professional Qualifications
Class 1 Master Mariner
Lloyds Register Accident Investigation
Academic Qualifications
HND Nautical Studies
BTEC Certificate of Achievement in Nautical Science
Previous Employment History
Director, Master Mariner, London Offshore Consultants Limited
Master, Stena Bulk, Northern Marine
Chief Officer, BP / Vela / NSC SA / TK
Chief Officer, British Petroleum, Texaco Shipping
Surveying and Consultancy Experience
Expert witness in respect to:
- SBM tanker operations
- aframax crude oil tankers trading worldwide,
- product tankers
- shuttle tankers
- DP shuttle tanker
- loading cargo offshore at FPSO installations.
- new building projects
- new-build construction and
- new-build delivery phases,
- dry-docking periods worldwide, conducted various
- shore based projects including
- tanker conversions,
- pre-purchase,
- accident investigations
- ISM Internal auditing.
- attended a commercial mediation in respect to an unsafe port claim in Greece.
- technical co‑mediator in respect to salvage services relating to a collapsed jack‑up rig in United States mediation.