Master Mariner STCW II/2 (Oil, Chemical and Passenger Ship endorsements)
Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute
EXCO member of the Society of Master Mariners, South Africa
Mike is a Master Mariner with five decades of experience spanning command at sea, marine consultancy, surveying, shore-based maritime operations management and expert witness work. His recent command of Supramax bulk carriers operating in some of the world's busiest shipping lanes ensures his advice is grounded in current, real-world practice.
Mike’s career began with Unicorn Lines, where he served on a wide range of vessel types including bulk carriers, breakbulk vessels, Ro‑Ros, and MR1 tankers. Ashore in South Africa, he built extensive expertise as a marine surveyor and consultant, handling breakbulk and liquid cargoes—including bunkers, crude oil, and chemicals—as well as cargo damage and P&I condition surveys. He has a great deal of prior experience with bunker surveys and sampling, and has supervised numerous STS operations on VLCCs in past years.
He has acted on instructions from P&I Clubs and maritime solicitors across Africa, Europe, South America, and Asia, conducting investigations into marine incidents and providing written and oral expert evidence before arbitration tribunals. His specialist focus is navigation-related incidents, where his command experience and deep knowledge of BRM, ECDIS, and modern electronic ship systems are particularly valuable. His more recent casework includes collisions, groundings, unsafe port allegations, and pilotage matters.
Mike has also led cadet recruitment, training, and mentoring programmes at Unicorn Shipping and other institutions, giving him a strong understanding of the human element in maritime operations and its influence on safety and incident causation.
Based in Southern Africa, Mike is an integral member of Solis Marine’s global consultancy team. He supports the firm’s and provides clients with professional, technically robust advice informed by decades of diverse maritime experience.