Principal Master Mariner

MBA, MSc, MNI

work Liverpool

ivan.todorov@brookesbell.com

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Career Summary

Curriculum Vitae

Ivan Todorov joined Brookes Bell in November 2014 as a marine consultant.  He is an experienced Master Mariner and Expert Witness, harnessing exceptional technical knowledge with meticulous attention to detail to provide superior investigative and advisory services for marine industry clients.  He is listed on the Lloyd's Salvage Arbitration Branch SCR Panel as a Special Casualty Representative (SCR).

Background

Key strengths include: providing expert witness reports for maritime disputes; conducting investigations; systematically examining regulatory, human, procedural and technical elements to identify root causes for failures; suggest liability distribution and provide advice/analysis to support conclusions; conducting inspections, surveys and audits of maritime assets and cargoes to assess condition, compliance or viability; impartially assessing and questioning hypothesis to determine underlying drivers using solid, evidence-based outputs to establish the most credible scenario; and applying superior knowledge of maritime operations including cargo management, tanker and other vessel operations, navigation, maintenance, compliance, casualty response and salvage.

Ivan has provided expert reports for High Court, Arbitrations and Mediation proceedings in the UK, as well as Arbitrations proceedings in Australia, Italy, China and Greece. He has acted as an expert and given expert evidence in High Court, Arbitration and Mediation proceedings in the UK as well as Arbitration proceedings in Australia.

Professional Qualifications

Certificate of Competence Master on ships of 3,000 GT or more

DNV-GL Internal Auditor Certificate for ISM, ISPS, MLC for Shipping Companies

Basic Offshore Safety Induction Emergency Training Course

Nautical Institute Navigational Assessment Course

SDT/IMCS Ultrasonic Hatch Cover Testing Certificate

Bond Solon Expert Witness training

SMIT Salvage Managing Marine Emergencies Training and Course

Academic Qualifications

MBA in Shipping & Logistics - Middlesex University, London

MSc (Navigation) - Naval Academy, Varna

Professional Associations

Member of the Nautical Institute

Freeman of the Honorary Company of Master Mariners

Previous Employment History

MSQ Superintendent

Conducting internal navigation, ISM, ISPS, MLC and SIRE pre-vetting audits.  Addressing the near-miss reports, accident and incident occurrences.  Crew assessment, training and appraisals.

Master and Chief Officer on board Oil Tankers

As a Chief Officer on board tanker vessels, Ivan successfully planned and executed over 200 cargo operations at various terminals and during ship-to-ship transfers.  He prepared vessels for periodic annual and special surveys, as well as drydocking.  As a Master, Ivan was in charge of and managed the safe navigation, operation and maintenance of tanker vessels and looked after the wellbeing of the crew.  The tankers under his command successfully passed Port State Control inspections, Flag State Annual Safety inspections, SIRE vetting inspections, external and internal audits, navigational assessments and audits.

Junior Officer on board tankers, bulk carriers and general cargo vessels

As a Junior Officer, he was responsible for the maintenance of the navigational equipment, the appraisal and planning of the voyages, as well as the maintenance and operational readiness of lifesaving appliances and firefighting equipment.

Commercial operation and post-fixture of Tankers and Bulk Carriers

Ivan successfully operated vessels, provided voyage instructions to Masters, reviewed voyage and Time Charter Party Contracts, appointed agents, prepared laytime and demurrage assessments, profit and loss calculations.

Surveying and Consultancy Experience since November 2014

• Cargo quality and quantity disputes of liquid and dry bulk cargoes.
• Liquefaction of dry bulk cargoes – sample preparation, witnessing of moisture content and transportable moisture limit laboratory analyses.
• Sampling and witnessing of laboratory analyses of various liquid and dry bulk cargoes, including Flow Moisture Point assessment.
• Pre- and post-loading steel cargo condition surveys.
• Lashing and securing of steel cargoes on bulk carriers.
• Self-heating of coal cargoes, sampling and witnessing of laboratory analysis
• Collision investigations from H&M, P&I and loss of hire perspectives.
• Pre-purchase, on-hire and off-hire condition surveys.
• Mooring system failure investigations.
• Anchoring system and anchorages assessments.
• Cargo hose failures during ship-to-ship transfers of liquid cargoes.
• Bunker and MARPOL surveys and audits.
• Crane, wire and hatch cover failure surveys. 
• Water ingress investigations.
• Speed and performance disputes.
• Draught surveys, assessments and disputes.
• Hatch cover condition surveys.  Ultrasound testing surveys.
• Tank cleaning disputes on oil/product/chemical tankers.
• Unsafe ports/berth disputes.
• Human injuries and fatalities.
• Passage planning disputes, including territorial water disputes.
• Weather routing and heavy weather navigation disputes.
• VDR and ECDIS playback analysis.
• Flag State quality audits.

Involvement in casualties, salvage and wreck removals:

• Grounding, lightering, refloating and complete unloading of MELITE in 2017
• Grounding, lightering, refloating and backloading of GENIUS STAR VIII in 2019
• Fire and unloading of POLESTAR and HOYU in 2019
• Grounding, lightering, refloating and backloading of ASIA PEARL IV in 2020
• Wreck removal of LTS 3000 in 2021
• Grounding, lightering and refloating of VERA SU in 2021
• Grounding and refloating of RUBISHIPS III in 2022
• Loss of pipes at anchorage and pipes removal of ISLANDER in 2023 – 2025
• Wreck removal of KAFKAMETLER in 2023
• Loss of APOLLO TRIUMPH in 2024
• Towing survey after grounding and refloating of LODUR in 2024
• Wreck removal of UMYD in 2024
• Ocean towing of YING SHUN in March and April 2025
• Special Casualty Representative (SCR) appointments:

  • SOLONG salvage operations in March 2025 off Grimsby, UK

  • MN KOSTAS salvage operations in July - August 2025 off Crete, Greece

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