This page sponsored by The Young Firm, New Orleans, USA

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Welcome to the Maritime Home Page of Steve Harris. Within this site I have put together some pictures and facts about the commercial maritime and marine insurance world, within which I have worked for over 36 years. Although I do regularly lecture on maritime and marine insurance subjects all over the world, I am based in the United Kingdom. Below are links to aspects of the maritime world that seem to take up so much of my life. To navigate around this site, please click on any of the portholes below that take your interest, or to test your knowledge of maritime matters, why not take one of our free (fun ?) quiz tests below ? Thank you for visiting us and thanks also to our sponsors who help pay for the upkeep of this site.

MODERN VESSEL TYPES

THE WORLD'S 8 MAJOR CANALS

MARITIME DISASTER PHOTOS

STEVE'S MARITIME LINKS

STEVE ON BOARD VESSELS

The hugely popular "fun" maritime quiz that we've had up here on the website for some time is designed to see just what you know about maritime matters and now (due to popular demand !) has been expanded into 3 levels, primary, intermediate and expert levels, which you can try by clicking on the buttons below. Having completed any of the three levels, (which are all completely free), you can either submit your answers on-line for a personal assessment by our panel of judges, or check out the answers yourself after you have answered the ten questions at each level. There is also a "Kid's corner" to explain the parts of a ship to our younger seafarers!

Visitors to this website come from all over the world (as you can see by visiting our RECENT VISITORS PAGE ). The maritime information provided within this site is often used as a reference guide by people in business, in governments and at academic institutions around the world. Marine insurance courses Four times a year, on behalf of my company, I run highly popular 5 day marine insurance courses in Norwich, England (and recently, 2 or 3 day courses in South Korea, Egypt, Singapore, Rotterdam, India, Tokyo, Xiamen in China, Hanoi and Siagon in Vietnam, Washington DC and Chicago too) covering the way the shipping world operates today, its current issues, the vessels, contractual obligations and insurance coverage. Delegates include shipowners, underwriters, P&I clubs, brokers, lawyers, financiers and master mariners! All our 2011 courses have now been completely sold out, (still with 2 to go in October and November !) CLICK HERE to see the 2012 brochure with full details of the courses we will be running four times again in the U.K. during 2012. If you want an example of why these courses are so popular and so necessary, then let's just take the issue of piracy. If someone attacks your ship, is he is "pirate" or a "rover" ? Is it an act of "piracy" or "riot" or even an "act of war" ? The law is rather muddled and asking the attackers to fill out a questionnaire to ascertain their status is perhaps, not advisable .... Please CLICK HERE to see a quick Powerpoint update on maritime piracy. The world's press and other media often delight in making the maritime industry out to be full of rogues and villains. The reality is that the vast majority of those involved in shipping are highly professional, having to work in a very dangerous industry, where seamen risk their lives daily, battling against both natural elements and human failings. According to the United Nations, working at sea is still one of the world's 5 most dangerous occupations. Maritime vessels (large and small) have dominated my working life, and by clicking on one of the portholes below, you may learn something about the maritime industry (on which, incidentally, we all depend) and its problems, especially during these tough economic times. Sign our guest book View our guest book AWARDS WON

These pages are purely non-commercial and where possible, credits are always given to others, but if I have accidentally and unintentionally breached a copyright attaching to any of the photographs within this website, please and we shall remove the photograph immediately.