User:Subsea

Colin MacFarlane was the Lloyds Register of Shipping Professor of Subsea Engineering at Strathclyde University, Glasgow from 1986 until he retired (early) in 2005.Department of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering

His background is in shipbuilding (Lithgows Ltd. as a shipwright apprentice), shipping (P&O Technical Services and then Three Quays Marine Services as a Naval Architect) and the offshore industry (BP Special Services and Structures). He is interested in all things marine, especially waves, and is involved in studies of shipping and offshore losses.

At BP he was involved in studying the Ocean Ranger sinking and, especially the Alexander Kielland loss (because Buchan Alpha is a sister vessel). He was involved in the Piper Alpha Inquiry, the Ocean Odyssey inquiry, the Brent Bravo Inquiry (2006), and a number of others - usually working for the families and survivors. Recently he worked on aspects of the sinking of the P36 and the near sinking of Thunderhorse. He has been involved in very many studies of UK fishing vessel losses - for example, Solway Harvester, Sapphire and Silvery Sea. At present (Jan 2008) he is involved in the sinkings of the Bourbon Dolphin, Flying Phantom and Trident.