OUR PEOPLE
Adam Brancher
Based in Hobart Tasmania covering all Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Adam first got his sea-legs on Arbella his family’s 36’ wooden yawl based on the eastern seaboard of America. After life in the military and a variety of sea-going jobs around the Indian Ocean, he attended university achieving a 1st Class Honours Degree…
Peter Keyes
Senior Surveyor Peter Keyes joined us on 1 May 2017 on the day he left his role as GM Commercial Vessels at Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST). Very well known locally and across Australia and internationally we are delighted that he has chosen to join Kedge. A shipwright by trade, and having served in Australia’s…
Chris Wells
Based in Hobart, Tasmania Chris is a Ship and Engineer Surveyor of more than 40 years experience both in Private Practice and as a Non Exclusive Surveyor to Lloyds Register, Germanischer Lloyd, American Bureau of Shipping and Bureau Veritas, as well as for the last 20 years as a Marine Surveyor for Marine and Safety…
Jess Peacock
Jess is our super organised Survey Coordination Supervisor based in our Hobart Office. She has a strong background in Human Resources, and years of experience in providing excellent customer service. Jess spends four days a week with us at Kedge, running the team that makes sure that your survey is booked and a surveyor is…
Crystal Phoenix
Crystal is our Administration Assistant based in our Hobart Office. She grew up in South East Tasmania, fishing and boating almost every weekend with her family. Crystal has a diverse background in Administration and Customer Service and will be one of your first points of contact at Kedge.
Step Burdon
Step is one of our Accredited Surveyors based in Southern Tasmania. He grew up in a fishing family where he developed a passion for boats. Step started out by completing an apprenticeship as a welder, building boats for the local fishing fleet and aquaculture industry. Step has been working in the aquaculture industry for 25…
Murray Isles
Based in Coffs Harbour, NSW AMSA Accredited Surveyor (ID 127717) of plans, stability and loadlines, Murray has been designing powered and sailing vessels in timber, metal, fibreglass, ferro-cement and polypropylene for over thirty years. Since 1990 Murray has lived and worked in Tasmania and has been extensively involved in all areas of the aquaculture industry…
Calvin Ewe
Calvin is our full time naval architect based in Hobart, Tasmania. He’ll probably be your first point of contact for all stability related jobs. His qualifications include a Bachelors degree from the Australian Maritime College, and a short stint as an apprentice shipwright in Sydney. Currently in his last stages of the AMSA accreditation process,…
Michael Hunn
Based in Hobart, Tasmania Mike has designed numerous craft and has a well deserved reputation as a practical hands-on Naval Architect. Mike is probably the most experienced naval architect in using the NSCV in Australia- probably because of the early adoption of it without alteration by Tasmania. A former MAST senior NA, his experience is…
Greg Swalwell
Greg is a Naval Architect and trainee marine surveyor based in Hobart, Tasmania. He sailed on Young Endeavour straight after grade 12 which set him on course for a career in the maritime industry. He studied his BEng (NavArch) degree through the Australian Maritime College and liked Tasmania so much that he decided not to move back…
Nirman Jayarathne
Nirman Jayarathne is an experienced naval architect and a Chartered Engineer with a demonstrated history of working in the maritime industry since 2006. He is skilled in naval architecture, management of ship building projects, research, ship management, and university lecturing. He is currently at the final stage of his PhD at the Australian Maritime College.…
Apsara Abeysiriwardhane
Apsara Abeysiriwardhane has over ten years of experience as a naval architect and a university lecturer. She worked for Aries Marine LLC, which is one of the largest ship design firms with the headquarters in the United Arab Emirates and branches all over the world. In 2012 she joined as a lecturer at the General…
Peter Harris
Based in Devonport, North Tasmania When not working as a Marine Surveyor I work as a towage engineer based in Devonport. I started as an apprentice Fitter & Machinist at Garden Island Naval Dockyard, Sydney and studied marine engineering at night school. I then spent three years as a scientific/mechanical officer on the government research…
Jack Hewitt
Master Mariner and Compass Adjuster I joined my first ship in the sixties, at the age of 17, as an Apprentice Deck Officer. During my career at sea as Deck Officer and Master, I served on vessels ranging from a coal powered Steam Tug to cargo and passenger ships, bulk carriers and oil…
Ken Jones
Based in Launceston, Northern Tasmania Ken qualified as a shipwright in 1970 and is recognised professionally as a Master Boatbuilder with qualifications in Fibreglass Reinforced Plastic and an Associate Diploma in Applied Design (Wood). He studied at The Australian Maritime College and achieved a Coxswain Grade 1 Certificate of Competency. Ken owns and operates a…
Matthew Radford
Matt is a Marine Surveyor with Kedge Pty Ltd as well as running his own southern rock lobster fishing vessel in Tasmania. Starting out as an apprentice fitter and turner he then followed the family tradition and went to sea as a fisherman in 1999. In 2006 after running a vessel engaged in the Basslink cable…
David Peberdy
David started his association with the sea as a marine engineer cadet with the ANL in 1981 and, until recently, has followed a career as an engineer in the Australian shipping and oil and gas industries. Working on many international and coastal vessels, FPSOs and, most recently, oil rig supply and anchor handling vessels. With…
Sunny Azam
Based in Sydney NSW, Sunny is a licensed Chief Engineer and AMSA Accredited Marine Surveyor with sailing experience on vessels ranging from OSVs and tugs to some of the worlds largest container ships. Having spent more than a decade in maritime, Sunny has come to understand the driving forces of the industry. He believes that a good marine surveyor not only works towards ensuring…
Louise Catchpole
Louise is one of our Administration Assistants based in our Hobart Office. Louise works closely with Chris Wells and the Construction Team, assisting with our new builds and vessel modifications. Louise has a diverse background in customer service and is able to assist with your new build query.
Astrid Wilson
I was approached to join Kedge Marine Surveyors as a Trainee Marine Surveyor and, of course, I jumped at the opportunity to work with the fresh local team. I grew up on the River Derwent sailing on the Lady Nelson and operating rescue boats for a local sailing club. This lead to me attending the Australian Maritime…
Bill La Vars
Based in Adelaide covering South Australia (Adelaide, River Murray, the South East and Port Lincoln) and the West Coast. I did my apprenticeship with Adelaide Steamship in their shipyard at Port Adelaide as marine fitter and turner before going away to sea as a marine engineer. Over the years sailing around the world on different…
Will Keyes
Based in Hobart, Tasmania Will Keyes is an accredited Marine Electrical Surveyor and Electrician. When he isn’t surveying, he is dragging cables around his local port of Hobart, resetting fishing boat shore power or climbing one of the state’s many navigation lights. Previously he conducted work in many electrical areas – domestic, commercial, industrial, hazardous…
Aaron McKibben
Aaron is an accredited marine electrical surveyor, qualified electrician, EHV linesman and also a small engine mechanic. With a background heavily entrenched in supply and generation industry, he has had experience in construction, maintenance and testing of all types of electrical installations, including ELV dc control circuits through to EHV ac primary installations – and…