What does Simplify Ballast do?

Simplify Ballast is an independent ballast water management consultancy. We perform on-site BWMS inspections, train crews and regulators, develop vessel-specific BWMPs, analyze BWMS data logs, support commissioning testing per BWM.2/Circ.70/Rev.1, and provide manufacturer-independent BWMS selection guidance. We do not sell BWMS equipment.

How is Simplify Ballast independent?

We do not sell BWMS equipment, do not accept referral fees from manufacturers, and do not subcontract diagnostic work. Our recommendations are based on the vessel, the routes, and the operating conditions, not on a manufacturer relationship.

What makes a ballast water management plan vessel-specific?

Regulation B-1 of the 2004 Ballast Water Management Convention requires a plan specific to each ship, which means more than the vessel name on the title page. A vessel-specific BWMP gives operating instructions for the system actually fitted, contingency measures for when it cannot treat to standard, the system design limitations, mitigation measures for the routes the ship trades, notification protocols, and challenging water contingency measures.

Do Port State Control officers still check ballast water now that the CIC has ended?

Yes. The Paris MOU and Tokyo MOU Concentrated Inspection Campaign on ballast water has closed, but ballast water management remains part of the routine Port State Control inspection. Officers check the BWMS itself, the ballast water management plan against the actual installation, the record books, and whether the crew can demonstrate competency with the system.

Making Ballast Simple Again

BWMS inspections, crew training, compliance planning, system selection. Independent consulting for ship owners and fleet managers.

Schedule call Get a vessel-specific BWMP

BEMA technical director · BWMS product manager • port engineer & fleet manager • classification surveyor • fleet compliance manager

He had your job before he had this one.

Why Simplify Ballast

Mark Riggio has been on every side of this industry

Standing watch in engine rooms at sea. Port engineer and fleet manager at Crowley Maritime. Product management at Hyde Marine. Vessel surveys for ABS. Technical director of BEMA, the trade association, and its former president. Sitting in Plenary at the IMO writing the rules that govern compliance. Trusted advisor to the U.S. Coast Guard. He's trained the crews who run these systems and the port-state officers who inspect them. That range is what gets your ship back to work.

Engine-room ballast water piping during an on-site survey — On-site, where the real problems are solved

Ballast water treatment pumps and piping in a ship engine room

Independent by design

A trusted partner, start to finish

When your system isn't working, you need someone whose only loyalty is to you and your vessel. We don't sell equipment and we don't take referral fees. Our recommendations are based on your routes, your water, and your operating conditions.

Schedule call Full background

What we do

Targeted Solutions for Your BWMS Challenges

On-Site Inspections

We go aboard, find what's actually wrong, and hand you a comprehensive solution.

Learn more

Crew Training

We train both crews and the port-state officers who inspect them. Get your crews ready before the inspector is aboard. In-person, virtual, and remote training options available.

Learn more

Ballast Water Management Plans

A BWMP written for your vessel, your operations, and the challenges you face. Not a template with your ship's name on the cover.

Learn more

Also: Data Log Analysis · Commissioning · BWMS Selection → view all six services

No conflicts of interest

We don't sell equipment

That independence is the whole point. It's what lets us tell you when a cheaper system is the right one, when the manufacturer is wrong, and when the data says your “in-spec” system isn't.

We don't sell BWMS systems
We don't accept manufacturer referral fees
We don't subcontract the diagnostic work

Why independence matters →

20yearsIn the BWMS industry

ABSclassification surveyorHe knows how to find what they are looking for.

BEMAtechnical directorIndustry trade association; its president through 2020

Systems we've helped

Alfa Laval · Wartsila · Optimarin · Sunrui · Hyde Marine · Erma First · Headway · Bawat · Ecochlor · Techcross · Panasia · BIO-UV · DESMI · DeNora Water Technologies

What clients say

Proof on the water

After struggling with slugging ballast flows and extended port time in the San Francisco Bay, Simplify Ballast suggested simple operational issues that have saved countless hours for the fleet and reduced our filter maintenance budget to almost nothing.
Fleet Operations Director, mid-cap U.S. tanker operator

When we wanted to demonstrate our hull cleaning system to a foreign administration, Simplify Ballast was able to open the door to the right people and clear the path for our swift approvals.
Product Manager, large-cap European hull cleaning company

My team and I have been inspecting vessels for years. We were able to take things directly from Simplify Ballast's training that we didn't know and apply them immediately to improve our effectiveness and efficiency.
Biosecurity Officer

Follow along

The #BallastBee

Simplify Ballast exists to get you back to working and to make sure that your crews do not need constant help with their BWMS. As a symbol of our commitment to one-and-done service, the #BallastBee is our mascot. The bee is always buzzing around, helping everyone “bee” in compliance, but like a friendly bumble bee, once he's done he flies off to the next spot – never overstaying his welcome. Track the #BallastBee on his adventures through our website! And make sure to try and catch your own bee if he happens to fly by!