Maritime Safety News Today – 26th March 2008

US Coast Guard hunting for lost crew member
Edmonton Sun – Alberta, Canada
By AP ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Coast Guard searched throughout the night for a crew member missing from a fishing vessel that sank off Alaska’s Aleutian …

China sends 44 divers to find missing Ukrainian sailors
UNIAN News Agency – Kiev,Ukraine
Meanwhile, Anatoliy Prisyazhnyuk, the owner of the Ukrainian vessel, blamed the Chinese dry cargo ship for the collision. “The Chinese dry cargo ship should …

US ambassador apologizes over Suez Canal incident (2nd Roundup)
Monsters and Critics.com – USA
‘We are really sorry over this outcome (of the accident). We will open an inquiry into it,’ Ricciardoni said. The crew of the Global Patriot had warned the …

Capsized oil tanker to be salvaged tomorrow
Thanh Nien Daily – Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam
Nguyen Minh Tung, director of the salvaging Sao Mai Maritime Company, said a final detailed survey of the wreckage would be conducted Tuesday prior to …

Swift Assists Vessel in Distress Off Liberian Coast

Posted 03/25/08 at 10:08 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Campbell, Africa Partnership Station Public AffairsWhile transiting off the coast of Monrovia, Liberia as part of Africa Partnership Station (APS), March 20 High Speed Vessel 2 Swift received a distress call, relayed from the Maritime Regional Coordination Center (RMCC) in Lisbon, of a Portuguese…

Grounded ship could contain illegal aliens
KUAM.com – Dededo,GU,USA
As well, officials are concerned about the potential pollution the vessel’s grounding could cause to the surrounding water.

TSB takes aim at voyage data recorders on ferries
OHS Canada – Toronto,ON,Canada
The TSB notes that the hull received “extensive damage” and the ship drifted for more than an hour before sinking. “Essentially, the system failed that …

Ship owners warned over non reporting of accidents
The Herald Eastern Cape – Port Elizabeth,Eastern Cape,South Africa
The alert has been issued by Tony Edwards, of Shepstone &0×0026; Wylie‘s International Transport, following the SA Maritime Safety Authority‘s (Samsa‘s) …

Maritime Safety News Today – 7th March 2008

Vietnam tanker sinks, 14 missing
BBC News – UK
… maritime authorities have said. One seaman was rescued at the time of the accident on Sunday, but most of the crew were trapped in the hull,One dead, three missing in ship collision: Japan
AFP –
TOKYO (AFP) — Three vessels collided Wednesday in a strait in western Japan killing one Filipino crew member and leaving three others missing when their

16 dead in Albanian boat tragedy
B92 – Serbia
The authorities think the ship capsized and sank because it was overloaded. Four passengers survived the accident, said Katragini. .

Officials Provide Update On Grounded Oil Tanker
The Bahama Journal – Nassau,Bahamas
By Sasha L. Lightbourne The government will not incur any costs as a result of the grounding of an oil tanker off the west coast of New Providence,

Oil tanker towed to dock after SOS call
Middle East North Africa Financial Network – Amman,Jordan
The ship, which reported engine failure about 200 kilometers from the port, arrived back at the port yesterday, officials told Arab News.

Ill-fated trawler lodged on reef
Northern Advocate – Whangarei,New Zealand
“It’s still too early to determine what the cause of the grounding was, and we’ll be making no further comment on the incident until inquiries are complete

Wednesday, March 5th 2008
Virgin Islands Daily News – U.S. Virgin Islands
The National Park Service expects to complete its investigation into the grounding and coral damage during the next two months, VI National Park chief

Relations of victims of ill-fated passenger boat besiege Yenagoa …
Vanguard – Apapa,Lagos,Nigeria
The maritime union leader Comrade Sylvanus Egele confirmed the incident , but said only five bodies have been discovered, that is, two ladies,

Fishing boat saved from sinking off Hawke’s Bay coast
All About Hawke’s Bay – Napier,Hawke’s Bay,New Zealand
The skipper of the Thelma G radioed for assistance just after noon saying the vessel was taking on water. The boat was about 15km south west from Portland

Crane crash terminal still out of action
East Anglian Daily Times – Ipswich,England,UK
Cranes on board then smashed into one of the ship-to-shore cranes at Landguard, which then toppled into the next crane, bringing them both smashing down.

Islands mourn loss of chief
Queen Charlotte Islands Observer – Queen Charlotte,British Columbia,Canada
Sandspit Coast Guard reported a vessel sinking in the QC harbour, after hearing radio traffic to that effect, according to Mike Stacey, maritime search and

USCG – Guidance re Liftboats

Posted 03/05/08 at 10:21 AM

The US Coast Guard posted guidance on the inspection, repair, and maintenance of liftboats. As the guidance points out, for many purposes, liftboats are treated by the Coast Guard like conventional hulled offshore supply vessels (OSVs).

Donjon Marine Tows Disabled LNG Carrier

Posted 03/06/08 at 10:29 AM

Donjon Marine Co., Inc. provided the 7000hp salvage tug Atlantic Salvor to assist the (LNG) tanker Catalunya Spirit, which lost propulsion and became disabled and adrift East of Cape Cod in February. On February 12, 2008, Donjon Marine, Co…

Start of Napoli grounding inquiry
Dorset Echo – England,UK
The inquiry comes before work begins in April to remove the final section of the vessel, the stern, from the sea off Sidmouth. The grounding of the

US overturns shipper haz liability

NEW YORK 6 March – OCEAN carriers who sustain losses resulting from dangerous cargoes no longer enjoy a virtual guarantee that shippers of the cargo will be held liable for their losses. A 3 March ruling by the US Appeals Court for the Second District, struck down the “strict liability” standard of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act (COGSA) where the carrier is aware that a cargo is inherently dangerous. In a communiqué to its clients, the Blank Rome law firm warns that “Where the carrier is generally aware of the hazardous nature of cargo, even if it is not aware of the precise nature of the risk, and the carrier nevertheless exposes it to potentially dangerous conditions, it will not be able to rely on the strict liability provisions of COGSA but will be required to show that the shipper acted negligently with respect to the cargo and/or its obligation to warn the carrier of the specific nature of the cargo’s risks== 2E” The change came as the appellate court reversed a lower court ruling that held PPG Industries fully liable for the loss of the DG Harmony, which caught fire off Brazil in November 2007 after one of ten containers packed with calcium hypochlorite (hydrated) (“calhypo”) exploded. The lower court held PPG fully liable under the “strict liability standard” but the appeals court that “a shipper cannot be held strictly liable for damage caused during the shipment of hazardous cargo in circumstances where the carrier was generally aware that the cargo’s dangerous nature requires careful handling or stowage.” The case has been returned to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York “to make findings on the issue of whether an adequate warning would have affected how the carrier stowed the calhypo.”

Maritime Safety News Today – February 1 2008

10 fishermen feared dead in South Korean shipwreck
Times of India – India
All the 10 fishermen are feared dead,” a spokesman for Jeju Maritime Police said. The 136-tonne ship named the 102 Soyang went down 65 kilometres (40 miles)

Stricken ferry runs aground
Melbourne Herald Sun – Australia
Royal National Lifeboat Institution spokesman John Matthews said the ferry crew, some of them Polish, seemed calm and confident. A spokesman for Seatruck …

15 Injured, oil spilled as Peruvian navy tanker explodes
Trading Markets (press release) – Los Angeles,CA,USA
… of Zorritos told Efe the accident took place in Pacific waters near the Corvina oil platform, which lies close to Peru’s maritime boundary with Ecuador.

RESCUE AT SEA
Tempo – Manila,Philippines
… weight while the vessel already started to submerge. Fishermen saw the sinking ship, rescued the crew members and took them to a nearby islet in Tandag.

Chinese Search for Missing Russian Ship

Chinese maritime search and rescue forces are aiding the search for a Russian ship that went missing east of Shanghai last Thursday.
Hebei Spirit case will be long as Samsung denies responsibility
Seatradeasia-online (subscription) – London,UK
In a statement submitted to a Daejeon court, the company claimed the Hong Kong-based Hebei Spirit oil tanker was responsible for the collision with a …

USCG – shipboard inspection and testing of immersion suits

The US Coast Guard issued guidelines for periodic inspection and testing of immersion suits by ships’ crews.  These guidelines are based on standards developed by IMO.  NVIC 01-08 (1/28/08).

UN Maritime Drill Conducted off Lebanese Coast

The Maritime Task Force of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFL) conducted a three-day drill intended to “improve cooperation and establish coordination mechanisms between the different naval and land forces involved.”

Maritime Safety News – 28 January 2008

Fatal ferry organizer on the run
Shanghai Daily – Shanghai,China
By Dong Zhen 2008-1-25 A MAN who arranged an illegal ferry ride on January 11 that left 10 dead and one still missing after a collision at sea, 

Report on ’07 sinking urges stricter boat regulations
Boston Globe – United States
A fishing boat with four crewmembers probably sank in Nantucket Sound last year because a build-up of ice added so much weight that it caused the ship to 

Total Appeals Verdict in Oil Spill Trial
Forbes – NY,USA
It had an impact across Europe: a year after the sinking, the European Union agreed on tighter controls on maritime safety, notably the phasing out of 

Philippines to Ban Single-Hull Vessels

Posted 01/28/08 at 10:35 AM

The Philippines will ban single-hull oil tankers from its waters from April, two years earlier than planned, after the worst oil spill in the country’s history and a separate leak in South Korea. Vessels carrying “black” petroleum products such as crude oil and bunker fuel won’t be allowed to dock at ports from April 1 without a double hull, said.

Tanker Owner in Spill Denies Wrongdoing

Posted 01/25/08 at 10:39 AM

According to reports, the owner and operators of the tanker involved in South Korea’s worst oil spill denied any wrongdoing, but offered sympathy to locals affected by the environmental fallout and their insurer agreed to accept claims for compensation.

HEBEI SPIRIT TRIAL BEGINS
Maritime Global Net – Warren,RI,USA
THE trial in South Korea of five men accused of negligence and violating anti-pollution laws in connection with the Hebei Spirit collision and spill in 

$550000 fine levied for sunken tour boat
Maui News – Wailuku,HI,USA
“But some of their actions after the sinking reflected poor judgment and bad decision-making. There was damage to a protected conservation area.

Maritime Safety News Today 3rd January 2008

Container Vessel Runs Aground Off South Coast of UK (Update1)
Bloomberg – USA
2 (Bloomberg) — A container ship ran aground in the Dover Strait, the world’s busiest shipping lane, the UK’s Maritime & Coastguard agency said.

Bering Sea – disabled freighter The US Coast Guard issued a press release stating that it is responding to a distress call from a disabled freighter in the Bering Sea 180 nautical miles northeast of Attu, Alaska.  The ship has a cargo of 28,000 tons of copper concentrate.  It carries a crew of 24 and has 760 metric tons of fuel. (1/1/08). (Update) Freighter adrift near Attu regains power Anchorage Daily News (subscription) – Anchorage,AK,USA Initial reports by e-mail from the crew indicated the ship was probably not in danger of sinking but the Coast Guard wanted to get a look first hand,

Lifeboat tows trawler to shore
RTE.ie – Ireland
Four crewmen on board the vessel dealt with the blaze and stayed on board as it was towed back by the Dún Laoghaire lifeboat.

Three crew saved from sinking yacht near Corregidor
ABS CBN News – Philippines
A rescue ship was immediately dispatched after the yacht’s crewmen sent distress signals to PCG. PCG search and rescue vessel BRP Pampanga was reported to

ID system to become mandatory for all boats on Turkish seas
Today’s Zaman – Istanbul,Turkey
Officials from the Undersecretariat for Maritime Affairs, under which the Search and Rescue Coordination Center operates, said the Automatic Identification

REHABILITATION PROSPECTS AFTER WORST KOREAN OIL SPILL ARE GOOD, UN …
… Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit and EC Monitoring and Information Centre, comprising experts from OCHA, UNEP, Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the EC Environmental Directorate-General and the European Maritime Safety Agency.

Customs publishes 10+2 rule

Washington issues long-awaited proposed rule requiring importers and carriers to provide cargo data not found on a ship’s manifest.

Ship emissions below estimate
Air pollution emissions from ships in the Mediterranean Sea might be 30%-40% lower than the estimates made in 2000, calling into question the need to designate the region as a sulphur emission control area, according to data collected by oil industry body Concawe which analysed ship movements and fuel use in the Mediterranean.

Maritime Safety News Today – 22 December

Fears grow for missing tug crew
Metro – London,UK
Ian Plater, sector manager for Clyde Maritime & Coastguard Agency, said: “We commenced our search at first light this morning. Most of the assets and units

‘Series of problems in Dolphin disaster’
The Herald – Glasgow,Scotland,UK
A series of problems and misunderstandings contributed to the Bourbon Dolphin disaster, which claimed eight lives when the oil-rig support tug capsized 75

Cosco Busan Captain’s Lawyer Asks For Hearing On Misconduct Charges
FoxReno.com – Reno,NV,USA
Meadows did object to the board’s accusation of misconduct “on the ground that it is so indefinite and uncertain that (the defendant, Cota) cannot identify 

Fast rescue boats
Amendments to part A of the STCW Code, also enter into force on 1 January 2008, add additional training requirements for the launching and recovery of fast rescue boats. The amendments were adopted in response to reports of injuries to seafarers in numerous incidents involving the launching and recovery of fast rescue boats in adverse weather conditions.

SKorea to tighten rules against spill-prone oil tankers
AFP –
“Following the accident, we plan to advance the timetable to phase out singled-hulled vessels,” Lee Ki-Sang, deputy director of the Ministry of Maritime 

Maritime Safety News Today – 8th December 2007

South Korea Coast Guard Battles Supertanker Oil Spill (Update1)
Bloomberg – USA
The Taean Coast Guard deployed 12 patrol boats and 3 accident control boats to contain the spill, Jeong said. The tanker was carrying crude oil for Hyundai …

Ferry Boat Docks Safely After SF Bay Collision
CBS 5 – San Francisco,CA,USA
7 crash involving the Cosco Busan vessel with a Bay Bridge support structure. The mishap caused a 58000-gallon oil spill in the Bay that disrupted fishing

Tanker leaks 14000 tonnes of crude oil after collision off South …
Canada East – Moncton,New Brunswick,Canada
There were no human casualties in the accident. The extent of its potential damage to communities or wildlife in the area was not immediately clear,

Families get ‘closure’ as inquest rules trawlermen were victims of …
Irish Independent – Dublin,Ireland
An extensive operation which saw divers enter the vessel could only take place on January 24 — two weeks after the sinking. Pere Charles owner Michael

MOL Tanker in training to combat piracy
- Mitsui O.S.K. Lines took part in a joint government-private sector training programme, aimed at combating piracy and terrorism on the high seas. >>more
Bulk carrier pulled from the mud
The Australian – Sydney,Australia
Maritime Safety Queensland and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau are investigating the circumstances of the grounding. The vessel is owned by Toll

Somalia: Pirates Accuse Hostages of Killing Their Comrades, Want …
AllAfrica.com – Washington,USA
The pirates hijacked the Golden Nori chemical tanker in late October, but after weeks of hunting, authorities have managed to surround the ship near

New Zealand – vehicle lashing arrangements Maritime New Zealand issued guidelines regarding vehicle lashing arrangements for ro-ro ships. Guidance Notice Issue 06-200 (12/6/07).

IMO – More needs to be done on safety, security and environmental issues

The IMO issued a news release reporting that Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos reminded delegates to the IMO Assembly that the agency has a good record of enhancing safety and security and preventing marine pollution from ships, but that more needs to be done.

Bay shipping faces danger
San Jose Mercury News – CA, USA
By Paul Rogers Less than a month after the worst oil spill in San Francisco Bay in more than a decade, a high-tech system that ship captains and pilots use

NSW to increase negligence fine after Pasha report
ABC Online – Australia
Chris Oxenbould from NSW Maritime says there was no record of communications between Newcastle Ports Corporation and the ship.

UPDATE 1-Damaged drill-ship in shipyard for 44 days – Noble
Reuters UK – UK
The drill-ship, which had 106 workers on board at the time of the accident, was under contract to Petrobras for about $137000 per day through September 2010

Giant tanker takes part in anti-piracy training session
Shipping Times – UK
The JCG upon receiving the report from the ship management company, ordered the patrol vessel Shikishima, assigned to anti-piracy and counter-terrorism duty

Maritime Safety News Today – 28 November 2007

FATHER OF DEAD FEMALE SEA-FARER DOESN’T BELIEVE IT’S SUICIDE
Niu FM – Auckland,New Zealand
Auckland 6am: The family of the Kiribati woman seafarer said to have hanged herself say they saw no sign that was the case on her body.

Four people and a dog rescued from sinking ship
KTUU – Anchorage,AK,USA
It located the raft and rescued the four men and the dog about an hour later. All were in good condition after arriving in Kodiak. The vessel could not 

Navigation authority issues safety alert as water level of Yangtze …
Xinhua – China
The “yellow warning”, the second highest level, was sent out bythe Yangtze River Maritime Safety Administration for a 680-kilometer stretch of the waterway

Bangladesh police detain 2 suspected people-traffickers, sinking …
International Herald Tribune – France
The vessel sank in calm water and there was no clear indication what caused the accident, officials have said. Survivors have told police it was overcrowded 

Ambrose Light – safety zone

(On 3 November, 2007, the Ambrose Light was struck by an oil tanker, the Axel Spirit)

The US Coast Guard established a temporary safety zone, with a radius of 250 yards, around Ambrose Light, located approximately 8.35 nautical miles east of Sandy Hook, New Jersey. The safety zone, which will be in effect through at least May 5, 2008, is intended to provide for the safety of life, property, and the environment during the survey and reconstruction of the light. 72 Fed. Reg. 65886 (November 26, 2007).

Platform Crew Airlifted to Safety After Blaze

Posted 11/27/07 at 09:58 AM

A fire on a North Sea oil platform led to the evacuation of 118 workers. The fire broke out on the Thistle Alpha platform, 325 miles north of Aberdeen and only five miles inside the UK search and rescue area…

Scotland’s Offshore Industry Issued Warning

Posted 11/26/07 at 09:31 AM

Scotland’s offshore oil industry was issued a government health warning by the Health and Safety Executive. The HSE published a new report which says more must be done to improve safety on oil and gas installations.

Coast Guard to Test Oil from Seven Ships in Spill

Posted 11/27/07 at 09:37 AM

Testing of oil samples taken from ships that might have spilled the fuel that washed up in Atlantic Beach and Long Beach last week will probably take place by next week, the Coast Guard said. After the approximately 500 gallons of heavy No..

Pemex May Tear Down Offshore Platform

Posted 11/26/07 at 09:36 AM

Pemex said it may tear down an offshore platform if its structure, hurt by a series of recent fires, weakens further to prevent more damage to adjacent oil-pumping facilities. On Tuesday, a fire broke out at the Kab-121 well on the Kab-101 platform in the Gulf of Mexico, which was damaged in a blaze last month that killed 21 workers.

Estonia report supports official investigation
The Local – Sweden
When enough water had entered the car deck, the vessel tilted to one side,” said Källström. The official explanations for the ferry sinking have been 

Ferry Experts and Legislators to Discuss Steel Electric Ferries

Posted 11/27/07 at 10:14 AM

Washington State Ferries will hold meetings regarding the status of the Steel Electric class vessels and Port Townsend/Keystone ferry service. Legislators and staff from affected ferry communities, Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond and Washington State Ferries Executive Director Mike Anderson will review current ferry status and discuss.. Gulf ships to join global green drive
Gulf Daily News – Manama,Bahrain
“There will be no costs to the legitimate standard vessels as they are modern vessels fitted and equipped and provided with skilled seafarers.

BOURBON OPENS TRAINING CENTRE
Maritime Global Net – Warren,RI,USA
One of the company’s anchor handlers, the Bourbon Dolphin capsized with the loss of eight lives in April. Although the Norwegian investigation into the

Maritime Safety News Today – 21 November 2007

UM ship damages reef, keeps it quiet
MiamiHerald.com – Miami,FL,USA
”On a personal level, I’m just mortified it happened, but it was an accident,” said Brown, who is leading an internal investigation. .

Driver won’t be charged in port accident that killed worker
The Virginian-Pilot – Norfolk,VA,USA
In that incident, a crew member on a freighter docked at the Portsmouth terminal died after one of the ship’s hatch covers struck him.

8 tons of petroleum products collected in Kerch Strait
ITAR-TASS – Moscow,Russia
It is a major environmental problem, and we should assess the conduct of the Kerch maritime administration from the point of view of the international law,”

Wrecked Ships in Black Sea Start to Leak Sulfur

Posted 11/20/07 at 09:14 AM

Sulfur from two ships that sank in a storm near the Black Sea last week is leaking into waters already polluted by an oil spill from another vessel, UkraIne’s Environment Ministry said on Monday.<P> Four ships sank in the Kerch Strait on the northern mouth of the Black Sea in one of the worst storms in a century..

Different bridge fender design might have averted bay oil spill
San Francisco Chronicle – CA, USA
6 oil – the same gooey substance the Cosco Busan spilled into San Francisco Bay – smacked head-on into the Casco Bay Bridge in Portland, Maine.

IMO Bravery Award Presented to Searose G Seafarers

Posted 11/20/07 at 09:20 AM

The inaugural IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea has been presented to two seafarers who risked their lives to save others in a dramatic rescue operation in gale-force winds. Second Officer Mustafa Topiwala of the 83,155 dwt Bahamas-registered oil/bulk ore carrier Searose G and Captain Zvonimir Ostric (who was on the vessel as onboard.

Maritime Safety News Today – 9 November 2007

Somali pirates holding tanker send Japan demands
Reuters South Africa – Johannesburg,South Africa
The Panamanian-flagged Golden Nori was carrying benzene when it was attacked about eight nautical miles offshore on Oct. 28. …

Shipping Pollution Kills 60,000 a Year -

Pollution from ships, in the form of tiny airborne particles, kills at least 60,000 people each year, says a new study. And unless action is taken quickly to address the problem – such as by switching to cleaner fuels – the death toll will climb, researchers warn.

Sinking cruise ship runs aground in Virginia Beach
Daily Press – Newport News,VA,USA
… VIRGINIA BEACH – The captain of a troubled cruise ship intentionally ran his vessel aground in Virginia Beach this morning to prevent it from sinking.

Oil spill in San Francisco bay after container ship hits bridge
AFP –
The US Coast Guard said in a statement that approximately 8000 gallons of bunker fuel had been recovered following the collision involving the Cosco-Busan …

Pacific Coast beaches affected by oil spill from container ship
Press-Enterprise – Riverside,CA,USA
The accident caused no structural damage to the span, officials said, but the vessel’s hull suffered a large gash. “By our guidelines it is a medium-sized

Mauritania: 47 Illegal Immigrants Drown En Route to Canaries
The Media Line – New York,NY,USA
The accident happened when the ship’s engine broke down on its way from Senegal (south of Mauritania) to the Canary Islands. The 143 passengers on board the

 

Somali pirates release Taiwanese ship
AFP –
NAIROBI (AFP) — Somali pirates on Monday released a Taiwanese fishing vessel that was in captivity for more than five months, a maritime official and the US …

NKorea Thanks US Over Piracy Standoff
The Associated Press –
The North’s Korean Central News Agency hailed the maritime collaboration as a “symbol of cooperation” between the two countries “in the struggle against

From Safety At Sea

Lookout tells how ferry sank yacht

THE jury hearing the case of the P&O ferry Pride of Bilbao swamping or colliding with the yacht Ouzo have heard from Dave Smith, who was the lookout on the bridge at the time. Read More

Louis blames sinking on poor charts

LOUIS Hellenic Cruises has blamed inaccurate nautical charts for the sinking of the cruise ship Sea Diamond off the Greek island of Santorini seven months ago. Read More

Safety: Canada cuts out courts

CANADA’s transport minister is proposing speeding up sanctions for safety violations by the country’s marine industry by issuing fines without going through the courts. Read More

Hostage ducks sharks in hijack slip

A KOREAN hostage held by Somali pirates has arrived back in South Korea after escaping. Read More

German language waiver for masters

THE German transport ministry has accepted owners’ proposal for a temporary waiver on German-language requirements for masters on German-flagged vessels. Read More

Cruise ship grounds to prevent sinking

SIXTY-SIX passengers were ferried to shore this morning by the USCG after their cruise ship was intentionally grounded to prevent it from sinking. Read More

SeaRiver to train US cadets

SEAN Connaughton continued his quest yesterday to make US maritime academy graduates more competitive by signing another vessel operator to train American cadets. Read More

Pole behind bars over rig collision

THE Polish master of the Antigua and Barbuda registered cargo vessel Jork has been imprisoned for a year after the ship hit an unmanned gas platform in the North Sea. Read More

Vietnamese crew voted top class

SHIPOWNERS have been told to look to Vietnam to meet their crewing needs despite its seafarers’ poor proficiency in English and unfamiliarity with foreign cultures. Read More

Crew compromises mean safety crisis

CREWING shortages could lead to a compromise on safety, delegates to Seatrade’s Middle East Money and Ships Conference were told yesterday in Dubai. Read More

Teekay tanker takes out tower

COAST Guard officials are investigating how the Bahamas-flagged tanker Axel Spirit crashed into the 23m-tall Ambrose Light in lower New York Bay. Read More

$300 for dead seafarers’ families

MALAYSIA has bowed to its shipowners association and introduced an ex-gratia payment for seafarers who lose their lives in the course of duty. Read More

Three die in Thai ferry disaster

THREE passengers died when a crowded ferry sank in the Gulf of Thailand yesterday. Read More