The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has provided an overview of IMO Resolution MSC 581 (110) – Revised Recommendations for Entering Enclosed Spaces Aboard Ships.
These new recommendations supersede and revoke Resolution A.1050(27), replacing them with updated safety measures, definitions, and procedural requirements aimed at reducing fatalities during enclosed space entry. Continue reading “ABS shares guidance on revised recommendations for entering enclosed spaces aboard ships”
P&I club Gard has warned that a serious source of engine damage can come as a result of automatic backflush filter failure.
Automatic backflush filters are designed to protect engines by keeping fuel and lubricating oil clean. The filters generally consist of one or more chambers with a set of candles of fine wire mesh that the oil flows through. Larger particles get stuck on the surface while smaller particles flow through the filters and back into circulation. Continue reading “Gard – Beware of backflush filter failures”
Six crewmembers were forced to abandon ship after prawn trawler Odyssey capsized and sank in the North Sea on 29 October 2024. Its crew were rescued from a liferaft uninjured.
According to the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), the accident occurred after high-capacity deck wash pumps were left running unattended, while the crew recovered the fishing gear, discharging water onto the vessel’s weathertight shelter deck. It is likely that a blocked tonnage valve prevented the water from escaping, resulting in rapid flooding and a catastrophic loss of stability. Continue reading “Prawn trawler Odyssey sank after crew left wash pumps running”
Authorities have concluded the investigation into the 1994 sinking of the MV Estonia citing the failure of the ferry’s bow section as the cause of the incident.
On September 28, 1994, the Estonian-flagged ferry Estonia sank during the regular route from Tallinn to Stockholm.
There were 989 people on board – only 137 survived. 852 people died in the accident and the bodies of 95 drowned people were found. Most of the victims were Swedish (501) and Estonian (285) citizens. Continue reading “MV Estonia investigation closed as incident due to bow failure”
The HM Government of Gibraltar has published an accident report into the death of a pumpman on board a motor tanker at the Port of Gibraltar due to a fatal mooring incident.
On the afternoon of the 20 May 2025, the pumpman of the Gibraltar Registered tanker Nisyros was fatally injured whilst operating the port forward mooring winch during heaving in excess rope becoming entrapped in the mooring rope around the winch and sadly died of multiple injuries. Continue reading “Report released on fatal mooring incident aboard motor tanker”
The is a distressing case about a fatal accident that should never have happened. And as the investigation has revealed, a series of poor, inadequate and ineffective inspections and surveys that failed to discover serious rotten wood, would appear to be largely to blame and caused historic Maine schooner demasting.
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has released a critical report on the demasting of a historic schooner, blaming the catastrophic incident on rotten wood that had gone unnoticed for years due to poor inspections. About three years after the mainmast of the 144-year- old schooner Grace Bailey broke during a routine voyage, causing the death of one passenger and leaving five others injured, a detailed investigation has established that the structural integrity of the mainmast had long been compromised by rot. Continue reading “Rotten wood and poor inspection caused historic Maine schooner demasting”
The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has released an amendment to MGN 657 (M+F) Amendment 1 requirements for fixed aerosol fire extinguishing systems for use in small vessel machinery spaces.
The update clarifies that the design density should be calculated based on the net volume of the protected space, as well as clarifying the test criteria including the pass/fail criteria and arrangements for the test mock-up. Continue reading “MCA publishes update on new Fixed Aerosol Fire Extinguishing Systems guidance”
DNV and the World Maritime Merchants Forum (WMMF) have worked together to create the Net-Zero Guide: Practical approaches for shipping companies.
The maritime industry is entering a decisive decade of transformation, driven by evolving regulations, commercial pressures, and a general global shift towards reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Continue reading “DNV and WMMF collaborate on net-zero guide for shipping companies”
The fallout following the M/V Dali accident which caused the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore in March 2024 continues to make the news headlines and is likely to do so for many months to come. Now the vessel’s builder, HD Hyundai, has weighed in to respond. It says changes made after delivery bypassed critical redundancies, triggering the second Dali blackout that left the ship without propulsion or steering in the critical moments before the bridge strike. Continue reading “Operator modifications blamed by shipbuilder for Dali blackout”
In a milestone for maritime pilots’ safety, on June 26 2025, the International Maritime Organization(IMO) significantly improved Pilot Transfer Arrangement (PTA) requirements by adopting amendments to International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulation V/23, as well as new mandatory PTA Performance Standards. The Performance Standards are incorporated into SOLAS, giving them the full force of international law. The path to this achievement began on a tragic day more than five years ago. On December 30, 2019, Captain Dennis Sherwood, a New York State- licensed pilot, was killed in a tragic pilot ladder accident. He fell while embarking a container ship using a combination arrangement with a trapdoor. Continue reading “How a tragic pilot ladder accident led to regulation changes”
The Republic of the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator has released an investigation report into the death of a crewmember from tanker TRF Kashima after the sailor and two other crewmembers had entered an enclosed space and fell unconscious.
What happened
On 14 July 2024, the Republic of the Marshall Islands-registered oil/chemical tanker TRF Kashima, managed by Anglo Eastern Shipmanagement (Singapore) PTE. LTD., was underway in the South China Sea en route to the Republic of Singapore, where the ship was due to arrive on the morning of 16 July 2024. Work being done on board included cleaning of the ship’s cargo tanks. Continue reading “RMI investigation into enclosed space death in tanker”
At the annual members’ assembly in December, Confindustria Nautica shared its latest sector forecast based on the research department’s data-based outlook for the industry. This analysis, drawn from a survey of member companies in early December, points to a cautiously optimistic forecast for Italian marine industry especially the recreational boating and superyacht sectors.
The superyacht segment ended 2025 in a strong position. Half of surveyed companies saw their turnover grow compared to last year, and another 25 per cent reported steady results. Order books show growth rates are returning to normal, with half of yards keeping order levels steady and a quarter seeing more orders than last year. Continue reading “Italian marine industry forecast reveals positive outlook for 2026”
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