
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has issued a safety alert after a prototype component used in a mechanical shaft-seal system failed onboard a USCG inspected deep draft vessel.
In February 2026. a U.S. flagged crude oil tanker transiting near Delaware Bay experienced simultaneous failures of its port and starboard shaft seals, resulting in substantial seawater ingress. The crew subsequently deployed emergency collars supplied by the seal manufacturer and used the vessel’s emergency bilge system to remove the water. Continue reading “Safety alert: Prototype shaft seal failure causes engine room flooding”










