A crewmember died after the fishing vessel, Ben Thomas capsize and sank off the Irish coast.
A report into the incident, which took place two years ago, has been released by the Irish Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB), concluding the investigation.
What happened
On the 12 December 2023, at approximately 05.00 hours the fishing vessel Ben Thomas departed Port Oriel, Clogherhead, Co. Louth Continue reading “Investigation into fishing vessel Ben Thomas capsize and fatality”
There is a slew of new and revised documentation released by the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) covering the period of December 2025 to January 2026.
Published on 12 December 2025
MSN 1908 (M+F) Amendment 2 – The merchant shipping (control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments) regulation 2022. This MSN provides the technical requirements of the obligations contained in the merchant shipping (control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments) regulations 2022 (SI 2022/737). Continue reading “New documentation from the MCA”
West P&I Club has highlighted the issue surrounding wet weather loading Group A IMSBC cargoes.
The Club said it has recently seen several instances regarding loading bulk cargoes that are categorised as Group A cargoes under the IMSBC Code during precipitation.
Group A cargoes should never be loaded where it has been determined that the moisture content of the cargo exceeds the Transportable Moisture Limit (TML). It is therefore understandable that some vessels opt to restrict the amount of moisture that the cargo is exposed to by avoiding loading during periods of precipitation. Continue reading “West P&I Club loss prevention information on wet weather loading Group A cargoes”
This year marks a turning point for the EU Emissions Trading System. After a two-year phase-in, maritime transport will face full compliance under the EU ETS, alongside an expanded scope covering additional greenhouse gases and a tighter emissions cap.
These changes reinforce the EU’s climate ambition while significantly raising the stakes for affected sectors. Continue reading “New EU ETS rules take effect from January 2026”
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has sent out a warning following a manufacturer recall of nearly 50,000 affected signal flares.
The USCG Office of Design and Engineering Standards was notified of a manufacturer recall of the Orion Skyblazer II Red XLT Aerial Signal (also called Orion XLT Skyblazer self-contained red meteor flare) due to three incidents of spontaneous combustion. There were no reported injuries. Continue reading “Safety recall of flares issued due to spontaneous combustion”
The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has published MGN 710 (M) safety management systems for small workboats and pilot boats.
Guidance on how owners and operators of small workboats and pilot boats can meet the Safety Management System (SMS) requirements of the recently launched Workboat Code Edition 3 is now available. Continue reading “MCA: MGN 710 (M) safety management systems for small workboats and pilot boats”
The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has update to fire safety MGN 681 (M) and storage of small electric powered craft on yachts.
MGN 681 (M) Amendment 1 includes clarification for the functionality of storage and charging cabinets or boxes where these are used as part of the solution for the carriage of li-ion batteries used on personal vehicles. Continue reading “MCA lithium-ion battery update to fire safety MGN 681 (M)”
Robert van Tol will be the new executive director of SYBAss (Superyacht Builders’ Association) effective 1st of January 2026. Following his past 7 years successfully establishing and scaling up the Water Revolution Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to driving environmental progress within the yachting sector, he brings fresh energy and a modern perspective to SYBAss.
Building on SYBAss’s position in the current maritime world, Van Tol’s appointment Continue reading “SYBAss announces new Executive Director”
Lloyd’s Register (LR) has advised about upcoming amendments to the IAMSAR (International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue) Manual, which operators must have onboard their vessels in hard copy by 1 January 2026 to comply with SOLAS regulations.
According to LR, under SOLAS regulation V/21, all ships are required to carry an up-to-date copy of the IAMSAR Manual Volume III. As stated in MSC-MEPC.2/Circ.2, the IAMSAR Manual Volume III must always be available in hard Continue reading “Updated IAMSAR manual to be carried onboard from January 2026”
Steamship Mutual P&I Club has provided guidance on the risks associated with the carriage of plastic pellets in containers and provides practical measures to prevent spillage and protect the marine environment.
Understanding the risks of plastic pellets
According to the Club, in recent years, several high-profile incidents have occurred, such as the Trans Carrier in 2020 and the XPress Pearl in 2021, where containers have fallen overboard and resulted in the release of plastic pellets into seas and oceans with subsequent harm to the marine environment. Continue reading “Key tips for transferring plastic pellets in containers”
Throughout 2025, work continued on Recreational Craft Directive (RCD), Recreational Craft Regulations (RCR) and Post Construction Assessment (PCA) research, with a newly drafted paper by Tom Keeling – known as PCA 2 – receiving an encouraging response from Graham Russell MBE, Chief Executive of OPSS (Office for Product Safety & Standards). The paper is due for wider release in early 2026.
Since the release of the PCA 1 paper in 2024, IIMS has remained engaged with Continue reading “Post Construction Assessment papers trigger official policy review”
Heavy weather and an improperly secured cargo of lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) units led to two fires on board the cargo vessel Genius Star XI – causing $3.8 million in damages, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
What happened
On December 25, 2023, at 0830, while the cargo vessel Genius Star XI was transiting the North Pacific Ocean in heavy weather with a cargo of lithium-ion battery energy storage system units on board, a fire was discovered in a cargo hold. Continue reading “NTSB says lithium-ion batteries caused Genius Star XI fires”
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