Regulation – Professional Mariner

11 Aug

Fatal mainmast failure spurs new Coast Guard recommendations

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsRegulation, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — On Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, at approximately 10:12 a.m. the schooner Grace Bailey, owned by Grace Bailey Navigation Co., experienced a catastrophic mainmast failure during a routine voyage, resulting in multiple passenger injuries and one fatality. The four-day excursion around Penobscot Bay began on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, in Rockland, Maine, with 33 people on board, including 26…

07 Aug

Hawaii shipbuilding CEO gets 13-year term for fraud

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsRegulation, shipbuilding

(WASHINGTON) — A formerly married couple was sentenced Tuesday for their roles in a more than decade-long scheme to defraud hundreds of investors out of millions of dollars in connection with Semisub Inc., a Hawaii-based company. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Curtiss E. Jackson, 72, of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Jamey Denise Jackson, 62, currently of Cochester,…

13 May

Coast Guard refines reflag rules to boost U.S. fleet

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, Merchant marine, Regulation, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard has streamlined the process for foreign ships to be certificated under the American Registry without compromising safety. By doing so, the Coast Guard has consolidated the reflag process under a single program based on international standards. Benefits include: • Reducing pre-inspection plan review and national equivalency process. • Avoiding schedule delays and minimizing modification…

06 May

Coast Guard proposes changes to ATON in Northeast

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsNavigation, Regulation, U.S. Coast Guard

(BOSTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking public input on proposed aids to navigation (ATON) changes in the Northeast. The Coast Guard is proposing to discontinue some buoys as one of several efforts to advance a modern approach to physical aids to navigation. The current buoy constellation predates global navigation satellite systems, electronic navigation charts and electronic charting systems…

17 Apr

U.S. orders halt to Equinor wind project off New York

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsoffshore wind, Regulation

(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered a halt to construction of Equinor's Empire Wind project off the coast of New York, saying information suggested the Biden administration approved it without enough environmental analysis, Reuters reported. In a post on X on Wednesday, Burgum said the information would be reviewed further but did not elaborate on the faults…

02 Apr

Panama cancels registration of 107 sanctioned vessels

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsRegulation, shipping

(PANAMA CITY, Panama) — The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) has officially deregistered 107 Panamanian-flagged vessels listed under international sanctions, with an additional 18 currently undergoing the deregistration process. This action is in accordance with Executive Decree No. 512 of Oct. 18, which grants the PMA the authority to unilaterally cancel the registration of vessels, as well as registered individuals and…

24 Feb

ICS questions rules enforcement by new flag states

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIMO, Regulation, shipping

(LONDON) — The latest edition of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) table shows the world’s largest flag state administrations continuing to demonstrate high levels of performance with respect to enforcement of global shipping regulations. Eswatini and other new flag states, however, present a distinct concern for maritime industry. Using a wide range of objective performance indicators, the ICS yable provides…

13 Feb

Legal at sea: Charting the new maritime regulatory landscape

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsEnvironment, Licensing and training, Regulation, shipping

(ARENDAL, Norway) — Reflecting the ongoing emphasis on environmental protection and sustainable maritime operations, this year sees the implementation of crucial regulations across various domains, from emissions control and fuel efficiency to ship recycling and safety standards. These changes underscore the industry's continuous evolution towards a more environmentally responsible and sustainable future. Below, maritime insurer Gard looks at several of…

01 Nov

Mexican ship manager fined $1.75M for concealing discharges

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMARPOL, Regulation, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Gremex Shipping S.A. de C.V., a Mexican corporation that managed several ships including the bulk carrier Suhar, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Wednesday for creating and providing false records to the U.S. Coast Guard to conceal the illegal discharge of oily bilge waste into the ocean, which is a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from…

07 Oct

Canadian Arctic, Norwegian Sea now emission control areas

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsEnvironment, IMO, Regulation

(LONDON) — The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted significant amendments to MARPOL Annex VI during the 82nd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) last week, establishing two new Emission Control Areas (ECAs). The amendments designate the Canadian Arctic and the Norwegian Sea as ECAs for nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM). The new regulations…