Safety alert – Professional Mariner

09 Jun

Safety alert: Failure of prototype shaft-seal material

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsSafety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard identified a safety concern after a prototype component used in a mechanical shaft-seal system failed onboard a Coast Guard-inspected deep draft vessel. On Feb. 19, 2025, 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…

03 Jun

Safety alert: Responding to an engine high temperature alarm

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newscasualties, Safety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — A fire aboard a small passenger vessel resulted in the death of one passenger, injuries to multiple passengers, and the total loss of the vessel. The investigation into the cause of the fire yielded several findings that warrant immediate review by all vessel operators. While underway, in response to a high jacket water-temperature alarm, the master shifted the…

07 May

Safety alert: Importance of bridge visibility, trained lookouts

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsLicensing and training, Navigation, Safety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Major contributing factors to several recent collisions and near-collisions included cargo-loading conditions that negatively impacted the operator’s visibility from the navigation bridge. Failing to address obstructions to visibility from the navigation bridge, by either moving cargo or posting trained lookouts, has repeatedly resulted in catastrophic outcomes including loss of life and property damage. Vessel operators, owners, and crews…

10 Feb

Safety alert: Container operations with vessels alongside

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsPorts, Safety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — During September and October 2025, multiple incidents occurred at various terminals throughout the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach that involved shipping containers unexpectedly falling overboard from container vessels. In one instance, several fallen containers struck an emission control barge moored alongside the container vessel. A crewmember on the barge suffered minor injuries, while the barge itself…

19 Jan

Safety alert: Maintaining and inspecting immersion suits

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsSafety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Coast Guard inspectors frequently find immersion suit defects caused by adhesive failures between the main zipper and the suit body. These failures compromise watertight integrity and pose serious survival risks from water ingress. Contributing factors to the defects include improper maintenance (e.g., the use of non-approved petroleum-based lubricants or scented powders), improper storage, and neglecting to conduct…

07 Jan

Safety alert: Preventing water backflow into fuel tanks

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsSafety alert, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — This safety alert highlights the critical importance of preventing water intrusion into fuel tanks. The U.S. Coast Guard investigated a marine casualty that occurred in the Corpus Christi Shipping Channel involving a towing vessel constructed in 2011 with a low freeboard. While pushing a barge loaded with methanol, the vessel encountered sea state conditions with 4-foot wave heights…

18 Nov

Safety alert: Loss of propulsion from failed cooler weld

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newspropulsion, Safety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — A U.S. Coast Guard inspected dredging vessel suffered a loss of propulsion on the starboard main diesel engine and subsequently required a tow into port. The subsequent investigation revealed that the engine’s exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler was cracked and leaking, which led to a high jacket water temperature alarm and an eventual shutdown of the starboard main…

24 Jul

Safety alert: Proper communication when completing a DOI

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsSafety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — A recent oil spill on the Delaware River starkly underscored the critical need for effective communication when completing the required declaration of inspection (DOI) prior to an oil transfer in accordance with Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), §156.120 (33 CFR 156.120). Prior to the incident, the facility person in charge (PIC) filled out their section of…

14 Jul

Safety alert: Lithium-ion battery system installations

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsSafety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

04 Jun

Safety alert: NRTL-approved fire detection systems

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newscasualties, Safety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Under Title 46 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 142.330 in Subchapter M, inspected towing vessels have the option of having a Coast Guard type-approved fire detection system, or they can choose a fire detection system listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL), provided the installation is certified to meet the requirements of 46 CFR§ 142.330(a)(1) through…