safety – Page 6 – Professional Mariner

14 Dec

Corroded wire rope led to crane failure on bulk carrier

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, safety, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — Undetected corrosion and wear led to an equipment failure on a bulk carrier while offloading cargo last year in Houston, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. On July 23, 2022, the cargo ship Thorco Basilisk was offloading a wind turbine component at the Greensport Terminal on the Houston Ship Channel when the hoisting wire rope on…

14 Dec

Crews of four U.S.-flagged vessels honored for heroism

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsLicensing and training, safety

(NEW YORK) — The officers and crew of four American-flag vessels were recognized for heroism at sea at the 54th annual Admiral of the Ocean Sea (AOTOS) Awards hosted by the United Seamen’s Service on Dec. 1. The plaques honored the mariners aboard the following vessels: M/V Midnight Sun, Port of Tacoma Harbor In September 2022, an electrical fire broke…

27 Nov

MarAd alert: Commercial ships attacked in Indian Ocean

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newssafety, Security, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — The Liberian-flagged tanker Central Park was boarded by unknown armed entities and subsequently released in the Gulf of Aden, 50 miles east of Djibouti, on Sunday. In addition, the Maltese-flagged containership CMA CGM Symi was reportedly attacked by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the Indian Ocean on Friday. Exercise caution when transiting these areas and remain cognizant…

25 Oct

NTSB urges fire upgrades for small passenger vessels

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newscasualties, NTSB, safety

(WASHINGTON) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended Tuesday that engine-room fire detection and fixed fire extinguishing systems be installed in small passenger vessels previously exempted from U.S. Coast Guard regulations in Subchapter K. The NTSB issued the recommendations after investigating an engine room fire aboard Spirit of Norfolk during a sightseeing cruise near Naval Station Norfolk, Va., on…

24 Oct

MarAd issues alert for commercial vessels in Red Sea

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newssafety, Security, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — There are reports that multiple drones and missiles were launched from Yemen into the Red Sea region on Oct. 19. Exercise caution when transiting this area. U.S. commercial vessels operating in this area should review U.S. Maritime Advisory 2023-011 (Threats to Commercial Vessels – Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Bab…

21 Sep

Excessive speed led to tug grounding in Texas, NTSB says

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, safety, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — Excessive speed during a bow-to-bow harbor-assist maneuver led to the grounding of the tugboat CC Portland in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday. It is the second marine casualty the NTSB investigated in 2022 caused by excessive speed in azimuthing stern drive, or ASD, tugboats while in the center…

15 Sep

Interim rule steps up safety measures for duck boats

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newscasualties, safety, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard has issued an interim rule as the first step to implement the statutorily mandated requirements for DUKW amphibious passenger vessels, commonly known as duck boats. This statutory mandate was enacted after the sinking of Stretch Duck 7 on July 19, 2018, which resulted in the loss of 17 lives on Table Rock Lake, Mo.…

14 Sep

Overboard tanker crewman rescued off coast of Galveston

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newssafety, U.S. Coast Guard

(HOUSTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a tanker crewmember from the water 10 miles offshore Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watch standers received a distress call on VHF-FM Channel 16 at 9:23 a.m. from personnel aboard the tanker vessel Ghibli, stating that a crewmember had fallen overboard and was not wearing a life jacket.…

31 Aug

Towing safety report shows second-lowest crew fatality rate

Professional Mariner StaffTugboats & Towingbrownwater, safety, U.S. Coast Guard

(ARLINGTON, Va.) — For almost 30 years, the Coast Guard-AWO Safety Partnership’s National Quality Steering Committee has been tracking overall trends in towing industry safety and environmental protection, which it conveys in an annual report. This year’s report, compiled by the Coast Guard Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis, included the following notable findings: • The 2022 crewmember fatality rate…

25 Jul

Pilots, NOAA sign pact to enhance navigation safety

Rich MillerMaritime NewsNavigation, Pilots, safety

(WASHINGTON) — Senior leaders of the American Pilots’ Association (APA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Coast Survey, have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that calls for the two parties to cooperate and share information so that they can better carryout their respective roles and responsibilities related to safe maritime navigation…