search the site
Hormuz Shipping Disruptions Show No...
President Donald Trump said he will extend the current ceasefire with Iran while maintaining the U.S. maritime blockade, citing a request from Pakistani...
Oceans Apart, One Voyage: IntegratingCollaborative...
Dr Adele Merlino Ph.D | Anthony Rogone MS | Captain Abhinandan Prasad Maritime education today stands at the intersection...
Diaplous: Possible armed boarding off...
Diaplous Group has issued an alert regarding possible armed boarding and elevated piracy concern off Somalia. According to the...
UN’s Maritime Agency Prepares Hormuz...
By Weilun Soon (Bloomberg) — The International Maritime Organization is working on an evacuation plan for hundreds of ships that have been...
The Ownership Question: Why Maritime Professionals Can Now Own the Ships They Operate...
posted on: Apr 22, 2026
The Ownership Question: Why Maritime Professionals Can Now Own the Ships TheyOperateBy Captain Vikas Pandey, Founder and CEO, Shipfinex I spent more than two decades at sea before moving ashore to build businesses in the maritimeindustry. In all that time, one structural reality never changed:The people who know ships best have no realistic path to owning them.That is not an observation born of resentment. It is simply how the capital structure of shippinghas always worked. Banks lend to institutions with fleet-level balance sheets and decades ofrelationships in Hamburg, Oslo, or Tokyo. The master who has navigated the same route forfifteen years, the chief engineer who has kept ageing machinery running through conditions noequipment manual fully anticipates, the ship manager coordinating crew, compliance, andcommercial obligations across a dozen vessels simultaneously, none of them fit the creditprofile that traditional ship finance requires.This is changing. Not because the industry has decided to...
Industry on alert over scam messages offering ships “safe passage” on Hormuz...
posted on: Apr 22, 2026
Credit: Shutterstock Fraudulent messages offering safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency have been circulated to shipping companies with vessels stranded west of the waterway, according to MARISKS. In an alert issued on 20 April, MARISKS cautioned that unknown actors posing as Iranian authorities had contacted shipping companies, demanding payment in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Tether in exchange for transit “clearance.” According to the firm, the fraudulent message stated: “After providing the documents and assessing your eligibility by the Iranian Security Services, we will be able to determine the fee to be paid in cryptocurrency (BTC or USDT). Only then will your vessel be able to transit the strait unimpeded at the pre-agreed time.” MARISKS stressed that these messages are fraudulent and not issued by official Iranian entities. According to Reuters, there has been no immediate response from Tehran. MARISKS noted that at least one...
Smart Green Shipping: Wind must be recognised as ‘fuel’ pathway at IMO...
posted on: Apr 22, 2026
In an exclusive interview, Diane Gilpin, Founder and CEO of Smart Green Shipping (SGS), challenges the way wind propulsion is currently classified in maritime regulation. She argues that describing it as “energy efficiency” is misleading, as wind directly propels a vessel and should instead be recognised as a form of propulsive energy. She calls for wind to be formally recognised by the IMO as a fuel pathway, which would help correct inconsistencies in how wind propulsion is treated compared with fossil fuels and emerging alternative energy sources in the calculation of the attained GFI. Gilpin also questions the industry’s focus on “decarbonisation” as a framing of shipping’s challenge. She argues that ESG frameworks are less important than a broader shift in mindset towards sustainable business practice, including fuel security, energy independence, operational flexibility, and effective training. SAFETY4SEA: Smart Green Shipping has announced that the performance of the FastRig system has now...
IMO LEG 113 concludes with focus on due diligence in the ship registration system...
posted on: Apr 22, 2026
Credit: IMO / Flickr The hundred thirteenth session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Legal Committee (LEG 113) was held from the 13rd to the 17th of April 2026, with emphasis on improving transparency in ship registration and tackling the increasing misuse of flags. Initially, LEG 113 was informed that Belgium, Germany, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Sweden had deposited their instruments of ratification for the 2010 HNS Convention, bringing the treaty closer to entry into force as it has now surpassed the required threshold of twelve state parties. Under the next step, contracting parties are due to submit their HNS contributing cargo data to the IMO Secretariat by 31 May 2026. The Secretariat will then assess whether the minimum entry-into-force requirement of 40 million tonnes has been met. If this threshold is reached, the Convention could enter into force 18 months later, with 30 November 2027 being the...
IMO lays groundwork for GHG reduction mechanism talks...
posted on: Apr 22, 2026
Credit: Shutterstock The 21st session of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 21) is set to open at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), marking the start of a week of anticipated discussions on cutting emissions from global shipping. The meeting, scheduled to run from 20 to 24 April, is expected to bring together Member States and international organizations to consider a wide range of proposals aimed at supporting the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework. According to the Secretariat, the Group is set to review 42 submissions received ahead of the session. Key agenda items Development and revision of guidelines for the IMO net-zero framework Further development of the life cycle GHG assessment (LCA) framework Finalization of the fifth IMO GHG study terms of reference Consideration of the report to MEPC 84 Focus on fuel intensity and net-zero framework Delegates are expected discuss the development...
Ukraine Hits Two Russian Landing Ships at Port of Sevastopol...
posted on: Apr 22, 2026
Overnight Saturday, in a reprise of an earlier era in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a drone strike team from Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate hit two moored landing ships at the Port of Sevastopol, about 150 nautical miles from Ukrainian-controlled territory. While the operation would have been remarkable three years ago, this time the strike was overshadowed by Ukraine’s increasingly successful attacks on Russian petroleum infrastructure. The attack was noteworthy for its location: the Russian Navy previously pulled most of its assets out of Sevastopol because of severe Ukrainian drone and missile threats. Despite the known risk, two attractive targets – landing ships Yamal (a Project 775 Ropucha-class) and Nikolay Filchenkov (a Project 1171 Tapir-class) – were in port on Saturday. These ships are designed for amphibious assault, but Russia has primarily used its Black Sea amphibs for ferrying military supplies around the theater, from mainland Russia to the Kerch Strait to the Sea of Azov....
Kazi Sayed (44E) was promoted as Manager of the Solent Maritime and Research Technology Centre at Southampton Solent University...
posted on: Apr 20, 2026
Kazi Sayed (44E) was promoted as Manager of the Solent Maritime and Research Technology Centre at Southampton Solent University Heartiest congratulations to Kazi Sayed (44E) on his well-deserved promotion as Manager of the Solent Maritime and Research Technology Centre (SMART Centre) at Southampton Solent University. This remarkable achievement reflects his longstanding dedication to maritime education, technical innovation, and professional excellence. In his new role as Maritime and Research Technology Centre Manager, he will contribute significantly to advancing applied maritime engineering education under the South Coast Institute of Technology, a prestigious initiative supported by more than £13 million in funding from the UK Department for Education. The scale and ambition of this national-level project underline the importance of his appointment and the confidence placed in his leadership and expertise. The SMART Centre represents a forward-looking platform designed to prepare the next generation of maritime and engineering professionals through hands-on technical...
Traffic Confusion in the Strait of Hormuz
posted on: Apr 20, 2026
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X on April 17 that the Strait of Hormuz ‘is open for all commercial vessels for the remainder of the U.S.-brokered 10-day truce between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah agreed between Israel and Lebanon’. He said ships would need to follow the Iranian routing past Larak Island, which had been prescribed by Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation. Based on AIS data, it appears that there was a small increase in movements early afternoon, but by midnight traffic had eased off. Most traffic was sticking to Iranian waters on the eastern side of the approaches to the Strait. No traffic was seen using the internationally-recognized Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), but some ships were transiting the Strait on a direct east-west route through Omani waters close in to the Musandam peninsula, and through what Iran has designated a danger area. Amongst...
IEA Head Pitches Iraq-Turkey Pipeline To Bypass Hormuz...
posted on: Apr 20, 2026
By Selcan Hacaoglu Apr 19, 2026 (Bloomberg) –International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol proposed building a new oil pipeline linking Iraq’s Basra oil fields and Turkey’s Mediterranean oil terminal in Ceyhan to shift the balance away from the Strait of Hormuz, according to Turkish newspaper Hürriyet. “I believe a Basra–Ceyhan pipeline could be extremely attractive and a very important project for both Iraq and Turkey, as well as for regional supply security—especially from Europe’s perspective,” Birol said in an interview with Hürriyet, published on Sunday. “I also believe the financing issue can be overcome. Now is exactly the right time.” Iran on Saturday reimposed restrictions on vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, less than 24 hours after Tehran declared the waterway open to commercial ships. Several liquefied natural gas tankers reversed course while en route there after Iran warned ship captains that the vital channel was once again closed to maritime traffic....
Climate change presents major global health and drowning risks...
posted on: Apr 20, 2026
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), drowning is the “[third]-leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths”. Drowning is a serious and ignored global public health issue. Given the limited data available on its accurate scale, global estimates may significantly underestimate actual public health problems related to drowning. At the same time, climate change and increasing global temperatures are already affecting water access for people worldwide, causing more severe droughts, floods and severe weather conditions. In a bid to better understand the impact of climate change on global drowning risks, the International Drowning Researchers’ Alliance (IDRA) is developing a position paper based on presentations and discussions held at its ‘Drowning and Climate Change’ conference, which was held in Ireland in June 2022 and will be published later this year. As part of their research, IDRA will look at examples of how climate change has...
U.S.-Flagged Cargo Ship Goes Missing During Passage of Typhoon Sinlaku...
posted on: Apr 20, 2026
The U.S. Coast Guard reports that a small U.S.-flagged cargo ship went missing off the coast of Saipan during the passage of Super Typhoon Sinlaku. An upturned hull – not yet identified – was spotted Saturday morning at a position 100 nautical miles away. The Mariana is a U.S.-flagged offshore supply vessel repurposed for cargo and employed on a regular freight route between Guam, Tinian and Saipan. On the afternoon of April 11, as Sinlaku approached the islands, Mariana departed Saipan with six crewmembers aboard. She deviated from her usual itinerary, heading north – away from the path of the storm. Over the next few days, Mariana loitered on a circular loop to the east of the island, then resumed her northward track in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Courtesy USCG Courtesy Pole Star Global Mariana was under way at a position about 140 miles to the northwest of Saipan on Wednesday when her starboard engine failed,...
Greek, Indian Tankers U-Turn Before Hormuz Amid Reopening Doubt...
posted on: Apr 20, 2026
By Weilun Soon Apr 18, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Several oil tankers have u-turned in the Persian Gulf after appearing to try to transit the Strait of Hormuz, as shipowners and oil traders remain in a state of disarray as they try to figure out whether Iran would stick to its promise to keep the chokepoint open for all. The halted journeys of five Greek and Indian tankers early Saturday paint the first picture of how traffic is navigating through the energy artery, after Iran’s foreign minister said on Friday that it was completely open. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency later reported that the passage will still be closed if a US naval blockade was still in effect. The Greek and Indian tankers had all made their journeys northeast toward Hormuz from waters off Dubai, filled with crude, before they began turning around on Saturday morning. Some are now idled in locations not far from where they...
Featured Post
Industry on alert over scam messages offering ships “safe passage” on Hormuz Credit: Shutterstock Fraudulent messages offering safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency have been circulated to shipping companies with vessels stranded west of the waterway, according to MARISKS. In an alert issued on 20 April, MARISKS cautioned that unknown actors posing as Iranian authorities had contacted […]
The ‘Cadet Gridlock’ in Bangladesh’s Maritime Sector: A Sorrowful Story of Wasted Potential The ‘Cadet Gridlock’ in Bangladesh’s Maritime Sector: A Sorrowful Story of Wasted Potential By Minar Rashid 21E On 15 November, the BMCS Gala Night 2025 was held at Singapore’s Orchid Country Club. With the vibrant participation of hundreds of Bangladeshi mariners and their families, the event became a remarkable reunion […]
JOB SITES
CONTENTS
LINKS
Happy New Year
