Welcome 2010

The entire Amver team wishes you a prosperous and happy New Year! We hope 2010 brings the return of better shipping, safer seas, and an increase in the number of vessels enrolling in Amver.

Happy New Year!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Welcome Wednesday!

As 2009 comes to a close we welcome some of the last enrollees in the Amver system. From everyone at Amver to our extended maritime family we wish you a safe and prosperous new year. Here are the latest members of our search and rescue system.

• STENA PRIMORSK
• STELLA
• BANDAI III
• FASSA
• MAERSK DISCOVERER
• STOLT GROENLAND
• LOWLANDS JULIAN
• STELLAR DAISY
• JINDAL TARA
• JPO DORADO
• STAR PRIDE
• MSC CAMEROUN
• CHALLENGE PEARL
• RIVER WISDOM
• ELLENITA
• NAVIOS PHOENIX
• CARIBBEAN ORCHID
• COSTA SERENA
• CHAMPION PROSPERITY
• GULF JALMUDA
• BUNGA ALAMANDA
• EIDE TRADER
• ANDEAN
• OCEAN CHARIOT
• WESTERN OSLO
• OOCL NAGOYA
• HK DELIGHT
• GECO BLUEFIN
  

We look forward to even more ships joining the Amver ranks in 2010!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Season's Greetings from Amver

Welcome Wednesday

Happy Holidays from Amver. It's the week of Christmas and the best gift we could receive is another group of ships enrolling! Don't forget the mariners under way. Let's welcome the following vessels:

• BRAVERUS
• FRATERNITY
• DOLFINJGRACHT
• CHAVIN QUEEN
• OSAKA CAR
• THOR GALAXY
• USHUAIA
• DOROTHY ANN
• GRIGORPAN
• OCEAN PLUTO
• MYRTOS
• CPO FINLAND
• ALGOA
• EMPIRE TULANG BAWANG
• MONT
• ALPINE MINUTE
• TENCA ARROW
• CONTI
• TINERFE
• HONGBO
• HELEN BOLTEN
• OVERSEAS CASCADE
• HIGH PEARL
• UBC MIAMI
• AP SVETI VLAHO
• BERGE LYNGOR
• BELSTAR
• GECO SCORPIO
• CHAITALI PREM
• SUPER STAR
• VAN ORCHID
• MOL SPARKLE
• COS CHERRY
  
• FINNMARKEN

Thank you for enrolling your vessels. We hope to see your ship's name here in the coming year.

Photo credit: Fotolia

Update- Amver Ship Adrift Off Alaska

Captain C. Thanga Swamy, master of the APJ Suryavir, reported to Amver his crew had made repairs to the ship's engines and were no longer in distress. "Please cancel below distress message sent earlier, vessel no longer in distress, normal working resumed..." said the Captain.

The APJ Suryavir reported there were adrift approximately 540 miles south of Adak, Alaska when the weather became very rough and they stated they may have to abandon ship. While the Coast Guard launched a C-130 aircraft, the Amver participating container ship Maersk Altair was also diverted to assist if necessary.

The crew of the APJ Suryavir remains in contact with Coast Guard search and rescue authorities.

12 Days Of Nautical Gifts

Our colleagues at Coast Guard Headquarters recently sent out a feature release highlighting the Coast Guard's gift ideas for the 12 nautical days of Christmas. In case you missed that release here are the suggestions for the mariner you may be shopping for.

1. A marine GPS navigation system
2. A properly registered 406 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)
3. A Coast Guard approved life jacket
   
4. A hand held VHF-FM radio
5. A Boating Safety Course
6. A free Vessel Safety Check from the Coast Guard Auxiliary
7. A Coast Guard approved fire extinguisher
8. A first aid kit in a watertight container
   
9. A seamanship book
10. Nautical charts
11. A signaling kit
12. A life raft with a survival kit

What's on Amver's holiday list?

• More vessels enrolling
• More vessels reporting (download the Amver user's manual)
• More awards ceremonies
• More lives saved

What's on your holiday wish list?

Photo credit: Fotolia

Amver Ship Racing To Assit Vessel Adrift Off Alalska

Yesterday the 738 foot bulker APJ Suryavir reported to United States Coast Guard rescue authorities they had lost all power and were adrift in rough weather approximately 540 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska. Search and rescue personnel immediately launched a Coast Guard C-130 aircraft and diverted the Amver ship Maersk Altair.

While the master and crew of the APJ Suryavir prepared to abandon ship it appears, according to communications from the ship, that the engines have been restarted and the vessel is under its own power.

We will keep you updated.

Photo credit: Fotolia

U.S. Embassy & Korean Shipowners' Host Amver Awards Ceremony

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul and the Korean Shipowner's Association hosted an Amver awards ceremony in Seoul, Korea on Monday December 14, 2009. There were 51 Korean ships earning awards, representing 15 companies.

Mr. Mark Tokola, Deputy Chief of Mission, United States Embassy Seoul, gave the keynote address to the award recipients and other attendees. United States Coast Guard International Port Security liaison to South Korea, Lieutenant Commander Patricia Springer, represented the Coast Guard.

Award recipients included the Dong Jin Shipping Company, EUKOR Car Carriers, Haeyoung Maritime Services Company, Hanjin Ship Management Company, Hanjin Shipping Company, Hyundai Merchant Marine Company, Korea Line Corporation, Laurus Ship Management Company, SH Marine, ShippingBank Company, SK Shipping Company, STX Pan Ocean Company, Vesta Shipping Company, and Wilhelmsen Ship Management (Korea).

Congratulations to the Award winners! Amver also thanks the Korean Shipowner's Association for their dedication to ensuring no call for help goes unanswered and we look forward to having an even greater number of Korean vessels enroll in Amver and earn awards.

Photo credit: LCDR Patricia Springer

Vive Amver! Final Update On Bermuda Rescue

Three French sailors will be home for the holidays after being rescued from their capsized sailboat 600 miles east northeast of Bermuda early Sunday morning December 13, 2009. Fortunately the yachtsmen were well prepared with survival equipment and a 406 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, or EPIRB.

The French trio first encountered trouble when their 40 foot sailboat, F Et Mer, capsized the evening of December 12th. According to survivor reports, they sent a distress signal but were unable to deploy the lifeboat due to damage sustained in the capsize.

Rescue officials, having received the distress beacon's signal, requested the Bahamian flagged cargo ship Wellington Star to divert and steam towards the last known position of the F Et Mer. Captain Eduard Rogov, master of the Amver participating cargo ship, was only 92 miles from the location of the French sailors when he set a course to rescue them.

Once Captain Rogov was on the scene he quickly saw the yacht had also suffered a broken mast, damaged rudder, and hull damage. "They were taking on water at about five gallons an hour," said Captain Rogov. "The weather and night conditions complicated the rescue. I estimated the winds to be Force 9 on the Beaufort Scale [47-54 mph] with waves in excess of 26 feet," he added.

Despite the challenging conditions, Captain Rogov's crew was able to rescue all three Frenchmen. The crew of the Wellington Star quickly evaluated their condition and gave them dry clothes and food. The Wellington Star is managed by Dobson Fleet Management Ltd of Cyprus.

"The Coast Guard provides the technology to coordinate the Amver alerts, but it is the commitment of our partners in the commercial shipping community that makes this program successful," said Rear Admiral Wayne Justice, Commander of the United States Coast Guard's Fifth District and the command center responsible for coordinating the rescue.

The fate of the sailboat was not as fortunate. The F Et Mer was left adrift and marked as a hazard to navigation. The survivors were taken to the Wellington Star's next port call, New Bedford, MA where there were met by U.S. officials to help them return home.

Photo credit: crew of the M/V Wellington Star

Related articles by Zemanta

• USCG Releases Top 11 Rescue Videos of 2009 (gcaptain.com)
• 80-year-old sailor rescued in Gulf of Mexico (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Welcome Wednesday!

It's nice to see ships continue to enroll in the Amver system during the holiday season. It gives us a sense of giving back and thankfulness. We are thankful that you feel it is important to make yourselves available to assist mariners in distress, even if that means missing a port call. We know your participation could cost you money. That's the gift you give us and the maritime community. What impact does Amver have on safety at sea? All you have to do is read about rescues like this or this to know Amver has a significant positive impact on safety at sea.

Because this is the season of celebration why don't we celebrate the latest members of the Amver family.

• DOUBLE ROC
• OASIS OF THE SEAS
• SETAGAWA
• CORONA OPTIMUM
• CAPE DAWSON
• UBC TARRAGONA
• NORDISLE
• MUSANAH
• UMM SLAL
• COREOCEAN OL
• SAMSON SUPPLIER
• BULK
• VOGE DIGNITY
• APL WASHINGTON
• INCE ANADOLU
• NORGAS CATHINKA
• STARLING
• SKANDI SANTOS
• STEN BERGEN
• CALY MANX
• SUNSHINE STATE
• MOL EMISSARY
• ZHU JIANG
• UBC MONTREAL

Thank you for enrolling and have a happy and safe holiday!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Related articles by Zemanta

• Antarctic nations to toughen shipping controls (msnbc.msn.com)
• Arctic ships could face greenhouse gas restrictions (cbc.ca)
• Ships tracked with smart software (news.bbc.co.uk)

Amver Container Ship Assists Fishing Vessel

The Amver participating container ship ACX Diamond was diverted by United States Coast Guard rescue authorities to assist a disabled fishing vessel approximately 100 miles northwest of the island of Ponape on October 4, 2009.


The NFC Chuuk adrift approximately 100 miles northwest of Ponape

The ACX Diamond, a Singapore flagged container ship, was on a voyage from New Zealand to Toxyo when rescue authorities in Guam contacted the ship about a distress beacon approximately 136 miles from their location. The Diamond was diverted because it participates in the Amver search and rescue system. It enrolled in July, 2009.

Captain Carino, master of the Diamon, ordered the crew to sail to the distress location and prepare for rescue operations. After eight hours the Diamond arrived alongside the fishing vessel NFC Chuuk dead in the water. " We had been adrift for four days with main engine troubles and no spare parts," said Fabian Maithay, Captain of the NFC Chuuk.


The crew of the ACX Diamond prepares for rescue operations

After coming alongside the Chuuk, Captain Carino's crew determined repairs were impossible and towed the vessel towards the FSS Independence which had been dispatched by rescue authorities to complete the rescue. All seven crewmen of the NFC Chuuk were in good health.


The fishing vessel NFC Chuuk under tow by the ACX Diamond

Photo credit: Crew of the ACX Diamond

Chinese Ships Receive Amver Awards

We were honored and proud to host an Amver awards ceremony on December 2, 2009 at the Marintec Shipping Exhibition in Shanghai, China to recognize 15 Chinese ships participating in the Amver search and rescue system.

The Hebei Ocean Shipping Company’s Safety Department Manager, Captain Li Bing,
was on hand to receive the award on behalf of their vessel Sea Glory. The Sea Glory
earned its first Amver award for making itself available to assist in maritime emergencies
at least 128 days in 2008.


Captain Li Bing (left) receives the blue Amver pennant from Benjamin Strong, Amver director, and United States Coast Guard liaison to China, Captain George Vance.

HOSCO wasn’t alone in earning this coveted safety award. China LNG Shipping
Company, China Shipping Development Company, COSCO, Dalian Ocean Shipping
Company, East Sunrise Ship Management, Bernhard Schulte Ship Management (China)
Company, and the Shanghai Marukichi Ship Management Company earned awards for a
total of 51 years of participation in the only global voluntary search and rescue system.

The United States Coast Guard Liaison to China, Captain George Vance, was on hand to
tout the U.S. Coast Guard’s and China’s recent collaborations. In addition to Captain
Vance, Donghai Rescue Bureau Director General Captain Sun FuMin and Shanghai
Maritime Safety Administration Vice Director Shang Wei were on hand to congratulate the
award winners.

We hope more Chinese ships enroll in Amver and we look forward to attending Marintec 2011 to host another awards ceremony!

Photo credit: USCG photo by Beverly Howard

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]">

Video Of Amver Rescue Near Bermuda

As promised we have an update on the Amver rescue of three French sailors 600 miles east northeast of Bermuda. Below is video from the United States Coast Guard C-130 aircraft. The video shows the difficult nature of these rescues and the bravery of both the crew of the rescue ship, Wellington Star, and the survivors.

The survivors should arrive in New Bedford, Mass in the coming days.




Video credit: USCG video prepared by PA2 Kendrick, taken by USCG Air Station Elizabeth City C-130 crew

French Sailors Rescued

Amver has learned of a recent rescue of 3 French sailors 600 miles east northeast of Bermuda. The United States Coast Guard Fifth District Public Affairs office reported the rescue early Sunday morning December 13, 2009.

The Amver participating M/V Wellington Star answered the call for assistance. With assistance from a United States Coast Guard C-130 aircraft from Air Station Elizabeth City, rescued the sailors and is enroute with them to their next port of call in New Bedford, Mass.

We will keep you updated on the rescue operation and provide photos as soon as we receive them.

Marintec 2009

Amver had the pleasure of exhibiting and hosting an awards ceremony at the Marintec All China Maritime Exhibition in Shanghai, China this month. Below is a video recap of the events.

Polish Amver Ship Rescues 2

A Florida yachtsman and his Peruvian partner are happy to be back on dry land after being rescued from their sunken sailboat on Saturday December 5, 2009 by a Polish cargo ship.

The sailors, on a journey from Mexico to Costa Rica, abandoned their sailboat approximately 150 miles west of Costa Rica and activated their emergency beacon. Costa Rican and United States Coast Guard rescue authorities began an intensive search effort including diverting several Amver ships.

The cargo ship Kociewie, managed by the Polish shipping company Polska Zegluga Morska, located the survivors about 5 miles away from the sinking sailboat. The Kociewie, an Amver participant, was sailing from Korea to Balboa, Panama when they were requested to divert. The tankers Singapore Star and Chembulk Minneapolis, along with the cargo ship Hanjin Atlanta, were also diverted to assist.

According to rescue authorities the winds at the scene were over 20 knots and waves were between 8 and 10 feet when the master of the 38,000 dwt Kociewie hoisted the two sailors from their raft. "The survivors were uninjured and safe," reported the crew of the Bahamian flagged cargo ship as they steamed toward Panama.

The survivors were met by Panamanian authorities when they arrived in Balboa on December 7, 2009 and the Kociewie continued on to Barcelona, Spain.

The Kociewie enrolled in the Amver program on November 10, 2009. This is the first time it has been requested by the United States Coast Guard to perform search and rescue operations.

Photo credit: Polska Zegluga Morska

Welcome Wednesday!

37; that's the number of new vessels enrolled in the Amver system in the past week. These 37 ships are adding to the increasing number of vessels on the daily plot. Don't think enrolling doesn't mean your vessel won't be called upon to help. In one case an Amver ship was called upon to rescue a yachtsman 5 days after enrolling! In the meantime please help us welcome the latest additions to the Amver family.

• AL SOOR II
• GLYFADA I
• ARIETTA
• VAN ORCHID
• ZARUMA
• QUEEN SAPPHIRE
• MAERSK HERITAGE
• DISCOVERER INSPIRATION
• TANGO
• TRITON BULKER
• SONGA HAWK
• DOUBLE STAR
• GEMINI S
• STAR MANX
• VICTORIA KOSAN
• V8 STEALTH
• ZOSCO SHAOXING
• XI
• F.D. ISABELLA
• NORD TRUST
• MOONRAY
• CSAV RIO ITATA
• SOHAR LNG
• YAMATOGAWA
• GUARDIAN LEADER
• MARUBA AMERICA
• CLIPPER TALENT
• GDF SUEZ NEPTUNE
• TIWAI POINT
• NYK VERONICA
• HOEGH ST. PETERSBURG
• FRONTIER
• FURGO GEMINI
• POSH MULIA
• ILENAO
• DANZIGERGRACHT
• JIN XING

Thank you for enrolling and we look forward to receiving your Amver messages!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Waterblogged!

Our good friend Barbara Patton has outdone herself over at CG Scuttlebutt. One of her latest cartoons features the Amver team. Barbara doesn't mince words and has a fun time with Amver's social media endeavors. We hope you laugh as hard as we did. Thanks Barbara!

Welcome Wednesday mobile version!

Greetings from Shanghai, China and the Marintec maritime exhibition. Despite some challenges in blogging we have found a work around and are pleased to be able to send our weekly feature via SMS/text messaging!

31 ships have enrolled in the Amver system in the last week on the heels of another Amver ship being seized by Somali pirates.

Please extend a warm welcome to
- GASCHEM ATLANTIC
- BUNGA AKASIA
- PLEIADES LEADER
- PLATINUM EMERALD
- NAVIG8 FAITH
- KIYI
- ATLANTIC SYMPHONY
- ORION TRADER
- NYK SILVIA
- SEACOR MASTER
- IS TRINITY
- DUBAI GLAMOUR
- BERG
- CLIPPER ICHIBAN
- EVER PRIDE
- UASC SAMARRA
- VADELA
- GEM OF KANDLA
- TENKO MARU
- SAKURA HARMONY
- OCEAN AUTUMN
- NAVIOUS ARMONIA
- C YOUNG
- GLOUCESTER
- ERIN SCHULTE
- PORT SHANGHAI
- DEN SWIFT
- TASMAN PATHFINDER
- GRAN COUVA
- MOMI ARROW

We are glad these vessels are part of the Amver family.

Another Record!

Can you believe it! Amver has reached another record. On Saturday November 28 there were 3,758 ships on plot for a 24 hour period. That is the greatest number of Amver ships available to assist those in distress in our 51 year history and it wouldn't be possible without the support of the shipping community.

Thank you!

Amver Tanker Seized By Pirates

Amver is blogging from Marintec maritime exhibition in Shanghai, China. we are facing some challenges sharing our story on the blog but have a rough solution that should allow us to get our word out to you.

Our situation is far less perilous than the crew of the Greek flagged tanker Maran Centauras. The Amver participating ship was seized by Somali pirates earlier this week.

Keep the crew in your thoughts and prayers. we will do our best to keep you updated on this incident.

See You In China!

Will you be at Marintec 2009? Amver will be exhibiting and holding an Amver awards ceremony. We are excited to engage our Chinese, and other Asian, partners and hope you will take some time to introduce yourself. We look forward to seeing you in Shanghai!

Photo credit: Benjamin Strong

Welcome Wednesday!

As the year winds down and we begin to focus on family gatherings, holidays, and shopping we shouldn't forget the mariner. Most mariners don't get the holidays off and spend their time sailing from port to port. It's the mariner, however, who brings us our holiday joy. If not for the people of the commercial maritime industry how would our Tickle Me Elmo dolls or Nintendo Wiis get to our homes?

In that light let's welcome the latest members of the Amver family. 21 additional ships have enrolled in the system.

• NORD TRUST
• MAGNY COURS EXPRESS
• JEWEL OF NIPPON
• BW THAMES
• JUPITER LEADER
• SOUTHERN EXPRESS
• UASC KHOR FAKKAN
• XIN JIN HAI
• LADY MARITE
• MALBEC
• NAVIG8 STRENGTH
• HAI SOON 28
• F.D. ISABELLA
• CAPE CANARY
• URALS STAR
• GRAND HOLIDAY
• ALAM MANIS
• PACIFIC GALAXY
• TOSCANA
• ZEUS I
• ASEEM
  

Amver is preparing to exhibit and hold an Awards ceremony in China. If you are headed to Marintec please be sure to stop by our booth. We look forward to more Chinese ships enrolling in the Amver system.

Photo credit: Fotolia

Indonesian Ferry Incidents

Two recent ferry tragedies in Indonesia underscore the continued need for Amver. MSNBC reports over 240 people have been rescued after one ferry sank of Sumatra. The other ferry ran aground with no loss of life.

These incidents demonstrate the need for coordinated mass rescue plans and resources. The United States Coast Guard Office of Search and Rescue has a robust Mass Rescue Operations program. The program focuses on passenger vessel safety as well as natural disaster incidents that may result in large scale evacuations. Thankfully, the Mass Rescue program and industry have collaborated and exercised the response to passenger vessel incidents.

Planning for such incidents as a ferry sinking doesn't change the fact that you may need more resources to rescue survivors than you typically have. That's where Amver can have a major impact. First, however, your organization needs to know how to request Amver data. You can read how your RCC requests Amver data here. Not sure what an Amver surface picture is? You can learn more about what an Amver surface picture (SURPIC) is here.

The Amver system isn't just a United States Coast Guard system. It is designed and maintained for the world. Recognizing you need additional help isn't an admission of defeat and requesting Amver information isn't an admission your response assets are sub par. Amver acts as a force multiplier increasing the likelihood maritime accident survivors will be rescued alive.

Have your rescue authorities used Amver successfully? Tell us about it.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Huge waves sink Indonesian ferry with hundreds aboard (thestar.com)
• 15 dead after Indonesian ferry sinks in heavy storm (ctv.ca)

USCG Innovation Expo 2009

Amver had the distinct pleasure of exhibiting at the 2009 United States Coast Guard Innovation Expo in Virginia Beach, VA this week. In addition to the expo, Amver participated in podcampUSCG, the first military podcamp of its kind. You can learn more about podcampUSCG by checking out the wiki. Want to hear what went on at podcamp? Stop by the Weekly Leader podcast for an audio recap.

Amver will be heading to Marintec China in Shanghai for our next adventure and Amver awards ceremony. See you in China!

Welcome Wednesday!

Whew! We sure have been busy traveling but that hasn't stopped ships from enrolling in Amver. Is your ship listed below? It should be. Simply enter your pertinent vessel information on the Amver enrollment page and you can be part of the greatest global search and rescue system around. Help us in welcoming the latest members of the Amver team.

• TAITAR NO. 1
• ISLAND PIONEER
• GLORIOUS SAWARA
• ZOSCO JIAXING
• CMA CGM CORNEILLE
• GAS GROUPER
• MOON LADY
• WEN ZHU HAI
• EUGEN MAERSK
• BOS ATLANTIC
• FORTUNE SUNNY
• EXQUISITE
• STOLT AGUILA
• AMERICAN COURAGE
• NORD IMAGINATION
• BELGRAVIA
• STELLA KUMA
• MEDI PAESTUM
• GOTLAND SOFIA
• USHUAIA
• ID NORTH SEA
• A.B. 2000
• OVERSEAS SKOPELOS
• HANSA AUGUSTENBURG
• MAERSK NIMES
• FINNANGER
• LOUISA BOLTEN
• GLOBAL PEACE
• AS VICTORIA
• GAS SNAPPER
• SESTAO KNUTSEN
• MATHILDE MAERSK
• UASC JEDDAH
• HOUSTON
• SONJA C
• GULF CRYSTAL
• METEORA
• ELANS
• CAPTAIN VANGELIS L
• MARAN SAGITTA
• BUNGA KERAYONG
• RBD FIUGGI
• TORM LANA
• SICHEM PALACE
• FIRST OCEAN
• MUNTEBORG
• DEEP OCEAN ASCENSION
• GULF FANATIR
• DOUBLE WIN
• JULIE DELMAS
• MEDI HONG KONG
• KOCIEWIE
• ISLAND GREEN
• TINSDAL
• AEGEAN WAVE
• QUEEN EXPRESS
• ORIENT TARGET
• C H S MAGNIFICENCE
• SEYCHELLES PARADISE
• MODALWAN
• ATHENS HIGHWAY
• XIN OU ZHOU

Welcome and thank you for helping contribute to safety at sea!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Podcamp, Innovation, Rescue

There is lots of great news happening with Amver we will be sharing in the next few days. We are hosting podcampUSCG, attending the Innovation Expo, an catching up on rescues. Stand by for more stories!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Arctic Council Meeting in Copenhagen

Amver will be part of the US delegation attending the Emergency Prevention, Preparesness, and Response Work Group meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Topics up for discussion include responses to oil spills, radiological incidents, and other natural or man made disasters.

We will be advocating the use of the Amver system by vessels sailing through Arctic waters and promoting the Amver online surface picture request form. Encouraging our international search and rescue partners to use Amver helps provide addition resources during SAR emergencies.

What question would you ask if you had a seat at the table?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

iPhone Applications for Amver?

While we don't have an Amver application for the iPhone (yet) gCaptain recently posted a great article that had 10 useful iPhone apps for those adrift at sea. The applications were:

1. Sextant
2. StarMap Pro
3. Traveling Companion-True Compass
4. Sunrise
5. Tide Tables
6. NOAA Raster Charts
7. Foreca.mobi World Weather
8. 1st Response Emergency Kit
9. Emergency Beacon
10. Ship It!

What's the best piece of equipment to have aboard your vessel if you end up in distress? An EPIRB of course, how else will search and rescue authorities and Amver ships find you?

Photo credit: mattjb

Welcome Wednesday!

23 vessels have enrolled in Amver in the past week. It is encouraging to see the interest increase while the number of vessels on the water decreases. The owners and crews of these vessels know the value of Amver, both to those that need to be rescued and the vessels coordinated during rescues.

Imagine if your ship hears a request for assistance or a distress call. Through the coordinated efforts of search and rescue authorities and Amver only the best resources are sent to assist. If you are part of the Amver system you are part of the coordinated response. If you aren't part of Amver system you risk not being part of the big picture. Why not take the time today and enroll your ship in the only global search and rescue system?

In the meantime help us welcome the following new partners:

• SHIN KOYRU
• HELLESPONT CHALLENGER
• SUSANA S
• BARETNS SEA
• MEDI FIRENZE
• CAPE NATI
• HOWARD OLSEN
• OCEAN SUPPLY I
• TRITON ACE
• LEONIDAS
• MADARIN SKY
• BAYLEAF
• SUVARNA KALASH
• PLANCIUS
• NORTHERN PRIORITY
• HANDY WIND
• PEDHOULAS MERCHANT
• SELENKA
• OOCL NEW ZEALAND
• NIKATOR
• NORTHERN JAVELIN
• DD VIGOR

Thank you for committing your ships to safety at sea!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Update On Weather Observations From NOAA

Image via Wikipedia

Amver wants to pass along this information we received from our partners at NOAA. Their is a new and more streamlined E-mail address for ships to use to submit their weather observations. Please start sharing SHIPOBS@NOAA.GOV to all your ships that may be using the NOAA email process for submitting their ship observations and assist them in converting from our initial webship@inetsrv email address. This updated address allows routing redundancies to ensure receipt and processing within the NWS Telecommunication Gateway and onto the GTS.

It also allows the emailed ship observations to be shared with the USCG and the Amver program so all position reports are captured thus improving SOLAS support.

REMINDER - The observation MUST BE in the body of the email and it should be in TEXT format (NO HTML if possible - although scrubbing can occur - its just slows routing process down a bit) Ensure an equal sign (=) is affixed to the end of the message to tell the computers end of transmission.

Additional information on the Voluntary Weather Observation program can be found here.

P & I Club Hikes?

Tradewinds reported, in the 30 October edition, the largest protection and indemnity (P&I) club-Norway based Gard- is not seeking a rate increase come the February renewal.

Despite a reported increase in piracy it seems claims are either leveling out or the clubs are rife with cash. Regardless of the situation, Amver ships insured by Gard are probably grateful rates will hold.

What are the chances the other clubs will follow suite?

Arm Ships Crews?

Lloyd's List recently ran an interesting editorial in their blog section. As piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden increase, the debate on whether to arm crews aboard merchant vessels continues.

While members of the Nautilus International Union favor arming crews, most bodies oppose the notion. What do you, the Amver community, think of the idea of carrying guns on ships?


Photo credit: Auraelius

Related articles by Zemanta

• World pirate attacks surge in 2009 due to Somalia (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Maritime Piracy: Up, Down or Sideways? (paul.kedrosky.com)

Say A Prayer For Our Guardians

Today a United States Coast Guard C-130 crashed into the Pacific Ocean during a search and rescue mission. A Marine Corps helicopter was also lost. The two aircraft reportedly collided.

Nine crew members are missing and the search is on in earnest. Coast Guard C-130 aircraft often work closely with Amver ships, helping direct them to distress locations.

Nine families will not have someone come home tonight. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Related articles by Zemanta

• 9 missing after Coast Guard, Marine aircraft collide (ctv.ca)
• Plane, copter collide off California coast; 9 missing (cnn.com)
• Copter and Coast Guard Plane Collide (nytimes.com)

Hostage Britsh Couple Contacted By Reporters

The British couple recently captured by Somali pirates were recently interviewed and gave a first hand account of their capture. They are currently being held on a Singapore container ship. It is unclear if that ship is an Amver participant.

Fake Ship?

The Off Course section of the October 23 edition of Tradewinds reported Canadian authorities had detained a ship with a false International Maritime Organization Number.

The ship, Oceanlady, was boarded by Canadian authorities off the coast of British Columbia the paper reported. It is believed there are 76 Sri Lankan Tamils aboard. Authorities do not know where the ship came from.

The IMO number is supposedly 7732349 but that number doesn't exist.

Are counterfeit IMO numbers common? Have any readers or Amver participants heard of this before?

We are trying a new feature where we can blog using our mobile phone. We will update links as soon as we can.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Welcome Wednesday!

39 ships enrolled in Amver in the past week. That's the good news. But take a look at t his chart and you can see that Amver enrollment is actually down this year compared to last year. There is a chance that it will pick up and at least meet last year's record of 1,596 enrollments. Is it a symptom of the declining economy? Perhaps.

Maybe the data shows the run up of ships during the shipping boom. Amver data may not be the correct set to show the rise and decline of the economy but we thought it was interesting to take a look at.

Regardless of how Amver stacks up to previous years we want to be sure to recognize our latest participants. So here they are. Welcome to Amver!

• UASC DOHA
• NORD LUNA
• BEACON SW BULKER
• PORGY
• MARAN PENELOPE
• SUN BIRD
• CMA CGM MOLIERE
• JPO VELA
• VENERE
• JNOS
• PHILLINE SCHULTE
• SKANDI OLYMPIA
• BOW SINGAPORE
• HOW ASIA
• ALPINE MYSTERY
• BAY ISLANDER
• CMA CGM OPAL
  
• NARODNY BRIDGE
• ARSOS
• MSC STELLA
• SKANDI FALCON
• SHIRARA
• AOM JULIA
• PLEIADES DREAM
• CAPE VIOLET
• KESARIA
• TSURUGA
• GAN-VALOUR
• PISCES
• GULF DEFFI
• HIGH EFFICIENCY
• IKAN TERBANG
• CMB CORALIE
• ORIENT HOPE
• UASC JUBAIL
• ALPINE EMMA
• UNI-PROBITY

You could see your ship's name here. Enroll today and be part of something greater, something global, something dedicated to safety at sea.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Chinese ship collides with Belgian cargo vessel (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Japan warship collides with commercial vessel (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Last Titanic Survivor Laid To Rest

Image via Wikipedia

The BBC reports Millvina Dean, the youngest survivor of the Titanic tragedy and last living survivor, had her ashes scattered at berth 43/44 where the liner left Southampton on its maiden voyage. Dean passed away earlier this year. She was only 9 weeks old when she set sail on the ill fated liner and 97 when she passed away.

It was the Titanic disaster that was the driving force behind the formation of the Amver search and rescue system. Originally designed to track vessels in the North Atlantic, today Amver has over 19,000 ships enrolled and provides search and rescue services around the world. Over 3,700 ships report each day to the Amver system ensuring no call for help goes unanswered.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Memorial service held for Millvina Dean, last survivor of the Titanic (netnewsdaily.com)
• Titantic memorial cruise announced for 2012 (gadling.com)
• Memorial cruise to trace Titanic's route (cnn.com)

Amver Awards In Hong Kong

On October 13, U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong Economic/Political Chief Martin Murphy presented awards to Hong Kong ship owners and ship managers on behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard for their continued participation in Amver. 325 Hong Kong ships earned Amver awards and over 60 members of Hong Kong's maritime industry attended this Hong Kong Ship Owners Association (HKSOA)-sponsored awards ceremony. Enjoy these photos of the event. Our thanks to Jose Sandoval, Economic Officer, for sending the pictures.


ConGen Hong Kong EP Chief Martin Murphy Delivers Amver Remarks.


HKSOA Chairman and Anglo-Eastern Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Peter Cremers, presents a gift to U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong Economic/Political Chief Martin Murphy at the Amver awards ceremony.



Wallem Shipmanagement Ltd. received a pewter plate for the 20-year participation of one of its vessels, Lysaker; award accepted by Wallem's Capt. C.P. Subramanian.


Anglo-Eastern Ship Management Ltd. received a globe for the 25-year Amver participation of its box-ship Endurance; award accepted by Anglo-Eastern's Mr. V.K. Gupta.

Your vessel can earn Amver awards once you are enrolled. How do you do that? Read this, that's how.

Photo credit: U.S. Consulate Hong Kong

B-52 Bombers At Sea?

Image via Wikipedia

National Defense Magazine recently reported that the United States Air Force is using B-52 bombers to monitor suspicious vessels approaching U.S. ports. According to the June 2009 report, the planes have flown several missions to take pictures of ships approaching U.S. waters.

The article also described the debate over LRIT and AIS. The Government Accountability Office questioned (link to pdf) whether these two systems were redundant. One thing most mariners can agree on is that you can't have too many systems in place when it comes to safety at sea. That is why Amver, despite being 51 years old, continues to see record numbers of vessels on plot.

What do you think? Is too much attention being placed on maritime surveillance and too little on safety?