Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Welcome Wednesday!

It's time to recognize a commitment to Amver, to safety at sea. 34 more vessels have made the commitment, volunteering to ensure no call for help goes unanswered. We're thankful these vessels crews have made the choice to join and assist in maritime emergencies. Have you enrolled yet? If not, why? In the meantime, help us welcome the latest members.
  • ALAED
  • ALMI GALAXY
  • CABALLOW BENITOR
  • CENTRANS RHEA
  • DESERT MOON
  • EDWIN
  • EMMA SCHULTE
  • EQUINOX ACGANDOUSSA
  • FPMC 30
  • FRONTIER ROSE
  • HD STEADFAST
  • J. BETTER
  • LAN HAI ZHAO YANG
  • MARIETTA
  • MASTERS FORCE II
  • MSC BARCELONA
  • NAVIGATOR LIBRA
  • NORD SAKURA
  • OCEAN ENERGY
  • ORIENT JASMIN
  • PACIFIC GARNET
  • PELEUS
  • PINK STARS
  • POWER
  • SANTA TERESA
  • SOLINA
  • SYMI
  • TAIPOWER PROSPERITY VIII
  • TORRENT
  • TRIWONG VENTURE
  • TYSLA
  • U NOBLE
  • YM ENHANCER
Photo credit: Fotolia

Monday, February 27, 2012

Amver cruise ship rescues 3 fishermen

The Amver participating cruise ship Seabourn Odyssey recently rescued three fishermen adrift in the Pacific for three weeks.

According to a report in USA Today, the trio had been surviving on rain water and their catch of fish after running out of fuel. The disabled boat was 150 miles southwest of Pago Pago when the Seabourn Odyssey bridge crew noticed the boat on the horizon and deviated towards the boat. According to the Seabourn blog, the fishermen waved their shirts when they saw the cruise ship approaching. The ship deployed one of its rescue boats and, after determining that they were no threat, rescued three fishermen who had been lost at sea for nearly three weeks! The crew transferred them to the rescue boat and took them to the ship, where they were immediately checked out by the ship’s doctor. While they were dehydrated, hungry and had a few skin sores from the sun, the three men were in surprisingly good health considering they had been drifting at sea for weeks.

The Seabourn Odyssey enrolled in the Amver system in 2010. Bravo Zulu to Captain Mark Dexter and the crew for ensuring no call for help goes unanswered!

Photo credit: Seabourn Blog


Thursday, February 23, 2012

IMO & US Coast Guard urge protection of Titanic wreck

The International Maritime Organization, at the request of the United States Coast Guard, has issued a circular urging the maritime community to refrain from certain activities in waters around the Titanic wreck site.

Commercial vessels transiting near the wreck are requested to-
  1. Refrain from discharging garbage, blackwater, graywater, and any other incidental discharges to the operation of a vessel within 10 nautical miles of the R.M.S. Titanic wreck site, defined by coordinates in the official document, or, within 15 nautical miles up-current of the same points in the circular.
  2. Concentrate any drop weights or other materials necessary for the normal descent and ascent of submersible craft in four specific areas around the wreck site; defined as the areas within 100 meters of coordinates in the circular.
  3. Utilize biodegradable materials such as cloth for drop weight bags and for other items that must be left on the bottom during normal submersible operations.
  4. Refrain from installing, attaching, or placing additional plaques, memorials, or other temporary or permanent fixtures, however well intended, on the R.M.S. Titanic.
  5. Comply with existing IMO standards that prohibit the discharge of plastic, oil, chemicals, or other noxious or hazardous liquids.
The Amver team urges all mariners to heed this request.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Welcome Wednesday!

Who enrolled in Amver in the past week? Just read below and see if your ship is listed. If not you may want to consider joining the Amver safety network. As part of the Amver system you'll enjoy earning Amver participation awards and you'll renew your commitment to safety at sea. So, what's stopping you? Now, help us welcome the latest members of the team.

  • ALEXANDRA
  • ALFIOS
  • ARIETTA
  • ASIATIC WIND
  • BAHRA
  • BEI HAI WEI WANG
  • CAPTAIN MICHAEL
  • CONDOR ARROW
  • COS KNIGHT
  • DA HENG SHAN
  • DARYA KIRTHI
  • DISNEY FANTASY
  • DOLVIKEN
  • FMG GRACE
  • FREJA CRUX
  • GEOEXPLORER
  • GEORG JACOB
  • HORIZON LEADER
  • IOLCOS DESTINY
  • KEY JOURNEY
  • LA CARITA
  • MAERSK EMDEN
  • MAERSK ESSEX
  • MEGACORE PANTHEA
  • MUROU
  • OCEAN KITE
  • ORIENT ORCHID
  • OSLO BULK 9
  • PACIFIC CAPELLA
  • PADMINI
  • PANORMOS
  • PORTOROZ
  • PUMA MAX
  • SAM PANTHER
  • SONANGOL BENGUELA
  • STELLA
  • TORM ARAWA
  • U-SEA DYNAMIC
  • UNISON POWER
  • WESTERN AUSTRALIA
  • YONG XIN 201
Don't forget to check out the Amver podcast, The Quarterdeck. The next episode is coming later this month!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

EMSA in a minute; Safe Sea Net

The European Maritime Safety Agency has launched a new public relations campaign called EMSA in a Minute. It's a series of video highlighting the various functions of EMSA, including environmental response, port state control, and the environment to name a few.

The EMSA video about Safe Sea Net is most closely aligned with Amver, as many Amver enrolled ships may be called upon to assist in search and rescue cases around the world. EMSA rescue authorities may also request Amver data from United States Coast Guard search and rescue controllers in the event of a maritime emergency.




Can't see the video? Click here.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Federal Maritime Commission appointments

On February 13, 2012 U.S. President Barack Obama announced he was submitting Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Richard Lidinsky's name for reappointment as chairman of the Commission.

The Federal Maritime Commission, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, is an independent regulatory agency responsible for the regulation of oceanborne transportation in the foreign commerce of the U.S. 

Prior to joining the Federal Maritime Commission, Mr. Lidinsky worked in the maritime trade industry for nearly 40 years, holding a number of positions in both business and government.  From 1986 to 2006, he worked at the global maritime company Sea Container Ltd., where he established its Washington D.C. office and served as Vice President for Governmental Affairs.   From 1975 to 1986, he served as Director of Tariffs and national Port Affairs at the Maryland Port Administration.  Mr. Lidinsky also served as a member of the Sealift Transportation Committee of the National Defense Transportation Association; as Board Director on the Defense, Transportation and Port Security Committee of the British-American Business Association; and as a High-Level Expert to the U.S. NATO Delegation on the Ports and Intermodal Transportation Committee from 1995-2005

Chairman Lidinsky is a strong supporter of Amver and has spoken at Amver awards ceremonies in the past. We congratulate him on his reappointment!

Friday, February 17, 2012

UPDATE: Amver ship rescues French sailor near Cuba

Earlier this week a French sailor was rescued by the Amver participant Fuji Bay after the sailor's boat sank near Cuba. We received an update from Captain Smolenkov, master of the Fuji Bay, and he described the rescue as-

"Owing to the coordinated actions of crew after reception of VHF distress signal, without any hesitates, rescue operation was short, with lightning speed, and successful!" 

We couldn't have said it better ourselves, Captain Smolenkov. Bravo Zulu to you and the entire crew of the Fuji Bay!

Here are some photos of the rescue.




Congratulations to the crew of the Fuji Bay, a Seatrade managed ship, for a helping ensure no call for help goes unanswered!

Photo credit: Crew of the M/V Fuji Bay

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Welcome Wednesday!

Who enrolled in Amver in the last week? Ships like the ATLANTIC PEGASUS and the MAERSK PEARL. We're thankful for their participation and willingness to assist in search and rescue cases like the recent rescue near Hawaii and Cuba

Help us welcome the latest members of the Amver safety network.

  • A. B. 2000
  • ALEJANDRINA
  • ANATOMA
  • AQUAROSA
  • ARUN
  • ATLANTIC PEGASUS
  • ATLANTIC QUEEN
  • BLUE OCEAN
  • CAI LAN 4
  • CAPTAIN KOSTICHEV
  • CMA CGM CORAL
  • COMOTTO TIDE
  • CS CANDY
  • CUBAL
  • DREPANOS
  • FPMC 29
  • GALAPAGOS
  • HEBEI ZHANGJIAKOU
  • HICKORY
  • HOANG SON 28
  • ISOLA CELESTE
  • JINDAL VARUNA
  • KAVO ALEXANDROS III
  • LINDE
  • MAERSK PEARL
  • MAERSK VALLVIK
  • MAREN BULKER
  • MARIE CLAIRE
  • NCC NAJEM
  • NORD AUCKLAND
  • NYK OLYMPUS
  • ORIENT LOTUS
  • PANNONIA G
  • PESCARA
  • PHOENIX ISLAND II
  • SANDERUS
  • SCF PEARL
  • SCF PROGRESS
  • SEA TRIUMPH
  • SJARD
  • SPRING AEOLIAN
  • SWISSCO SOVEREIGN
  • THOMAS WAINWRIGHT
  • VICTOR KONETSKY
  • ZALIV ANIVA
  • ZHUSHUI 5
Photo credit: Fotolia

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

US Coast Guard to disconitnue On Call SITOR

The U.S. Coast Guard advises that effective 2359 UTC 31 March 2012 it will terminate On Call Ship/Shore HF Radiotelex (SITOR) services currently being provided by its Guam Mariana Islands Communications Station (NRV).  With this termination, On Call Ship/Shore HF Radiotelex (SITOR) services will not be available to/from any U. S. Coast Guard Communications Facility.

This change will NOT affect HF Radiotelex (SITOR) Broadcasts or broadcast content currently provided by Coast Guard Communications Stations Boston (NMF), San Francisco (NMC), Honolulu (NMO) and Guam (NRV). In addition to many other facilities: HF Radiotelex service of WLO Mobile Marine Radio and NOAA Shipboard Environmental Data Acquisition System (SEAS) program thru INMARSAT-C system remain available to vessels for the no cost transmission of AMVER and OBS messages; and The Globe Wireless system remains available for the no cost transmission of AMVER messages.


Photo credit: Fotolia

Monday, February 13, 2012

Amver ship rescues French sailor near Cuba

A French yachtsman was rescued by an Amver ship 35 miles southeast of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba after abandoning his sinking sailboat on February 4, 2012.

The Frenchman reported he hit a rock earlier on the morning of  February 4th and his sailboat began to sink. He activated his emergency beacon and abandoned the sailboat into a life raft. The yachtsman also radioed a passing commercial ship which turned out to be the Amver participating freighter, Fuji Bay.

The Captain of the Liberian flagged freighter heard the distress call and maneuvered the 485 foot freighter alongside the life raft. The crew of the Fuji Bay hoisted the sailor aboard their ship and checked him for injuries. The Frenchman was uninjured and remained with the Fuji Bay until it reached Cristobal, Panama where he arranged to return to France.

The Fuji Bay, managed by the Seatrade Groningen BV, Netherlands, enrolled in Amver in 1990 and has earned participation awards for 15 years.

Photo credit: marinetraffic.com


Thursday, February 9, 2012

Amver container ship rescues 3 Canadians in dramatic Pacific rescue

Three Canadians, including a nine year old boy, were rescued by the Amver participating container ship Horizon Reliance after their 38 foot sailboat Liahona sank 280 miles northeast of Hilo, Hawaii Wednesday February 8, 2012. The three survivors are from Edmonton, Canada.

The sailors, on a voyage from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Hilo, Hawaii, contacted the Coast Guard Cutter Kiska Tuesday afternoon after their sailboat became disabled. The crew reported damage to their top forestay and engine. After trying to rig a makeshift sail they lost the mast in the extreme conditions.

Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu, using an Amver surface pictures (SURPIC), contacted the 893 foot container ship and asked them to divert to assist the crew of the Liahona. The Horizon Reliance was 149 miles away from the sailboat's location.

At approximately 2:00 am Wednesday morning, Captain James Kelleher and the crew of the United States flagged ship reached the sailboat. As the Horizon Reliance approached, a swell caused the sailboat to capsize and sink, throwing all three passengers in the sea. Weather conditions were poor, with southwesterly winds gusting to 40 knots and sea swells in the 20 foot range.

The Horizon Reliance crew lowered a ladder to conduct the rescue. A 29 year-old-man was rescued first, but the others, a 32-year-old man, and a 9-year-old boy, drifted away. Both were rescued shortly thereafter because they were wearing lifejackets with strobe lights attached, which enabled rescuers to keep them in sight.

"We are thankful the Horizon Reliance was in the right place at the right time to come to the aid of these individuals," said William A. Hamlin, Horizon Lines Senior Vice President of Operations. "We commend Captain Kelleher and his crew for their skilled seamanship in accomplishing a successful rescue despite very adverse weather conditions."

All three were reportedly in good health and will remain aboard the Horizon Reliance until it arrives in Hilo, Hawaii at approximately 4:00 am local Hawaii time.

The Horizon Reliance, managed by Horizon Lines of Charlotte, NC, enrolled in Amver in 1990 and has earned participation awards for 21 years.

Photo credit: crew of the Horizon Reliance

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Welcome Wednesday!

There's no question that the merchant shipping community, those that "go down to the sea in ships" are committed to safety at sea. Just look at the response to the sinking of the M/V Rabul Queen, where 13 Amver ships rescued 209 passengers. Thankfully there are over 20,000 vessels enrolled to ensure no call for help goes unanswered. This week we list the 33 latest vessels to pledge to assist when needed. Help us welcome them.
  • ANGELINA THE GREAT N
  • ANITA J
  • BONNIE VENTURE
  • BRITAIN BAY
  • CARAT
  • CONTI LARIMAR
  • EASTERN NEPTUNE
  • FEDERAL SKEENA
  • FOS POLARIS
  • GAIA LEADER
  • HALSTED BAY
  • HONESTY
  • HONOLULU BRIDGE
  • HOUHENG 3
  • IKAN BAWAL
  • LAWIT
  • MAERSK KATALIN
  • MAERSK WALVIS BAY
  • MAR PACIFICO
  • MOL GATEWAY
  • MOL MAGNIFICENCE
  • NAVION STAVANGER
  • NAVIOS KOYO
  • NISSOS SERIFOS
  • RIO MANAUS
  • SWARNA KRISHNA
  • TESS BULKER
  • TIME BANDIT
  • TOKYO BULKER
  • UNION BIENVENIDO
  • UNITED BREEZE
  • YANGTZE DIGNITY
Thank you for joining the Amver safety network!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Amver ships assist in M/V Rabul Queen rescue

13 Amver ships rescued 209 lives in the M/V Rabul Queen sinking near Papua New Guinea. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority provided assistance in the search operation including diverting several commercial vessels, including the Amver participants.

How did Australian officials know what Amver ships were available?

Partnerships

Ships enrolled in the Amver system benefit from a unique relationship with several regional ship reporting systems. Amver exchanges information with the Japanese Ship Reporting System (JASREP), the Australian Ship Reporting System (AUSREP), the Chilean Ship Reporting System (CHILREP), and the U.S. Maritime Administration (MAREP), so reports need only be made to any one system. These partnerships save lives, as demonstrated by the Rabul Queen case.

Saving lives

Somewhere, an Amver ship saves a life every 33 hours. In the last few days, 209 lives were saved. Congratulations to the following Amver participants that responded to the call and saved lives.
  • M/V MOL SUMMER- rescued 116 people
  • M/V MSC CAROLE-   rescued 53 people
  • M/V VIOLET- rescued 31 people
  • M/V CAP SCOTT- rescued 9 people
  • M/V ALCEM LUGAIT- diverted
  • M/V KWANGTUNG- diverted
  • M/V H.C. OASIS- diverted
  • M/V HANJIN GUESSELDORF- diverted
  • M/V LILY FORTUNE- diverted
  • M/V CORAL RUBY- diverted
  • M/V VEGA FYNEN- diverted
  • M/V BOUGAINVILLE COAST- diverted
  • M/V KYOWA ORCHID- diverted
All of the vessels that responded can be proud of their accomplishments. Well done.

Graphic courtesy of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Welcome Wednesday!

In the wake of the Costa Concordia incident there's no shortage of articles about cruise ship safety, salvage, and stability. Others are writing about cruise ship incidents in the Arctic. When it comes to safety at sea, you need look no further than Amver. Every 33 hours an Amver ship is saving a life somewhere in the world. From the Arctic to Antarctica, there are Amver ships available to assist in search and rescue.

How is Amver a success? Because of the participation from the commercial maritime sector. Help us welcome the latest members to enroll in the Amver safety network, ready to save lives when necessary.


  • AMITY
  • CALETTA
  • CANAL BEAGLE
  • CHANG HANG KAI TUO
  • CORONA POWER
  • DAN SABIA
  • DELIVERANCE
  • FEDERAL SKEENA
  • FRONT QUEEN
  • GLOBAL TRUST
  • GRAND BREAKER
  • HABRUT
  • KEN SPIRIT
  • MANDARIN CHINA
  • MAPLE CROWN
  • MARTIN SPIRIT
  • MELODY 9
  • NORTHERN SPIRIT
  • NORTHIA
  • PACIFIC SANTA ANA
  • PHOENIX CONCORD
  • RYBACHIY
  • SANKO FORTUNE
  • SESTREA
  • SONANGOL ETOSHA
  • ST NICHOLAS
  • SUEZ HANS
  • SUPREME VISION
  • TANDARA SPIRIT
  • TOKOMARU BAY
  • TROUBADOUR
  • UNION GROOVE
  • UNIQUE GUARDIAN
  • VIGOR SW
  • VISHVA BANDHAN
  • VISHVA EKTA
  • XIN HAI HU 5
  • YUE MAY
 Photo credit: Fotolia