Welome Wednesday!

While we're in Dubai attending Seatrade Middle East Maritime please help us welcome the latest vessels to enroll in the Amver system. Thank you for helping ensure no call for help goes unanswered.

• ANGEL II
• AP JADRAN
• BARNACLE
• BLACKY
• BRANT
• BUFFLEHEAD
• CAPE GENESIS
• CHESTNUT
• CINNAMON
• CMB CHARDONNAY
• DCI DREDGE XIX
• HAKUYO
• HOUSTON
• INA
• LABRADOR
• LAMBERT MARU
• MARCELO TRES
• MISS BRENDA
• MOTTLER
• MUMBAI
• NIZWA LNG
• OCEAN NEPTUNE
• OSMAN BEY
• OSTRIA S
• PINTAIL
• POLYMNIA
• PUNA
• SCOTER
• SEACOR WARRIOR
• SHOVELER
• SOSHANGANA
• TUFTY
• VELVET
• VENUS HERITAGE

Photo credit: Fotolia

Billionaire Paul Allen's yacht Octopus to the rescue - again!

The crew of billionaire Paul Allen's mega yacht, Octopus, came to the rescue for the second time this year - this time embarking a sailor from a 38 foot sailboat and assisting his crew member on the ironically named sailboat Sequel, after the yachtsmen activated a 406 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) 645 miles south-west of San Diego, CA on November 15, 2012.

The sailboat was on a voyage from Hawaii to Catalina when the crew activated their EPIRB after their sails were damaged and they were dead in the water. U.S. Coast Guard rescue personnel at the Eleventh District Command Center received the alert and launched a search aircraft from Sacramento and requested the Amver participating Octopus to divert and assist. The Octopus was approximately 50 miles from the Sequel and arrived on the scene in 3 hours.

The Octopus embarked a 37 year old passenger from the sailboat and transferred 80 liters of fuel, food, and water to the skipper of the Sequel who was refusing to abandon his sailboat. The sailboat was only making 4 knots but the skipper insisted he could make the voyage to California.

The passenger embarked on the Octopus was complaining of stomach pains and was treated by nursing staff on-board the mega yacht. The Octopus disembarked the survivor in Honolulu.

The Octopus enrolled in Amver in 2011 and assisted in the search for a missing plane in the Pacific Ocean earlier this year.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

See you in Dubai

The Amver staff is headed to the Seatrade Middle East Maritime conference and exhibition next week in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. We are hosting an Amver awards ceremony on Wednesday November 28, 2012 to recognize the commitment to safety at sea by Middle Eastern shipping companies.

We hope to see you there!

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us on the Amver team.

 

Photo credit: Fotolia

Welcome Wednesday!

Another 42 vessels have enrolled in the Amver system. As we enter the holiday season it become even more important to thank these seafarers who risk their lives to ensure the safety of those at sea. When they're not risking their lives, seafarers risk their schedules by making themselves available to search for those who may be in distress at sea. Thank you for joining the ranks of those ensuring no call for help goes unanswered.

• AMAMI K
• AMI
• ANNA BO
• ATLANTIC PISCES
• ATLAS
• B. FRANKLIN REINAUER
• CHINA PROSPERITY
• CIC ROLACO
• GREAT TANG
• HINODE MARU
• ISTRIAN EXPRESS
• IVER ASPHALT
• KAVALA SEAS
• MAERSK WEYMOUTH
• MAERSK WIESBADEN
• MASTER
• MYKONOS SEAS
• NEW YORK EXPRESS
• OCEAN PROMISE
• OCEAN VOYAGER
• ORE NOUMEA
• OTILIA
• PACIFIC ISLAND
• PANORAMA
• PAROS SEAS
• PATARA
• ROSCO LITCHI
• TRM ZHENG HE
• SANTA URSULA
• SCANDINAVIAN EXPRESS
• SHANDONG HAI CHANG
• SHINYO OCEAN
• SHINYO SAOWALAK
• SIBERIAN EXPRESS
• SILVIA AMBITION
• SILVIA GLORY
• SIVA SINGAPURA
• SONGA WINDS
• STAR BALTIC
• TRITON SWAN
• YI CHUN 15
• YM OAKLAND

Photo credit: Fotolia

Greek Amver ship assists Coast Guard with Atlantic rescue

A Greek Amver participant assisted in the rescue of four sailors from their sailboat 170 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, VA on Wednesday November 14, 2012.

The bulk carrier Eptalofos answered the request to assist and provided emergency communications between the 56 foot sailboat Island Breeze and U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue aircraft. A Coast Guard helicopter arrived on scene and hoisted the sailors to safety.

Video of the rescue:



Can't see the video? Click here.

The Eptalofos, managed by Marmaras Navigation, enrolled in Amver in 2007 and has earned five Amver awards for participation.

Video courtesey of the United States Coast Guard

Welcome Wednesday!

We survived the storm and gained an additional 66 ships in the Amver system. If you haven't enrolled yet we strongly encourage you to consider joining. Why join? Participating in Amver helps save lives. Participation also saves you time and money- if your ship is near a distress the Coast Guard will divert the most appropriate ship which means your vessel may be released and not miss a port call. Finally, helping save lives at sea just makes sense. Join us?

• CONTI JADE
• AEGEAN SEA
• KEY FUTURE
• LADY NEVA
• SKANDI NOVA
• CHAYANEE NAREE
• MAERSK ISABELLA
• JO PINARI
• CRANE POSEIDON
• EMERALD ACE
• CAPETAN COSTAS S
• ORIENT STRENGTH
• STELLA FLORA
• ORIENT DELIVERY
• ARKADIA
• CLIFTON BAY
• BF COPACABANA
• BULK PORTUGAL
• PIO GRANDE
• WEI HE
• HANSA EUROPE
• ITALIAN EXPRESS
• TECUMSEH
• CORAL JASPER
• SAGA FORTUNE
• MINERAL HOPE
• KOTA GAYA
• ATHANASSIOS G.O.
• EAGLE SAN PEDRO
• KUMPULA
• D. CENTAURUS
• GARY ROOK
• MCC SANDIGAN
• CAPE ELEKTRA
• BOW DE RICH
• FPMC P HERO
• BHAIRAVI
• MID FIGHTER
• CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTOR
• NEELAMBARI
• KEN BREEZE
• IMPERATOR AUSTRALIS
• PERUVIAN EXPRESS
• OCEAN DALIAN
• AQUA HONOR
• AMBER ALENA
• C PHOENIX
• CIC PRIDE
• CIC ELLI S
• FLAG MERSINIDI
• VISHVA PREETI
• AURNA ECE
• FELICIA
• CROWN ALEXANDRA
• CORWN ESMERALDA
• CROWN MINA
• C GRANDEUR
• FLAG ALEXANDROS
• AQUA SPLENDOR 
• JEWEL
• CAPE ALEXANDROS
• RINI
• OCEAN DIAMOND
• GEORGIANNA BO
• MCC SANDIWA

Welcome!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Slow down for right whales

It's right whale migration time which means Operation Right Speed is in effect, possibly affecting Amver ships. Large vessel operators, vessels 65-feet or greater, are reminded to keep speeds 10 knots or less in designated right whale migration routes and calving grounds.

The designated areas can be found at the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration site.

The Coast Guard is working closely with NOAA with a shared goal of conserving and rehabilitating the whale's population.

To report a suspected violation in the seasonal management areas, call the national hotline at 800-853-1964.

The North Atlantic right whale is protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

Photo credit: Fotolia

Amver; Open For Business!

Thank you for your patience while we recovered from Hurricane Sandy. The Amver office is back open, we are receiving emails and our phones are operating. Thankfully we didn't suffer any severe damage.

Many of our neighbors did suffer damage. If you need information regarding Hurricane Sandy assistance please visit the Hurricane Sandy recovery site.

For information on how to help victims of Hurricane Sandy, visit the American Red Cross.

Our thoughts are with all those affected by the storm.

Amver Office/Hurricane Sandy

The Amver office in New York City is closed because of damage from Hurricane Sandy. Amver messages are still being received and processed.

For urgent Amver related questions you can email info@amver.com. We will respond as quickly as we can.

For Amver/SEAS related questions please contact your closest NOAA Port Meteorological Officer.

We hope to be operational soon and thank you for your patience.