Cruise Ships Earn Amver Awards

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) recently hosted an Amver Awards presentation during their Special Session of the Maritime Safety and Marine Environmental Matters Committee meeting in Washington, DC on October 12, 2022.

Amver Awards were presented to Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, Holland America, MSC, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean.  "More than 100 cruise ships earned Amver awards," said Amver Director Benjamin Strong. "That is more than 100 resources available for search and rescue from the North Pole to the South Pole," added Strong.

Many thanks to Jennifer Willians, CLIA Vice President for Maritime Policy, for providing a venue to present the Amver Awards. We look forward to continuing the strong relationship between our cruise industry Amver participants and CLIA and look forward to presenting even more awards in 2023!

Photo credit: CLIA photo

Amver Participating Cruise Ship Saves Six

On a recent voyage from Tampa, Fla. to Cozumel, Mexico the Amver participating cruise ship Carnival Paradise rescue six people from a rustic vessel.

As evident in the video by passengers, the migrants were in a makeshift boat that resembled a large dresser or wooden box.

Can't see the video?  Click here.

The Carnival Paradise enrolled in Amver on November 2, 1998 and has earned 21 Amver participation awards. The migrants were handed over to authorities when the vessel docked in Tampa. We congratulate the crew of the Carnival Paradise for a job well done!

Video credit: It's A Salty Life via YouTube

Has Your Ship Rescued People At Sea?

At Amver we like to highlight the good work and lifesaving work done by our participants. One way we do that is by sharing your stories of saving lives at sea. We get that information from various sources. Often, we are notified by United States Coast Guard rescue personnel. Sometimes we hear directly from a ship. Other times we hear from a Flag state or read something in a maritime journal or newspaper.

In order to make it easier for you to report saving lives at sea we are reminding our participants they can report rescues on the Amver homepage. Simply click the orange button titled Rescue Report and fill out the details of your operation. This sends a report to the Amver office at the United States Coast Guard. Keep in mind this is NOT an official report and does not take the place of your requirements in accordance with the IAMSAR Manual or reporting to a Rescue Coordination Center.

We hope you will use this tool as a means to keep the Amver office up to date with your rescue operations. It gives us a better idea of how many people are rescued each year.

To the ships that have already started using this tool, thank you! We hope the rest of our Amver participants will consider using this tool as well.

Photo credit: Fotolia

Amver Participating Container Ship Saves Two

The Amver participating container ship London Express rescued two sailors from their disabled sailboat approximately 136 miles west of Havana, Cuba on Friday, September 2, 2022.

U.S. Coast Guard rescue authorities at the Seventh District Command Center were notified by satellite phone of 20-foot sailboat that had been disabled and adrift off Cuba since August, 28, 2022 and were low on supplies. The sailors requested assistance. The U.S. Coast Guard contacted their Cuban search and rescue partner and launched a search aircraft to locate the boat. 

Coast Guard rescue authorities also queried the Amver system and located the 964-foot London Express and requested the ship to divert and assist. The captain of the Bermuda-flagged ship stated he was only 30 minutes from the last known position of the sailboat and agreed to divert and help. Within an hour of being notified the Amver ship was alongside the sailboat and engaged in rescue operations. 

The crew of the London Express had favorable weather condition while performing the rescue with winds of only 15-knots and waves of three feet. "We have rescued the two sailors who are in good health and will disembark them at our next port call in Mexico," London Express captain Karthickraja emailed to the Coast Guard.

The London Express, managed by Hapag-Lloyd of Germany, enrolled in Amver on February 7, 1999 and has earned 15 Amver participation awards.

Photo credit: marinetraffic.com

Amver Awards Presented in Germany

German shipping representatives gathered in Hamburg, Germany at the Ubersee Club on the evening of Wednesday, September 7, 2022 to celebrate safety at sea and receive their United States Coast Guard Amver awards. The gathering was part of the larger SMM 2022, held biennially.

More than 340 ships earned awards by making themselves available to assist in search and rescue around the world. "We are so grateful we are able to gather in person and recognize the good work done by our shipping partners." stated Benjamin Strong, Amver Director. 

Mr. Jason Chue, United States Consul General Hamburg, reinforced the relationship between Hamburg, German shipping, and the United States. 

The event was made possible through the generous sponsorships from the American Bureau of Shipping, StormGeo, and Vikand. We are thankful for their continued support of Amver. 

Congratulations to all the recipients!

Photo credit: USCG photo by Beverly Howard

Amver Ship Assists 74 Year Old Sailor 2,000 Miles Southeast of Oahu

The Amver participating chemical tanker Bass was able to assist a solo yachtsman who's boat suffered a fuel line leak and refrigeration failure approximately 2,000 miles southeast of Oahu, Hawaii on July 15, 2022.

Coast Guard rescue authorities at the Fourteenth District Command Center received notification from a second hand party who received an email from the skipper of the sailboat Princes Del Mar. The skipper reported he had repaired a faulty fuel line but lost all refrigeration and was requesting fuel and food from any passing merchant ships.

Coast Guard rescue personnel, using the Amver system, located the Vietnamese flagged chemical tanker Bass and requested the ship divert to assist the sailor. The Bass agreed to divert and was able to locate the sailboat and establish communications with the skipper who reported conditions on his boat had greatly improved, he was in good physical and mental health, and he was prepared to complete his transit to Hawaii. Coast Guard personnel released the Amver ship and maintained a communications schedule with the lone sailor. 

The sailor requested to stop communication checks with the Coast Guard after he entered a trade wind pattern and anticipated making it to Hilo, Hawaii without issue. 

The Bass, managed by Ovtrans Petrol Transport Services of Vietnam, enrolled in Amver on February 20, 2009 and has earned six Amver participation awards.

Photo credit: Marine Traffic (photographed under its previous name Chembulk Jakarta)

Tote Managed Amver Ship Rescues Injured Sailor

The Tote managed SS Pacific Tracker rescued a sailor suffering from a medical emergency aboard his sailboat approximately 450 miles southwest of Monterey, California on July 9, 2022.

The sailor suffered a severe nose bleed which was uncontrollable with gauge and anticoagulants. U.S. Coast Guard rescue authorities at the Eleventh District Command Center queried the Amver system and located the 662-foot Naval Auxiliary vessel and requested the ship divert to embark the injured sailor.

Captain Jeffery Royer, master of the Pacific Tracker, agreed to divert and embark the injured sailor. After a conference call between Captain Royer and Coast Guard authorities a plan was developed. The sailor was safely embarked and the ship's nurse was able to help stabilize the patient. 

A U.S. Coast Guard rescue helicopter was able to meet the Pacific Tracker and the sailor was airlifted to emergency medical services waiting at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco.

Photo credit: Tote

Amver Participating Cruise Ship Saves 16 Migrants

The Amver participating cruise ship Mardi Gras rescued 16 migrants from a rustic boat taking on water approximately 23 miles north west of Elbow Cay, Fla. on June 3, 2022. 

The captain of the Mardi Gras notified rescue personnel at the U.S. Coast Guard Seventh District Rescue Coordination Center. "We have located a small vessel with approximately 16 people aboard, no propulsion and no lifejackets," the ship's crew reported. 

Deteriorating weather and fearing the vessel would capsize, the crew of the Mardi Gras rescued the 16 survivors. Video of the rescue is below.

Can't see the video? Click here.

Amver Bulk Carrier Helps Rescue Survivors From Sunken Tanker

 

On Friday, May 27, 2022 the Amver participating bulk carrier UBC STAVANGER assisted in rescue operations when a 296-foot coastal tanker sank 129 miles off the coast of Curacao.

The 561-foot UBC STAVANGER, part of a larger rescue force including a Cuban commercial ship sent to assist, immediately mustered the crew and began looking for survivors. 

"At 9:25 in the morning local time we received a notification from Dutch Caribbean rescue authorities to assist a sunken tanker and look for people in the water," said UBC STAVANGER Captain Joel Bernasol.  "We rescued five people, four from a life raft and one survivor who was found in the water." he added.

The survivors were uninjured and disembarked at the Port of Point Lisas in Trinidad and Tobago.

The UBC STAVANGER, managed by Mastermind Shipmanagement of Cyprus, enrolled in Amver on March 28, 2005 and has earned 12 Amver participation awards. 

Photo credit: crew of the UBC Stavanger

Amver Oil Tanker Rescues Solo Sailor

On Monday, May 23, 2022 the Amver participating oil tanker CHEMICAL CONTENDER rescued a lone sailor from his 24-foot sailboat after the boat became disabled approximately 158 miles east of Cape Henry, Va.

The 61-year-old sailor departed Virginia attempting to row across the Atlantic when he encountered 25 knot winds and eight to ten foot seas and activated his Garmin in-Reach device requesting assistance. U.S. Coast Guard rescue authorities received his alert and immediately queried the Amver system. The Liberian flagged tanker CHEMICAL CONTENDER was located less than ten miles from the stricken rowboat and the ship's captain agreed to divert and assist. Thankfully, the Liberian flagged tanker was only ten miles away from the rowboat.

Despite the challenging weather conditions on scene, Captain Zorlu and the crew of the CHEMICAL CONTENDER were not only able to safely embark the yachtsman, but successfully bring his sailboat aboard the ship as well.

The CHEMICAL CONTENDER was steaming from Baltimore when it was called to assist and kept the survivor and his boat onboard the ship until it reached Houston, Texas where he was disembarked. The CHEMICAL CONTENDER, managed by Chemship in the Netherlands, enrolled in Amver on November 8, 2018 and has earned four Amver participation awards.

Photo credit: Crew of the Chemical Contender

Come Celebrate National Maritime Day and US Amver Awards

After two years of virtual meetings and staying apart we are excited to announce that the U.S. Amver Awards ceremony and National Maritime Day celebration will return to Washington, DC as an in-person event. Mark your calendar for May 19, 2022!

Once again the North American Marine Environmental Protection Association (NAMEPA) is our host at the National Press Club for Safety at Sea seminar, National Maritime Day recognition and combined U.S. Coast Guard Amver and William M. Benhkert Awards.

Come join us at the National Press Club in Washington, DC to reconnect with colleagues, see old friends and celebrate National Maritime Day and an unparalleled commitment to safety and stewardship at sea. We look forward to seeing you there!

Photo credit: USCG photo by Beverly Howard

It's Time to Reconnect!

All roads to reconnecting lead through Connecticut. If you are in the shipping industry I hope you are as excited as we are to the return of CMA Shipping Expo and Conference that makes its jubilant return to Stamford, Conn. March 29th to the 31st. 

The last two years have taken a toll on our industry and the Amver team is looking forward to safely reconnecting at the iconic Stamford Hilton. If you are interested in learning more about our voluntary search and rescue system and how we are evolving to meet the challenges of the future, come see us!

It's time to see each other, learn from each other, and thank the brave men and women in our industry who have kept the world going. Not only have seafarers faced incredible challenges at home and sea, they have continue to provide unparalleled search and rescue services around the world. We look forward to seeing you in Connecticut!