Welcome Wednesday!

If you are a regular reader of this feature do you ever wonder where all the ships that enroll come from? Or if we will ever have all the ships in the world signed up? We often think of these things. In reality the Amver system has a little over 21,000 ships enrolled in the system. On any day there are about 3,700 ships actively reporting. Those are pretty big numbers! What about the rest of the merchant fleet? Perhaps they haven't learned about us yet. Maybe you can tell them the benefits of Amver participation for us? In the meantime please help us welcome the latest members of our safety network.

• ETERNUS
• KAREN C
• STX HARMONY
• APL OREGON
• KASHIMASAN
• TRUE
• PEARLOR
• LUCY SNUG
• CSAV LEBU
• FEDERAL PEARL
• PACIFIC MARCHIONESS
• MSC HEIDI
• ER BARCELONA
• BIG BLUE
• BELUGA NAVIGATION
• PILOT
• CFL PRUDENCE
• GOLDEN CHIE
• IMOLA EXPRESS
• EVERHARD SCHULTE
• VENUS LEADER
• BELUGA HOUSTON
• OOCL GUANGZHOU
• NAVIOS STELLAR
• ASIAN PARADE
• EAGLE KANGAR
• ALTAIR TRADER
• FAIRCHEM BOGEY
• TRENTA
• ALPINE LOYALTY
• DELTA TOLMI
• SEA HORSE
• BBC MARMARA
• ANDREW CHARLES
• NICOLAOS
• DOUBLE HARMONY
• CONTI EQUATOR
• NORWEGIAN EPIC

Want to help us enroll more ships in the Amver system? You can by sharing the Amver story with your mates! Tell our story at the pub, in the ward room, on shore leave, or at a conference. Tell everyone how you help save lives at sea and how they can too!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Ships failed to respond?

Lloyd's List recently reported that several ships failed to respond to a distress call from a ship sinking in the English Channel December, 2009. While this is disturbing news, it underscores the need for, and use of, the Amver system by both shipowners and rescue coordination centers.

According to the Lloyd's List report at least one fisherman died as a result of the distress debacle. How could Amver have played a more pivotal role in this case?

1. Rescue coordination centers who routinely request Amver data from the United States Coast Guard are given an additional tool when managing search and rescue cases. If you are a rescue authority and don't know how to request Amver data please read this.
   
2. Ship owners enrolled and actively reporting to the Amver system know they will only be called upon to assist during actual search and rescue emergencies and then only after rescue authorities have determined the best vessel to respond.
3. Masters and crews have the added benefit of knowing that they can be released from their obligation to respond when enrolled and reporting in the Amver system. Having an email from a rescue authority stating your ship is either not needed or released from searching should be welcome relief in cases such as the Channel incident.

Don't think you can hide from incidents like this. While Amver doesn't release vessel movement information except for maritime incidents, Lloyd's List reported they were able to piece together what ships were in the vicinity of the distress using AIS data. Food for thought the next time you hear a distress and think you might just as well ignore it. People are watching!

You can read the full Marine Accident Investigation Board (MAIB) report here.

Why not help avoid situations like this in the future. If you are a ship owner, enroll in Amver today. If you are a rescue authority, consider requesting Amver data as part of your standard operation procedure. After all, it's our collective responsibility to ensure no call for help goes unanswered.

Photo credit: Fotolia

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Posidonia video wrap up

Despite the fact it's been almost a month since Amver exhibited at Posidonia. We wanted to show you a highlight reel of our time in Greece.

Enjoy the clip and we'll see you at Posidonia 2012!




Can't see the video? Click here.

Welcome Wednesday!

Each week we take time to recognize the latest members of the Amver system. Why do we do this? It stems from a feature that was included in the monthly Amver Bulletin. We haven't published an Amver Bulletin in over 10 years but feel the idea of recognizing new participants is an important part of our marketing efforts. Too often we hear bad news about shipping. At least once a week we want to bring you some good news. On that note, help us welcome the latest ships to enroll in Amver.

• ORINOCO STAR
• STENA FORTH
• SEA OF GRACIA
• NORD INSPIRATION
• IOLCOS LEGACY
• MOONLIGHT
• LINDA FORTUNE
• THALASSINI KYRA
• DIGNITY
• SEABOURN SOJOURN
• ISABELITA
• INCE KASTAMONU
• POS KNIGHT
• FRONT CECILIE
• STEWART J CORT
• MATALA
• FLYING OCEAN
• ALPINE CONFIDENCE
• LOKE VIKING
• CAP JACKSON
• MYRA
• SEABOARD PERU
• TITAN
• RBD OCEAN OF JOY
• MCP HARBURG
• FRANKFURT EXPRESS
• ORFE
• CHUKCHI SEA
• INFINITY
• ALASKA TITAN
• MANCHESTER
• ANANGEL HARMONY
• CMA CGM FIGARO
• HELLESPONT COMMANDER
• OCEAN FLOWER
• WELSUCCESS
• HERMANN SCHOENING
• DONAUGRACHT
• SAKURA
• PACIFIC MARCHIONESS
• ASHLEY LADY
• INLAND SEAS
• UNITED FORTITUDE
• CALADIUM

Photo credit: Fotolia

Amver awards in Norway

The most recent Amver awards ceremony was held in Norway several weeks ago.
The Norwegian Shipowners Association hosted the ceremony at their headquarters next to Oslo city hall on June 8th. Attended by nine ship-owners, with speeches given by Norwegian Shipowners Association Director and Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission James T. Heg, the event celebrated the strong ties between the United States and Norway.

Rick Button, Chief of the United States Coast Guard Office of Search and Rescue Coordination Division presented the awards.

We are thankful for Norway's participation in the Amver system. Your vessels could be earning Amver awards. How? Just enroll and start reporting!


Photo credit: United States Embassy Staff Oslo, Norway

Welcome Wednesday!

We're on the road attending the EPPR working group meeting in Vorkuta, Russia so we will keep this short. 29 new vessels have enrolled in the Amver system in the last week. Thank you.

Help us welcome our latest participants:

• GERALDINE MANX
• IOLCOS PRIDE
• HANJIN BUENOS AIRES
• SENTOSA LEADER
• STX FRONTIER
• OSW1
• KAROLOS
• AVRA
• HORIZON THETIS
• LILLY BOLTEN
• AMS DIVINE
• LAVAUX
• AVENTICUM
• MAASEN
• CSAV LINGUE
• SKY GLOBE
• MISS LUCY
• PEACE FORTUNE
• APL QATAR
• MSC NAVARINO
• AL GHUWAIRIYA
• DUBAI CHARM
• CSAV RIO GEIKE
• STX BEGONIA
• PACIFIC SOLARELLE
• REBECCA LYNN
• SKS DOURO
• WINTER
• WESER

Thank you for helping ensure no call for help goes unanswered!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Attending the EPPR working group meeting of the Arctic Council

Amver is attending the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response Working Group meeting of the Arctic Council this week in Vorkuta, Russia. The meeting is being hosted by EMERCOM, the Russian Federation version of the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency. Our meetings are being held at the Branch of the Saint Petersburg University of Mines in Vorkuta.

Here are some photos of our reception in Vorkuta.

Some of the agenda items we intend to discuss include:

• Opening of the Arctic Seas review of the University of New Hampshire report.
• Search and rescue project proposal.
• Prepositioning of emergency equipment.
• Managing cold situations in emergency relief.
• Russian Sea Rescue Service.
• EPPR participation in PAME's Arctic Ocean Review.

So that's a taste of what we will be doing here in Russia.

Photo credit: Ben Strong