Remembering our shipmates and airmen

The Amver family sadly lost three airmen from United States Coast Guard helicopter, CG-6017, from Sitka, Alaska when their aircraft crashed on July 7, 2010. You can read about the crew here.

This passage is for them. I saw it inscribed on a granite overlook on the Hudson River in New York City. The author is unknown.

Who can sail without wind
Who can row without oars
Who can say farewell to a friend
without shedding a tear

I can sail without wind
I can row without oars
I can not say farewell to a friend
Without shedding a tear

Photo credit: Fotolia

Eagle Beaumont rescues sailor

The M/V Eagle Beaumont

What started as a typical sailing voyage ended up as an Amver rescue for one lucky sailor last month.  At 5:30 am on June 10th, a lone yachtsman on the 37 foot sailboat Elysium alerted passing ships and rescue authorities his boat was disabled with broken rigging and beset by weather approximately 150 miles east of Barnegat, NJ.  Winds were gusting over 29 knots and seas were 6 feet.

The Singapore flagged tanker Eagle Beaumont, managed by AET Ship Management, answered the call and diverted to assist the stricken sailor.  The Eagle Beaumont was on the scene of the distress in just over an hour.  In addition to rescuing the sailor, the crew tried to hoist the stricken sailboat aboard their vessel.  Unfortunately the hoist was unsuccessful and the drifting sailboat was marked a hazard to navigation.  The sailor was not injured in the ordeal.

The Eagle Beaumont, a 99,000 dwt Aframax tanker, enrolled in the Amver system in 1996.  The sailor was taken to the port of Philadelphia where he disembarked.

Photo courtesy of: shipspotter.com

The A Whale, more than just an oil eater

There is no shortage of stories about the oil eating super tanker A Whale.  Besides being known as a giant oil skimmer, the Liberian flagged tanker is enrolled in the Amver system.  A Whale, owned by TMT Shipping, enrolled in the Amver system on January 10, 2010 and has been available to divert over 180 days this year.

If you want to see more about the A Whale in the Gulf of Mexico check out this video from the United States Coast Guard.



Can't see the video? Click here.

Is there a market for other ships in situations like this?  Cruise ships have been used in disasters to house rescue workers and evacuees.  What other examples can you think of?

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Welcome Wednesday!

After a whirlwind tour to Europe the Amver staff is back in the United States and processing over 5,000 Amver awards.  Amver vessels are busy steaming the oceans, prepared to come to the aid of mariners in distress.  This willingness to be ready to assist is evident by the record number of ships on plot on July 4th.  There were 3,951 vessels ready to divert if necessary.  With the addition of the 31 ships below we may see the on plot number climb above 4,000.  You can help us reach that goal.  Are you ready to enroll?  In the meantime please welcome these ships to the Amver system.

• OBROVAC
• GSF DEVELOPMENT DRILLER II
• SEILLEAN
• STEN AURORA
• EUROPA
• GOLDEN IZUMI
• FOUR NABUCCO
• KRUZOF
• LAGUNA SWAN
• PACIFIC VEGA
• PANAMERICANA
• NORD BRIGHT
• EXPLORER
• APL OAKLAND
• CHRISTINA SCAN
• CAPT'N ANDREW
• KUMANO LILY
• RICHARD
• CLIPPER IWAGI
• AS VALENTIA
• IBIS VULKER
• ROSCO MAPLE
• CAPE TSUBAKI
• SPLENDOUR
• DIAMOND EXPRESS
• MAIRA LAURA PREM
• JIN PEI
• MIGHTY SKY
• SUZUKA EXPRESS
• MICHAEL G. MCCALL
• MARE TRANSPORTER

If you haven't enrolled you may want to reconsider.  Besides recognition for participating, your ship's crews get the satisfaction of knowing they are helping ensure no call for help goes unanswered.


Photo credit: Fotolia

Pirates use swarming tactic

It seems Somali pirates are using a new swarming tactic and we don't mean the kind of swarm you find on Foursquare! Lloyd's List recently reported the new tactic and its technique of "swarming" a ship with multiple skiffs, surrounding the vessel, and overwhelming the crew. It seems one attempt was quelled by Russian military personnel embarked on a ship to protect a sensitive cargo. We already know how the Russians deal with pirates.

We don't know how this is affecting Amver ships but mariners should continue to observe established anti-pirate tactics. You can find anti-piracy related details on the MARAD website.

How are your vessels dealing with piracy? Are you avoiding the Horn of Africa all together or are your crews employing other tactics?

Photo credit: Fotolia

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Amver eBooks?

We have been giving some thought to putting together some Amver eBooks. What's an eBook? We asked the same question. You can read more about ebooks and what they are/do here.

Some of the topics we are considering include-

• How to survive a rescue (geared towards yachtsmen)
• How to request an Amver surface picture
• How to enroll your vessel in Amver

How do those sound? Would you download an Amver eBook? Is there a topic you think we are missing?

Photo credit: Fotolia

Canada to track ships in the Arctic

The Canadian's are strengthening the previously voluntary NORDREG system for a, in their opinion, more robust Arctic vessel tracking scheme. The new system, dubbed the Northern Canada Vessel Traffic Services Zone, will keep an eye on all vessel traffic in the Canadian portion of the Northwest Passage and Canadian Arctic archipelago. The new requirement goes into effect on July 1st and appears to be a means of strengthening Canadian Arctic sovereignty.

Specific information about the requirements can be found on Transport Canada's website or by searching Canada Gazette.

We're not sure what this may mean for vessels enrolled in the Amver but you can be sure we will give you updates.

Photo credit: Fotolia

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