Amver tanker rescues 4

Three Americans and one Canadian were rescued by the Amver tanker Alpine Maya on September 6th after their 50 foot sailboat became disabled and was adrift approximately 720 nautical miles north north east of Oahu, Hawaii.



The sailboat, the Nomad, was sailing from Hawaii to Los Angeles when they reported to family they lost main engine and auxiliary power.  The crew of the Nomad began making emergency notifications.  Coast Guard personnel from the Fourteenth District Command Center heard the Nomad's distress call and contacted the M/V Alpine Maya which was 176 miles away from the Nomad's distress position.  The Hong Kong flagged tanker immediately diverted to assist and after steaming over 8 hours Captain Mohan Dhinakaran maneuvered his tanker alongside the sailboat to commence rescue operations.

The  four sailors let Captain Dhinakaran know of their intention to abandon ship and quickly climbed aboard the Alpine Maya.  The rescued sailors, in an email to the Amver system, praised the actions of the Alpine Maya.  "Without you and your crew we would not be alive today," they wrote.



The Alpine Maya is sailing to China where the survivors will be met by U.S. State Department personnel.  The Alpine Maya enrolled in the Amver system on July 20, 2010. This case demonstrates how one ship made the difference between life and death for four people.

Photo credit: crew of the M/V Alpine Maya

Greek Amver ship rescues 4

We recently received an email from the Amver participating Greek tanker Cyclades with news they rescued four Filipino sailor in the Sulu Sea on September 3rd.



Captain  Daglas Panagiotis wrote the officer on watch "... observed a flooded motor boat with four persons..." in distress and calling for assistance.  While Captain Panagiotis tried in vain to notify local Coast Guard officials, his crew prepared for rescue operations.



Within 10 minutes of locating the four sailors a rescue boat was lowered from the Cyclades and was motoring towards them.  30 minutes after the ordeal began it was over, with four sailors safely aboard the Cyclades.

"We offered them food and clothing and let them call their families from the bridge," said Captain Panagiotis.  Once the survivors made notification their families were able to send a small boat to the Cyclades and embark the four.

The Cyclades enrolled in the Amver system on October 26, 2004 and is managed by the Marmaras Navigation in Piraeus, Greece.



Photo credit: Crew of the M/V Cylcades

Welcome Wednesday!

"Come one come all" is our call at Amver.  As we prepare for our upcoming travel to various Amver award ceremonies we are pleased to recognize the latest vessels enrolling in the Amver system.  Have you joined Amver yet?  We hope you will.  In the meantime please welcome the following ships.

• CMA CGM CORTE REAL
• BLARNEY
• CHEMROAD FUJI
• JIN LANG
• UASC MANDINAH
• BOURBON LIBERTY 109
• ZIM CHICAGO
• ASIAN CAPTAIN
• SWISSCO SABRE
• JPO VULPECULA
•  WAPPEN VON STUTARGT
• SCF BALTICA
• OCEAN COURAGE
• KILIAN S
• RBD ANEMA E CORE
• BLUEFIN
• SEA VOYAGER
• NOVAYA ZEMLYA
• GERARD JORDAN
• ALLEGRA
• SOVERIEGN
• SHIRAKAMI
• NORD SEA
• NEW YORK
• ALBERTA
• AGIA FILOTHEI

Participation in the Amver system makes a difference and helps save lives.  We hope you'll join us!


Photo credit: Fotolia

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Why you might want to enroll and report to Amver

Several recent maritime incidents have underscored why Amver participation is important.  Two of the cases occurred in the Arctic.  In all the cases, search and rescue personnel would never have known the vessels were there because they were not active in the Amver system.


The first case was brought to our attention by our Canadian friend Ken White.  Ken emailed about the cruise ship grounding in the Northwest Passage.  The second case, courtesy of Tradewinds, was a product tanker that grounded on a sandbar near Nunuvut.  While both vessels were enrolled in the Amver system, neither was actively reporting.  Would things have been different if they were reporting to Amver or would the case have been managed differently?  Probably not.  Since these vessels transit the Arctic they are perfect candidates to help others if necessary and therefore are encouraged to actively resume Amver reporting.


In an unrelated story Tradewinds reported the Greek ship Goliath Leader rescued 18 sailors from their lifeboat on August 27th.  The Goliath Leader rescued the sailors in the South China Sea off the coast of Malaysia.  Why is this case significant?  Because the Goliath Leader isn't enrolled in the Amver system!  We would love for NYK Lines to enroll it and the rest of their fleet.

But Amver participation is just half of the picture.  Search and rescue personnel need to request Amver data when managing cases in their areas of responsibility.  Together, commercial shipping can help assist in search and rescue cases from the Arctic to the Antarctic and all the waters in between.

Are willing to help us?

Photo credit: Fotolia

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Amver ship runs aground in the Arctic

The Maritime Executive and Canada.com reported about the recent grounding of the Amver participating cruise ship Clipper Adventurer.  According to reports, the Clipper Adventurer was sailing in the Northwest Passage when it struck an uncharted rock near Nunavut on Friday August 27, 2010.  The Canadian Icebreaker Amundsen was diverted to ferry the passengers to Kugluktuk.
Here is a first hand account by account by a Clipper Adventurer passenger.

Can't see the video?  Click here.
Search and rescue in the Arctic will continue to be a challenge as the ice melts and tourism increases. We have blogged about Amver and its use as a force multiplier in the Arctic before. As more vessels sail in Arctic waters we hope they consider enrolling in Amver. We also hope search and rescue authorities with responsibility in Arctic waters will request Amver data when managing search and rescue cases.

What are your thoughts on this case?
 
Photo credit: susanvg

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Announcing Portfire40

Can't see the video? Click here.

Portfire40! What is it and who's behind it?  Recently Amver was approached by Ryan Skinner about an idea similar to Tradewinds Power 100; the most influential and powerful people in shipping.  It was the Power 100 that helped spur a new program to recognize people wielding"alternative power" in shipping.  Who are these alternative power brokers?  You decide.

According to Shiptalk, Portfire40 is a list, a dynamic list, of 40 personalities who represent new thought leadership, innovation, personality, or dynamism in the shipping sector.
Skinner sums it up like this.  "The Portfire 40 is a list of those shipping personalities who haven't inherited a shipping empire but rather carved out a significant change in the industry with passion and pride."  Ryan reminds us that the maritime industry is full of people who are more interested in a desire to enrich society.  Those folks will likely never appear in the Power 100.

Doesn't that sound like something worth supporting?  We certainly do!
Put on your thinking cap.  Start whittling down who you want to nominate as a member of the Portfire40 list.




Who else is involved in Portfire 40?

• Konrad of gCaptain 
• Peter Mello of Sea-fever 
• Bob Coutie of Maritime Accident
• Humphrey Hill and Sam Ignarski of After Office Hours
• Ryan Skinner of 5956N
• Steven Jones of Shiptalk Newsletter
• Ken E. Beck of Kennebeck Captain
• James Tweed of Shipping Podcasts

 Directions on how and where to submit names will be forthcoming.  We'll keep you posted.

Welcome Wednesday!

Exhibition season is upon us.  Amver will be traveling to Geneva where the Propeller Club port of Geneva will be hosting an evening ceremony.  We are also presenting Amver awards at the Seatrade Middle East Maritime exhibition in Dubai on October 26th.  Will we see you there?  Are you enrolled in Amver and earning awards?  You should be.  In the meantime help us welcome the latest members of the Amver system.

• TOPAZ JOHOR
• HORIZON DIMITRA
• SKANDI SKOLTEN
• AGROS
• GENCO AQUITAINE
• TI BI EN SI
• ORIENT TRADER
• PING MAY
• DANIELA SCHULTE
• GOLDENKUKA
• MAPLE ISLAND
• GASCHEM ADRIATIC
• HAI YANG SHI YOU 225
• BUNGA AZALEA
• MEDI SEGESTA
• COLORADO
• DONGBANG GIANT No. 1
• YURICOSMOS
• GENEROUS
• LIJUN C
• MALLECO
• GLORY CROWN
• A ELEPHANT 
• LOWLANDS KAMSAR

On a side note we hope you are prepared for hurricane season in the Atlantic.  Hurricane Earl is affecting the East Coast of the United States.  If you are wondering what various USCG port conditions are you can see here.



Photo credit: Fotolia