Amver, Saving Lives at Sea Since 1958

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Greek tanker crew recognized for Amver rescue

The crew of the Amver participating tanker Delta Kanaris received recognition for their rescue of four French sailors in late February over 1,000 miles east of Puerto Rico. We blogged about the rescue a few days ago.

As the Delta Kanaris pulled into the Port of Philadelphia, U.S. Coast Guard personnel were there to recognize the efforts of Captain Georgios Vatsas and his crew. Representatives from Sunoco and Delta Tankers were on hand for the presentation of a certificate of appreciation and an Amver pennant.

(Left to right) Konstantinos Nikolados, Lt. Andrew Madjeska, Cmdr. Michael Antonellis, Carol, Ziegler, Georgios Vatsas, Theodoros Pelagiois, Georgios Rousos and Ronald Rosario pose outside Sunoco Inc., in Marcus Hook for an awards ceremony March 8 2011.

Cmdr. Michael Antonellis, Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay Office of Preventions, and Georgios Vatsas, master of the greek-flagged vessel, Delta Kanaris pose with an Amver pennant at the ceremony in Marcus Hook, PA.

What did the rescue look like? Take a look at these photos from the crew of the Delta Kanaris as the rescue unfolded at sea.

Want your rescue photos included in an Amver blog post? Make sure you ship is enrolled in the Amver system and you could be the next story!

Photo credit: Group photos by U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Crystalynn A. Kneen
Rescue photos by the crew of the M/T Delta Kanaris

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Will the Portfire 40 winner please step forward?

We are happy to announce the first Porfire 40 winner! What is Portfire 40? We announced Ryan Skinner's Shipcrunch initiative to recognize influential personalities in shipping a few months ago. The votes have been tallied and yesterday Ryan announced the winner, an elusive Wikipedia editor known as Haus.

Why was Haus chosen? Because he has reportedly edited over 37,000 maritime Widipedia articles. That's certainly qualifies him for some sort of recognition. Sadly Haus isn't available to comment on his achievement or accept his award because he is underway; hopefully on an Amver enrolled ship!

Congratulations to Haus for becoming the first inductee in the Portfire 40. Amver was proud to contribute and vote on the winner.

Welcome Wednesday!

The world of shipping changes quickly. Piracy continues to plague shipping and pirates have expanded to hijacking pleasure yachts. The trade show circuit is in full swing with the Cruise Shipping Exhibition and the Connecticut Maritime Association Shipping 2011 shows on the horizon. What remains constant? The Amver system. Help us welcome the latest vessels enrolled in the Amver safety network.

DIJKSGRACHT
MCP LONDON
TEN YOSHI MARU
WREN
K. DAPHNE
PRISCO MIZAR
SAFMARINE NUBA
PRINCIMAR TRUTH
JULIE C
ORANGE STAR
KOTA LAMBANG
PUELO
BESIKTAS PERA
SKANDI GAMMA
KEY DISCOVERY
HESPERIDES
AFRICAN KINGFISHER
JAG AARATI
GINGA LION
MAIPO
FORTUNE WING
GLORIOUS MAPLE
RIO LUXEMBOURG
C. BLOSSOM
NAVIG8 GERAKAS
VALLE AZZURRA
PUCON
CFL PROUD
UASC ZAMZAM
NEPTUNE ACE
MAERSK VARNA
KEY FRONTIER
BRILLIANT JUPITER
MBA GIUSEPPE
CMA CGM VIOLET
NORD HOUSTON
KING OF CALABAR

Want to be a winner? Enroll your ship today!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Warning to U.S. registered yachts

Amver ships are not the only vessels vulnerable to pirate attack in the Indian Ocean. The United States Coast Guard Boating Safety Resource Center has issued a warning to U.S. registered yachts and sailing vessels. The warning strongly urges yachtsmen from sailing in or around the Horn of Africa or Indian Ocean.

The entire warning reads:

WARNING TO: U.S. Registered Yachts and Sailing Vessels

The U.S. Coast Guard strongly advises against all operation of and travel by U.S. yachts and sailing craft, or by U.S. citizens on foreign registered yachts and sailing craft, on the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Somali Basin and the western parts of the Indian Ocean. A U.S. registered sailing vessel was hijacked by pirates in February 2011 off the southern coast of Oman in the northern Arabian Sea and all of its crew were tragically killed. This case is a stark reminder of the grave dangers of operating in these high risk waters, especially by recreational vessels.

All mariners already in these waters are urged to register with the Maritime Security Centre (Horn of Africa) for up to date advice and guidance on passage round the Horn of Africa. They should also report regularly to the UKMTO (email: ukmto@eim.ae; Tel: +971 50 552 3215), giving location, course and speed, and plan their routing carefully to reduce the risk of an attack.

Piracy is a significant threat in the Gulf of Aden and the northwest Indian Ocean and has occurred in excess of 1000 nautical miles from the coast of Somalia. Up-to-date information about attacks and pirated vessels can be referenced from the EU Naval Force Somalia web site. Sailing vessels are particularly vulnerable to attack due to their low speed and low freeboard. All mariners intending to sail through high risk areas should reconsider the necessity of their travel and alternatives, such as transporting the vessel by yacht carrier.

Participants in yacht races and rallies in these high risk areas are at great risk of attack. These events are often publicized and could draw attention from pirates, despite the security and safety measures that might be put in place. The U.S. Coast Guard strongly advises mariners not to participate in events that will require transit through high risk waters.

Requirements and amplifying guidance promulgated by the U.S. Coast Guard for commercial vessels intending to transit high risk waters are unaffected by this advisory.

Useful contacts:

The UK Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) in Dubai is the primary point of contact for liaison with military forces in the region. Email at ukmto@eim.ae to join their voluntary reporting scheme, Tel: +971 50 552 3215, Telex: (51) 210473.

Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) is manned 24/7 by military and merchant navy personnel from various countries and coordinates with military maritime forces in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. It is the commercial/civilian link with the EU Naval Force Somalia. Tel: +44 1923 958545, Fax: +44 1923 958 520, email: postmaster@mschoa.org.

The NATO Shipping Centre (NSC) is the commercial/civilian link with the NATO maritime force. Tel: +44 1923 956 574, Fax: +44 1923 956 575, email: info@shipping.nato.int.

The Maritime Liaison Office (MARLO) US Navy Bahrain, is a secondary point of contact after UKMTO and MSCHOA, but is manned 24/7. Tel: +973 3940 1395, email: marlo.bahrain@me.navy.mil.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) You can read ISAF full set of updated guidelines here.

Photo credit: Fotolia

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Greek Amver ship saves Frenchmen

The Greek participating Amver tanker Delta Kanaris rescued four French sailors Sunday Feb. 27, 2011 after the sailors activated their personal locator beacon (PLB) approximately 1,582 miles east of Puerto Rico on Saturday. The yachtsmen were sailing from the Canary Islands to Martinique when they encountered an unknown problem and activated the beacon.

Captain Georgios Vatsas, the master of the Greek flagged tanker, responded to a request from U.S. Coast Guard rescue personnel to divert his Suezmax tanker to rescue the foursome. Within five hours of receiving orders to assist, Captain Vatsas made radio contact with the stricken sailboat and directed his crew to begin rescue operations. Captain Vatsas maneuvered the tanker alongside the sailboat to provide a lee "...from Beaufort force 6 winds and [a] sea state of about 15 feet..." said Captain Vatsas. Within three hours of locating the survivors all four were rescued without injury.

The Delta Kanaris, managed by Delta Tankers, enrolled in the Amver system on May 12, 2010 and logged 167 days on the Amver plot last year while reporting over 30 days so far this year. It seems the Amver system has been saving lots of French yachtsmen lately. One French sailor was rescued in this case while another foursome were rescued in this case.

Photo credit: www.marinetraffic.com