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Maritime Coastguard Agency News

28 Apr 2022

In Offshore Energy, the Winds of Robotic Change are Blowing

BladeBUG during trials at the 7 MW Levenmouth Demonstration Turbine. Photos from ORE Catapult.

Whether we realize it or not, robotics and robotics systems are starting to impact our daily lives. From warehouse picking systems through to high-end medical devices through to your mowbot lawnmower. Each tends to be specialized to its own task and a similar trend is now starting to play out in the offshore wind space, where it’s hoped that robots can make operations safer and more efficient.According to a report, The Economic Opportunity for Robotics in Offshore Wind and Key Energy Markets by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (ORE Catapult)…

03 Aug 2020

UK Coastguard Replacing Emergency Radio Network

© h368k742 / Adobe Stock

The U.K.'s Maritime and Coastguard Agency is investing over £170 million ($221.5 million) in a new radio network for Her Majesty’s Coastguard. The new network will be built and maintained by telent Technology Services Ltd. and is a significant investment in telecommunications infrastructure in rural areas.The existing network will be replaced with a modern and resilient fiber-based hybrid network, that will provide increased reliability, bandwidth and security.The new network will ensure HM Coastguard can continue to communicate with ships in U.K.

03 Apr 2020

Salvors Working to Refloat Cargo Ship Aground in the UK

(Photo: Maritime & Coastguard Agency)

Salvage operations continue on board the cargo vessel MV Kaami after it ran aground in the Minches in March in northwest Scotland.A HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter winched all of the eight-person crew to safety from the cargo vessel which ran aground in adverse weather conditions in the early hours on March 23.The vessel, which made contact with the Coastguard and reported taking on water, remains on hard ground at Sgeir Graidach rock and is being monitored by the U.K.'s…

31 Jul 2019

QinetiQ Supports Next Gen SAR Missions

British multinational defence technology company Qinetiq collaborates with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to investigate how drone technology can strengthen their Search and Rescue (SAR) missions.Small unmanned air systems are delivering disruptive change across the industry. Ten years ago what was predominantly a niche hobby, or military technology, has now found wide commercial success. Anyone can easily have an eye in the sky and recent publicity is changing the way organisations view their problems.The Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) oversees search and rescue operations in the UK. Their volunteer Coastguard Rescue Teams respond to time-critical calls and work tirelessly to save lives.Funded by QinetiQ’s Internal Research and Development…

02 Jul 2019

Shipping Firms Drop UK Flag as Brexit Looms

Photo: CMA CGM

Companies are leaving Britain's shipping registry due to uncertainty over Britain's departure from the European Union and future commercial arrangements with the bloc, industry officials say.All commercial ships have to be registered, or flagged, with a particular country partly to comply with safety and environmental regulations. Shipping companies in many so-called "flag states" pay corporation tax based on vessel tonnage rather than profit.Britain's ship registry forms part…

26 Jun 2019

Coast Guard Training in Kenya

Senior officials from the newly established Kenya Coast Guard Services are undergoing training on coast guard functions at a national workshop in Mombasa, Kenya (24-28 June), said a press note from International Maritime Organization(IMO).The UN body said that fifteen participants are taking part in the training, which is using scenario development methodology and plenary discussions to highlight issues, identify insights and develop deeper understanding of effective ways to meet coastguard functions – with a view to enhancing maritime security in Kenya.The training is organized by the United Kingdom and IMO, under the auspices of the Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct.It is supported by a joint team from the UK Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA)…

02 May 2019

Empower Women in Maritime

Breaking down gender stereotypes in the maritime industry is not just important in its own right, it is also beneficial for the industry as a whole.That was one of the key messages to emerge from a special event held at International Maritime Organization (IMO) Headquarters in London, on International Labour Day (May 1), said the UN body.In a year when IMO is highlighting its efforts to empower women in the maritime community, a panel discussion among five high level female maritime professionals and an invited audience of IMO delegates and other maritime representatives explored issues around female representation in a traditionally male-dominated industry.Sakura Kuma (Executive Director of the Port of Yokohama)…

27 Jan 2019

UK Hydrographic Office Welcomes Maritime 2050 Strategy

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has welcomed the publication of the UK government’s ‘Maritime 2050’ strategy paper, which sets out the vision for the future of the UK maritime sector.The strategy, which has been developed in consultation with agencies including the UKHO and the wider public and private sectors, sets out a series of detailed recommendations to help the UK maintain its position as a leading global maritime nation. These recommendations span themes including the environment, international trade, security and resilience, infrastructure, people and technology.A focus on the positive impact that smart shipping and use of autonomous vessels could have on the environment…

18 Dec 2018

Video: Russian Bulker Aground Off England

(Photo: MCA)

Rescue vessels were heading to assist a Russian bulk cargo ship after it ran aground off beaches in southwest England, Britain's coastguard said on Tuesday.The 180 meter (590 ft) long ship, with 18 Russian crew on board and which the British media said was the Kuzma Minin, dragged its anchor in strong winds and grounded between the Swanpool and Gyllyngvase beaches near Falmouth in Cornwall."There is no cargo on board. She currently has a list of five degrees but there is no report of any pollution…

22 Oct 2018

MCA to Increase Fees

Photo: MCA

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) is to increase its fees for the first time in over ten years – giving it the flexibility to invest further in the services it provides to the maritime sector.From November 13, 2018, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) will increase most of its fees across the whole of the U.K.The fee increases have been carefully planned, with a public consultation carried out in 2016, so industry and all those affected have been involved every step of the way.

05 Oct 2018

UK Spurs Autonomous Shipping Development

An example of an unmanned vessel, SEA-KIT’s Unmanned Surface Vessel USV Maxlimer Maldon, is capable of deploying and recovering an autonomous submersible craft. SEA-KIT are a finalist of the Shell Ocean Discovery X-Prize competition (Photo: MCA)

The autonomous and smart shipping industry is set to receive a boost, after the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Department for Transport (DfT), in collaboration with the National Oceanography Center’s (NOC) Marine Robotics Innovation Center, successfully secured £1 million in a bid to accelerate the U.K. into a world-leading position in this area.The funding, awarded by the U.K. Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Regulators’ Pioneer Fund…

06 Aug 2018

SeaKing Electrical Wins Windermere Ferry Repair Deal

The Mallard (Photo: SeaKing Electrical)

Birkenhead, Merseyside based maritime engineering company SeaKing Electrical has won a tender from Cumbria County Council to repair the electrics on the council-owned car ferry the Mallard following a fire earlier this year.The ferry’s engine room caught fire in March following a hydraulic leak causing an evacuation of 80 people from the vessel while it was operating on Lake Windermere in England’s Lake District. The Mallard has capacity for 100 passengers and 18 cars.SeaKing…

14 Jun 2018

Tanker Captain Fined for Safety Violations

The captain of a Russian oil tanker is forced to pay £25,761.99 (more than $34,300) in the U.K. for breaching the International Safety Management (ISM) Code in a prosecution brought by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA).Vitaliy Trofimov, Captain of the Russian registered 85-meter-long tanker Tecoil Polaris, pleaded guilty at Hull Magistrates Court on Thursday to a number of safety failures which placed the vessel – to be loaded with 1,665 metric tons of lubrication oil – at risk. He was fined £1,400 and ordered to pay £24,361.99 in costs.The vessel arrived at Humber Port on the evening of Tuesday, June 5, 2018 having come from Hamina, Finland.

24 May 2018

Joe and Petunia "Dial 999" Campaign Turn 50

Did you know that 50% of people still don’t know to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard in a coastal emergency - despite the phone service being launched half a century ago? The new research, commissioned by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) comes as a new video is launched in tribute to our old public information film which first broadcast the '999 Coastguard' message in 1968. Joe and Petunia are back, but this time in a dynamic present-day setting. Our new film showcases a modern version of the original 60s storyline, complete with dinghy (or dinjy!) sailor and contemporary Petunia. But of course, we couldn’t release a J&P film without the cartoon characters themselves, so they both have cameo roles.

18 May 2018

River Cruise Company Fined $400,000

A Thames river cruise company has been fined a total £304,925 (approximately $411,000) at Westminster Magistrate's Court in a prosecution brought by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) for operating without a valid Domestic Safety Management (DSM) certificate.Sodexo Ltd pleaded guilty to operating without the valid certificate, contrary to the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, on one of its Thames cruise vessels Symphony. They were fined £300,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £125 and £4,800 toward the cost of the prosecution.Symphony is a Scandinavian style river cruise boat operated by Sodexo subsidiary Bateaux London Ltd specializing in banqueting style cruises for up to 260 guests at a time.In June 2017…

25 Apr 2018

Yacht Manager Aquited of Manslaughter Charges

The director of a yacht management firm was cleared of manslaughter charges bought on by the death of four sailors in 2014.Four U.K. men – two in their twenties and two in their fifties – were killed when the 40-foot Cheeki Rafiki capsized in the Atlantic in May 2014 while returning across the Atlantic Ocean to Southampton from Antigua. The sailors’ bodies were never recovered.Yacht manager Doug Innes, who had been accused of failing to have the yacht properly checked ahead of its voyage and to ensure that its certification was in date for the intended trip, has been found not guilty on four charges of gross negligence manslaughter today at Winchester Crown Court.Innes along with his company Stormforce Coaching had denied all charges…

16 Mar 2018

MCA’s CEO Massey to Retire by End 2018

Sir Alan Massey (Photo: MCA)

Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) chief executive Sir Alan Massey announced he plans to retire from the role before the end of 2018. The Department of Transport will begin its search for Massey’s successor on March 19. Massey will continue in his role until late 2018 to allow the chief executive appointment process to take place. Massey joined the MCA in July 2010 after a 33-year career with the Royal Navy, where he left as Second Sea Lord. During his eight-year tenure at MCA…

03 Jan 2018

UK Shipping Minister Confirms CEC Review

Nautilus International has welcomed confirmation from shipping minister John Hayes that the government has agreed to the Union’s calls for a review of the UK’s system for issuing Certificates of Equivalent Competency (CECs). Nautilus is a trade union and professional organisation representing more than 22,000 maritime professionals in the UK, Netherlands and Switzerland. In a letter to the Union, the minister said he had asked Sir Alan Massey, head of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA), to undertake a review of the way in which CECs are given to foreign officers seeking work on UK-flagged ships. Sir Alan has told Nautilus that the review will be treated as ‘a matter of priority’ and the MCA will work with the Union, other social partners and industry experts to progress it.

18 Oct 2017

Captain Fined after Ship Grounds off Northern Ireland

MV Ruyter (Photo: MCA)

The captain of a Dutch cargo ship that ran aground at Rathlin Island has been fined £1,000 ($1,300) at Armagh Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to failing to keep a proper look out. Ship’s captain Aleksandr Iakovtsov of the MV Ruyter pleaded guilty to charges brought by the U.K. Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA). He was charged under the Merchant Shipping Distress Signals and Prevention of Collision Regulations 1996 and also of failing to safely navigate his ship and causing serious damage to the ship (in breach of section 58 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995).

28 Aug 2017

Maritime & Coastguard Agency Appoints Chapman SOSRep

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency has made a new appointment to the role of Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSRep) Maritime Salvage & Intervention, which oversees the response to accidents at sea. Les Chapman has been appointed to the role and will join the Agency on Monday 21 August. He will work alongside the existing SOSRep Hugh Shaw OBE for several months, to allow a substantial transition period in this important role, and will not assume the role and responsibilities of the SOSRep until an agreed time later on in the year. The SOSRep is responsible for reducing the risk to safety and the environment arising from accidents at sea.

03 Aug 2017

Fishing Vessel Owner Jailed for Crew Fatalities

Photo: MCA

The owner of a fishing vessel has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to two charges brought by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) for the unsafe operation of a fishing vessel and failing to ensure that the gas cooker was properly maintained. Timothy Bowman-Davies from Milford Haven was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment at Leeds Crown Court on August 2, after two crew members on board his fishing vessel Eshcol died from carbon monoxide poisoning in 2014.

19 Jul 2017

UK Ship Register Modernization Begins

The UK’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) is modernising the way the UK Ship Register operates and a number of new initiatives are in the works that could help the red ensign become more commercial and internationally competitive, says a report from UK Chamber of Shipping. The MCA is considering increasing the fee structure for the UK Ship Register to above 2016 levels, attendees heard at the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Maritime and Ports on Monday. The registry is working to improve the response time for enquiries to one working day, while for complex issues it will take three working days, the meeting heard. Increasing ship registry fees would match the higher levels of service being offered, the MCA said. The register also plans to roll out a package fee option in April 2018.

20 Dec 2016

Emergency Towing Vessel Contracted for Scotland

Photo: Marnavi / MCA

The U.K. Government’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has awarded a five-year contract for a new Scottish Emergency Towing Vessel (ETV) to Ardent Maritime Netherlands BV, to begin on December 31, 2016. The ship is the Ievoli Black, a 70-meter towing vessel of some 2,283 gross metric tons and a bollard pull of 139 metric tons, capable of firefighting operations, anchor handling, towing, research and underwater services. The Marnavi-owned Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessel is experienced in ETV operations, having served as an ETV for the Netherlands from 2010 to 2013.