Flares News

Survitec’s advanced fire fighting system and safety equipment aboard Yara Birkeland – the world’s first fully autonomous containership – has successfully completed its first annual service ahead of the 3200dwt ship’s first laden voyage.The zero-emission, fully electric Yara Birkeland is preparing to carry its first fertilizer cargo on the Herøya-Brevik route in early 2022.The groundbreaking vessel, which deployed on its maiden manned voyage in November, operates a unique, automatic…

French fishermen blocked a British cargo vessel from docking in a Brittany port on Friday, in protest at what they say are moves by authorities in London and Jersey to withhold licenses to fish in British waters under a post-Brexit deal.The fishermen held aloft red flares as they circled their boats outside Saint-Malo to block the Normandy Trader's path - a prelude to a planned blockade later on Friday of Calais and the Channel Tunnel, both major transport hubs for trade between Britain and continental Europe.The one-hour Saint-Malo protest and the larger action further east along France's coast risk reigniting a dispute between the…

A widely-shared meme has taken several facts about the Titanic out of context to make unsubstantiated claims that imply the ship’s sinking was a deliberate act. This is not true—experts widely agree the sinking of the Titanic was an accident. The meme was posted to Facebook on March 1 and has been shared more than 600 times (here). It consists of two images: one of the ship and a second of American financier John Pierpont (J.P.) Morgan. These sit alongside a wall of text that…

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has become vital to the maritime community. Proper use of properly functioning equipment can allow ships to safely navigate worldwide. It’s signals are now integrated into a variety of shipboard items, including the automatic identification system (AIS) and the electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS). It has been copied by Russia’s GLONASS, Europe’s GALILEO, China’s BeiDou, India’s IRNSS, and Japan’s QZSS. Originally developed for the US Navy for ship positioning and navigation…

Tensions spiked between Greece and Turkey on Monday over offshore rights in the eastern Mediterranean, with Athens vowing to push its EU peers to activate sanctions against Ankara.The deterioration in relations followed the departure earlier on Monday of a Turkish ship, the Oruc Reis, to conduct work south of the Greek island of Kastellorizo, which is close to Turkey's southern coast.Greece's foreign ministry described the development as a "major escalation" and a "direct threat to peace in the region".Ankara had withdrawn the same vessel from contested waters in the eastern Mediterranean last month to "allow for diplomacy" before an EU summit at which Cyprus pushed for sanctions against Turkey."Turkey has proven it lacks credibility.

Two fisherman reportedly adrift for two weeks and presumed lost at sea were rescued with help from a good Samaritan towboat crew and the U.S. Coast Guard.Domingo Jimenez, 45, and Ramon Castillo, 29, both from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, departed Samana, Dominican Republic on May 2. On May 5, USCG Sector San Juan watchstanders received a report from a concerned family member stating Jimenez and Castillo were overdue after heading out in their 25-foot vessel to fish approximately 132 miles northeast of Samana.The U.S.

Three crewmembers were rescued from a sinking tugboat approximately 6 miles northeast of Andros Island, Bahamas, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Coast Guard 7th District watchstanders directed a helicopter crew to the scene after receiving an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) alert for the 62-foot Gulf Man at approximately 6:20 p.m. on Thursday.A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew arrived on scene, reported the tug was taking on water, hoisted all three crewmembers and transported them to Nassau, Bahamas.

Recent years have seen a considerable upturn in the number of orders from Italian customers for the sophisticated ASD or tractor configuration tug boats constructed by Sanmar Marine at either of its two custom-built shipyards in Turkey.As in many parts of the world, this growth in demand has been spearheaded by the enormously successful 24.4m x 11.25 Bogacay series – currently Sanmar’s ‘best seller’. It is undoubtedly appropriate that the first example of a newly configured version is also Italy bound.

American manufacturer Gulf Island Shipyards has completed the second of 10 Z-Tech 30-80 tugs, five of which were ordered by Suderman & Young Towing Co.Once completed, these tugs will be operated in ports on the Texas Gulf Coast by G&H Towing Co, said a press release from Robert Allan Ltd.The Z-Tech 30-80 tug Ted C. Litton evolved from the previous Z-Tech 7500 design for Suderman & Young. Designed and built with a sponsoned hull form, escort capability of the tug is significantly enhanced.The design incorporates the best handling and operational characteristics of both Z-drive tractor tugs, Azimuthing Stern-Drive (ASD) tugs and the unique RAstar series hull form.The new Z-Tech series tugs are intended for operation primarily in major ports and marine terminals.

Captain Pat Folan outlines the way forward, especially for the smaller towboat firms. It’s not rocket science, but it does involve common sense. July 20, 2018 came and went, and we are all still here – mostly. The reality of Sub M has begun to sink in and for some it signals the end of a business and career. The AWO RCP members, oil movers and early adopters are going to make it. But for some of the ‘Mom & Pops,’ this is looking like a bridge too far.And some of this group are the ones that needed to be weeded out.

3 One Day Workshops - Southampton UK April 2-4, 2019As the digital age rapidly arrives all around us, it (or IT) may have overlooked that safety at sea is still all about people. To meet the changing requirements of modern fleets, smart organizations and specialist equipment manufacturers now need to work together to blend traditional safety methods with innovation.A unique program of three specialist safety days for the sub IMO / sub 80 feet professional sector is being held back-to-back at the Grand Harbor overlooking the port of Southampton UK this April.

On November 3 the Stena Imperial reported a suspected pirate approach while on northbound passage through the Red Sea west of Yemen on her way from Far East to Rotterdam for discharge.Two suspicious skiffs were found approaching Stena Imperial from the port side at a distance of 1.5 nautical miles. The alarm was raised and the Master and the on board security team mustered on the bridge. Hand flares were fired towards the skiffs as warning shot as they were continuously approaching towards the vessel.

The U.S. Navy, along with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, rescued three fishermen from a raft 63 miles southeast of Brunswick, Ga. The Coast Guart received a 406 megahertz emergency position indicating radio beacon alert from the 42-foot fishing vessel Barbara Lynn at approximately 3:30 a.m. Tuesday and released an enhanced group calling (EGC) message and launched a  helicopter crew and diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma crew to the vessel’s last known position. The crew of the USS Hue City received the EGC and, when within approximately 1 mile of the last known position of the distress, reported seeing orange flares, flashing lights and located a raft with three fishermen aboard surrounded by debris.

Turkish shipbuilder Uzmar Shipyard has inked a deal with Saam Smit Canada Inc. (SST Canada), a joint venture partnership between Boskalis of the Netherlands and Saam S.A of Chile, for the construction of a new escort tug for operations in British Columbia, Canada. Designer Robert Allan Ltd. said the state-of-the-art RAstar 3200-W tug will be capable of safely performing all ship-handling roles, including berthing, unberthing and escort duties, including in heavier weather conditions.

DNV GL said it has acquired ComputIT, a specialist independent company for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software and R&D. ComputIT develops unique high-end technology for simulating fires, explosions and gas dispersion. “This acquisition brings us world-leading capabilities in the CFD domain,” says Are F. Tjønn, CEO, DNV GL - Software. With its roots in the offshore sector, ComputIT has also served onshore oil and gas, power generation, chemical, transport, maritime, and construction industries. It has been engaged by governmental bodies for investigation of fire accidents.

More than 80 maritime professionals attended two one-day events focused on the sub IMO / sub 80-ft. sector in Southampton, U.K. this Spring. The Man Overboard Prevention & Recovery Workshop brought together an international group of experts armed with the latest knowledge to identify problems that affect the maritime sector worldwide. Workshop lead John Haynes opened the day saying said, “Expectations, requirements and capabilities are changing for many maritime organizations. High profile roles are evolving close to shore and offshore in U.K., European and international waters.

A U.S. Navy ship fired warning shots when an Iranian vessel in the Gulf came within 150 yards (137 meters) on Tuesday in the first such incident since President Donald Trump took office in January, U.S. officials said. The last major incident was earlier in January, though there have been instances when a U.S. vessel fired a flare as well as an event in March when a U.S. Navy ship was forced to change course after multiple fast-attack vessels from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard came too close. In a statement, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said the patrol craft, named Thunderbolt, fired the warning shots in front of the Iranian vessel after it ignored radio calls, flares and the ship's whistle.

The Pacific’s wild weather and vast distances make it a challenging location for search and rescue, said Keith Manch, Director Maritime New Zealand, in his opening address at the Pacific Regional Search and Rescue workshop in Auckland, New Zealand (22-26 May). The objective of the workshop is to provide Pacific Search and Rescue (SAR) coordinators and responders with the tools to improve coordination between national SAR agencies. The event also aims to improve regional collaboration through formal protocols and communication ensuring a uniform SAR response throughout the Pacific. International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Carlos Salgado…

Communication and safety at sea specialist Ocean Signal has announced the appointment of Rich Galasso as its new US Sales Manager. Galasso will assist with the company’s sales growth strategy in the US as demand continues to increase for Ocean Signal’s communication and safety products for the recreational and commercial markets, including 406MHz beacons, AIS man overboard devices and flares. Bringing more than 20 years’ experience in the marine industry to the role, Galasso joins…

Cyberhawk Innovations is delighted to be recognised as a finalist at the 2017 Offshore Achievement Awards for the categories Safety Innovation and Export Achievement. The world leader in aerial inspection and survey using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), otherwise known as drones, continues to pioneer the use of this technology to conduct close up inspections of live and difficult to reach structures. The company has been named as a finalist for the Safety Innovation award as a result of its UAV inspection solution for the internal inspection of tanks and confined spaces in the offshore oil and gas industry. In 2015, Cyberhawk carried out the world’s first inspection of an internal storage tank on board a Maersk FPSO in the UKCS…

A U.S. Navy destroyer fired three warning shots at four Iranian fast-attack vessels near the Strait of Hormuz after they closed in at high speed and disregarded repeated requests to slow down, U.S. officials said on Monday. The incident, which occurred on Sunday and was first reported by Reuters, comes as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on Jan. 20. In September, Trump vowed that any Iranian vessels that harassed the U.S. "This was an unsafe and unprofessional interaction, and that is due to the fact that they were approaching at a high level of speed with weapons manned and disregarding repeated warnings," Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a briefing.

Japan has protested to China over signs it is pressing ahead with maritime gas exploration in the East China Sea despite Tokyo's repeated requests to stop, Japan's top government spokesman said on Wednesday. The exploration platforms are on the Chinese side of the median line between the two countries, but Japan accuses China of ignoring a 2008 agreement to maintain cooperation on resources development in an area where no official border has been drawn. China said in July it had every right to drill in the East China Sea close to waters disputed with Japan, adding that it did not recognise the "unilateral" Japanese median line setting a boundary between the two.

Volvo Penta and Danish manufacturer BUKH have entered into a partnership by which Volvo Penta will supply BUKH with diesel engines of up to 16 liter capacity for new propulsion solutions for lifeboats. The agreement between the two companies enables BUKH to extend its SOLAS engine range, and allows Volvo Penta to extend the use of its products in new applications. Lifeboat manufacturers will benefit by the increase in available power options and leveraging of comprehensive technology offered by the two companies.