Alarm News

The American Pilots’ Association (APA)  is concerned that the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding lapse is negatively impacting the ability of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to carry out critical navigation safety and mariner credentialing services. “APA and our member pilot associations value the important navigation safety and credentialing services the USCG provides.” said APA President Captain Jorge Viso. “This shutdown impacts these services and unnecessarily puts navigation safety and the maritime supply chain at risk.”This shutdown began on February 14…

A fire broke out on the Panama-flagged livestock carrier North Star 1 while it was docked at the Port of São Sebastião, Brazil, on 3 March.Some of the 28 crew onboard required medical attention due to smoke inhalation, and the 2,600 cattle onboard, destined for Turkey, were disembarked.The fire was reported to have started in a provisions store containing livestock fodder.“The incident is a strong reminder of the dangers of fire at sea, and especially the risks of fire on livestock…

The captain of a container ship that crashed into a U.S. tanker off Britain's east coast last year was jailed for six years on Thursday for causing the death of a crew member through gross negligence.Russian national Vladimir Motin, 59, was captain of the Portuguese-flagged Solong when it hit the Stena Immaculate tanker, which was anchored and carrying just over 220,000 barrels of high-grade aviation fuel, on March 10, 2025.The collision started a blaze on both ships and caused the death of Philippines national and Solong crew member Mark Pernia…

The Russian captain of a container ship that crashed into a U.S. tanker off the east coast of Britain in March last year was found guilty in a London court on Monday of causing the death of a crew member through gross negligence.Vladimir Motin, 59, was captain of the Solong when it hit the Stena Immaculate tanker, which was anchored and carrying just over 220,000 barrels of high-grade aviation fuel.The March 10 crash started a blaze on both ships and caused the death of Solong crew member Mark Pernia…

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into the flooding and foundering of the stern trawler Opportune off Scotland, with uncertainty remaining about the cause.On 24 March 2024, the 23.95m UK registered Opportune foundered 36 miles east of Lerwick, Scotland. Opportune’s eight crew were later rescued uninjured from the vessel’s liferafts by coastguard helicopters. The vessel was not recovered. The key safety issues identified were:• The vessel foundered due to a rapid and uncontrolled engine room flood.• The source of the flood could not be established.

Furuno has introduced the FELCOM20, an Inmarsat-C Ship Earth Station engineered to meet the requirements of GMDSS, LRIT, and SSAS applications. Built to deliver ship-to-shore communication in even the harshest maritime environments, the FELCOM20 provides mariners with the confidence and capability they need to operate safely anywhere in the world.Designed for operational versatility, the FELCOM20 supports a range of essential communication services, including Email, Telex, Fax, Enhanced Group Call (EGC), and data reporting/polling.

A migrant has been rescued and 50 others are feared drowned after a boat sank in the Mediterranean, officials said on Sunday.The man had been in the sea for 24 hours and said he believed everyone else on the vessel had died, according to the Alarm Phone group which runs an emergency hotline for migrants.The boat had come from Tunisia, it added, a common departure point for migrants risking the dangerous journey to reach Europe.The man was rescued by a merchant ship off Tunisia and brought to Malta for medical treatment, Malta's armed forces said.

Analysis of more than 40 million alarm-related events shows most alarms offer little operational value, disrupt rest and push crews toward risky workarounds. New research from Lloyd’s Register (LR) has revealed that excessive and nuisance shipboard alarm systems are routinely overwhelming crews and, in many cases, actively undermining safety at sea. The findings, published today in Effective Alarm Management in the Maritime Industry are based on data collected from 11 operational vessels, spanning over 2,000 days and more than 40 million alarm-related events.

C&C Marine and Repair has delivered the M/V Al Sloss to Canal Barge Company, completing the first vessel in a four-boat newbuild series currently under construction for the New Orleans-based operator.The 2,600-horsepower, 87- x 34-ft. towboat was designed by C&C Marine and Repair’s in-house engineering team and constructed on an accelerated schedule, with delivery completed in approximately six months.Delivery of the remaining three vessels in the series is scheduled to follow at two- to three-month intervals.The M/V Al Sloss is powered by two Mitsubishi S12-R main engines…

The captain of a container ship that crashed into a U.S. tanker off Britain's east coast last year did "absolutely nothing" to prevent an avoidable and fatal collision, British prosecutors said on Tuesday as his trial over a crew member's death began.Russian national Vladimir Motin, 59, was captain of the Portuguese-flagged Solong which was heading to Rotterdam in the Netherlands when it hit the Stena Immaculate tanker, which was anchored, on March 10 2025.The Solong was mainly carrying alcohol and some dangerous goods…

P&I correspondents are being urged to strengthen their payment verification procedures after a fraudster intercepted email communications during a sensitive crew claim and diverted a US$200,000 settlement, according to International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC).In a case cited in ITIC’s most recent Claims Review, a P&I correspondent was managing a sensitive crew-claim settlement when a third party intercepted email communications and began impersonating several individuals involved in the process…

A set of amendments to key IMO treaties and Codes have entered into force on January 1, 2026. They include the following: Preventing and responding to bullying, harassment and sexual assaultAmendments to the Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Code (STCW Code) aim to prevent and respond to violence and harassment in the maritime sector, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault.The amendments are included in table A-VI/1-4 (Specification of minimum standard of competence in personal safety and social responsibilities) of the STCW Code.

Francbord, a new Breton industrial group resulting from the evolution of the Ecomer group, announced its merger with the SME Enag, strengthening the group's position as a supplier of technological solutions dedicated to the maritime sector and industry.This operation was made possible thanks to a new fundraising initiative by the maritime sector decarbonization fund managed by Bpifrance, Unexo, a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole, Go Capital, and the Mer Invest fund, a subsidiary…

The Romanian military blew up a maritime drone that was endangering navigation in the Black Sea, the Ministry of National Defence said on Wednesday, amid rising concerns about risks to shipping in the area linked to the war in Ukraine.The ministry said that the drone, which was found in an area 36 nautical miles (66 km) east of Constanta, was a Sea Baby. The Sea Baby is a maritime drone developed by Ukraine.A Romanian Defence Ministry spokesperson declined to specify the country that the drone came from, but confirmed it was a Sea Baby.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its preliminary assessment of a cargo fire on the bulk carrier Atlay on June 27, 2025.The Marshall Islands registered vessel was loading scrap metal into its aft cargo hold at Albert Dock, Hull, England.At 0948, the master observed smoke rising from the cargo and immediately activated the general alarm and called for the shore grab operator to discharge cargo to remove or expose the source of the fire. Meanwhile…

Mavrik Marine, Inc. was selected to build high-speed passenger ferries for the Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District. Mavrik will construct catamaran passenger ferries as part of the District’s eight vessel Lima Class Ferry Replacement Program to provide transportation services in San Francisco Bay.The 50-m aluminum ferries specifications and systems were developed by Aurora Marine Design in San Diego with structural design from One2Three Naval Architects in Australia. Construction will begin immediately at Mavrik’s facility in La Conner, WA.

Consilium Safety Group and Hyundai Heavy Industries have signed an agreement to explore the use of AI-powered cameras in certified fire alarm systems on ships.The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the companies centers on Hyundai’s HiCAMS technology, which uses cameras to identify smoke and flames.While camera-based detection is emerging in other industries, this initiative is among the first to target marine applications directly.A pilot test is already underway on the test vessel Sawasdee Sunrise in Korea…

From inland towboats and tank barges, to oceangoing tankers and government fleets, Bergan Marine is literally everywhere you look on the waterfront. Kyle Durden, President & CEO, Bergan Marine Systems, discusses the rich history of this company; born in 1975 in Norway but operating from Florida since 1980, Bergan Marine Systems offers a full family of product and services that are connected, modular solutions that reduce installation and operating costs – ultimately providing better data.When Kyle Durden reflects on his maritime career…

Marilyn Hubalde still remembers the first time she heard the thunderous chop of military helicopters swooping over this northernmost outpost of the Philippines, less than 90 miles from Taiwan. It was April 2023, when Filipino and American troops descended on the cluster of 10 emerald green islands of Batanes province for amphibious warfare drills.“We were terrified,” the 65-year-old Hubalde recalled. “We thought China might attack when they learned there were military exercises in Batanes.” Hubalde’s helper…

Armed assailants attacked a commercial tanker off the coast of Mogadishu on Monday, firing at the vessel after attempting to board the ship in the first suspected Somali piracy incident of its kind since 2024, maritime sources said.If confirmed, this would be the first Somali piracy attack against a merchant ship since May 2024, raising risks for critical energy and goods transported through the region, maritime sources said.The vessel was sailing some 332 nautical miles (615 km) off the Somali coast when four armed attackers approached in a skiff from the starboard side and opened fire…

Austal Australia has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from classification society DNV, for their Autonomous and Remotely Operated Ships (AROS) Platform Controller.The AROS Controller, designed and developed by Austal at Henderson, Western Australia, is a safety control system that provides a standardised and managed interface between the vessel’s complex engineering systems and the navigational autonomy system. Managing the transfer of information in both directions, constantly checking system health…

A series of U.S. strikes against suspected drug vessels in the eastern Pacific killed 14 alleged drug traffickers and left one survivor, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday, the latest operation in President Donald Trump's counter-drug campaign.The strikes in the Pacific come against the backdrop of a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean that includes guided-missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of troops. The administration has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to the region…

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has awarded an approval in principle (AIP) to Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) for its novel design of a wireless fire and gas detection system that advances safety in maritime operations.Conventional detection systems use power cables to transmit signals to a control panel. The new design from SHI uses a vessel’s metal structure as the low-voltage power transmission medium.Similarly, signals from the fire detection and alarm devices are converted…