Captains News

The crew of a merchant ship was missing on Tuesday after the vessel sank in the Black Sea off NATO member Bulgaria following a drone strike that Prime Minister Rumen Radev described as a gross violation of international law.It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack by air and sea drones about 70 miles (112 km) off the coastal town of Byala in eastern Bulgaria, but there are growing concerns about hybrid attacks by Russia as it wages war in Ukraine.Shipping sources…

Sofar Ocean unveiled Wayfinder Explore, a suite of tools for fleets that manage voyage optimization themselves. Masters and shore teams get access to the same weather and vessel data that powers routes generated by Sofar’s own routing experts. Initial fleet trials are scheduled to begin in Q4.Voyage routing may be handled by specialist providers or in-house teams. Wayfinder Explore gives operators that keep routing decisions in-house the tools to optimize, edit, and compare voyages themselves.When a voyage plan changes…

As tug operations become more complex, training needs to evolve with them. By combining digital simulation with practical experience and the knowledge of experienced seafarers, tug operators can give the next generation of crews the skills, confidence and judgement they need for the challenges they will face at sea.The very best and most highly skilled seafarers hone their craft through years of intense hands-on training that ensures the most important aspects of their jobs – safety, communication and teamwork – are embedded into every moment of their time at sea.

Robosys Automation, a provider of autonomous navigation and vessel control systems, announced the integration of its VOYAGER AI Autonomous Navigation System (ANS) software with FarSounder’s Forward Looking Sonar (FLS) technology, delivering real-time situational awareness, obstacle detection, and navigation decision support for both luxury superyachts and Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs).The integration combines VOYAGER AI's navigation, route planning, COLREGs collision avoidance and autonomous vessel control capabilities with FarSounder's 3D forward-looking sonar technology.

Overseas Shipholding Group, OSG Ship Management (OSG) and their affiliate Alaska Tanker Company (ATC) are appealing recent separate decisions of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) relating to charges filed by the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots, AFL-CIO (MM&P). The cases relate to recognition of separate bargaining units for the ATC and OSG fleets, which units include chief mates and second and third mates, but exclude captains. OSG and ATC say they respect the collective bargaining and representation processes established under federal labor law.

U.S. transportation has steadily become more efficient through advances in engine technology, infrastructure upgrades and increasingly sophisticated logistics networks.The next wave is different. Automation is turning transportation networks into continuously optimizing systems that consume less energy per unit moved, operate for longer hours, reduce labor bottlenecks and reshape demand for fuels and electricity.Across rivers, roads, rail and air, software increasingly determines…

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) identified multiple unmanned maritime system (UMS) operations occurring within and near major West Coast port approaches without prior coordination with cognizant Captains of the Port (COTP). The lack of advance notification reduces maritime domain awareness and limits the USCG’s ability to effectively assess operational risk, support safe vessel movement, and protect the Marine  Transportation System (MTS).UMS, including remotely operated and autonomous vessels, are rapidly advancing in capability, complexity, and operational presence throughout the MTS.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and IBM Japan have jointly developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform designed to support decision-making in vessel operations by integrating operational, weather and geopolitical information.The platform, which went live on July 1, is centered on MOL's Safety Operation Supporting Center (SOSC), which monitors and supports the safe operation of MOL-affiliated vessels worldwide.The companies said the platform consolidates weather and sea condition data…

Novatug, the innovation and R&D department of Multraship Towage & Salvage, has launched a brand new advanced simulator and training center using technology from Wärtsilä to promote safer operations and strengthen the preparedness and effectiveness of its crew for complex towage, vessel handling and specialist maritime operations.The new simulator suite, which is based at the group’s headquarters in Terneuzen in the Netherlands, enables masters, towmasters and crews to train in realistic operational scenarios…

Weathernews Inc. has launched SeaNavigator Mobile, a dedicated mobile application for iOS and Android designed to transform how shore-based operations teams monitor vessels, manage communications and confirm voyage plans.SeaNavigator Mobile is the first version of the SeaNavigator platform built specifically for shore users. The application provides real-time vessel position monitoring, AIS-based behavioral alerts and a structured mobile workflow for receiving and confirming voyage plan notifications…

As the maritime industry faces rising pressures, from workforce shortages to evolving safety expectations and the drive for long‑term sustainability, diversity has become an essential pillar of progress. This is especially true in the ongoing effort to support more women entering and advancing in seafaring careers. With the release of the Guidelines on the Application of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention (Fifth Edition), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is shining…

A vessel carrying grain that Ukraine says was stolen from areas occupied by Russia will not unload in Israel, Ukraine said on Thursday, after Kyiv requested Israel to seize the cargo.Ukraine's prosecutor general, Ruslan Kravchenko, said on the Telegram app that the vessel, Panormitis, left Israel's territorial waters and departed into neutral waters following "a range of procedural measures taken by Ukraine"."On the basis of the materials provided by the Ukrainian side within the framework of international legal cooperation…

Not every risk at sea can be measured, but in shipping a route still has to be chosen.Behind every route recommendation is a human judgement call. While weather and performance can be calculated with precision, other risks exist beyond the reach of data, forcing decisions to be made in an unavoidable grey area.In recent weeks, routing decisions in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea have carried a different kind of weight. A route that appears optimal on paper can also place a vessel closer to areas of geopolitical tension.

The term necropolitics was first coined with reference to concentration camps, apartheid regions, and historical slave plantations.It is the exercise of sovereignty which resides, to a large degree, in the power and the capacity to dictate who may live and who must die.Now researchers from Australia and New Zealand have extended the concept to fishing vessels where captains control medical decisions, food and water distribution and the use of violence onboard.Migrant fishers onboard remote fishing vessels can suffer “active” or “slow” deaths.

Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) has partnered with Canadian shipping company Fednav to examine the operational requirements that would be necessary to support year-round shipping from the Port of Churchill.The work for this review is underway and is expected to be completed this summer.Fednav’s work with AGG will focus on understanding the practical operational considerations of navigating ice-covered waters in Hudson Bay. This work is intended to inform Arctic Gateway’s long-term business planning…

In many maritime organizations, the most effective people in shore-based leadership roles are those who have spent meaningful time onboard. Designated Persons Ashore and Port Captains often earn their positions not because of spreadsheets or policy expertise, but because they understand the realities of life at sea. They know how decisions made ashore ripple through watch schedules, maintenance routines, weather windows, and crew fatigue. That onboard experience is precisely what makes them so valuable to management.

In many maritime organizations, the most effective people in shore-based leadership roles are those who have spent meaningful time onboard. Designated Persons Ashore and Port Captains often earn their positions not because of spreadsheets or policy expertise, but because they understand the realities of life at sea. They know how decisions made ashore ripple through watch schedules, maintenance routines, weather windows, and crew fatigue. That onboard experience is precisely what makes them so valuable to management.

In many maritime organizations, the most effective people in shore-based leadership roles are those who have spent meaningful time onboard. Designated Persons Ashore and Port Captains often earn their positions not because of spreadsheets or policy expertise, but because they understand the realities of life at sea. They know how decisions made ashore ripple through watch schedules, maintenance routines, weather windows, and crew fatigue. That onboard experience is precisely what makes them so valuable to management.

Tim Mooney is the third-generation family member at the helm of the iconic Fire Island Ferries. While the company’s primary focus has been moving people to and fro, from the Long Island, NY mainland to the Fire Island barrier communities and beaches, the business has evolved and grown since its start in 1948 via acquisition and organic growth. Mooney discuss the assets, the people and the priorities to safely, efficiently keep his cumulative operation of moving about one million people annually in good order.There are ferry operators…

Two tankers suspected of illegal ship-to-ship oil transfers were detained and more than 512 million ringgit ($129.9 million) worth of crude oil seized 24 nautical miles west of Muka Head, Penang last week, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said on Saturday.The agency did not specify the origin of the oil being transferred.The waters off Malaysia are known as a regular site for illegal ship-to-ship transfers, where oil is shifted between tankers at sea to obscure its origin.

The 116-meter livestock carrier Blue Ocean A was towed to safety after suffering engine failure in adverse conditions on January 28.The Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged vessel was sailing off the island of Saint Peter, Italy, on its way to Spain with 33 crew on board when a request for help was sent. Winds of over 50 knots and waves as high as five meters pushed the ship towards shore making operations particularly complex, said the Italian Coast Guard.The rescue was coordinated by the Italian Coast Guard of Cagliari…

US Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Mike Ezell (R-MS) chaired a hearing, entitled “Changes in Maritime Technology: Can the Coast Guard Keep Up?” on Tuesday.The maritime industry is undergoing a rapid period of transformation, including the adoption of autonomous technology and robotics that could transform the sector, as well as threats from drones and cyber-attacks that require increased vigilance.Ezell introduced the hearing saying: “Last February…

Officer Lee Tae Young, a first mate from the Republic of Korea, has been awarded the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, in recognition of his heroic actions that saved 12 fellow crew members from the Geum Seong No. 135 when it sunk in November 2024. He was honored during a special ceremony recognizing seafarers held in London on November 24, 2025, in the margins of the IMO Assembly taking place from November 24 to December 3, 2025. IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez applauded Mr.