Vessel Operator

New US Law Requires Use of Engine Cut-off Switches

Operators of recreational vessels less than 26 feet in length will be required to use an engine cut-off switch (ECOS) and associated ECOS link (ECOSL) as of April 1, 2021, as the U.S. Coast Guard implements a law passed by Congress.The ECOS and ECOSL prevent runaway vessels and the threats they pose. The ECOSL attaches the vessel operator to a switch that shuts off the engine if the operator is displaced from the helm. The ECOSL is usually a lanyard-style cord that attaches to an ECOS either in close proximity to the helm or on the outboard motor itself if the vessel is operated by a tiller.

VIDEO: MarTID 2021 ... A Call to Action for Global Survey of Maritime Training Practices

The 2021 Maritime Training Insights Database (MarTID) survey is about to be launched. This is a unique and pivotal time in maritime training. The pandemic has forced us to adapt our training and has accelerated training innovations. This year’s survey is uniquely important for its ability to help us learn from these unprecedented changes to training practices. If we do not survey and document the changes resulting from the pandemic, we lose a unique opportunity to learn. Therefore, the industry needs you to take 20 minutes to complete the survey at www.MarTID.org.

Bandwidth Efficiency will Drive Maritime Digitalization

Gregory Darling and Applied Satellite Technology (AST) works with shipowners to help them use their bandwidth more efficiently for ship business and crew needs.When Gregory Darling, Group MD, AST, worked in the marine industry in the 1980s with a marine survey company, he needed to get word to one of his ships off of West Africa to recalibrate its course and head off to a new job. But the ship had left port, and radio calls to the ship went unanswered, resulting in two days of lost time and revenue.“That was frustrating and costly…

MarTID 2020: The Maritime Training Survey is Open

The third annual global Maritime Training Insights Database (MarTID) 2020 survey is officially open.To facilitate a broader response globally, the MarTID steering group again opted to both shorten the survey and to offer three, targeted versions for these three stakeholders:Vessel Operators,Training Institutions, andSeafarers. Take the Survey     Vessel Operator survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020MarTIDOperator     METI survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020MarTIDMETI…

MarTID '19 Survey: Deadline Extended

As survey responses continue to role in, the deadline for the 2019 Maritime Insights Database (MarTID) annual survey of maritime training practices has been extended to February 28, 2019. Ship owners, Maritime Training institutions and mariners all have a stake in participation, as Murray Goldberg explains.Take the SurveyFor operators: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019MarTIDOperatorFor training institutions: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019MarTIDMETIFor seafarers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019MarTIDSeafarerThe…

Yacht Charter Terminated for Multiple Safety Violations

The owner and operator of a 65-foot pleasure yacht is facing maximum civil penalties amounting to $41,546 for illegal passenger for hire operation.The U.S. Coast Guard said it boarded the yacht Zenith Saturday after receiving a call from a concerned passenger and hearing that the vessel allided with the Venetian Causeway Bridge in Miami earlier that day.There was no reported damage sustained to the bridge or any reported injuries to those on board the Zenith, but several safety issues and environmental concerns were discovered…

USCG Rescues 4 from Capsized Vessel

A rescue crew from U.S. Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook, New Jersey saved four people after their 20-foot pleasure craft capsized near the Shrewsbury River Entrance, off of Sea Bright, New Jersey, Sunday. At approximately 3:30 p.m., watchstanders at Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook received a distress call from a boat operator, via cell phone, stating his pleasure craft was taking on water and requested assistance near the Shrewsbury River Entrance. The rescue crew from Station Sandy Hook immediately launched aboard their 47-foot motor lifeboat and arrived on scene at 3:50 p.m., as the pleasure craft capsized, causing the four people to enter the water.

CAT, FPT Develop Supercharged Diesel Engine

With the specter of increased fuel prices and stringent emissions regulations on the horizon, Caterpillar has joined forces with Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT Industrial, S.p.A.) to deliver a solution for its pleasure craft customers seeking a high performance, fuel efficient marine diesel engine – the Cat C12.9. Expected to be available in 2014, the C12.9 will be available in both 850 mhp @ 2300 rpm and 1000 mhp @ 2300 rpm iterations. The new power plant uses innovative fuel and air management techniques to comply with United States EPA Tier 3…