Between 1 September and 30 November 2009 a Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on lifeboat launching arrangements was conducted jointly by the Paris MoU and the Tokyo MoU. The 27 member authorities of the Paris MoU carried out 5,749 inspections. In eighty cases the lifeboat launching appliances had deficiencies which were serious enough to detain the ship. (more…)

UTC Fire & Security is the latest company to become a member of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology’s (IMarEST) Marine Partner initiative. The Marine Partner initiative is a global scheme that provides tailor-made benefits for organizations of all sizes to work more closely with the Institute and enables Institute members to easily access information on leading products, services and solutions. (more…)

Saturday 14 November 2009, the Polar Expedition vessel Plancius was christened at the port of Flushing in the Netherlands. M/v Plancius was built in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy and was named Hr.Ms. Tydeman. The ship sailed for the Dutch Navy until June 2004 and was finally purchased by Oceanwide Expeditions. (more…)

Netherlands‐based Datema’s ENCTrack service has been awarded the 2009 maritime innovation award for its innovative approach to the distribution and management of electronic navigational chart services. This achievement has been warmly welcomed by the Primar regional electronic navigation centre (RENC) from Stavanger, Norway. (more…)

Steyr Motors newly developed emergency drive system - EDS - is a mechanical emergency drive system for Steyr Motors’s electronically controlled marine diesel engines. This Steyr option has been developed specifically to satisfy the highest requirements of life and rescue boat builders for their SOLAS related products. According to Steyr, there are also many inquiries from leisure boat builders and blue water sailboat owners. (more…)