Every VDR fitted to a SOLAS vessel is required to record continuously. What is less consistently managed is the ship’s ability to access that data when it matters — not after an accident, when a manufacturer’s technician is flown in,…
PFOS firefighting foam ships are now subject to a mandatory ban under SOLAS Regulation II-2, in force since 1 January 2026. The amendment came into force on 1 January 2026. For ships constructed before that date, the compliance deadline is…
ECDIS in tidal ports does not behave the way it does in open water. The system was designed to do one thing above everything else: warn you before your ship enters water that is too shallow. Every other function —…
The lookout during port approach is the one position on the bridge arrival team that the manning matrix requires and the audit rarely finds fully accounted for. Not because Masters are unaware of the rule. The rule is well understood.…
There is a moment in every port arrival where the procedural framework meets operational reality, and the two do not always agree. The pilot is inbound. The Master is managing the approach. The question of who receives the pilot —…
The RightShip Inspection Ship Questionnaire — RISQ — is the primary vetting instrument for dry cargo operators in the bulk and general cargo sector. If your vessel trades through charterers who use RightShip’s risk profiling tools, a RightShip RISQ inspection…
TMSA Element 12 and what it actually takes to get to Stage 4. Most companies run a TMSA Element 12 audit well enough on the surface. The findings go into a log, the corrective actions get assigned, and the items…
Every tanker fleet has layers of navigational oversight. At the base of that structure sits the ship navigational audit — conducted by the Master and Chief Officer, on their own vessel, monthly. Around that sits the marine superintendent’s annual navigational…
Most ship managers can show that safety meetings happen. Minutes are filed, inspection forms are signed, the permit-to-work system is in place. That is Stage 1 of Element 9. It is not a TMSA safety audit. A TMSA safety audit…
A TMSA engine room audit is what separates a Stage 3 operator from a Stage 4 one on Element 4. There is a version of Element 4 compliance that looks complete from the office. The planned maintenance system is computerised.…
Mooring operations kill people. That is not a dramatic framing — it is the operational context that makes Element 6A of TMSA 3 different from almost every other audit requirement. The fatality statistics from snap-back incidents, winch failures, and line…
he TMSA cargo audit under Element 6 is not a universal requirement — it is a Stage 4 commitment, and understanding what it asks for is what separates a structured assurance programme from a superintendent visit that happened to coincide…