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Clarifying, clearing (up), construing, demonstrating, elucidating, explaining, explicating, expounding, getting across, illuminating, illustrating, interpreting, simplifying, spelling out, unriddling, deciphering, decoding, analyzing, breaking down, disentangling, undoing, unraveling, unscrambling, untangling, resolving, solving, defining, specifying, annotating, commentating, glossing

These are all words either meaning or related to the term “demystifying”..

Demystifying actually means “to make plain or understandable” and this was the prime objective and reason why Shipping and Freight Resource was started in 2008 – to make shipping and freight “plain, understandable and simple” to Joe Public..

Through various knowledge and education-related articles and news and insights articles, this site aims to demystify shipping and freight jargon..

It is recommended you read this article first to know the difference between Maritime, Shipping, Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain itself..

This installment of “Demystifying Shipping and Freight Jargon” is about The Flag of the Ship..

Like people, a ship also has a nationality assigned to it.. This is represented by a flag that the ship flies at all times.. A ship is assigned a flag through registration with a Ship Register or Ship Registry and the ship is expected to follow the rules and regulations enforced by this register at all times..

The nationality or port of registration is shown on the stern of a ship.. In the above example, the marking on the stern tells the world that the ship called CAPE ORCHID has been registered in Port Elizabeth in South Africa (you can see the South African flag)..

Any ship over 100 GT (Gross Ton) irrespective of whether it is a cargo vessel, fishing vessel, passenger vessel etc, has to be registered.. This registration grants the ship physical and legal protection of that flag/flag state which may be applied to vital areas such as safety of cargo and life of those on board the ship..

Ships need not necessarily be registered under a country’s own flag.. For example a ship owned by British nationals need not be registered mandatorily under the British Flag or UK Ships register.. It may be registered with registries other than the British Registry..

Types of ship registers

Some ships fly the flag of their own country, meaning it is owned, operated, and manned by nationals of that country..

This form of registration is called “Traditional Register” wherein the owner of the ship should necessarily be from the country of registration and the place of business should be in the country of registration..

Some ships fly the flags of other countries, like a ship owned by a Japanese firm flying a Maltese flag.. This form of registration is called an “Open Register“..

Many ship owners also opt for what is known as a “Flag of Convenience” (FOC).. An FOC is a type of open registry that offers (among other things) an attractive fiscal regime, substantially lower administrative fees, flexible to loose maritime safety policies, and lower costs for the ship owners..

FOC is a pejorative term used for an open registry and a FOC usually has no genuine link between the state and the ships that are flagged under that state..

For example, the ship is not owned by anyone from that country of registration, the ship is not operated by anyone from that country and the country of registration has no crew members or any other kind of administrative, technical, or social connection with that ship..

Because of this, organizations like the ITF (International Transport Workers Federation) find it difficult for unions, industry stakeholders and the public to hold ship owners to account as they may not follow the various regulations set..

The list of countries that have been declared as FOCs by the ITF’s fair practices committee can be viewed here..

Why is a flag important in shipping..??

A flag provides an identity to a ship which means the ship’s national state has exclusive dominion over the ship and no other nation can exercise dominion over that ship although a ship of any nation can navigate the oceans freely under the “guiding principle of the sea” which is freedom..

Of course, there are caveats here in the form of sanctions against certain countries which are enforced in shipping based on the flag/nationality of the ship..

As an example, the International Association of Classification Societies has withdrawn the Russian ship register’s membership after Russia’s attack on Ukraine..

This means ships flying the Russian flag are under sanction and any country doing trade with Russian flagged ships do so under risk of such sanctions.. There are political caveats to this as well which you can read about here..

The registration of a ship plays an important role in ensuring safety and security of the ship and significantly contributes to the protection and preservation of the marine environment..

As per IMO regulations, all ships must be surveyed in order to ensure that the ships under their register/flag are structurally sound and subscribes to design and safety standards and issue certificates that establish a ship’s seaworthiness..

The registration and linking to a national registry in a traditional register means that these ships may be requisitioned at time of war for the transportation of goods and people in the service of the nation..

The ship’s flag is also of importance in identifying specific registries or flag states that do not take action or turn a blind eye against shipowners who violate the rights of seafarers and in 2022 we are seeing a shameful record of seafarer abandonment..

Top ship flags by ships, DWT and value

Below are the current top-ranked ship flags by DWT (Dead Weight Tonnage), number of ships and value of ships..

As you can see, many ships are flying Flags of Convenience than their own national or traditional flags.. This is because a Flag of Convenience offers shipowners many benefits mentioned above, compared to traditional registers..

Top 10 ship flags by DWT — Source : UNCTAD

Top 10 ship flags by number of ships — Source : UNCTAD

Top 10 ship flags by value of ship — Source : UNCTAD

New Zealand’s maritime regulatory, compliance and response agency said it is seeking feedback from the sector and other interested parties on three key pieces of work.

Dialogue has been opened on Part 53, which relates to pilot transfers, and Part 23, which considers amendments to requirements for lifeboat drills, Maritime NZ said. Consultation is also set to begin on New Zealand’s work toward acceding to the Cape Town Agreement (CTA), an IMO convention dealing with design, construction and equipment standards for large fishing vessels.

Maritime NZ is reviewing Rule 53.4(2)(a), which requires pilots boarding or leaving a ship to not use a pilot-ladder if it’s deemed non-compliant. An exemption was issued by Maritime NZ from the rule following concerns from some ports and some maritime pilots. The options are to revoke the rule and not remake the exemption, or to remake the exemption as an amendment to the rule. Maritime NZ said it prefers the option to revoke the rule, with some other amendments added to improve safety and consistency, and it is keen to get industry feedback on this.

The organization said it is looking at changing Part 23 to make it more consistent with international rules. Current rules allow for crew to be aboard when lifeboats are launched during drills. That has caused injuries and even deaths, so Maritime NZ would like to change that so crew are not required.

New Zealand is working toward acceding to the CTA later this year. When it enters into force, the CTA will be an internationally binding instrument that will include compulsory requirements for stability and associated seaworthiness, machinery and electrical installations, life-saving appliances, communication equipment and fire safety, as well as fishing vessel construction.

New Zealand’s fishing safety standards and its commercial fleet are already largely aligned with the CTA requirements, but “acceding to the CTA will contribute to maritime safety in our region through the exercise of port state control”, said Andrew Bell, manager of Maritime NZ’s International team.

Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/new-zealand-seeks-industry-input-possible-499342

Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have seized a foreign vessel in the Gulf for allegedly smuggling 757,000 liters of diesel out of the country, the Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday.

The unnamed vessel’s seven crew members, who are foreign nationals, have been handed over to legal authorities, IRNA reported without elaborating on the nationalities of the ship or its crew.

Iran, which has some of the world’s cheapest fuel prices due to heavy subsidies and the plunge in value of its national currency, has been fighting rampant fuel smuggling by land to neighboring countries and by sea to Gulf Arab states.

The Guards have detained several ships in the past few months for smuggling fuel in the Gulf.

Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/iran-guards-seize-foreign-ship-smuggling-499360

PEO Ships reports that the the future USNS Apalachicola (EPF 13) Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport has successfully completed acceptance trials and unmanned logistics prototype trials.

Acceptance trials consist of a series of in-port and at-sea demonstrations that allow the Navy and the shipbuilder, Austal USA, to assess the ship’s systems and readiness prior to delivery to the Navy.

“The completion of this milestone is another win for our Navy and industry partners and a testament to the hard work of our shipbuilding team,” said Tim Roberts, program manager, Strategic & Theater Sealift, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. “USNS Apalachicola will enhance the operational flexibility needed by our sailors.”

AUTONOMY

The ship vessel also completed the unmanned logistics prototype trials that we reported on earlier. These assessed autonomous capabilities integrated into the shipboard configuration, demonstrating that a large ship can become a self-driving platform.

In transit from Mobile, Alabama, to Miami, Florida, Apalachicola’s autonomous system completed a stress test in high-traffic coastal areas by taking appropriate ship handling actions while operating around other ships, boats, sailboats, and craft. Overall, the ship was in autonomous mode for approximately 85 percent of the multiple day at-sea period.

The unprecedented development of autonomous capability on Apalachicola is the culmination of collaborative efforts with the Navy’s shipbuilding and industry partners, Austal USA, L3 Harris and General Dynamics.

“The ability to expand unmanned concepts into the existing fleet was validated by these trials,” said Roberts. “The capabilities integrated onto EPF 13 set the groundwork for future autonomous operations.”

EPFs are shallow draft, commercial-based, catamarans designed for rapid, intra-theater transport of personnel and equipment. The EPF’s high speed, shallow draft, and ability to load/unload in austere ports enables maneuver force agility in achieving positional advantage over intermediate distances without reliance on shore-based infrastructure.

USNS Apalachicola is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy later this year.

Source: https://www.marinelog.com/technology/epf-marks-acceptance-and-autonomy-double-milestone/

The Kremlin said on Friday that it expected President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the implementation of a deal on Ukrainian grain exports, which both have criticized, when they meet in Uzbekistan next week.

Putin said on Wednesday that Russia and the developing world had been “cheated”, and that he would seek amendments to the terms of the deal, which expires in November, before it is extended.

“A conversation between Putin and Erdogan is possible and necessary. We expect it will take place in Samarkand,” Peskov said, referring to next week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Uzbekistan.

The July deal to unlock Ukrainian grain exports from its Black Sea ports was brokered by Turkey and the United Nations. It remains the only significant diplomatic breakthrough in the six-month-old conflict.

Peskov on Friday repeated Putin’s assertions that the grain deal was unfair on the poorest countries because most shipments were being sent to Europe and other rich countries.

“The agreements are being implemented, but the way they are being implemented does not give any specific benefits to poor countries,” Peskov said.

A U.N. spokesperson for the Black Sea Grain Initiative said on Wednesday that 30% of the grain and other foodstuffs that had left Ukraine had gone to low and lower-middle income countries.

But the United Nations has also said the export deal is a commercial – not humanitarian – operation, driven by the market.

Many of the 100 or so ships that have left Ukraine had been stranded for months by of the blockade, unable to move their contracted cargoes. Most were laden with corn and booked by developed countries to be used for animal feed or biofuels.

Peskov also said further steps needed to be taken to help Russia export its own agricultural products.

The West has not imposed sanctions on Russian foodstuffs or fertilizers, but Moscow says logistical sanctions and restrictions on Russian ships entering Western ports or securing insurance restrict Russia’s access to world markets.

Moscow says easing these restrictions was a key part of the Black Sea deal.

“This issue has not been resolved. It will be the topic for a specific conversation,” Peskov said.

Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/putin-discuss-black-sea-grain-deal-499344

The National Transportation Safety Board has released a report on its investigation of a Nov. 10, 2021, fire aboard the 85 foot long fishing vessel Blue Dragon. No injuries or fatalities were reported, but the fire resulted in more than $500,000 in damages to the vessel.

Blue Dragon wheelhouse after fire — Blue Dragon wheelhouse interior post-fire, looking forward [Image: USCG]

The 1990-built Blue Dragon was under way conducting longline fishing operations in the North Pacific Ocean when it caught fire. The six crewmembers and a National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) observer unsuccessfully attempted to fight the fire. They abandoned the vessel and were rescued by a Good Samaritan vessel. The Blue Dragon was later towed to San Pedro, Calif.

On Oct. 25, 2021, the Blue Dragon left Honolulu, Hawaii, to fish for swordfish and tuna. On Nov. 9, while the crew were preparing to retrieve fishing gear, the NMFS observer discovered a fire in the wheelhouse under the console. While the crew was attempting to fight the fire, the NMFS observer and a deckhand retrieved the 10-person life raft and the vessel’s Global Navigation Satellite System-enabled emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) from above the wheelhouse. The NMFS observer used his satellite emergency notification device (SEND) to send an SOS along with a text that said “fire.”

He also manually activated the vessel’s EPIRB and his personal locator beacon.

NTSB concluded that the observer and deckhand contributed to the survival of the crew by retrieving the EPIRB and life raft before they caught fire. The observer’s activation of the vessel’s EPIRB and use of his NMFS-issued personal emergency communications equipment further contributed to the crew’s timely rescue, since the equipment transmitted the crew’s location.

The NTSB determined the probable cause of the fire aboard the Blue Dragon was from an unknown source, likely electrical in nature, which ignited the wooden wheelhouse console. Contributing to the extent of the fire damage was the substantial use of combustible materials in the joinery, outfitting, and furnishings in the wheelhouse and accommodation spaces.

LESSONS LEARNED

NTSB identified two lessons learned from this investigation:

Substandard electrical installation and outfitting—including bare wires, unsecured wire nuts, overloaded circuits, loose wiring, and household wiring not designed for marine use—is a common cause of shipboard/vessel electrical fires. Additionally, batteries have been identified as ignition sources of fires in multiple modes of transportation. Vessel operators should ensure electrical systems are adequately designed, installed, and maintained in accordance with established marine standards to prevent fires.

Personal locator beacons helped validate the position of the fishing vessel’s emergency position indicating radio beacon, and a SEND helped responders identify the nature of the emergency. Vessel owners and operators can enhance the safety of their crews by equipping their vessels and crews with these additional satellite technologies to supplement EPIRBs.

RECOMMENDATION

NTSB issued a safety recommendation to the U.S. Coast Guard to require the use of personal locator beacons to enhance chances of survival following the sinking of the cargo vessel El Faro in 2015. All 33 crewmembers perished in the sinking. NTSB reiterated the recommendation after the fishing vessel Scandies Rose sank off Sutwik Island, Alaska in 2019. Two of the vessel’s crewmembers were rescued; the other five crewmembers were never found. NTSB concluded that personal locator beacons would aid in search and rescue operations by providing continuously updated and correct coordinates of crewmembers’ locations. The recommendation remains open.

Improving fishing vessel safety remains a priority for the NTSB and it is an issue on the NTSB’s 2021-2022 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements. The NTSB advocates for new standards to address—and periodically reassess—intact stability, subdivision, and watertight integrity in commercial fishing vessels up to 79 feet long as well as personal locator beacons for crew.

Source: https://www.marinelog.com/legal-safety/safety-and-security/ntsb-says-electrical-fault-likely-caused-500000-fishing-vessel-fire/

Three years after car carrier Golden Ray wrecked in Georgia’s St. Simons Sound and a year after the salvage operation was completed the legacy of the wreck continues to hang over the Georgia community. On Wednesday, one day shy of the third anniversary of the wreck heeling over in the sound and triggering the massive salvage operation a new lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Brunswick, Georgia echoing issues raised by the local government in a similar suit filed in March 2022.

Lawyers representing commercial fishermen, including shrimpers and crabbers as well as other commercial charter boat operators, contend the area’s waters remain heavily polluted undermining their clients’ livelihood. The suit claims that the oil and other residues that leached from the wreck continue to degrade the water quality. They cite the initial leaks as well as subsequent discharges during the salvage operation as well as the fires and other problems during the removal and remediation efforts.

The suit names a wide range of defendants including the owner of the vessel, Hyundai Glovis as the charter, the local agents, and the crewing company for the vessel, as well as the salvage contractors. The suit alleges negligence both in the operation of the Golden Ray and the cleanup after the wreck.

They allege a year after the last cut was completed on the hulk of the Golden Ray and the pieces were removed from the sound that the seabed remains covered with car parts both from cars that fell into the water and from parts that washed out of the hulk. The suit cites the numerous pieces removed from the beach while saying many more continue to litter the waterways.

Speaking to the Brunswick News, local shrimp fisherman Johnny Ray Bennett said the one thing he is catching these days is car parts. “Oh, yeah, we’re catching all that junk – bumpers, radiator hoses, tires. It’s everywhere you look, but we ain’t catching the shrimp like we used to,” Bennett told the newspaper.

The lawsuit asks the court to order additional remediation of St. Simons Sound and the surrounding waterways. They are also seeking civil penalties and financial compensation for their lost business over the past three years.

Many of the issues in the new suit mirror similar allegations in a suit filed six months ago in the same federal court by the county where the wreck occurred. The Georgia county also filed suit alleging negligence both against the ship’s owners and operators as well as the salvage company for environmental damage and lost tax revenues.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division separately in November 2021 proposed a $3 million fine for the Golden Ray’s operator citing pollutants, petroleum products, and other debris that were discharged into the sound. At the time, the Georgia state authority gave Hyundai one year to pay the fine or propose a supplemental environmental project in return for a reduced fine.

To date, estimates are that more than $800 million has been spent on the removal of the wreck and remediation of the sound. That makes it the costliest shipwreck in U.S. history.

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/three-years-after-golden-ray-wreck-fishing-community-sues-for-cleanup

Viking River Cruises’ much-anticipated Jones Act compliant river cruise ship Viking Mississippi is currently on its inaugural cruise and attracting much local media attention along the way.

Floated out from Edison Chouest Offshore’s LaShip shipyard in Houma, La., in March, the 450 foot long, 75 foot beam vessel hosts 386 guests in 193 all outside staterooms, and offers multiple passenger amenities. The five-deck river cruise ship is inspired by Viking’s award-winning river and ocean ships and features a Scandinavian design, as well as public spaces that will be familiar to Viking guests but reimagined for Mississippi River voyages.

The Viking Mississippi is equipped with a variety of measures to maximize energy efficiency and emissions—including a diesel-electric propulsion system comprised of eight CAT C32 EPA Tier 4 diesel engines, each powering a 940 eKw water cooled generator; each engine/generator unit is individually mounted on a specially designed double raft isolation system that produces a remarkably quiet and smooth ride.

Propulsion power is provided by Voith 6-bladed propulsion thrusters driven by permanent magnet electric motors as are the pump jet bow thrusters.

Source: https://www.marinelog.com/inland-coastal/video-viking-mississippi-river-cruise-ship-makes-its-debut/

The fleet support centre, which also uses the ABB Ability Genix Industrial Analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) suite, will help address vessel performance aspects, such as hull and machinery, speed and route planning, emissions, and carbon intensity reporting.

Using the vessel’s operational data and advanced analytics, OVERSEA centre experts will deliver better solutions to shipping firms, allowing them to enhance energy efficiency, safety and accuracy of operations, stated the firm.

Shipping companies that have in-house fleet support centres can use the OVERSEA digital solution to generate insights, offer recommendations and implement improvement actions by collaborating on the same data with vessels and onshore offices.

Furthermore, shipping entities can take the support of OVERSEA centre experts for daily advice, periodic performance reviews and reporting, or on-demand performance consulting.

ABB marine and ports service head Jyri Jusslin said: “ABB is committed to driving shipping decarbonisation, and OVERSEA has been developed to further support this target.

“OVERSEA allows turning insights into actions that can significantly improve the efficiency and sustainability of vessel operations. We are confident that this pioneering innovation will serve as a new standard in fleet and vessel performance optimisation.”

Earlier in the year, ABB won a contract from IHI Power Systems for the delivery of its power system platform for the Taiga electric tugboat.

Source: https://www.ship-technology.com/news/abb-wallenius-marine-fleet-support/

Ukraine’s decision to allow its seafarers to leave the country despite wartime restrictions will free up vital manpower for both Ukrainian grain exports and the wider global shipping industry, industry figures told Reuters.

The move, officially confirmed this week, is part of efforts by Ukraine to maximize its grain shipments via a UN-brokered corridor through the Black Sea, which lifted a Russian blockade of Ukraine’s south coast when came into effect in early August.

“We understand that the grain corridor depends on them (seafarers) and the world of international logistics also depends on them,” Viktor Vyshnov, deputy head of Ukraine’s Shipping Administration, told Reuters.

Industry figures said in late July, shortly after the grain export deal was agreed, that finding enough seafarers to crew the estimated 80 vessels stuck in Ukrainian ports since the start of Russia’s invasion in February would be a challenge.

While able-bodied Ukrainian men aged 18-60 are barred from leaving the country as fighting continues against Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s government has waived the ban for qualified seafarers and those studying for a mariner qualification.

The move, first announced in late August by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, was decreed into law by his cabinet last Friday, according to a copy of the order published on Monday evening.

“According to the decree, all seafarers, whether they are leaving from Ukrainian ports or are going abroad to fulfil their contracts, can obtain the possibility to leave Ukraine,” Vyshnov said.

Shmyhal said in August that the decision would boost Ukraine’s wartime coffers, as it would “allow thousands of sailors to get jobs and (state) budget receipts to grow.”

Global impact
Ukrainian seafarers make up 4% of the total global mariner workforce of 1.89 million sailors, according to analysis from trade associations the International Chamber of Shipping and BIMCO.

“They are vital cog in the global supply chain when it comes to providing well qualified seafarers,” Stephen Cotton, General Secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) union, said.

Having Ukrainian seafarers back in the global shipping market will be important in filling demand for qualified sailors over the next four years, Natalie Shaw, director of employment affairs at the International Chamber of Shipping, told Reuters.

“The (ICS/BIMCO) report predicts that there will be a need for an additional 89,510 officers by 2026 to operate the world merchant fleet, and Ukraine supplies over 76,000 of the current workforce,” she said.

“In the (2021) report … Ukraine was listed as the top country companies are likely to recruit from,” she added.

Russian sailors
The staffing situation on ships arriving in Ukraine has been complicated by the lack of clarity on the status of Russian merchant sailors.

The grain corridor deal did not clarify the status of Russian mariners aboard ships that come into Ukrainian ports, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry told Reuters.

A spokesperson for Ukraine’s border agency told Reuters that while he did not know of any cases of Russian seafarers receiving visas to enter Ukrainian territory during the invasion, this did not theoretically stop them from sailing into Ukrainian ports if they remained aboard their ship.

“If these people are refused entry … then they must remain aboard the ship until it leaves the port,” border agency spokesperson Andriy Demchenko said.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry, which is responsible for issuing visas, did not respond to a request for comment.

“Common sense says Russian-owned ships and Russian-crewed ships should be very careful about visiting Ukraine,” the ITF’s Cotton said. “At the moment I would not recommend it.”

Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/ukraine-sailor-permits-crucial-grain-499281

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Demystifying Shipping and Freight Jargon : The Flag of the ship

This installment of “Demystifying Shipping and Freight Jargon” is about The Flag of the Ship..

Types of ship registers

Why is a flag important in shipping..??

Top ship flags by ships, DWT and value

New Zealand Seeks Industry Input on Possible Regulatory Changes

Iran Guards Seize Foreign Ship for Smuggling Diesel

EPF marks acceptance and autonomy double milestone

AUTONOMY

Putin to Discuss Black Sea Grain Deal with Turkey’s Erdogan

NTSB says electrical fault likely caused $500,000 fishing vessel fire

LESSONS LEARNED

RECOMMENDATION

Three Years After Golden Ray Wreck, Fishing Community Sues for Cleanup

Viking Mississippi river cruise ship makes its debut

ABB and Wallenius Marine launch new fleet support centre for ships

Ukraine Sailor Permits Crucial for Grain Exports, Global Shipping

AI is transforming the high seas — here are the top maritime + AI developments (Mid–Late September 2025)

Virtual Maritime Purchasing Assistant

New IMO Rules: Mandatory Reporting of Containers Lost at Sea – From 2026

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