The Mariner's Blog

Port State Control Inspection 2026: A Guide
  • Aug 10, 2026
  • Charles Hays
Port State Control Inspection 2026: A Guide

A port state control inspection can determine whether a vessel sails on schedule or sits detained in port while deficiencies are corrected. For mas...

Port State Control vs Flag State: What's the Difference?
  • Aug 7, 2026
  • Charles Hays
Port State Control vs Flag State: What's the Difference?

Two systems work together to keep commercial shipping safe and compliant, but they operate from different positions of authority. The flag state go...

Ships' Routeing, 2025 Edition: What's New and Why It Matters
  • Aug 6, 2026
  • Charles Hays
Ships' Routeing, 2025 Edition: What's New and Why It Matters

Traffic separation schemes, deep-water routes, and areas to be avoided do not appear on a nautical chart by accident. Every one of these routeing m...

Flag of Uzbekistan: Meaning, History, Colors and Symbolism Explained
  • Aug 5, 2026
  • Charles Hays
Flag of Uzbekistan: Meaning, History, Colors and Symbolism Explained

When Uzbekistan declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, one of the first acts of the new republic was to adopt a national flag. The de...

Title 49 CFR Explained for Shipping and Transportation
  • Aug 4, 2026
  • Charles Hays
Title 49 CFR Explained for Shipping and Transportation

Anyone who ships, carries, or handles hazardous materials in the United States operates under one set of rules: Title 49 of the Code of Federal Reg...

Fire Safety Inspections Checklist for Ships
  • Aug 4, 2026
  • Charles Hays
Fire Safety Inspections Checklist for Ships

Fire is one of the most dangerous emergencies aboard a vessel. A fire that goes undetected or uncontrolled can destroy a ship faster than a groundi...

What Is a Marine Navigation Kit and What Does It Include?
  • Aug 4, 2026
  • Charles Hays
What Is a Marine Navigation Kit and What Does It Include?

Even on a vessel equipped with ECDIS, GPS, and AIS, there are situations where the only thing standing between a safe fix and a lost position is a ...

What Is Maritime Law and Why Does It Matter?
  • Aug 3, 2026
  • Charles Hays
What Is Maritime Law and Why Does It Matter?

Every commercial vessel afloat operates within a legal framework that is older than most nations. Maritime law, also known as admiralty law, govern...

Step-by-Step Guide to Dead Reckoning Navigation
  • Aug 3, 2026
  • Charles Hays
Step-by-Step Guide to Dead Reckoning Navigation

When GPS goes down, radar fails, or the sky is too overcast for a celestial fix, a navigator still needs to know where the vessel is. Dead reckonin...

Types of Life-Saving Appliances Required on Ships
  • Aug 2, 2026
  • Charles Hays
Types of Life-Saving Appliances Required on Ships

When a vessel must be abandoned, the equipment that keeps the crew and passengers alive is collectively called life-saving appliances. SOLAS Chapte...

How Do Life Jackets Work? Everything You Need to Know
  • Aug 1, 2026
  • Charles Hays
How Do Life Jackets Work? Everything You Need to Know

A life jacket does one thing: it keeps a person's head above water when they cannot do it themselves. Whether the wearer is conscious and swimming,...

Digital vs Traditional Sailing Directions: Which Format Serves Modern Mariners Best?
  • Jul 15, 2026
  • Charles Hays
Digital vs Traditional Sailing Directions: Which Format Serves Modern Mariners Best?

ADMIRALTY Sailing Directions have been a standard bridge reference for over a century, providing port approach procedures, coastal hazard informati...