The Mariner's Blog

UK ETS for Shipping: What the UK Emissions Trading Scheme Means for Vessel Operators
  • Sep 15, 2026
  • Maya Deiss
UK ETS for Shipping: What the UK Emissions Trading Scheme Means for Vessel Operators

From 1 July 2026, shipping enters the UK Emissions Trading Scheme for the first time. Vessel operators trading into and around the United Kingdom n...

Polar Code Explained: IMO Requirements for Ships Operating in Polar Waters
  • Sep 14, 2026
  • Maya Deiss
Polar Code Explained: IMO Requirements for Ships Operating in Polar Waters

As Arctic and Antarctic shipping activity grows, the rules governing vessels in the world's harshest waters have become essential knowledge for a w...

TimeZero Professional vs. TimeZero Navigator: Which Navigation Software Is Right for Your Vessel?
  • Sep 11, 2026
  • Maya Deiss
TimeZero Professional vs. TimeZero Navigator: Which Navigation Software Is Right for Your Vessel?

TimeZero makes two versions of its marine navigation software, and choosing the wrong one means either paying for professional features a weekend c...

USCG Port State Control Inspections: The Publications You Must Have on Board
  • Sep 10, 2026
  • Maya Deiss
USCG Port State Control Inspections: The Publications You Must Have on Board

A missing or outdated publication is one of the simplest deficiencies for a Port State Control inspector to find, and one of the easiest for a vess...

Bahamas & Caribbean Cruising Guides: What You Need for the 2026-27 Season
  • Sep 9, 2026
  • Maya Deiss
Bahamas & Caribbean Cruising Guides: What You Need for the 2026-27 Season

The Bahamas and Caribbean cruising season runs roughly from October through April, and the boats that have the best seasons are the ones that provi...

Navionics vs C-Map: Which Digital Chart Should You Buy?
  • Sep 8, 2026
  • Maya Deiss
Navionics vs C-Map: Which Digital Chart Should You Buy?

Choosing between Navionics and C-Map is one of the most common decisions a boater faces when moving to a chartplotter, and the honest answer is tha...

GMDSS Certification: How to Get Your GOC or ROC and What Study Materials You Need
  • Sep 7, 2026
  • Maya Deiss
GMDSS Certification: How to Get Your GOC or ROC and What Study Materials You Need

Operating a ship's radio in a distress situation is not something you can improvise, which is why anyone responsible for GMDSS communications must ...

S-100: Key Findings from ECDIS Trials
  • Sep 4, 2026
  • Charles Hays
S-100: Key Findings from ECDIS Trials

A major simulator study involving 100 maritime professionals examines how S-100 could reshape ECDIS navigation. The findings highlight imp...

How Often Are Nautical Charts Updated? The Chart Correction Cycle Explained
  • Sep 4, 2026
  • Maya Deiss
How Often Are Nautical Charts Updated? The Chart Correction Cycle Explained

A nautical chart is never truly finished. The seabed shifts, wrecks appear, buoys move, and lights change, so the chart in your hands is only as sa...

ADMIRALTY Digital Publications vs. Paper: Choosing the Right Format for SOLAS Compliance
  • Sep 3, 2026
  • Maya Deiss
ADMIRALTY Digital Publications vs. Paper: Choosing the Right Format for SOLAS Compliance

A vessel must carry its SOLAS-required nautical publications, but nothing in the regulations says they have to be printed. ADMIRALTY offers its off...

ISM Code Internal Audits: How to Prepare Your Safety Management System
  • Sep 2, 2026
  • Maya Deiss
ISM Code Internal Audits: How to Prepare Your Safety Management System

An ISM internal audit is not a formality to survive; it is the mechanism that keeps a safety management system honest between external verification...

International Code of Signals: Flag, Sound, and Light Signals Every Mariner Should Know
  • Sep 1, 2026
  • Maya Deiss
International Code of Signals: Flag, Sound, and Light Signals Every Mariner Should Know

When the radio fails, the fog rolls in, or a vessel needs to warn every ship in sight at once, mariners fall back on a communication system older t...