The Mariner's Blog

Important Ship Construction Regulations to Follow
  • 27 nov 2025
  • Charles Hays
10 Important Ship Construction Regulations to Follow: A SOLAS Requirements Guide

Building Seaworthy Vessels Under a Regulatory Framework Ship construction requires more than welding steel plates and installing engines. It demand...

International Waters Boundaries, Jurisdiction and Legal Implications: All You Need to Know
  • 27 nov 2025
  • Charles Hays
International Waters Boundaries, Jurisdiction and Legal Implications: All You Need to Know

Here's something most people don't realize about international waters: the "12-mile rule" everyone talks about is actually the beginning of the com...

Quick Guide to the ISPS Code for Ships: Enhance Maritime Security
  • 27 nov 2025
  • Charles Hays
Quick Guide to the ISPS Code for Ships: Enhance Maritime Security

Why the ISPS Code Became Essential for Maritime Security The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center fundamentally changed h...

Top 10 Major U.S. Navy Bases Worldwide: Strategic Hubs
  • 26 nov 2025
  • Charles Hays
Top 10 Major U.S. Navy Bases Worldwide: Strategic Hubs

The Global Reach of the U.S. Naval Power The United States Navy operates the most extensive network of maritime installations on the planet. These ...

Tips for Understanding Nautical Flags & Their Meanings
  • 25 nov 2025
  • Charles Hays
Tips for Understanding Nautical Flags & Their Meanings

Why Nautical Flag Meanings Still Matter for Maritime Safety Walk onto any vessel today and you'll see satellite communications, digital navigation ...

Different Types of Boats: A Complete Guide for Vessel Operators
  • 24 nov 2025
  • Charles Hays
Different Types of Boats: A Complete Guide for Vessel Operators

Selecting the right vessel for your maritime operations requires understanding boat classifications, hull designs, and regulatory compliance requir...

The Proper Way to Keep a Captain's Log Book
  • 24 nov 2025
  • Charles Hays
The Proper Way to Keep a Captain's Log Book

What Information Belongs in Your Captain's Log Book Every maritime professional faces the same question when starting a new voyage: what actually n...

Dangerous Goods Labeling Guide
  • 18 nov 2025
  • Charles Hays
Dangerous Goods Labeling Guide: IMDG Code Requirements & Compliance

The Critical Role of Dangerous Goods Identification Safe transport of hazardous materials across the world's oceans depends on one fundamental fact...

Flotsam vs. Jetsam
  • 13 nov 2025
  • Maya Deiss
Flotsam vs. Jetsam: A Mariner’s Guide to Marine Debris and Salvage Law

To a beachcomber standing on the shore, debris washing up on the sand looks like simple trash or driftwood. To a Master Mariner, a marine insurance...

What Is Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)
  • 12 nov 2025
  • Charles Hays
What Is Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)? The Ultimate Guide

Safety of Life at Sea: The Operational Backbone For the professional mariner, Safety of Life at Sea is not merely a theoretical concept; it is the ...

Knots to MPH: Understanding Cruise Ship Speeds and More
  • 10 nov 2025
  • Charles Hays
Knots to MPH: Understanding Cruise Ship Speeds and More

Knots to MPH Fundamentals for Modern Navigation Maritime operations demand a distinct language of velocity that differs from highway travel. Whethe...

Florida State Flag: Symbols, Colors, and Their Historical Significance
  • 30 oct 2025
  • Charles Hays
Florida State Flag: Symbols, Colors, and Their Historical Significance

The Florida state flag stands as one of the most distinctive state banners in the United States, featuring a bold red saltire cross on a white fiel...