The Mariner's Blog

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...

10 Famous Ships That Shaped Maritime History
  • 20 oct 2025
  • Charles Hays
10 Famous Ships That Shaped Maritime History

Certain vessels throughout history have transcended their role in not just being a vessel of transportation, but have become symbols of human ambit...

American Flag Rules for Flying on Vessels
  • 17 oct 2025
  • Charles Hays
American Flag Display Rules When Flying Multiple Flags on Vessels

Operating a vessel flying multiple flags requires understanding the proper display of the American flag alongside other ensigns. According to Publi...

What is the IAMSAR Manual
  • 16 oct 2025
  • Charles Hays
What is the IAMSAR Manual and Its Primary Purpose?

When a distress call goes out at sea, the response needs to be immediate, coordinated, and effective. The IAMSAR Manual (International Aeronautical...

Best Marine Navigation Software
  • 14 oct 2025
  • Charles Hays
The Best Marine Navigation Software for Vessels and Yachts

Professional maritime operations demand reliable, compliant navigation software that meets regulatory requirements while improving operational effi...

IMDG Code Amendment 42-24
  • 13 oct 2025
  • Charles Hays
IMDG Code Amendment 42-24: What Changed for Maritime Dangerous Goods Transport

Amendment 42-24 of the IMDG Code goes live January 1, 2025 (optional) and becomes mandatory January 1, 2026. You've got one year to get your proced...

15 Types of Navigation Equipment Used on Modern Ships
  • 10 oct 2025
  • Charles Hays
15 Types of Navigation Equipment Used on Modern Ships

The bridge of a modern ship is a sophisticated, integrated nerve center. The days of relying solely on a sextant and paper chart are long past; tod...

History of Navigation at Sea
  • 9 oct 2025
  • Charles Hays
History of Navigation at Sea: From Stars to Modern Equipment

For as long as humans have ventured onto the water, we have faced the same fundamental challenge: how to find our way. The history of navigation at...

How to Read Nautical Charts
  • 6 oct 2025
  • Charles Hays
How to Read Nautical Charts: A Beginner’s Guide to Safe Marine Navigation

Setting out on the open water is an adventure, but for every mariner, from a weekend sailor to the captain of a supertanker, that adventure must be...