GYRO Team

Our partners at Seaman Solutions provide maritime training, STCW courses, seaman books, and digital solutions for seafarers worldwide.

GYRO users can receive discounts on selected services and courses.

More information:
https://app.gyro.team/partners/seaman-solutions-3dc253d4/

Hello everyone, let’s break this down:

A vessel engaged in trawling. Vessel length exceeds 50 m. Fishing gear extends more than 150 m.

COLREG Rule 26(b) - Fishing Vessels.

A vessel engaged in trawling, by which is meant the dragging through the water of a dredge net or other apparatus used as a fishing appliance, shall exhibit:
(i) two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being green and the lower white, or a shape consisting of two cones with apexes together in a vertical line one above the other;
(ii) a masthead light abaft of and higher than the green all-round light; a vessel of less than 50 metres in length shall not be obliged to exhibit such a light but may do so;
(iii) when making way through the water, in addition to the lights prescribed in this paragraph, sidelights and a sternlight.

📘 Annex II, Section 2(a)(ii)
Signals for trawlers:
Vessels engaged in trawling, whether using bottom trawls or pelagic trawls, may display:
- when shooting their nets: two white lights in a vertical line;
- when hauling their nets: one white light over one red light in a vertical line;
- when the net has come fast upon an obstruction: two red lights in a vertical line.

Test your knowledge with our quiz:
COLREG Lights & Shapes
https://app.gyro.team/link/quiz-colreg-lights-shapes-identific-1779788534

Train • Sail • Grow

Don’t be shy - join the discussion.
Share your answer in the comments and let’s see how many seafarers get it right.

⚠️ Today, a collision occurred between the Newcastlemax bulk carrier HUGE KUMANO and the Capesize bulk carrier CAPE XL near Singapore.

The incident reportedly took place near the convergence area between Singapore’s eastern bunkering anchorage (AEBA) and the eastbound traffic lane of the Singapore Strait.

• Newcastlemax bulk carrier with a deadweight of 208,848 DWT, built in 2020, owned and operated by Japan’s Nissen Kaiun Co Ltd.
• Capesize bulk carrier with a deadweight of 181,458 DWT, built in 2011, operated by Greece-based Brave Maritime Corp.

According to market sources, CAPE XL had reportedly completed bunkering at AEBA and was proceeding southbound to join the eastbound traffic lane, while HUGE KUMANO was already navigating within the traffic lane at the time of the incident.

AIS screenshots following the collision showed both vessels temporarily displaying “Not Under Command” status.

Photos show significant structural contact damage, with the bow section of HUGE KUMANO embedded into the port side structure of CAPE XL.

At this stage, there have been no official public statements from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), vessel owners, or managers regarding the cause of the incident, the extent of damage, possible pollution, or potential injuries.

The incident once again highlights the navigational complexity around Singapore, especially in areas where bunkering anchorages, traffic separation schemes (TSS), and dense deep-sea vessel traffic intersect under extremely heavy traffic conditions.

📸 Exclusive photos and AIS materials provided by Xinde Marine News.

Our partners from the PRO_LNG project have prepared a collection of interesting questions.

➡️ Now available in Online Opponent Mode ⚔️

Send the link to your friend and spend time usefully while competing online.

https://app.gyro.team/link/game-en-lng-operations-engine-1779091272

You can learn more about the test topics and the types of questions you can expect on the website:
https://app.gyro.team/tests/category/lng-operations-engine/

⚠️ Please make sure your app is updated to the latest version before starting.

📱 Google Play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.gyro.app

📱 App Store
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gyroteam/id6475394676

More topics coming soon.

How one steering mode mistake sank two tugs and led to a major High Court case in Australia.

In 2022, the bulk carrier Goliath collided with and sank two unmanned tugs during manoeuvring operations in Devonport, Tasmania an incident that quickly became one of the most discussed Australian maritime cases in recent years.

According to the ATSB investigation, the accident occurred during a transfer of steering control on the bridge. A combination of incorrect steering mode selection, ineffective bridge resource management (BRM), and incomplete transfer of bridge controls resulted in the vessel unexpectedly turning toward the assisting tugs.

Both tugs were eventually sunk, fortunately without loss of life, but the consequences extended far beyond the immediate collision. The incident triggered complex legal disputes involving wreck removal costs, pollution liability, and the limits of shipowner responsibility under Australian maritime law.

Australia’s High Court has now confirmed that significant wreck removal and pollution-related claims may fall outside standard limitation protections a decision with potentially major implications for shipowners, insurers, and maritime operators worldwide.

The case is now widely referenced not only as a bridge management and steering control failure, but also as an important legal precedent for maritime liability and environmental claims.

📖 Full article & investigation breakdown: Read on GYRO Website https://www.gyro.team/articles/goliath-collision-in-australia

🧭 3D video analysis: Watch on YouTube
youtube.com/watch?utm_source=chatgpt.com&v=M5XxXp79kwU&feature=youtu.be

📃 Source:
Australian Transport Safety Bureau Final Report MO-2022-002

Fire onboard: why modern cargo fires are becoming more dangerous.

In 2025, the number of incidents related to fires and explosions onboard ships reached around 250 cases - one of the highest levels recorded in the past decade.

Around 30% of all incidents involved: Container vessels, Cargo vessels, Ro-Ro vessels. More than 100 vessels have been completely lost due to fire and explosion incidents over the past years.

The main causes today:
⚠️ lithium-ion batteries (especially EVs and battery systems)
⚠️ misdeclared dangerous cargo
⚠️ self-heating cargoes

Insurance companies increasingly identify misdeclared dangerous cargo as one of the industry’s biggest problems. Some containers may be declared as ordinary cargo while actually carrying dangerous goods such as batteries, chemicals, or self-heating cargo.

Many of these fires can develop hidden deep inside containers without immediate detection. In addition, some lithium-ion battery fires are capable of reigniting even after the use of CO₂ systems.
In many situations, the crew has only a few minutes to localize the fire before the situation gets out of control and sometimes abandoning the vessel becomes the only remaining option.

🔥 X-Press Pearl (2021, Sri Lanka)
Fire and multiple explosions onboard a container vessel following issues related to dangerous cargo. All 25 crew members were successfully evacuated with no fatalities. The incident became one of the largest environmental disasters in the region.

🔥 Felicity Ace (2022, Atlantic Ocean)
Major fire onboard a vehicle carrier loaded with luxury cars. All 22 crew members were evacuated by the Portuguese Navy and rescue services. The vessel drifted in the Atlantic for several days before eventually sinking.

🔥 Fremantle Highway (2023, North Sea)
Fire onboard a car carrier transporting thousands of vehicles. The crew was forced to abandon ship: some seafarers were evacuated by helicopter, while others jumped overboard. One crew member died and several others were injured.

🔥 Wan Hai 503 (2024, Arabian Sea)
Following an explosion in one of the containers, a major fire broke out onboard, reportedly linked to dangerous cargo. Part of the crew was evacuated, and several seafarers were injured while fighting the fire.

💬 Have you ever experienced cargo fires or dangerous cargo incidents onboard? Share your experience or opinion in the comments.

We invite all seafarers and offshore specialists to take part in our next question and test their knowledge of Jack-Up operations.

If you like what we do and find our content useful, support us with a repost and share it with your colleague

Why must the allowable RPD (Rack Phase Differential) values not be exceeded during jacking operations?

Choose one answer:

To avoid damaging the legs on the Jack-Up barge
To prevent engine overheating
To avoid overloading the vessel
To avoid overloading the Jacking System

⚠️ AMSA has banned the vessel from entering Australian ports for 90 days after identifying serious crew welfare violations.

On April 23, 2026, during a Port State Control inspection in Newcastle, Australian inspectors checked the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier FPMC B Forever.

During the inspection, serious violations were identified, including:

- underpayment of crew wages exceeding US$10,853,
- unlawful charges imposed on seafarers for drinking water onboard.

The shipowner was ordered to repay the outstanding wages to the crew. Seafarers cannot legally be charged additional fees for basic necessities, including access to drinking water.

The vessel was built in 2010 by Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry in China and is part of the fleet operated by Taiwan-based Formosa Plastics Group - a major company managing more than 40 vessels, including bulk carriers, tankers, and gas carriers.

AMSA representative Greg Witherall stated:

“Underpaying seafarers - by any amount - is unlawful and will trigger enforcement action. If operators attempt to cut costs at the expense of their crew, the consequences will be far greater.”

⚠️ On May 8, 2026, AMSA officially published the ban/refusal of access decision. The vessel is prohibited from entering Australian ports until July 28, 2026.

We are sharing this to show how important it is to see the real situation onboard. You will not find this information in job offers, and nobody will warn you before joining the vessel.

That is exactly why we are building the Ship Reviews system:

📸 Share real photos
📝 Tell others what is actually happening onboard
👤 Post anonymously or openly - whichever you prefer

(If you cannot find the vessel by name, search using the IMO number.)

If everything is good onboard - show it. If there are problems - others should know about them. Your review may influence someone’s decision.

🧭 Leave a review

https://app.gyro.team/ships/

Let’s break this one down:

“What are the minimum requirements for the number of crew and time needed to prepare a survival craft for launching?”
The answer can be found in:

📚 SOLAS Chapter III, Regulation 13 - Stowage of survival craft, Paragraph 1.3.

Each survival craft shall be stowed:
1 - so that neither the survival craft nor its stowage arrangements will interfere with the operation of any other survival craft or rescue boat at any other launching station;
2 - as near the water surface as is safe and practicable and, in the case of a survival craft other than a liferaft intended for throw over board launching, in such a position that the survival craft in the embarkation position is not less than 2 m above the waterline with the ship in the fully loaded condition under unfavourable conditions of trim of up to 10° and listed up to 20° either way, or to the angle at which the ship's weatherdeck edge becomes submerged, whichever is less;
3 - in a state of continuous readiness so that two crew members can carry out preparations for embarkation and launching in less than 5 min;
4 - fully equipped as required by this chapter and the Code;
5 - as far as practicable, in a secure and sheltered position and protected from damage by fire and explosion.

✅ Correct answer:
2 crew members in less than 5 minutes.

📩 Send us questions you’ve been asked onboard, during interviews or exams - we’ll break them down together.

Test your knowledge with:

SOLAS - Key Requirements Onboard
https://app.gyro.team/link/quiz-solas-key-requirements-onboard-1778146131

Or invite your friends to an online challenge and compete in real time ⚔️
https://app.gyro.team/link/game-en-international-maritime-regu-1778146104

🛳 Train • Sail • Grow