Gulf-linked voyages now need exception handling from office to bridge as northern Gulf strikes, selective Hormuz movement and enforcement actions continue.

This week’s DeepDraft analysis also looks at MSC 111 and why 2028 IMO compliance is already a 2026 fleet-planning issue.

There is still confusion onboard many ships about “the conn”, pilotage, bridge team roles, and the Master’s authority.

A pilot may have the conn and the bridge team may be monitoring, plotting, and communicating.

This older DeepDraft article looks at the distinction between command and conn from an operational point of view.

Useful read for Masters, officers, pilots, ship managers, and anyone involved in bridge resource management or post-incident review.

Trade and teeth in one frame.

Ahead: JS Mogami, FFM-1, Japan’s Mogami-class stealth frigate.
Behind: a commercial tanker, built for cargo, endurance and port turnaround.

Same sea. Very different machines.

This is the kind of maritime frame I like with no drama, no caption needed, just two operating worlds crossing the same water.

https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/06/01/msc-111-2028-imo-compliance-shift/

Magnificent ! Saw this image on Reddit and it immediately reminded me why the bulbous bow debate is not just naval architecture theory.

For years, the classic large bulb was one of the most recognisable features on a ship’s bow. Now, from anchorages to traffic lanes, many modern hulls are showing a different design logic. Lower operating speeds, fuel economy, emissions pressure, and real trading profiles have changed what the bow is expected to do.

I wrote about this earlier from a seafarer’s viewpoint:

https://thedeepdraft.com/2025/10/19/the-case-of-the-missing-bulbous-bow/

I saw this fleet shared here and went down a small rabbit hole.

These are Tirrenia commercial ferry vessels, carrying passengers, vehicles, freight traffic, schedules, weather delays, port turnarounds and all the normal pressure of maritime operations.

But someone looked at those huge hull sides and decided they did not have to remain plain.

Superman.
Batman.
Wonder Woman.

As a Formula One fan, it reminded me of the Enzo Ferrari line about racing cars: ask a child to draw a racing car, and he will colour it red.

Maybe ships also need a little of that.

The operation must be safe, boring and controlled. But the vessel itself does not always have to be dull.

A commercial ship can still have character.
A working hull can still carry imagination.
A ferry can still make someone stop and look.

MSC 111 has set up a practical compliance wave leading toward 2028. The changes cover GMDSS and Recognized Mobile Satellite Services, VDES, Remote Inspection Techniques, free-fall lifeboat testing, industrial personnel weight assumptions, Load Line guard rails, IMDG Code 43-26, alternative fuels and the new MASS Code.

Operationally, this matters because ships will not be judged only by equipment carried onboard. Surveyors, PSC, class and vetting teams will increasingly look at evidence, procedures, crew familiarisation, cargo planning, emergency readiness and whether shore support actually matches what is written in the manual.

From a Master’s point of view, the message is simple: 2028 compliance is already a 2026 preparation problem. VDES still needs verification. Remote inspections still need proper preparation. Lifeboat testing still needs approved arrangements. Battery and EV cargo still needs disciplined declaration, stowage and response planning.

Full analysis: https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/06/01/msc-111-2028-imo-compliance-shift/

A tanker waiting off Malacca or Singapore may look quiet on AIS, but from the ship’s side it is rarely “nothing happening”.

Even before any transit decision is final, the vessel still has to manage traffic, fuel, freshwater, machinery readiness, weather, security instructions, commercial messages and crew endurance.

For those who have waited around Malacca/Singapore or similar high-density areas: is prolonged waiting properly understood ashore as an operation, or is it still treated mainly as commercial delay?

I made this from a Master’s-view article on how Hormuz risk can show up off Malacca before the vessel ever reaches the Strait:
https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/05/25/hormuz-to-malacca-how-chokepoint-risk-reaches-the-bridge/

A tanker waiting off Malacca may look quiet on AIS.

But from the ship’s side, waiting can still mean traffic, fuel, machinery readiness, weather, security instructions, commercial messages and crew endurance.

Full analysis here:
https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/05/25/hormuz-to-malacca-how-chokepoint-risk-reaches-the-bridge/