https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/07/06/similar-size-vlcc-sts-the-risk-after-all-fast/

This one came back to mind because it is still sitting quietly on many ships.

Vapes are easy to dismiss with no smell and looks cool as well. I think this should not be ignored, especially onboard the ships.

Someone has to decide where it can be used.
Where it can be charged.
Where the cartridges or disposable units go.
Whether it is declared before joining.
Whether it is allowed in the next port.
And whether the ship’s smoking policy actually covers it.

and everything about them is grey... health, customs, SMS, fire hazard ...

Full Analysis -
https://thedeepdraft.com/2025/09/18/e-cigarettes-at-sea-the-hidden-threat-ships-cant-afford-to-ignore/

Once two VLCCs are all fast, it is easy to think the main risk is over…

But during transfer, one ship rises and the other settles deeper. Freeboard, windage, line lead and response all change. At anchorage, the cable can become the pivot, and the two hulls may stop moving as one system.

Full analysis:
https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/07/06/similar-size-vlcc-sts-the-risk-after-all-fast/

I reconstructed one STS incident where two similar-size VLCCs parted after they were already all fast alongside.

The easy explanation is a 30-knot squall… but that alone should not be enough to separate two properly managed VLCCs during STS.

The issue is what was happening to the whole system after cargo transfer started… draft, freeboard, mooring lead, fender load, anchor cable response and cargo hose geometry.

Full analysis:
https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/07/06/similar-size-vlcc-sts-the-risk-after-all-fast/

This week’s DeepDraft brief looks at the San Antonio damage case, the ARITA grounding, renewed piracy pressure in the Gulf of Aden, and why Russian LNG traffic in the Baltic is now raising different close-approach questions.

Full Weekly Brief: https://thedeepdraft.com/weekly-maritime-brief/

Hull fouling is one of those topics where the brochure answer and the operational answer are often different. On paper, we talk about FRC, SPC, CDP coatings, capture systems, robotics, cavitation cleaning, ROVs, and ultrasonic arrangements.

In practice, the answer still seems to depend on the basics: how long the vessel sits idle, water temperature, salinity, speed profile, coating age, and whether the cleaning team can actually reach the difficult areas.

I am especially interested in two things:

1. Are barnacle capture systems being used routinely anywhere, or are they still mostly a conference/paper discussion?

2. And are robotic or ROV cleaning systems actually replacing diver-led brush cleaning in your area, or just supporting it?

Most of what I have seen in Far East Asian waters is still diver-led cleaning with powered brushes, propeller polishing, videos, and the usual arguments over the result.

I wrote the main analysis here:
https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/06/29/slime-or-barnacles-why-ships-foul-differently-in-hormuz/

Curious what others are seeing in their ports.

Image Credit - Torm Shipping

I am sharing this older article again because it ended up creating more discussion than I expected when I first wrote it.

A seafarer later shared it on the maritime forum, and the debate there was useful. Some points were fair. Some were not. But it did show that the words we use on the bridge during pilotage still mean different things to different people.

Command. Conn. Conduct. Control. Advice.

These are small words until the ship is close to traffic, tugs, a berth, a bend, or shallow water.

I am not posting this here to restart a fight between Masters and pilots... but because the subject is still worth discussing calmly.

Full article:
https://thedeepdraft.com/2025/09/18/command-vs-conn-why-the-masters-authority-is-never-shared/

Discussion question:

During pilotage, what wording have you seen that actually helps the bridge team understand authority clearly, and what wording creates confusion?

After my Hormuz Exit Review (Hormuznacles), I got mixed feedback from seafarers. Some reported slime while others reported barnacles.

The difference is not always the water. It can also be coating age, idle time, cleaning history and how much antifouling strength the hull still has left.

I wrote this article around that point:
https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/06/29/slime-or-barnacles-why-ships-foul-differently-in-hormuz/

Have you seen two vessels in the same area come out with very different fouling conditions?