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🇮🇳 India — DGMA tracker
India — DGMA trackerUrgentOfficial
War zones: your company must enter your ship on DGMA's e-NAVIK (Circular 56)
DGMA Circular 56 of 2026 (4 September, not covered here before) launched a Seafarer Tracking Module on the e-NAVIK portal. It is still in beta. RPSLs, shipowners and managers must enter every ship with Indian crew in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Black Sea. They must add the Indian crew list. Then they must update the ship's position daily and record every sign-on and sign-off. DGMA says position data is confidential and access-controlled.
What to do: Sailing in one of these areas? Ask your RPSL or manning office to confirm your ship and your name are on the module. RPSLs: update positions daily.
Affects: Indian seafarers in the Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Black Sea; RPSLs, shipowners and managersWhen: 4 Sep 2026
Seriously ill? Rs 2 lakh one-time help, but see a DGMA-approved doctor first (Circular 52)
DGMA Circular 52 of 2026 (28 August, not covered here before) changes how the Seafarers' Welfare Fund Society runs its Medical Support Scheme for critical or terminal illness. The scheme pays a one-time Rs 2,00,000 to Indian CDC holders. Family members at home are not covered. The assessment must now be done by a DGMA-approved doctor on the circular's list. The consultation fee is refunded up to Rs 500, and only for those doctors. Every claim is checked before payment.
What to do: See a doctor from the circular's Annexure-I list and get the signed Medical Assessment Report. Send your claim to SWFS within one month of the consultation, with the original bill. The published copy is a scan; read the circular for the full rules.
Affects: Indian seafarers holding an Indian CDC who have a critical or terminal illnessWhen: 28 Aug 2026
Two tankers with Indian crews hit off Oman and in Hormuz; two Indian crew missing
Business Today reported on 12 October that the tanker Petro Dolphin was hit by a drone on 11 October at Sohar anchorage, Oman, while she waited to berth. Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said nine Indian crew were rescued and two are missing. The Omani coast guard is searching. The same day, the Marshall Islands-flag tanker Valthera was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire. The minister said all 11 Indian crew on board are safe.
What to do: Ships at anchor off Oman and the UAE are also being hit, not only ships in transit. Keep a full anchor watch and lookout. Keep a fire party ready, and keep lifejackets and survival suits within reach. Make sure your company has entered your vessel on DGMA's e-NAVIK tracking module.
Affects: All crews in or bound for the Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman; families of Indian seafarersWhen: 11 Oct 2026
Gulf of Oman: US jets disable a blockade runner; ships at Ras al-Khaimah anchorages told to move
Al Jazeera reported on 11 October that US CENTCOM released video of a jet bombing the stern of a Panama-flag cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman. The aim was to stop her propulsion. CENTCOM said she was trying to run the US blockade of Iran's southern ports. Ships at Ras al-Khaimah anchorages were told by radio overnight to leave. Iran's IRGC also claimed a supertanker hit a mine on 10 October after taking what it called an unauthorised route.
What to do: OOWs: keep a listening watch on VHF for military warnings and act on them at once. Do not switch off AIS or take unusual routes without company and naval advice. Check the latest JMIC and UKMTO notes before every passage.
Affects: All ships in the Gulf of Oman, Strait of Hormuz and off the UAEWhen: 10–11 Oct 2026
Lesson: Bosun fell overboard while rigging the pilot ladder
MAIB Report 16/2026 covers the bulk carrier World Prize, off Ronnskar, Sweden, on 14 October 2025. The bosun fell from the main deck while the crew prepared the pilot ladder, and died. The pilot boat crew could not recover him. MAIB found that an unsafe way of rigging the ladder had become normal on board. Crew at the open deck edge had no fall protection. The permit to work was not followed, and nobody stopped the job.
What to do: Rigging a pilot ladder at an open rail? Wear a harness clipped to a strong point and a lifejacket, with an officer watching. If the way it is 'always done' is unsafe, stop the job and say so.
Lesson: ferry holed below the waterline by a banned fender at the berth
An MAIB summary of 27 August covers the ferry Stena Estrid at Holyhead on 7 January 2026. In strong westerly winds, she closed on the jetty faster than expected. She hit a turning fender the port had banned in July 2025; it had sharp brackets and no rubber. About 500 tonnes of water came into the engine room. Tug orders were confusing and the tug was badly placed to help.
What to do: Before arrival, check local notices for banned or damaged berth fittings. In strong wind, slow the approach and agree clear tug orders. Mooring stations should report distances off the berth.
Affects: Masters, deck officers, ro-ro and ferry crewsWhen: 7 Jan 2026
New VHF channel numbers: your radios must be ready by the first radio survey after 1 Jan 2028
IMO has revised its guidance on VHF equipment as MSC.1/Circ.1460/Rev.5, reported by SAFETY4SEA on 2 October (citing Lloyd's Register). It keeps the rule that ship VHF sets must work with the new channel plan in the ITU Radio Regulations, Appendix 18. This plan uses four-digit channel numbers. Sets must comply by the first radio survey after 1 January 2028. Some coast stations have already switched and no longer answer on old channels.
What to do: GMDSS operators and ETOs: note the make and model of your VHF sets and ask the company if they need a software update or replacement. If a coast station does not answer on a working channel, look up its new channel number in the latest list of radio signals.
Affects: Navigating officers, GMDSS operators, ETOs, superintendentsWhen: First radio survey after 1 Jan 2028
Coming 1 Jan 2027: new IMSBC Code rules for bulk cargoes become mandatory
IMSBC Code amendment 08-25, resolution MSC.575(110), becomes mandatory on 1 January 2027, as reported by UK P&I. It revises the entries for cargoes such as direct reduced iron, fish meal and iron ore pellets, adds eleven new cargoes, and adds guidance on fumigation in transit. Some countries already apply it voluntarily.
What to do: Chief Officers on bulk carriers: make sure the 2025 edition of the IMSBC Code is on board. Before loading, compare the shipper's cargo declaration with the new schedule.
Affects: C/Os, Masters and superintendents on bulk carriersWhen: 1 Jan 2027
World's first ammonia-powered bulk carrier sails on her first voyage
Splash247 reported on 9 October that CMB.TECH has sent the 210,000 dwt Newcastlemax Mineral Europa on her maiden voyage to Australia. The ship was built at Qingdao Beihai in China. She is described as the first ammonia-powered bulker. CMB.TECH has 21 ammonia-powered ships due by 2029, mostly bulkers.
What to do: Engineers and deck officers: ammonia is toxic as well as flammable. If you may join a dual-fuel ship, ask about type-specific training, ammonia PPE and leak drills before you sign on.
Affects: Engineers and officers on new-fuel ships; crewing staffWhen: 9 Oct 2026💡 Ship types: Bulk carrier
Panama Canal keeps working after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake
Splash247 reported on 10 October that a magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit southern Panama, according to the USGS. The Panama Canal Authority said ship transits were not affected after it inspected the locks and dams; damage was limited to some buildings and water tanks. Tsunami warnings for parts of Central America's Pacific coast were later lifted, and more than 40 aftershocks followed.
What to do: Bound for Panama: transits run as normal, but check your agent's latest notice for any changes after the aftershocks.
Affects: Ships and crews transiting the Panama CanalWhen: 10 Oct 2026
SOLAS V/23: when you rig the pilot ladder on its own, the climb must be not less than ___ and not more than ___ above the water.
SOLAS chapter V, regulation 23.3.3.1: the pilot ladder alone may be used for a climb of not less than 1.5 m and not more than 9 m above the surface of the water. Above 9 m, the ship must give the pilot an accommodation ladder used with the pilot ladder, or another safe and convenient means. So 12 m is wrong. Today's lesson: World Prize's Bosun was lost while rigging the pilot ladder. Practise more in DG Exit →
Mariners Digest summarises public sources in its own words and links every item to its source. Items marked Official link to the regulator's own document; Reported items come from the trade press. Always check the source before acting on it. This is not legal advice.
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