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Issue 15 · Past issue

Engineering CoC seat booking opens 1 Nov; tanker disabled at Hormuz; Liberia revises lifeboat-drill rules

Tuesday, 27 October 2026 · free, no ads · a new issue Tuesday to Saturday

  • 13items
  • 4official sources
  • 5to act on
  • 5 minto read

In 60 seconds

  • Exams: November engineering CoC written exams run 16-27 Nov; book on exams.dgma.gov.in from 1 Nov (Class IV from 2 Nov).
  • India: Dredge Engineer exams go to four sittings a year; deck mark sheets are now a signed download.
  • Gulf: an outbound tanker was disabled at Hormuz on 23 Oct; JMIC keeps the threat SEVERE.
  • Black Sea: the tanker Khoryv sank off Constanta after a drone strike - 1 dead, 3 missing.
  • Rules: Liberia now asks for a logbook reason and the next safe chance when a lifeboat launch is missed.
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🚨 Act on these first

  1. Dredge Engineer exams: four sittings a year, and a written or oral pass now carries forward · 🇮🇳 India — DGMA tracker
  2. Complaint on e-Navik? An 8-member DGMA committee now handles it · 🇮🇳 India — DGMA tracker
  3. Hormuz: outbound tanker disabled by a projectile; JMIC keeps the threat SEVERE · 🛡️ Security
  4. Black Sea: tanker Khoryv sunk by a drone off Constanta - 1 dead, 3 missing · 🛡️ Security
  5. Lesson: a guard tug closed in to warn a yacht - and collided with it · ⚠️ Safety lesson

India — DGMA tracker

India — DGMA tracker Urgent Official

Dredge Engineer exams: four sittings a year, and a written or oral pass now carries forward

DGMA Circular 72 of 2026 (26 Oct) changes the Dredge Engineer Grade I and II exams. From the November 2026 exams, written and oral are no longer one unit. If you pass one part, you keep that pass and do not sit it again. Grade I candidates with a B.E. or B.Tech in Mechanical or Marine Engineering no longer sit the Machine Drawing paper. The exams will be held four times a year instead of once; the dates come in the 2027 exam calendar. A separate notice of the same date sets the November written exams at MMD Visakhapatnam on 25-27 Nov 2026.

What to do: Dredge engineers with a mechanical or marine engineering degree: check the exemption before you book. Failed only one part before? Ask the MMD how your earlier pass is counted from November.
Affects: Dredge Engineer Grade I and II candidates; dredging companies When: Exams from November 2026; Visakhapatnam written exams 25 Nov 2026 to 27 Nov 2026
Source: DGMA - Circular No. 72 of 2026: Changes i… ↗
India — DGMA tracker Urgent Official

Complaint on e-Navik? An 8-member DGMA committee now handles it

A DGMA order dated 19 Oct 2026 (posted 23 Oct) sets up a committee for the e-Navik Grievance Redressal Module. It replaces the single nodal officer. It is chaired by an Additional DG. Each member closes complaints in one area. Crew: employment, RPSL, compensation, abandonment, piracy and complaints from women seafarers. Training: INDoS, institutes and onboard training berths. Nautical and Engineering: exams and certificates. IT: e-Samudra and login problems.

What to do: Have a complaint about an RPSL agency, unpaid wages, abandonment or exam paperwork: file it on the e-Navik grievance module and keep the reference number. Choose the right category so it reaches the right member.
Affects: All Indian seafarers and cadets; RPSL agencies; training institutes When: Order dated 19 Oct 2026; applies now
Source: DGMA - Order: Grievance Redressal Committ… ↗

Exams & certificates

Exams & certificates Official

Engineering CoC written exams 16-27 Nov: seat booking opens 1 Nov on the new portal

DGMA has published the November 2026 written exam notice for engineering candidates (dated 26 Oct). The exams run from 16 to 27 Nov 2026 for MEO Class I, II-A, II-B, IV-A, IV-B, IV (NCV) and ETO. Seat booking for MEO Class I, II and ETO opens on 1 Nov at 11:00 and closes on 8 Nov at 11:00. For MEO Class IV and NCV Class IV it opens on 2 Nov at 11:00 and closes on 9 Nov at 11:00. Eligibility assessment and seat booking are only on the new portal, exams.dgma.gov.in. Payment is through Bharatkosh. Seats are limited: Mumbai 160, Kolkata 150, Chennai 140, Noida 100, Visakhapatnam 75, Kochi 60, Kandla 25.

What to do: Sitting a November paper: get your eligibility assessment done on exams.dgma.gov.in now, and book on the opening day - seats are limited. Pay again only if the portal shows a failed-transaction receipt. On exam day arrive 45 minutes early, with no bag, phone or smartwatch.
Affects: Engineering CoC candidates (MEO Class I, II, IV, NCV) and ETO candidates in India When: Booking 1 Nov 2026 to 9 Nov 2026; exams 16 Nov 2026 to 27 Nov 2026
Source: DGMA - Notice to Engineering candidates f… ↗
Exams & certificates Official

Deck officers: your exam mark sheet is now a digitally signed download

DGMA notice of 26 Oct 2026 says mark sheets are now on the E-Examination Portal. This covers all nautical candidates issued a CoC from July 2026 onwards. The mark sheets are digitally signed. You download them at exams.dgma.gov.in with your own login. The published copy is a scan; read the notice for the full wording.

What to do: Got your CoC from July 2026 onwards: log in to exams.dgma.gov.in, download the mark sheet and keep a copy with your documents for job applications and further studies.
Affects: Deck officers issued a CoC from July 2026; deck exam candidates When: Notice dated 26 Oct 2026; available now
Source: DGMA - Availability of Nautical Grade Exa… ↗

Security

Security Urgent Reported

Hormuz: outbound tanker disabled by a projectile; JMIC keeps the threat SEVERE

Reported by gCaptain on 26 Oct, quoting UKMTO and JMIC. On 23 Oct at 0839 UTC, a tanker outbound through the Strait of Hormuz was hit by an unknown projectile and disabled. All crew are safe; no name or flag was given. UKMTO Warning 183-26 reports a vessel on fire about 63 nm SE of Al-Faw, Iraq, treated as suspicious activity, not a confirmed attack. The JMIC advisory of 25 Oct keeps the threat SEVERE for Hormuz and SUBSTANTIAL for the wider Gulf. It says more deliberate attacks are highly likely. The risks named are projectiles, possible new mining and interference with electronic navigation. About 492 ships were waiting outside the Strait on 25 Oct.

What to do: In or bound for the Gulf: plan to the SEVERE level. Cross-check GNSS positions by radar and visual fixes. Keep the fire and damage-control parties ready, and report anything suspicious to UKMTO at once.
Affects: All crews in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman When: 23-25 Oct 2026
Source: gCaptain - Tanker disabled in Strait of H… ↗
Security Urgent Reported

Black Sea: tanker Khoryv sunk by a drone off Constanta - 1 dead, 3 missing

Reported by gCaptain (Reuters): the Comoros-flagged tanker Khoryv sank about 13 nm off Constanta, just outside Romanian territorial waters (reported 23 Oct). She had 13 crew, Ukrainian and Azerbaijani. One body was recovered, 3 are missing and 9 were rescued from the water. Romania's President blamed Russia. At least 7 cargo ships were hit off Romania and Bulgaria in two weeks, with about 30 seafarers dead or missing. NATO is sending more patrol aircraft, radars and drones. On 25 Oct Russia also said it hit two cargo ships bound for Chornomorsk and Odesa; this was not independently verified.

What to do: On Black Sea voyages: know your war-risk area clause and your right to refuse. Keep immersion suits and lifejackets at hand, the GMDSS ready, and muster drills fresh. Report drone sightings to the coastal state at once.
Affects: All crews trading to Romanian, Bulgarian and Ukrainian ports; crewing offices When: 23-25 Oct 2026
Source: gCaptain - Romania blames Russia for dron… ↗

Safety lesson

Safety lesson Urgent Reported

Lesson: a guard tug closed in to warn a yacht - and collided with it

As reported by Germany's investigator BSU (Lessons Learned 26): a tug was assisting two tankers at anchor in a roadstead. It was also the guard vessel for their safety zone. A sailing yacht entered the zone. The tug headed for it to warn it off. After manoeuvres by both, they collided. The yacht had minor hull damage. BSU found that the tug's guard role was not clear to others. Its approach itself created the risk. Neither side said what it intended, and the yacht did not know the local restrictions.

What to do: Guard and escort duty: make your role visible by day and night signals. Call on VHF early, before close quarters. If there is no reply, do not keep closing - the steering and sailing rules still apply to you. In voyage planning, check temporary safety zones and local notices.
Affects: Masters and OOWs of tugs, guard and escort vessels; all OOWs near anchorages and safety zones When: BSU Lessons Learned 26, 15 Sep 2026
Source: BSU (Germany) - Lessons Learned 26: Colli… ↗

IMO & rules

IMO & rules Reported

Liberian flag: lifeboat not launched on time? Log the reason and do it at the next safe chance

Reported by LISCR: Liberia has revised Marine Notice SAF-004, Lifeboat and Emergency Drills (Rev. 10/26). The new para 7.2 covers a lifeboat or rescue boat that cannot be lowered, launched or manoeuvred on time. Reasons: bad weather, port or terminal rules, or other safety limits. Under SOLAS III/19.5, the logbook entry must state the circumstances, the drill held and why the boat was not launched. The overdue launch must then be done at the next safe opportunity. The base rule stays: each lifeboat is lowered and manoeuvred in the water at least every 3 months.

What to do: Masters and C/Os on Liberian ships: check the drill matrix for any boat overdue. If a launch is missed, write the full reason in the logbook the same day and plan the launch for the next safe port or anchorage.
Affects: Masters, chief officers and crews of Liberian-flagged ships and MODUs; ROs When: Marine Notice SAF-004 Rev. 10/26; applies now
Source: LISCR - Marine Notice SAF-004 Rev. 10/26:… ↗

Shipping industry

Shipping industry Reported

Attacks on ships: are fire and abandon-ship drills ready for a ship hit twice?

Reported by gCaptain (analysis by Paul Morgan, 26 Oct). The IMO had counted at least 22 seafarers killed in 80 verified attacks by September. In October there were 28 attacks in and around Hormuz, according to the Washington Institute via Reuters. More than 30 VLCCs have been damaged, 11 of them in October. SOLAS fire rules were written for accidental fires, not strikes from outside. The author suggests combined fire, flooding and blackout drills, checks of emergency power and fire pumps, rest management, and clear guidance on when to abandon ship.

What to do: Masters and C/Es in high-risk areas: run one combined drill (fire plus blackout plus flooding). Test the emergency generator and emergency fire pump. Agree with the company when the crew leaves the ship.
Affects: Masters, C/Es, officers and crews in war-risk areas; DPAs and ship managers When: Article published 26 Oct 2026
Source: gCaptain - As attacks mount, shipping fac… ↗
Shipping industry Reported

Russian diesel to the US: lawmakers warn four ports and six banks

Reported by gCaptain: a letter of 24 Oct, led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen, went to six banks and the ports of Houston, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, and New York and New Jersey. It questions a 9 Oct US-Russia deal for Russian diesel: 300,000 t first, 500,000 t in November, then 1 million t. US Treasury General License 135 allows the trade until 7 Apr 2027. The lawmakers say it conflicts with a 2022 US law. Two tankers are named: PVT Azura (Viet Nam flag), due at Norfolk on 2 Nov, and Agioi Fanendes (Malta flag), loaded at Primorsk, due at New York on 7 Nov.

What to do: Tanker officers on Russian-origin cargo to the US: keep cargo documents and the voyage record complete, and expect extra questions at the port. Ask the operator for the licence basis before arrival.
Affects: Masters and officers of tankers carrying Russian diesel to the US; operators When: Letter dated 24 Oct 2026
Source: gCaptain - Lawmakers warn U.S. ports and … ↗

Technical advancement

Technical advancement Reported

A fuel cell instead of a generator: MOL tests a 300 kW SOFC on an LNG carrier

Reported by Riviera: MOL will trial a 300 kW solid-oxide fuel cell made by Bloom Energy on a 174,000 m3 LNG carrier building at Samsung Heavy Industries, due for delivery in 2027. The containerised unit weighs about 59 t and supplies auxiliary power in place of a generator. It degrades and must be replaced every 4 to 5 years. MOL's project manager says it is 50-60% efficient, up to about 85% with heat recovery, with negligible methane slip and NOx. He also says almost all of 17 payback scenarios MOL studied were not defensible.

What to do: Engineers and ETOs joining new LNG carriers: ask whether a fuel cell is fitted, and ask for maker training on start-up, gas safety and isolation before you take over the watch.
Affects: Engineers and ETOs on LNG carriers; technical superintendents When: Reported 26 Oct 2026; ship due 2027 💡 Ship types: LNG carrier
Source: Riviera - Does using a solid-oxide fuel c… ↗
Technical advancement Reported

Largest battery-electric ship in service: 250 t of batteries on a River Plate ferry

Reported by gCaptain: the 130 m ferry China Zorrilla, built by Incat Tasmania for Buquebus, entered service between Buenos Aires and Colonia. Her first paid crossing was on 22 Oct 2026. She stores more than 40 MWh in over 250 t of batteries. She carries up to 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles.

What to do: Ferry engineers and ETOs: large battery rooms bring new hazards (thermal runaway, toxic gas, high-voltage isolation). Ask for battery-fire drills and high-voltage training before you join a battery ship.
Affects: Engineers, ETOs and officers on passenger ferries and ro-pax ships When: First paid crossing 22 Oct 2026 💡 Ship types: Passenger / cruise / ferry
Source: gCaptain - World's largest battery-electr… ↗
Technical advancement Reported

Survey: 82% say training does not prepare crews for digital bridges

Reported by Riviera: a survey by OneOcean (part of Lloyd's Register, which sells training) and Thetius. 82% of maritime professionals say training does not prepare mariners for digitally enabled ships. 56% blame tick-box compliance. 75% of mariners reported a moderate to big rise in workload during GNSS jamming and spoofing. Problems named are ECDIS alarm fatigue and systems that do not talk to each other, so the crew must compare data across displays.

What to do: Bridge teams: practise a GNSS-loss drill - radar and visual fixes, parallel indexing, switching ECDIS to dead reckoning. Know which displays take the GNSS feed so a spoofed position does not spread unseen.
Affects: Masters, deck officers and ETOs; training managers When: Reported 26 Oct 2026 💡 Ship types: All ship types
Source: Riviera - Seafarer training falls behind … ↗

One-question check

Under SOLAS, how often must each davit-launched lifeboat be lowered and manoeuvred in the water during an abandon-ship drill?

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. Independent — not affiliated with the Directorate General of Shipping or IMO. How to use