About the DeepDraft
The DeepDraft is an independent maritime analysis platform written from first-hand operational experience at sea.
I am Capt. Raghu Sharma, a Master Mariner with over two decades in the merchant navy, including command experience on large commercial vessels. My career has involved bridge watchkeeping, ship handling, incident response, audits, inspections, and day-to-day decision-making where regulatory theory meets operational reality.
The DeepDraft is not a news site and not a training manual. It sits in the space between regulation, practice, and professional judgement.
The articles published here draw from lived experience at sea and focus on:
– Accident and incident analysis from an operational perspective
– Safety management systems and where they succeed or fail in practice
– Regulatory interpretation, inspections, and compliance pressures
– Human factors, leadership, and decision-making onboard ships
The intent is not to provide definitive answers, but to examine how maritime systems actually function under real conditions ie. time pressure, commercial constraints, fatigue, and imperfect information.
The DeepDraft is written for seafarers, marine professionals, and industry stakeholders who understand that safety at sea is shaped as much by judgement and culture as by rules and procedures.
— Capt. Raghu Sharma