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Understanding Sanctions in Maritime Trade
By Capt. Raghu Sharma The Question That Always Comes Next In my previous article, I explained how sanctions enforcement, particularly through OFAC, reaches the ship and why the Master becomes involved. https://thedeepdraft.com/2025/12/15/ofac-sanctions-ship-master/ What almost always follows is a different assumption, especially from readers ashore – “Surely the crew knows where…
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The WhatsAppisation of Ship Operations.
By Capt. Raghu Sharma There was a time when by design, ship–shore communication was used sparingly. Messages came through telex, and they came infrequently. Urgent navigational warnings. Critical operational or voyage instructions. Every message carried weight and if a message arrived, it mattered. As technology improved, communication expanded. Email systems…
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The Master’s Role in OFAC Compliance
By Capt. Raghu Sharma An Analytical Look at How Sanctions Quietly Enter the Bridge To seafarers in general, OFAC does not exist. No rating will ever come into contact with it, and few senior officers expect to deal with it on any direct basis. Sanctions exposure reaches the vessel through…
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Smart and Virtual Buoys: Navigating the Future of Maritime Safety
For decades, IALA buoyage systems provided fixed reference points ie. solid, visible, reliable. Today, navigation extends beyond charts and visuals. Smart and virtual buoys are redefining how bridge teams manage situational awareness, traffic routing, and navigational safety. Virtual AIS AtoNs are digital markers without a physical counterpart and are increasingly…
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Pilotage Without Surprises: Why Japan’s Methods Stand Apart
Professionalism of Japanese Pilots and Shore-Side Teams – A Comparison with Other Ports There are ports where pilotage feels like an act of experience, and there are ports where it feels like an act of engineering.In Japan, it is both experience embedded inside engineering. Over the years I’ve handled ships…
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SCAMIN in ECDIS: Why Always Off vs Phase-Based Still Divides Navigators
In my work as a navigation assessor, I regularly review ECDIS practices across different companies. One recurring issue I encounter is the management of SCAMIN (Scale Minimum), should it always remain OFF, or should it be used differently in passage planning and execution? This is not just a technical toggle…
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Seafarer Mental Health: The New Marketplace of Maritime Welfare
“It started like a game. Then it asked me things I’d never want my employer to know.” During one of my audits, one seafarer described his experience with a “crew wellness” app that has quietly spread through parts of the maritime industry. What began as routine questions soon probed into…
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The Case of the Missing Bulbous Bow
The Bow That Was Marked but Never Built I don’t usually pay much attention to the bow shape of a vessel.After years at sea, certain things fade into habit and you see them without noticing. But sometimes, when something is missing, your eyes catch it immediately. It happened on one…
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The Deep Draft 