Insights and Analysis
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The Silence That Follows a Cadet’s Death at Sea
In the past five years, the shipping industry has seen a disturbing rise in deaths and disappearances among young seafarers, many recorded as suicides or “unexplained” at-sea cases. Insurers now list suicide as a significant share of crew fatalities, and NGOs warn the true toll may be higher because of inconsistent reporting. One case, still…
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The MSC Michigan Chief Engineer Case: Beyond Blame, Toward Systemic Accountability
The Ghost of Dali: A Wake-Up Call The maritime fraternity has never fully exorcised the ghost of MV Dali. In March 2024, the containership, while transiting the Patapsco River near Baltimore, suffered a cascading electrical blackout that left its propulsion and steering systems inoperable. Without control, the vessel struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, collapsing…
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The Hidden Risk at Sea: Why Vitamin D Deficiency Costs Shipping Millions
When people think of seafarers, the image that often comes to mind is of men and women under the open sky, surrounded by endless blue seas and blazing sunlight. It seems logical to assume that such a profession would guarantee sufficient vitamin D, the ‘sunshine vitamin.’ Yet, paradoxically, multiple studies show that seafarers are at…
The Deep Draft 