A charter vessel transiting between research sites at night collided with a stationary vessel. The stationary vessel’s master claimed to have an anchor light on, but the crew of the charter vessel stated they did not see any navigation lights. The master of the stationary vessel was preparing food on the vessel at the time and may have obstructed the anchor light view from the charter vessel’s crew. The master of the charter vessel was found to have been operating at high speed given the conditions (night operations). This also rendered the lookout ineffective.

An explosion occurred on a charter fishing vessel whilst berthed. The investigation identified that the ignition source was a lithium-ion battery that was not holding charge connected to a battery charger in a way that bypassed the battery management safety system. The vessel was beyond repair following the explosion.

The Modernised Australian Ship Tracking and Reporting System (MASTREP) is a ship reporting system designed to contribute to safety of life at sea.

A contractor working on a vessel fell into the water whilst disembarking due to the gap between the wharf and the vessel.  A safe means of access to the vessel was not provided.

It’s important to maintain your lifejacket according to the manufacturer’s instructions so it works when you need it.

On the evening of 29 May 2022, a commercial fishing vessel was on a voyage from Mackay to Cairns when the master noticed an auxiliary engine alarm. Upon lifting the engine room hatch, the master saw smoke and an orange glow and the engine room subsequently caught fire. The master quickly made the decision that they would not be able to fight the fire without jeopardising their safety and abandoned ship. An SMS risk assessment on appropriate crewing on a voyage greater than 12 hours duration should be undertaken in these situations.

On 21 August 2019, a landing barge (operated as a Class 1E and 2D) capsized while transiting from Great Mackerel Beach to Pittwater north of Sydney.

Most services for operators and crew of domestic commercial vessels are now provided by us instead of Maritime Safety Queensland.

The Vessel Traffic Services Advisory Group (VTSAG) discusses matters relating to Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) in Australia.

Apply for an endorsement that allows you to command and operate the engines of a vehicular ferry-in-chains attached to the shore by cable.

Find out about permitted tolerance, enforcement of requirements and how we will deal with delays in transmitting the VGM electronically.

We are a team of dedicated professionals – hear more about our experiences working at AMSA.

Our search and rescue modules provide background information as well as information about preparation, principles of how to conduct a search and rescue operation and how to respond to specific kinds of emergency.

We are responsible for leading national policy on vessel traffic services (VTS).

We inspect domestic commercial vessels to ensure crew, vessel, and operational safety.

Process for registered training organisations delivering continued competence STCW courses in sea survival and fire fighting.

In rough weather, early in the morning of 24 May, about 50 containers were lost overboard from the Singapore-flagged container ship APL England. Read our regular updates.

The North-East Shipping Management Plan (NE SMP) identifies actions based on information regarding the nature of shipping activity in the north-east region.