This marine notice draws attention to the importance of providing shore leave to seafarers, for ships visiting Australian ports.

Read about the results of consultation on proposed amendments to Marine Orders 15 and MO49 to introduce restrictions on the use of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid in firefighting foams.

Watch the video of Mark Jacobs who has hung up his snorkel and fins to help save lives across 10 per cent of the Earth’s surface.

Regulatory requirements for certificates of competency, sometimes referred to as ‘tickets’, apply to thousands of Australians working across the domestic commercial vessel (DCV) industry.

During a private charter a passenger fell down a stairwell and sustained serious injuries. The area around the top of the stairwell had a recess that reduced the floor area slightly and could be missed during movements. The stairs themselves were not found to be contributory to this incident. However, the spiral design proved problematic for providing post-incident medical assistance for the passenger. Any area that may present a safety risk to passengers onboard a vessel should be risk assessed, with appropriate control measures put in place to ensure passenger safety.

AMSA occasionally seeks help and support from private companies to deliver its Search and Rescue (SAR) services.

A 7.5m punt (flat bottomed vessel) used for aquaculture operations contacted a marina at speed, injuring 4 people onboard.

Use an Australian seafarers service book (ASSB) to keep a record of your sea service on an Australian or international vessel in international waters.

How to use your domestic New Zealand certificate of competency to work on domestic commercial vessels in Australia.

There are laws against ship sourced pollution and those responsible may be prosecuted under state or territory legislation.

There are mandatory minimum requirements for your certificates under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 1978 (STCW).

A passenger ferry was returning from its scheduled service when an unanticipated wave raised its stern and caused its bow to dive under the water. Water rushed over the bow and a significant amount came through the forward portside access door and into the passenger compartment. The master immediately reduced speed, which expelled most of the water overboard. The forward portside access door had been left open by a crew member who was attempting to alleviate sea sickness among some passengers. The action of leaving the door open during the voyage was contrary to the vessel’s survey requirements. Signage requiring the door to be kept closed when underway was reportedly not seen by crew members. This resulted in water entering the vessel creating a potentially unsafe situation.

A unique identifier—also sometimes called a unique vessel identifier—is like a number plate for your vessel.

AMSA’s invoicing process is changing. From 1 March 2022, all invoices for AMSA must be emailed as a PDF attachment to our new centralised email address (invoices@amsa.gov.au) for automated processing. This will ensure invoices are processed more quickly for payment.

Towing of vessel in distress leads to back injury

On 19 November 2020, a class 3B fishing vessel grounded on a beach after the master and two deckhands, fell asleep. The investigation identified that there was no clear procedure for standing watch. Fatigue also contributed to the poor decisions made by the crew around who was supposed to be on watch that morning.