Security and piracyPersian Gulf and Hormuz stay a war zone for seafarers until 5 November, new IBF list saysUnions and shipowners in the IBF have extended the warlike area in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman until 5 November 2026. Seafarers there keep a bonus, double compensation and the right to refuse to sail.
Security and piracyUpdatedBlack Sea: search stopped for seven seafarers missing after drones hit two tankers off RomaniaDrones hit the tankers Yara J and Wine Trader near Sulina, Romania, on 14 and 15 October. Five of Wine Trader's 12 crew were rescued. The search for the other seven has stopped, Croatia's foreign ministry said on 22 October.
CrewboardCrewboard adds a new section for external vacanciesCrewboard has a new External vacancies section for job adverts from company websites and other public pages. Crewboard has not verified these companies, and you contact them directly. The section is new and has no adverts yet.
CrewboardUpdatedCrewboard is live: find your next ship, find your next crewA free jobs board made for the maritime industry, from seaman for seamen and employers: seafarers find their next ship, crewing agencies and shipowners find their next crew.
Rescues and medevacsScotland: search starts again for two fishermen missing after the Kilda sank off LewisPolice divers went back to sea on 21 October to look for two missing crew of the fishing boat Kilda off the Isle of Lewis. A third crew member died. Fishing leaders say no distress signal was sent.
Rescues and medevacsUpdatedFerry fire near Merak, Indonesia: all 420 passengers and 40 crew of KMP Batumandi taken off safelyThe ro-ro ferry KMP Batumandi caught fire near Merak port, Indonesia, on 20 October 2026. All 420 passengers and 40 crew moved to another ferry within about 40 minutes. Eleven people went to hospital, and no one died. The ferry sank the next evening.
Certificates and trainingIndia: new seafarers now apply for their first CDC on the e-Samudra portalIndia's maritime regulator has moved applications for a first Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC) to its new e-Samudra portal. Seafarers in Bihar can also now give their biometric ID data in Patna.
Certificates and trainingIndia: maritime academy may lose its approval after problems found in a basic safety courseIndia's maritime regulator says Shivalik Maritime Academy in Dehradun may have trained people who did not meet the rules for Basic Safety Training. The academy has 15 days to answer. The findings are not final.
Welfare and rightsNew guide for shipping companies: how to hire women seafarers and keep them safe on boardWISTA Germany and the association Frauen zur See have published a free guide for shipowners and crewing companies. It gives practical advice on hiring women, stopping harassment, fitting safety gear and supporting careers at sea.
Rescues and medevacsSpain: rescue helicopters take two seafarers from merchant ships to hospitalSpain's sea rescue service, Salvamento Marítimo, flew two seafarers from merchant ships to hospital on 20 and 21 October 2026. One was on a Cyprus-flagged tanker south of Málaga. The other was a Ukrainian crew member on a cargo ship off Galicia.
Recruitment scamsCrewing agencies warn: scammers use their names to offer fake jobs and ask seafarers to pay for a medicalIn October 2026, Crewplanet, ROMOR Crewing Agency and MARPRO Group warned that people are using their names to offer fake jobs. Some scammers ask seafarers to pay for a medical exam. Real agencies do not ask for this money.
Rescues and medevacsSmall cargo ship sank off Beypore, India, after a collision: all eight crew rescuedThe cargo ship MSV Jesus Heart sank about 18 to 20 nautical miles off Beypore, Kerala, late on 20 October 2026. Its master said a fishing boat hit it. A tug picked up all eight crew, and the Coast Guard brought them ashore on 21 October.