Shipping Opinion

Surveyors inspect the punctured hull of the offshore support vessel Thunder after it was accidentally struck by the bulk carrier Bunun Queen just south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana, on July 22, 2022. Investigators found that at the time of the collision, Bunun Queen's master and second officer were both engaged in non-navigational tasks instead of maintaining a proper lookout as required by international law.
Accidents

COLUMN | Lessons from outside the bubble: what the shipping industry could learn about safety from other sectors [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
Some of the plastic nurdles that are believed to have originated from a stack of containers that had fallen overboard from the feeder ship BG Orange at the Port of Tyne in the UK on July 19, 2026. The containers fell after BG Orange was accidentally struck by the wind turbine installation vessel Wind Orca as the latter was manoeuvring to depart the port on the said date.
Shipping

COLUMN | Transporting hazardous cargo: are today's shippers taking on too much risk? [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
Firefighters work to extinguish the blaze on the Turkish-flagged LPG tanker Orinda after it was hit by a Russian drone at the Port of Izmail in Ukraine, November 17, 2025.
Shipping

COLUMN | Seafarers: another category of non-combatants who always seem to be in the line of fire [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
The US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain prepares to depart from a drydock at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, November 27, 2018.
Shipping

COLUMN | The high cost of neglecting ship repairs [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
A group of deck cadets having a lighthearted moment on the product tanker Maersk Curacao
Shipping

COLUMN | The wellbeing officer: a friend to anyone working a lonely job on a ship [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
Unsplash William07 Container vessels at a terminal
Shipping

COLUMN | The magic roundabout at the top: the downside of hiring outsiders for key leadership posts [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
Smoke billows from the Thai-flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree after it was struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman, March 11, 2026.
Shipping

COLUMN | Human pawns on the Hormuz chessboard: thousands of seafarers trapped as strait crisis fades from the world's headlines [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
The expedition cruise ship Hondius, where an outbreak of hantavirus in April 2026 resulted in multiple confirmed cases and three deaths.
Shipping

COLUMN | Maritime disease outbreaks and seafarer health anxiety: what lessons can be learned [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
Swedish authorities attempt to board the suspected Russian "shadow fleet" cargo ship Caffa off the coast of Trelleborg, March 6, 2026.
Shipping

COLUMN | Strengthening the link between ship and state: new IMO guidelines to address the problem of false flags [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
Ships and a Black Hawk helicopter
Shipping

COLUMN | Today's global crises expose the fragility of our supply chains [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
HMS Prince of Wales leading the UK Carrier Strike Group and multinational naval forces
Naval

COLUMN | When peace dividends become loss makers: the UK Royal Navy's decline over several years [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
Islamic Republic of Iran Navy commandos fast-rope from a Sea King helicopter onto the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Advantage Sweet in the Gulf of Oman, April 28, 2023. The ship was headed for the United States at the time of its seizure by Iran.
Shipping

COLUMN | Remember the poor bloody infantry: seafarers in the crossfire of the latest US-Iran hostilities [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
Devon, an Iranian-flagged oil tanker
Tankers

COLUMN | "Shadow fleet" proliferation highlights need for greater transparency in vessel ownership [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
The fire-damaged tanker Stena Immaculate pictured off Great Yarmouth a month after the March 11, 2025 incident
Accidents

COLUMN | Manslaughter trial following deadly collision: a wake-up call for ensuring adequate manning on ships [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
Container vessels at the Port of Rotterdam
Shipping

COLUMN | Devising maritime strategies in an uncertain time [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
Cargo loading operations at the Port of Hamburg
Accidents

COLUMN | Slow down: avoiding haste and minimising accidents aboard ship [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
The crew of the containership Maersk Laguna in between voyages during the first few months of the Covid-19 pandemic
Shipping

COLUMN | Attracting the right talent and averting a manpower crisis in the maritime industry [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
Los Angeles Fire Department fireboats continue firefighting operations to extinguish the blaze aboard the container vessel ONE Henry Hudson off the Port of Los Angeles, November 22, 2025.
Accidents

COLUMN | Recent fire incidents on ships highlight urgent need for safe battery disposal [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
Cranes handling containers at the Port of Baltimore
Shipping

COLUMN | Look for the kill switch: balancing trade benefits and security concerns amid China's manufacturing dominance [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
Shore-based remote operation centre overseeing fully autonomous navigation by the container vessel Suzaku in Tokyo Bay, March 1, 2022
Unmanned Shipping

COLUMN | Automation and AI in shipping: tools for improving productivity [Grey Power]

Michael Grey
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