Harbour Master
Harbour Masters
Worldwide there are approximately 3,000 merchant ports and the work of the Harbour Master can vary widely from country to country and from port to port even within the same country.

Aids to Navigation (AtoN) have evolved over time.
As new technology emerges, asset managers have a large range of options and features to consider. This document identifies how clever AtoN design and functionality can help authorities reduce operational costs and improve the visibility of their connected devices.
On 2 March the (UK) Maritime & Coastguard Agency issued the eleven-page document entitled: MIN 656 (M): Understanding the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on seafarer wellbeing.
This Marine Information Note (MIN) provides guidance for ship owners on the stressors which have been created or exacerbated by the conditions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and provides some mitigating strategies.
The trade association that truly represents the UK international freight services industry says that it welcomes some of the macro-economic announcements in the UK Budget (announced on 3 March) that will offer ongoing support to businesses in the freight and logistics sector that have been hit hard by the double-edged sword of EU Exit and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meeting at Tangier City Port (SGPTV) - Pictured left to right: Mohamed Maghazi, President AHMC; Mohamed Ouanaya, President Chief Executive Officer , SGPTV;
The European Commission will extend the rail freight corridor between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal Zone. The Commission responded to the request from North Sea Port. It strenghtens the role of North Sea Port as a European top port and its ambitions as a rail port. This was reported by North Sea Port on24 February.
A number of ports are reported as experiencing some delays in cross-border trucking services, with rail and barge delays increasing noticeably.
The (UK) Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) announced on 16 February that six foreign flagged ships remained under detention in UK ports during January 2021 after failing port state control (PSC) inspection.
The list published on 16 February shows:
Sirius 1
In mid-February IALA reported that the latest edition of the IALA VTS Manual is now available. This is the seventh edition of a publication first issued in 1993.
The purpose of this publication is to assist Contracting Governments, Competent Authorities and VTS Authorities in the harmonizing the delivery of Vessel Traffic Services worldwide by providing a comprehensive overview on all aspects relating to the provision of VTS.
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has expressed his deep concern about the escalation in the number and severity of attacks on ships and crew in the Gulf of Guinea region. He insisted on the need for all stakeholders to work together to restore security and reduce the threats to the safety and security of crews and vessels operating in the region. This was reported by IMO on 15 February.
On 15 February WTO members made history when its General Council agreed by consensus to select Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria as the organization’s seventh Director-General.
When she takes office on 1 March, Dr Okonjo-Iweala will become the first woman and the first African to be chosen as Director-General. Her term, renewable, will expire on 31 August 2025.
Aids to Navigation (AtoN) have evolved over time.
As new technology emerges, asset managers have a large range of options and features to consider. This document identifies how clever AtoN design and functionality can help authorities reduce operational costs and improve the visibility of their connected devices.
Aids to Navigation (AtoN) play a pivotal role in maritime safety and extend much further than being the traffic lights of the sea.
We are a long way from the days of a traditional lighthouse whose kerosene lamp served as a simple warning of danger ahead.
The navigational tools available to mariners today are vast and they continue to evolve as new technologies are realized.
Types of AtoN
Congestion within the world’s ports and shipping channels continues to grow, with the maritime industry relying on AtoN to ensure navigational safety and to manage traffic conditions.
On 2 March the (UK) Maritime & Coastguard Agency issued the eleven-page document entitled: MIN 656 (M): Understanding the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on seafarer wellbeing.
This Marine Information Note (MIN) provides guidance for ship owners on the stressors which have been created or exacerbated by the conditions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and provides some mitigating strategies.
The document provides information on the potentially long-lasting and far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on seafarer wellbeing. It provides guidance for ship owners on the stressors which have been created or exacerbated by the conditions throughout the pandemic and provides some mitigating strategies.
In this document the term ship owner is used in the sense that it is used in health and safety regulation, as the person responsible for the operation of the ship.
This is often the same organisation as the ‘company’ referred to in the ISM code.