Seaways Focus - March 2026

Participating in the global conversation

Major maritime gatherings provide the ideal opportunity for The Nautical Institute to showcase the values we stand for and the contribution we make to a safer more sustainable maritime community.

As these events start to take shape for 2026, I hope many of you will find time to meet with us during our attendance and representation across the globe.

Some key dates for you to look out for include:

CMA Shipping, in Connecticut, USA, from 10 to 12 March. I am delighted that our Immediate Past President Captain André Legoubin FNI will be present and make a special contribution hosting a cadet panel. André spent much of his presidency highlighting the importance of making excellent sea training berths available to our future leaders. He looks forward to hearing first-hand about the experiences of cadets in the USA and their hopes and aspirations for the future.

Our Annual General Meeting held in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, in May will be one of our own signature events this year. After two years as President, Captain Trevor Bailey FNI will hand over to Walter Vervloesem FNI as the new incumbent. We look forward to working closely with Walter in the years ahead.

1 June sees the start of Posidonia, a great shipping gathering in Athens. The Nautical Institute will have a number of representatives there both from Headquarters and from the Branch. This event runs every two years and is the ideal location to meet with colleagues from around the world coming together to celebrate achievements over the past 24 months, find out about the latest exciting developments, and share ambitions for the years ahead.

On 3 July The Nautical Institute and our colleagues at CHIRP are jointly hosting a special day addressing key human factor issues. Our venue is still to be finalised but will be in London or the South of England.

Let’s hope we can meet up at one or more of these events.

These events, and especially those run from HQ in London, are only possible with the ongoing and generous support from our sponsors. Sponsors not only commit to a financial contribution to help cover costs, but also bring their own essential technical and professional insights from their side of the industry. Thank you for your help in so many ways!

In addition to our headline international events, there are also important meetings and discussions taking place on a regional basis examining such issues as prospective changes to STCW. One such meeting, held in Manila, Philippines, during February, hosted a number of workstreams consulting with industry on how best to shape the future. My thanks to Captain Hari Subramaniam FNI, Chair of our Branch in Singapore, for representing The Nautical Institute at this event. Your expertise and technical contribution is highly valued.

I am grateful to all the branches who have opened up lines of communication with their own national authorities to discuss regulatory and standards issues across the maritime domain. We have regular reports about discussions in Singapore, Brazil, Panama, Philippines, Australia, Bahamas and several others. If any Branch office holders would value introductions or support gaining introduction to their own national authorities, please let me know. We are here to help and your voice is important.

Thanks to all involved with sharing our message. Doing great things is only of benefit if the community knows and can see these things!