NL 371/26 | Panama Maritime Authority - Panama Flag precheck Process (Revised (02/2026) Merchant Marine Notice MMN-11/2024)
Refers to: Ship-owners, Operators, Masters and Managers of PHRS certified vessels Effective Date: Immediate Dear All, This Newsletter aims to inform all concerned parties about this Merchant Marine Notice 02/2026 issued by Panama Maritime Authority regarding the precheck process for a vessel to be eligible to enter the Panama Ship Registry. Panama flag has hardened its’ criteria for the acceptance of a vessel to enter the Panama Ship Registry, made during the pre-check process, aiming to improve both operational performance and reduce the risk of detentions. By virtue of 02/2026 revision of MMN-11/2024, the Panama Registry announced that,…
NL 370/26 | Panama Maritime Authority – Key Detainable Deficiencies for Panama-flagged Vessels under USCG Port State Control-2025
Refers to: Ship-owners, Operators, Masters and Managers of PHRS certified vessels Effective Date: Immediate Dear All, This Newsletter aims to inform all concerned parties about this Merchant Marine Notice 04/2026 issued by Panama Maritime Authority. The purpose of this Merchant Marine Notice is to inform all Shipowners, Operators, Legal Representatives, Masters, Recognized Organizations (ROs), and Shipping Agencies of detainable Port State Control (PSC) deficiencies identified by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) on Panamanian-flagged vessels arriving at or operating within United States jurisdictional waters in 2025, with the objective of mitigating detention risk, enhancing vessel safety, and maintaining the…
NL 367/26 | Flag Administrations Security Guidelines – Raise of security Level in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman and Red Sea
Refers to: Ship-owners, Operators, Masters and Managers of PHRS certified vessels Effective Date: Immediate Dear All, This Newsletter aims to inform all concerned parties about the current security situation in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, and Gulf of Aden. This information has been provided by both Sierra Leone and Belize Flag Administrations. Sierra Leone Maritime Administrations Maritime Circular No.58 has been issued by Sierra Leone Maritime Administration regarding the raise of Ship Security Level to level 3 for all vessels trading within the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of…
NL 366/26 | Panama Maritime Authority – Guidelines for Vessels transit near Iranian territorial waters
Refers to: Ship-owners, Operators, Masters and Managers of PHRS certified vessels Effective Date: Immediate Dear All, This Newsletter aims to inform all concerned parties about the Marine Notice 05/2026 issued by Panama Maritime Authority. The purpose of this Marine Notice is to inform all Panamanian-flagged vessels operating near Iran, Israel, the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz of the security risk due to the recent increase of tensions within the Middle East, which could have a direct impact on vessels and crew. More specific: The Panama Maritime Administration strongly recommends all Panamanian-flagged vessels to take…
NL 360/26 | LISCR – Top 20 Detainable Deficiencies – January 2026
Refers to: Ship-owners, Operators, Masters and Managers of PHRS certified vessels Effective Date: N/A Dear All, This Newsletter aims to inform all ship-owners, operators and Masters of vessels about the Top 20 detainable deficiencies identified by the Liberian Registry for January 2026, based on recent Port State Control (PSC) statistics, and to enhance awareness on common root causes, preventive measures, and survey focus areas. The most frequently identified detainable deficiencies (with codes) include: Auxiliary engine - 13102 Oil accumulation and leaks in the engine room - 7126 Maintenance of the ship and equipment - 15109 Nautical Publications -…