Marine Transportation Safety Information Letter 01/25
12 February 2025
Director, Intergovernmental Affairs
Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Marine transportation
Deployment Placeholder
Image
Recommendation Name
Marine transportation safety investigation report
Backgrounder: Distress communication for small vessels operating far from shore
There are various means available for small vessels to communicate distress to search and rescue (SAR) authorities; each method has different capabilities that are outlined in general below. It is important to note that relying on a single means of communication can be problematic because distress equipment may fail, become damaged, or become inaccessible in an emergency.
Marine transportation safety investigation M24A0262
The occurrence
On 10 June 2024, the sailing vessel Theros departed Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, with two people on board for a two-to-three-week voyage to the Azores, Portugal. The vessel was fitted with a Class B automatic identification system (AIS) that was automatically transmitting the vessel’s position to nearby vessels and shore receivers, in addition to AIS satellites.
TSB is deploying a team of investigators following an accident involving the fishing vessel Fortune Pride near Halifax, Nova…
TSB has deployed a team of investigators following the sinking of a workboat near Squamish, British Columbia
Table 1. Marine occurrences (types, vessels and losses involved)
| December | Year to date (December) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 2023 | 2019-2023 average | 2024 | 2023 | 2019-2023 average | |
Table 2. Details of occurrences, losses and vessels involved by region
| December | Year to date (December) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 2023 | 2019-2023 average | 2024 | 2023 | 2019-2023 average | |
Table 2. Details of occurrences, losses and vessels involved by region
| November | Year to date (November) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 2023 | 2019-2023 average | 2024 | 2023 | 2019-2023 average | |
Table 1. Marine occurrences (types, vessels and losses involved)
| November | Year to date (November) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 2023 | 2019-2023 average | 2024 | 2023 | 2019-2023 average | |
Table 2. Details of occurrences, losses and vessels involved by region
| October | Year to date (October) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 2023 | 2019-2023 average | 2024 | 2023 | 2019-2023 average | |