Mark Douglas
@maritimekiwi.bsky.social
Let’s chat about ships: www.starboardintelligence.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-douglas-480953141
And a podcast with the author with @cimsec.bsky.social: sea-control.simplecast.com/episodes/sea...
Sea Control 590: Drone Carriers & Salvo Equations | Sea Control
Host Walker D. Mills interviews Marine Corps Captain Colton Byers about his article for the War Quants substack “Carrier 2.0: The Drone Carrier Revolution.” Their discussion covers salvo equations and...
sea-control.simplecast.com
November 27, 2025 at 7:43 AM
And a podcast with the author with @cimsec.bsky.social: sea-control.simplecast.com/episodes/sea...
You’re absolutely right - false flagged. I should have noted that.
Normal ops - I’ve observed elsewhere and there are best practice guides on how to do it. britanniapandi.com/2023/02/drif...
The (false flagged!) SEAHORSE drifted in October - but you’re right that it was a different area.
Normal ops - I’ve observed elsewhere and there are best practice guides on how to do it. britanniapandi.com/2023/02/drif...
The (false flagged!) SEAHORSE drifted in October - but you’re right that it was a different area.
Drifting Offshore – Best Practice for Ships | Britannia P&I
Our loss prevention team explore best practice for ships needing to drift offshore, including a look at locations, navigation & machinery.
britanniapandi.com
November 27, 2025 at 2:35 AM
You’re absolutely right - false flagged. I should have noted that.
Normal ops - I’ve observed elsewhere and there are best practice guides on how to do it. britanniapandi.com/2023/02/drif...
The (false flagged!) SEAHORSE drifted in October - but you’re right that it was a different area.
Normal ops - I’ve observed elsewhere and there are best practice guides on how to do it. britanniapandi.com/2023/02/drif...
The (false flagged!) SEAHORSE drifted in October - but you’re right that it was a different area.
Apart from the Bloomberg article have you seen any direct evidence of a US warship being in the area @mercoglianos.bsky.social? I’ve checked satellite imagery and AIS but neither show a warship or dark vessel in the area at the time. Maybe you’ve seen something more in your research?
November 26, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Apart from the Bloomberg article have you seen any direct evidence of a US warship being in the area @mercoglianos.bsky.social? I’ve checked satellite imagery and AIS but neither show a warship or dark vessel in the area at the time. Maybe you’ve seen something more in your research?
The frustration is that it’s now become a ‘fact’ that this happened - not only in the shipping community but also in the AI bots that are increasingly relied on for analysis. Compiled with stories trying desperately to link any Caribbean shipping with the “incident”.
gcaptain.com/second-russi...
gcaptain.com/second-russi...
Russian Arctic ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker Joins Sanctioned ‘Seahorse’ After U.S. Navy Standoff Near Venezuela
A second vessel tied to Russia’s shadow fleet has joined the sanctioned tanker Seahorse off the coast of Venezuela, days after the Seahorse was involved in a cat and mouse game with U.S. Navy forces, ...
gcaptain.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:26 PM
The frustration is that it’s now become a ‘fact’ that this happened - not only in the shipping community but also in the AI bots that are increasingly relied on for analysis. Compiled with stories trying desperately to link any Caribbean shipping with the “incident”.
gcaptain.com/second-russi...
gcaptain.com/second-russi...
Here are the details of the NZ Herald investigation that led to this article: bsky.app/profile/star...
Illuminating the shadow fleet: Data fusion in action.
An investigation by Matt Nippert in the NZ Herald shows the complexity of the global shadow fleet. Our own @maritimekiwi.bsky.social supported this inquiry, turning vast maritime data into clear evidence.
www.nzherald.co.nz/business/com...
An investigation by Matt Nippert in the NZ Herald shows the complexity of the global shadow fleet. Our own @maritimekiwi.bsky.social supported this inquiry, turning vast maritime data into clear evidence.
www.nzherald.co.nz/business/com...
Cook Islands flag tangled in Russia’s shadow fleet scandal
SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: How shadow fleets made the Cook Islands flag inconvienent.
www.nzherald.co.nz
November 26, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Here are the details of the NZ Herald investigation that led to this article: bsky.app/profile/star...
Glad to see the irony isn't lost on anyone.
November 25, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Glad to see the irony isn't lost on anyone.
I’ll take sh!t that never happened for $500: bsky.app/profile/mari...
The madness continues. Disappointing to see companies claiming to be top tier MDA tools backing this without evidence. I’ve checked publicly available sat data - a cloud makes it hard to be certain, but it also doesn’t add anything to support the story
maritime-executive.com/article/sanc...
maritime-executive.com/article/sanc...
Sanctioned Tanker Reaches Venezuela After Being Tracked by US Destroyer
A sanctioned tanker reached the anchorage in Venezuela on Sunday, November 23, after having turned away several times when a U.S. destroyer appeared o...
maritime-executive.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:48 AM
I’ll take sh!t that never happened for $500: bsky.app/profile/mari...
The madness continues. Disappointing to see companies claiming to be top tier MDA tools backing this without evidence. I’ve checked publicly available sat data - a cloud makes it hard to be certain, but it also doesn’t add anything to support the story
maritime-executive.com/article/sanc...
maritime-executive.com/article/sanc...
Sanctioned Tanker Reaches Venezuela After Being Tracked by US Destroyer
A sanctioned tanker reached the anchorage in Venezuela on Sunday, November 23, after having turned away several times when a U.S. destroyer appeared o...
maritime-executive.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:43 AM
The madness continues. Disappointing to see companies claiming to be top tier MDA tools backing this without evidence. I’ve checked publicly available sat data - a cloud makes it hard to be certain, but it also doesn’t add anything to support the story
maritime-executive.com/article/sanc...
maritime-executive.com/article/sanc...
Glad to know I’m not the only dissenting voice. And 👋 to @vcdgf555.bsky.social .
November 23, 2025 at 5:30 AM
Glad to know I’m not the only dissenting voice. And 👋 to @vcdgf555.bsky.social .
I’m willing to be corrected but until otherwise I think this is a dodgy tanker operating in a area of heightened media attention, NOT a completely new US government approach to sanctions enforcement
November 23, 2025 at 3:37 AM
I’m willing to be corrected but until otherwise I think this is a dodgy tanker operating in a area of heightened media attention, NOT a completely new US government approach to sanctions enforcement
@starboardintelligence.com shows important differences from the current narrative:
• The vessel is not currently Russian, but rather Comoros-flagged with a Marshall Islands registered owner and UAE operator.
• The loitering in the Venezuelan EEZ was temporary, and consistent with normal operation
• The vessel is not currently Russian, but rather Comoros-flagged with a Marshall Islands registered owner and UAE operator.
• The loitering in the Venezuelan EEZ was temporary, and consistent with normal operation
November 23, 2025 at 3:37 AM
@starboardintelligence.com shows important differences from the current narrative:
• The vessel is not currently Russian, but rather Comoros-flagged with a Marshall Islands registered owner and UAE operator.
• The loitering in the Venezuelan EEZ was temporary, and consistent with normal operation
• The vessel is not currently Russian, but rather Comoros-flagged with a Marshall Islands registered owner and UAE operator.
• The loitering in the Venezuelan EEZ was temporary, and consistent with normal operation