On April 26, 13 crew members dispatched by Dalian Zhonghai Maritime Service Co., Ltd. encountered strong winds and heavy waves while boarding a vessel at the Suez Anchorage, causing a backpack containing all crew certificates to accidentally fall into the sea, resulting in the loss of all relevant certificates.
The vessel’s next voyage is scheduled to load cargo in Canada, with an estimated arrival date in mid-May. Mailing from China to Canada takes 7 working days. If the certificates cannot reach the vessel before arrival, the vessel will be unable to dock, incurring huge off-hire and breach of contract costs, and may also lead to penalties by port state control against the crew.
With the port arrival imminent and all documents lost, the crew and the shipping company were extremely anxious.
Upon learning of the situation, Dalian Maritime Safety Administration quickly opened a “green channel” to expedite the processing of all certificates for the crew, issuing them within 48 hours, thus resolving the urgent crisis for the crew and the company. To express gratitude, representatives of Dalian Zhonghai Maritime Service Co., Ltd. specially presented a banner to the Maritime Safety Administration.
“My mind went blank at that moment,” the vessel’s captain recalled. “All 13 crew certificates fell into the sea. These are essential documents for going to sea. Reapplying through normal procedures would take a long time, and the vessel’s schedule could not afford the delay. The crew were all extremely worried.”
After receiving the urgent request from the shipping company and crew, the Government Affairs Center of Dalian Maritime Safety Administration immediately activated its emergency response mechanism. “Crew certificates are the ‘identity cards’ for seafarers to work and also the legal credentials for normal vessel operation. They cannot be delayed,” said the head of the Government Affairs Center.
Following the principle of “handling special cases specially and urgent cases urgently,” Dalian Maritime Safety Administration opened a “green channel” for certificate reissuance, compressing the normal processing period of 7-10 working days to 48 hours.
At the same time, window staff guided the shipping company to re-upload electronic supporting materials, making every effort to accelerate the approval and certificate production process.
On April 30, all 13 new crew certificates were produced and delivered to the crew.
To express sincere gratitude, representatives of Dalian Zhonghai Maritime Service Co., Ltd. specially visited the Government Affairs Center of Dalian Maritime Safety Administration and presented a banner embroidered with “Diligent and Responsible in Handling Affairs, Caring for Seafarers to Solve Their Concerns” to the staff.
“I never expected it to be done so quickly! The Maritime Safety Administration really helped us a lot,” said an excited crew member who received the certificate. “When the certificates fell into the water, we all thought this voyage was doomed. We never expected the Maritime Safety Administration staff to work overtime to get them done for us. We are so grateful.”
The “Maritime Speed” of certificate reissuance reflects the consistent “seafarer-oriented” service philosophy of Dalian Maritime Safety Administration. In recent years, the administration has continuously deepened the reform of “efficiently completing one task,” focusing on high-frequency matters throughout the seafarer lifecycle, especially for emergencies such as lost or damaged crew certificates. It has established a rapid response mechanism for “solving difficulties and concerns,” handling dozens of “green channel” certificate applications annually, continuously reducing processing time and the number of visits, which has become a clear direction for improving the quality and efficiency of maritime administrative services.
A banner, a word of thanks, represent the trust and warmth between the maritime authorities and the seafarer community. In the face of wind and waves, documents may fall into the sea, but the service of maritime personnel will never “disconnect.”
The head of Dalian Zhonghai Maritime Service Co., Ltd. stated sincere gratitude to Dalian Maritime Safety Administration for caring about the enterprise, performing duties efficiently, opening a green channel for Zhonghai Maritime crew, and expediting the completion of relevant certificate services. Dalian Maritime Safety Administration is pragmatic, responsible, and warm in service, effectively relieving the difficulties of the enterprise. We are deeply grateful and extend our sincere thanks!
Dalian Zhonghai Maritime Service Co., Ltd. (established in 2019) is a company formed by the crew business departments of the former Dalian Hongfeng International Ship Management Co., Ltd. and Kobe Shipping Fleet, and the business outsourcing department of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited.
The company holds a Labor Dispatch Operation Permit issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and has obtained the ISO9001 Management System Certification Certificate and the Maritime Seafarer Service Agency Qualification Certificate (dispatch qualification) issued by the Maritime Safety Administration.
The company currently provides crew for 119 vessels, including 11 owned vessels.
Since its establishment, the company has expanded the market, increased crew resources, and expanded the crew management team, providing a broad platform for better serving shipowners and managing crew. It adopts multiple measures to continuously improve management levels, providing high-quality services such as crew dispatch and management to shipowners. It strictly complies with international convention regulations, handling, renewing, and updating crew certificates rigorously and standardly. Based on credibility and high satisfaction as service benchmarks, it creates a people-oriented corporate culture, builds a good reputation and brand, and has won widespread praise from clients with its professional business level and high-quality service.
Dalian Zhonghai Head Office
General Manager: Lin Zhenhai 13322225858
DPA: Zhang Chengliang 18624375820
Email: crew@
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