THE SUB AND THE BAHAMAS AND THE TITANIC

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There was speculation that the submersible that imploded last week on 19 June 2023 in and around the Titanic wreck in the North Atlantic at 13k feet was registered in The Bahamas. Here are the facts:

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA)was approached by OceanGate in 2019 requesting registration of the submersible “Titan” in The Bahamas. 

The Bahamas Merchant Shipping (Registration of Submersible Craft) Regulations 1987, as amended, requires that “A register of submersible craft shall be maintained at the offices of the Bahamas Maritime Authority” (Reg.3(1)).  Furthermore, such craft is to be designed and constructed in accordance with the MS(Submersible Craft Construction and Survey) Regulations 1981 and operated in accordance with the MS(Submersible Craft Operations) Regulations 1987. 

We issued BMA Information Bulletin 159 in March 2016 summarising the above (since superseded by Marine Notice 74), but also stated we would accept submersibles designed and constructed in accordance with IMO MSC/Circ.981 or other similar standards if recommended by one of our Recognised Organisations. Note that we require submersibles to be classed, due to the high risks involved.

Oceangate was advised of the requirements above but did not provide technical data on the submersible, the standards it was constructed to, if it was surveyed and by whom, if it had any form of safety certificate, etc., and the submersible Titan was therefore NOT registered in The Bahamas.