Bahamas Maritime Authority

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) operates the Bahamas flag ship register, which it describes as one of the world's premier ship registries. It serves shipowners, ship managers, seafarers and their representatives through its Registration, Seafarers & Manning, Inspections & Surveys, Investigations and Maritime Affairs departments, supported by a global network of approved inspectors, auditors, engineers and surveyors. The BMA states that assistance is available to Bahamas-registered vessels 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

What they offer

• Vessel registration: registration of ships under the Bahamas flag, with direct access to the Registration Team; technical suitability and vessel age are considered before acceptance.
• Yacht registration: a registration procedure for private and charter yachts of 20 metres and above, and for passenger yachts.
• Seafarers & Manning: guidance on regulations, approval of training, seafarer certification (including Certificates of Competency for Bahamas nationals) and compliance with employment conditions on board.
• Inspections & Surveys: ensuring registered ships comply with applicable international and national requirements, through a network of 186 approved inspectors worldwide.
• Investigations: investigation of marine casualties involving Bahamas-registered vessels worldwide and all vessels in Bahamas territorial waters.
• Maritime Affairs: liaison with external stakeholders and organisations, with a special focus on the IMO, plus publication of Bulletins, Marine Notices, Safety Alerts, Technical Alerts and Yacht Notices.
• BORIS online services: an online registration information system for registered owners, ISM managers and authorised manning agents, alongside online invoice payments.

Markets served

The BMA registers vessels across the passenger and cruise, dry bulk (Capesize, Panamax, Handymax and Handysize, 18% of its fleet), container, tanker, LNG/LPG (MOSS and membrane types), offshore, yacht and RoRo sectors.