The DeepDraft

Ship operations are changing faster than maritime regulation can acknowledge. Informal systems, commercial pressure, and legal ambiguity now shape decisions on the bridge. I write long-form analysis on where law, compliance, and seamanship actually collide.

Hormuz update: IRGC begins "Retaliatory Inspections" on US-cleared hulls. thedeepdraft.com/2026/04/16/dee…

@gCaptain Disturbing a fractured hull's cryogenic heart risks instant vaporization, unleashing a BLEVE fireball hotter than hell, vapor clouds drifting miles, and an unextinguishable inferno that could scar the Mediterranean for decades.

‘Arctic Metagaz’ Towing Operation Heads Toward Maltese Waters As Plans for Cargo Removal Unclear gcaptain.com/arctic-metagaz…

Full breakdown: thedeepdraft.com/2026/04/13/hor… Bookmark this thread for later.

Nothing has to actually happen for things to change. Advisories come in, insurance reacts, ships adjust. The whole system starts slowing down on its own.

Transiting Hormuz right now is not routine navigation. It’s a passage you think through before you even enter the TSS.

US Navy establishes "Inspection Boxes" outside Hormuz, enforcing a mandatory clearance code for all transits. thedeepdraft.com/2026/04/15/dee…

Baisakhi marks a seasonal reset across North India. A remider that cycles - harvest, trade & movement ... still defines everything we operate in.

Hormuz transit is no longer about following lanes. It is about managing risk you cannot see.

US naval interdictions in Hormuz have escalated into boarding operations and administrative seizures, with AIS spoofing rising and insurance exposure increasing as P&I cover gaps emerge under the new enforcement regime. thedeepdraft.com/2026/04/14/dee…

US blockade of all Iranian ports begins today at 1400 GMT as Islamabad talks collapse. The "Two-Week Window" just slammed shut for Iran.  thedeepdraft.com/2026/04/13/dee…

This position from the Singapore highlights a broader risk. The question is not about one strait, but about the framework governing all chokepoints & Hormuz may be the trigger, If freedom of navigation begins to shift from a right to a negotiable condition, the impact propagates across multiple routes. That is where the real concern lies.

Missed the DeepDraft weekly brief? Here it is.

What is your first check when you stop trusting the position?

DeepDraft Weekly Maritime Brief: Hormuz transits are now permission-based, traffic is down 90%, and GNSS interference is forcing a shift toward autonomous navigation. thedeepdraft.com/2026/04/12/dee…

US warships have reportedly transited the Strait of Hormuz, the first such move since the Iran conflict began. Not coordinated with Tehran. Details remain contested, with Iran claiming vessels were warned off.

Sanctions aren’t global law… they’re jurisdictional tools. Compliance depends on exposure, not principle. India stepped away from Iranian oil in 2019 under U.S. pressure. That hasn’t changed structurally, but operational realities have. With Hormuz uncertainty and supply risk rising, cargo acceptance at Sikka reflects one thing: energy security overrides policy rigidity. Europe adjusts when required. So does India but just more quietly. Strategic autonomy isn’t a slogan, it’s procurement behavior.

India just allowed four Iranian tankers that were under sanctions to dock at Sikka for Reliance. These ships are old (more than 20 years) and usually wouldn't be allowed. This is unusual because India has avoided Iranian oil since 2019 due to U.S. sanctions. Now that there are challenges around the Strait of Hormuz and a temporary U.S. waiver is set to end on April 19, the need to secure supply is growing. The fact that each of these tankers can hold millions of barrels shows how serious the demand is.