"WE CHART YOUR COURSE"
The Department of Marine Services and Merchant Shipping (ADOMS) is the Maritime Administration of Antigua and Barbuda and offers the support of a quality Registry to a demanding clientele operating in an internationally competitive and dynamic industry. It offers competitive fiscal and other incentives to meet the needs of the shipowner while applying modern standards of safety to ensure efficiency in ship operations. ADOMS represents a cohesive body with a modern national legislation, which seeks to enforce the international requirements related to the various ship activities.
ADOMS which was established in 1986, has three offices. The principal office is located in St. John’s, Antigua and two branch offices in Oldenburg and Bremerhaven, Germany. Both branch offices are structured into divisions, comprising registration of ships and endorsement of seafarers’ certification in Oldenburg and inspection and investigation in Bremerhaven. The head office in St. John’s is responsible for inter-alia registration of ships, surveys and inspections, port State control inspections, maritime affairs, business development and maritime policy
In 2009 the Department was given a mandate by the Government to diversify its product and to expand its service output to include the registration of Mega Yachts. This would complement the already successful commercial Ship Registry and enhance the service platform that the Administration provides. The Antigua and Barbuda Mega Yacht Registry was launched on November 17, 2011 at the Copper and Lumber Hotel Antigua.
The International Ship Registry currently has 1,381 vessels on its books reflecting a tonnage of 11.2 grt. In addition there are 275 yachts and 30 local cargo vessels on its local registry. Antigua and Barbuda ranks within the top twenty (20) international ship registries worldwide and is ranked number eight (8) with regard to merchant ships.
In the past three years, the Department has focused on the implementation of the goals and objectives which were enunciated in its strategic plan. This has lead to increased staffing levels, improved facilities, the expansion of the commercial ship registry by opening offices in other parts of the world (the first of which will be located in Athens, Greece) and of course the promulgation of the required legislation to serve as a foundation to all these services.