Turning an extreme emergency into a manageable situation is the ambition behind a new marine safety system from Italian startup Sea Fend. Designed to intervene in the event of hull damage, breaches or sinking risk, the company’s emergency flotation technology aims to shift boating safety from passive response to proactive prevention. The idea is to help keep vessels afloat long enough to reduce loss, protect lives and limit operational disruption. For owners, yards and marine operators, the proposition extends beyond safety alone, with the potential to reduce recovery, repair, downtime and insurance-related costs.
Sea Fend says in the event of a serious incident, such as a hull breach, a collision with a submerged object or the failure of a seacock, the system can be triggered manually from the helm station, or remotely via an app.
Airbag deployment within the hull structure
The system consists of airbags housed within the topsides, below the waterline, kept compressed until activation. Once activated, the flotation airbags inflate within minutes. The hydrostatic lift they generate helps keep the vessel afloat, allowing people and assets on board to remain safe while gaining critical time for rescue operations, towing or, where possible, reaching the nearest port.
It’s designed for different types of vessels. For new builds, the system can be integrated during the boat’s construction phase. The firm says that for existing vessels, installation is non-invasive and can be carried out during routine maintenance by fitting an external bumper. Sea Fend says it’s suitable for vessels between 30 and 65-feet, up to 45 tons.
The app allows owners to monitor key operational data in real time – like battery charge level, tube pressure, internal and external temperatures, solenoid valve status and the vessel’s GPS position.
Added to this, the system not only helps safeguard people on board, but also contributes to reducing the environmental impact of sinking incidents by helping prevent the dispersion of fuel, oils and materials into the sea and limiting the formation of new underwater wrecks, says Sea Fend.
Maritime safety pressures drive innovation
In an international context where maritime safety is becoming increasingly central, data shows just how strategic prevention has become. According to UNESCO estimates, there are more than three million underwater wrecks worldwide, while between 85 and 100 major shipwrecks are recorded every year. In the Mediterranean alone, more than 15,641 documented shipwrecks have been identified, while the European Maritime Safety Agency records over 2,600 maritime casualties in European waters each year. These figures highlight the importance of investing in technologies capable of raising safety standards and reducing the consequences of accidents, failures and sinking events.
Sea Fend is a project by Save Our Ship (an Italian marine safety technology company based in Modena) – more information is available on the company’s website.
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