Adrift
Loose and moving with wind and current — a vessel, container, buoy, log or anything else no longer secured.
"ADRIFT IN 28-39.42N 119-37.53W" is a snapshot: the object was there when it was reported. Wind and current carry it on, typically several to tens of miles a day, so the warning's position grows less reliable with each day that passes.
Drifting objects are the hazards most likely to be reported repeatedly, in different positions, over weeks. seahazards links those reports on warning-group pages, and for drifting hazards still in force it models where they probably are now from ocean currents and wind.
What the archive shows
13,064 messages in this archive use “Adrift”, the earliest issued 1984-12-13 and the latest 2026-09-22. 5 of them are in force in the latest lists we collected. A hazard reported again and again counts once per message.
The largest yearly count is 2019, with 964 messages. Collection is incomplete between 2024-05 and 2026-08-17, so 2024, 2025 and 2026 are not comparable with fully collected years.
Derelicts accounts for 5,734 of 13,064 recorded messages (44%), the largest warning type group in this selection.
Located messages that use it fall in 83 sea areas; the most frequent are North Atlantic Ocean (1,922), South China Sea (1,494) and North Pacific Ocean (1,215).
Its use is spread fairly evenly through the year: the busiest month, December, has 1,361 messages and the quietest, May, 962.
By warning series: HYDROPAC 7,008, HYDROLANT 4,163, NAVAREA IV 1,111 and NAVAREA XII 562, and 6 more.
Messages using it, by year of issue
By month of issue, all years
Where it appears · 83 sea areas
- North Atlantic Ocean 1,922
- South China Sea 1,494
- North Pacific Ocean 1,215
- Indian Ocean 1,137
- South Pacific Ocean 810
- South Atlantic Ocean 785
- Caribbean Sea 496
- Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin 430
- Arabian Sea 388
- Coral Sea 364
- Celtic Sea 349
- Bay of Bengal 346
In force now · 5
- NAVAREA XI 424/26 · Derelicts · South China Sea2026-09-22 · in force
SOUTH CHINA SEA, NORTHERN PART. ABANDONED VESSEL, M/V MSC HERMES 3, 213 METRE LONG, ADRIFT IN VICINITY OF 11-45N 112-15E ON 220820Z SEP. CANCEL THIS MSG 250820Z SEP.
Abandoned vessel, M/V msc hermes 3, 213 metre long, adrift in vicinity of 11-45N 112-15E on 220820Z sep → - HYDROPAC 2209/26 · Derelicts · Arafura Sea2026-08-03 · in force
GULF OF CARPENTARIA. AUSTRALIA. 1. DERELICT TEN METER VESSEL ADRIFT IN 11-55.02S 141-54.27E AT 020629Z AUG. 2. CANCEL THIS MSG 060113Z AUG 26.
Derelict ten meter vessel adrift in 11-55.02S 141-54.27E at 020629Z aug → - NAVAREA III 100/26 · Other · Mediterranean Sea - Western Basin2026-06-27 · in force
WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA. DRIFTING TARGET SHOOTING EXERCISE FROM 290001 TO 292359 UTC OCT 26 OR 300001 TO 302359 UTC OCT…
Drifting target shooting exercise from 290001 to 292359 UTC oct 26 or 300001 to 302359 UTC oct 26 → - HYDROLANT 361/25 · Mines2025-02-28 · in force
BLACK SEA. DNC 10. 1. MINES ADRIFT REPORTED IN NORTHWESTERN, WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN BLACK SEA. VESSELS IN VICINITY ARE…
Mines adrift reported in northwestern, western and southwestern black sea → - NAVAREA III 122/22 · Mines2022-03-22 · in force
BLACK SEA. 1.- POSSIBLE DRIFTING MINES IN THE NORTHWEST, WEST AND SOUTHWEST AREAS OF THE BLACK SEA, CAUTION IS ADVISED.…
Possible drifting mines in the northwest, west and southwest areas of the black sea, caution is advised →
How it reads in recent messages
- HYDROPAC 2740/26 · Derelicts · South China Sea2026-09-22
SOUTH CHINA SEA. 1. DERELICT M/V MSC HERMES III ADRIFT IN VICINITY 11-45.00N 112-15.00E. 2. CANCEL THIS MSG 250631Z SEP 26.
Derelict M/V msc hermes III adrift in vicinity 11-45.00N 112-15.00E → - NAVAREA XI 416/26 · Debris · South Pacific Ocean2026-09-19
NORTH PACIFIC, GILBERTS. FLOATING OBJECT, ORANGE, ADRIFT IN VICINITY OF 00-22.3N 172-56.5E ON 19 SEP. CANCEL THIS MSG 22 SEP.
Floating object, orange, adrift in vicinity of 00-22.3N 172-56.5E on 19 sep → - HYDROLANT 1856/26 · Derelicts · North Sea2026-09-18
NORTH SEA. 1. DERELICT 14 METER S/V ADRIFT IN 59-36.00N 003-05.00E AT 181831Z SEP. 2. CANCEL THIS MSG 240114Z SEP 26.
Derelict 14 meter S/V adrift in 59-36.00N 003-05.00E at 181831Z sep → - NAVAREA II 333/26 · Derelicts · North Atlantic Ocean2026-09-18
CAP BLANC. DRIFTING HAZARDS. DERELICT VESSEL ADRIFT. GREY INFLATABLE BOAT IN VICINITY 24-44.20N 016-36.20W…
Derelict vessel adrift → - HYDROLANT 1823/26 · Derelicts · Tyrrhenian Sea2026-09-14
TYRRHENIAN SEA. SARDINIA. 1. DERELICT VESSEL ADRIFT IN 38-51.10N 009-20.90E. 2. CANCEL THIS MSG 171900Z SEP 26.
Derelict vessel adrift in 38-51.10N 009-20.90E → - NAVAREA III 140/26 · Derelicts · Tyrrhenian Sea2026-09-14
CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN SEA. A DERELICT BOAT IS ADRIFT AROUND: IN POSITION 38-51.1N 009-20.9E CANCEL THIS MSG 162359 UTC SEP 26.
A derelict boat is adrift around: in position 38-51.1N 009-20.9E cancel this msg 162359 UTC sep 26 → - HYDROPAC 2647/26 · Derelicts · Persian Gulf2026-09-13
STRAIT OF HORMUZ. U.A.E. 1. M/V EL GAIA ON FIRE, ADRIFT AND SPILLING OIL IN 26-26.50N 056-30.10E. VESSELS ARE ADVISED TO KEEP CLEAR OF THIS…
M/V el gaia on fire, adrift and spilling oil in 26-26.50N 056-30.10E →
Earliest in the archive
- NOAAORR-9003 · Spills · North Pacific Ocean1984-12-13
Adrift Barge Richardson Rock; Richardson Rock, San Miguel Is, CA. Richardson Rock, San Miguel…
Richardson rock, san miguel is, ca →
Often in the same message
Related terms
- Derelict
- An abandoned vessel still afloat and drifting, with no one on board.
- Lost containers
- Shipping containers lost overboard, reported floating or semi-submerged, often in groups after a single incident.
- Last known position
- The most recent confirmed position of a missing vessel or person — the starting point of a search.
- Fish aggregating device (FAD)
- Floating rafts, nets and lines used by fishing fleets — hazards to propellers when they are adrift or unlit.
Warning types that use it
- Debris — Logs, buoys, mooring gear and other objects adrift.
- Derelicts — Abandoned, disabled or drifting vessels.
- Containers — Shipping containers lost overboard and reported adrift or semi-submerged.
Counts cover the messages in this archive that use the term, recounted 2026-09-24; see coverage for what is collected and since when. Not for navigation — follow official NAVAREA and coastal broadcasts.