Tag: maritime executive

Fincantieri Floats Second LNG-Fueled Cruise Ship for Germany’s TUI Cruises Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri continues to show the strength of its cruise ship orderbook as the company’s Monfalcone shipyard today floated the second LNG-fueled cruise ship, Mein Schiff Flow, for Germany’s TUI Cruises. It follows the delivery of her sister ship, Mein Ship Relax, in February,…

Newport News Shipbuilding Immediately Furloughs 471 Salaried Employees   In a surprise announcement that leaked out on Friday, May 30, Newport News Shipbuilding is furloughing about two percent of its workforce – 471 salaried employees – effective immediately. The shipyard which recently highlighted for the first time it would be simultaneously working on building two…

Vessel and Crew Abandonment Surge in 2025 on Course for Worst Year The abandonment of vessels and their crews is running significantly ahead of the rate in 2024 and is on track to a new record warns the International Transport Workers’ Federation. The association of transport unions is reiterating its long-standing call for more action…

Eregli Shipyard Builds Tugboats for General Directorate of Coastal Safety [By: Med Marine] Eregli Shipyard proudly announces its latest achievement: being awarded the tender by the Directorate General of Coastal Safety (KEGM) for the construction of two of Turkiye’s most powerful escort tugboats—each measuring 42 meters in length and delivering an impressive 130 tons of…

Research Confirms Digital Port Queuing System Also Cuts Shipping Emissions   Researchers based in California studied the electronic reservation system established for containerships and have now concluded that the digital port queuing system is low-hanging fruit that can help drastically cut shipping emissions. They are the latest to endorse versions of slow steaming for vessels…

Innovative Hull Monitoring from Light Structures Receives ABS Approval [By: ABS] ABS has issued an approval in principle (AIP) to Light Structures for its new hull monitoring concept, ARGUS-VM. The ARGUS-VM concept received a SMART (SHM) Tier 1 AIP from ABS, which provides an industry recognition that the product complies with the functional and system…

UCL: Ammonia is the Cheapest Compliance Option for New IMO Carbon Rules   When the University College London’s Energy Institute used detailed modeling to evaluate the IMO’s highly complex new carbon price structure, they came to a surprising conclusion: if proven safe, dual-fuel ammonia propulsion will be the least-cost alternative for shipowners who want to comply…

Cruise Industry Re-Starts Large Revitalizations as Growth Continues With strong advance bookings and a positive outlook, the cruise industry is moving forward with the planned but delayed large revitalizations of existing ships. Brands including Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ Regent Seven Seas Cruises have each recently announced large investments…

Eni and BlackRock’s GIP Discuss Investment in Carbon Capture Portfolio Italy’s Eni Group which has moved aggressively to build a presence in the emerging carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) segment reports it has entered into exclusive discussions with BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners. The companies are discussing the potential sale of a 49.99 percent stake…

Coast Guard Cutter Delivers 13 Tonnes of Cocaine to Port Everglades The crew of the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Thetis have offloaded nearly 30,000 pounds of cocaine onto the dock at Port Everglades, Florida, the product of four different interdictions in the Eastern Pacific. Unusually, the majority of the drugs were found floating abandoned in…

Appeals Court Keeps Trump’s Tariffs Going With Temporary Stay On Wednesday, a federal appeals court approved a request from the Trump administration to keep the White House’s elevated tariff levels in effect until after litigation plays out at the appellate level. The decision means that the administration’s “Liberation Day” tariffs will still be charged to…

Finland Nears Completion of Criminal Investigation as Cable Repairs Proceed   Finnish authorities have nearly completed the nearly six-month criminal investigation into the damage to the subsea power cable believed to have been caused by a shadow fleet tanker while the national energy company reports progress on repairing the cables. The Helsinki Times reported last…

USS Truman Carried Out Largest Carrier Airstrike in History   During its recent deployment to the Mideast, the USS Harry S. Truman launched the largest airstrike ever conducted from an aircraft carrier – before Truman’s monthlong bombing campaign over Yemen even began.  According to acting chief of naval operations Adm. James Kilby, Truman’s air wing dropped 125,000…

St. Johns Ship Building Awarded First U.S. Navy Shipbuilding Contract [By St. Johns Ship Building} St. Johns Ship Building, a leading Florida-based shipyard owned by Americraft Marine, proudly announces the award of its first U.S. Navy shipbuilding contract to construct a Dive Support Vessel (DSV). This significant milestone underscores the shipyard’s growing capability and alignment…

Hellenic Coast Guard Crew Charged for Deaths of Dozens of Migrants On Tuesday, prosecutors in Greece charged 17 crewmembers from a Hellenic Coast Guard cutter for allegedly causing the capsizing that killed dozens (if not hundreds) of migrants off Pylos in 2023.  On June 10, 2023, the aging trawler Adriana got under way from Libya,…

Dutch Safety Board Says Maritime Emergency Response Needs Overhaul The Dutch Safety Board is calling for an overhaul of the systems used for responding to maritime emergencies. It completed a nearly two-year review of the response to the 2023 fire aboard the vehicle carrier Fremantle Highway pointing to a lack of training and coordination which…

Skipper Injured as Sailboat is Caught in Tanker’s Wake Entering Lock The skipper of a training sailboat operating in Germany was injured when the vessel was caught in the wake of a tanker as it was entering a lock on Saturday evening, May 24. The skipper was injured when the rigging collapsed as the vessels…

Study: Seafarers Report Fatigue, Anxiety and Lack of Access to Medical Care Work-related fatigue among seafarers has increased, despite efforts to monitor work and rest regulations on ships reports a new study by Cardiff University. According to the researchers, seafarers working both on cargo and cruise ships highlighted issues related to health and welfare that…

Speedcast SIGMA™ Next Release Features Upgraded Architecture & Enhancements [By: Speedcast] Speedcast, a leading communications and IT services provider, announced today the latest-generation release of its SIGMA™ intelligent edge network management solution. The recent enhancements include a new architecture, evolving the SIGMA platform to address the modern-day challenges of visibility, control, compliance, and security required…

First of UK Royal Navy’s New Frigates Emerges as it Prepares for Float-Out   The first of the next generation of frigates being built for the UK’s Royal Navy, the Type 31, emerged from the building hall in Rosyth, Scotland on May 27, ahead of her scheduled float-out later this summer. The Royal Navy highlights…

Saga Shipholding Transfers Entire Fleet of 32 Vessels to the Bahamas Flag [By Bahamas Maritime Authority]   The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) is proud to confirm that Saga Shipholding, in partnership with NYK (Japan’s largest shipping company) and managed by the globally respected Anglo-Eastern, has transferred its entire fleet of 30 general cargo vessels to…

US Navy Removes Officer in Charge of Building Frigates and Unmanned Ships   The U.S. Navy has removed the admiral who was in charge of its new frigate program and its unmanned-vessel programs, the service announced Tuesday.  In a statement, the Navy said that Rear Adm. Kevin Smith – program executive officer for unmanned and…

Divers Find Hull Damage on Grounded Bulker off Sweden The grounding of the bulker Ali Aykin in the Øresund last weekend appears to be more serious than initially believed, according to Sweden’s coast guard. A dive inspection has revealed that the vessel sustained hull damage and is taking on water. In the early hours of Sunday…

Sailing Ship Used for Ocean Research Sinks at California Dock The U.S. Coast Guard and local officials are trying to figure out why a well-known sailing ship used for ocean research and by a non-profit promoting ocean clean-up suddenly began taking on water and sank at its dock in California on Sunday night. The sailing…

Barstad: “Shadow Fleet” Sanctions Need Exception for Scrapping   The “shadow fleet” of tankers serving Russia, Iran and Venezuela are on average much older than the “compliant” tanker market, and many are overdue for scrapping. But with American and European sanctions on much of the fleet, it’s hard for cash buyers and scrappers to buy…

NYK Commissions Japan’s First Electric Battery-Driven Workboat   Japan’s first fully battery-driven electric workboat, named e-Crea was unveiled on May 23 by NYK Group. According to the company, fully electric vessels represent one of the most promising options for sustainable shipping and this vessel will be an important model to advance the technology. The vessel,…

CMA CGM to Invest $600 Million to Build Northern Vietnam Terminal   As part of its efforts to expand its global terminal operations in strategic ports, CMA CGM Group reports it has entered into a public-private partnership to develop its first terminal in northern Vietnam. The group calls it a strategic investment to support the…

Research Vessel “NOVA” Sets Course with Torqeedo Drive for New Paths [By: Torqeedo] Torqeedo, the world market leader for electric propulsion systems on the water, has provided an electric propulsion system for a new research vessel, “NOVA”, operated by the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) and the Development Center for Ship Technology and Transport Systems (DST).…

Ports of Odesa and Chernomorsk Attacked as Russia Claims Military Targets The Ukrainian ports of Odesa and Chernomorsk were both included in the current wave of Russian attacks, which have been called among the largest since the start of the war in Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement afterward claiming the strikes…

North Korea Questions Two More Officials Over Failed Warship Launch   North Korea’s authoritarian government is looking for more officials to hold accountable for a failed warship launch at Chongjin Shipyard on May 21. The total number of those under investigation now stands at five people, and may continue to rise.  Three middle managers were…

MSC Boxship Sinks off the Coast of India   A small container ship suddenly capsized and went down off the coast of India on Sunday, the Indian Ministry of Defense reports.  On Saturday, the feeder MSC Elsa 3 was under way from Vizhinjam to Kochi with a cargo of 640 containers on board. The ship developed…

Royal Navy Marks 85th Anniversary of the Dunkirk Evacuation   Royal Navy warships have escorted a flotilla of the legendary ‘Little Ships of Dunkirk’ across the English Channel for the anniversary of the great World War Two evacuation. Eighty-five years ago – between 26 May and 4 June 1940 – about 850 private boats of…

U.S. Ramps Up Defenses for Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia   A number of recent satellite passes over Diego Garcia – historically part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, now part of Mauritius – have identified the presence on the airfield of up to six F-15 strike aircraft. There are normally no US aircraft permanently…

Port of Duqm Gets $550M Expansion   Investcorp Aberdeen Infrastructure Partners, a joint Anglo-Bahraini investment vehicle, has won the mandate to join a consortium comprising the state-owned Port of Duqm Company, and the Belgian DEME Group and Port of Antwerp, to take forward a $550 million project to expand Duqm’s port facilities.  Duqm lies on…

Royal Navy Carrier Heads “East of Suez”   Early on May 24, ships of the HMS Prince of Wales carrier strike group began a southerly transit of the Suez Canal. Although CSG 25 flagship HMS Prince of Wales (R09) was not spotted, HMS Dauntless (D33), Canadian HMCS Ville de Quebec (F332), Spanish ESPS Mendez Nunez (F104),…

Bangladesh Cancels Naval Shipbuilding Contract with India   Bangladesh has reportedly canceled a $21 million shipbuilding contract with India’s state-run Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). The deal was signed last year between Bangladesh Navy and GRSE, and it involved construction of an 800-ton ocean-going tug, financed with a $500 million credit extended to Bangladesh by…

Inmarsat Provides NexusWave to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines [By: Inmarsat Maritime] Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, has signed an agreement with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) to upgrade its fleet from Fleet Xpress (FX) service to Inmarsat’s NexusWave. This fleet-wide transition to NexusWave will allow MOL to benefit from Inmarsat’s fully managed bonded connectivity service and accelerate the…

ABS Approves First of Its Kind LCO2 Barge for U.S. Operation [By ABS] ABS awarded approval in principle (AIP) to Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. (OSG), the parent company of Aptamus Carbon Solutions, for its preliminary design of a liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) barge. The development of the barge design is a core component of the…

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Partners with Technip Energies [By: Louis Dreyfus Armateurs] Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA), a leading shipowner, operator, and logistics provider, is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Technip Energies, a global technology and engineering powerhouse. This partnership aims to develop the ammonia cracking component of LDA’s innovative FRESH…

Birdon Starts Production of ASC-M Prototypes for United States Marine Corps [By: Birdon] The U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL) selected maritime engineering leader Birdon to design and build two prototype vessels to demonstrate emerging concepts under the Marine Corps’ Force Modernization objectives.  The resultant Birdon Ancillary Surface Craft (ASC), marks a critical step forward…

Fincantieri & Enra Energy Solutions Sign Strategic Collaboration Agreement [By: Fiincantieri] On the occasion of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA), currently ongoing, Fincantieri and Enra Energy Solutions (EES) signed a Technical Collaboration Agreement to support the Royal Malaysian Navy’s “15 to 5” strategic fleet renewal program. The signing took place in the presence of the Malaysian…

Little Ships Re-Enact Dunkirk Rescue Mission on 85th Anniversary The United Kingdom is reliving the memories of World War II’s bravest evacuation mission with a flotilla of 66 “little ships” that sailed to Dunkirk in France for the commemoration of the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo. The Royal Navy escorted the original ships that took…

LNG Tanker Briefly Grounds Sparking New Criticism of Germany’s LNG Imports A Norwegian LNG tanker, Iberica Knutsen, briefly grounded on Thursday morning May 22, outside the German port of Murkan, but while the vessel quickly recovered environmentalists and other activists have locked on to the event to criticize Germany’s LNG import terminals. Germany moved quickly…

New Zealand’s Troubled Interisland Ferry Aratere to Retire Early   After a troubled career spanning a quarter of a century, New Zealand’s workhorse RoRo ferry Aratere is set to retire in August. Operator KiwiRail is reporting that after being a familiar part of the Cook Strait crossing for 25 years, the ferry will be removed…

Panama Registry Cracks Down on STS Actions to Stop Shadow Fleet   The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) is taking further actions to crack down on suspicious tankers by establishing new rules for ship-to-ship oil transfers for vessels in its registry. It is the latest in a series of steps responding to international pressure to stop…

Western Sanctions Take Big Bite Out of Sovcomflot’s Results   Russia’s tanker operator PAO Sovcomflot is citing the impact of the Western sanctions on the company’s results. It reported a significant drop in revenues and a loss for the first quarter of 2025 along with recording a non-cash impairment related to the fleet. The U.S.,…

Finland’s Next Generation Corvette is Launched   The first multi-purpose corvette built for the Finnish Navy as part of the Squadron 2020 project was launched at the Rauma shipyard in Finland on Wednesday, May 21. The company is highlighting it as a significant milestone in the project to build four of the most capable vessels…

Digital Twin Project to Next Stage Following Successful Pilot Trials [By: NAPA] ClassNK and NAPA, on behalf of all participating organizations, have today announced the successful completion of Phase 3 pilot trials of the cross-industry Digital Twin Project.  Results from the pilot trials confirmed the feasibility of the platform’s core business scenarios, validating the applications…

IMO Gender Equality Award Awarded to Karin Orsel [By: International Maritime Organization] Maritime entrepreneur recognised for her work to advance gender equality and empower women in the industry. Netherlands shipowner and entrepreneur Ms. Karin Orsel was presented with the International Maritime Organization’s Gender Equality Award by Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez on Friday, 16 May. The winner of…

Greenland Approves European-Backed Mine on Remote West Coast   Greenland’s government has issued a new mining lease to a French-Danish consortium for extracting anorthosite, a silicate mineral used for making aluminum and fiberglass. The license covers provisions for shipping, and the area includes a stretch of waterfront that could be used for industrial access at…

China Puts Largest Car Carrier into Service, Launches First Methanol PCTC   China’s shipping industry continues to expand the car carrier sector as its export car market continues to grow. In one week, China has put the world’s largest car carrier, with a capacity for 9,500 units, into service and now has launched the world’s…

Carnival Cruise Ship Rescues Four People and Three Dogs from Disabled Boat Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Splendor (113,300 gross tons) homeported in Sydney, Australia has taken aboard some unusual passengers in the form of three dogs rescued along with their human companions from a disabled sailboat in the South Pacific. All are doing well and…

Poland Checks Baltic for Explosives as Tensions Continue Over Shadow Fleet The governments of Poland and Estonia continue to highlight the dangers in the Baltic coming from the shadow fleet and asserting their rights to inspect vessels. This comes as Russian officials have stepped up their verbal attacks on the EU’s efforts to reign in…

U.S. Celebrates National Maritime Day With an Eye to the Future   On Thursday, American shipping celebrated National Maritime Day, a recognition of the industry’s past – and thanks to a resurgence of interest among federal policymakers, a hopeful outlook for the industry’s future.  Congress declared National Maritime Day in 1933, and it selected May…

UK Hands Over Control of Chagos Islands to Mauritius   Despite reports in the Times of London that plans to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius had been put on hold, the UK’s Prime Minister Kier Starmer signed a formal agreement on the transfer on May 22. A High Court order had temporarily delayed the…

Wallem Group Sets Out Best Practice Guidance For Marine Biofuels [By: Wallem Group] Wallem Group, a leading global maritime partner, has published a new whitepaper to ensure ships, ships systems and crews are fully prepared to load, store and use biofuels in everyday vessel operations. ‘Marine Biofuels: Adoption, use, and best practice’ recognises the contribution that…

Submarine Designers’ Union Wins Lucrative Contract, Averting Strike   The draftsman’s union for General Dymanics Electric Boat has agreed to a five-year labor contract with a hefty wage hike, heading off an impending strike. The union’s members will see their pay increase by nearly a third by the end of the period, leaders said in…

Vessel Concept Meets Challenges of Floating Wind Turbine Installation A consortium based in the UK is working on the designs for a new segment of the shipping industry specifically designed to support floating offshore wind installations. As the offshore wind energy industry moves toward its next phase, which will require floating turbines, it will also…

Cal Maritime Gets New Superintendent as it Becomes Cal Poly Maritime The California Maritime Academy is set to become Cal Poly Maritime in the merging of two of California’s academic institutions.   Cal Poly has appointed two new leaders to guide the future of the Cal Poly, Solano Campus and the Cal Poly Maritime Academy…

NTSB Makes Initial Visit to Damaged Mexican Sail Training Ship   On Tuesday, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board met for the first time with their Mexican counterparts aboard the Mexican Navy sail training ship Cuauhtémoc, which struck the Brooklyn Bridge at six knots on Saturday night. Two cadets were killed and dozens injured…

EU Moves to Expand Role of European Maritime Safety Agency   The European Council and European Parliament reached a provisional political agreement designed to enhance the mission statement of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). It was part of a broad effort by the governing bodies to address maritime safety, with this the final piece…

MarinePALS New Mental Well-Being Microlearning Videos Package for Seafarers [By: MarinePALS] In response to the growing concern surrounding mental health at sea, MarinePALS has launched a dedicated microlearning video series focused on mental well-being and suicide prevention for the maritime community. This initiative aligns with the company’s broader commitment to fostering a culture of safety and…

Damen and CEAD Join Forces to Develop 3D-Printed HDPE Workboat [By: CEAD] Innovative project within CEAD’s Maritime Application Center Damen Compact Crafts (DCCr), part of the Damen Shipyards Group, and high-tech company CEAD are launching a collaboration to develop a 3D-printed HDPE Workboat (HWB) using CEAD®HDPro material. The project will take place at CEAD’s Maritime…

Eastern Shipbuilding Group Wins National Award for Excellence in Safety [By: Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc.] Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. announces it has been awarded a 2024 AEU Safety Award for the company’s strong commitment to safety in the workplace. The American Equity Underwriters, Inc., the leading provider of workers’ compensation for waterfront employers, presents the AEU…

Testing Begins for System to Address Methane Slip from LNG Marine Engines Testing is getting underway for an onboard system installed on an in-service LNG bunker vessel to address methane slip. The release of unburnt methane is one of the critical challenges facing LNG operations, with environmentalists highlighting that methane is one of the most…

Marcura and Sedna Partner to Simplify Maritime Workflows [By: Marcura] Marcura and Sedna today announced a partnership giving chartering and operations teams direct access to Marcura’s ClaimsHub from inside Sedna’ email platform Stream.  Integration with PortLog is planned for the next phase of the rollout. Together, these tools will help shared customers reduce system switching, speed up decisions,…

Foreship Enables World-First Dual Chemistry Battery System [By: Foreship] Naval architecture and engineering consultancy Foreship is supporting Wasaline in delivering a breakthrough battery upgrade on MV Aurora Botnia that will see the ferry’s energy storage capacity increase nearly sixfold. The world-first retrofit will combine two battery chemistries in a hybrid solution that is expected to cut…

Strategic Marine Delivers First of Two 27M Crew Transfer Vessels to Taiwan [By: Strategic Marine] Strategic Marine, a global leader in aluminium shipbuilding, is proud to announce the successful delivery of the first 27m Z-Bow Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) to Taiwan as part of a contract with Ventus Marine Co., Ltd for two state-of-the-art vessels. This milestone…

U.S. to Permit Sale of Sanctioned LPG Carrier in Texas Linked to Iran A shadowy, newly built LPG tanker that has been linked to efforts to fund Iran is potentially going to be sold under a new license issued today, May 20, by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The…

ClassNK Releases New Features for GHG Emissions Management Tool [By: ClassNK] ClassNK has released new features related to FuelEU Maritime*1 and EU-ETS*2 for its GHG emissions management tool, ‘ClassNK ZETA’. Additionally, with the integration with NAPA, its “NAPA Fleet Intelligence” is available on ClassNK ZETA. ClassNK ZETA is a tool for visualizing GHG emissions / CII ratings…

World’s Most Powerful Methanol Engine Announced [By: MAN Energy Solutions] MAN Energy Solutions has announced that it will deliver the world’s most powerful two-stroke methanol engine in June 2025. The engine, an MAN B&W 12G95ME-C10.5-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) type rated at 82,440 kW @ 80rpm, is currently being built by Chinese licensee, CSSC-MES Diesel…

Report: Hanwha Ocean Plans Large-Scale Expansion of Philly Shipyard Months after having completed the acquisition of the Philly Shipyard, South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean is planning to invest more than $70 million to modernize and expand the shipbuilder’s operations to realize the opportunities as the U.S. looks to revitalize its navy and merchant marine. According to…

BOEM Plans Deep-Sea Mining Lease Sale Off American Samoa   After a request from U.S. deep sea mining startup Impossible Minerals and a new executive order from President Donald Trump, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has launched the process to hold a mineral lease sale for polymetallic nodule collection off the coast…

Princess Cruise Ship Captain Dies Suddenly After Medical Emergency   The master of a Princess Cruises passed away from a sudden medical issue while under way on a weeks-long cruise, the cruise line has confirmed.  Capt. Michele Bartolomei, a Princess veteran with nearly 30 years at the company, was in command of the 2,700-passenger Diamond…

Salvors Raise First Component of Lost Superyacht Bayesian   Salvors have raised the first major component of the lost superyacht Bayesian, which sank in a severe storm off the coast of Sicily last August. Seven people died in the tragedy, including the owner. The boom is just one piece of a much larger salvage project.…

Video: World’s Largest Cruise Ship, Star of the Seas, Starts Sea Trials   The second vessel of Royal Caribbean International’s Icon class, Star of the Seas, has begun its first sea trials, going to sea for the first time on Sunday, May 18. Due to enter commercial service in August, the ship will be slightly larger…

Damen Delivers Scampi Trawler to Sanford Following Arrival in New Zealand [By: Damen Shipyards Group] Damen Maaskant has successfully completed and delivered the San Koura Rangi, a state-of-the-art scampi trawler built for New Zealand seafood company Sanford. The 32.4-metre vessel has safely arrived in New Zealand, where the official handover will take place and the…

American Waterways Operators Elects Patrick Sutton of ACBL as Chairman [By American Waterways Operators] The members of the American Waterways Operators, the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association, elected a new slate of leaders last week during the association’s Spring Convention and Annual Membership Meeting. Patrick Sutton, Senior Vice President, Business Development and Planning,…

New Data Highlights Lack of Gender Diversity in Maritime [By: WISTA International] WISTA Women in Maritime Survey indicates ongoing gender disparity in the maritime sector, sparking renewed calls for action. The second Women in Maritime survey, jointly published by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA), provides new insights…

St. Johns Ship Building Delivers Third CTV, WINDEA Reliance [By St. Johns Ship Building] St. Johns Ship Building, a Palatka, Florida-based Jones Act-compliant shipyard owned by Americraft Marine, proudly announces the delivery of the WINDEA Reliance, the third and final vessel in a series of 30-meter aluminum Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) built for WINDEA CTV…

Final Construction Permits Issued for First Gulf Coast LNG Bunker Port   The Galveston LNG Bunker Port is now fully permitted for construction to start after receiving authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a recommendation from the U.S. Coast Guard. The project, which is being developed as the first LNG bunker port…

U.S. Interior Department Lifts Empire Wind Stop-Work Order In a surprising reversal, the Trump administration has lifted the stop-work order on New York’s Empire Wind offshore energy project. Norway’s Equinor issued a brief statement reporting that it has been informed by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) that the order…

Houthis Reboot Red Sea Crisis With Remote “Blockade” on Port of Haifa   Resolving any ambiguity about whether Yemen’s Houthi rebels may have agreed to a shipping ceasefire, the group announced Monday that it will begin targeting shipowners who serve the port of Haifa, effective immediately. The group said that its decision to re-escalate was motivated by Israeli…

Ports: USTR Fees on Chinese Cranes Will Not “Magically” Revitalize Industry   The American Association of Port Authorities continued to fiercely advocate for ports during its testimony and response to the U.S. Trade Representative’s proposal to add fees on Chinese-built ships, car carriers, and Chinese-manufactured port cranes. AAPA, which has been fighting against the fees…

Coast Guard Investigates Two Separate Engine Room Fires in Puerto RIco   The U.S. Coast Guard has launched investigations into a pair of separate vessel fires that occurred in Puerto Rico over the weekend, according to agency representatives. The more recent incident unfolded early Saturday at Puerto Nuevo Channel’s N Wharf, where the Marshall Islands-flagged…

Hyundai Mipo and Trafigura Finalize Details for Ammonia Carriers The details for some of the first large ammonia carriers that will also be fueled by ammonia have been finalized setting the groundwork for the emerging sector. The four medium-sized liquified gas carriers will be among the first to be launched in a forward-looking effort by…

Russia Intercepts and Detains Greek Tanker off Estonia   Following the Estonian Navy’s attempt to intercept a Russia-bound tanker in the Baltic last week, the Russian Navy has intercepted and diverted a Greek tanker full of Estonian fuel oil in the Gulf of Finland, according to Estonia’s transport administration.  The agency said that Russian forces…

Guyana Passes Bill to Hold Offshore Operators Responsible for Oil Spills   Guyana’s National Assembly on Friday passed a major piece of environmental legislation, making companies and offshore operators responsible for damages arising from oil spills. With offshore oil production expanding in Guyanese waters, the bill hopes to create national environmental safeguards to defend against…

UAE Extends its Dominance in Egypt’s Port Sector   Egypt has concluded a series of deals with AD Ports and DP World which, taken together, have put the operations and revenue generation from Egypt’s principal ports and maritime logistic services into Emirati hands for the foreseeable future – in return for capital investments and payments…

UK Puts Handover of the Strategic Chagos Islands on Hold   Plans for the United Kingdom to surrender sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, known as the British Indian Ocean Territory in return for a leaseback arrangement allowing for the continued operation of the United States’ Naval Support Facility on Diego Garcia, appear to have been…

Iran Strengthens Strait of Hormuz Defenses as Nuclear Talks Move Ahead   Reports from the continuing Omani-mediated talks between the United States and Iran suggest that after four rounds, negotiations are reaching a critical point, with progress now being dependent on either side giving way on redline positions. The United States is said to be…

Ferroport Enhances Surveillance and Supports Wildlife Conservation [By: Axis Communications] Ferroport, which operates the iron ore terminal at the Port of Açu in São João da Barra, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has deployed state-of-the-art video surveillance cameras from  Axis Communications to enhance nighttime security and visibility, while decreasing environmental impact and prioritizing sustainability. With cutting-edge technology, the port…

ClassNK Academy Starts Offering the 2025 Edition of E-Learning Courses [By: ClassNK] ClassNK has started offering the 2025 edition of ClassNK Academy’s e-learning content. These courses help new employees understand the maritime industry, deepen engineers’ knowledge of ship stability, performance design, and structural strength, and enhance cybersecurity awareness for crew members and IT staff. Each…

V. and International Seaways Partner to Launch Female Cadet Programme [By: V.Group] V.Group (V.), the global ship manager and marine services provider, and International Seaways (NYSE: INSW), one of the world’s largest tanker companies, have today announced the launch of a newly designed female cadet programme. Together with INSW, V. is implementing various strategic initiatives to…

USCG Rescues Two Mariners Missing for More Than 100 Hours   The U.S. Coast Guard is reporting a successful conclusion to an intensive search and rescue mission that had been underway for four days after a small boat was reported overdue. The 47-foot vessel named Lucky Harvest was finally located more than 100 miles west/southwest…

Report: USCG Ordered to Reduce Flag Rank by Quarter as Part of Force Design The U.S. Coast Guard is preparing to reduce its ranks among flag officers as the latest step in the Force Design initiative announced last month. According to a memo seen by USNI News, Acting Commandant Kevin Lundy reported the decision from…

Cruise Ship Gets in Hot Water, Fined for Scenic Sail By That Got Too Close The passengers were marveling recently at the wonderful views from the deck of the luxury cruise ship Silver Ray as the captain maneuvered the ship to view the coastal treasures of Italy. While everyone thought it was a spectacular scene…

Korean Shipbuilders Meet with USTR Greer and Discuss Ships and Port Cranes   South Korea’s shipbuilding industry continues to seek opportunities to build business through cooperation while taking advantage of the U.S.’s efforts to restore capabilities and address Chinese domination in shipbuilding. On Friday, May 16, two of the country’s largest shipbuilders had the opportunity…

Greenpeace Captain and Activists on Trial in Korea for Boarding Tanker   The captain of Greenpeace’s vessel Rainbow Warrior and four activists made their first appearance in a South Korean court on Friday, May 16, on charges related to a 2024 incident where they boarded a Japanese-owned LPG tanker that was anchored off South Korea.…

Israel Bombs Two Houthi-Controlled Ports and Warns of More Actions The Israel Defense Force late on Friday, May 16, launched two powerful attacks on the Houthi-controlled ports of Hodeidah and Al-Salif saying that they believed the ports would be out of commission for months. The Israelis also warned of more attacks if the Houthis persist…