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24 Nov 2015

Out of the Eye ... & Staying There

I have never been in a hurricane. That’s a fact. Actually, my wife likes to say that whenever there is any kind of natural disaster, I’m typically nowhere to be found. And, when I think about it, I realize that she is right. Whether by accident or by design, that’s exactly how it has played out during the 30+ years that we have been together. Whenever this touchy subject does come up – typically once a quarter – she usually points to one particular event as proof of concept. In August of 1983, long before Katrina left her indelible mark on the U.S. Gulf Coast and the city of New Orleans in particular, there was Alicia. On August 18 of that year…

02 Apr 2015

Ship Management and Technology

Image courtesy: Unicom Management Services (Cyprus) Ltd.

Technology is central, not merely an add-on, to ship manager brand value. Ship managers who operate vessels on behalf of their owner clients, are the lynchpin of international shipping. As the industry has gone through rounds of relentless cost cutting, at times of increasing regulatory scrutiny, and commercial pressures for high standards, third party managers have filled the need for raising quality, while maintaining tight cost controls. The rise of third party managers in the 1980s and 1990s…

30 Mar 2015

The Human Element of Ship Management

The best third party ship managers employ technology, good business practices, economies of scale and a customized approach for each client. None of that will succeed without first addressing the human element of the equation. Ship managers Crowley Maritime, Thome and Bibby Ship management companies all manage tonnage for others, in sometimes dissimilar sectors and different regions and world trades. Those differences set the three groups apart in terms of the skill sets necessary to manage different classes and types of ships. What brings them all together is a common belief that the human element of ship management is a critical piece of the equation. As it turns out, it may actually be the most important.

03 Mar 2015

Zeroing in on Zukunft

The U.S. Coast Guard Commandant addresses a packed Passenger Vessel Association meeting and outlines both the challenges and opportunities facing his organization. Long Beach, CA: Less than 12 hours after the New England Patriots’ late game heroics stunned the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Paul Zukunft found himself facing a standing room only audience of Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) delegates, all thirsting to hear what the Coast Guard and the government’s regulatory sector had in store for them in the coming months and years. Clearly, and despite some late night celebrations (or tearful regrets), few, if any delegates slept in on Monday morning.

24 Sep 2014

Exporting Crude Oil A “No-Brainer”

As I watch the back and forth in Washington – and beyond – on the issue of whether to allow the export of crude oil and LNG, I can only shake my head and wonder why it is even a topic for discussion anymore. I honestly cannot think of a single reason why we shouldn’t. Our European and Asian readers are probably laughing as I discuss the merits of changing a domestic policy that is clearly a remnant from a bygone era. Here at home, though, it’s not really a laughing matter, is it? For more than four decades, the biggest threat to American security was energy – or rather the lack of enough domestic supplies and the use of energy (by others, principally OPEC) as a geopolitical weapon. Those days, at least for North Americans, are long gone. The shale boom is upon us.

24 Sep 2014

Savvy Fuel Management Fuels TOTE’s Growth

As Tote pioneers the use of natural gas as a marine fuel with two groundbreaking projects, Anthony Chiarello combines the strength and diversity of the Saltchuk group of companies with a forward-thinking, environmentally correct Tote business plan. As TOTE prepares to bring the world’s first natural gas-powered containerships to the maritime industry, the firm will also be the first to convert its existing fleet to run on natural gas. Two Orca Class vessels, operated by Totem Ocean Trailer Express (Totem Ocean) in the Alaska trade, will be converted with minimal time out of service and return as the most environmentally advanced ships in the nation.

26 Jun 2014

Maritime Fuel of the Future: Training to an Uncertain Standard

Despite its unquestionable allure, LNG as a fuel carries with it as many risks as it does answers to the problems it promises to solve. As industry and OEM’s work to remove any doubt, the collaborative effort outpaces the slow-moving regulatory machine. Even as Lloyds Register predicts that LNG will reach a maximum 11% share of marine propulsion solutions in 2030, it also says that segments with higher proportion of small ships will see the highest LNG uptake. And, at the same time, says the global classification society in its recent paper entitled, Global Marine Fuel Trends 2030, the marine fuel mix for bulk, containers and tankers…

25 Jun 2014

INTERVIEW: U.S. Maritime Administration - Paul N. Jaenichen, Sr.

On June 4 2012, Deputy Maritime Administrator Paul “Chip” Jaenichen was named Acting Maritime Administrator. With the U.S. Maritime Administration since July 2012 when he was appointed Deputy Maritime Administrator by President Obama, Jaenichen would no doubt like to be confirmed as the Administrator; sooner, rather than later. Nevertheless, he’s not letting any grass grow under his feet in the meantime. Beyond this, the affable Jaenichen has rejuvenated an arguably ineffective Marad organization that had in recent years drifted aimlessly without strong leadership. With enthusiasm and a genuine passion for the domestic maritime industry, he has once again put Marad squarely in the conversation even as the collective U.S.

21 Dec 2011

Raytheon Robotics Helps Shipyards Lighten the Load

“Big-Arm,” the Teleoperation robotic system. (Photos: courtesy Raytheon)

Dr. Fraser Smith of Raytheon is the President of Raytheon Sarcos, part of Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems business. He’s also the chief proponent of a new technology that could revolutionize how shipyards move, store and retrieve bulky, awkward and heavy materials. Raytheon is actively marketing the robotic device now and looking to find follow-on funding to make the product commercially viable. Based on their early findings and performance, they are well on their way to doing just that.

21 Nov 2011

GPA: Engineering Ideas Into Reality…

GPA Chairman Guido Perla

The motto at Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. (GPA) for over thirty years and continuing to this day has always been: Engineering Ideas into Reality. For clients worldwide, no matter how large or small the project, from single vessels to an unprecedented number of vessels in one series, the adage rings true. Behind the company’s success and commitment to each and every client is a team of over 70 professionals on four continents, led by the company’s Chairman Guido Perla and supported by his management team.

06 Oct 2011

Mobile BWT Facility Begins Operations

MARAD helps to fund Mobile Ballast Water Testing Facility. The Maritime Administration, along with the Maritime Environmental Resource Center and Maryland Port Administration, has dedicated a new facility to study the effectiveness of technology to treat invasive species in ballast water. The Mobile Test Platform is a retrofitted barge that will allow ballast water treatment systems to be evaluated in a natural setting at different locations in the Chesapeake Bay region. MARAD provided $1.2 million to help develop the new facility, which is able to test according to both IMO and US EPA Environmental Technology Verification protocols. MarineNews and Maritime Professional Editor Joseph Keefe attended the dedication ceremony on September 27th.

28 Jul 2011

MarPro Editor Joe Keefe Appears on Fox Business News

(Image courtesy: http://video.foxbusiness.com)

Joseph Keefe, editor of Maritime Professional and MarineNews magazines, last night appeared on Fox Business News' "America's Nightly Scoreboard" with David Asman to discuss the scrapping of a pair of U.S. Navy tankers before they were complete. Joe Keefe Appears on Fox Business News

14 Jun 2011

MarPro INTERVIEW: USCG Admiral Robert Papp

When Admiral Robert J. Papp assumed the duties of the 24th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on May 25, 2010, he also served notice that it won’t be business as usual at headquarters. Papp, unlike his three immediate predecessors, apparently has no intention of setting the world on fire by instituting sweeping changes. Inside the Coast Guard, the proverbial round turn is probably good news. For maritime businesses that trudge along under the collective weight of mounting regulatory burdens, an arguably willing partner now resides in the C-suite. From Papp’s perspective, the overarching link for all of the Coast Guard’s collective missions is the maritime aspect of their service.

14 Jun 2011

Interview: Joe Angelo, MD, INTERTANKO

In shipping, there’s little that one can count on from year to year. The word “change” comes to mind immediately. Another constant is a steady hand at the helm at the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), the voice of the world’s collective tanker market. So, when Joe Angelo replaced long time (10+ years) INTERTANKO stalwart Peter Swift as INTERTANKO Managing Director less than 4 months ago, industry watched closely for any changes in course. But INTERTANKO's new MD is anything but an unknown quantity and he clearly hit the ground running. In April, MarPro caught up with him at his Arlington, VA offices for a SITREP on the world of tankers.

10 Jun 2011

LNG Gains Traction as Alternative Fuel

As Cargo, Fuel or both; LNG is emerging as the clear and clean way forward for the maritime industry. The use of LNG as a marine fuel is not new. Vessels trading cryogenic LNG have burned boil-off natural gas in steam boilers for many years as a simple solution to maintaining necessary temperatures and pressures within cargo spaces. The use of the fuel varied according to the size of the ship and a boil off rate ranging between 0.10 to 0.18 percent of the total cargo. As a result of the variable quantities…

23 Mar 2011

Maritime Professional Magazine Debuts at CMA

Maritime Risk is the tight focus of the first edition of Maritime Professional magazine; the maritime industry’s newest and most exciting periodical print vehicle. That’s because MarPro – as we fondly refer to it in-house here at the New Wave media group – is set to take you and your clients places that they’ve never been before. And, although we provide the digital edition of this 64-page, information packed magazine for your preview (click here for digital edition), the print edition will also make its debut at the 2011 Connecticut Maritime Association show in Stamford, on 21 March.

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