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Unbelievable News

22 Jul 2022

Donald L Blount: 1935 - 2022

Donald L. Blount, an international esteemed technical expert in the field of high-speed craft hydrodynamics died on July 14, 2022 at the age of 87.Donald was driven all his life to do one job: design high-speed powerboats that could comfortably and efficiently run through rough water. His fascination with hydrodynamics began when he was a Virginia Tech co-op student working at the David Taylor Model Basin, the Navy's premier hydrodynamic research facility.Donald’s research contributions…

23 May 2022

Aibel's Yard in Thailand Wraps Work on Dogger Bank A Topside

Credit: Aibel

Norwegian engineering and construction firm Aibel's yard in Thailand has completed the construction of the Dogger Bank A wind farm substation topside, in what is the first ever HVDC converter platform exported from Thailand.Loaded on a BigLift heavy transportation vessel, the topside is now en route to Haugesund, Norway where further equipment will be installed ahead of the installation at its final offshore location at what will be the world's largest offshore wind farm, the Dogger Bank…

12 Nov 2021

Austal USA Picks Up the Lease on the Marine Group Boatworks' Ship Repair Yard

“MGBW continues to experience unbelievable growth year after year. We are excited for this opportunity to invest in our organization and increase the capacity of our Chula Vista facility to meet growing industry demands,” said MGBW President Todd Roberts. Photo courtesy Marine Group Boat Works

Marine Group Boat Works (MBGW) transfered the lease of its National City facility to Austal USA. The deal is scheduled to close mid-December 2021. This announcement comes after a period of unprecedented growth for MGBW in its yacht, commercial and specialty government craft divisions. The San Diego-based company will continue their focus on the growing superyacht industry and servicing commercial vessels, with emphasis on the high-speed ferry and tug and barge industries. In addition…

09 Dec 2020

New Book: Steaming to Djibouti…My First Hitch on an Underway Replenishment Ship

The following excerpts are from the new travelogue by Captain Sean P. Tortora, titled, “Steaming to Djibouti…My First Hitch on an Underway Replenishment Ship.”  Join a motivated young merchant marine officer on his first journey onboard a venerable navy auxiliary steamship. Accompany him through the convoluted reporting for duty process through his truly surreal first tour onboard. Meet the oddball characters in the crew and follow their outlandish daily routine. Listen in to the truly jaw-dropping crew interactions.

26 Mar 2019

Can the Cruise Shipping Boom Continue?

MSC Cruises, the industry’s largest privately owned company, is in the midst of a $13 billion expansion which will bring its fleet, following the delivery of MSC Meraviglia in 2017, to 25 vessels by the mid 2020’s. Still on order are four Meraviglia class ships. Photo: MSC

As the global cruise industry enjoys it most robust period of growth ever, the question invariably becomes: How long can it last?Cruising, which is a blend of the hospitality and maritime businesses, continues to grow at a historic pace. The Cruise Trends & Industry Outlook publication from Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) projects a passenger count of 30 million in 2019 – up nearly 2 million from the previous year. By year end 2019 CLIA members – a veritable ‘who’s who’ of the largest brands – will have 272 vessels…

12 Feb 2019

Boat Made of Flip-flops Sails for Cleaner Seas

(Photo: Flipflopi)

It was 6pm when an unusual rainbow-colored boat, made of recycled plastic waste and discarded flip-flops gathered from beaches and roadsides, dropped anchor off the beach at Mtwapa, near Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa.The 9-meter-long dhow, "The Flipflopi", was sailing south along East Africa's coast to raise awareness of the threat plastics pose to the oceans, said chief boat-builder and captain Ali Skanda.Beaches and marine ecosystems have been badly affected by plastics, Skanda said…

20 Jun 2018

Cruise Ship Construction: China Rising

China earns cruise newbuild business, aims for ship financeWhile China has steadily built shipbuilding market share, cruise ship construction –  more specifically mastering the logistical complexities inherent in cruise ship design, outfit and construction – has proved elusive. But it appears that Chinese shipbuilders have turned the corner, with contracts signed for the first cruise newbuilds. We were in Tianjin, China, earlier this year for the 4th Annual China Maritime Finance Forum for a look behind the covers of passenger vessel in China…

14 Aug 2017

HMAS Newcastle Joins Cousin for Replenishment

HMAS Newcastle has marked her second Operation MANITOU patrol with a dual replenishment at sea in the Gulf of Aden with USNS Kanawha and Pakistan Navy Ship Alamgir. The resupply presented Newcastle with the opportunity to operate with another Oliver Hazard Perry class (called Adelaide class in Australia) ship, in Alamgir. Newcastle’s embarked MH-60R Seahawk Romeo helicopter launched to record the evolution from the air and for Seaman Boatswain Ben Robertson, it was another highlight in what has so far been “a surreal experience” on operational deployment. “To stand there, so incredibly close to a gigantic American replenishment ship with a cool warship on the other side was just unbelievable,” Seaman Robertson said.

10 Jul 2017

Rugged Propulsion System Designed for the Swamps

Metal Shark 21 Riverine equipped with Swamp Shark surface drive, shown powering through vegetation in Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin (Photo: Metal Shark)

A new all-terrain vessel propulsion system specially engineered and built for operation in extreme shallow water, riverine and mud flat environments will safely and reliably propel a vessel through dense vegetation, mud and debris-strewn waters. The highly durable Swamp Shark Drive system has been introduced through a partnership between Louisiana-based boat builder Metal Shark has partnered with Angelle Development, LLC of Breaux Bridge, La. “I began designing this system and building the initial prototype in 2011 with the goal of creating the ultimate ‘go anywhere…

16 Mar 2017

CMA CGM Supports Le Carburateur

CMA CGM, a leading worldwide shipping group, and le Carburateur, an incubator for small companies in the Marseille Northern Area in France, team up to stimulate entrepeneurship and job creation in the city. Under the guidance of Rodolphe Saadé, CMA CGM ‘s Chief Executive Officer, the company will offer all incubation costs within Le Carburateur to five newly created companies from the Marseille area. A jury, chaired by Rodolphe Saadé, CMA CGM’s CEO, will select five newly created companies related to the maritime, transportation or logistics fields, who will benefit from a solid boost for their development. Candidates have until April 28 to apply. The list of the five winners will be disclosed during May 2017.

24 Jul 2016

ASEAN in Discord Ahead of Meeting with top China, U.S. Diplomats

Southeast Asian nations were thrown into disarray after Cambodia on Saturday blocked them from issuing a statement referring to an international court ruling against China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, diplomats said. The U.N.-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague handed an emphatic legal victory to the Philippines in the maritime dispute earlier this month, denying China's sweeping claims in the strategic seaway. Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet for the first time since the ruling on Sunday, before hosting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi among others.

23 Mar 2015

SECNAV Commemorates Battle of Iwo Jima

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus arrived on Iwo To, the island formerly known as Iwo Jima, March 21 to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Iwo Jima. On the island where, in 1945, the United States and Japan met in conflict, Mabus spoke of the bravery displayed by those who fought for both sides during the historic World War II Battle for Iwo Jima. "Simply walk through the black sands of Iwo Jima's shores and spend a moment in one of its dark tunnels," said Mabus. "Only then can you begin to fathom the unbelievable, and at some level, past human, fortitude it took to charge these beaches under withering fire, or to fight from a subterranean labyrinth for 36 days. A few heroes here know that courage.

28 Dec 2014

IMB Concerned About Compensating Pirates

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has joined other maritime organisations in expressing concern over the decision to compensate convicted Somali pirates. These criminals have been responsible for taking hostage thousands of seafarers, who were subjected to unprovoked violence and sometimes torture. Some seafarers have also been murdered while carrying out their lawful business on the high seas. Earlier this month, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered France to pay thousands of euros to Somali pirates who had attacked French ships in 2008. The pirates were captured by French military on the Somali coast after they hijacked two French yachts in separate attacks in 2008.

28 Mar 2014

Shipping Confidence at Highest Level Since 2008

Richard Greiner

Overall confidence levels in the shipping industry rose to their highest level for almost six years in the three-month period to February 2014, according to the latest Shipping Confidence Survey from international accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens. Freight rates look set to improve or maintain existing levels over the next twelve months, while an increase in private equity funding is expected to have a major impact on the industry. In February 2014, the average confidence…

26 Feb 2014

Damen Delivers Second Twin Axe FCS 2610 to Sure Wind

Photo: Damen

British company Sure Wind Marine Ltd. has taken delivery of its second Damen Twin Axe Fast Crew Supplier – the Sure Swift - in a little over a month after the first joined the company’s fleet. Established in 2009, Sure Wind is a specialist in the German offshore wind market and now has 10 dedicated wind farm service and crew transfer vessels, the latest two being the first newbuild Damen vessels. Sure Wind also owns the first FCS 2610 ever built – the pioneering Shamal (renamed Sure Shamal) - which it acquired in July 2013.

29 Jan 2014

New Tech & Tug Training

Mass. Maritime responds to industry demand, reloads with cutting edge Transas equipment, and moves to the head of the brown water training queue. It was a dark and stormy night with choppy seas. I didn’t hit anything, but I did run aground twice while at the helm of the tug boat simulator at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) in Buzzards Bay. But then that’s the point – to let students safely make mistakes and get the closest thing to the real-life experience they need – and would have a limited shot at otherwise on the equipment they’ll be handling where the jobs are today…

21 Feb 2013

ITF Condemns 'utterly unbelievable' Moroccan Court Decisions

The ITF has condemned as ‘utterly unbelievable’ a totally unexpected decision by a court in Morocco to jail trade union leaders Said Elhairech and Mohamed Chamchati. Elhairech the general secretary of the Moroccan Ports Union, part of the ITF-affiliated UMT, and chair of the ITF Arab World regional committee, was arrested in June 2012 on charges of ‘sabotage and endangering national security’. He utterly rejected the accusations and was supported throughout by the ITF, which was unequivocal in its stance that he had been wrongly targeted following his very effective work on behalf of crews stranded by the cessation of operations of the Comarit-Comanav ferry company – which he undertook at the ITF’s request. In October all charges except one minor one were dropped and his innocence proven.

05 Dec 2012

MetalCraft Marine

On the occasion of Metal Craft Marine’s 25th anniversary, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News ventured north, to the boat builder’s Kingston, Ontario headquarters, to discover the secret to its success. Metal Craft Marine is well regarded in maritime circles for designing and building high performance craft outfitted for the most demanding work conditions. While the company is diverse in its work scope and capability, its history lies in high-performance jet boats and its current core competency lies in the construction of tough fire boats and military boats for worldwide use.

26 Mar 2012

Moore Stephens: Shipping Confidence Up

Moore Stephens shipping partner, Richard Greiner

Shipping confidence up on expectation of rate increases but new investment appetite wanes. Overall confidence levels in the shipping industry increased slightly in the three months ended February 2012, to reach their highest level since May 2011, according to the latest Shipping Confidence Survey from international accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens. This is the third successive quarter in which there has been a small uptick in confidence. Rates are expected to increase over the coming year in the three main tonnage sectors covered by the survey.

07 Oct 2011

Furuno Named NMEA "Manufacturer of the Year"

Furuno has once again received the lion’s share of awards at the prestigious 2011 National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) Convention in Sanibel, FL. This brings Furuno’s NMEA Award total to an incredible 201 awards since NMEA started presenting awards in 1971. A total of ten NMEA Awards were presented this year and Furuno received half of the awards issued. For the sixth consecutive year, Furuno received the coveted Manufacturer of the Year - Support award. In fact, Furuno is the sole recipient of this award since its introduction on the ballot 6 years ago. “Customer service to both our technical marine electronics dealer network and our end-users has always been the number one goal at Furuno USA.

19 Apr 2011

FLAGSHIP-iCAS: Optimum Situation-Awareness In An Emergency

Courtesy of Kongsberg 5

FLAGSHIP, the Pan-European maritime transport project part funded by the EU, has successfully developed software that enables comprehensive suppression of audible warnings in order to avoid large cascades of alarms on the bridge and in the engine room. Called iCAS (intelligent Central Alarm System),  the system is designed to provide a precise overview of the situation on board as it develops while freeing up staff to address the situation and follow the vessel’s routines without disturbance.

18 Apr 2011

KONGSBERG System Suppresses Superfluous Alarms

KONGSBERG iCAS - Intelligent Central Alarm System designed to provide precise overview of the situation as it develops while freeing up staff to address the situation and follow the vessel's routines without disturbance.

The Flagship maritime transport project has developed software that enables comprehensive suppression of audible warnings in order to avoid large cascades of alarms on the bridge and in the engine room. Known as iCAS (intelligent central alarm system), the system is designed to provide a precise overview of the situation on board as it develops while freeing up staff to address the situation. This element of the pan-European Flagship maritime transport project included both a…

10 Jan 2011

Rep. Gifford’s Husband, Captain Mark E. Kelly, is USMMA Alum

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, NY, was particularly close to the shooting this weekend of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, as her husband is U.S. Navy Captain Mark E. Kelly, a NASA Astronaut born in West Orange, NJ, and a 1986 graduate of USMMA with a bachelor of science degrees in marine engineering and marine transportation (with highest honors). Rep. Giffords was shot on Saturday, Jan. 8 at a supermarket in northwest Tucson, Arizona. According to a report in New York Newsday, it was on the campus in 2006 that Kelly proposed to Giffords. A statement on Rep. "On behalf of Gabby and our entire family, I want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the people of Arizona and this great nation for their unbelievable outpouring of support.

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