Establishes New

Galveston Establishes New Anchorage aAea

The U.S. Coast Guard has established a new anchorage area (designated "C") in Bolivar Roads near Galveston. Anchorage area C is located inside the Galveston Bay entrance jetties and will provide a sheltered place for vessels to anchor. The new anchorage area comes into effect on June 12, 2003. 68 Fed. Reg. 25496 (May 13, 2003). (Source: Haight Gardner Holland & Knight, Maritime Items, May 13, 2003)

Lifeboat Launching Safety Regulations Updated

SOLAS amendments aimed to prevent accidents during lifeboat launching entered into force on 1 January 2013. IMO informs that the amendments, adopted in May 2011, add a new paragraph 5 to SOLAS regulation III/1, to require lifeboat on-load release mechanisms not complying with new International Life-Saving Appliances (LSA) Code requirements to be replaced, no later than the first scheduled dry-docking of the ship after 1 July 2014 but, in any case, not later than 1 July 2019.

NOAA’s Fairweather Maps Bering Straits

Responding to a request from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska Maritime Pilots and the commercial shipping industry, NOAA sent one of its surveying vessels, NOAA Ship Fairweather, to detect navigational dangers in critical Arctic waters that have not been charted for more than 50 years. Fairweather, whose homeport is Ketchikan, Alaska, will spend July and August examining seafloor features, measuring ocean depths and supplying data for updating NOAA’s nautical charts spanning

ILO Conference Establishes New Convention on Seafarers' Identity Documents

The 91st annual Conference of the International Labor Organization (ILO) has adopted a new Convention on Seafarers' Identity Documents which replaces ILO Convention No.108 (1958). It establishes a more rigorous identity regime for seafarers with the aim of developing effective security from terrorism and ensuring that the world's 1.2 million seafarers will be given the freedom of movement necessary for their well-being and for their professional activities and, in general

Columbia Coastal Establishes New Division

Columbia Coastal Transport, LLC,has announced the formation of a new government/military and project division to assist companies with their cargo needs in these specialized areas. Donovan Murray will head up the newly established government/military division, and Joseph Villa will serve as general manager operations overseeing the project division. Murray has been with Columbia Coastal since August of 1993, and was named as port manager in Baltimore in August of 1995

Matson Expands Savannah Operation

Part of regional boom in third-party logistics providers.  Matson Logistics, a leading provider of multimodal transportation, warehousing, and distribution services throughout North America, has established new distribution center space in Savannah.   “Our new operation expands on our ability to move retail goods in through the Port of Savannah,” said Mark Ferzacca, assistant vice president of sales for Matson Logistics Warehousing

MOL Establishes New Panama Vessel Operation Center

MOL hosted a party to celebrate the grand opening of its new Panama Vessel Operation Center in Panama City, Panama on December 9, 2003. Some of the guests in attendance included: Mr. Joaquin Jacome, Minister of Commerce; Mr. Jerry Salazar, Minister of Canal Affairs; and Mr. Shuji Shimokoji, Ambassador of Japan. Considering Panama to be one of the world’s key maritime centers, the company established MOL (Panama) Inc

Offshore Drilling

BSEE Issues New Requirements and Policies Addressing Offshore Activities The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (“BSEE”) issued three significant documents addressing response, enforcement, and safety issues related to offshore operations in August 2012.  Specifically, BSEE issued (1) new guidance concerning regional Oil Spill Response Plans (“OSRPs”), (2) formalized policy addressing direct enforcement actions against contractors engaged in offshore

ABS Fleet Reaches Record Mark

ABS has broken through the 120m gross ton mark to establish a new all time fleet record. The classification society has benefited from the current active newbuilding market and a steady inflow of existing vessels changing class. With more than 1,400 vessels of almost 25 m gt currently on order to ABS class, the fleet is expected to grow further in the short term. The recent strong interest in new Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs)

200 Years of Erie Canal History

April 2011 marks the 200th anniversary of the key decisions for the construction of the Erie Canal, a monumental public works project that transformed the economy of New York State.   Two centuries ago, on April 8, 1811, the state Legislature approved a measure that set into motion the construction of the Erie Canal. This followed the delivery of a report on March 2, 2011 of a report by the original Commission.