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Monday, March 18, 2024
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Freighter News

02 Mar 2024

Bulk Carrier Rubymar Sinks After Being Struck by Houthis it the Red Sea

On March 2 at approximately 2:15 a.m. (Sanaa time), Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier, sank in the Red Sea after being struck by an Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18. The ship had been slowly taking on water since the attack. (Photo: U.S. Central Command)

The UK-owned Rubymar, attacked by Houthi militants last month, has sunk in the Red Sea, Yemen's internationally recognized government said on Saturday, warning of an "environmental catastrophe" from the ship's cargo of fertilizer.The vessel is the first lost since the Houthis began targeting commercial shipping in November, forcing shipping firms to divert vessels on to the longer, more expensive route around southern Africa.The Iranian-backed Houthis, who control the north of Yemen and other large centers…

13 Feb 2024

Wreck of WWII-era Cargo Ship Found in the Great Lakes

(Photo: Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society)

The wreck of a World War II-era freighter has been discovered in over 600 feet of water around 35 miles north of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula.Over the last 7 years, shipwreck researcher Dan Fountain has been studying remote sensing data in the search for shipwrecks in Lake Superior. After coming across a particularly deep anomaly, he reached out to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) for help in identifying the potential wreck. In 2023 GLSHS Director of Marine Operations…

01 Feb 2024

Longship Orders Two Newbuilds from GS Yard

(Image: Longship)

Longship Group entered a joint newbuilding project with Wagle Chartering AS for two "GS Eco-Freighter 3700" to be built by GS Yard BV in Waterhuizen, the Netherlands.The general cargo ships feature single open top box shaped holds of about 181,000 cbft intake. The vessels are equipped with two bulkheads that can be used as tweendecks. They are fitted for grain, timber, project cagos and are driven by a IMO Tier III compliant Mitsubishi S12R engine with an output of 749 kW.Wagle Chartering is assigned with the commercial operation…

16 Jan 2024

First Newbuilds Delivered to Baltnautic Holdings

(Photo: Damen)

Damen Shipyards Group announced it has delivered a pair of Damen Combi Freighter 3850 vessels to Baltnautic Holding B.V.The newbuilds, Indigo and Violet, were built at Damen Yichang Shipyard in Shanghai, China. A third Combi Freighter for Baltnautic Holding B.V. is currently under construction at the same yard and is set to be delivered in November this year.The vessels are the first new builds in the history of Baltnautic Holding B.V. and will be deployed for operations in Europe.

28 Nov 2023

Bulk Carrier Runs Aground in the Detroit River

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A Portuguese-registered bulk carrier ran aground outside Belle Isle Anchorage in the Detroit River, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The 623-foot freighter Barbro G reportedly went soft aground at 7:37 a.m. on Monday. The vessel is said to be carrying 21,000 tons of wheat to Italy.No pollution, damage, injuries or impact to commercial traffic have been reported. The cause of the incident is under investigation.The U.S. Coast Guard is on scene along with a pair of commercial tugs as the ship's representatives works with U.S.

18 Oct 2023

Fast Lines Belgium Orders Two Combi Freighters from Damen

(Photo: Damen Shipyards)

Damen Shipyards announced it has signed a contract with Belgian shipping company Fast Lines Belgium for the delivery of two Damen Combi Freighter 3850 (CF 3850).“These will be our first newbuild vessels, and we are confident that the Damen CF 3850 vessels will fit like a glove in the Fast Lines Belgium’s business,” said managing director Catrien Scheers. “Not only are they economical and efficient, our customers will also be able to see for themselves just how low their fuel consumption and therefore their emissions are.

07 Sep 2023

Damen Receives New Orders from Feyz Group in Turkey

(Photo: Damen Shipyards Group)

Damen Shipyards announced it has received a new order for a Combi Freighter (CF) 5000 and an additional CF 3850 from the Feyz Group in Turkey. The order comes just four weeks after another contract was signed for three CF 3850s.The new vessels will be built at Damen Yichang Shipyard in China for scheduled delivery at the end 2024.The Feyz Group is currently renewing its fleet, and Damen's policy of building in series with a standardized and modular design approach enables fast delivery times.Designed for general cargo like the other models in the Damen Combi Freighter family…

21 Aug 2023

Great Lakes Freighter Estimated to Have Spilled 1,500 Gallons of Diesel

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A U.S.-registered bulk carrier that spilled diesel fuel into Lake Michigan earlier this month is believed to have spilled approximately 1,500 gallons, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday.The 630-foot-long self-unloading bulk carrier Manitowoc was approximately 1.5 nautical miles offshore of Manistee, Mich. on August 2 when it reported it was leaking diesel fuel due to a hull breach on its starboard diesel tank. The investigation into the cause of the spill is ongoing.Prior to departing the Port of Manistee, the  vessel conducted and recorded initial tank soundings.

03 Aug 2023

Freighter Spills Diesel on Lake Michigan

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A U.S. registered bulk carrier has reportedly spilled diesel in Lake Michigan, approximately 1.5 nautical miles offshore of Manistee, Mich., the U.S. Coast Guard said.At approximately 2:50 p.m. on Wednesday, the 630-foot self-unloading bulk carrier Manitowoc reported a hull breach on its starboard diesel tank. The maximum spill potential is 45,174 gallons of diesel, the Coast Guard said.At the time of the report, the lake was at anchor 1.5 nautical miles offshore, northwest of where the Manistee River enters Lake Michigan.

01 Aug 2023

Turkey's Feyz Group Orders Three Cargo Ships from Damen

Credit: Damen Shipyards

Damen Shipyards and Turkey’s Feyz Group have signed a contract for the delivery of three new Damen Combi Freighters 3850, with the vessels set to be delivered in early 2025. The deal marks Damen's first new build cargo vessel sale to a Turkish customer.The Combi Freighter (CF) 3850 is a recently redesigned general cargo vessel with a deadweight of 3,850 tonnes. With a length overall of 89.70 meters and a 12.50-meter beam, Damen says the vessel is capable of maintaining speeds of more than 10 knots in headwinds when fully loaded, due to the hydrodynamic properties of the hull shape.

24 May 2023

Fire Breaks Out Aboard 80-year-old Great Lakes Freighter

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A fire broke out aboard a Canadian-registered bulk carrier transiting on Lake Erie near Pelee Island in the overnight hours on Tuesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The fire, which originated in the engine room of the 80-year-old laker Cuyahoga, is said to have been contained, with no injuries reported.U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Detroit, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, TowBoatUS and the Canadian Coast Guard responded the incident.The 664-foot-long self discharging bulk carrier is operated by Lower Lakes Towing…

17 May 2023

US' Newest Great Lakes Freighter Runs Aground

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

The newest Great Lakes freighter in the U.S. registered fleet has run aground in the Detroit River off Belle Isle, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The 639-foot self-unloading bulk carrier Mark W. Barker was headed toward Lake St. Clair from Cleveland when it lost propulsion and ran soft aground at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. The ship, which is carrying 21,000 metric tons of salt, was due to arrive in Milwaukee on Friday.The Coast Guard said planning is underway to refloat the ship and determine what caused it to run aground. No injuries, pollution or damage has been reported.

16 May 2023

Wreck of MV Blythe Star Found Off Tasmania

Images courtesy of CSIRO

An investigation by Australian research organisation CSIRO’s research vessel RV Investigator has confirmed the location of the wreck of the MV Blythe Star.The 44-metre motor vessel Blythe Star was a coastal freighter that disappeared off Tasmania nearly 50 years ago. The vessel was travelling from Hobart to King Island with a cargo of superphosphate fertiliser and a ton of beer in kegs when, on October 13, 1973, it suddenly capsized and sank off the southwest coast of Tasmania…

16 Mar 2023

Vale Inks Deal with KDI Targetting Emission Reductions

Image courtesy Vale

After implementing the vessel-to-cloud Vessel Insight technology to Guaibamax Bulk Carriers in 2020, Vale, iron ore producer and charterer of one of the world’s largest fleet of ore carriers, has signed with Kongsberg Digital to install Vessel Insight on four Valemax vessels, a continuation of Vale's investment in technology for efficient vessels, such as the Valemax and Guaibamax freighter classes.Vale signed the agreement with Kongsberg Digital to implement Vessel Insight Connect to Valemax bulk carriers, which are long-term charted and owned by Asyad Shipping.

01 Mar 2023

Discovery: Historic Shipwreck Found in Lake Huron

Image of the schooner-barge Ironton as it sits on the lake floor today. This image is a point cloud extracted from water column returns from multibeam sonar. Image Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust/NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Researchers from NOAA, the state of Michigan, and Ocean Exploration Trust discovered an intact shipwreck resting hundreds of feet below the surface of Lake Huron. Located within NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the shipwreck has been identified as the sailing ship Ironton. Well preserved by the cold freshwater of the Great Lakes for over a century, the 191-ft. Ironton rests upright with its three masts still standing."Using this cutting-edge technology, we have not only located a pristine shipwreck lost for over a century…

15 Feb 2023

Adding a Flap Improves Flettner Performance -Study

(Image: Blue Wasp Marine)

Adding a flap to a Flettner rotor can lead to improved performance and significant reductions in both emissions and fuel consumption, according to a recent assessment.The study, conducted by wind-assisted ship propulsion specialist Blue Wasp Marine on behalf of the Technical University Delft (TU Delft) and the Sea Axe Fund, leveraged in-house developed Pelican software to assess the potential of a straightforward adjustment to a Flettner rotor, a vertical cylinder that spins and develop lift due to the Magnus effect.In the circumstances covered by Blue Wasp’s tests…

28 Nov 2022

Marine News' Top Vessels of 2022

Mark W. Barker (Photo: Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding)

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted the most notable newbuilds delivered in 2022. From sturdy and nimble workboats, to the first new Jones Act laker in a generation, each vessel on display showcases the industry’s engineering prowess and technological ingenuity, with the focus on improving efficiency in operations. The maritime industry has no shortage of challenges to overcome, and each of Marine News’ top vessels will, in one way or another, aid efforts to tackle them.Mark W.

24 Nov 2022

Sail Freight: Fair Winds or Grassroot Sustainability?

(Photo: Hudson River Maritime Museum)

Climate change advocates and seafarers recently gathered for a small conference at the Hudson Valley Maritime Museum in Kingston, N.Y., to discuss the shipping industry’s struggle to achieve sustainability and environmental compliance.The setting, the hamlet of Rondout, N.Y. (within Kingston), holds significance as it was, ironically, a Hudson River port once considered the largest coal port in the world (yes, the world). In 1828, the opening of the Delaware and Hudson Canal enabled coal to be delivered from Pennsylvania to New York City.

23 Nov 2022

Xeneta Sees Storm Clouds Gathering for 2023

© moofushi / Adobe Stock

After over two years of rising rates and overstretched capacity, the rapidly cooling ocean freight market looks set for an “extremely challenging” 2023, according to Oslo-based Xeneta. An in-depth analysis of the latest real-time ocean and air freight rates, combined with expert trend forecasts, suggests that ocean cargo volumes could fall by up to 2.5%, rates will drop “significantly” and weak demand will force increased idling of vessels. The air freight market, analysts predict…

09 Oct 2022

Discovering the Largest Shipwrecks in the St. Lawrence River

The SS “Leecliffe Hall” sailing on the Welland Canal, Ontario, shortly before it sank in the St. Lawrence. (Matt Miner Collection), Author provided

Of all the rivers in the world, the St. Lawrence River is undeniably one of the most challenging for mariners.This water highway is at some spots as narrow as a large river and, at others, as wide as a small sea. It has played a vital role over the last three centuries as an important artery for trade, communication, transportation and settlement. And since 1959, the year the St. Lawrence Seaway was inaugurated, it has been a gateway to the heart of the continent.The first European explorers who sailed the St. Lawrence discovered it was not easy to master: it was long, but never calm.

23 Sep 2022

95-year-old Laker S.T. Crapo to Be Scrapped

(Photo courtesy Port of Green Bay)

A nearly century-old vessel used as cement storage at the LaFargeHolcim terminal on the Fox River for the past 25 years is set to be scrapped.On Friday at sunrise, the S.T. Crapo began its journey under tow from the Port of Green Bay to be scrapped at Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada.Built in River Rouge, Mich., the S.T. Crapo was launched in 1927 as a self-unloading cement carrier operating on the Great Lakes, primarily carrying cement from Alpena, Mich.By the mid-1990s, the vessel was the last coal-fired freighter on the Great Lakes…

02 Sep 2022

Interlake Steamship Christens First New US-flagged Laker in Nearly 40 Years

(Photo: The Interlake Steamship Company)

The Interlake Steamship Company held a christening ceremony in Cleveland on Thursday for its new vessel, Mark W. Barker, the first U.S.-flagged freighter built on the Great lakes in nearly four decades.“This is truly a historic celebration for our company and for the United States maritime industry as we proudly christen the newest vessel to join the U.S. flag fleet on the Great Lakes and our first new build in 41 years,” said Mark W. Barker, President of The Interlake Steamship Company and the vessel’s namesake.

27 Jul 2022

US' First Modern Laker Begins Maiden Voyage

(Photo: The Interlake Steamship Company)

The newly built Mark W. Barker, the United States' first new Great Lakes bulk carrier in nearly 40 years, has embarked on its maiden voyage from Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wis.“This is a monumental day for our company and the U.S. flag fleet as our much-anticipated freighter departs on her first voyage in what will be a long life of service on the Great Lakes,” said Mark W. Barker, President of The Interlake Steamship Company and namesake of the vessel—the company’s first new build since 1981.

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