Many Different Vessels but One Goal – Passenger Safety
Because there are so many different kinds of passenger vessels, the critical topic of passenger safety can sometimes appear as a set of niche topics, each one just distantly connected to another. After all, passengers aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean face safety issues that are much different than a commuter going from Jersey City to Manhattan or a tourist crossing from the Mukilteo, Wash. ferry terminal to Whidbey Island or a family on a fishing vessel in Miami.Importantly, though, for passenger vessel operators, a commitment to safety is not siloed.
Virtual Marine: Simulator Training is the Real Deal
In the commercial maritime and offshore industries, where worker safety and competency are crucial, effective training practices are an absolute must. While hands-on, in-the-field learning will always be a vital component of any mariner’s training, marine simulation has become a welcome enhancement to the education process. And in some cases, it’s seen as a safer alternative to traditional survival craft and rescue boat training.A leader in this space is Virtual Marine, based in Newfoundland and Labrador.
CMA CGM Takes Delivery of LNG-Powered Mermaid Containership
French container shipping group CMA CGM has taken delivery of the CMA CGM Mermaid, the first ship in a series of 10 new 2,000 TEU containerships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), which will be progressively deployed in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.CMA CGM Mermaid containership is the result of collaboration between CMA CGM, Chantiers de l'Atlantique, and Hyundai Heavy Industries.The delivery is part of CMA CGM's fleet renewal program, in which the group invested more than $15 billion…
Smyril Line Orders Methanol-ready RoRo Ships at CIMC Raffles
Smyril Line announced it has signed a contract with the CIMC Raffles shipyard in China for the construction of two new vehicle carrier vessels.The ro-ro ships will each be 190 meters in length with 3,300 lane meters for trailers. They have been designed in close cooperation with naval architects Knud E. Hansen for year-round seaworthiness in the North Atlantic. Smyril Line plans to place the vessels into service on its current network, operating a route between Europe, the Faroe Islands and Iceland from 2026.Compared to the company's existing fleet…
Bahamas Defense Force Orders Four New Vessels from SAFE Boats
SAFE Boats International (SBI) reports it signed a contract with the Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF), adding another four 41-foot Interceptors to its current fleet of existing SAFE Boat vessels.This latest contract, signed January 11, is the result of collaborating efforts over the past three years between RBDF and SBI, the Pacific Northwest boatbuilder said. This contract is a fully funded, direct purchase by the RBDF to supply four vessels, trailers and support vehicles.Signing the contract for the Bahamian government was the Honorable Wayne Munroe…
New High-speed Landing Craft Delivered in Australia
A new high-speed low-draft landing craft Island Guardian has been delivered to the Great Barrier Reef Joint Field Management Program in Australia.The new 21-meter vessel has been custom-designed by Incat Crowther and built by Norman Wright & Sons to enhance island protected area management, research, incident response and facilitate more efficient management of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.The Great Barrier Reef Joint Field Management Program is delivered jointly by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service…
COLI Transports Shiploader and Related Project Cargo to Rotterdam
After 2.5 months of engineering and logistics preparation, COLI Shipping & Transport successfully delivered a second hand shiploader and related project cargo from Hamriyah, UAE, to Rotterdam, the Netherlands.The project was handled by COLI’s Istanbul Team.The main unit, a 15.5 x 8 x 8.4 meter shiploader, was initially surveyed by a local team of engineers that the company deployed in the UAE to make sure all hydraulics and steering gear were in order.In two days, the cargo was moved from a laydown area located near Hamriyah Port and prepared for lifting and transport…
Making Hydrogen Work: Demo Project in San Francisco Port
Hornblower Energy LLC, in partnership with the Port of San Franciso, the U.S. Department of Energy and six corporate partners, including Air Liquide and Glosten, is leading a project to demonstrate the feasibility and viability of using hydrogen (H2) as a maritime fuel.The project is located at Pier 68 in San Francisco. DOE selected the project for funding in 2020. It’s supposed to be completed in 2025 but there are important decision dates before then. So far, project activities have concentrated on planning and modeling.
US' MARAD Announces Grants to Boost Supply Chain Efficiency
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) awarded nearly $12 million in grants to eight marine highway projects across the nation under the United States Marine Highway Program (USMHP). The funding will improve the movement of goods along our navigable waterways and expand existing waterborne freight services in Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin, which will strengthen supply chains and ultimately cut costs for consumers.“Our country has always relied on American waterways to get vital goods where they need to go,” said U.S.
Jobs at Stake as California Port Terminal Upgrades to Green Technology
Unions hope a $30 million grant to electrify tractors in a Long Beach, California, port terminal's final push to become the world's first zero-emissions facility will serve as a bulwark against lost jobs in an era of energy transition and increasing automation. The money from U.S. President Joe Biden's administration for Long Beach Container Terminal's purchase of 60 electric yard tractors that haul shipping containers from stacks to waiting trains comes with strings attached…
Crane Company Tests Liquid Hydrogen Valve
Crane Company has successfully tested a new cryogenic valve designed and built for liquid hydrogen applications.This is the first valve launched from Crane’s CRYOFLO™ line of bellow seal vacuum jacketed globe valves, designed and tested by Crane, with final validation, review, and testing conducted by Chart Industries.Liquid hydrogen is over 100 degrees Fahrenheit colder than liquid nitrogen, and significantly colder than the temperature limit of most cryogenic valves. Final testing was conducted at Chart’s one-of-a-kind liquid hydrogen test facility in New Prague…
World's Largest Iron Ore Export Hub Braces for Strongest Cyclone in a Decade
Australia's northwest region, home to the world's largest export hub for iron ore, could be hit by the most powerful tropical cyclone there in a decade as ports cleared ships and residents rushed to stock up on essential supplies. Cyclone Ilsa, located about 300 km (186 miles) off Australia's coast in the Indian Ocean, is expected to make landfall as early as Thursday night as a category four storm - one rung below strongest category five - packing winds of up to 275 km per hour, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
RoRo ferry MV Tennor Ocean sets off for Test Voyage
MV Tennor Ocean, newbuilding 782, from Germany's shipyard Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft recently set off on test voyage on the North Sea and Baltic Sea. The 210-m RoRo ferry is on the move to Dock 3 at Lloyd Werft. During its week-long stay there, the shipbuilders of Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) will carry out the remaining work on the ship’s hull to optimize the performance data. Afterwards, the “MV Tennor Ocean” will set out on a multi-day test voyage on the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Stena Line Expands Its Ireland-France Ferry Service
Stena Line announced it is increasing capacity Ireland-France route with the addition of an extra vessel starting in June 2023.“Ahead of what is expected to be a busy summer in 2023, we will be doubling our sailing frequency and tripling our passenger capacity for tourists on our Rosslare – Cherbourg service as well significantly increasing freight capacity,” said Paul Grant, Irish Sea Trade Director at Stena Line.“We’ve seen increased demand for more services and bigger vessels…
DOT Announces $703M in Port Funding; 41 Projects in 22 States
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced more than $703 million to fund 41 projects in 22 states and one territory that designed to help improve port facilities through the Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program. Following is the full list of FY 2022 Port Infrastructure Development Grant Awards:ALASKANorth Extension Stabilization Step 1 Project ($68,700,000), Anchorage, AlaskaThe Project will reconfigure and realign the shoreline within the “North Extension” (the area north of the existing general cargo terminals) at the Port of Alaska in Anchorage, Alaska.
ASKO's Electric Self-driving Vessels Christened
Norwegian grocery distributor ASKO announced its two new full-electric, self-driving vessels have been christened.The battery-electric powered RoRo cargo ferries, named Marit and Therese, will cross the Oslo Fjord daily between Moss and Horten, mainly carrying groceries for NorgesGruppen's chains.The groundbreaking vessels, which were designed by Norwegian firm Naval Dynamics and built at Cochin Shipyard in India, are equipped with technology from Kongsberg Maritime enabling completely…
Bookshelf: Port Newark and the Origins of Container Shipping
“An inventor is simply a fellow who doesn’t take his education too seriously.” –Charles KetteringJust for fun, try asking a friend a few questions. Who developed the telephone? Chances are that your friend will reply, Alexander Graham Bell. Who developed the lightbulb? That would be Thomas Edison. Who developed the telegraph? That would be Samuel F.B. Morse. Now ask, who developed containerization? Unless your friend has a background in maritime history, he is likely to draw a complete blank. The answer is a man named Malcom McLean. But who exactly was he? Was he a shipping executive?
Hybrid RoRo Eco Adriatica Delivered to the Grimaldi Group
With the delivery of the Eco Adriatica, the fleet of Grimaldi Green 5th Generation (GG5G) class hybrid vessels is almost complete. This is the 11th of 12 state-of-the-art units ordered from the Chinese Jinling shipyard located in Nanjing. Designed by Knud E. Hansen, the GG5G-class ships are not only the largest ro-ro units in the world for short sea shipping, but also the most eco-friendly.The Eco Adriatica flies the Italian flag, has a length of 238 meters, a beam of 34 meters, a gross tonnage of 67,311 tonnes and a service speed of 20.8 knots.
Truck Blockade at Port of Oakland Stretches into Day Three
Independent truckers protesting California's new "gig worker" law blockaded California's third-busiest seaport for the third straight day on Friday, delaying shipments at the state's top agricultural export hub and adding to U.S. supply chain headaches.Truck gates at all four Port of Oakland marine terminals remain closed to truck traffic on Friday. Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT), which handles about 70% of port cargo, restarted some work on ships, a port spokesperson said.Oakland port truckers began actions against the law formally known as AB5 on Monday.
SAFE Boats: Keeping ’Em Coming
Despite all of the challenges that COVID-19 has wrought upon the marine industry, SAFE Boats International has managed to keep building and delivering boats to its customers. A snapshot of the last six months has seen the Bremerton, Wash. boatbuilder deliver more 30 boats, and it has a healthy backlog to keep busy for the next year and beyond. Its range of boats and customers runs from small to large, and deliveries stretch across the globe.Below are highlights of vessels SAFE…
Flensburger Shipyard Launches RoRo Ferry Newbuild
Newbuilding 782, a new 210-m RoRo ferry dubbed Tennor Ocean, was launched June 17, 2022, the first launch since the economic restart of Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG).The RoRo ferry was commissioned by IVP Ship Invest. The company is part of the Tennor Group of founder Lars Windhorst, which is also the owner of the shipyard. IVP Ship Invest is in talks with various international interested parties about a possible charter or sale of the ferry.“For me, today’s launch is a sign and symbol of a strong future for FSG.
Funding Secured for Cal Maritime’s New Training Ship
U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed the $1.5 billion Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) omnibus appropriations package that includes a funding provision for the California State University Maritime Academy's new state-of-the-art training ship.The newly funded ship, which has yet to be named, is the fifth in a series of 524.5-foot-long National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV) designed specifically for America's state maritime academies. It will replace Cal Maritime's aging training…
Cranes: Mammoet Investigating Potential Patent Infringement by Huisman and BMS
Update (April 29, 2022): A court has ruled that Mammoet unlawfully accused Huisman of crane patent violation. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3y1bmeFDutch heavy lifting and transportation company Mammoet said Thursday it was investigating a possible violation of its intellectual property rights by Dutch crane maker Huisman and Danish crane specialist BMS. "The investigation concerns the recently announced series of land cranes, including a 3000-ton ring crane, by Huisman and BMS.