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Guatemala News

27 Mar 2024

Pilot Called for Tugboat Help Before Baltimore Bridge Disaster

Source: US Army Corps of Engineers

The pilot of the container ship that knocked down a highway bridge into Baltimore Harbor had radioed for tugboat help and reported a power loss minutes earlier, federal safety officials said on Wednesday, citing audio from the ship's "black box" data recorder.The head of the National Transportation Safety Board also said that Francis Scott Key Bridge, a traffic artery over the harbor built in 1976, lacked structural engineering redundancies common to newer spans, making it more…

27 Mar 2024

Divers Recover Two Bodies After Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies.

Divers on Wednesday recovered the remains of two of the six workers missing since they were tossed into Baltimore Harbor from a highway bridge that collapsed into shipping lanes when a faltering cargo freighter rammed into the structure, officials said on Wednesday.The bodies were pulled from the mouth of the Patapsco River a day after the massive container ship lost power and its ability to maneuver before plowing into a support pylon of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, knocking…

27 Mar 2024

Authorities Warned of Ship Approach Moments Before Baltimore Bridge Collapse

(Photo: David Adams / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

Federal investigators on Wednesday examined the cargo ship that crashed into a Baltimore bridge while emergency teams searched for bodies and details emerged of the intense efforts to save lives in the minutes before the steel span collapsed."Hold all traffic on the Key Bridge. There's a ship approaching that just lost their steering," someone said on police radio minutes before the 1:30 a.m. crash on Tuesday.While voices were heard discussing next steps, including alerting any work crews to leave the bridge…

27 Mar 2024

Baltimore Rescuers Lose Hope for More Survivors from Bridge Collapse

Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies

Rescuers have lost hope of finding more survivors of the Baltimore bridge collapse, the coast guard said, as efforts switched on Wednesday to looking for bodies of the missing and more answers to why a container ship smashed into the span.Search divers were expected to return near dawn to the waters surrounding the twisted ruins of the bridge in Baltimore Harbor to search for six workers missing and now presumed dead.The disaster has forced the indefinite closure of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the U.S.

27 Mar 2024

Divers to Search Baltimore Harbor

Search divers were expected to return near dawn on Wednesday to the waters surrounding the twisted ruins of a bridge knocked down in Baltimore Harbor by a faltering cargo ship, leaving six workers missing and presumed dead.The disaster also forced the indefinite closure of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, and created a traffic quagmire for Baltimore and the surrounding region.As the odds of their survival vanished, the search for the six workers was suspended on Tuesday evening…

08 Jun 2023

America's Sea Services Building Large Fleet of Small Ships and Craft

U.S. Navy Sailors aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48), moor a landing craft, utility during amphibious operations, off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, in March 2023. (Photo: Christopher R. Lape / U.S. Marine Corps)

Not every vessel in the U.S. Navy is built for major combat operations on the high seas. There are large numbers of boats and service craft that provide essential services to the sea services, the nation and its partners.The U.S. Navy procures about 100 small boats per year. Some of these boats are based on commercial designs, procured to a Navy developed specification that tailors the requirements to the end user needs. They are procured and managed by two Naval Sea Systems Command program offices—PMS 300 and PMS 325.Compared to warships and auxiliaries…

13 Mar 2023

Seaboard Marine Adds First LNG Vessel to its Fleet

Seaboard Marine's newly acquired LNG dual fuel containership Seaboard Blue was bunkered with LNG at PortMiami. (Photo: Seaboard Marine)

U.S.-based Seaboard Marine announced it has acquired its first vessel fueled by cleaner burning liquefied natural gas (LNG).The 1,000 TEU Seaboard Blue, previously known as the Elbblue, was retrofitted in 2017 with the capability of running on both LNG and diesel fuel. The vessel was the world’s first containership converted from conventional diesel propulsion to LNG.The vessel, now part of Seaboard Marine’s North Central America service, called and bunkered at PortMiami on Monday…

18 Jan 2023

CMA CGM Argentina: Largest Containership to Call a Japanese Port

©CMA CGM/Twitter

The CMA CGM Group said this week it had received the arrival of the CMA CGM Argentina containership as its largest vessel to call at the Honmoku D4 terminal in Yokohama, Japan.The containership is one of two 15,000-TEU series that the group has deployed on the weekly Asia Central South America 1 (ACSA1) service. Arriving from central and south America, the CMA CGM Argentina is now the largest containership to call a Japanese port on a regular service and has brought import shipments of fresh fruits from Ecuador and Guatemala…

02 Nov 2022

World Maritime University Celebrates 2022 Graduation

WMU Graduating Class of 2022. Fotograf Leo/WMU

On October 31, 2022, global maritime leaders of tomorrow graduated from the World Maritime University (WMU). The Class of 2022 has received the education required to contribute to maritime and ocean matters in their home countries and more broadly to the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Overall, the graduating class includes 276 graduates from 70 countries, and sets a record of 94 women graduates.WMU President Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia…

20 Sep 2022

Cal Maritime Names Golden Bear's First Female Captain

California State University Maritime Academy has appointed Samaro Bannister-Schneider to serve as interim captain of Training Ship Golden Bear (TSGB). Image courtesy Cal Maritime

California State University Maritime Academy appointed Samaro Bannister-Schneider as interim captain of Training Ship Golden Bear (TSGB). Captain Bannister will serve as Cal Maritime’s first female TSGB captain. She is a 2000 graduate of Cal Maritime’s Marine Transportation (MT) program, and began her career on a fleet of Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) research vessels conducting survey operations. Soon after, she moved up to a larger fleet of vessels, the Watson Class LMSR RO-RO’s where she found her home.

19 Sep 2022

Eastern Pacific Shipping Orders Four LNG Containerships for Crowley Charter

From L-R: Fredrik Gloersen, MD Newbuilding Clasrksons; Thoger Bering, Charterting Containerland Chartering; Shin Hyun-Dae, Chairman, President & CEO HHI Mipo; Tucker C. Gilliam, VP Marine Assets Crowley; Dean Sahr, Manager of New Constructions and LNG Engineering Crowley; Thomas Preben Hansen, Commercial Director Containerships EPS; Capt. Gardiner F. Nealon, Director Crowley; Dan Kwek Manager of Sales & Purchase EPS; Sei Heung Won, SEVP Production Management Department HHI Mipo (Photo: EPS)

Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) said it has secured a contract from U.S.-based Crowley for the charter of four dual fuel liquified natural gas (LNG) powered containership newbuilds.The 1,400-TEU vessels, which will be built by South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo Dockyard for delivery in 2025, will be deployed on Crowley’s U.S.-Central America trade connecting U.S. markets to Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Each ship will feature 300 refrigerated unit plugs.Using LNG significantly lowers vessel greenhouse gas emissions…

05 Aug 2022

RIMPAC Naval Exercise Brings Together 'Capable Adaptive Partners' from 28 Nations

Republic of Korea Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Vehicles cover and conceal during an amphibious raid for a multinational littoral operations exercise as part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, August 1, 2022. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Melanye Martinez)

The 2022 biennial, multi-national Rim of the Pacific's (RIMPAC) exercise has come to a close.This year’s exercise with the theme of “Capable Adaptive Partners,” featured 26 participating nations and 38 surface ships, three submarines, more than 30 uncrewed systems, approximately 170 aircraft, and more than 25,000 personnel.RIMPAC 2022 featured a wide range of capabilities--projecting the inherent flexibility of maritime forces and helping to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, and took place in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California, June 29 to Aug.

29 Oct 2021

SAAM Towage Inks Service Deal with Caterpillar Marine

(Photo: SAAM Towage)

SAAM Towage and Caterpillar Marine signed a global services agreement aiming to help boost the efficiency of the fleet of tugs operated by the Americas towage services provider. This will be accomplished using digital solutions for planned and preventative maintenance.According to SAAM’s Technical Manager, Pablo Cáceres, “This partnership will let us continue to focus on providing safe, efficient and more environmentally friendly services. It will also strengthen our digital transformation strategy.”The agreement calls for ongoing review of more than 200 Cat engines…

09 Jun 2021

The Navy’s Big Fleet of Small Boats

The U.S. Navy’s Mark VI class patrol boat is designed to patrol riverine and littoral waters around the globe. (Photo: Nelson Doromal Jr / U.S. Navy)

The Navy is known for its big ships. It has a lot of smaller boats and craft, too—3,200 of them.The three primary stakeholders for these craft are the Surface Fleet, Commander Navy Installations Command and Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. Other stakeholders include Submarine Forces; Air Forces (which own the aircraft carriers); Naval Special Warfare; the Coast Guard; Naval Facilities Command and the Naval Warfare Centers.Boats and craft are procured and managed by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Program Executive Office for Ships (PEO Ships)…

06 Oct 2020

Svitzer Orders Tug from Med Marine

(Image: Med Marine)

Turkish shipbuilder Med Marine said it has won repeat business from Maersk's towage arm, securing an order to deliver a new 23-meter tug for Svitzer’s German fleet.The contract signed last week for a MED-A2360 series tug follows a deal inked in September 2019 for two 30-meter icebreaking tugs for the Danish operator's Scandinavian operations. The newly ordered vessel (hull name ER80) will have 60-ton bollard pull and is set for November 2020.The MED-A2360 series tug is based on Robert Allan’s RAmparts 2300-MM designed exclusively for Med Marine by the Canadian vessel designer.

09 Mar 2020

SAAM Towage Orders Tug Pair from UZMAR

(Photo: SAAM Towage)

SAAM Towage said it signed a contract with Turkish shipbuilder UZMAR Shipyards to begin building two new tugs that will provide services for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project being developed by Energía del Pacífico (EDP) in El Salvador.The new RAstar 3200W azimuth tugs were designed by Canadian firm Robert Allan Ltd. and will be built in Turkey by UZMAR. They will measure 32 meters in beam, have a bollard pull of 75 tons and can reach a maximum speed of 12.5 knots. They will also have superior steering and breaking capacity for escort operations…

27 Jan 2020

CMB Targets Zero CO2 Emissions by 2050

(Photo: CMB)

Belgium-based shipping group Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB) announced it will invest in new technologies that will enable it to operate a zero carbon fleet by 2050.The 125-year-old firm, which operates a fleet of bulk carriers, containerships and chemical carriers, said it has already begun offsetting its CO2 emissions to have net zero CO2 emissions from 2020 by supporting certified climate projects in developing countries and acquiring high quality Voluntary Carbon Units (VCU’s) in Zambia (agro-forestry…

26 Dec 2019

SAAM Towage to Enter El Salvador Market

Image Credit: SAAM

Latest move to Enter El Salvador with Energía del Pacífico will Reinforce SAAM Towage's Presence in Central America.The Managing Director of SAAM Towage, Felipe Rioja, celebrated the company’s upcoming launch in the new market: El Salvador. “We will provide services for the Energía del Pacífico (EDP) project at the Port of Acajutla, which reinforces our presence in Central America and our commitment to the region,” he commented.The long-term agreement with EDP calls for allocating three tugs, two of which are new, to power plant operations.

14 Oct 2019

Mexico Ratifies IMO Legal Conventions

The maritime authorities of the Government of Mexico have agreed to place a high priority on ratifying three important  International Maritime Organization (IMO) legal conventions, following a workshop in Mexico City.Mexico has said it will work towards ratifying the 2003 Fund Protocol, the 2001 Bunkers Convention and the 2007 Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention. It will also consider accession to the 2010 HNS Convention. The Governments of Guatemala and Honduras expressed similar intent.Both the Fund Protocol and the Bunkers Convention deal with compensation following oil spills from ships. Together with the 1992 Civil Liability and Fund Conventions…

11 Nov 2019

AEO Status for APM Terminals Quetzal

Guatemala’s Superintendence of Tax Administration (SAT), customs entity, has recognized APM Terminals Quetzal’s transparency and security through its accreditation as an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO). The terminals achieved a 100% compliance rating.The terminal uses a state-of-the-art terminal operating system to optimize security, control and cargo management. It also enables customs and customers to work together as efficiently as possible.Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) recognized the terminal’s compliance with international and local security standards, customs legislation and regulations in areas such as administrative processes and document management…

04 Nov 2019

IMO Organizes Training on SOLAS

International Maritime Organization (IMO) ’s most important ship safety treaty – SOLAS – provides for safe merchant shipping, covering a wide variety of topics, from ship construction to fire protection, to life-saving appliances and cargo carriage.According to the UN body, SOLAS generally applies only to ships above a certain size which make international voyages, but IMO’s efforts to improve ship safety go further – extending to so-called “non-SOLAS” vessels. These include fishing vessels, domestic ferries, private yachts and small cargo vessels under 500 gross tonnage.To help enhance safety of such vessels in Central and South America…

05 Nov 2019

SOLAS Training in S. America

International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s most important ship safety treaty – SOLAS – provides for safe merchant shipping, covering a wide variety of topics, from ship construction to fire protection, to life-saving appliances and cargo carriage.SOLAS generally applies only to ships above a certain size which make international voyages, but IMO’s efforts to improve ship safety go further – extending to so-called “non-SOLAS” vessels. These include fishing vessels, domestic ferries, private yachts and small cargo vessels under 500 gross tonnage.To help enhance safety of such vessels in Central and South America, IMO organized a regional training course on non-SOLAS ship inspections…

27 Nov 2019

Training for L. American Maritime Leaders

A regional workshop organized by International Maritime Organization (IMO) has provided senior maritime administration officials in Latin America with the latest information on current and future developments at the Organization.The workshop for the regional maritime authorities networks, ROCRAM and ROCRAM-CA was held at IMO Headquarters in London (26 November) in the margin of the 31st IMO Assembly.The 28 participants received detailed information about the activities within the IMO's Integrated Technical Cooperation Program (ITCP) aimed at building capacity in the region to comply with international rules and standards related to maritime safety and the prevention of maritime pollution.Participants also heard from technical officers on issues such as the IMO Audits Scheme.