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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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East Coast 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

St. Johns Ship Building to Build Six Deck Barges for Seapath

(Photo: St. Johns Ship Building)

St. Johns Ship Building on Wednesday announced it has signed a contract with Seapath for construction of a series of six ABS deck barges in support of their Jones Act leasing business.The barges will be built at St Johns Ship Building’s facility in Palatka, Fla. and will be dispatched to multiple charterers along the US East Coast.Seapath is a subsidiary of the Libra Group, which is also parent to St. Johns’ holding company, Americraft Marine Group.Joshua Lubarsky, CEO of Seapath, said, “Domestic maritime transportation is the backbone of the US transportation system.

27 Mar 2024

Baltimore Bridge Port Blockade Won't Trigger New Supply Chain Crisis, Experts Say

Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies.

The catastrophic bridge collapse that closed the Port of Baltimore to ship traffic is unlikely to trigger a major new U.S. supply chain crisis or spike goods prices, due to ample and growing spare capacity at competing East Coast ports, economists and logistics experts say.With six people still missing after a container ship collision destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, it remained unclear how long the span's twisted superstructure would block the harbor's mouth.But port officials…

26 Mar 2024

Bridge Collapse Freezes Ship Traffic in Port of Baltimore

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

Ships sailing to the U.S. port of Baltimore dropped anchor in waters nearby while vessels were stranded inside the port after traffic was halted following a bridge collapse, shipping data showed on Tuesday.A 948-foot container ship smashed into a four-lane bridge in the port in darkness early on Tuesday, causing it to collapse and sending cars and people plunging into the river below.Port traffic was suspended until further notice, Maryland transportation authorities said.At least 13 vessels that were expected to load coal were anchored near to Baltimore port…

26 Mar 2024

Cargo Ship Lost Power Before Slamming Bridge in Baltimore

Collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore (Credit: Screenshot/StreamTime Live)

A massive cargo ship smashed into a bridge while sailing out of Baltimore early on Tuesday, sending cars and people into the river below and closing one of the busiest ports on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.Rescuers pulled out two survivors, one of whom was hospitalized, and searched for more in the Patapsco River after huge metal spans of the 1.6-mile (2.57 km) Francis Scott Key Bridge crumpled into the icy water around 1:30 a.m. (0530 GMT).The ship reported a power issue before impact…

26 Mar 2024

Ships Bound for Baltimore Drop Anchor After Traffic Stopped

Collapsed Key Bridge in Baltimore (Credit: Screenshot/StreamTime Live)

At least 10 commercial ships that were sailing to the U.S. port of Baltimore have dropped anchor in waters nearby, data from ship tracking and maritime analytics provider MarineTraffic showed on Tuesday.A container ship smashed into a four-lane bridge in the port on Tuesday, causing it to collapse and sending cars and people plunging into the river below.Port traffic was suspended until further notice, Maryland transportation authorities said.The vessels that anchored included container and bulk carrier ships that were signaling their destination as Baltimore…

26 Mar 2024

Baltimore Bridge Collapse Could Disrupt Supply Chain -Xeneta

Collapsed Key Bridge in Baltimore (Credit: Screeshot/StreamTime Live)

The containership allision that caused the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore could cause "significant disruption" to shipping supply chains, according to industry analyst Xeneta.The 10,000 TEU Singapore-flagged Dali was operating on a 2M alliance service between Baltimore and the Far East when it struck the bridge around 1:35 a.m. on Tuesday, sending cars and people plunging into the river below."The immediate focus is the rescue operation, but there will clearly…

19 Mar 2024

BIMCO: 13% of World Seaborne Trade Under Attack from Houthis and Somali Pirates

One of the largest of the international shipping associations BIMCO has reported increased threats associated with maritime shipping amid Red Sea risks related to Houthi strikes and rise of piracy activities offshore Somalia.Since November 2023, the threat to shipping has increased as the Houthis started attacking ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Simultaneously, piracy activity off the East coast of Somalia has risen and since December, two bulk carriers and several fishing ships have been hijacked.

18 Mar 2024

Boskalis Wraps Up Moray West Offshore Wind Farm Ops

(Credit: Boskalis)

Dutch marine services firm Boskalis has completed its activities in support of the development of Ocean Winds’ 882 MW Moray West offshore wind farm in Scotland.As part of its multidisciplinary role in the project, Boskalis deployed six vessels to carry out large number of activities off the east coast of Scotland in the Moray Firth.First, Boskalis’ wholly-owned subsidiary Gardline carried out extensive geotechnical and geophysical survey works prior to the installation work.Then…

17 Mar 2024

Launch Ceremony Held for A-O-S' New Jones Act CTV Gripper

(Photo: American Offshore Services)

An official launch ceremony was held to celebrate the commissioning of a new Jones Act compliant crew transfer vessel (CTV) built for American Offshore Services (A-O-S)—the company's first.Constructed by Blount Boats in Warren, R.I., the 100-foot-long aluminum catamaran is owned and operated by A-O-S, a joint venture formed in 2020 by leading European CTV operator Northern Offshore Services (N-O-S) and U.S.-based investment firm OIC.The vessel will support Ørsted and Eversource’s portfolio of offshore wind farms in the Northeast…

15 Mar 2024

Saipem Gets Offshore Pipelines Installation Job for CCS Schemes in UK

Saipem's Catorone vessel (Credit: Saipem)

Saipem has signed a letter of intent for the development of CO2 offshore transportation and storage facilities as part of the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) and Net Zero Teesside Power (NZTP) projects for the East Coast Cluster in the UK.Saipem signed a Letter of Intent, received by the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), a joint venture between the operator BP, Equinor, and TotalEnergies, and Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power), a joint venture between BP and Equinor.The…

08 Mar 2024

TDI-Brooks' Retrofitted Vessel Arrives to US for Offshore Wind Work

RV Nautilus (Credit: TDI-Brooks)

TDI-Brooks' latest dynamic positioning vessel, the RV Nautilus, has reached the shores of the East Coast of the United States ahead of work for offshore wind sector.After undergoing a six-month retrofit in Las Palmas, the 2000-built vessel will be put to work to provide support for offshore wind projects and various other subsea needs.With the length of 75-meters, the DP2 vessel is equipped with advanced technology, including a Geomil Manta-200 CPT that can be deployed through the mid-ship moonpool.The system can penetrate the soil up to 40-50 meters…

05 Mar 2024

Fire Breaks Out On Containership Off Canada

(Photo: Canadian Coast Guard)

A fire has broken out on board a Liberian-registered containership off Canada's East Coast, the Canadian Coast Guard said.At around 11 p.m. on Sunday, the MSC Sao Paulo V issued a call for help after a blaze erupted in the engine room of the 294-meter-long vessel. The ship had left Montréal in the morning and was approaching the Les Escoumins pilot station while en route to Portugal when the incident occurred.By Monday afternoon, the containership crew had informed the Coast Guard that the fire was under control…

17 Mar 2024

American Offshore Services Takes Delivery of Its First CTV

(Photo: American Offshore Services)

American Offshore Services (A-O-S) has taken delivery of its first crew transfer vessel (CTV), Gripper, purpose built to support the U.S. offshore wind industry. The vessel is scheduled to be christened during an official ceremony later this month.The Jones Act compliant aluminum catamaran was built by Blount Boats in Warren, R.I., based on Northern Offshore Services' (N-O-S) 30-meter G-class design. The newbuild features Volvo Penta's IPS propulsion system and is said to be "hybrid-ready"…

28 Feb 2024

Fort Lauderdale PD Repowers with Cox Marine V8 Outboard

(Image: Cox Marine)

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department is repowering one of its patrol boats with a new 300-horsepower variant of Cox Marine’s flagship V8 diesel outboard.The department is working with Cox Marine’s East Coast distributor, Ring Power Cox Marine, for the project.The vessel is a 33'1" Brunswick Impact 1000 built in 2018, now powered by twin Cox 300 diesel outboards. The boat has as 12' beam and capacity for up to 18 persons. Its fuel capacity is 307 gallons.“The use of diesel engines…

26 Feb 2024

Oil Spotted at Bonaire's East Coast

© Val Traveller / Adobe Stock

Oil stains possibly coming from neighboring Tobago have reached the island of Bonaire, local media said on Monday, prompting authorities to begin organizing protection to beaches and mangrove areas.Since an oil spill from a capsized vessel was first spotted by Trinidad and Tobago's Coast Guard on Feb. 7, it has blackened the Caribbean nation's beaches and is threatening other countries, including Grenada and Bonaire, whose main source of revenue is tourism.Part of Bonaire's East coast…

23 Feb 2024

ZIM Names Trio of LNG Containerships

Image courtesy ZIM

The naming ceremonies of three new vessels joining ZIM’s fleet were held in Korea and China this week for ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, continuing ZIM’s widescale fleet renovation.The naming ceremony of Zim Mount Elbrus and Zim Mount Vinson, the final additions to the series of ten 15,000 TEUs advanced LNG vessels, took place at the SHI Geoje shipyard in Korea. These vessels, showcasing state-of-the-art LNG technology, were named in a traditional manner by their respective godmothers, Mrs. Hani Kalinsky, ZIM's EVP Pacific Business Unit, and Mrs.

20 Feb 2024

Chemical Tanker is World's First Equipped with Wind Propulsion

(Photo: Chemship)

Chemship commissioned its first ship with wind assisted ship propulsion. This makes the MT Chemical Challenger the first chemical tanker in the world to be equipped with sustainable wind technology. The ship will serve on shipping company Chemship’s Trans-Atlantic route between the East Coast of the United States and the Mediterranean.This week four 16-metre-high aluminum wind sails were installed on board the 134-meter-long vessel. The VentoFoils from Econowind create a direct wind surface of 180 m2.

06 Feb 2024

Marine Towing of Tampa Acquires Seabulk Towing Assets from Bisso

(Photo: Marine Towing of Tampa)

Marine Towing of Tampa announced it is expanding its ship assist services to Florida's east coast following a deal with E.N. Bisso & Son to acquire towing assets formerly owned by SEACOR Holdings' Seabulk arm.In September 2023, SEACOR divested its U.S. harbor towing operations, selling to Bisso 12 tugs across ports in Florida and Alabama.Under a recently executed asset purchase agreement with Bisso, Marine Towing of Tampa acquired the Port Canaveral operations and assets from the SEACOR-Bisso deal and will operate them in Canaveral under a newly formed affiliate…

12 Feb 2024

US Import Volumes Seen Rising Despite Red Sea Disruptions

© Anthony Sanchez / Adobe Stock

Inbound cargo volume at the United States’ major container ports is expected to see year-over-year increases through the first half of the year despite attacks on ships in the Red Sea, according to the Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.“Only about 12% of U.S.-bound cargo comes through the Suez Canal but the situation in the Red Sea is bringing volatility and uncertainty that are being felt around the globe,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “U.S.

16 Feb 2024

Red Sea: Far East-US Spiraling Ocean Freight Rates Set for Decline

© MAGNIFIER / Adobe Stock

Spiraling ocean freight rates from the Far East to the United States, caused by the Red Sea crisis, may have peaked, with some relief on the horizon emerging for the shippers, according to the latest analysis from Xeneta, and ocean and air freight rate benchmarking and market analytics platform.The latest data released by Xeneta indicates a peak may have been reached after spot rates from the Far East into the US declined slightly since the last round of General Rate Increases (GRIs) were implemented at the start of February.Into the US East Coast…

19 Feb 2024

Insights: Catherine Gianelloni, MITAGS

Catherine Gianelloni, Director, MITAGS East Coast Campus (Photo: MITAGS)

Catherine Gianelloni sailed with the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (IOMM&P) for about 10 years after graduating from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 2009. But in between times at sea, she would help out at the MITAGS (Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies). Operating simulators evolved into teaching opportunities, and Gianelloni took a full-time position in 2012. “Because we are the union school, I was allowed to take breaks—leave of absences—to go out and sail.

20 Feb 2024

DEME Installs First XXL Monopile for Moray West Offshore Wind Farm

(Credit: DEME)

Belgium-based offshore installation services company DEME has installed the first XXL monopile foundation at the 882 MW Moray West offshore wind farm in Scotland.DEME used its Orion offshore installation vessel to complete the task, which is part of its work scope that includes both the installation of monopiles and transition pieces.The company’s jack-up vessel Apollo is also joining the effort, taking care of installing the transition pieces.According to DEME, it is using vibro hammer technology, minimizing the environmental impact from vibrations.Apollo vessel previously demonstrated its ex