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Neil News

25 Mar 2024

China Coastguard Uses Water Cannons Against Philippine Ships

(Photo: Philippine Armed Forces)

China's coastguard said it had taken measures against Philippine vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Saturday, while the Philippines decried the moves, including the use of water cannons, as "irresponsible and provocative".China's actions led to "significant damage" and injury to personnel on a civilian boat hired to resupply troops, the Philippine task force on the South China Sea said in a statement.The incident occurred in the Second Thomas Shoal and Spratly Islands waters, according to the Chinese coastguard.

14 Jan 2024

US Says it Shot Down Missile Heading Towards USS Laboon

Lt. j.g. John Galvin monitors aircraft activity near the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) while the ship operates in support of Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) in the Bab al-Mandeb, Dec. 30, 2024. (Source: US Navy)

U.S. fighter aircraft shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired from Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward a U.S. destroyer operating in the Southern Red Sea, the U.S. military said on Sunday.The midair interception is the latest incident in the Red Sea where the Houthis have been attacking international shipping in what they say is a campaign to support Palestinians under seige from Israeli forces in Gaza.It follows a series of American and British airstrikes on Houthi targets…

09 Jan 2024

Thordon Taps Bruntons as UK & Ireland Distributor

Bruntons Propellers’ facility in Clacton-on-Sea, United Kingdom (Photo: Thordon Bearings)

Canada-headquartered water-lubricated and grease-free seals and bearings company Thordon Bearings has appointed propeller manufacturer Bruntons Propellers as its new distributor for the U.K. and Ireland region.The propeller manufacturer will market, supply and service Thordon’s entire marine portfolio of propeller shaft bearings and seals. There is also provision for Bruntons to promote and service Thordon’s products in other market segments.Neil McDonald, Thordon Bearings’ Regional Manager…

04 Dec 2023

Marine News' Top Vessels of 2023

Empire State (Photo: MARAD)

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted a selection of the most notable American newbuilds delivered of 2023—from a first-of-its-kind green towboat, to the lead vessel in a series of game-changing ships to train U.S. mariners.Empire StateAs the lead vessel in a series of five new training ships being constructed to serve America's state maritime academies, Empire State is easily one of the most important U.S.-built vessels delivered in recent memory.Built by Philly Shipyard for the U.S.

13 Nov 2023

DP World Australia Back Online After Cyber Incident

© WhataWin / Adobe Stock

DP World Australia, one of the country's largest ports operators, said on Monday operations had resumed at all its facilities after a cyber security incident forced it to suspend operations for three days.The breach had crippled operations at the company, which manages about 40% of the goods that flow in and out of Australia, affecting its container terminals in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Western Australia's Fremantle."Operations resumed at the company's ports across Australia at 9 a.m. today (2200 GMT, Sunday) ...

12 Nov 2023

Australia Says DP World Cyber Incident 'Serious'

Source: DP World

The Australian government on Sunday described as "serious and ongoing" a cybersecurity incident that forced ports operator DP World Australia to suspend operations at ports in several states since Friday.DP World Australia, which manages nearly half of the goods that flow in and out of the country, said it was looking into possible data breaches as well as testing systems "crucial for the resumption of normal operations and regular freight movement".The breach halted operations at the containers terminals in Melbourne…

20 Sep 2023

Captain McManus Preps to Take the Helm of Empire State VII

Photo courtesy Captain Morgan McManus

Captain Morgan McManus will serve as the Ship’s Master on the Empire State VII, the first in a series of five National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV), which at press time was getting its post-sea trial finishing touches at Philly Shipyard. The project to design, build and deliver the NSMV series is one of the most exciting shipbuilding programs in the U.S. – a government shipbuilding project leveraging commercial shipbuilding efficiencies. For insights, we visited with Captain McManus to discuss the ship, it’s technology suite and its role in helping to educate a new generation of U.S.

25 Aug 2023

Kirby Christens the US' First Plug-in Hybrid Electric Inland Towboat

Kirby Inland Marine's Green Diamond—the United States' first plug-in hybrid electric inland towboat—was christened on August 25, 2023 in Houston. (Photo: Corvus Energy)

The United States' first plug-in hybrid electric inland towing vessel was christened at a ceremony in Houston on Friday as the commercial marine industry continues to implement new technologies to reduce its environmental footprint.Kirby Inland Marine's Green Diamond will be time chartered by Shell Trading (US) Company, which will use the vessel to push barges throughout the Houston port region. According to Kirby, the vessel can achieve an estimated 80% reduction in fuel use and related emissions.“We are excited to be the first to market with a plug-in hybrid inland towing vessel…

27 Jul 2023

More than 20 Dead as Boat Capsizes Near Philippine Capital

(Photo: Philippine Coast Guard)

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) was racing against time to rescue more passengers from a vessel that capsized near Manila in strong winds on Thursday with the loss of at least 25 lives, officials said.It was not immediately clear how many people were on board, but disaster official Neil Ferrer told DZRH radio that 40 people had been rescued and a search is ongoing for six missing people.Members of the coast guard were seen pulling a body of what looked like a woman without a life vest from choppy waters as they carried out search and rescue operations, a video shared by the PCG showed.The boa

17 Jul 2023

Insurers Reviewing Black Sea Ship Cover After Russia Quits Deal

© Andriy Danilyuk / Adobe Stock

Insurers are reviewing whether to freeze cover for any ships willing to sail to Ukraine after Russia on Monday quit a U.N.-backed deal that allows the export of grain through a wartime Black Sea safe corridor, industry sources said.The agreement, brokered by Turkey last July, aimed to alleviate a global food crisis by allowing Ukrainian grain blocked by Russia's February 2022 invasion of its neighbour to be exported safely."Due to the collapse of the Black Sea corridor deal, most shipowners will now refrain from calling Ukrainian ports…

11 Jul 2023

Wreck Site Identified as WWII Carrier USS Ommaney Bay (CVE 79)

USS Ommaney Bay (CVE-79) (Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command)

Naval History and Heritage Command confirmed the identity of a wreck site as USS Ommaney Bay (CVE 79) July 10. While operating in the Sulu Sea, Ommaney Bay was hit and eventually mortally wounded by a twin-engine Japanese suicide plane on Jan. 4, 1945.NHHC’s Underwater Archaeology Branch used a combination of survey information provided by the Sea Scan Survey team and video footage provided by the DPT Scuba dive team, to confirm the identity of Ommaney Bay. This information correlated with location data for the wreck site provided to NHHC in 2019 by Vulcan…

26 Jun 2023

SUMED Taps Thordon to Equip Pipeline Service Boats

SUMED 4, is one of seven SUMED service boats fitted with Thordon SXL tailshaft bearings (Photo: Thordon Bearings)

Egypt’s SUMED pipeline operator Arab Petroleum Pipeline Company (SUMED) has completed the tailshaft conversion to Thordon’s SXL seawater-lubricated bearing system for seven special purpose single point mooring (SPM) service boats.The final vessel in a series of 17.5m (57.4ft) long, 1976–built service boats had its original oil-lubricated tailshaft bearings replaced with the Thordon system at Nefertiti Marine’s Yard-K, in Rosetta Nile, in December 2022. The first vessel, SUMED 10…

21 Jun 2023

CSM Signs Agreement with Oceanly

Columbia Group's CEO, Mark O'Neil, and Oceanly's Managing Director, Giampiero Soncini (Photo: Columbia Shipmanagement)

Columbia Shipmanagement has agreed to install Oceanly Performance solution on board of its ships."Oceanly is a perfect fit for the services that Columbia wants to provide to its customers. The software will allow our technical managers to have a very intimate control of all technical aspects of our managed vessels, while at the same time ensuring complete compliance on all the emission and reporting regulations" says Mark O'Neil, Columbia Group CEO, who was visiting Norshipping and passed by Oceanly’s stand to seal the deal with the company Managing Director, Giampiero Soncini.

24 May 2023

AI-Driven Maritime Custody Service Now Available Commercially

© neiezhmakov / Adobe Stock

BlackSky Technology and Spire Global have teamed up to create a real-time, commercially available Maritime Custody Service that can automatically detect, identify and track more than 270 thousand vessels worldwide in open water, along rivers and canals, and while docked at port.The system uses data from Spire’s radio frequency-monitoring satellite constellation to detect emissions from maritime targets, including the ability to detect and locate dark vessels that manipulate their reported position in order to conceal nefarious activities.

15 May 2023

Philippines Places Buoys to Assert Sovereignty in South China Sea

The Philippines has placed navigational buoys within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to assert sovereignty over the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea, a coast guard spokesperson said on Sunday.The step comes amid China's increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea as Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr pursues warmer ties with treaty ally the United States.The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it set up five buoys carrying the national flag from May 10 to 12 in five areas within the 200-mile (322-km) zone, including the Whitsun Reef, where hundreds of Chinese m

26 Apr 2023

War Games: US and Philippines Sink Mock Enemy Warship

A U.S. Army High Mobility Artillery Rocket System fires during a littoral live fire event during Balikatan 23 at the Naval Education, Training and Doctrine Command, Philippines, April 26, 2023.  (Photo: Samuel Fletcher / U.S. Marine Corps)

U.S. and Philippine armed forces unleashed a volley of missiles on a mock enemy warship in the South China Sea on Wednesday, in a show of military power and a strengthening alliance at a time of rising regional tension.Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr watched from a four-storey tower as a high mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) fired rockets at a decommissioned navy corvette in the waters just a few miles off its western province of Zambales.It was the first time the annual U.S.-Philippines "Balikatan" exercises featured live fire drills at sea…

01 May 2023

US Gulf Coast’s First Barge-to-ship Methanol Bunkering Completed

Stena Prosperous (Photo: Proman Stena Bulk)

Proman Stena Bulk, the joint venture between tanker company Stena Bulk and methanol producer Proman, announced the successful completion of the first ever barge-to-ship methanol bunkering on the U.S. Gulf Coast.The JV tankers Stena Pro Marine and Stena Prosperous were refueled with methanol via barge while discharging clean petroleum products at a terminal in the Port of Houston in the first week of April.Stena Pro Marine was bunkered with 1,408MT of methanol, and Stena Prosperous was refueled with 1,203MT during the operation.

03 Apr 2023

Next IMO Secretary-General Could be a Win for Diversity

Source: IMO

Seven IMO Member States have nominated a candidate for the post of Secretary-General of the IMO in what could be a win for diversity in maritime.Three of the seven are women, and if elected, Nancy Karigithu of Kenya would also be the first African to hold the post. The other female nominees are Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry (Dominica) and Minna Kivimäki (Finland).They are joined by nominees Moin Uddin Ahmed (Bangladesh), Suat Hayri Aka (Türkiye), Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco (Panama) and Zhang Xiaojie (China).The term of the current incumbent…

30 Mar 2023

Fire on Philippine Ferry Kills 29; 225 Rescued

Credit: Philippine Coast Guard

Philippine rescuers searched the smoldering ruins of a burnt-out ferry on Thursday for any survivors or more victims of a fire that swept through the inter-island vessel killing 29 people, including a 6-month-old baby, authorities said.Investigators have yet to identify the cause of the fire that started at about 11 p.m. (1500 GMT) on Wednesday off the southern island of Basilan, when many passengers were asleep in air-conditioned cabins on the ferry's lower deck. "I thought I was dreaming but when I opened my eyes it was dark and we were surrounded by smoke…

23 Feb 2023

Supreme Court Sides With Offshore Worker in Overtime Case

© W.Scott McGill / Adobe Stock

An oil rig supervisor who earned more than $200,000 a year working for Houston-based Helix Energy Solutions Group Inc is entitled to overtime pay, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday in a decision with costly implications for the oil and gas industry.The court in a 6-3 decision authored by liberal Justice Elena Kagan decided that because the rig supervisor, Michael Hewitt, was paid a daily rate of $963 and not a salary, an overtime pay exemption in federal wage law for highly paid workers did not apply to him.The justices affirmed a 2021 ruling by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S.

14 Feb 2023

Grounding Averted: Disabled Box Ship Steered to Safety in the UK

(Photo: United Kingdom Maritime Pilots' Association)

A grounding incident was avoided thanks to swift action by a team of harbor tugs and pilots aboard a Panamanian registered containership that lost power in Southampton, U.K., according to a local pilots group.At around 11 a.m. on January 26, the 20,000 TEU containership MOL Treasure departed the Port of Southampton bound for Le Harve, amid good, though gusty, weather conditions, with clear visibility and calm seas. But not more than an hour into the passage, the 400-meter-long MOL Treasure developed a significant reduction in engine power.An escort tug was already present…

07 Feb 2023

James Fisher Names New Head of Energy Division

Neil Sims - ©James Fisher

Offshore services firm James Fisher and Sons has appointed Neil Sims as its new Head of Energy. Sims will report to Chief Executive Officer, Jean Vernet, as part of the James Fisher executive team.Sims joins James Fisher from Expro, where he most recently served as Product Line Vice President and was responsible for their well flow management portfolio and sustainability and ESG transitional strategy.

24 Jan 2023

In Memoriam: E. John Michel, MRCM (DV) USN (Ret), Chief-of-the-Boat, Bathyscaph Trieste

Master Chief Machinery Repairman John Michel, 08 November 2022, enjoying a break during a BBC interview.  (Photo by L. McAuliffe, used with permission.)

REMEMBERING MY SHIPMATE JOHN MICHELWe met in January 1959 when I became the first Officer in Charge of the Navy’s newly acquired Bathyscaph Trieste and John was the first USN enlisted man to be assigned to the project. We were based at the Naval Electronics Laboratory in San Diego. Trieste was unique as there were only two deep diving manned submersibles in the world. The French Navy had the other. Our team learned about the bathyscaph more by ‘apprenticeship’ than through any sort of formal learning process.