Pacific Rim News

Philly Shipyard on Friday held a keel laying ceremony for the fifth and final vessel in a series of new purpose built, state-of-the-art training ships for America’s state maritime academies.The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) new vessel program – known as National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMVs) – was designed to provide world-class training for America’s future mariners and to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions…

It’s amazing to consider that a commercial vessel in the Pacific Ocean, approaching the mouth of the Columbia River, can continue its eastward journey to finally tie up at the Port of Lewiston, in Lewiston, Idaho, America’s most inland West Coast port, 465 miles from the Pacific Ocean.The Columbia and Snake Rivers form that critical east-west waterway, an economic powerhouse regionally, nationally and internationally. According to the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA)…

Following the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association’s (WFSA) Professional Program (held virtually on May 18, 2022), Awards were presented to finalist teams in the WFSA’s Ferry Design Competition, now in its ninth year.Dr. Roberta Weisbrod, WFSA’s Executive Director, said the specifications for the design ferry were crafted to be ever more challenging from year to year, but that this year’s objective creating a safe and affordable ferry for transiting India’s Brahmaputra River, “that…

ScaffFloat, a patented plastic float that allows pontoons, barges and workboats to be built from standard scaffold components, has just launched its first pontoon in Australia through one of its local partners, AEG Group.Perth-based Access Engineering Group is the first scaffold firm in Australia to become an approved partner of the system, and last week launched an 8m x 4m ScaffFloat pontoon with a submerged access shelf cantilevered of the end to give bespoke access to their…

Kodiak is now home to the Pacific Rim Response Center (PRRC), a facility that serves as a hub for a comprehensive suite of maritime resources providing vessel support, marine casualty response, and oil and hazardous spill response. The PRRC was established as a collaboration between Paradigm Marine and strategic partners Alaska Chadux̂ Network (Chadux̂) and Global Diving & Salvage (Global), providing one consolidated location for a range of resources to serve the Western Alaska maritime industry.With personnel and assets staged in Kodiak…

The United States' Department of Navy (DoN) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Experimentation Cell (DoN SEC) connects SBIR innovators with the DoN experimentation community to deliver innovative solutions for the warfighter.“Our mission is to support the SBIR community from the first idea to experiment execution by offering beginning-to-end facilitation, mentoring, and training in all aspects of experimentation,” said Scott Bartlett, the DoN SEC program manager,Naval experimentation can validate or inform concepts of operations…

Only 10 days ago, reports indicated that China cargoes were returning to pre-coronavirus levels, and there appeared to be light at the end of the tunnel. Today, however, a barrage of new headlines has underscored the impact on the rapidly changing global supply chain, including in the United States. In addition to the aggressive spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), new economic developments indicate a decreased trend in global manufacturing. Changes in local economies negatively impacting employees reflect corresponding changes in consumer buying patterns.

The Panama Canal is a strategic crossroads for maritime traffic, and is arguably one of the most important maritime developments in the past century. Here we take a deeper dive into the history behind that famous strip of waterway.The present canal, which saw its first vessel transits in 1914, along with possible alternatives through Nicaragua and Mexico, had actually been on the minds of merchants, explorers and military/political strategists since the Age of Exploration in early 1500’s.

A group of offshore wind industry members that includes Equinor, Magellan Wind and Principle Power have launched an offshore wind group in California.The Offshore Wind California (OWC) said it is  committed to providing industry expertise, innovative solutions, and a dedicated voice for offshore wind in California.OWC is poised to lead the promotion of responsible and sustainable deployment of offshore wind power in the state's energy system.California is well-positioned to break out as the next investment hot spot for America's booming offshore wind industry, which is taking off with more than 22 gigawatts (GW) in commitments by East Coast states and $70 billion in supply chain spending by 2030…

The Port of Oakland’s refrigerated exports have jumped 20% in past year. The Port said it handled 119,756 20-foot containers of refrigerated exports from August 2018 through July 2019. That was up from 99,740 in the same period a year ago."The figures reinforce Oakland’s position as the largest exporter of refrigerated cargo in containers among U.S. ports," said a press release from the container ship facility located in Oakland, California, in the San Francisco Bay.“Our business partners are investing to meet increased overseas demand for U.S. farm goods,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll. “When you couple their expertise with our infrastructure…

As Oceanology International celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Marine Technology Reporter explores half a century of subsea technology development and discovery. Oceanology International Americas runs February 25-27, 2019 in San Diego.When Oceanology launched in 1969 in the seaside resort of Brighton the world was a very different place. For a start, Brighton was home to the mods and rockers, who would square off against each other on the town’s elegant seafront. The British currency included shillings and ha’ pennies and man had yet to step foot on the moon.More crucially…

Domestic ferries adjust their business models to met regulatory pressures and exceed environmental standards with an eye towards improved service. And, not a minute too soon. In North America, stalwarts in the ferry business continue to shorten journey times compared to surface alternatives, while at the same time, bring accessibility to barrier and coastal islands that would otherwise be impossible to reach. Established stakeholders continually fine-tune their operations in a…

World Wide Metric, a global supplier specializing in the distribution of valves, flanges, piping systems and hydraulic components in JIS and DIN, and ANSI standards, is celebrating its 45th anniversary. In 1970, former ship captain Constantinos Contos, who immigrated to the United States from Greece in 1969, founded a ship repair company in Brooklyn, N.Y. Soon after, he began receiving an abundance of requests for metric valves and flanges from foreign vessels, but despite the demand, metric replacement parts weren’t easy to find stateside.

Twelve Pacific Rim countries on Monday reached the most ambitious trade pact in a generation, aiming to liberalize commerce in 40 percent of the world's economy in a deal that faces skepticism from U.S. lawmakers. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact struck in Atlanta after marathon talks could reshape industries, change the cost of products from cheese to cancer treatments and have repercussions for drug companies and automakers. Tired negotiators worked round the clock over the weekend to settle tough issues such as monopoly rights for new biotech drugs.

Whether you are a cruiser looking to avoid a squall on your way back to the harbor, a sailor trying to determine a route with the best wind or a fisherman looking for sea surface temperature breaks, Furuno’s new BBWX3 SiriusXM Marine Weather Receiver has what you need. Utilizing SiriusXM’s subscription based marine weather service, you can get live, up-to-date weather forecast information obtained from the weather industry’s leading experts. The BBWX3 connects to your NavNet 3D, TZtouch or TZtouch2 network with a simple Ethernet cable. Once connected, and your SiriusXM subscription is activated, you will be able to view premium weather content right on your NavNet screen…

Seakeeper continues to strengthen its worldwide sales and service support with its new facility in Raffles Marina in Singapore. The office will serve as a base for all company operations in Asia. "We're taking a global approach to our business model," said Phil Bourque, Seakeeper global account manager. The Singapore facility rivals those in the West. Customers in Asia now have access to the full level of superior service that they've come to expect from the company. "This is a significant opportunity for Seakeeper; we have ambitious growth targets in the region," said Andrew Semprevivo, Seakeeper VP of sales and marketing. Seakeeper recently launched its expanded line of five gyro models that provide stability to boats from 30–220'.

Protracted labor strife and shipping disruptions at U.S. West Coast ports have hit farmers especially hard, posing a major barrier to perishable goods headed to overseas markets and resulting in losses estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars a week. Foreign Pacific Rim customers facing chronic delays in shipments of U.S. food and farm products are turning to other countries for produce ranging from citrus and apples to beef and pork, the Washington-based Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) has reported. Many frustrated U.S. suppliers are deciding to forgo exports and scrambling instead to find domestic buyers for their produce, driving down prices, said Wendy Fink-Weber, a spokeswoman for the Western Growers trade organization.

Admiral Paul Zukunft, the new U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, could fill the BWT leadership void. Global efforts to combat the spread of invasive species in ballast water are hampered by a leadership void so serious that in April the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) discouraged further ratifications of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) invasive species convention. Admiral Paul Zukunft, the new U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, could fill that void and get those efforts onto the right track. The United States has been blessed with strong Coast Guard Commandants.

More than 800 Australian Navy, Army and Air Force personnel are on their way home after taking part in RIMPAC, the world’s largest naval exercise, which concluded in Hawaii today. Australia sent the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ship HMAS Success and Submarine HMAS Sheean, a rifle company from 5th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment and three Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion aircraft to the exercise to conduct military training with defense forces from 21 other Pacific Rim nations.

The Coast Guard Cutter Waesche has returned to port at Coast Guard Base Honolulu, after spending three weeks at sea participating in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2014 exercises, informs the US Coast Guard. During the exercises Waesche demonstrated the Coast Guard’s unique capabilities and partnership with Department of Defense entities and international partners along the Pacific Rim by serving as the Combined Task Force 175 commander. While in this role, Waesche led vessels from China, Brunei, Mexico, France, Brunei, and the U.S., through numerous multinational exercises including ship handling, boarding exercises, replenishment at sea, and a live-fire gunnery exercise.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) says it is playing a key role in the world’s largest maritime exercise taking place in and around the islands of Hawaii. Hosted by the United States Pacific Fleet, Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2014 (RIMPAC 14) will see 23 nations, 48 ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel – with approximately 970 ADF members from all three Services – taking part. The Australian Contingent Commander, Rear Admiral Simon Cullen, said RIMPAC provides the ADF with the chance to operate alongside regional neighbours. “As economic and strategic weight shifts to the Asia-Pacific, it will be increasingly important for Pacific Rim nations to work together to continue to promote security and prosperity,” RADM Cullen said.

New Zealand decides this week whether to approve an underwater iron-ore operation that would likely become the world's first commercial metals mine at the bottom of the sea. A green light to allow New Zealand's Trans Tasman Resources Ltd to start iron-ore dredging off the country's west coast will encourage others looking to mine copper, cobalt, manganese and other metals deeper on the ocean floor but worried about regulatory hurdles. Along the Pacific Rim of Fire, as deep as 6,000 metres underwater, volcano crusts, "black smoker" chimneys and vast beds of manganese nodules hold promise for economic powers like China and Japan as well as many poor island states busy pegging stakes on the ocean floor.

The Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) says it has recognized Foss Maritime's commitment to safety by awarding Jones F. Devlin Safety Awards to 73 of the company's vessels for their outstanding safety records. The 2013 Jones F. Devlin award winners were recognized at the CSA Annual Safety Awards Luncheon held this year on May 29th in New Orleans. The award is given to self-propelled merchant vessels that have operated for two full years or more without a crew member losing a full turn at watch because of an occupational injury. The Jones F. Devlin award publicly recognizes the skills and dedication of the men and women who are responsible for those safe vessel operations. Altogether, the Foss vessels achieved the equivalent of 483 years without a lost-time injury.