Marine Link
Friday, March 29, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Shannon News

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…

26 Mar 2024

Six Presumed Dead After Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies.

Six workers were missing and presumed dead from a bridge that collapsed in Baltimore Harbor early on Tuesday after a massive cargo ship crippled by a power loss rammed into the structure, forcing the closure of one of the busiest ports on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.With dive teams facing increasingly treacherous conditions in the darkened, wreckage-strewn waters, active search-and-rescue operations were suspended about 18 hours after the accident, U.S. Coast Guard and Maryland…

18 Aug 2023

SECNAV Visits Bayonne Dry Dock

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro tours Bayonne Dry Dock (BDD) with BDD President Mike Cranston. It is SECNAV’s latest visit to naval bases, shipyards, depots, training ranges, tarmacs, and runways worldwide to witnessed firsthand the progress being made toward improving training, readiness, and modernization of the fleet and force. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon E. Renfroe)

Earlier this week, Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Carlos Del Toro along with U.S. Representatives Rob Menendez and Mikie Sherrill visited to Bayonne Dry Dock & Repair Corp. (BDD).As the U.S. places renewed emphasis on navy shipbuilding and ship repair, the SECNAV has made it a point to visit to naval bases, shipyards, depots, training ranges, tarmacs, and runways worldwide to witnessed firsthand the progress being made toward improving training, readiness, and modernization of the fleet and force.BDD has provided repair services to vessels ranging from small tugboats to U.S.

24 Jul 2023

The Need for [U.S. Navy Shipbuilding] Speed

The world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) steams in the Adriatic Sea, June 23, 2023.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Adkins)

The Navy wants, and needs, more ships; but it can’t build them fast enough.While the U.S. Navy aims to achieve a 355-ship fleet, it is decommissioning older (and some not so old) ships at about the same rate it's adding new ones.A Congressional Research Service report stated that, as of April 17, 2023, the Navy included 296 battle force ships. "The Navy projects that under its FY2024 budget submission, the Navy would include 293 battle force ships at the end of FY2024 and 291 battle force ships at the end of FY2028."But there is progress…

21 Jun 2023

USCG Relieves Commanding Officer of Sector North Carolina

© Jenny Thompson / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Coast Guard said it has temporarily relieved Capt. Matthew Baer from command of Coast Guard Sector North Carolina, Tuesday, June 20, 2023.Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath, Fifth Coast Guard District commander, temporarily relieved Baer due to a loss of confidence in his ability to effectively command the sector, pending an administrative investigation and final determination.The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to MarineLink's request for comment.Cmdr. Courtney Sergent…

10 May 2023

US Forms Council to Advise on USMMA Improvements

(File photo: USMMA)

The U.S. Department of Transportation has formed a new advisory council to help drive improvements at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), a service academy in Kings Point, N.Y.According to the DOT, establishment of the USMMA Advisory Council fulfills a key recommendation from the National Academy of Public Administration’s (NAPA) November 2021 report entitled “Organizational Assessment of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy: A Path Forward.” Specifically, NAPA’s report recommended…

02 Feb 2023

'Spirit of Norfolk' Fire Hearing Concludes

Capt. Ryan Nadeau, master of the Spirit of Norfolk, delivers his testimony during a formal hearing regarding the events of the Spirit of Norfolk vessel fire Jan. 27, 2023 in Virginia Beach, Va. (Photo: Edward Wargo / U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board concluded the formal public hearing proceedings into the fire and total constructive loss of the passenger vessel Spirit of Norfolk Feb. 2, 2023.The joint investigation team reviewed and considered evidence related to the fire and total constructive loss of the passenger vessel, which occurred on June 7, 2022.The investigation team heard from 23 witnesses who provided testimony into pre-accident historical events, regulatory compliance…

19 Sep 2022

Friede & Goldman WTIV Design Gets DNV Approval in Principle

DNV issues an Approval in Principle to Friede and Goldman’s Windsetter 156 Class Wind Turbine Installation Vessel with Optional BargeRack Feeder Barge System design, pictured here with and without the optional system. Image courtesy of Friede and Goldman.

An innovative wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) design from Houston-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm Friede & Goldman (F&G) has earned approval in principle from classification society DNV.The review and AIP confirms that F&G's Windsetter 156 Class WTIV with optional BargeRack feeder barge system design complies with applicable DNV classification rules and statutory requirements.The WTIV design is suitable for all offshore wind markets globally and was…

31 May 2022

Canadian Navy Names Pair of New Patrol Ships

(Photo: Irving Shipbuilding)

The Royal Canadian Navy's second and third Harry DeWolf-class Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) were officially named at Halifax Shipyard on Sunday.Named HMCS Margaret Brooke and HMCS Max Bernays in honor of two Canadians who served in the navy in the Second World War, the vessels are among six AOPS being delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy.“This is a proud day for our team of over 2,100 shipbuilders. These two ships are visible signs of the success of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.

06 May 2022

Irish Port Eyes Offshore Wind Opportunities. Taps Bechtel for Assistance

Bechtel to deliver Shannon Foynes port masterplan to support Ireland’s emerging offshore wind industry - Credit. Becthel

Shannon Foynes Port Company has selected Bechtel to update its Vision 2041 master plan to accommodate offshore and onshore investment within and near its harbor in Ireland. Bechtel will support the company in considering how to deliver significant growth and expansion of the port, including how it can support the offshore wind industry and the production of alternative shipping fuels.Shannon Foynes Port is located in Ireland's deepest sheltered commercial harbor with jurisdiction over all marine activities on a 500-kilometer square area on the Shannon Estuary…

14 Apr 2021

White House Names Beaudreau as Deputy Interior Secretary

Tommy Beaudreau (File photo: BOEM)

The White House on Wednesday nominated attorney Tommy Beaudreau, who oversaw energy development programs at the Interior department during the Obama administration, as the agency’s second in command.Beaudreau will return as deputy to Secretary Deb Haaland after serving nearly seven years there under former President Barack Obama, becoming the first person to lead the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which oversees offshore oil and gas activity.He later served as chief of staff…

08 Mar 2021

Equality for Women Means Progress for All

(Photo: Dryad Global)

A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions—all day, every day.We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge.In this guest blog, Dryad's Belle Davenport, shares how her preconceptions about the maritime industry…

28 Oct 2020

Port of Virginia Names Edwards CEO

© Mariusz / Adobe Stock

The Virginia Port Authority Board (VPA) of Commissioners today introduced Stephen Edwards as the next leader of The Port of Virginia. He succeeds John F. Reinhart who for the last seven years has led the VPA as its CEO and executive director.Edwards has extensive experience in the global transportation industry most recently as the president and CEO of TraPac, LLC (TraPac), which operates container terminals in Los Angeles, Oakland and Florida. His tenure with the VPA begins on January 19, 2021.“I am delighted to be joining the Virginia Port Authority team in January,” Edwards said.

11 Jun 2020

Shannon Buys Ardent's Australian Subsidiary

Ardent Oceania recently recovered containers lost from YM Efficiency off the coast of Australia. (Photo: AMSA)

The Ardent Group sold its Australian subsidiary Ardent Oceania Pty Ltd to its managing director Drew Shannon. It will continue as an independent company under the new name United Salvage Pty Ltd.Ardent, a maritime emergency management and wreck removal company created by the 2015 merger of salvage divisions of Svitzer and Crowley, announced last month it will no longer enter into new contracts from May 2020.In April, it sold Ardent Americas LLC to dredging, offshore contractor and maritime services provider Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V.…

12 Aug 2019

Port of Virginia Posts Record July Volumes

John F. Reinhart, the CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority.

July is Second Busiest Month in Port of Virginia’s History.The Port of Virginia in July processed 265,559 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in July, making it the second busiest month in the port’s history.The strong cargo performance was driven by an increase of more than 4 percent in loaded import containers, and a jump of nearly 18 percent in export empty containers, which are being repositioned across the globe to handle peak season cargo.“We are continuing to set volume records.

18 Apr 2019

Design: RNLI’s Shannon Class Lifeboat

The RNLI has also introduced a new launch and recovery tractor, designed in conjunction with high-mobility-vehicles specialist Supacat Ltd, specifically for use with the Shannon. It acts as a mobile slipway.  Pictured is the Hoylake, UK Shannon class lifeboat being recovered from the sea. (Photo: RNLI/Dave James)

The latest lifeboat to join the fleet of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the main sea rescue service in the UK and Ireland, is the waterjet-propelled Shannon class, which the organization says is its most agile and maneuverable all-weather lifeboat yet to be deployed. Designed entirely in-house by RNLI engineers, cutting-edge technology has been used in this new boat to meet modern-day rescue service demands following the lead taken with the RNLI’s introduction of the Shannon’s sister lifeboat class…

26 Nov 2018

Shrinking Arctic Sea Ice Raises Security Concerns

Shrinking ice cover is making the Arctic more accessible to various countries, commercial entities and researchers, among others."While Arctic sea ice continues to shrink, human activity in the region is only growing. Ice extent, which is monitored by the U.S. National Ice Center (USNIC), often determines what types of activities are pursued in the region," says NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS).This increased human activity in the Arctic has also led to more national security concerns from both a traditional and non-traditional point of view. For the U.S., national security in the Arctic is more than just shielding the nation from potential threats to the northern border.Instead, the nation is starting to look at Arctic security more broadly.

16 Apr 2019

Shannon Insulation Solutions for Passenger Vessels

Maid of the Mist VII engine room showing silencer and exhaust line fitted with Shannon reusable insulation.

Shannon Enterprises of W.N.Y. a designer, and maker of reusable thermal and acoustic insulation, has put in place a custom-designed insulation system for Maid of the Mist Corp.'s two vessels, Maid of the Mist VI and Maid of the Mist VII, to improve engine efficiency, safety and acoustics on board each vessel.As part of a modernization program for the boats' lighting and climate controls, Maid of the Mist's engineering team installed a new generation set - including two, 38 kW Northern Lights marine generators - for both vessels.

29 Mar 2019

Eye on Innovation: RNLI's L&R Tractor

In conjunction with the creation of the new Shannon class lifeboat, the RNLI has also introduced a new launch and recovery tractor, designed in conjunction with high-mobility-vehicles specialist Supacat Ltd, specifically for use with the Shannon. It acts as a mobile slipway.  Pictured is the Hoylake, UK Shannon class lifeboat being recovered from the sea. (Photo: RNLI/Dave James)

Coming in the April 2019 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News we report on the latest lifeboat to join the fleet of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the main sea rescue service in the UK and Ireland, the waterjet-propelled Shannon class, RNLI says is its most agile and maneuverable all-weather lifeboat yet to be deployed.While the vessel and it's capabilities are amazing, we really like the new launch and recovery system. A special feature of the Shannon lifeboat…

21 Feb 2017

Asbestos on Board

File photo: Workers clean the interior of a cargo hold aboard the LST-1166. (U.S. Coast Guard photo/Pacific Strike Team)

What happens when a solution to one or many obstacles ends up becoming an even larger problem? For seamen, one such problem is asbestos. Asbestos is a natural fiber that was mined for use in construction and household products. It became rapidly popular after others realized it has fire-resistant properties and durability. However, in the 1960s, researchers began to link exposure to this material with cancer, specifically mesothelioma, which can form in the lungs, abdomen or heart.

11 Dec 2018

Blyth Catamarans Delivers New Survey Vessel

Photo: Blyth Catamarans Ltd

Blyth Catamarans has handed over its largest vessel to date, an 18m survey vessel for the UK’s Swansea University, a project that has been in the making for nearly 14 months.‘Mary Anning’ features a large A frame, dive lift and survey station for Swansea University. And it boasts hard-wearing DuroWipers pantographs, synonymous with the new Shannon class lifeboat builds.Among some of the other advanced specs onboard Mary Anning are two trawl winches, a moon pool with multi-beam deployment…

04 Aug 2016

FSL Trust: Yet Another Steady Quarter

FSL Trust Management Pte. Ltd. (“FSLTM”), as trustee-manager of First Ship Lease Trust (“FSL Trust” or “the Trust”) announced today that the Trust reported a stable and positive performance for the second quarter ended 30 June 2016 (“2QFY16”). 2QFY16 revenue decreased slightly by 8% year-on-year to US$25.3 million, compared to the corresponding period in the previous year (“2QFY15”). The slight decline in revenue is mainly attributable to a reduced fleet following the disposal of two panamax containerships in February this year, as well as softening rates in some tanker markets. However, the decrease in total revenue was partially offset by higher revenue from MR tankers with the addition of FSL Osaka to the fleet, and improved performance of the three chemical tankers deployed in a pool.