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American V Ships News

03 May 2020

Carnival Cruise Ships Rendezvous to Repatriate Crew Members

(Photo: Carnival Cruise Line)

Eighteen Carnival Cruise Line ships rendezvoused in The Bahamas over the past several days in line with plans to sail nine of the ships to repatriate more than 10,000 healthy crew members who have remained on board after the cruise line suspended operations due to the coronavirus pandemic.The ships have been at various U.S. homeports provisioning supplies and bunkering fuel for their journeys, and their crews stuck on board due to restrictions limiting air travel to Asia, Africa…

26 Jul 2019

American Shipbuilding Act Re-introduced

Congressman John Garamendi and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker reintroduced the Energizing American Shipbuilding Act (H.R.3829), that seeks to revive domestic shipbuilding and maritime industries by requiring that increasing percentages of liquefied natural gas and crude oil exports be transported on U.S.-built, flagged and crewed vessels.The bill would require 15% of LNG exports to be carried on US-built ships by 2041 and 10% of crude oil exports to be carried on US-built ships by 2033.If enacted, the bill is expected to spur the construction of dozens of ships, supporting thousands of good-paying jobs in American shipyards, as well as the domestic vessel component manufacturing and maritime industries.According to an estimate from the Shipbuilders Council of America…

03 Jul 2018

The Inouye: The Largest American-Made and American-Crewed Containership Ever Built

The Inouye: The Largest American-Made and American-Crewed Containership Ever Built (Image CREDIT: Marad)

I was honored to be present in South Philadelphia on June 30 to witness the christening of the largest container ship ever built in the United States. It was built by Philly Shipyards for shipping company, Matson, Inc., and was named for the former Hawaii senator, war hero, and long-standing maritime champion Daniel K. Inouye. At a time when the U.S. maritime industry is fighting to keep its place among international competitors, this event was a momentous occasion. Built for the Hawaii trade…

23 Jan 2015

Captains' Union Blasts McCain’s Keystone Amendment

International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots Asks: If Keystone is a “Jobs Bill” Why Would Congress Want to Send 400,000 Maritime Jobs in 26 States Overseas? S.1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act, has been described as a “jobs bill” by the pipeline’s proponents since Keystone XL was first proposed, but according to the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, a new amendment introduced by Arizona Sen. The Sea Captains’ Union claims the amendment would gut a significant part of the Jones Act, a set of laws dating back to the 1920s that has helped build and maintain a domestic shipbuilding industry. Maritime unions and maritime industry groups are now mobilizing against the amendment’s passage.

24 Sep 2014

Savvy Fuel Management Fuels TOTE’s Growth

As Tote pioneers the use of natural gas as a marine fuel with two groundbreaking projects, Anthony Chiarello combines the strength and diversity of the Saltchuk group of companies with a forward-thinking, environmentally correct Tote business plan. As TOTE prepares to bring the world’s first natural gas-powered containerships to the maritime industry, the firm will also be the first to convert its existing fleet to run on natural gas. Two Orca Class vessels, operated by Totem Ocean Trailer Express (Totem Ocean) in the Alaska trade, will be converted with minimal time out of service and return as the most environmentally advanced ships in the nation.

20 Jun 2014

Disasters at Sea & Their Impact on Shipping Regulation

MV Argo Merchant was a Liberian-flagged oil tanker that ran aground and sank southeast of Nantucket Island, Mass., on Dec. 15, 1976, causing one of the largest marine oil spills in history. U.S. Coast Guard Archives

The history of marine safety is soaked in water and written in blood. “I think that most people will tell you that changes in marine safety are almost exclusively disaster-driven,” agrees Dr. Josh Smith, a professor at Kings Point and interim director of the American Merchant Marine Museum. It hasn’t always been that way. Actually, it’s been worse. Despite some efforts early on to exert some control over shipping practices, going to sea has been accepted as a risky undertaking as long as man has floated vessels.

12 Mar 2014

Today in U.S. Naval History: March 12

USS Intrepid (CV-11) (U.S. Navy photo)

Today in U.S. Naval History - March 12 1917 - All American merchant ships to be armed in war zones 1942 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt designates Admiral Ernest J. King to serve as the Chief of Naval Operations, as well as the Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet to which he was appointed on 30 December 1941. 1956 - In first overseas deployment of Navy missile squadron, VA-83 left on USS Intrepid For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.

07 Oct 2013

Capt. Phillips to Speak at National Press Club

Capt. Phillips & Cmdr. Frank Castellano: Photo credit USN

Capt. Richard Phillips, who was taken hostage by Somali pirates in 2009 and whose story is the subject of a new film starring Tom Hanks, will be joined at the National Press Club 10, October 2013, by Capt. Steven Werse, Secretary-Treasurer of the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots. Captain Richard Phillips, who survived a harrowing ordeal at sea in 2009 when his ship the Maersk Alabama was boarded by Somali pirates and whose story is the subject of a new feature film, Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks being released Oct.

05 Jul 2013

Today in U.S. Naval History: July 5

Commodore Stephen Decatur, USN. 19th Century engraving by D. Edwin, after a Gilbert Stuart portrait. (U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.)

Today in U.S. Naval History - July 5 1814 - Sloop-of-war Peacock captures British Stranger, Venus, Adiona and Fortitude. 1815 - Commodore Stephen Decatur's squadron arrives at Tripoli to collect reparations for seizure of American merchant ships in violation of Treaty of 1805. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval Historical Center website at history.navy.mil.

19 Nov 2012

Conference Pushes Ratification of MLC, 2006

Panelists say U.S. may be at competitive disadvantage by not adopting “MLC, 2006”. Panelists at a major symposium on an international maritime agreement today said the U.S. may be at a competitive economic disadvantage if it doesn’t approve what more than 30 other shipping nations have adopted. The symposium, hosted by the Seamen’s Church Institute of New York and New Jersey, the Charleston School of Law and its Charleston Maritime Law Institute, focused discussion on the Maritime Labor Convention, 2006, also known as “MLC, 2006.”  The most significant development in seafarers’ rights law in history, it provides a comprehensive statement of seafarers’ working conditions that balance tradition and modern shipping realities.

05 Jul 2011

This Day in U.S. Coast Guard History - July 5

1814 - Sloop-of-war Peacock captures British Stranger, Venus, Adiona, and Fortitude.   1815 - Commodore Stephen Decatur's squadron arrives at Tripoli to collect reparations for seizure of American merchant ships in violation of Treaty of 1805.   Source: USCG Historian’s Office

12 Mar 2010

This Day in Naval History – March 12

1917 - All American merchant ships to be armed in war zones 1942 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt designates Admiral Ernest J. King to serve as the Chief of Naval Operations, as well as the Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet to which he was appointed on 30 December 1941. 1956 - In first overseas deployment of Navy missile squadron, VA-83 left on USS Intrepid (Source: Navy News Service)

12 Mar 2009

This Day in Naval History – March 12

1917 - All American merchant ships to be armed in war zones 1942 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt designates Admiral Ernest J. King to serve as the Chief of Naval Operations, as well as the Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet to which he was appointed on 30 December 1941. 1956 - In first overseas deployment of Navy missile squadron, VA-83 left on USS Intrepid (Source: Navy News Service)

18 Feb 2009

Marine Hwy Fleet Builder Seeks Shipyard Site

Santa Maria Shipowning & Trading, based in Santa Rosa, California, is looking to purchase or lease a 15 or more acre industrial site with 600 feet of waterfront property and a minimum shoreline depth of 15 feet. The site will be used to build and launch a fleet of fuel-efficient, ocean-going container ships as part of the proposed Marine Highway Initiative (MHI) that will remove 20,000 daily truckloads off U.S. highways, transferring the cargo onto 66 new American-built ships. The proposal also calls for cargo-handling financing for new ports and terminals as well as creating 2,000 jobs for mariners. The site must be located within the Continental United States, Alaska or Hawaii and be available for immediate use for steel fabrication and ship construction.

15 Dec 2008

ASA - New Advisory Council Officers

The American Shipbuilding Association (ASA) announced the election of four new Partner Advisory Council officers for calendar years 2009 and 2010. They were elected by their fellow ASA members in the fall of 2008. The four newly-elected officers of the Council are Pete Goumas, General Manager, The Babcock and Wilcox Company, Nuclear Operations Group, Euclid, OH; Shoun Kerbaugh, Vice President, Naval Systems/Merchant, Converteam Inc., Pittsburgh, PA; Bruce Rosenblatt, President, Bruce S. Rosenblatt & Associates, LLC, Arlington, VA; and Don Roussinos, President, Henschel, L-3, Newburyport, MA. Fred Conroy, Vice President and General Manager of the Government Business Unit for Dresser-Rand, Olean, NY, will continue his role on the Council through 2009.

17 Jun 2008

New Training Agreement Opens Maritime Job Opportunities

Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton and Gunther Keitel, Executive Vice President of Great American Lines, Inc., signed an agreement for cadets from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and state maritime academies to take their training voyages on Great American Lines ships. Maritime cadets must have sailing time on working vessels in order to qualify as licensed mariners. There is currently a worldwide shortage of licensed mariners, and maritime academies have geared up to train more students. The agreement was signed on graduation day at Kings Point. Keitel and Connaughton are both graduates of the academy, and Connaughton pointed out how different the employment situation is for today’s graduates than it was for him and his classmates.

12 Mar 2008

This Day in Naval History - March 12

1917 - All American merchant ships to be armed in war zones. 1942 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt designates Adm. Ernest J. King to serve as the Chief of Naval Operations, and commander in chief, U.S. Fleet, to which he was appointed Dec. 30, 1941. 1956 - In the first overseas deployment of a Navy missile squadron, Attack Squadron 83 left aboard USS Intrepid (CVS 11). From the Navy News Service

13 Feb 2008

Maritime Cabotage Task Force Responds to Withdrawn U.S. Flag Cruise Ship

The Passenger Vessel Services Act has been eviscerated by foreign cruise lines who have been evading the law on Hawaii cruises with sham foreign port calls in Mexico, sometimes for as little as one-hour, in the middle of the night, and with no passengers going ashore. These sham port calls allow these foreign cruise lines to avoid being subjected to U.S. laws and regulations, including Federal tax, labor, and employment laws, thereby enabling them to operate at a fraction of the cost of American-flagged ships. The maritime cabotage laws were enacted to create a level competitive playing field in U.S. domestic trades by ensuring that everyone operating in those trades was subject to the same U.S. laws and regulations as their competition.

10 Jan 2008

Radio Holland Awarded Great Lakes VSAT Order

Radio Holland, a maritime electronics solutions provider, has been awarded a significant, multi-year contract to supply communication network services to a consortium of maritime shipping companies who are members of the Canadian Ship-owners Association (CSA) and the Lake Carriers' Association (LCA). The CSA and LCA member companies operate 131 Canadian-flagged and American-flagged ships providing bulk carrier shipping services on the Great Lakes, coastal and Artic waters of Canada. The site surveys are already underway, and the installations will begin in January. The communication network services supplied by Radio Holland include, amongst others, Seatel VSAT equipment, iDirect, Linksys and Cisco.

05 Dec 2001

Merchant Marine Highlighted in D-Day Museum Activities in New Orleans

The vital role of the American merchant marine during World War II will be highlighted in New Orleans this week during events marking the first major expansion of the National D-Day Museum. Merchant marine veterans will participate in a parade and other events honoring the men and women who fought for victory during World War II. In addition, a modern cargo ship, which stands at ready to support today's armed forces will be open for tours. Maintained by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration, the Ready Reserve Force ship CAPE KENNEDY, like its World War II predecessors, is crewed by merchant mariners. The bands of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the State University of New York Maritime Academy will participate in the December 7 parade in downtown New Orleans.

14 Jan 2000

American V. Ships Awarded Ship Management Contract

American V. Ships, a full-service international marine transportation management and operations organization has been named the technical manager of three vessels to be chartered to the recently established Wallenius and Wilhelmsen joint venture, Wallenius-Wilhemsen Line. American V. Ships will continue managing 5,600-unit Faust and 5,600-unit Fidelio, which have been under its management and under U.S. flag since 1989, as well as another vessel, Tanabata, newly entered into U.S. registry. American V. Ships is providing its full range of technical management services to include operating, crewing, budget control, purchasing and quality assurance. The three vessels are chartered through September 2005 to American Roll-On Roll-Off Carriers (ARC), a U.S.

09 Dec 1999

American V. Awarded Management Contract

American V. Ships, Mineola, N.Y., has been named the technical manager of three vessels to be chartered to the recently established Wallenius and Wilhemsen joint venture - Wallenius-Wilhemsen Line. American V. will continue to manage the 5,600-unit each Faust and Fidelio, which have been under the company's management since 1989. American V. signed a six-year contract with Automar International Car Carrier to be the technical manager of the U.S. flag vessels, Faust and Fidelio. The company will provide its full range of technical management services including operating, crewing, budget control, purchasing and quality assurance. The three vessels are chartered through September 2005 to American Roll-on Roll-off Carriers, a U.S. subsidiary of Wallenius-Wilhemsen Lines.