Assistance News

Two Japanese navy helicopters crashed into the sea during a training exercise, killing at least one of the eight crew members on board, the defence minister said on Sunday.The two SH-60 patrol helicopters were conducting anti-submarine exercises on Saturday night near Torishima in the remote Izu island group, off the southern coast of central Japan.Defense Minister Minoru Kihara told a press conference the cause of the crash is under investigation. The two flight recorders had been discovered in close proximity to each other and the probability was high that the two helicopters had collided…

An open letter has called on Australia’s Albanese Government to deliver on its election promise and legislate an end to live sheep export.The call, from the RSPCA and 10 other Australian animal protection organisations, comes nearly six months after the independent panel’s report was delivered to the Government — with still no plan for how and when live sheep export will be phased out.“Australians were relieved when the Albanese Government took this promise to the 2022 federal election,” said RSPCA Australia CEO Richard Mussell.

ClassNK has granted its Innovation Endorsements for Products & Solutions to an internet payment facility V.Pay, an AI maritime camera surveillance solution V.Sight, and a wearable AR smart-glass solution V.Sion, developed by iO3.ClassNK has verified the functions of V.Pay: crew internet payment facility with user-friendly portal, flexible Wi-Fi plans, payment integration, real-time account management and simplified crew internet access.For V.Sight, ClassNK has reviewed: maritime camera surveillance with AI video analytics…

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on Friday issued a notice reminding regulated entities that all statutes administered by the agency remain in effect while disruption to regular service at the Port of Baltimore is causing many shippers to adjust supply chain operations.Common carriers and marine terminal operators (MTOs) must continue to comply with all statutory and regulatory requirements governing their operations, the FMC said.Demurrage and detention fees must be reasonable.

Crowley Maritime Corporation has owned and operated a lot of vessels since its founding in 1892. But the latest vessel to join its fleet is unlike any other that has come before it.Crowley’s new harbor tug, eWolf, is unique in that it runs 100% powered by batteries, not diesel engines, meaning it produces zero emissions and nearly no noise. Not only is the vessel the first fully electric tug in the Crowley fleet, but it is also the first of its kind in the United States.Faced with stricter regulations and commercial pressure to prioritize environmental…

Kimberly Lutz and America’s Watershed Initiative (AWI) are making every effort to sustain the Mississippi River for generations to come.The Mississippi River is one of the world’s largest river systems and is arguably America’s most critical waterway. Flowing over 2,350 miles, spanning, at points, up to eleven miles, and discharging approximately 593,003 cubic feet of water per second into the Gulf of Mexico, the Mighty Mississippi is awe inspiring in terms of its natural characteristics as well as its commercial impact on both the American and global economies.

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…

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sea Dog (WPB 87373) sustained damage during the crew’s inbound transit from sea to the St. Marys River, Monday, the Coast Guard (USCG) said.The damaged cutter moored in Fernandina Beach, Fla., with assistance from additional Coast Guard assets and a commercial towing vessel, the USCG said.There were no reported injuries, damage to other vessels or environmental impact, and navigation remains unaffected, the agency added, noting the incident is under…

Fiji will strike a deal with Australia to upgrade ports and shipbuilding infrastructure, months after its prime minister said it was likely to partner with China on the project, the government of the Pacific Islands nation said on Thursday.Fiji's government said its cabinet had agreed to enter into a memorandum of understanding with Australia for the project, after Australia committed to financing."The revival of the shipbuilding industry in Fiji has been articulated as a key priority…

At least nine people were killed when a South Korean-flagged vessel capsized off Japan, South Korea's foreign ministry said on Thursday.Two South Korean nationals were among the dead, it said, adding that the Japanese coastguard had rescued an Indonesian crew member and that another member of the crew of 11 was missing.The ministry did not provide the name of the vessel.Public broadcaster NHK, citing the coastguard, reported on Wednesday that a South Korean-flagged chemical tanker had capsized off the coast of Yamaguchi prefecture in western Japan…

A South Korean-flagged chemical tanker has capsized off the coast of Yamaguchi prefecture in western Japan, with seven deaths confirmed, public broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday, citing the coastguard.The tanker, Keoyoung Sun, was anchored due to bad weather and requested assistance after 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday (2200 GMT on Tuesday), reporting the vessel was tilting over, NHK reported.The vessel had 11 crew aboard.

A South Korean-flagged chemical tanker has capsized off the coast of Yamaguchi prefecture in western Japan, with operations to rescue the crew underway, public broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday, citing the Coast Guard.The tanker, Keoyoung Sun, requested assistance after 0700 local time (2200 GMT), reporting the vessel was tilting over, and had 11 crew onboard with four people rescued so far, NHK reported.(Reuters - Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

Turkish shipbuilder Sanmar has launched electric battery-powered ElectRA tug for its own fleet, which will provide towage, ship assistance and escorting services at six ports around Turkiye.ElectRA will be the seventh electric battery tug delivered from Sanmar Shipyards within a year, five of which are already operating in Vancouver in Canada, while the sixth is currently being delivered to Norway.Based on the ElectRA 2300SX design from Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd…

Dutch shipbuilding conglomerate Damen Shipyards Group announced it has signed a contract with BOA Group for two ASD Tugs 3010 ICE. Due to Damen’s practice of constructing vessels in series for stock, the tugs were already under construction at the time of order and will be delivered later this year.BOA’s fleet consists of specialized offshore vessels, semi-submersible barges and harbor tugs. The order for these two Damen tugs is a part of the Norwegian company’s strategic fleet…

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…

President Joe Biden will announce in his State of the Union speech on Thursday that the U.S. military will construct a temporary port on Gaza's Mediterranean coast to receive humanitarian aid by sea, senior administration officials said.Planning for the operation, initially based on the island of Cyprus, does not envisage the deployment of U.S. military personnel in Gaza, the officials told a news briefing.The officials also said that Hamas is delaying a new deal with Israel on…

One of two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthis at the container vessel M/V MSC SKY II in the Gulf of Aden hit the ship and caused "damage", the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday.Initial reports indicated no injuries and the Liberian-flagged, Swiss-owned container vessel did not request assistance and continued on its way, CENTCOM said in a statement.A military spokesperson for the Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday that they targeted the vessel with "a number of suitable naval missiles".

The cost of war risk insurance through the Red Sea remained stable on Monday despite the sinking of the Rubymar cargo ship as underwriters had already factored in the casualty after it was first hit by a missile last month, industry sources said.The cost of insuring a seven-day voyage through the Red Sea has risen by hundreds of thousands of dollars since Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis began attacking shipping in the area in November in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in…

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…

U.S.-based boat builder Metal Shark is expanding its presence in its home state of Louisiana with the addition of a third manufacturing facility and a new recruitment effort.The expansion follows the recent divestiture of its Alabama-based ship refit and repair business, after the company sold its operations to Birdon America.With a new 40,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, Metal Shark is looking to boost its production capacity.Together with its nearby Jeanerette and Franklin production facilities…

KOTUG International, a marine services and towage provider based in the Netherlands, announced on Thursday it has concluded its acquisition of Kotug Seabulk Maritime (KSM), taking full ownership of the Caribbean marine towage business.KOTUG said it has acquired the interest of its joint venture partner, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based SEACOR Holdings via its Seabulk subsidiary KS Maritime Holdings, owner of the 50% share in KSM.Founded in 2017, KSM acts as the exclusive provider of maritime terminal support services for Buckeye Partners’ Bahamas Hub…

Nine days after a slick was first spotted by Trinidad and Tobago's Coast Guard, an oil leak from a capsized barge remains unplugged, according to first responders and authorities, prompting nations across the Caribbean to coordinate a response.The spill has spread miles from Tobago's shore, the area first hit by the incident. Trinidad this week alerted neighbors Venezuela and Grenada on possible impact to their coasts.The Caribbean Disaster Management Agency, dependent on regional group Caricom…

LMG Marin France reports it has secured an engineering contract with Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) for integration of bound4blue eSAILsEPS will install its first ever wind-assisted propulsion system, three 22-metrer eSAILs o,n board the 2019-built oil and chemical tanker Pacific Sentinel in Q4 this year. The expected net gains in term of consumption are 10% subject to routing.LMG Marin said it worked with EPS, bound4blue, ABS to ensure preliminary feasibility studies of the turnkey eSAILs solution onboard the 183-metre…