Cape Horn News

The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned the 48th Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC) Pablo Valent (WPC 1148) into service at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Fla., Wednesday.Rear Adm. Brendan McPherson, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Seventh District, presided over the ceremony. Cecilia Guillot, Valent’s great-niece, is the ship's sponsor.The cutter’s namesake Pablo Valent was originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, and joined the United States Life-Saving Service in 1912.

Environmental concerns are influencing a greater need for renewable and sustainable energy across the world with specialist technologies being at the forefront of new designs and solutions. As maritime industries begin to tackle the climate change issues, ports and shipping companies are looking for carbon-free alternatives by testing potential solutions for vessels. The requirement to make a move toward greener shipping is imminent. As companies start to concentrate their efforts in developing efficient solutions for improving performance and reducing emissions…

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.

Together with the introduction of new expedition cruise catalogues for the 2020-2021 season. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has also announced that low-pollutant marine gas oil (MGO) will be used exclusively on all routes sailed by its expedition ships in the fleet - the HANSEATIC nature, the HANSEATIC inspiration and the BREMEN from July 2020. Joining the fleet in 2021, the HANSEATIC spirit will also use this fuel.The use of low-sulphur fuels in the Antarctic has been mandatory for several years and already Hapag-Lloyd Cruises uses marine gas oil voluntarily in other sensitive regions, such as the Arctic or Kamchatka. This low-pollutant fuel has a sulphur content of just 0.1 per cent.

British solo round-the-world yachtswoman Susie Goodall was rescued by a cargo ship on Friday after her boat capsized and lost its mast during a violent storm in the southern Pacific Ocean.The 29-year-old, the youngest entrant in the Golden Globe race, had waited two days for the Hong Kong-registered Tian Fu to arrive after sending a distress signal from 2,000 nautical miles west of Cape Horn.The signal was picked up by Falmouth Coastguard in southwest England, with the alert passed on to race control and the Chilean maritime search and rescue authorities."ON THE SHIP!!!," she said on her Twitter feed after the rescue.Race organisers had earlier reported plans to lift the sailor from the deck of her yacht DHL Starlight using one of the cranes on the 38,000 tonne ship, which was heading to A

Tall Ship Lady Washington will be docked at Jack London Square at the foot of Broadway, Saturday and Sunday, informed a press release from Port of Oakland.Visitors can experience maritime history by taking a vessel tour for a small donation to the floating museum. There are also ticketed sailing trips on San Francisco Bay.Lady Washington was built in Aberdeen, Washington, by the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority and launched in 1989. She is a full-scale replica of the first American vessel to make landfall on the West Coast of North America in 1788 and the first American merchant ship to trade in Honolulu, Hong Kong and Japan.In 1787, after the Revolutionary War, she was given a major refit to prepare her for a unprecedented trading voyage around Cape Horn.

India's INSV Tarini entered Cape Town (South Africa) today during it’s maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. The vessel is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta. Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman, defence minister had flagged-off INSV Tarini from Goa on 10 September 17. The vessel has covered 17500 Nautical miles from Goa, crossing the Equator on 25 September 17, Cape Leeuwin on 09 November 17 and Cape Horn on 19 January 18.

Indian vessel INSV Tarini entered Port Stanley, (Falkland islands on January 22, 2018 during it’s maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. The vessel is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta. Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister had flagged-off INSV Tarini from Goa on 10 September 2017. The vessel has covered approximately 15,000 Nautical miles from Goa, crossing the Equator on September 25, 2017, then Cape Leeuwin on November 9 and Cape Horn on January 18.

Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company outside oil and gas, has signed a long-term port facility agreement with Abu Dhabi Ports to use some of the world’s largest bulk cargo vessels to import raw materials through Khalifa Port. With this agreement, Abu Dhabi Ports will be able to develop the port to become the first in the Gulf capable of directly handling these massive ships. Abu Dhabi Ports will fund and complete dredging and widening works to the Khalifa Port approach channel and basin including EGA’s berth. The dredging will deepen the channel to 18.5 metres and basin to 18.0 metres basis zero tide. EGA plans to use large dry bulk ships to import raw materials without the need to transfer all or some of the cargo to smaller vessels outside the port…

1865 - CSS Shenandoah, commanded by James I. Waddell, encounters the British merchant bark, Barracouta, in the Pacific Ocean and receives the first firm report the Civil War ended in April with the defeat of the Confederacy. Shenandoah rounds Cape Horn in mid-September and arrives at Liverpool in early November, becoming the only Confederate Navy ship to circumnavigate the globe. There she hauls down the Confederate ensign and turns over to the Royal Navy. 1943 - (PT 109), commanded by Lt. j.g. John F. Kennedy, is rammed by the Japanese destroyer, Amagiri, which cuts through the vessel at Blackett Strait near Kolombangara Island. Abandoning ship, Kennedy leads his men to swim to an island some miles away.

It was another lacklustre month for the shipping industry as freight rates in almost all sectors softened further. Drewry’s Earnings Index declined by 0.5% during the month to 52.4. The new locks of the Panama Canal finally became operational in June, enabling vessels of up to 49-metre beam, 366-metre LOA and 15-metre draught to pass through, which in turn will affect trade patterns in various sectors. The canal can now accommodate containerships of up to 12,500 teu. As more ULCVs are being delivered each month, carriers are desperately looking for new homes for smaller vessels (8,000-12,000 teu) cascaded out of the Asia-Europe trade.

Panama Canal expansion opens June 26 amid much fanfare and one of the worst shipping industry slumps ever. WSJ says, while it won’t do anything to help the dire state of the industry near-term, the changes are critical to Western trade in the long run. The canal, which handles about a third of Asia-to-Americas trade, had no choice but to expand. As the industry copes with its downturn, major shipping companies are pooling their resources and using fewer but much bigger ships—ones that are too large to fit through the pre-expansion Panama Canal. According to the Economist,  the revenue it receives each year from the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) is expected to double to around $2 billion in 2021. This is a country that knows how to reap the benefits of its geography.

1830 - The sloop of war USS Vincennes becomes the first US Navy warship to circle the globe when she returns to New York. She departs on Sept. 3, 1826, rounds Cape Horn and cruises the Pacific protecting American merchantmen and whalers until June 1829. 1880 - Congress authorizes the Office of Judge Advocate General. Vice Adm. Nanette M. Derenzi currently serves as the 42nd Judge Advocate General of the Navy. 1937 - Capt. Julius F. Hellweg commands the Navy detachment that observes a total eclipse of the sun.

The Royal Australian Navy operated Sail Training Ship (STS) Young Endeavour sailed into Fremantle today, completing a year-long circumnavigation of the world. Assistant Minister for Defence Darren Chester was in Western Australia to welcome the seafarers back to Australian soil and personally congratulate members of the Royal Australian Navy crew and the 24 young Australians who sailed the ship on the last leg across the Indian Ocean from Cape Town, in South Africa. “A circumnavigation of the world is a remarkable achievement for all involved, from Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander Gavin Dawe, to each member of the Young Endeavour 2015 World Voyage crew,” Mr Chester said.

Tankers anchored off Europe, extend voyage seeking buyers; outlook dim as imports to the region rise. A jet fuel market in Europe saturated by imports from Asia and the Middle East has forced sellers to keep their oil offshore on tankers or chose longer voyages as they seek out buyers. Jet fuel and diesel stocks in Europe have been steadily building as refineries around the world operate at near-maximum capacity to benefit from a rare run of strong profit margins driven mainly by global gasoline demand. In a sign of the growing pressure, the 90,000 tonne tanker Mindoro anchored for nearly two weeks of the southern coast of England, according to shipping brokers, traders and Reuters ship tracking.

A ship built by the CIA for a secret Cold War mission in 1974 to raise a sunken Soviet sub is heading to the scrap yard, a victim of the slide in oil prices. Christened the Hughes Glomar Explorer, after billionaire Howard Hughes was brought in on the CIA's deception, the 619-foot vessel eventually became part of the fleet of ships used by Swiss company Transocean to drill for oil. But the oil price rout means the former spy ship now called GSF Explorer is just one of 40 such offshore drilling rigs that have been consigned to scrap since last year.

After 19 days of sailing, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing has won leg five of the Volvo Ocean yacht Race, between New Zealand and Brazil. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing emerged victorious on Sunday after 6,776 nautical miles (nm) of immensely challenging racing in leg five to take a big advantage at the top of the Volvo Ocean Race standings. Ian Walker’s crew fought off three competitors during a “drag race” of nearly 2,000 nautical miles up the east coast of South America to be the first to arrive at Itajai, Brazil, about 400 kilometres north-east of Sao Paulo. To add the icing to their cake, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing set the new best mark for the most nautical miles sailed in 24 hours with 551 leading up to Cape Horn. "Awesome.

As the six-strong fleet Volvo Ocean Race continued to endure a helter-skelter ride toward Cape Horn in the Southern Ocean, the American boat Team Alvimedica took the lead, reports AP. The Volvo Ocean Race fleet in the wild Southern Ocean was fighting two battles on Sunday – for bragging rights to lead the fleet round Cape Horn, and the race to win Leg 5. The Turkey/USA crew of Team Alvimedica (Charlie Enright/USA) is currently narrow favourites as they led a group of five boats at 1240 UTC on Sunday. Should Enright’s crew achieve either, it would be a major achievement for a team that is the youngest in the race and led by a 30-year-old Volvo Ocean Race first-timer who first dreamed of entering a team on the film set of the Disney movie, Morning Light some eight years ago.

Kiwi Volvo Ocean Race veteran Stu Bannatyne has joined Team Alvimedica for leg five of the race from Auckland to Brazil, says a statement from the Team. Bannatyne has done the Volvo Ocean Race six times, winning three of them. The New Zealander will start preparing with the crew tomorrow ahead of the leg start from Auckland on March 15. "Stu brings incredible experience to us for the tough Southern Ocean leg ahead," said Team Alvimedica skipper Charlie Enright. “The leg that we are about to embark on is like nothing we have seen in this race so far. With most of our crew never having sailed in the Southern Ocean and around Cape Horn, we will benefit from Stu’s knowledge and driving skills on this challenging leg,” Enright said.

The fifth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race in New Zealand finally got underway on Wednesday following a three-day delay to avoid the worst of Cyclone Pam. The nine-month round-the-world yacht race was scheduled to leave Auckland for Itajai, Brazil on Sunday. The 6776 nautical mile race from Auckland to Itajai in Brazil will take roughly three weeks to complete. It will take the fleet back into the Atlantic for the closing stages of the leg for the first time since November before passing Cape Horn. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, skippered by Britain’s Ian Walker, are currently leading the overall standings ahead of the Dongfeng Race Team thanks to a better performance in the In-Port races.

Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), a naval architecture and marine engineering firm with offices in Seattle and Ketchikan, announced the delivery into service of the Cape Horn, a Specialty Oilfield Vessel. EBDG partnered with Gulf of Mexico Operator SeaMar, LLC and Gulf Island Marine Fabricators on the class design and production engineering for the ship. "We would like to congratulate our valued client, Darrel Plaisance of SeaMar, LLC on the delivery of their EB-220CC and the shipyard on a fine build," stated Gulf Coast General Manager, Keith Keller.

The Royal Australian Navy operated Sail Training Ship Young Endeavour rounded Cape Horn on Australia Day, 36 days into a 12-month circumnavigation of the world. Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett AO, CSC, RAN congratulated the 36 seafarers on board the square-rigged tall ship, including 12 Royal Australian Navy crew and 24 alumni crew specially selected for the passage. Vice Admiral Barrett said the passage around the southernmost tip of South America remained one of the most challenging nautical routes on the planet, and was a significant achievement for the crew of Young Endeavour.

The Royal Australian Navy operated Sail Training Ship Young Endeavour rounded Cape Horn on Australia Day, 36 days into a 12-month circumnavigation of the world. Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett AO, CSC, RAN congratulated the 36 seafarers on board the square-rigged tall ship, including 12 Royal Australian Navy crew and 24 alumni crew specially selected for the passage. Vice Admiral Barrett said the passage around the southernmost tip of South America remained one of the most challenging nautical routes on the planet, and was a significant achievement for the crew of Young Endeavour. “Young Endeavour’s Navy crew are specially trained and the alumni crew were selected for their experience sailing the brigantine previously.