Navigation and Wind Farms: Competing Ocean Uses Raise Existential Questions
âWind Turbines: The Bigger, the Betterâ -USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, August 24, 2023Last December the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published a proposed sale notice regarding new development areas for utility scale wind projects in the central Atlantic Ocean. The notice includes an upfront issue: the need to mitigate conflicts with U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) activities. BOEM explains that in certain areas the Air Force has set an airspace floor of 1,000 feet above sea level and the Air Force asked BOEM to keep structures below that height.
Ukrainian Seafarers Experiencing Increased Levels of Depression and Anxiety
Ukrainian seafarers are experiencing increased levels of loneliness and depression amid fears of conscription if they return home as the war enters its third year, seafarer charity Stella Maris warns.Stella Maris regional port chaplains for Southampton and Southern ports, Charles Stuart and Gregory Hogan, who make multiple daily ship visits report Ukrainian seafarers are under increasing strain.âThe initial stresses have been replaced by something else,â Hogan says. âAt firstâŠ
Caterpillar to Power NOMARS Uncrewed Vessel
Caterpillar Marine announced it is working with Serco Inc., a provider of professional, technology, engineering and management services, to advance the use of autonomous vessels for naval applications. The initiative supports the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agencyâs No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) project.Autonomous unmanned vessels represent an opportunity to protect crews from the inhospitable, dangerous environment encountered at sea. This technological advancement not only promotes safety but also cost savingsâŠ
Steve Nevey Tapped to Lead Washington State Ferries
Steve Nevey has been selected to serve as assistant secretary for the Washington State Ferries Division, the state's Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar announced on Thursday. Nevey will succeed Patty Rubstello, who is stepping down as head of WSF after more than 33 years of service with the Washington State Department of Transportation.A career mariner, Nevey progressed directly from high school to a maritime academy in the U.K. For the past two years he has served as directorâŠ
Germany Opens Remote-Controlled Center for Inland Shipping
SEAFAR, a Belgian technology and service provider for remote-controlled inland waterway shipping operations, has set up the first Remote Operations Center in Germany; a project completed in conjunction with HGK Shipping and Reederei Deymann.The Remote Operations Center, opened on February 28, 2024, enables captains to navigate vessels on inland waterways from dry land, a development seen as central to stemming problems from the shortage of specialist workers. The partners are working with the public authorities to use the permitsâŠ
Biden Executive Order Targets Cybersecurity at US Ports
President Biden on Wednesday signed an Executive Order aiming to strengthen cybersecurity at U.S. ports amid growing threats to America's vital maritime supply chains.The directive bolsters the Department of Homeland Securityâs authority to address maritime cyber threats, including through the creation of new standards to ensure the security of networks and systems throughout the nationâs marine transportation system (MTS), which supports $5.4 trillion in economic activity each year."Most critical infrastructure owners and operators have a list of safety regulations they have to comply withâŠ
US Navy Intercepts Missiles in Red Sea While Escorting Maersk Ships
Maersk said explosions nearby forced two ships operated by its U.S. subsidiary and carrying U.S. military supplies to turn around when they were transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen, accompanied by the U.S. Navy."While en route, both ships reported seeing explosions close by and the U.S. Navy accompaniment also intercepted multiple projectiles," Maersk said in a statement, adding it was suspending Red Sea transits by vessels of the U.S. subsidiary.A spokesperson for Yemen's Houthi military forces said they fired ballistic missiles at several U.S. warships that were protecting two U.S.
Aurora Botnia - RoPax Ferry + Greentech Proving Ground
Built by Rauma Marine Constructions, in Rauma, Finland, and launched in 2021, the 150-meter-long Aurora Botnia boasts a long list of onboard equipment that help it to earn its âgreenâ designation, a label that is confirmed via a Clean Design notation from classification society DNV. The ship is also compliant with the International Maritime Organizationâs (IMO) 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target.Wasaline CEO Peter Ståhlberg describes Aurora Botnia as âa masterpiece of cooperationâ and noted that the vessel is over 80% domestic made."I'm really proud of the Aurora Botnia.
Data Collaboration Demands âSystemic Shiftâ in Shipping
Shippingâs journey of digital transformation is as much about cultural change - from the boardroom to onboard vessels - to adapt to new ways of working with data collaboration at the core as it is about technology adoption, according to a new Bureau Veritas-backed research study.Digital transformation of the industry âdemands a systemic shift in how we work together,â Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshoreâs VP Digital Solutions & Transformation, Laurent Hentges, said in the foreword to the report by research firm ThetiusâŠ
New Wave Data Underpins Ship Structural Integrity
The loss of the Stellar Daisy in 2017 was a tragic reminder of the importance of wave data to ship design and operation. The vessel sank in the South Atlantic Ocean, with 22 of 24 crewmembers lost. The structural failure of the vessel was attributed to several factors including material fatigue and the forces imposed on the hull as a result of the weather conditions.Survey requirements for some vessel types have since been tightened, but even before this tragedy, work was underway to evaluate the wave data used to determine ship structural integrity requirements.
FINLAND: âA Birthplace for Icebreakersâ
Finnish companies have designed about 80 percent of the worldâs icebreakers, and about 60 percent of them have been built by Finnish shipyards.Finland is home to a strong and vibrant maritime cluster, with a mix of large, medium and small shipyards, as well as a deep pool of marine engineering expertise and a broad network of vessel equipment suppliers.As one of the worldâs northernmost countries, Finland is also home to a fleet of icebreakers that keep imports and exports flowing through its harbors, even during the coldest winter months.
Swire Projects Launches Transpacific Semi Liner Service
Swire Projects, the projects and heavy lift shipping arm of Swire Shipping, has officially launched a dedicated semi liner service connecting East Asia with the West Coast of North America.Previously offered on an ad hoc basis, the service will provide enhanced cargo connectivity and support the growing demand for reliable breakbulk and project cargo transportation into the West Coast and a gateway to the interior of the Continent avoiding the need to route cargo via the Panama Canal.Swire Projects' semi liner service connects the base ports of Qingdao and Taicang in China and ports en routeâŠ
Meet the CIO: Erika Graziuso, Crowley
Erika Graziuso, Chief Information Officer, Crowley, brings a breadth and depth of non-maritime experience to bear in her quest to drive Crowleyâs digital transformation in the name of decarbonization, holistic transportation efficiency and crew attraction and retention.Emulating best practices from industries outside of maritime has been a mantra in boardrooms and conferences for decades, as traditional maritime mindset has, at times, been seen as an impediment to achieving next-level efficiency.Enter Erika GraziusoâŠ
Insights: Frank Manning, President & COO, Diversified Marine, Inc.
Frank Manning has quickly risen through the ranks during his eight years in the shipyard business, today serving as president and COO at Diversified Marine, Inc. (DMI) in Portland, Ore. Crucial along the way has been a passion for the business itself and the people that make it all possible.âThe first day I walked in a shipyard I knew that I was in the right industry,â Manning said. âDMI has always been a relationship-based business. All of our customers are close friends, and we have relationships that are second to none,â he said.
Digitalization: Maritime Charts its Course
Maritime players plotting pathways to data collaboration with digital projects in line with new BV-backed research study.Digital technologies are increasingly being leveraged by shipping players to facilitate data collaboration among different actors in areas like ship design, vessel performance and port calls as a new Thetius research study backed by Bureau Veritas (BV) shows this will be vital to drive decarbonization, an OrbitMI-hosted panel heard at the recent Shipping Insight event in the US.âData-poweredâŠ
NYK Roundtable Highlights Ship-to-Shore Communications
On October 23, NYK held its annual roundtable discussion on current conditions and issues on board vessels, highlighting the role of communications in ship safety.The meeting was held at the NYK head office in Tokyo in a hybrid format and attended by more than 150 participants, including three captains and three chief engineers on leave, the captain and chief engineer on board the car carrier Iris Leader, the captain aboard the crude oil tanker Tensho, 22 executive officers, andâŠ
California Boat Captain Guilty of 'Seaman's manslaughter' in Fire Deaths of 34 People
The captain of a dive boat that caught fire and sank off the California coast in 2019, killing 34 people on board in one of the state's deadliest maritime disasters, was found guilty on Monday of a federal charge of seaman's manslaughter.Jerry Boylan, 70, was convicted by a U.S. District Court jury in Los Angeles on a single charged count of "misconduct or neglect of a ship officer" under a federal homicide statute dating from steamboat accidents in the early 1800s.The felony convictionâŠ
Choose the Right Software for Every Maritime Project
Michiel de Vliegher, Damen: "Choose the right software for every maritime project"Since the beginning of his career, Michiel de Vliegher has been involved with data. One moment, heâs working on making ships more sustainable, and the next, heâs focused on improving shipbuilding processes. Since April of this year, he has been the Director of Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen. Together, we explore his experience with digitalisation and how he is making advancements in this area at his impressive shipyard. We also delve into the digital future.
Columbia Group Launches Female Cadet Mentoring Program
Aiming to attract more women into the maritime sector, ship management and maritime services company Columbia Group has launched a mentoring program aimed at female cadets.âWe need to change the culture in the industry surrounding women and make it more viable for them to have a career in maritime, so that we can attract and widen the pool of talent that we draw from,â said program leader Claudia Paschkewitz, Columbia Groupâs Managing Director of Sustainability, Diversity & Inclusion.âWeâŠ
Report: Five Digitalization Steps that can Drive OSV Fuel Efficiency
A new white paper published by maritime performance management company Opsealog sets out five practical steps that OSV operators can take to secure improvements in fuel efficiency through better data analytics.Existing data that companies are already collecting, for example in mandatory logbooks, can enable significant vessel and fleet efficiency gains, says Opsealog.With case studies drawn from Opsealogâs eight years of experience across the worldâs offshore markets, the research highlights how having detailed digital monitoring in place helps ownersâŠ
MSC's New 24,000 TEU Containership Named in Italy
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) on Monday held a naming ceremony for its new ultra large containership MSC Nicola Mastro in Intaly's Port of Trieste.The 400-meter-long 24,116 TEU newbuild was built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation's Jiangnan Shipyard as part of MSC's new record-breaking Celestino Maresca class, among the world's largest containerships. "At MSC, we continue to modernize our fleet and are investing in the most fuel-efficient vessels by design. The MSC Nicola Mastro is one of those vesselsâŠ
American Cruise Linesâ First New Coastal Cat Enters Service
American Cruise Lines introduced its first new Coastal Cat, American Eagle, during a christening ceremony in at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy campus on Buzzards Bay last week.Carol Robertson, wife of American Cruise Linesâ founder the late Charles A. Robertson, served as godmother for the ship and christened the 100-passenger American Eagle with one of her handmade, ribbon-wrapped champagne bottles. The American Eagle is named after the first American Cruise Linesâ ship, which the couple launched in the 1970s.The ceremony began with remarks from RobertsonâŠ
Mark's Epic Journey: 268 Days 1643 Hours, 6,800 Miles in a Kayak
After 268 days in his kayak, 1643 hours of paddling and a journey of almost 6,800 miles, 65-year-old Mark Fuhrmann has completed his epic âReverse the Badâ charity expedition across Canada and the United States.In doing so, he becomes the first person to solo kayak the âGreater Loopâ circuit, beginning (and ending) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and traversing the Great Lakes, the Illinois, the Mississippi, the Tennessee and Tombigbee Rivers, before hitting the Gulf of Mexico and heading up the Atlantic Coast.A smilingâŠ