Marine Link
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Cast News

08 Mar 2024

Who Are Yemen's Houthis and Why Are They Attacking Ships in the Red Sea?

The tanker Marlin Luanda was struck by an anti-ship missile fired by Houthi forces on January 26, 2024 (Photo: Indian Navy)

Yemen's Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November, in what they say is a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, prompting retaliatory U.S. and U.K. strikes against the Iran-aligned group.In the first fatalities reported since the Houthis began their attacks on shipping in one of the world's busiest trade lanes, a Houthi missile on Wednesday killed three seafarers on the Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged ship True Confidence some 50 nautical miles from Yemen's port of Aden.HistoryIn the late 1990s…

22 Jan 2024

US Denies Houthis Claim of Attack on US Military Cargo Ship Ocean Jazz

FILE PHOTO: Military Sealift Command’s general purpose, heavy-lift vessel MV Ocean Jazz prepares to receive U.S. Army equipment at the pier in Subic Bay, Olongapo, Philippines, in May 2018. (Photo: Grady T. Fontana / U.S. Navy)

The U.S. military on Monday denied claims made by the Yemeni Houthi movement that it had attacked American cargo ship Ocean Jazz in the Gulf of Aden."The Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists' report of an alleged successful attack on M/V Ocean Jazz is patently false," the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said in a statement. "NAVCENT has maintained constant communications with M/V Ocean Jazz throughout its safe transit."The Houthi movement earlier in the day said its forces had launched a missile attack on Ocean Jazz in the Gulf of Aden.

15 Jan 2024

Houthis Vow to Keep Up Red Sea Attacks

A U.K. warship launches a missile to intercept a Houthi Drone in the Red Sea (Photo: U.K. Royal Navy)

The chief negotiator for Yemen's Houthis said on Monday the group's stance has not changed since U.S.-led air strikes on its positions, and warned that attacks on ships headed to Israel will continue.U.S. and British warplanes, ships and submarines last week launched dozens of air strikes across Yemen in retaliation for Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which the Iran-aligned movement cast as a response to Israel's offensive in Gaza."Attacks to stop Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of the occupied Palestine will continue…

07 Dec 2023

US Gives Final Nod to Rhode Island's $1.5 Billion Offshore Wind Farm

(Photo: Orsted)

The U.S Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council on Thursday approved the construction of a $1.5 billion offshore wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island.The project, Revolution Wind, is run by Danish company Orsted and U.S.-based Eversource, and would bring a total of 704 megawatts (MW) clean energy to Connecticut and Rhode Island.Another offshore project by the two wind energy developers, the South Fork wind farm off the coast of New York, delivered its first power to the state's power grid on Wednesday.Offshore wind development has been a priority for the Biden administration.

17 Nov 2023

EVENT: World Maritime Forum, Copenhagen, Feb. 27-28, 2024

Copyright Sergii Figurnyi/AdobeStock

Mark your calendars for a maritime event of global significance as the World Maritime Forum prepares to cast anchor in Copenhagen from February 27-28, 2024. With an anticipated attendance of 450 maritime professionals, including shipowners, ship managers, shipbuilders, ports, classification societies, government bodies, regulators, technology companies, and service providers, this forum promises to be a gathering of industry titans and thought leaders.One of the key focus areas of this year's forum will be sustainability…

07 Nov 2023

California Boat Captain Guilty of 'Seaman's manslaughter' in Fire Deaths of 34 People

The fire-stricken Conception shortly before it sank off Santa Cruz Island in September 2019. All 33 passengers and one of six crewmembers died of smoke inhalation after they were trapped in the berthing area while a fire raged on the deck above. (Photo: Ventura County Fire Department)

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 conviction…

03 Nov 2023

US Awards More than $653 Million for Port Projects

© druid007 / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced over $653 million to fund 41 port improvement projects across the nation under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).The investments—part of the largest dedicated funding for ports and waterways in history, nearly $17 billion through the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—are intended to help grow capacity and increase efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports and inland…

31 Oct 2023

US Offshore Wind Writedowns Seen Soaring with Orsted Earnings

© Cavan / Adobe Stock

European energy companies, including Denmark's Orsted, will likely write down more of their U.S. offshore wind investments this week after BP and Equinor booked $840 million in impairments in recent days.Orsted, the world's largest offshore wind developer, said in August it may see impairments of 16 billion Danish crowns ($2.3 billion) on its U.S. offshore developments due to supply chain problems, soaring interest rates and a lack of new tax credits.Orsted, which was not immediately available for comment…

16 Oct 2023

Insights: Blaine Dempke, CEO, Markey

Blaine Dempke, CEO, Markey (Photo: Markey)

Established in 1907 as the Industrial Revolution arrived to Seattle, Markey is the oldest privately-held winch manufacturer in the United States today. The company was formed in the Georgetown District of what later became known as King County, Wash. The Markey sign above its original manufacturing plant, on Horton Street, is still retained, although Markey has since moved to its current facility on 8th Avenue South.Markey was a major supplier to the U.S. Navy in both world wars…

29 Sep 2023

US Plans Sharp Reduction in Offshore Oil and Gas Lease Sales

Credit: scandamerican/AdobeStock

The Biden administration on Friday unveiled a plan to phase down oil and gas auctions in federal waters with the release of a long-awaited leasing schedule that includes a maximum of three sales in the Gulf of Mexico through 2029.The Interior Department's plan includes by far the lowest number of sales since the agency began producing Congressionally-mandated five-year oil and gas leasing schedules in 1980. Previous programs have ranged between 11 and 41 sales, according to Interior's U.S.

28 Sep 2023

Biden's Five-year Offshore Oil Plan to Have Historically Few Lease Sales

© Cavan / Adobe Stock

The Biden administration's five-year plan for offshore oil and gas leasing will not include any sales in 2024 and will feature the lowest number of auctions in the history of the program in the four years to follow, according to three sources familiar with the matter.The schedule for leasing in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska for 2024-2028 is due on Friday following several delays and months of battling between environmentalists and drilling advocates over what the policy should…

18 Sep 2023

Ørsted CEO Says US Offshore Wind Targets Still Possible But Not Easy

Ørsted CEO Mads Nipper (Photo: Ørsted)

U.S. President Joe Biden's plan to deploy 30,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind by 2030 is still possible, although not easy, the CEO of Ørsted, the world's largest offshore wind developer, said on Monday at the Climate Week NYC event in New York.The remarks by Ørsted CEO Mads Nipper come as soaring costs and supply chain delays have increasingly cast doubt on the Biden administration's goal, a cornerstone of its plan to fight climate change. The Danish company said at the end of August that it may see U.S.

18 Sep 2023

OpEd: EPA Must Stop Unsafe and Costly California Maritime Mandate

© sheilaf2002 / Adobe Stock

California’s maritime sector is essential to America’s role in the global economy and to the supply chain. Yet, a mandate from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has cast a shadow over the safety and efficiency of this sector, which will have far-reaching effects on the nation.While CARB’s intentions to bolster air quality are commendable, and California’s maritime industry has a proven track record of working to lower emissions, the hasty directive for tugboat operators…

05 Sep 2023

ClassNK Amends Rules for Seawater-lubricated Shafts

(Image: Thordon Bearings)

Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) has joined the major classification societies to amend its rules relating to the inspection of seawater-lubricated propeller shaft systems.The amendment means that ships with open seawater-lubricated propeller shafts that are built to ClassNK rules are subject to the same 15-year shaft withdrawal inspection periods as oil-lubricated shafts and sterntubes, subject to monitoring criteria.The announcement brings ClassNK’s requirements in line with those of other large class societies…

30 Aug 2023

New CMAL Ferry Named in Public Vote

(Photo: CMAL)

Scotland's Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) announced that one of its new vessels will be named Glen Rosa following a public vote that saw nearly 5,000 entries.4,844 votes were cast in the competition on CMAL’s website, which ran for three weeks. Glen Rosa, which will be known as Gleann Ruasaidh in Gaelic, was the most popular name, garnering 52% of the votes.The vessel currently known as Hull 802, along with Glen Sannox, is currently under construction at the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow…

22 Aug 2023

Danos Adds Coastal Restoration to Service Portfolio

(Photo: Danos)

Gray, La.-based Danos announced it has expanded its portfolio to offer coastal restoration services to customers throughout the Gulf South. In addition to providing the materials and workforce to restore or replace barriers in marine environments, the company is producing and installing artificial reefs tailored to the local habitat. Most recently, Danos partnered with the Coastal Conservation Association to develop 128 3D-printed concrete modules installed at South Marsh Island…

14 Aug 2023

Ships Backed Up in Black Sea Lanes as Russia Warning Shots Raise Tensions

© daliu / Adobe Stock

Merchant ships remained backed up in lanes around the Black Sea on Monday as ports struggled to clear backlogs amid growing unease among insurers and shipping companies a day after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo vessel.Russia said its Vasily Bykov patrol ship on Sunday fired on the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan vessel after the ship's captain failed to respond to a request to halt for an inspection. After an inspection, the vessel continued its journey towards the Ukrainian port of Izmail along the Danube river…

14 Aug 2023

Ukraine Condemns 'provocative' Russian Actions in Black Sea

 Vasily Bykov patrol ship  - Credit: Mil.ru/Wikimedia Commons - CC BY 4.0

Ukraine on Monday condemned what it called "provocative" Russian actions and called for decisive countermeasures by the international community, a day after Moscow said one of its warships fired warning shots at a cargo vessel in the Black Sea.Moscow said on Sunday that its Vasily Bykov patrol ship fired automatic weapons on the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan vessel after the ship's captain failed to respond to a request to halt for an inspection.Russia has said it would treat any ships…

24 Jul 2023

Meyer Werft Floats Out Carnival Jubilee

(Photo: Meyer Werft)

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft has floated out its latest newbuild, a 183,200 GT cruise ship for Carnival Cruise Line.Carnival Jubilee left the yard's covered building dock on Friday and was moored at a pier in the shipyard harbor for outfitting. On Saturday, the ship briefly cast off from the pier for its bow thrusters and stabilizers could be tested.The RINA-classed ship is 344.5 meters long, with capacity for 5,228 passengers in 2,626 passenger cabins, plus 1,551 crew. It has 20 decks and an onboard roller coaster.Originally ordered for Carnival Corp.

13 Apr 2023

New Product: PermaStar LED Floodlight

Image courtesy SONARAY

SONARAY, a manufacturer of proprietary LED lighting products, announced PermaStar, a high efficacy, 500-watt LED Flood Light that comes with a limited lifetime warranty. The new flood light is durable with IP66 and IK10  ratings, and is available in a range of beam angles and produces up  to 67,000 lumens in the 45-degree angle model. The PermaStar is also UL 1598A listed so it can be used outside in damp or wet environments. The PermaStar is constructed with a durable die-cast…

06 Apr 2023

Interview: Jennifer Carpenter, AWO

Jennifer Carpenter (Photo: AWO)

Jennifer Carpenter has been president and CEO of The American Waterways Operators (AWO) in January 2020, but her time with the national trade association representing the inland and coastal tugboat, towboat and barge industry dates back to 1990. This month, she weighs in on top challenges and opportunities currently present in the industry, from difficult regulatory changes to the uptake of cleaner vessel technologies.What are some of the biggest and most important issues facing the tug, towboat and barge industry?Big picture, I feel like our industry has never been more relevant.

16 Mar 2023

Seafarer Abandonment Is on the Rise

© Deborah Benbrook / Adobe Stock

In troubling news for the maritime sector, new data from RightShip shows reported rates of seafarer abandonment is on the rise with no signs of slowing down.U.K.-based RightShip, which provides an online safety and environmental risk management system for the global maritime industry, said 9,925 seafarers have been cast adrift over the last 20-years, including 1,682 impacted by 103 vessels marked as abandoned at the close of 2022.According to the International Maritime Organization's (IMO’s) definition…

14 Mar 2023

Putin Ally Accuses U.S., UK of Sowing Deception over Nord Stream Blasts

The gas leak from the September 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline measured over 950 meters in diameter.- ©Swedish Coast Guard

One of President Vladimir Putin's top allies said on Monday that the United States and Britain were sowing deceptions that a pro-Ukrainian group blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines on the bed of the Baltic Sea last year.Last week the New York Times reported that intelligence reviewed by U.S. officials suggested that a pro-Ukraine group - likely comprised of Ukrainians or Russians - attacked the pipelines in September. Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev cast doubt on that report…

Subscribe for
Maritime Reporter E-News

Maritime Reporter E-News is the maritime industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service, delivered to your Email five times per week