Cayman News

A new table published by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) indicates continuing positive performance by the vast majority of the maritime industry's flag states.Merchant ships are required to register under a flag state, which determines the vessel's nationality and gives jurisdiction under which to operate. Flag states have the authority and responsibility to enforce regulations over vessels registered under their flag, including those relating to inspection, certification…

Normal traffic is expected to resume through the Suez Canal within hours, the head of the canal authority said on Wednesday, following the collision of two vessels."Slight contact" was made after LNG carrier BW Lesmes made a sudden stop due to a technical failure that coincided with a strong current that drove oil tanker Burri towards it, authority chairman Osama Rabie said.The canal authority responded by sending tugboats to move both ships, he said.Singapore-flagged BW Lesmes was successfully towed outside of the waterway…

An oil/chemicals tanker came to the rescue of an ailing boater some 55 miles south of Lake Charles, La., on Friday.A man aboard a 22-foot pleasure craft put in a call for help to the U.S. Coast Guard via VHF-FM channel 16 at 3:03 p.m. stating that his wife was displaying symptoms of a heat stroke.The nearby vessel Stolt Perseverance responded to an urgent marine information broadcast issued by Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector Houston-Galveston. The tanker moored alongside the…

The annual Shipping Industry Flag State Performance Table, published today from the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), highlights a 25% increase in flag states reporting on seafarer labor standards compared to last year. Each year flag states must report on labor standards as part of their ILO audit commitments. Some of the labor standards specific to seafarers include repatriation of seafarers, accommodation provision, health protection and medical care. This year 67.6% of flag states reported on their ILO audit commitments…

Shadowcat expanded its portfolio to include a monohull shadow vessel. Dubbed Shadowolf, this is its first single-hulled support yacht and is available to meet the increasing demand for guest-level comfort and services. The vessel's new hybrid hull design focuses on passenger comfort and accommodation, while still enhancing adventures at sea.Designed by Shadowcat partners Incat Crowther and YCTS, Ltd., the 69.2m Shadowolf offers an 11.5m beam and 3.25m draft, and will be built upon Incat Crowther’s aluminum hull design.Other Shadowolf features include a fully certified helipad and hangar…

The Italian government ordered police on Friday to impound a luxury yacht worth some $700 million that has been linked in the media to Russian President Vladimir Putin.The sleek, six-deck Scheherazade had been undergoing repairs in the Italian port of Marina di Carrara since September, but recent activity at the dockside suggested that the crew might be preparing to put to sea.A source with direct knowledge of a weeks-long investigation into the vessel said police believed the owner was Eduard Khudainatov, the former chief of Russian energy giant Rosneft who is not currently a target of EU sanctions.In a statement announcing the seizure order…

A yacht linked to Russian aluminum tycoon Oleg Deripaska arrived in a bay near the southwestern Turkish resort of Gocek on Saturday, as more Russian billionaires head for Turkey to flee Western sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Deripaska, founder of Russian aluminum giant Rusal, has been sanctioned by the United States, European Union and Britain. He has previously called for peace.A Reuters witness saw the 73-metre (239.5 foot) yacht Clio arrive off the coast of Gocek in the Aegean coastal province of Mugla on Saturday. The Cayman Islands-flagged vessel remains in a bay off Gocek.The arrival of Clio in Turkish waters comes after two superyachts linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich…

Spanish authorities on Wednesday detained a mega-yacht called "Crescent" that is believed to belong to Igor Sechin, the sanctioned chief executive of Russian oil giant Rosneft, a police source told Reuters.The 135-metre-long yacht, described by specialist publications as one of the biggest in the world, sails under a Cayman Islands flag and arrived in Spain from Italy in November 2021, according to monitoring site Marine Traffic.Spain's Transport Ministry, which confirmed the detention but not the ownership, said it docked in the Mediterranean port city of Tarragona on November 2 and had sought permission from the coast guard to depart…

French customs have seized a yacht belonging to Rosneft boss Igor Sechin as it tried to leave the Mediterranean port of La Ciotat in a breach of EU sanctions on Russian oligarchs, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said.The move came as western states are implementing massive sanctions, including asset freezes, against Russia for invading its neighbor Ukraine. A separate nearly $600 million luxury yacht owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov has also been seized, by German authorities, Forbes reported. The 88-meter "Amore Vero" arrived in La Ciotat on Jan.3 and was due to stay there until April 1st for repairs, the finance ministry said in a statement…

John-Kaare Aune has been appointed Chief Executive Officer at Wallem Group, effective October 1, 2021, after a successful term as Interim CEO.He joined Wallem in 2019 as Managing Director, Shipmanagement, andtook over as Group CEO on an interim basis in January 2021 following the resignation of Frank Coles.Before joining Wallem, he worked as Regional Director – Asia Pacific at the Cayman Registry, playing a key role in the growth of its global commercial activities. He had previously worked at the Norwegian Maritime Directorate.

Investment firm Stonepeak said on Monday it would buy Teekay LNG Partners in a deal worth $6.2 billion, as it looks to take advantage of rising global demand for LNG amid a push towards cleaner sources of energy.Prices of the benchmark U.S. natural gas contract have been on the rise, hitting seven-year highs recently. On Monday, the front-month gas futures contract was up 6.3% at $5.97 per million British thermal units (mmBtu).Stonepeak is offering $17 per unit, which represents a premium of 8.3% to the closing price of Teekay LNG's common units on Oct.

U.S. oil and gas companies on Friday raced to complete evacuations from offshore Gulf of Mexico platforms as Tropical Storm Ida advanced towards oilfields that provide 17% of the nation's oil production.The storm early Friday was about 50 miles northwest of Grand Cayman Island moving north at 15 miles (24 km) and expected to intensify and become near a major hurricane when it hits the central U.S. Gulf Coast this weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). A major…

Polarcus Limited, a seismic surveyor in liquidation, is set to be wound down and delisted from the Oslo Stock Exchange.As previously reported, in January this year, lenders took control of the company's vessels after a debt payment default, and decided to sell them and let go all the employees.On February 8, 2021, David Griffin and Andrew Morrison of FTI Cayman, and Lisa Rickelton of FTI London were appointed Joint Provisional Liquidators (JPL) of the struggling seismic services provider by an order of the Court. Liquidators were specifically authorized by the Court to take all necessary steps to develop and propose a restructuring of the company’s financial indebtedness with a view to making a compromise or arrangement with the company’s creditors.Since their appointment…

A crew member aboard a Cuba-flagged oil tanker on its way from a Mexican shipyard to Venezuela was reported missing this week, according to a shipping report seen by Reuters, marking the second incident aboard the same vessel in about a year.Sailor Rafael Desiderio Martinez Alonso was not found last Sunday by the doctor onboard oil tanker Petion, which set sail on May 6 from Mexico's port of Veracruz bound for the Cardon terminal in Venezuela's western coast.The report by the tanker's shipping agency to Venezuelan port authorities about the incident said Martinez Alonso, who was one the tanker's fitters, is believed to have fallen into open waters because his shoes were found near the ship's gas plant.

Avenir LNG on Thursday announced the launch of the Avenir Allegiance, dubbed the world’s largest dual-purpose, LNG supply and bunkering vessel, built by CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering Co. (CIMC SOE).The vessel was launched at 7 am on January 27th, 2021 at Zhoushan Changhong International Shipyard Co. Ltd. Due for delivery from CIMC SOE in the third quarter of this year, the vessel will be the first 20,000cbm vessel to join the Avenir LNG fleet and the world’s largest LNG bunkering vessel…

An ailing seafarer was medevaced from a 650-foot car carrier vessel, 100 miles northwest of Honolulu, Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.At 9 p.m., Thursday, the Cayman Islands-flagged Brilliant Ace notified Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) watchstanders in Honolulu that a 50-year-old crewmember on board appeared to be suffering from his medications not working.Duty flight surgeons from the Coast Guard were consulted and recommended a medevac based on the concern that the mariner’s condition could rapidly deteriorate if left untreated.

The Isle of Man Ship Registry has retained its place within the United States Coast Guard’s QUALSHIP 21 program, designed to recognize foreign-flagged vessels that maintain the highest safety and quality standards.Isle of Man Ship Registry director Cameron Mitchell said continued inclusion in the scheme through to July 2021 was great news for the registry and its clients, representing further independent verification of the quality of the Manx fleet.Entry into the program is based on data gathered during Port State Control inspections in the United States.

Norwegean offshore and subsea shipping company Siem Offshore has won one-year contracts for three anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels in Australia.The Cayman Islands-registered marine transportation and logistics services provider said the AHTS trio would support an upcoming drilling campaign of an oil and gas company in Australia.Siem Offshore did not reveal the name of the client. It did not say which vessels would be used for the operation.The contract  duration  for each vessel is 365 days + options  and with commencement in first quarter 2020.Siem Offshore  operates a large number of support vessels: 10 Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels, 5 Platform Supply Vessels and 6 OSCV & MRSV.

Offshore helicopter services provider Bristow Group filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after reaching a deal with senior bondholders on a plan to slash its debt load.The struggling Houston-based helicopter operator for offshore oil and gas industry looks to cut debt after reaching deal with senior bondholders, as it attempts to restructure its crippling debt load.The Chapter 11 filing, dated 11 May, covers only six US- and two Cayman Islands-registered businesses, with overseas operations – including Bristow Helicopters in the UK – unaffected.The Texas-headquartered company said in a release that all its subsidiaries will continue to operate as normal while the financial restructuring is carried out.Bristow Group President and Chief Executive Officer, L.

A top hostage negotiator, the CEO of a company which supplies environmental products to ship owners and operators and the heads of two maritime technology firms are all part of an impressive line-up of speakers scheduled to speak at the 2019 Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) AGM & Conference which takes place next week from Tuesday, October 29, to Friday, November 1. The four-day event is being hosted by WISTA Cayman Islands and is expected to bring over 200 maritime experts from 30-plus countries.

Incat Crowther announced the delivery of Shadow Cat HODOR, significant in that it is the first in the Shadow Cat range which for Incat Crowther.Design and naval architecture was by Incat Crowther, project management and technical consultation by Robert Smith of YCTS and construction by Astilleros Armón at their Burela shipyard in Spain.HODOR was customized to carry the specific equipment and supplies to support and enhance the owner’s mothership capabilities, and the design uses engineering of hulls proven in offshore platform service…

Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) announced that Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou (WISTA Cyprus), CEO of Tototheo Maritime, was re-elected to a second term as President.WISTA International elected Alexandra Anagnostis-Irons, President of Total Marine Solutions (WISTA USA) as Secretary, and Fabiana Simões Martins (WISTA Brazil), as Board Member, to the WISTA International Executive Committee at the 39th WISTA International Annual General Meeting on Grand Cayman on 30 October 2019.Naa Densua Aryeetey (WISTA Ghana), Head, Shipper’s Services & Trade Facilitation, Ghana Shippers’ Authority, was re-elected to a third term as a Board Member.Despina P. Theodosiou, CEO Tototheo Maritime was re-elected to her second term as WISTA International President.

A fire that spread across two oil tankers in a South Korean port injured 10 people on Saturday, coastguard and fire officials said, adding the blaze had largely been put out.An explosion occurred on the Stolt Groenland, a 25,000-tonne, Cayman Island-flagged oil tanker, at the southern port of Ulsan at around 10:50 a.m. (0150 GMT), a coastguard official said.There were 25 sailors aboard, including Russians and Filipinos.The fire spread to another oil tanker docked nearby, the 9,000-tonne, South Korean-flagged Bow Dalian, with 21 aboard, he said.All of the sailors on both ships were rescued, but 10 people, most of whom were workers at the terminal, have been wounded so far, a fire official told Reuters.