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Deborah News

14 Mar 2024

Royal Caribbean Suspends Cruise Visits to Haiti's Labadee

© NAN / Adobe Stock

Royal Caribbean Group has suspended cruise visits to Labadee, a secluded peninsula in Haiti, for the next seven days following months of escalating gang violence in the country, a senior company executive said in a Facebook post on Thursday.The company will continue the suspension as required with three days advance notice to guests sailing on impacted itineraries, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said.Violence by powerful armed gangs had gripped Haiti, causing thousands to flee their homes, after anti-government protests broke out early in February.The violent cl

30 Oct 2023

US Opens Northernmost Diplomatic Station, in Arctic Norway

© jamenpercy / Adobe Stock

The United States on Friday opened its northernmost diplomatic station, highlighting the increased importance of the Arctic region for Washington at a time when cooperation among Arctic nations has been hit by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the opening of the station, in Tromsoe, Norway, in June, as a means for the United States to have a "diplomatic footprint above the Arctic Circle"."Symbolically, it is significant," Andreas Oesthagen…

30 Oct 2023

RMC Launches and Christens Spirit of Tasmania IV

(Photo: Rauma Marine Constructions)

Rauma Marine Constructions celebrated the launch and christening of Spirit of Tasmania IV, the first of two identical car and passenger ferries the Finnish shipyard is building for Tasmania's TT-Line.Built to replace similarly Finnish-built sister ships, the new vessels are specially designed to operate on a challenging route across the Bass Strait between Geelong, Victoria, and Devonport, Tasmania.The Spirit of Tasmania IV was christened at the RMC shipyard. The vessel’s godmother…

03 Jul 2023

Podcast on Maritime Safety Launched

Julia Gosling (Source: The Seafarers' Charity)

To mark the start of Maritime Safety Week in the UK starting July 3, The Seafarers’ Charity has funded five episodes of a new maritime safety podcast “Sea Views” in collaboration with The CHIRP Charitable Trust.The podcast is hosted by Julia Gosling, who brings her extensive 20-year experience in maritime safety and search and rescue. She is joined by co-host Adam Parnell, Director of the CHIRP Maritime Programme.“CHIRP's mission is to share insights, raise awareness, and save more lives at sea.

15 Feb 2023

Aberdeen's James Hutton Institute Hosts Green Hydrogen Tech Start-Up sHYp

Jennie Morrison, director for sHYp BV in Scotland - Image supplied

Green hydrogen technology start-up sHYp has moved into offices and laboratory space at The James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen with plans to expand to five staff on site by summer.The move gives sHYp access to the institute’s specialist analytical equipment and expertise. This will help it develop what could be the first electrolyzer able to produce hydrogen from sea water without the need for desalination, which traditional electrolysis techniques need. According to sHYp, its technology…

22 Sep 2022

Holy Land Shipwreck Reveals Tenacity of Ancient Traders as Empires Shifted

© Eli Majewski / Adobe Stock

An ancient shipwreck found off the shore of Israel and loaded with cargo from all over the Mediterranean shows that traders from the West still came to port even after the Islamic conquest of the Holy Land, researchers say.A surprise storm? An inexperienced captain? Whatever the reason, the merchant ship made from fir and walnut trees and carrying containers with delights from far-off lands sank in the shallow waters off what is today the Israeli coastal community of Ma'agan Michael more than 1…

04 Apr 2022

SUNY Maritime Announces $24.8 Million in Campus Improvements

(Photo: SUNY Maritime College)

SUNY Maritime College on Monday announced three major construction projects totaling $24.8 million that will enhance and build on the campus’s state-of-the-art facilities for students pursuing the global marine transportation industry. Ground-breaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies today with state and local leaders celebrated Maritime College’s new Student Learning Center and its fully renovated Marine Engineering Systems Laboratory, made possible through significant New York…

31 Dec 2021

Royal Caribbean Bookings Take a Hit as Omicron Fears Worsen

© Joni / Adobe Stock

Royal Caribbean Group said on Thursday it was grappling with a drop in bookings and a rise in cancellations as COVID-19 cases surge in the United States, driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant.U.S. cruise ships have been gradually returning to the seas since late June, but an increase in Omicron cases has sparked calls for a temporary ban on cruising, including from Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat.Since the Celebrity Cruises parent resumed operations from U.S.

20 Dec 2021

Dozens Test Positive for Omicron Variant on Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship

© eqroy / Adobe Stock

Royal Caribbean Group said on Monday 48 people on its Symphony of the Seas cruise ship tested positive for COVID-19, fueling concerns that the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus could put a damper on a recovery in the cruise industry.The cruise operator said it had 6,091 guests and crew members on board the ship, which ended a week-long cruise in Miami on Saturday after setting sail on December 11.The passengers who tested positive were asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, Royal Caribbean said in a statement, adding that six guests were disembarked earlier in the cruise and transported home

24 Jun 2021

Russia Warns Britain It Will Bomb Ships Next Time

(File photo: UK Royal Navy)

Russia warned Britain on Thursday that it would bomb British naval vessels in the Black Sea if there were any further provocative actions by the British navy off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea.Russia summoned the British ambassador in Moscow for a formal diplomatic scolding after the warship breached what the Kremlin says are its territorial waters but which Britain and most of the world say belong to Ukraine.Britain said Russia was giving an inaccurate account of the incident.

18 May 2021

Greek Island Corfu Welcomes First Cruise Ship of New Season

The Greek island of Corfu welcomed its first cruise ship of the new season on Tuesday, hoping much awaited tourists will help salvage losses incurred during 2020 due to the coronavirus.Corfu port authorities said some 600 tourists from countries including Italy, France and Germany were on board the Costa Luminosa, operated by Italy's Costa Cruises, and all safety measures were being adhered to in the port.Some of the passengers expressed their delight at being able to travel again."It's freedom, enjoying life, you really feel much better. You're not in prison anymore, you're free and that really does you good," said French tourist Robert Maran from Lyon.Greece opened its doors on Saturday to tourists from the EU and other key markets such as the United States…

12 Mar 2020

NOAA-Viking Public Private Partnership, a Win-win for Research

RENDERING OF NEW VIKING SHIP: This rendering shows what the new Viking expedition ships will look like, including the hangar for launching small vessels. Credit: Viking

There was important cruise news in January: Viking – a premier European ocean and river cruise company - will offer two new “destination-focused travel experiences,” starting in 2022. One set of cruises becomes Viking’s first foray in the inland North American market, in this case the Great Lakes. Another set of cruises will head to the Arctic and Antarctica. Viking is building two new vessels: the Viking Octantis and the Viking Polaris, under construction now in Norway, by Fincantieri’s VARD.In a press release Viking writes that it has created “the thinking person’s expedition.”  Indeed…

05 Nov 2019

Greece Rescues Tourist Floating in Aegean Sea for Two Days

Greece has rescued a 47-year old woman floating in a rubber dinghy in the Aegean Sea for nearly two days, coastguard officials said on Tuesday.The woman, holidaying on a sailboat near the Greek island of Folegandros, boarded an inflatable boat around midday on Nov. 1 to get supplies. A day later, Greek authorities were alerted that she was missing.They found her in the boat on Sunday morning some 40 nautical miles southwest of Folegandros, close to the island of Crete. Seven coastguard vessels, three private boats, a plane, and a helicopter were involved in the search operation."I was blown away, blown away in my dinghy," she said as she disembarked a coastguard vessel at the port of Iraklion…

02 Nov 2018

Maritime Administrator Welcomes Cadets to Annual Women on the Water Conference

Maritime Administrator Mark H. Buzby welcomed female cadets from the seven U.S. maritime academies to the 10th annual Women on the Water Conference, held November 1-3 in Castine, Maine. The conference, sponsored by the Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), showcases the successes of women in the maritime industry.“The demand for a highly trained mariner workforce increases daily,” said Administrator Buzby. “By providing our female cadets with the opportunity to learn from other female maritime industry leaders, we hope to inspire them to greater levels of achievement in their careers.”The Women on the Water Conference…

11 Oct 2018

Ancient Shipwrecks Found in Greek Waters Tell Tale of Trade Routes

(Photo by Vasilis Mentogianis / RPM Nautical Foundation)

Archaeologists in Greece have discovered at least 58 shipwrecks, many laden with antiquities, in what they say may be the largest concentration of ancient wrecks ever found in the Aegean and possibly the whole of the Mediterranean.The wrecks lie in the small island archipelago of Fournoi, in the Eastern Aegean, and span a huge period from ancient Greece right through to the 20th century. Most are dated to the Greek, Roman and Byzantine eras.Although shipwrecks can be seen together in the Aegean…

17 Jul 2018

Bee Paradise in the Rotterdam Port Area

The Port of Rotterdam Authority has had a swarm of bees placed on the Maasvlakte in the verge next to the Stenen Baakplein. In this section of the Honey Highway, ten thousand bees will soon be collecting pollen and nectar. The goal of this initiative is the conservation of the original Dutch honey bee by reintroducing it to this region. The Honey Highway is now in full bloom. The flowers - planted last year by primary school children from Brielle - can be admired by motorists driving past on the A15. If they look in the other direction, they can enjoy a view of a flower bed several kilometres long. The flower bed features flowers such as the Evening Primrose and Viper’s Bugloss that sprouted up spontaneously along the pipeline corridors.

28 Jun 2018

Marine Shipping Sector Eyes LNG to Meet Clean Fuel Rules

With new global emissions standards looming, the marine shipping industry is increasingly looking at liquefied natural gas as alternative to high-sulfur bunker fuel, shipping and energy executives said at a global gas summit this week. Already used to fuel ferry fleets and cruise ships, LNG is gaining traction among freight and cargo shippers, despite a reluctance by the entrenched industry to make major changes. The stakes are high: the global shipping fleet now consumes about 4 million barrels per day of high sulfur fuel oil. "Ship owners are very conservative, they're generally a little slower to act... But it's going to happen," Peter Keller, chairman of SEA\LNG and executive VP of maritime firm Tote Inc, told Reuters at the World Gas Conference in Washington.

30 Apr 2018

Thordon to Eqip New Class of Towboat

Installation of Thordon’s RiverTough water-lubricated bearing (Photo: Thordon Bearings)

Thordon Bearings, of Burlington, Ont., has received an order to supply four comprehensive shipsets of stern gear for a new class of towboat.The four boats are being built by U.S. shipyard Master Marine of Bayou La Batre, Ala., for Waterfront Services, based in of Cairo, Ill.. The new vessels have been designed to meet the requirements of Subchapter M, a set of federal rules recently introduced by the U.S. Coast Guard, relating to the inspection requirement for towboats, including seaworthiness standards and safety protocols.The 67ft x 28ft boats…

23 Mar 2018

Capsized Cargo Ship Towed to Le Havre

(Photo: PREMAR Manche)

The hull of capsized cargo ship Britannica Hav has been towed to the Port of Le Havre following a collision with a fishing vessel earlier this week in the English Channel. The 82-meter freighter arrived in port Thursday under the tow of rescue tug RIAS Abeille Liberté and several escort vessels. The Maltese flagged Britannica Hav capsized and overturned Tuesday after a collision with Belgian flagged fishing vessel Deborah about 50 nautical miles northeast of Cherbourg, France. The freighter’s seven crew members evacuated the ship aboard two life rafts and were recovered by the fishing vessel.

21 Mar 2018

Overturned Cargo Ship in Tow in the English Channel

(Photo: Marine Nationale)

The hull of an overturned cargo ship that collided with a fishing vessel is being towed out of the way of shipping lanes in the English Channel. The Maltese flagged cargo ship Britannica Hav capsized after it was involved in a collision Tuesday with Belgian flagged fishing vessel Deborah about 50 nautical miles northeast of Cherbourg, France. The freighter’s seven crew members evacuated the ship aboard two life rafts and were recovered by Deborah. The only reported injury was to the fishing vessel’s captain, who suffered a non-severe head injury and did not wish to be evacuated.

20 Apr 2017

New Venture Aims to Uproot Shipping’s Status Quo

Nisomar CEO Captain Claus Hyldager (Photo: Nisomar)

With a belief that innovation in shipping has fallen well behind other sectors, new entrant into the maritime industry Nisomar has launched a range of services for ship owners, operators, brokers, charterers and financial institutions. Nisomar said it has pioneered a method of collecting global shipping data and created proprietary technology, based upon technology that generates highly accurate business-critical data. The firm will derive insights from big data to offer analytics that support business decisions…

06 Feb 2017

Teekay Renews Shuttle Tanker VSAT Contract

(Photo: Marlink)

Marine energy transportation, storage and production company Teekay will continue to utilize Marlink’s Sealink VSAT solution across its entire shuttle tanker fleet, following a recent contract extension and upgrade. Teekay, the world’s largest owner and operator of shuttle tankers, has employed Marlink’s high bandwidth global Sealink VSAT solution for its entire shuttle tanker fleet since 2011. The latest contract extension and upgrade secures Teekay’s ability to benefit from remote operations and support crew welfare…

18 Nov 2016

Signet Launches New Tug for E.N. Bisso

Photo: Signet

On the morning of October 12, 2016, E.N. Bisso and Signet Shipbuilding & Repair (SS&R) Pascagoula, Miss., christened and launched E.N. Bisso’s newest high technology Robert Allan Ltd. (RAL) design tug. Mrs. Deborah F. McDonald, wife of Mr. William H. McDonald, President, E.N. Bisso, New Orleans, Louisiana, was the Christening Sponsor. The GLADYS B, SS&R Hull 109 was launched immediately following the ceremony, and will be delivered on-time and on-budget December 12, 2016. This ASD tug is the fourth RAL design vessel constructed by SS&R, with two new build contracts currently under negotiation.