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U.S. energy regulators on Friday extended until September 2023 the amount of time liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer Delfin LNG has to put the onshore part of its proposed Gulf of Mexico floating export project off Louisiana into service. The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said in its order that Delfin sought the extension in July. Delfin is one of several North American LNG export developers that delayed construction in recent years in part because coronavirus…

U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer Delfin LNG has asked federal regulators to extend the amount of time it has to put the onshore part of its proposed Gulf of Mexico floating LNG export project off Louisiana into service until September 2023.The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said on Thursday that Delfin sought the extension on July 15.Delfin is one of several North American LNG export projects that delayed decisions to start construction in recent years…

The persistent eutrophication (being too rich in nutrients) of the Baltic Sea prompted the IMO’s Baltic Member States to tackle shipping’s < 0.1% contribution by designating the Baltic Sea as the first Special Area under Annex IV of IMO’s MARPOL Convention [1]. Passenger ships must give sewage to wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) ashore via the port reception facilities (PRFs) or operate a nutrient removal sewage treatment plant (STP) on board prior to discharge. It has been perceived as a positive move. But how special is the Special Area?Rules at sea vs.

Erden Eruc is a man on a ‘human-powered’ mission, a mission which Elliott Bay Design Group recently assisted with donated design services as he plans for the next leg of his “Six Summits Project.” Next up: a solo row across the Pacific Ocean, a bike ride to Tibet and climbing Mt. Everest.A Seattle resident, Erden Eruc’s solo circumnavigation by human power quest, which started as a quiet obsession in the late 1990s, became a life mission following the death of Göran Kropp, who died while rock climbing with Eruc in September of 2002.

Training budgets for seafarers continue to rise around the world, and seafarers themselves increasingly are paying the price, according to the MarTID 2020 Training Practices Report.Responses (278) to the 2020 MarTID report, the third in the series, rose 60% versus 2019, and again included insights from seafarers (accounting for 53% of the response), vessel operators (24%) and METIs (23%).The survey for MarTID 2020 was concluding just as COVID-19 was starting to spread rapidly…

The Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) said it is adding new requirements for its 8th Annual International Student Design Competition for a Safe Affordable Ferry, in an action reflecting the unprecedented developments of 2020. This year, students have been tasked with designing a RoPax ferry for the Amazon River, between Manaus and Tefé, some 200 miles further inland.Due to the widespread impacts of COVID-19, the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association is asking registered and…

Search & Rescue algorithm identify hidden “traps” in ocean waters, helping to more quickly identify regions where objects — and missing people — may have converged.The ocean is a messy and turbulent space, where winds and weather kick up waves in all directions. When an object or person goes missing at sea, the complex, constantly changing conditions of the ocean can confound and delay critical search-and-rescue operations.Now researchers at MIT, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)…

My company has been around since 1875, and today we actually still do things that were being done in 1875. We still get calls from underwriters to attend on disasters all over the place, and we are still asked to provide values on ships on a moment’s notice.Moreover, some of the companies that ask us to attend to those issues, in some form or another, also have been around since 1875.That results in a very smooth operational routine, where we get a call from one of those clients in the middle of the night, we pull our pants on, step into the car and go out to see what is going on.

Assessing the health of coral reefs in the Kingdom of TongaHealthy coral reefs provide critical ecosystem services for millions of people globally, but with climate change and anthropogenic stressors, the landscape of these habitats is regularly shifting. The science and conservation community has realized the importance of baseline studies to help track how these precious reef ecosystems are changing. The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation launched the Global Reef Expedition…

The deadline to take the 2020 MarTID survey of mariner training practices is March 31, 2020, and your participation is vital to its success.Take the survey today:Vessel operators: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020MarTIDOperatorTraining institutions: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020MarTIDMETISeafarers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020MarTIDSeafarerFor a full background on the initiative, visit http://scholar.wmu.se/martid.

The deadline to take the 2020 MarTID survey of mariner training practices has been extended to March 31, 2020, and your participation is vital to its success.Take the survey today:Vessel operators: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020MarTIDOperatorTraining institutions: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020MarTIDMETISeafarers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020MarTIDSeafarerFor a full background on the initiative, visit http://scholar.wmu.se/martid.

The deadline to take the 2020 MarTID survey of mariner training practices has been extended to March 31, 2020, and your participation is vital to its success.Take the survey today:Vessel operators: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020MarTIDOperatorTraining institutions: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020MarTIDMETISeafarers: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020MarTIDSeafarerFor a full background on the initiative, visit http://scholar.wmu.se/martid.

Any firm operating on the water faces a number of challenges. For many, training is one of them.The upcoming April edition of Marine News magazine will include a profile examining training best practices and technologies being implemented at one of North America's largest seafood companies."American Seafoods Company is working hard to create what we call a learning ecosystem," said Lance Camarena, the company's Director for Training and Organizational Development. "Like any ecosystem…

Do any of your e-learning modules force learners to spend a certain amount of time on a page before advancing to the next one? Do they force readers to answer one or more questions before advancing to the next page? Do they prevent access to the final exam until every learning page has been visited at least once? Do they enforce a prerequisite structure that prevents access to more advanced learning material until the prerequisite material has been completed?If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions then 1) you are not alone…

There is much talk among maritime professionals about how automation and autonomous vessels will make the industry safer. In truth, innovation will be driven by the bottom line and will take time before it is commonplace in the industry. Early examples are likely to be limited to smaller vessels and coastal waters. Autonomous ships are predicted to reduce human error, a major driver of accidents, but crews will still have an important role on board vessels for the foreseeable future.Recent TrialsIn December 2018…

The 2020 Maritime Training Insights Database (MarTID) survey has just been launched. The industry needs you to take 20 minutes to complete the survey at www.MarTID.org before it closes. Your contribution will enable the creation of 2020’s comprehensive, freely distributed, global maritime training practices report that members of our industry rely on more heavily each year.Take the SurveyVessel Operator survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020MarTIDOperatorMETI survey…

Disruption to shipping from the long-anticipated switch to more environmentally friendly marine fuels has finally arrived, exacerbated by logistical problems as much as any shortage of the cleaner fuel.New International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules, referred to as IMO 2020, aim to stop ships from using fuels containing more than 0.5% sulphur unless they are equipped with exhaust-cleaning systems known as scrubbers.From the start of January ships must load very low sulphur…

The State University of New York Maritime College, in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, National Academy of Sciences, academic institutions, industry partners, and federal, state and local agencies, will host the 10th Annual Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS 2019) Nov. 13-15, 2019, at New York Maritime College located in the Bronx, New York.MRS 2019 will bring together academics, government and commercial entities to discuss the threats, challenges and risks associated with the Marine Transportation System with a focus on current and future marine transportation challenges and threats.

At one time the most powerful lighthouse in the United States was Twin Lights in Highlands New Jersey. Today it is a wonderful little museum and right now it has a very interesting show of paintings by Maarten Platje on the War of 1812. One painting is called the Great Chase and it tells this amazing story of the US Frigate Constitution being becalmed off the New Jersey coast and becoming engaged in a rowing race to keep out of range of a powerful British Squadron. The Constitution escaped and went on to have her amazing victories that year…

– The Simple Secret to Making Randomized Exams Fair  – In last month’s Training Tips for Ships, we made the important point that we must never give different people the same exam. If we use an exam over and over, our trainees will very quickly learn what questions are on the exam and share the answers with their friends. Suddenly exam scores begin going up, and time spent learning goes down – both for the wrong reasons. There are few better ways to destroy a training program.The remedy is to always provide different exams.

In its latest analysis of the marine coatings sector, UK-headquartered market analyst Frost & Sullivan’s has shown that increased development and adoption of more environmentally sustainable and durable antifouling coatings using higher priced chemistries is a fast-growing trend in the marine sector. In addition, Frost & Sullivan’s report, ‘Global Marine Coatings Market, Forecast to 2025’, says that the Asia-Pacific region is expected to dominate the market owing to its large…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) today announced progress in establishing Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE), which would recognize and support community colleges and training institutions that prepare Americans for careers in the maritime industry. The Maritime Administration is seeking public comment on the proposed policy.“These educational institutions benefit America’s national security and economy by growing and strengthening our maritime work force,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L.

This revised advisory cancels U.S. Maritime Advisories 2019-004 and 2019-008.1. References: U.S. Maritime Alerts 2019-004A, 2019-003A, 2019-002A, and 2019-001A.2. Issue: Heightened military activity and increased political tensions in this region continue to pose serious threats to commercial vessels. Associated with these threats is a potential for miscalculation or misidentification that could lead to aggressive actions. Vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman may also encounter GPS interference, bridge-to-bridge communications spoofing, and/or other communications jamming with little to no warning.Since May 2019, the following maritime incidents have occurred in this region:Six attacks against commercial vessels (see U.S.