Maritime Groups News

The maritime industry is urging the United Nations to help free hundreds of seafarers and dozens of ships that remain trapped in Ukrainian waters a year after Russia's invasion.In a letter to UN Secretary General António Guterres, an international group of shipping companies and organizations urgently called for diplomatic efforts toward the immediate release of the 331 seafarers still trapped on 62 vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov."Our seafarers are the heart of our industry and cannot be forgotten. For 12 months now they have been caught up in a crisis far beyond their control.

Rhe Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) on Thursday elected Jack C. Jensen, Jr. to serve as Board Chairman, succeeding Charles H. Ponstein, whose term as Chairman ended this month. Also elected were Joseph F. Toomy, who will serve as Vice Chairman, and Walter J. Leger, Jr., who will serve as Secretary-Treasurer for the nine-month term.“Jack Jensen has brought decades of transportation and logistics experience to this board, and we look forward to his…

It was an odd legislative journey, but ultimately one with a happy ending. That’s one way to sum up the rather tortuous process that led to the passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA). For the first time WRDA (usually reauthorized every two years) was not enacted as its own legislative bill. This time it was rolled into the massive government 2021 omnibus budget bill, the ‘‘Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021,’’ signed into law on December 27.Still, the WRDA text itself…

Lance Camarena recognized from a young age that he wanted to work in the learning and development arena. But his plans changed while studying in college to become a public school music teacher and a job working a swing shift at Intel led to a new path of study and a career in the IT world.Still, after graduating and securing full-time employment with another IT firm, he knew training was still his calling. “I managed to switch roles and became one of the first people in the U.S. to start training this new software package that was just hitting the market called Microsoft Word.

At CMRE, it’s not just about the science. It’s about building trust and confidence in resilient systems. An interview with Dr. Catherine Warner, Director, NATO Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation, La Spezia, ItalyTell us a little about yourself and CMRE. What does CMRE do, and how do you see your mission evolving?I came here from the Pentagon, where I was the science advisor for the director of operational test and evaluation. My experience has been working with operators on systems that they’re getting ready to field.

NorSea Wind, part of the Wilhelmsen Ship Management (WSM) Group, has named Anders Peter Pedersen as its new chief executive officer (CEO). Pedersen  has extensive experience from the green energy sector. A lot has happened in the harbor since Anders Peter Pedersen as 17-year-old started his career on his first ship in Esbjerg, but now the circle is in many ways closed for the new CEO of NorSea Wind.He is practically back at the same harbor quay, where he boarded MS Stafford in the fall of 1982, but now it is as captain of NorSea Wind, and the view goes far from the bridge. He has solid support from one of the world’s largest maritime groups…

Choosing the ‘top stories of 2018’ was, this year, a difficult task. Many compelling story threads played out, dramatically impacting the North American waterfront, and in particular, the workboat sector – each in their own unique way. Read on to find out how and why.Autonomous Vessels: Ready or Not, Here They ComeFuturistic, remote-controlled autonomous marine vehicles aren’t coming. They are here. As the pace of change quickens, autonomous vessels are already providing service and value on the water. Out ahead of the rulemaking process, autonomous technology providers already churn out not just prototypes and designs, but also countless workboats, many already in service.

The world is closely watching several contentious flash points that have potential to ignite. The behavior and rhetoric of China and Russia regarding vital shipping lanes in international waters have been alarming. Disputed sovereignty claims and efforts to enforce them have the maritime world on edge. China’s nine-dash line claims about owning the entire East and South China Sea have created a dilemma for themselves and the other nations in the region. The Philippines v. China case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague commenced on Jan.

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans has elected Mr. Michael W. Kearney chairman. Mr. Kearney represents Orleans Parish and joined the Board in December of 2012 when he was appointed by former Gov. Bobby Jindal. He succeeds Mr. William T. Bergeron, whose term as chairman expired this month. Mr. Bergeron will continue to serve as a commissioner. In addition, the Board elected Mr. Robert R. Barkerding vice chairman and Mr. Laney T. Chouest secretary-treasurer. Mr.

MIDDLETOWN, RI – September 12, 2016 – KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI), is driving a sea change in the way that global maritime fleets are using broadband at sea. The company’s usage-based airtime plans now represent a majority of users on KVH’s global satellite network, mini-VSAT Broadbands, which continues to be the market share leader in maritime VSAT. In recent months, many of KVH’s largest and most important fleet customers have chosen usage-based plans—including Open plans, the newest set of usage-based airtime plans offered by KVH.  BW, one of the world’s leading global maritime groups, reached agreement with KVH to switch from an unlimited airtime plan to KVH’s Open plans for several LNG and LPG vessels that have TracPhone V11-IP systems onboard.

Port of New Orleans' Board of Commissioners Elects William T. Bergeron Chairman; Michael W. Kearney Elected Vice Chair, Robert Barkerding Jr. The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans today elected William T. Bergeron chairman. Bergeron represents St. Bernard Parish and joined the Board in November of 2012 when he was appointed by Gov. Bobby Jindal. He succeeds Scott H. Cooper, whose term as chairman expired this month. Cooper will continue to serve as a commissioner. In addition, Michael W. Kearney was elected vice chairman and Robert R. Barkerding, Jr. as its secretary-treasurer.

Six NATO warships, including Turkish, Bulgarian and Romanian vessels, have arrived to the Black Sea to start joint training exercises. NATO ships assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) arrived today in the Black Sea to operate and train with ships from the Bulgarian, Romanian and Turkish Navies, according to NATO Maritime Command (MARCOM) press release. Marine Group Two is comprised of six ships — Vicksburg, Fredericton, Turgutreis, Spessart, Aliseo, and Regina Maria, according to MARCOM. The joint training, led by US Rear Adm. Brad Williamson, will include simulated anti-air and anti-submarine warfare exercises, small boat attacks and ship-handling maneuvers, the press release stated.

The U.S. government should ensure that international trade of U.S. natural gas, and potentially crude oil, will offer opportunities for the domestic shipping industry, maritime groups said on Wednesday. Booming shale gas production has put the United States on track to become a major exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the next few years. While it would take time for U.S. shipyards to scale up to produce to the vessels needed to transport LNG overseas, shipping industry…

Kongsberg Maritime Engineering (KME), the wholly owned Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) subsidiary of global maritime technology developer Kongsberg Maritime, will deliver an Integrated Control and Safety System for the new BW Offshore Catcher FPSO. The contract follows BW Offshore’s signing of a lease and operate contract with Premier Oil and its joint venture partners at the end of April 2014 for a FPSO to operate on the Catcher oil field in the U.K. North Sea. The field is owned by Premier Oil (50%, operator), Cairn Energy (30%) and MOL (20%). BW Offshore's scope includes the delivery of the FPSO, mooring system, installation and operation of the unit throughout the charter period.

Governor Bobby Jindal appointed south Louisiana businessman and entrepreneur Laney J. Chouest to the Board of the Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans. Chouest, who was sworn in during today’s Board meeting, will serve a five-year term, succeeding Joseph F. Toomy, one of two Jefferson Parish representatives on the regional Board that governs Port operations in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes. A native of Galliano, La. and resident of New Orleans, Chouest is the owner and developer of NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, La.

Ku-band coverage boosted with Seychelles region extension delivering high-speed data. Airbus Defence and Space has expanded its Ku-band VSAT (Very Small Apperture Terminal) coverage in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), using the Intelsat IS-702 S2 satellite. The new coverage enables improved availability of Pharostar, Sealink and WaveCall VSAT voice and data services for vessels transiting or operating primarily in the Seychelles area, north to Ethiopia and south to Madagascar. Several diverse maritime groups will make use of more available high speed VSAT, including commercial fishing, government, naval, shipping and yachting vessels. An improved Ku-band footprint will also enhance security and anti-piracy efforts in the region.

BW Maritime inks contract with Samsung Heavy Industries for BW’s first Liquefied Natural Gas Floating Storage Regasification Unit (LNG-FSRU). Expected to be delivered in 2015, it will be the latest addition to BW's fleet of 16 LNG carriers, building on and increasing its existing LNG expertise. This vessel and floating terminal will be able to receive and convert LNG into its gaseous form for offloading via pipelines, to gas facilities on-shore. BW is focused on its vision to be the leading brand in energy transportation…

The introduction of new and larger vessels, Q-Flex and Q-Max, and new, often more exposed terminals becoming operational have changed mooring dynamics. The need to maintain workers’ safety at all times, whilst delivering maximum operational efficiency through lower costs and faster turnaround times remains unchanged. DSM Dyneema, a close partner to the LNG industry, has done a study which concludes that these industry trends are changing the performance demands for LNG mooring lines. In parallel to DSM Dyneema’s investigation, in 2011 members of the LNG community created a Users Group to further investigate HMPE mooring line failures which TTI (UK) was asked to facilitate. DSM Dyneema is part of the Users Group, while at the same time continuing its own investigation program.

New York City – April 29, 2011 – Holland & Knight is pleased to announce that Brad L. Berman has joined the firm as Partner in the firm's New York City office. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Berman served as Executive Director of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the world's second largest ship registry and 60+ year old corporate registry, where he oversaw all aspects of the Liberian corporate and shipping program, including corporate and other entity formation, and ship registration and mortgaging.

The movement of petroleum products on the nation's rivers, lakes, bays and oceans is soon to be regulated of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Called OPA 90, this regulation requires many bulk carriers of petroleum products to use double-hulled barges to haul their cargo by 2005 and all to be doubled hulled by 2015. Looking first at the large product tankers and crude oil carriers, 23 product carriers and 17 crude oil carriers must be double hulled by 2005, another 20 product carriers and 17 crude oil tankers need to be double hulled by 2010 and another 13 product and 9 crude oil ships need to meet OPA 90 by 2015. These conversions (or ship retirements) are a major issue impacting the ability of the U.S. to transport crude oil and its refined products.

In 1933, the U.S. Congress decreed May 22nd as National Maritime Day. Each year since then, May 22nd has become the day the United States observes its proud maritime heritage, honors the men and women who serve or have served as merchant mariners, and recognizes the many benefits that today’s maritime industry provides. This year, National Maritime Day comes on the heels of National Transportation Week, which, according to U.S. The United States maritime industry is a critical part of the transportation network that moves goods worldwide from where they are grown, mined or manufactured to where they are ultimately consumed. It also provides for passenger transportation, both for business and pleasure.

According to the AP, Singapore is building a joint command center that will house three maritime groups under one roof to increase coordination against threats at sea, the Defense Ministry announced Wednesday. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday for the Changi Command and Control Center, which is expected to be operational in 2009 to coordinate local, regional and international security efforts to deal with threats such as piracy and terrorist attacks on ships. The center, to be located beside the Changi naval base, will house the Singapore Maritime Security Center, the Information Fusion Center and the Multinational Operations and Exercises Center. Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia have in recent years coordinated maritime and air patrols in the Malacca Strait.

After busy months on patrol in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin, a task force of NATO warships on March 12 handed over their counter-piracy mission, (Operation Ocean Shield) to the new task force of NATO ships which had sailed to the area to take up the mission. NATO warships have been conducting counter piracy patrols off the Horn of Africa, an area of strategic importance, since October 2008. On March 12 it was the turn of the five warships from the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two, who currently come from the UK (flagship), Greece, Italy, Turkey and the U.S. to pick up the baton of this ongoing mission. Speaking about the handover between the two NATO groups…