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Nathan News

09 Apr 2024

Mazda May Temporarily Reroute Baltimore Auto Shipments

© aerial-drone / Adobe Stock

Mazda Motor will probably have to temporarily move shipments to another port from Baltimore to avoid delays, the automaker's CEO said in a CNBC interview.The Port of Baltimore ranks first in the U.S. for volume of autos and light trucks and farm and construction machinery handled and a cargo ship crash into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March has restricted shipments.However, CEO Masahiro Moro said Mazda does not currently expect a big impact from the port shutdown.U.S. automakers…

27 Mar 2024

Recruiter to Cooperate in Deal with Workers Suing Major US Shipbuilders

© Joseph Creamer / Adobe Stock

A maritime industry recruiter has agreed to work with plaintiffs and share worker compensation data in a lawsuit accusing major U.S. shipbuilders of limiting employee mobility, marking the first settlement in the case.Attorneys for a proposed class of engineers and architects suing General Dynamics, Huntington Ingalls Industries and other companies disclosed the settlement with Faststream Recruitment on Tuesday in Alexandria, Virginia federal court.The October lawsuit said the shipbuilders violated U.S.

03 Mar 2024

Malaysia Says MH370 Search Must Go On

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Malaysia is pushing for a renewed search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, the transport minister said on Sunday, as the 10th anniversary of its disappearance in one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries approaches.Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew, vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.Malaysian investigators initially did not rule out the possibility that the aircraft had been deliberately taken off course, and debris…

26 Jan 2024

Moran Tug Crew Honored for Rescue Efforts

Left to right: Captain Eddie Lucas; Deckhand Roman “Butch” Arabski; Mate Evan Kinkel; USCG Sector Commander Capt. David O’Connell; Engineer William “Liam” Flynn; Baxter B. Smoak, CDR, Chief, Prevention Department (Photo: Moran Towing)

The crew of Moran Towing's tug Lynne Moran has been honored for its courageous response and rescue of two stranded boaters near the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on the evening of October 25, 2023.The crew has received the U.S. Coast Guard Public Service Commendation, presented by Captain O’Connell, as well as the American Waterways Operators (AWO) Honor and Excellence in Rescue Operations (HERO) Award, presented by Brian Vahey, AWO’s Vice President, Atlantic Region.In collaboration with the U.S.

07 Dec 2023

ABB Supplies Charging System for Auckland’s New Electric Ferries

(Image: EV Maritime Auckland Transport)

ABB has secured a contract with Auckland Transport (AT) to deliver the maritime world’s first megawatt charging system (MCS) to recharge electric ferries using the same interface as trucks and airplanes. Lowering the barrier to entry, the standardized and highly adaptable system is expected to improve electric vessel competitiveness against fossil-fueled counterparts.As part of its Mission Electric initiative, AT has ordered two 200-seat all-electric ferries and two 300-passenger…

08 Nov 2023

US Commits $553M Financing for Adani Terminal Venture at Colombo Port

Credit: Vidu Gunaratna/AdobeStock

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) said it will provide $553 million financing for a Colombo port terminal project, partly owned by India's Adani Group, advancing the first foray by an Indian company into the sector.Sri Lanka, an island off India's southern coast, is mired in its worst financial crisis in over seven decades after its foreign exchange reserves ran to record lows last year, forcing its economy to contract by 7.8% in 2022. Ports-to-edible oils Adani group…

02 Nov 2023

Euronav Doubles Q3 Core Profit Yr/yr; Beats Estimates

Credit: Euronav

Belgian oil tanker firm Euronav on Thursday beat analysts' expectations and more than doubled its core profit in the third quarter from the same year-ago period, helped by higher sales and high freight rates.The market for very large crude carriers (VLCC) "has improved due to increased frequency of loadings from higher USA crude production", Euronav said in a statement. Although freight rates fell modestly during the quarter, they still remained strong when compared to historic averages since 1990, Euronav added.

24 Oct 2023

Schneider Named Engineering Director at Bollinger Mississippi Shipyard

Nathan Schneider (Photo: Bollinger Shipyards)

Bollinger Shipyards announced it has hired Nathan Schneider as Director of Engineering for its Bollinger Mississippi Shipyard (BMS). As Director of Engineering, Schneider will be responsible for leading the BMS Engineering Department in support of various Department of Defense and commercial new construction programs.“As we continue to grow and expand to meet the changing needs of our customers, it’s important that the leadership team and broader organization evolve to meet those demands and provide the highest levels of quality…

01 Aug 2023

Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol Contracts for New Rescue/Patrol Boat

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Moose Boats won a new contract from Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol for the construction of a M2–35 Catamaran Rescue/Patrol Boat. “The Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol is excited to partner with Moose Boats to build our next generation patrol, fire, and rescue vessel," Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol Supervisor, Nathan Alldredge. "Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol is the primary emergency response for the city’s harbor, marina, beaches and Wharf. Additionally, Harbor Patrol’s area of responsibility extends to the near coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean from Santa Barbara Point to Loon Point and out to 3 miles.

28 Jul 2023

Ocean Shippers Playing Catch Up to Electric Vehicle Fire Risk

Freemantle Highway car carrier burning off the Dutch coast - Credit: Dutch Coast Guard

Electric vehicles are crisscrossing the globe to reach their eager buyers, but the battery technology involved in the zero- emission automobiles is exposing under-prepared maritime shippers to the risk of hard-to-control fires, industry, insurance, and emergency response officials said.That risk has been put under the spotlight by the burning car carrier [Freemantle Highway] drifting off the Dutch coast. The Dutch coastguard said the fire's cause was unknown, but Dutch broadcaster…

24 Jul 2023

The Need for [U.S. Navy Shipbuilding] Speed

The world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) steams in the Adriatic Sea, June 23, 2023.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Adkins)

The Navy wants, and needs, more ships; but it can’t build them fast enough.While the U.S. Navy aims to achieve a 355-ship fleet, it is decommissioning older (and some not so old) ships at about the same rate it's adding new ones.A Congressional Research Service report stated that, as of April 17, 2023, the Navy included 296 battle force ships. "The Navy projects that under its FY2024 budget submission, the Navy would include 293 battle force ships at the end of FY2024 and 291 battle force ships at the end of FY2028."But there is progress…

27 Mar 2023

Carnival Posts Smaller Loss on Strong Demand

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Cruise operator Carnival Corp on Monday reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss and beat estimates for revenue, helped by strong demand for leisure travel, higher ticket prices and strong on-board spending.Cruise operators like Carnival, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings are reporting resilient demand from cooped-up consumers undeterred by elevated inflation as COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions ease."We are still experiencing a record wave season…

19 Feb 2023

Lockheed Martin Scores $2 Billion US Navy Contract

(Image: Lockheed Martin)

The U.S.

07 Feb 2023

Photos: US Retrieves Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Shot Down in the Atlantic

Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, S.C., February 5, 2023. (Photo: Tyler Thompson / U.S. Navy)

Photos released by the U.S. Navy on Tuesday show sailors collecting the remnants of a suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by an Air Force fighter over the weekend off the coast of South Carolina.The U.S. military began collecting the debris after the high-altitude surveillance balloon was shot down by an F-22 fighter over the weekend at the orders of President Joe Biden. The balloon fell about six miles off the coast of Myrtle Beach, S.C., into about 50 feet of water.China has claimed that the balloon was a wayward “civilian unmanned airship” primarily conducting weather research.

07 Feb 2023

Maritime Transport: Fuels, Emissions and Sustainability

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International trade by sea has long been a key part of the world economy and approximately 90% of traded commodities is reliant on shipping. Once wind-propelled in the days of sail, the current generation of ships now heavily rely on fossil fuels. Fossil fuel propulsion contributes to global warming with carbon emissions approximating 940 MtCO2e per year and also has health implications for communities surrounding ports through the release of air pollutants. The environmental impact of fossil-fuelled engines is further compounded by their use in port infrastructure…

21 Dec 2022

Great Ships '22: USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125)

The guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) fires a Standard Missile 2 missile from the ship's forward and aft missile decks during a missile exercise. Mustin is one of seven guided missile destroyers assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15 and is forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Devon Dow/Released)

The Arleigh Burke-class Guided Missile Destroyer - The world’s most successful post-war surface combatantsThe USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) class of guided missile destroyers can rightfully be called the most successful class of surface combatants in the post-World War II era. The lead ship was commissioned in 1991, and the Navy is still building them at Huntington Ingalls Industries Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. A total of 89 have been procured through FY2022…

26 Apr 2022

One Migrant Dead, 26 Missing after Dinghy Capsizes off Spain's Canary Islands

Illustration only - A Spanish Maritime Safety and Rescue Agency Photo

One migrant died and 26 were missing after their dinghy capsized in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Spain's Canary Islands, the Spanish Coast Guard told Reuters on Tuesday.The coast guard rescued 34 people after the vessel capsized around 135 miles off the southern tip of Gran Canaria on Monday. Another two vessels carrying around 63 people, including two children, were found floating in the sea around 40 miles to the south. All those onboard were rescued, the coast guard said.Authorities were alerted on April 24 to a dinghy that had left Cabo Bojador in Western Sahara…

22 Mar 2022

Russian Billionaire's Yacht Detained in Gibraltar

A luxurious super-yacht linked to the owner of Russia's largest steel pipe maker, who is currently under British and European Union sanctions, docked in Gibraltar on Monday and was then detained by the authorities.Western sanctions on Russian oligarchs over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine have triggered an exodus of luxury yachts from Europe in recent weeks, with several heading towards the Maldives, which has no extradition treaty with the United States.Reuters TV footage showed the "Axioma", believed to be owned by Dmitrievich Pumpyansky, owner of steel group TMK, moored at Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula…

08 Mar 2022

Yacht Linked to Russian Oligarch Leaves Barcelona

A superyacht linked to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich left Barcelona on Tuesday where it had been undergoing repairs in a local shipyard, ship-tracking data showed.The 140-meter (460-foot) My Solaris, which sails under a Bermuda flag according to monitoring site Marine Traffic, left Spanish company MB92's Barcelona shipyard just after 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) on Tuesday, according to the same site. MB92 declined to comment.The superyacht, which was built in a German shipyard and first took to the sea early last year, is one of a string of yachts owned by Abramovich, according to reports in luxury goods publications SuperYachtFan, SuperYacht Times and Forbes.Abramovich…

10 Jan 2022

4,400 Migrants Lost at Sea Bound for Spain in 2021, Double Previous Year

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More than 4,400 migrants, including at least 205 children, were lost at sea trying to reach Spain in 2021, a monitoring group said on Monday - more than double the figure from the previous year and the most since the group began counting in 2018.The group, Walking Borders, or Caminando Fronteras, blamed increasingly dangerous routes, inferior boats and the fear of some vessels to help migrants at sea for the surge in deaths. According to Spanish official statistics, 39,000 undocumented migrants successfully reached Spain by sea or land last year…

16 Feb 2022

Seven Dead, Others Feared Drowned After Spanish Trawler Sinks off Canada

At least seven crew from a Spanish trawler have died and three were plucked from a life raft after their ship sank off the Canadian coast on Tuesday, an official said, as rescuers searched for more survivors in the bitterly cold Atlantic waters.The vessel, the Villa de Pitanxo, with a crew of 24 comprising 16 Spaniards, five Peruvians and three Ghanaians, launched a distress beacon at 0424 GMT, Spain's fisheries ministry said.It sank around 450 km (280 miles) east-southeast of Newfoundland, the ministry said."Seven people have been found dead," said Alberto Nunez Feijoo, the leader of Spain's Galicia region where the vessel and several of its crew were from."There were two Galician fishing boats in the area…

16 Feb 2022

At Least 10 Dead from Sunken Trawler off Canada, 11 Still Missing

(Photo: Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) Halifax)

Sea rescue services from the Canadian city of Halifax found and recovered 10 bodies from a Spanish fishing trawler that sank in rough sea off the eastern coast of Canada, the services said late on Tuesday, though 11 of the crew are still missing.“Regrettably, Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) Halifax can confirm that an additional three deceased individuals have been recovered from the sunken fishing vessel,” the center said on its Twitter account. Earlier, it announced the recovery of seven bodies.Three surviving sailors from the trawler…

16 Feb 2022

Canada Calls off Search for Missing Sailors from Sunken Trawler

(Photo: Halifax Joint Rescue Coordination Center)

Canadian rescue officials on Wednesday suspended the search for 11 missing crew members from a Spanish trawler that sank the previous day in rough seas off the coast of Newfoundland, killing at least 10 people.Three surviving sailors from the trawler, suffering from severe hypothermia, were plucked from a life raft early on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear what sank the trawler Villa de Pitanxo.Bad weather complicated the search efforts, which went on for some 36 hours and involved a plane, two helicopters, rescue ships and one Spanish and two Portuguese trawlers.At 4 p.m.