New York Chapter News

Boriana Farrar is a familiar face in maritime circles, the Vice President and Counsel and a Senior Claims Executive and Business Development Director for the Americas at the Ship Owners Claims Bureau, Inc. managers of the American P&I Club. We met with her in her NYC office to discuss her path from her native Bulgaria to a top maritime professional position.When Boriana Farrar moved from her native Bulgaria to the United States in 2001, she did so to be close to family, her mother and her sister who had already established a life in the U.S., some 5,000 miles from her homeland.

Brian U. Stratton was appointed Director of the New York State Canal Corporation in April 2011, to oversee the operation and development of New York’s 524-mile Canal System, including the historic Erie Canal. The canal system, a historic system of waterways that dates back almost 200 years, was begun in 1817. Opened in its entirety in 1825, the Erie Canal is widely considered the engineering marvel of the 19th Century. But the canal system spans much more than the Erie Canal. It’s potential as an inland marine highway is undeniable.

The 'SS United States' - America's Flagship - is making her final push to return home to New York with a DAY OF ACTION on Thursday, 4, September in Manhattan that will also feature an announcement by a developer interested in re-purposing the historic ship into a major waterfront destination, says the SS United States Conservancy organization. The SS United States redevelopment will create more than 2000 jobs and generate significant revenue for the city. Volunteers will be handing out literature about the ship as part of an effort to engage Mayor DeBlasio and Governor Cuomo in the process of saving the nation's flagship. The Conservancy only has weeks to determine whether the vessel may need to be sold for scrap. Proceedings begin on Sept. 4. at 7-30 a.m.

Members of some of the New York-Metro area's most prominent maritime companies gathered this afternoon at the Port of New York Chapter of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Alumni Foundation. The meeting, which was highlighted by guest speaker, Ted Tregurtha, president of Moran Towing, Greenwich, Conn. Was held at the 3 West Club in Midtown Manhattan. With members of New York’s other well-known tug boat family – McAllister Towing & Transportation – in attendance the event was well received by an industry that has faced its share of trials in the last few years. According to Tregurtha though, this has not phased Moran in the least. He noted that while the company has undergone major changes and re-organization in the last five to 10 years…

Royal Caribbean International has added to its fleet Brilliance of the Seas, the cruise line's second Radiance-class ship, in a ceremony in Eemshaven, Netherlands. The ship has been financed through a long-term lease. The 2,100-guest ship was built at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, and successfully completed sea trials in the North Sea. England. The traditional event will take place at 6 p.m. in the ship's Pacifica Theater. The ship will embark from Harwich July 15 on a seven-night maiden voyage to the Norwegian fjords. 12-night cruises from Harwich to the British Isles, Norwegian fjords, and Scandinavia and Russia. Ofer…