Star Bulk Awarded USCG Qualship 21 for 30 Vessels
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has awarded Qualship 21 status to 30 bulk carriers owned and operated by Star Bulk Carriers Corp., the largest U.S. listed dry bulk operator. The Qualship 21 program rewards high quality ships sailing under qualifying flags. In a letter to Star Bulk, Rear Admiral Paul Thomas of the USCG stated, “Less than 10 percent of all [non-U.S. flagged] ships that operate in the [U.S.] meet the eligibility requirements of this program, putting [Star Bulk's] qualified vessels in an elite class.
HHI Names 2 New Containerships in Ulsan
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), hailed the New Year by naming two 10,000 TEU containerships for a Greek shipping line, Oceanbulk Maritime SA. The naming ceremony was attended by Spyros Capralos, chief executive officer of Oceanbulk; Nicos Rescos, chief operating officer of Oceanbulk; Yoon Moon-kyoon, chief operating officer of HHI’s shipbuilding division; and 44 other guests at HHI’s yard in Ulsan. At the simultaneous naming ceremony, the vessels were named after the famous French and Spanish painters, Cezanne and Dali respectively.