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Owned Bulk Carrier News

21 Mar 2024

Somali Pirates' Return Adds to Crisis for Global Shipping Companies

© Antony / Adobe Stock

As a speed boat carrying more than a dozen Somali pirates bore down on their position in the western Indian Ocean, the crew of a Bangladeshi-owned bulk carrier sent out a distress signal and called an emergency hotline.No one reached them in time. The pirates clambered aboard the Abdullah, firing warning shots and taking the captain and second officer hostage, Chief Officer Atiq Ullah Khan said in an audio message to the ship's owners."By the grace of Allah no one has been harmed so far," Khan said in the message, recorded before the pirates took the crew's phones.

06 Mar 2024

Three Killed in Houthi Attack On Greek-owned Ship

(Photo: U.S. Central Command)

A Houthi missile attack killed three seafarers on a Red Sea merchant ship on Wednesday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said, the first fatalities reported since the Iran-aligned Yemeni group began strikes against shipping in one of the world's busiest trade lanes.The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, which set the Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged ship True Confidence ablaze around 50 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen's port of Aden.In an earlier message on X responding to the Houthi claim, Britain's embassy wrote: "At least 2 innocent sailors have died.

06 Mar 2024

Two Dead in First Fatal Houthi Attack on Red Sea Shipping

© Robert / Adobe Stock

Two seafarers were killed in a Houthi missile attack on a Red Sea merchant ship on Wednesday, British and U.S. officials said, the first fatalities reported since the Iran-aligned Yemeni group began strikes against shipping in one of the world's busiest sea lanes.The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, which set the Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged ship True Confidence ablaze around 50 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen's port of Aden.In a statement on X directly responding to the Houthi claim, Britain's embassy wrote: "At least 2 innocent sailors have died.

19 Feb 2024

Houthis Say Ship Attacked in Gulf of Aden May Sink

© Eugene / Adobe Stock

Yemen's Houthi militants said on Monday they had attacked another cargo vessel in the Gulf of Aden which was at risk of sinking, raising the stakes in their campaign to disrupt global shipping in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war.The Iran-aligned Houthis have made repeated drone and missile strikes since November in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, drawing U.S. and British bombing against them.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement that the Rubymar's crew was safe but that the ship was badly damaged and at risk of sinking.

12 Feb 2024

Houthis Target Cargo Ship Bound for Iran

© Sergey Zhmurchak / Adobe Stock

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have targeted a cargo ship in the Red Sea which shipping analysts said on Monday had been carrying corn to Iran.It appeared to be the first time the Houthis have targeted an Iran-bound vessel since starting attacks on international shipping in solidarity with Palestinians over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, shipping sources said.A U.S. defence official said it was likely that the ship had been targeted but not hit, but provided no further comment. Earlier


06 Feb 2024

Houthis Fire Missiles at Two Ships in Red Sea

© woodpencil / Adobe Stock

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Tuesday they had fired missiles at two vessels in the Red Sea, causing damage to the ships.The Houthis have been targeting commercial vessels with drones and missiles in the Red Sea since mid-November, in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war.The group's military spokesman said it had fired naval missiles at the Star Nasia and Morning Tide, identifying the Marshall Islands and Barbados-flagged ships


18 Jan 2024

US-owned Bulk Carrier Approached by Drones off Yemen

© Robert / Adobe Stock

British maritime security firm Ambrey on Thursday said that a Marshall Islands-flagged US-owned bulk carrier reported that four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) approached and circled the vessel approximately 87 miles southeast of Yemen's city of Mukalla."One of the UAVs reportedly fell into the water. No damage or injuries were reported. The bulker was not impacted and continued its voyage," Ambrey said in an advisory note.The maritime security firm said that the drones remained in the bulker's vicinity


16 Jan 2024

Another Ship Hit in the Red Sea

© ID1974 / Adobe Stock

Disruptions to Red Sea shipping caused by Houthi attacks will push up prices of consumer goods, an executive from port and freight operator DP World said on Tuesday as a missile struck another vessel in the region.The Iran-allied Houthi militia has threatened to expand its attacks to include U.S. ships in response to American and British strikes on its sites in Yemen.Attacks by the Houthis on ships in the region since November have impacted companies and alarmed major powers - an escalation of Israel's more than three-month-old war with Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza.

15 Jan 2024

Houthis Hit US-owned Dry Bulk Ship, No Injuries

(Image: United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations)

Houthi forces in Yemen struck the U.S.-owned and operated dry bulk ship Gibraltar Eagle with an anti-ship ballistic missile, U.S Central Command said on Monday, although there were no reports of injuries or significant damage.The vessel's U.S.-based operator Eagle Bulk Shipping said that it was hit by an "unidentified projectile" while sailing 100 miles off the Gulf of Aden and suffered limited damage to its cargo hold, and no seafarers were injured."As a result of the impact


14 Dec 2023

Bulk Carrier Reportedly Boarded in Eastern Indian Ocean off Yemen

© SerPhoto / Adobe Stock

A Malta-flagged, Bulgarian-owned bulk carrier was reportedly boarded on Thursday after being involved in an incident in the eastern Indian Ocean off Yemen's Socotra Island, British maritime security company Ambrey said in an advisory note.An Iranian-flagged fishing vessel in the area had switched off its AIS transponder six hours before the incident close to where the bulk carrier appeared to come adrift, Ambrey said."The Iran-flagged fishing vessel had previously been operating offshore Somalia," Ambrey added.(Reuters - Reporting by Jana Choukeir and Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Alex Richardso

08 Nov 2023

Gibdock Applies Graphene-based Fouling Release Coating

(Photo: Gibdock)

Gibraltar ship repair and conversion yard Gibdock said it recently hosted the Vulica Shipping Company-owned bulk carrier Donald M James for a 30-day project which brought a first opportunity to work with a new type of coating from GIT Coatings (Graphite Innovation & Technologies Inc).The 229-eterm-long ship entered Gibdock’s No.1 Dock for extensive works, including renewal to cargo holds, piping, thrusters, tail shafts and rudders. The yard also applied shipping’s first antifouling


18 Nov 2022

Diana Shipping Announces Two Time Charter Deals

Shipowner Diana Shipping on Friday announced it has entered into a pair of time charter contracts for two of its owned bulk carrier vesselsWestern Bulk Carriers AS will charter the DSI Aquila $13,300 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period until minimum September 15, 2023 up to maximum November 15, 2023. The charter is expected to commence on November 22, 2022. The 60,309 dwt Ultramax dry bulk vessel was built in 2015.In addition, EGPN Bulk Carrier Co., Limited, will charter the Houston for $13,000 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period until minimum July 1, 2024 up to maximum August 31, 2024. The charter is expected to commence on November 21, 2022.

22 Feb 2022

ADM Sets Record for Single Soybean Shipment from Northern Brazil

U.S. grains merchant Archer-Daniels-Midland Co said on Tuesday it has carried out the largest soybean shipment in the history of the Ponta da Montanha Grain Terminal (TGPM), located in the northern Brazilian city of Barcarena, as it shipped 84,802 tonnes in a single vessel.It also represented the largest volume ever shipped on a grain vessel from ports located in the Amazon Basin, the company told Reuters."This showed us that we have one more option to move soybeans through the TGPM, using our own vessel...

27 Jan 2021

Biofouling in Niche Areas: Addressing the Blind Spots

Photo courtesy I-Tech

In a recent study that I-Tech conducted with U.K. independent marine coatings consultants, Safinah Group, we estimated that unacceptable levels of hard fouling, predominantly barnacles, across the global commercial could be responsible for at least 110 million tons of excess carbon emissions, with a significant proportion of the fleet suffering from a severe level of hard fouling.It’s a growing risk for owners; in the last few years biofouling has been thrust into the spotlight


24 Aug 2020

Wakashio Bow Section Scuttled off Mauritius

(Photo: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio)

The bow section of the stricken bulk carrier Wakashio has been scuttled Monday after the Japanese-owned bulk carrier ran aground, spilled oil and broke apart atop a coral reef off Mauritius.Scuttling efforts commenced last week but progressed slowly due to rough sea conditions, authorities said. The front section of the ship is no longer visible as of 3:30 p.m. local time on Monday after salvors cut holes into the bulkheads of several cargo hatches to accelerate the sinking process


21 Aug 2020

Mauritius Begins Wakashio Scuttling Operations

(Photo: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio)

Mauritius said on Thursday it had started to scuttle the Japanese-owned bulk carrier that ran aground off its shores and spilled oil over pristine waters and fragile coral reefs. The MV Wakashio hit a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on July 25 and began spilling oil on August 6, prompting the government to announce a state of environmental emergency.Two of the ship's officers were arrested on Tuesday on charges of endangering safe navigation.The government's National Crisis Committee said in a statement the exercise had started at around 1200 GMT."The ...

21 Aug 2020

Wakashio Bulk Carrier Deviated from Shipping Lane before Mauritius Impact

Image Credit: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio

The Japanese-owned bulk carrier that ran aground off Mauritius and spilled oil over pristine waters and fragile coral reefs diverted more than 100 kilometers from a regular shipping lane, data from a maritime analysis firm showed.The MV Wakashio, owned by Nagashiki Shipping and chartered by Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd, struck a coral reef on Mauritius's southeast coast on July 25 and later began leaking oil. Two of the ship's officers have since been arrested on charges of endangering


19 Aug 2020

Mauritius to Scuttle Stricken Bulk Carrier Wakashio

(Photo: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio)

Mauritius said on Wednesday it planned to scuttle the Japanese-owned bulk carrier that ran aground off its shores and spilled oil over pristine waters and fragile coral reefs.Earlier on Wednesday Nagashiki Shipping, owner of the MV Wakashio, apologized for the incident. Two of the ship's officers were arrested overnight on charges of endangering safe navigation.The MV Wakashio struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on July 25 and began spilling oil on August 6, prompting


16 Sep 2019

Australia Bans Two Bulkers Over Mariner Pay Spat

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has banned two foreign-flagged bulk carriers from Australian ports after their crews reported being underpaid.The Chinese-owned bulk carrier MV Xing Jing Hai and the Panama-flagged MV Fortune Genius were banned for 18 months and 12 months respectively.AMSA surveyors boarded the Fortune Genius in Gladstone after receiving a complaint via the International Transport Workers’ Federation.AMSA’s investigation revealed the crew of the Fortune Genius had been deliberately under paid by the operator, New Fortune Genius Management, by about AUD $100,000 for the months of April to August.The ship had been operating with two sets of wage accounts


04 Feb 2019

Blockchain to Track Sustainable Biofuel

Japanese shipping company NYK, global mining company BHP, green biofuel company GoodFuels and the developer of blockchain applications for the maritime industry Blockchain Labs for Open Collaboration (BLOC) bunkered biofuel in the tanks a BHP vessel in Netherlands.The Netherlands based GoodFuels Marine, a supplier of sustainable low carbon marine fuels, has annouced the successful delivery of sustainable biofuels to the BHP-chartered, NYK-owned bulk carrier Frontier Sky, with CO2 savings verified with BLOC’s blockchain fuels assurance platform. The advanced biofuel, supplied by GoodFuels via logistics partner Varo Energy, is a ‘drop-in’ marine gasoil (MGO)-equivalent, and was blended with conventional fossil-based MGO in a mix of 30% biofuel to 70% conventional MGO.

30 Jun 2016

BSM Acquires USCG Qualship 21 Program Approval

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement is proud to announce that it has received US Coast Guard (USCG) Qualship 21 Program approval for the BSM India-managed, Algoma-owned bulk carrier Honourable Henry Jackman. The Quality Shipping for the 21st Century (‘Qualship 21’) Program is aimed at recognising and rewarding internationally-flagged, high-quality ships operating within US waters. Eligibility criteria include no substandard vessel detentions in the US during the previous 36 months, and not owned or operated by a company that has had any Port State Control (PSC) detentions in US waters within the past 24 months. In awarding the Qualship 21 certificate to BSM India


20 Sep 2012

TORM Streamlines Operations

Inmarsat (LSE:ISAT.L), a provider of global mobile satellite communications services, announces that Copenhagen-based TORM A/S, a carrier of refined oil products and dry bulk cargo, will deploy Inmarsat XpressLink to its owned bulk carrier and tanker fleets. The XpressLink roll out will commence with 17 ships and the remainder of the TORM owned fleet will be equipped over the next three years. Allan H Rasmussen. Vice President, Fleet and New-building Support at TORM said: “Reliable high speed communication is essential to TORM’s efforts to streamline our shipping operation and optimise resource utilisation while reducing costs. Continued


01 May 2012

Stranded Greek Bulk Carrier Refloated

Photo credit: Fairmount

The Greek owned bulk carrier, Akiba, which was recently grounded off the coast of Maputo, Mozambique, has been successfully refloated. The tug Fairmount Glacier was mobilised from Cape Town under a salvage operation conducted by Greek company Five Oceans Salvage under a Lloyd’s Open Form. Upon arrival at the site, the salvage plan was discussed between the masters of Fairmount Glacier and Akiba, along with the salvage master. On the second attempt, the 190m Akiba was refloated sucessfully and towed by Fairmount Glacier to a safe anchor position where the vessel could be examined for damage.