Insights: Cherrie Felder, VP, Channel Shipyard Companies
For Cheryl âCherrieâ Felder, the path to the maritime industry was both untraditional and seemingly meant to be. After studying African art, she began her career working in a museum in New Orleans before landing a role directing professional rodeo in the Big Easy.âIt was a lot of fun, and I learned a whole lot,â Felder said. âBut as you may imagine, New Orleans is not a rodeo town. After the third year, the board of directors decided, okay, that's it. No more rodeo.âAnd thatâs when Felderâs doorway to the maritime industry swung openâŠ
Brazilian Built Submarine with French Tech Launched
The presidents of France and Brazil on Wednesday launched a submarine built in the South American country with French technology in a program that aims to build Brazil's first nuclear-powered submarine by the end of the decade.Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attended a ceremony in the Itaguai shipyard near Rio de Janeiro, launching the third diesel-powered submarine built in a $10 billion partnership.Brazil first lady Janja da Silva smashed a champagneâŠ
Insurers Brace for Multibillion Dollar Losses After Baltimore Ship Tragedy
Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse could cost insurers several billions of dollars in claims, sources say, but it is too early to calculate the likely full financial losses of the tragedy that has shuttered one of the busiest ports in the United States.Six peopleare still missing after a collision with a Singapore-flagged container ship destroyed the landmark bridge on Tuesday, forcing the closure of the Port of Baltimore.With little clarity on when the port would re-open, insurers and analysts are now assessing the likely losses borne by underwriters across several product lines in
Leadership Profile: Tor Svanes and NAVTOR's Quest to Transform Shipping
Compliance, performance, profitability, sustainability; take the biggest âpain pointsâ for almost any shipping company and watch NAVTORâs digital ecosystem work wonders. Here Tor Svanes, Founder and CEO, explains how NAVTOR has grown to lead the smart shipping world, why the recent merger with Voyager Worldwide was so critical, and how he hopes to help steer the industry towards brighter, simpler, and more intelligent horizons.âThe morning of the announcement I got a text from the boss of one of our biggest competitorsâŠ
Cargo Ship Lost Power Before Slamming Bridge in Baltimore
A massive cargo ship smashed into a bridge while sailing out of Baltimore early on Tuesday, sending cars and people into the river below and closing one of the busiest ports on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.Rescuers pulled out two survivors, one of whom was hospitalized, and searched for more in the Patapsco River after huge metal spans of the 1.6-mile (2.57 km) Francis Scott Key Bridge crumpled into the icy water around 1:30 a.m. (0530 GMT).The ship reported a power issue before impactâŠ
Maritime Partners Hires Two In Executive Leadership Roles
Maritime Partners,a Louisiana-based provider of maritime financing solutions primarily focused on Jones Act vessels, announced the addition of Stephen J. Bordes and Greg Chase to its executive leadership team.Bordes joins Maritime Partners as its chief financial officer, and Chase as as the firmâs chief legal officer.Bordes brings to the company more than 20 years of experience in the fields of finance and fund management. Prior to joining Maritime Partners, he served as the CFO for New York-based American Industrial PartnersâŠ
Demopolis: A Cautionary Tale for Increased Infrastructure Investment
Demopolis Lockâwhich suffered a recent catastrophic failureâis a cautionary tale for other locks and those in Congress and the White House who may fail to see the urgency and importance of investing in the inland waterways system.The nationâs inland waterways lock and dam infrastructure, largely constructed in the 1930s, has seen modernization and rehabilitation across the system, albeit very slowly. Despite those efforts, lock failures continue, and the risk of failure persists.WhileâŠ
Greek Shipping Tycoon Wins in Legal Battle with Newcastle United Co-owner
Newcastle United football club co-owner Amanda Staveley on Monday lost a London High Court battle with a Greek shipping tycoon over a historic debt of nearly 3.5 million pounds ($4.4 million).Staveley, who owns 10% of the Premier League side with her husband, denied she was liable to Victor Restis for a sum that had snowballed with interest to over 36 million pounds.The total bill had included around 31 million pounds in interest, accruing at 505,000 pounds per day. Restis' lawyersâŠ
New Zealand Deploys Naval Ship to Solomon Islands
New Zealand said on Monday it will dispatch defense personnel, helicopters and a naval ship to the Solomon Islands to assist in a national election due next month, where relations with China will be a key issue.The deployment is part of a NZ$10.8 million ($6.48 million) support program for the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission announced in January and that will help transport election officers and materials around Pacific Island nations.New Zealand's foreign ministry said the vessel HMNZS Canterbury will leave Auckland on Tuesday to transport two helicopters and crewâŠ
Accelleron, Furuno in MoU on "Digital Cooperation"
Accelleronâs Japanese joint venture company Turbo Systems United signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Furuno to cooperate in digital activities. The agreement, the first of its kind for the Accelleron group in Japan, is aimed at improving access to optimization solutions and digitally enabled services.
EU Naval Mission in Red Sea Destroys Missiles, Houthi Seaborne Drone
The EU's naval mission in the southern Red Sea said on Thursday it had destroyed three ballistic missiles and a Houthi seaborne drone to protect merchant ships.The EU's mission, known as Aspides, said on social media platform X that a French worship had destroyed the ballistic missiles and a German destroyed the drone, operated by the Iran-aligned Houthis and spotted near commercial vessels.Aspides was launched in February to help protect the key maritime trade route from drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Houthi militia, who say they are retaliating against Israel's war on Gaza.
China Grain Imports Near Record High
Cereal and oilseed imports to China, the world's biggest buyer of farm goods, will remain near record highs this year despite a recent spate of cancellations as lower global prices and a domestic output shortfall prompt purchases.China's wheat imports from Australia in January and February this year have nearly quadrupled from the same time last year, the latest customs data show. That trend should continue even after Beijing cancelled or postponed 1 million metric tons of Australian wheat last week.The cancellations, along with those for about 500,000 tons of U.S.
Somali Pirates' Return Adds to Crisis for Global Shipping Companies
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.
Ten Organizations Team Up on Guidelines for Combating Illegal Wildlife Trafficking
Ten organizations have joined forces to combat illegal wildlife trafficking through increasing awareness and vigilance across global supply chains.Together, they have produced practical guidelines for all supply chain participants, with advice on measures to take, questions to ask to help identify criminal wildlife trade, and guidance on reporting suspicious activities. An accompanying "Red Flags" document serves as a daily reference for all individuals involved in the supply chain.
Reliance Refusing Sovcomflot Oil Shipments
India's Reliance Industries, operator of the world's biggest refining complex, will not buy Russian oil loaded on tankers operated by shipping company Sovcomflot (SCF) after recent U.S. sanctions, according to two sources familiar with the matter.The development adds to oil export problems for Russia as its oil firms may face difficulties finding ships to sell surplus oil after recent Ukrainian drone attacks on the state's refineries. Russian companies are already struggling to collect payments for oil exports due to banking restrictions.The U.S.
India to Prosecute 35 Pirates Who Hijacked Ship Off Somalia
India will bring in and prosecute 35 Somali pirates its navy captured on a hijacked ship off Somalia, a navy official said, in a departure from its recent practice of rescuing vessels and crew but leaving the disarmed pirates at sea.The captured pirates are due to arrive in India on Saturday and will be handed over to the law enforcement agencies, the official said. He declined to be identified as he was not authorised to speak to the media.The exact charges against the pirates were not immediately clearâŠ
Derecktor Building Hybrid Ferries for Chatham Area Transit
Derecktor Shipyards New York is building a pair of hybrid ferries for Savannah, Ga. based Chatham Area Transit (CAT). Delivery is expected in 2024.The two 65-foot-long, 50-passenger ferries will be equipped with an electric propulsion package from BAE Systems, including permanent magnet traction motors and HybriGen Power system. Each vessel will feature a 308 kWh energy storage system (ESS) from Xalt Energy and a pair of Marine Jet Power (MJP) Ultrajet 305 waterjets.The ferries are being built to operate on shortâŠ
Bollinger Delivers Fast Response Cutter David Duren
Bollinger Shipyards recently delivered the USCGC David Duren to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Fla. This is the 182nd vessel Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 56th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) delivered under the current program.âWeâre incredibly proud to deliver the USCGC David Duren, the first of three Fast Response Cutters to be homeported in Astoria, Oregon,â said Bollinger President & CEO Ben Bordelon. âWeâre confident that pound for poundâŠ
US Navy Secretary Meets with Ship Repair Execs
The United States' Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, on Monday hosted executives from major ship repair companies at the Pentagon for a roundtable discussion focused on surface ship repair and modernization initiatives.Navy and Marine Corps leaders have expressed that repair process improvements are critical to meeting the needs of worldwide combatant commanders.âThe maritime industry is a strategic sector critical to our economic and national security,â said Secretary Del Toro.
Houthis Target Vessel in the Red Sea, Yemeni Military Source Says
Yemen's Houthis targeted a fuel tanker, Mado, in the Red Sea with naval missile and Israel's Eilat port and resort region with winged missiles, the group's military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Tuesday.Mado is a Marshall-Islands flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker heading to Singapore from Saudi Arabia, maritime shipping trackers showed. The Houthis described it as American, but Equasis's shipping database indicates that it is owned by Naftomar Shipping & Trading Co Ltd of Greece.
OMSA Announces New Board Members
Industry trade group the Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA) announced the addition of four CEOs to its board of directors.The new board members include Wes Bordelon, Chief Executive Officer, Bordelon Marine; Stacy Jo Stanley, Chief Executive Officer, Offshore Oil Services, Inc.; David Dantin, Chief Executive Officer, Odyssea Marine; and Lasse Petterson, Chief Executive Officer, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock."With the addition of these four executive leaders, OMSA pays homage to its roots while welcoming expanded opportunities in emerging energy frontiersâŠ
Houthi Attacks Must Ease for Salvage of Two Vessels, IMO Head Says
Efforts to limit environmental damage from a cargo vessel that sank after a Houthi missile strike and another abandoned during a fiery assault are on hold until attacks on ships ease, the United Nations' maritime shipping regulatory agency said on Monday.The UK-owned Rubymar last month became the first vessel lost since the Houthis began targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea area in November. The bulk carrier with 21,000 metric tons of fertiliser contained in its cargo holdâŠ
Panama Says Has No Knowledge of Iranian-owned Ships On Registry
Panama's maritime authority said on Monday it has no knowledge of ships owned by Iranians being in its registry, following concerns from U.S.