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Westport News

07 Aug 2023

Mass. Maritime to Open On-campus Center for Inclusion

(Photo: Massachusetts Maritime Academy)

Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) is set to open a new office on campus that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion through programs, events and student support initiatives.MMA's Office of Intercultural Engagement named its new office the Captain Paul Cuffe Center for Inclusion, in honor of the master mariner, philanthropist, abolitionist and education advocate. Approved by unanimous vote of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Board of Trustees, the Cuffe Center is housed…

06 Apr 2022

Dredging Commences in Port of Alaska

(Photo: USACE)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District announced dredging in the Port of Alaska commenced on April 1.Seasonal dredging of the waterway aims to address heavy shoaling at the fuel docks and Terminal 3, the Corps said.Since the 1960s, the district has operated a dredge at the Port of Alaska to keep Cook Inlet safe for navigation by clearing built-up sediments on the seafloor that prevent large ships from coming through.This year’s vessel, the Westport, a 2,000-cubic-yard hopper dredge operated by Manson Construction…

14 Mar 2022

GAC Bunker Fuels Opens New US Office

(Photo: GAC Group)

GAC Bunker Fuels has opened a new office in Westport, Conn. to help global customers decarbonize in American ports and beyond.The office will be manned by liquefied natural gas (LNG), biofuel, low sulfur fuel oil (LSFO) and marine gasoil (MGO) experts Maurice Lara and John Lindquist, and will be carbon neutral.Beyond aligning with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, GAC Bunker Fuels has pledged zero oil-based bunker sales by January 1, 2030. On 1 September 2020…

16 Feb 2022

Rolls-Royce to Deliver 'Cleanest' mtu Series 2000 Engines for US-built Yacht

Rolls-Royce is delivering its new generation mtu Series 2000 engines which comply with the strict emissions regulations IMO III and EPA Tier 3 for a Westport 125 yacht. It's the first time these engines are delivered for a yacht to be built in the US.

Rolls-Royce said Wednesday it would deliver its new generation mtu Series 2000 engines which comply with the strict emissions regulations IMO III and EPA Tier 3 Recreational for the first time for a yacht to be built in the US. Rolls-Royce will provide two 16V 2000 M97L engines with an integrated SCR system and a power output of 1939 KW (2600 bhp) each.The engines will be installed in a Westport 125 yacht. Rolls-Royce is also delivering its automation solution mtu NautIQ Blue Vision NG for monitoring and control of the yacht’s propulsion system.

28 Apr 2021

Pauline Duclos, CFO of Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Dies at 87

Pauline Duclos. (Photo: Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding)

Pauline Delia (Duperre) Duclos, age 87, wife of George Duclos, the former CEO of Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, died peacefully on April 24, 2021, surrounded by her family. The daughter of the late Jean Baptiste and Claire (Paradise) Duperre, she was born in 1933 in Warren, R.I. Pauline spent most of her life in Westport, Mass., enjoying summers on the Watuppa Pond and moving to the Pond permanently in 1960.Pauline is survived by her four children: John (Kimberly), Peter (Kimberly)…

08 Jul 2020

Corps Continues Legacy of Dredging at Port of Alaska

The Westport, a red and white hopper dredge operated by Manson Construction, dredges near the Port of Alaska on April 3, 2019. From May 1 to Nov. 1 each year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removes built-up sediment from the seafloor near the Port of Alaska to maintain shipping channels and dock access. An estimated 50 percent of all goods entering Alaska come through this port. (Photo: U.S. Army)

All summer long, a crimson and white boat moves back and forth through the waters near the Port of Alaska collecting silt, sand and gravel off the seafloor to allow vessels to navigate the harbor in Anchorage. The boat is a dredging vessel called the Westport, operated by Manson Construction of Seattle, Wash., which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District contracted to maintain the mooring areas for the past three years.An estimated 2,400 to 2,600 cargo containers arrive…

17 Feb 2020

Obituary: George R. Duclos, 1933-2020

George Raymond Duclos, age 86, died peacefully on February 15, 2020 surrounded by his family. The son of the late Raymond and Albertine (Bertha Chenard) Duclos. Born in 1933 in Fall River, MA, George spent most of his life in Westport, MA spending summers on the Watuppa Pond and moving to the Pond permanently in the 1960's.George is survived by his wife and life-long partner in adventure, Pauline D. (Duperre) Duclos, and his four children: John (Kimberly), Peter (Kimberly), Carol Hegarty (Steven) of Westport…

05 Sep 2019

USCG's Dorian Response in Bahamas Continues

Coast Guard personnel help medevac a patient in the Bahamas during Hurricane Dorian. The Coast Guard is supporting the Bahamian National Emergency Management Agency and the Royal Bahamian Defense Force with hurricane response efforts. (Coast Guard Photo)

Coast Guard Hurricane Dorian response operations are underway in support of the Bahamas.As of Wednesday at 1000 hours:Coast Guard crews from across the Coast Guard have rescued 61 people and rescued four pets in the Bahamas since Hurricane Dorian began.The Coast Guard is currently conducting air operations based out of Andros Island, Bahamas. Other aspects f the USCG response are as follows:Port Condition Zulu is set for the Port of Palm BeachPort Condition Four for the Ports of Fort Pierce…

16 Aug 2018

Shipbuilding: “We had shipyard for dinner …”

Brothers and co-presidents Peter Duclos (left) and John Duclos flank sister Carol Hegarty, CFO. Photo: Greg Trauthwein

The Duclos family is iconic in boatbuilding circles, as the Somerset, Mass.-based Gladding-Hearn, Duclos Corporation, has built a strong heritage in the pilot boat and fast ferry sectors, and in total more than 425 vessels have been delivered since it was founded in 1955. Today a trio of second-generation siblings run the yard, brothers and co-presidents John and Peter Duclos with sister Carol Hegarty serving as CFO. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News visited the yard recently…

11 Jan 2018

Contargo Rolls out New Service from Rotterdam and Basel

Contargo AG has launched a new rail shuttle service to the German town of Weil am Rhein on the Swiss border. This creates a direct connection between the port of Rotterdam and the important industrial areas around Basel. Three times a week, the container train travels from the DUSS Terminal in Weil am Rhein (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) to Rotterdam and vice versa (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) in a mere 18 hours. In Rotterdam the shuttle will stop at the CTT Pernis Terminal. This terminal has an efficient connection with the container terminals at Maasvlakte via the PortShuttle service. The ‘Basel Westport Shuttle’ has a capacity of 88 TEU and carries both maritime and continental freight. The train is also used for tank cars and bulk cargo.

29 Nov 2017

Maritime Pilots Recognized with IMO Bravery Accolade

Two maritime pilots who defied fire to bring a burning ship to safety, averting a major maritime catastrophe, received the 2017 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea during the 2017 IMO awards ceremony, held on Monday (27 November). Pilots Captain Michael G. McGee and Captain Michael C. Phillips, from Houston, United States, were recognized for their role in averting a major tragedy in September 2016. The ship they were piloting, the 247 meters-long tanker Aframax River, broke down in the Houston Ship Channel in the middle of the night and burst into flames after colliding with mooring dolphins. Captain McGee and Captain Phillips were surrounded by a towering wall of burning fuel as the raging fire quickly spread across the channel…

06 Sep 2017

Eagle Bulk Completes Greenship Bulk Fleet Acquisition

Eagle Bulk Shipping, one of the world’s largest owner-operators in the Supramax/Ultramax segment, announced that it has taken delivery of the M/V Westport Eagle, the ninth and final Crown-63 Ultramax dry bulk vessel acquired from Greenship Bulk Trust. Gary Vogel, Eagle Bulk's CEO, commented, "The successful conclusion of the nine-vessel fleet acquisition from Greenship Bulk provides clear and unambiguous benefits for Eagle, chief among them a significantly expanded commercial footprint and a more modern and efficient fleet. With the addition of the M/V Westport Eagle, the Eagle Bulk fleet currently consists of 48 vessels on the water, comprised exclusively of Supramax/Ultramax vessels.

23 May 2017

McDonough Launches M 2820 Barge

Photo: McDonough Marine Service

McDonough Marine Service has launched its latest barge design series at the Westport Orange Shipyard in Orange, Texas. The M 2820 (282’L x 54’W x 12’6”H, with 3,000 lbs/sq.ft. deck load rating) was delivered on-schedule, and is expected to bring greater possibilities to Project Cargo transportation on the inland waterways. “As growth continues to develop in the infrastructure, petrochemical and power generation markets, the engineered components and modules are increasing in both size and weight,” stated Pat Stant, President of McDonough Marine Service.

30 Nov 2016

Oscar B: Power in the River Currants

Oscar B (Photo: Cummins)

Since 1925 there has been some form of car ferry crossing of the lower Columbia River from Puget Island on the Washington side to Westport Slough on the Oregon side. In 1959 Wahkiakum County took over operation of the ferry and in 1962 had a steel-hulled ferry, named for the county, built by Nichols Boat Works at Hood River Oregon. This 12-car ferry served until 2015 when the county took delivery of a larger 23-car ferry. This ferry, named Oscar B, after Oscar Bergseng who served as ferry captain for 17 years. He died in 1985 after serving further years as ferry commissioner.

10 Aug 2016

Recent Vessel Sales - July 2016

Vessel sales for July 2016 (as of August 1) as prepared by Shipping Intelligence, Inc., New York.

01 Aug 2016

Westports Q2 Profit Up

Malaysian port operator Westports Holdings saw second quarter net profit jump 31% to MYR159.9m ($39.6m) from MYR122.1m in the previous corresponding period due to an increase in container volumes. Correspondingly, revenue also climbed to RM522.6mil from RM405.3mil last year. For the first six months, the port operator’s net profit stood higher at RM330.9mil from RM242.3mil in 2015. Revenue for the first half of the year chalked up to RM987.3mil against RM804mil in corresponding period last year. Westport announced its first interim single tier dividend of 7.3 sen per ordinary share in respect of the current financial year ending with entitlement date on Aug 11.

17 Feb 2016

Norstar to Launch JV

The tanker company Norstar is setting up a new Commercial Management joint venture based in Westport Connecticut USA named Norstar Chartering (USA) LLC. The new entity is a collaboration between brothers Chris and Tom Bonehill, principals of the Norstar Group and two senior shipping industry executives Lars Ebbesen and Olav Ekeberg formerly partners of Sokana Chartering and Navig8 Chemicals. Tom Bonehill said, “We are delighted to be joining forces with Lars and Olav to form this new company. They are known in the tanker industry as being outstanding ship traders with a broad network and excellent support from their cargo customers. This new venture will complement our existing structure of commercial and technical management services”.

12 Dec 2015

Port Closures for All of Pacific Northwest Entrances

The Coast Guard's two Captains of the Port have closed all maritime entrances in the Pacific Northwest, Friday, due to severe  sea conditions and large amounts of debris in the water. In Oregon, the ports of Chetco River in Brookings; Coos Bay; Umpqua River in Winchester Bay; Siuslaw River in Florence; Yaquina Bay in Newport; Depoe Bay; Tillamook Bay in Girabaldi; and the Columbia River are closed to all traffic. In Washington the port of Grays Harbor in Westport; and Quillayute River in LaPush are closed. Several storms carrying strong winds and heavy rainfall crossed the Pacific Northwest over the last week and have caused flooding and landslides in parts of Oregon and Washington.

24 Feb 2015

New Ferry Built for Washington, Oregon

Oscar B (Photo courtesy of EBDG)

Construction of the steel-hulled, aluminum superstructure ferry M/V Oscar B has been completed for Wahkiakum County as a replacement for the existing ferry, Wahkiakum. The Oscar B, designed by Seattle's Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) and built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, is a 115 ft. x 47.6 ft., 23‐Car, 100 passenger ferry named after the late Oscar Bergseng who skippered the Wahkiakum for 17 years. The vessel, currently underway toward Astoria from Whidbey Island where it underwent sea trials…

01 Jul 2015

Team Tankers Appoints Hans Feringa as President and CEO

Team Tankers International Ltd has appointed Hans Feringa as new President and CEO. Feringa is the former President of Stolt Tankers, a division of Stolt-Nielsen Limited. He succeeds Jens Grønning, who has left the Company. "Under Jens' leadership, Team Tankers completed a comprehensive financial restructuring and established a solid operational model," said Morten Arntzen, Team Tankers Executive Chairman. "We are delighted that Hans will now be leading Team Tankers as the company focuses on growth and expansion. Hans brings unequalled industry experience and an outstanding track record of success. His insights and experience will drive Team Tankers' strategy to excel at serving our clients and their markets in the years ahead," he added.

03 Aug 2015

Boxships Collide in Port Klang, Malaysia

The container ships MOL Empire and Northern Democrat collided at around 1430 LT Aug 1 in Westport harbor at Port Klang, Malaysia, reportedly while mooring. Container or containers fell overboard, also port crane was damaged. It is understood, that both vessels suffered slight damages. The reason for the accident was higher speed and strong wind, which caused drifting of the container carrier MOL Empire over the already berthed Northern Democrat, which was performing cargo handling operations at same time. The both vessels were detained for inspection and until further investigation. A Westport Malaysia said in a statement that the cargo vessel has since been safely moved to the pilot station.

17 Oct 2014

Canada Invests $18.4m in Small Harbors

Senator Fabian Manning, on behalf of the Honorable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, announced an $18.4 million investment in improvement projects at small craft harbors in Newfoundland and Labrador. Shore protection improvements at St. Maintenance dredging at Trout River. “In Newfoundland and Labrador, where the fishing industry is part of the daily fabric of society, small craft harbors play a significant role,” Manning said. “Our Government is pleased to invest in these facilities to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the commercial fishing industry and stimulate local economies. The Honorable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans…

18 Oct 2014

U.S. Natgas Engine Sales Lagging Fuel's Steep Price Plunge

Natural gas-fueled engines, touted as a clean, low-cost alternative to diesel, continue to struggle for acceptance in the U.S. transportation sector despite a surge in gas production that has sent the alternative fuel's domestic price plunging. U.S. natural gas prices closed on Friday at $3.766 per million British thermal units, down 42 percent since February. At its current levels, natgas is about $1.50 a gallon cheaper than diesel fuel, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. For U.S. railroads alone, which consumed 3.6 billion gallons of diesel in 2012, the potential savings are huge. Yet more than a year after Warren Buffett's BNSF Railways Corp generated big headlines with a plan to test a handful of natgas locomotives…