Specter News

Rescuers have lost hope of finding more survivors of the Baltimore bridge collapse, the coast guard said, as efforts switched on Wednesday to looking for bodies of the missing and more answers to why a container ship smashed into the span.Search divers were expected to return near dawn to the waters surrounding the twisted ruins of the bridge in Baltimore Harbor to search for six workers missing and now presumed dead.The disaster has forced the indefinite closure of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the U.S.

Search divers were expected to return near dawn on Wednesday to the waters surrounding the twisted ruins of a bridge knocked down in Baltimore Harbor by a faltering cargo ship, leaving six workers missing and presumed dead.The disaster also forced the indefinite closure of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, and created a traffic quagmire for Baltimore and the surrounding region.As the odds of their survival vanished, the search for the six workers was suspended on Tuesday evening…

Several shipping companies and a few liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers have decided to avoid the world's main East-West trade route, following attacks launched by Yemen's Houthi group on commercial ships at the southern end of the Red Sea.The attacks raised the specter of another bout of disruption to international commerce following the upheaval of the COVID pandemic, and prompted a U.S.-led international force to patrol waters near Yemen.IS THE RED SEA ROUTE IMPORTANT FOR…

The specter of liability beyond the limits of applicable insurance for the salvor’s liability to both its contractual partner and third parties continues to haunt the American Salvage Association’s members. Hence, the efforts since 2011 to obtain broad based immunity from claims beyond the patch work of statute, judge made law and contractual risk shifting terms. The exposure on certain projects to the prospect of “you bet the company claims” has caused prospective bidders with the requisite skills, technical expertise, and physical resources to decline opportunities to participate in major but high-risk projects. Responder immunity…

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned he would be "tougher" on Beijing in a second term if trade talks dragged on, compounding market fears that ongoing trade disputes between the United States and China could trigger a U.S. recession.The world's two largest economies imposed fresh tariffs on each other on Sunday, ratcheting up a tit-for-tat tariff war that has unsettled financial markets and raised the specter of a global recession. U.S. and Chinese negotiators are due to meet in person in Washington this month, but no date has yet been set.U.S.

In an unexpected reversal, it has been reported that the Houston Pilots yesterday notified Chairman Janiece Longoria of the Port of Houston Authority that they had withdrawn their latest application for a change in pilotage rates. Beyond this, the pilots requested in their letter dated October 18 that the application be removed from the agenda for the upcoming October 30 Board of Commissioners meeting.Upon being notified of the rate change application in September, no less than 15 shipping companies…

No less than 15 shipping companies, many of them top 10 liner companies, have written to Port of Houston Chairman Janice Longoria to reject the latest call for substantial rate hikes on the Houston Ship Channel. Local pilots already earn salaries that approach $500,000 annually.Like any other major U.S. port, registered foreign flag vessels must use a local state pilot on the Houston Ship Channel. According to local shipping stakeholders, the rates for those mandated services have spiraled more than 50% in the past 14 years alone.The rate increase proposal, a seemingly regular event at most U.S. ports over time, has on this occasion, struck a raw nerve at precisely the wrong time for industry.

Plucked from the headlines, the top stories of 2017 were compelling, and each provided impact to the domestic waterfront and in particular – the workboat sector. Follow along as Marine News recaps the highlights, drama and significant events that shaped the past 12 months. When Elaine Chao was sworn in to be the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, the Washington veteran brought a welcome burst of competence to the position. Her wide-ranging experience across the maritime sector and prior service at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, and the Federal Maritime Commission uniquely positions her to understand the critical role that the waterfront plays in the intermodal equation. Soon after taking her chair, she was joined by another familiar face at Marad. Rear Adm.

Notwithstanding the recent surge in crude oil prices, it isn’t lost on anyone that the offshore oil exploration business is, and has been for some time, in the doldrums. In the U.S. Gulf, that pain can be seen through Chapter 11 filings and the sobering specter of vessel after vessel rolling off the shipyard ways and directly into cold iron layup. And, it doesn’t help that the shore-based shale drillers have not only found a way to drastically reduce their operating expenses, but also how to turn the valve off and on, seemingly at will, in response to market conditions.

With the implementation date for new container weighing requirements 14-days away, Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission Mario Cordero said the time has come for ocean carriers to embrace the obvious solution to achieving compliance that Marine Terminal Operators can offer. Specifically, Cordero asserted the weight of export containers, as determined by terminal operators, can and should be classified as the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) of the container. Cordero also noted…

This edition of MarineNews headlines the increasingly diverse articulated tug-barge (AT/B) units which are beginning to make up a large percentage of the domestic merchant fleet. Conventional, less expensive towed barges are much slower than the traditional ships they replaced. That’s one reason that ATB’s are here to stay. The demand for the now familiar AT/B grew out of the need for low cost, safe, reliable, and more rapid marine transportation. That story begins on page 23. It turns out that safety is important to just about everyone. In the third quarter of 2013, I interviewed Harvey Gulf CEO Shane Guidry for an article that touched upon many things, but also seemed to always come back to one important metric: safety.

30%That’s the minimum level of capital expenditure cuts facing owners and operators of offshore rigs, vessels and various support services, as they scramble to keep equipment working and their heads above water during one of the worst oil downturns in 30 years. From a high of $108 per barrel in June of last year, prices plummeted roughly 60% as supply surpassed weakening demand, crashing in November to around $44 a barrel. The pricing collapse caught all sectors of the industry and financial markets by surprise, pulling down with it market valuations, quarterly earnings and day rates.

U.S. stocks ended little changed on Monday in a quiet session, as investors saw little reason to continue buying on Wall Street after a winning streak of six days of the S & P 500, although the activity mergers and acquisitions boosted the energy sector. * The S & P 500 halted its longest streak profit since mid-April, after hitting session highs on Friday, with the Dow Jones. Investors await catalyst to continue the progress, but the upward trend is seen Wall Street largely intact. * Sales of U.S. existing homes rose in May at a rate more than double than expected, while the preliminary reading of manufacturing index hit its highest level since May 2010.

The shipping industry has shown great resilience in battling through the recent economic downturn, according to InterManager President Gerardo Borromeo. But he urged caution following a recent jump in new build tanker orders, stating: “We live in interesting and challenging times”. In his New Year message to InterManager members, Mr. Borromeo said, “As we have seen, even when we think we see the light of day, there remains a specter of uncertainty. “In general though, we have managed through the most difficult parts of the economic crisis dating back to 2008…

The news this week that a longshoremen’s strike had effectively stopped cargo operations at the port of Baltimore, a major hub for foreign car imports into the U.S., underlines a new warning by The Strike Club. Strikes by stevedores continue to dominate the list of perils causing delays, reports the mutual insurer after a recent analysis of its claims files. In the 2012-2013 policy year, they accounted for 16.8%, followed by collision (14.4%), closure of port or sealane (13.6%), and strikes by port workers (also 13.6%). Total net claims for the year were $16.8m, with mutual claims accounting for $12.0m net. A somewhat similar picture emerges from a review of the five-year period 2008-2013: closure of port or sealane (17.2%)…

Pop Quiz: Think back to the last time that U.S. Shipyards were operating at the breakneck pace now being seen from coast to coast. Now, think about that in context of slowing global demand brought on by overbuilt bluewater sectors. Next, factor in the breathtaking newbuild programs underway in the offshore support, inland marine and Jones Act sectors. And, don’t forget the increasing demand from foreign operators who, more and more, are beginning to understand that U.S. shipyards can build economically in series, for export and with quality that matches or exceeds global standards. Finally, plug in the shrinking trade deficit represented by energy that could eventually eliminate our dependency on foreign oil forever, powering prosperity that could last for a generation.

Specialist marine insurance intermediary Seacurus launched a new insurance policy to indemnify seafarers in the event of the financial default of their employers which, for the first time, offers recompense in respect of unpaid crew wages. The policy will enable all employers of seafarers to meet their regulatory obligations under the Maritime Labor Convention 2006 (MLC), which enters force on August 20, 2013. The new policy, CrewSeacure, provides up to $10 million of cover in the event of an employer’s financial default.

ADM Bob Papp’s Coast Guard tenure continues to be one of low profile victories, calm leadership and an emphasis on doing what is right for the Coast Guard. U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp delivered the 2013 State of the Coast Guard (SOCG) Address at the National Defense University at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C. on February 27. Adm. Papp assumed command of the Coast Guard in May of 2010, he had the unenviable task of following perhaps the most charismatic leader the Coast Guard has ever had. The high profile Thad Allen, dubbed by the mainstream media as “the rock star” Commandant, also more earned his reputation by firm leadership over the course of more than one highly visible crisis after another.

The role of vessel classification societies continues to change dramatically. As the role and relevance of class is hotly debated, MR/EN picked the brains of the industry's major classification societies to analyze both their individual and collective future. If class is to remain relevant, it must remake itself for the modern world, says ABS president and CEO Robert D. Somerville. He recently told delegates to the World Maritime Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia that "self regulation will continue to provide an effective method for establishing and enforcing standards only if all elements of the industry recognize that substantive overhaul is needed." Somerville highlighted the remarkable…

Governor Edward G. Rendell hailed the signing of a historic agreement that will officially begin a five-year, $379 million project to deepen the ’s shipping channel, calling it a major milestone in ongoing efforts to expand commerce and enhance economic development in the region. The partnership agreement between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA) represents a significant step forward in a 15-year effort to deepen the river’s shipping channel. The agreement was signed by Assistant Secretary of the Army John Paul Woodley Jr. and PRPA Chairman John H. Estey. “I consider this to be the most important project in the history of the ,” said Governor Rendell.

The 185 ft Specter offers up to five cabins below, each with oversized port lights providing exceptional views. The elaborate owner’s suite would include recessed hull-side balconies providing additional living space and private outside retreats. Generous accommodations for a crew of 12 would be situated forward. This design offers possible amenities such as a large theater, gym with spa, observation rooms and two galley areas. A large helicopter deck can be incorporated to extend above the sun deck while a cabana can be located aft with dockage doors that deploy port and starboard.

“Fantastic”, was the response that James R. McCarville, Executive Director of the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, had to the announcement that the US Army Corps of Engineers planned to spend over $110m in Stimulus funding for navigation in southwestern Pa. Specifically, the $84m scheduled for Charleroi Lock in the Lower Mon 2-3-4 project, rescues a billion dollar project that otherwise might have had to go on to life support/shutdown. Those funds will be used to complete the construction of the river wall, and construct a new Upper Guard Wall and a new Lower Guard Wall to safely guide vessels in and out of the chamber. Thirteen million will be added to the $25.8m in the FY09 budget for repairs to the Emsworth Dam and $285…

The Port of Pittsburgh Commission Executive Director, James R. McCarville, praised the announcement from Senators Specter and Casey that additional funding was included for the locks and dams in the Port of Pittsburgh District. These funds included $25m for rehabilitation of the Emsworth Dam; $21.4m for maintenance on the Ohio River; $16.8m for maintenance on the Mon; and $9m for maintenance on the Allegheny River and $1.75 for the important study of the navigation needs of the Upper Ohio River at Emsworth, Dashields and Montgomery, all in southwestern Pennsylvania. Not as sufficient, however, was the $6.2m for the rehabilitation of Locks and Dams 2-3-4 on the Lower Monongahela river, near Pittsburgh.