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Friday, March 29, 2024
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Vice News

28 Mar 2024

Insights: Cherrie Felder, VP, Channel Shipyard Companies

Cheryl “Cherrie” Felder is among the U.S. barging industry’s most well-known leaders, having built a reputation as a difference-maker and champion for the industry.

For Cheryl “Cherrie” 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.“It was a lot of fun, and I learned a whole lot,” Felder said. “But 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.”And that’s when Felder’s doorway to the maritime industry swung open…

27 Mar 2024

Pilot Called for Tugboat Help Before Baltimore Bridge Disaster

Source: US Army Corps of Engineers

The pilot of the container ship that knocked down a highway bridge into Baltimore Harbor had radioed for tugboat help and reported a power loss minutes earlier, federal safety officials said on Wednesday, citing audio from the ship's "black box" data recorder.The head of the National Transportation Safety Board also said that Francis Scott Key Bridge, a traffic artery over the harbor built in 1976, lacked structural engineering redundancies common to newer spans, making it more…

27 Mar 2024

Divers Recover Two Bodies After Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies.

Divers on Wednesday recovered the remains of two of the six workers missing since they were tossed into Baltimore Harbor from a highway bridge that collapsed into shipping lanes when a faltering cargo freighter rammed into the structure, officials said on Wednesday.The bodies were pulled from the mouth of the Patapsco River a day after the massive container ship lost power and its ability to maneuver before plowing into a support pylon of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, knocking…

27 Mar 2024

Authorities Warned of Ship Approach Moments Before Baltimore Bridge Collapse

(Photo: David Adams / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

Federal investigators on Wednesday examined the cargo ship that crashed into a Baltimore bridge while emergency teams searched for bodies and details emerged of the intense efforts to save lives in the minutes before the steel span collapsed."Hold all traffic on the Key Bridge. There's a ship approaching that just lost their steering," someone said on police radio minutes before the 1:30 a.m. crash on Tuesday.While voices were heard discussing next steps, including alerting any work crews to leave the bridge…

25 Mar 2024

Fincantieri to Open Support Facility in Everett

A rendering of the first Constellation-class frigate to be constructed by Fincantieri Marinette Marine (Image courtesy of Fincantieri Marine Group)

This spring, Fincantieri Marine Repair (FMR) is expanding its presence to the Port of Everett with a new facility to support U.S. Navy assets.On March 12, the Port of Everett Commission unanimously approved a new one-year lease to establish an FMR office at the Port’s Marina Village at Waterfront Place.The U.S. Navy plans to homeport up to 12 new Constellation-class guided-missile frigates at Naval Station Everett, adjacent to the Port of Everett’s international Seaport. The FMR…

20 Mar 2024

Shipping Companies Turn to Longer-Term Leases as Tanker Supply Tightens

© Vladimir / Adobe Stock

Rising oil tanker chartering rates due to global shipping disruption are forcing oil shippers to take on longer-term shipping charters, executives said this week at an energy conference in Houston.The global oil tanker fleet must now travel further to get crude to refineries and fuel to consumers. European sanctions have forced Russian exporters to send oil to Asia that would have otherwise gone to Europe. Attacks on vessels in the Red Sea have forced some shippers to sail around…

18 Mar 2024

OMSA Announces New Board Members

(File photo: Bordelon Marine)

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 frontiers…

17 Mar 2024

Launch Ceremony Held for A-O-S' New Jones Act CTV Gripper

(Photo: American Offshore Services)

An official launch ceremony was held to celebrate the commissioning of a new Jones Act compliant crew transfer vessel (CTV) built for American Offshore Services (A-O-S)—the company's first.Constructed by Blount Boats in Warren, R.I., the 100-foot-long aluminum catamaran is owned and operated by A-O-S, a joint venture formed in 2020 by leading European CTV operator Northern Offshore Services (N-O-S) and U.S.-based investment firm OIC.The vessel will support Ørsted and Eversource’s portfolio of offshore wind farms in the Northeast…

18 Mar 2024

New International Partnership Set to Speed Up Offshore Wind Installations in US

(Credit: Maersk Supply Service)

Danish offshore marine services company Maersk Supply Service and U.S. vessel owner Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) have partnered up for the construction and operation of a windfarm feeder concept specifically designed for Maersk Supply Service’s next-generation wind installation vessel (WIV).The purpose-built feeder spread includes two tugs and two barges to be delivered in 2026. They will be owned and operated by ECO and constructed by Bollinger Shipyards – the largest privately-owned shipyard group in the United States.As a key component to the installation process…

14 Mar 2024

HaiSea Unveils New Operations Facility for Its Green Tug Fleet

(Photo: HaiSea Marine)

HaiSea Marine, majority owned by Haisla Nation in partnership with Seaspan ULC, is celebrating the official naming and blessing of its new floating operations facility – which will be the home base for its fleet of three full-electric and two liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled tugboats.The new facility, named Zewén, is a floating operations and maintenance building purpose-built and designed to withstand the extreme tidal range in the Kitimat region. It features a large workshop…

13 Mar 2024

SCHOTTEL Names Roland Schwandt Deputy CEO

Roland Schwandt (Photo: SCHOTTEL)

SCHOTTEL GmbH announced it has appointed Roland Schwandt as Deputy CEO with effect from January 1, 2024.Schwandt joined SCHOTTEL in 2000 as a graduate naval architect, starting his career as a project and sales manager  in various SCHOTTEL sales segments. After briefly managing the Tug & Offshore Energy segment, in 2018 he was entrusted with the responsibility for the global sales activities of SCHOTTEL GmbH and its now 14 subsidiaries as Vice President Sales.Alongside his role at SCHOTTEL…

12 Mar 2024

Jayson Robinson Named VP of Vigor Fabrication

Jayson Robinson (Photo: Vigor)

Jayson Robinson has been named Vigor’s Vice President of Fabrication, taking the helm of the complex and marine fabrication divisions with facilities in Clackamas and Portland, Ore., as well as Vancouver, Wash. Robinson joined Vigor, a Titan company, as the director of quality in 2018 and has been serving as the assistant vice president since last fall.“Jayson has been a key part of several highly-successful projects at Vigor during his tenure,” said Titan CEO Jim Marcotuli. “His leadership and expertise will be critical as we enter a period of potential growth for this part of our business.

10 Mar 2024

Texas DOT Christens New Ferry Esperanza 'Hope' Andrade

(Photo: TxDOT)

On Friday, March 8, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) christened its new ferry in Galveston Bay.Named for the first female chair of the TxDOT and first Latina Secretary of State, Esperanza “Hope” Andrade, the vessel was designed by the The Shearer Group and built by Gulf Island Fabricators in Louisiana.Stretching 293 feet, the double-ended ferry showcases cutting-edge propulsion technology and pioneering battery energy storage systems.The ferry is outfitted with diesel-powered and electrical engines and Siemens Energy’s BlueDrive PLUSC power and propulsion system…

08 Mar 2024

Third Sanmar ElectRA Tug Arrives in Vancouver

(Photo: Sanmar)

A third electric-powered tug built by Sanmar Shipyards in Turkiye has arrived in Vancouver, Canada, to join HaiSea Marine’s fleet.HaiSea Brave will work in Vancouver alongside its sisters HaiSea Wamis and HaiSea Wee'git before all three – along with two Sanmar-built liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled tugs – are transferred to LNG Canada’s new export facility in Kitimat, British Columbia.Based on the ElectRA 2800 SX design by Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd, HaiSea Brave…

07 Mar 2024

S&B Names Sipes CEO

Jeff Sipes (Photo: S&B)

Jeffrey G. Sipes has been named chief executive officer at engineering and construction firm S&B, parent company to naval architecture and marine engineering firm TAI Engineers.“S&B has a remarkable record of growth and success over the past sixty years, and we look forward to decades of further success. The markets we serve are changing, creating new opportunities for growth. Jeff is the leader who can successfully guide the company to capitalize on these opportunities. He brings extensive experience and a deep understanding of both S&B’s markets and the company’s distinctive capabilities…

07 Mar 2024

Adapted ME-GI Gas Engine Runs on Hydrogen

(Image: MAN Energy Solutions)

MAN Energy Solutions’ licensee, MITSUI E&S Co. Ltd., has announced that it has successfully tested a 50-bore MAN B&W two-stroke engine up to 100% load at its Tamano facility while running on hydrogen, a world-first for the maritime industry.In collaboration with MAN Energy Solutions, MITSUI converted one of the four cylinders of an MAN B&W ME-GI (-Gas Injection) engine to hydrogen operation. The hydrogen was supplied from a hydrogen gas-supply system that MITSUI developed in 2023.Stable operation was achieved at various loads and operating conditions…

08 Mar 2024

Autonomous Shipping Company Massterly Opens Operations Center in Norway

Left to right: Bjørn Jalving, CTO at Kongsberg Maritime; Christina Maria Bratli, Mayor of Horten Municipality, Norway; Tom Eystø, CEO at Massterly; Espen Gjerde, SVP at Wilhelmsen New Energy and Board Member at Massterly (Photo: Massterly)

Massterly has opened its new Remote Operation Center (ROC) in Horten, Norway as the company transitions from the testing phase to fully-fledged autonomous vessel operational capabilities."The opening of the ROC is a milestone in Massterly's history and represents a big step forward for autonomous shipping," said Tom Eystø, General Manager of Massterly, a jointly owned venture between Kongsberg Maritime and the Wilhelmsen Group formed in 2018. "With the support of our owners, including our partners ASKO…

07 Mar 2024

MacGregor Gets Large Crane Order for Prysmian’s New Cable Layer

Vard cable layer for Prysmian (Credit: Vard)

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has received a large order for three cranes that will be installed onboard a new cable laying vessel (CLV) being built for Prysmian by shipbuilder Vard.MacGregor will deliver a 100-tonne active heave-compensated (AHC) crane, a 20T Offshore crane and a 3T deck crane to Prysmian, to equip the Italian owner’s third NB970 CLV from Vard.The crane supply scheduled for the third quarter of 2025.In addition, MacGregor has been contracted to supply its OnWatch solution…

06 Mar 2024

AME Hires Paul Savage as Operations Manager

Paul Savage (Photo: AME)

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. based maritime and industrial mechanical service repair specialist Advanced Mechanical Enterprises (AME) announced it has appointed Paul Savage as its new Operations Manager.With over 30 years of leadership and project management experience, Savage joins the AME management team from Veolia North America, where he served as Vice President, managing complex industrial and government contracts. At Veolia, Savage was at the helm of commercial, state, and federal contracts…

06 Mar 2024

Posidonia 2024 Exhibitors Anticipate Paradigm Shift as AI Gains Traction

Source: Posidonia Exhibitions

The maritime industry, often viewed as conservative and measured in its approach to technological integration, is on the cusp of a transformative era with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a prominent player. Insights from key exhibitors at the upcoming Posidonia Shipping Εxhibition reveal a new landscape, where industry leaders strategically align with the inexorable rise of AI and consider adopting it already.According to Theodore Vokos, Managing Director, Posidonia Exhibitions S.A.…

05 Mar 2024

ABS Awards AIP for OceanSTAR’s FSO Design

(Image: OceanSTAR Marine & Offshore Investment Pte. Ltd.)

Classification society ABS said it has granted an approval in principle (AIP) to OceanSTAR Marine & Offshore Investment Pte. Ltd., for its newbuild floating storage and offloading (FSO) design.The OceanSTAR FSO-01 is a shipshape hull design specifically developed to cater to midsize FSOs with a storage capacity to scale up to 750,000 barrels of oil for operational demands in Asia Pacific and African coastal offshore fields. Other features include a larger strengthened deck area…

04 Mar 2024

Fjord1 Orders Autonomous Zero-emission Ferries

(Image: HAV Design)

Norwegian ferry operator Fjord1 has ordered a series of four autonomous zero-emission ferries to operate the Lavik-Oppedal crossing on the northwest coast of Norway.The newbuilds were designed by Norway-based HAV Design and will be built by Tersan Shipyard in Turkey.According to HAV Design, which will deliver ship design and an engineering package for all four vessels, said the design is based on a future-oriented operating concept developed alongside Fjord1. The ferries will…

01 Mar 2024

Babcock Tallies Contract to Refit UK Nuclear Submarine

(Photo: UK Ministry of Defense)

Babcock International Group and the UK’s Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) have agreed a full cost recovery contract worth an estimated £560 million to undertake the planned deep maintenance and life extension program for HMS Victorious, one of the UK’s Vanguard Class nuclear submarines.The multi-year life extension program will deliver HMS Victorious back to the Royal Navy modernized and improved, enabling it to continue operational patrols well into the 2030s. Work on the submarine is already underway…