Ship News

The U.S. is allowing a Russian tanker full of crude oil to reach Cuba, the New York Times reported on Sunday, possibly granting a lifeline to the Caribbean island amid a de facto oil blockade imposed by Washington.Ship tracking data showed the Russian-flagged tanker Anatoly ⁠Kolodkin on Sunday was just off the eastern tip of Cuba.The Times report, citing a U.S. official briefed on the matter, said it was unclear why the U.S. Coast Guard was allowing the shipment to go through.

As the world's ship recycling markets emerge from the Eid al-Fitr holidays, they do so into an environment that continues to generate more questions than answers, says cash buyer GMS.“The post-holiday reopening, always anticipated as a potential catalyst for pent-up activity, has instead delivered something more characteristic of the broader 2026 narrative: confusion. Steel plate prices played opposite roles in Pakistan and India this week, as Indian levels recorded an impressive jump while Pakistani levels continued to bleed, declining non-stop over the course of the last month now.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into the death of a crew member on board the roro Laureline at Purfleet, England, on July 13, 2024.A crew member on board the Malta-flagged Laureline was fatally injured when he was crushed between the rear of a moving trailer and the vessel’s structure. The accident happened while Laureline was alongside, loading and discharging trailers using tugs driven by shore workers under the direction of the ship’s…

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has charged six crew members of a merchant vessel following a joint investigation into an organised crime syndicate which allegedly imported one tonne of cocaine into Australia. It will be alleged the men from Honduras and Ecuador operated a specially modified 40m vessel found to contain three professionally built and installed smuggling hides. An investigation into the vessel began in January 2026, after French authorities intercepted the ship in international waters.

Stena RoRo has taken delivery of the 13th ship in the 15-ship series of E-Flexer RoPax ferries from the China Merchants Industry shipyard in Weihai, China.The ship, named Capu Rossu, was handed over to Corsica Linea following the delivery to Stena RoRo. The ship will start its commercial operation mid-June and will trade between Marseille and Corsica.The E-Flexer-series is based on a design which is larger than the typical standard RoPax ferry and designed for flexibility. Each ship is tailormade for the operators’ technical and commercial needs.

Pakistan said on Sunday it was preparing to host "meaningful talks" to end the conflict over Iran in coming days even though Tehran earlier accused Washington of preparing a land assault while seeking negotiations.Speaking after talks between regional foreign ministers, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said they had covered possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region as well as potential U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad."Pakistan will be honored to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in coming days…

In early April, NOAA Ship Rainier will begin to map and characterize more than 8,000 square nautical miles of federal waters off Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. This project is part of the Department of Commerce's implementation of the U.S. Offshore Critical Minerals Mapping Plan, as described in President Trump’s Executive Order 14285: Unleashing America's Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources.Rainier is a hydrographic survey ship staffed by NOAA Corps Officers and professional mariners.

A tanker carrying some 200,000 barrels of Russia-origin fuel originally bound for Cuba has arrived in Venezuelan waters, LSEG ship-monitoring data showed on Friday.The Hong Kong-flagged vessel Sea Horse, which this year loaded Russia-origin diesel through a ship-to-ship transfer, earlier this month rerouted from Cuba to Venezuela after remaining stuck in the Atlantic Ocean for weeks, a blow for the oil-thirsty island that has seen several power blackouts this month.It was unclear why the Sea Horse had been stranded at sea, or why it had changed course to Venezuela.The administration of U.S.

Russia's threat to halt liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries to Europe and divert cargoes to Asia would prove difficult to achieve because of its long-term contracts and need for more Arctic-class tankers, industry analysts said.President Vladimir Putin said in a TV interview early in March that Russia could stop gas supplies to Europe with immediate effect and seek longer-term commitments from other buyers.The impact of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has caused a surge in gas prices…

Two Chinese container ships turned backed after trying to exit the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, ship-tracking data showed, despite assurances from Iran that Chinese vessels could pass.The operator, China's COSCO, had said in a March 25 client advisory that it had resumed bookings for general cargo containers for shipments from Asia to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq.The CSCL Indian Ocean and CSCL Arctic Ocean, both Hong Kong flagged, have been stuck in the Gulf since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb.

A little over a day and half since the Soo Locks opened providing access to Lake Superior and critical raw materials like iron ore, and the U.S.-flagged Great Lakes commercial fleet is at a standstill in the St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay, the critical connection between Lakes Superior and all other Great Lakes.The only way into Lake Superior is through the St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay, but ice conditions and a lack of a heavy U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker are creating substantial delays for American shipping and manufacturing. Some U.S.

Thordon Bearings has announced two significant appointments which reinforce its commitment to meet growing demand for high performance, pollution-free seawater-lubricated bearings and seals in commercial shipping.Anthony Hamilton has been appointed VP of Engineering and Product Development of Thomson-Gordon Group (TGG), the parent company of Thordon Bearings, with a mission to leverage group-wide capabilities in growing its merchant marine business.Based in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, Hamilton has led TGG’s engineering and new product development as Technical Director since 2021.

BIMCO has released its Container Shipping Market Overview & Outlook March 2026 saying the Iran war amplifies outlook uncertainty."Following the start of attacks on Iran on 28 February, transits through the Strait of Hormuz have effectively stopped, severing Persian Gulf ports from global container services. As a result, around 130 container ships, totalling about 1.5% of the global fleet’s capacity, are stranded in the gulf. The war has added uncertainty to an outlook that was already obscured by ever changing US tariffs…

A marine drone struck a Turkish crude oil tanker that had departed Russia, causing an explosion in the Black Sea near Istanbul's Bosphorus strait on Thursday, Turkey's transportation minister said.The incident, one of several in recent months involving Western-sanctioned vessels heading to or from Russian ports, occurred in the early hours, minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu told broadcaster Kanal 24.All 27 crew were safe, he said, adding that the coastguard had been dispatched to the vessel…

Following the deaths of hundreds on cattle on the livestock carrier Spiridon II last year, Animal Welfare Foundation reports that Turkish importers are taking legal action against the livestock dealer.The Spiridon II was stranded off the Turkish coast for several weeks after a month-long voyage from Uruguay when the consignment of around 2,900 dairy cattle was rejected by local authorities. Court transcripts translated by Animal Welfare Foundation indicate that 58 cows died in transit to Turkey…

The US Coast Guard is responding after two vessels, the general cargo ship Pac Dubhe and the bulk carrier African Buzzard, collided and subsequently grounded near mile marker 124.5 on the Mississippi River on Monday.The African Buzzard is currently aground. The two vessels are entangled, with the African Buzzard’s anchor lodged in the front of the Pac Dubhe.Both vessel operators are conducting comprehensive assessments to develop salvage plans for submission to the Coast Guard and have tugboats alongside.There are no reported injuries to crew members…

Supply disruptions linked to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran could delay construction of liquefied natural gas projects slated for development in the U.S., Freeport LNG CEO Michael Smith said on Wednesday at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston.The U.S. is the world’s largest LNG exporter and has more new capacity under construction than any other country.Smith said the conflict’s impact could extend beyond oil and gas supply chains, affecting key materials such as steel and…

Asia Pacific Maritime (APM) 2026 kicked off today to a record-breaking turnout, with its largest-ever edition occupying 6 exhibition halls across 2 levels at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands Singapore. Bringing together 819 exhibitors, including 20 international pavilions, the 19th edition sets the stage for three days of industry dialogue, innovation & tech breakthroughs in maritime collaboration, under the theme “Future of Vessels, Solutions for Tomorrow”.Navigating…

NYK has installed a compact plant cultivation rack aboard the coal carrier Pirika Moshiri Maru, which is operated for Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc.The system, called the “PUTRACK” and developed by Plants Laboratory Co., Ltd., uses a water-saving cultivation technology that requires only a small amount of water. Its design allows for flexible adjustment of the number of racks and tiers to match the ship’s available space, enabling efficient cultivation of the required quantity of vegetables even within the limited space on board a ship.

EcoNavis Solutions has completed retrofit installation of its Eco Boss Cap to a second vessel operated by Thailand-based Kaizen Ship Management. The successful installation marks the first repeat order for the energy-saving propeller technology since market introduction last year.The latest retrofit, carried out last week on the 32,491dwt bulk carrier YC Fortitude, follows the July 2025 installation on the 31,807dwt general cargo ship SYFC Araya. After six months of operation…

Shipping companies are facing mounting pressure on investment decisions as decarbonization regulations translate emissions targets into direct operating costs, according to a survey commissioned by Wärtsilä.The study, based on responses from 225 senior maritime executives, found that more than 90% of respondents remain confident in their ability to navigate the energy transition, despite growing complexity in decision making.Uncertainty around technology pathways, fuel availability…

ClassNK has granted Approval in Principle (AiP) for the design of a liquefied CO2 carrier intended to support a floating offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) injection facility.The vessel is designed to serve a Socket SPAR unit, a floating injection system being considered for deployment in deepwater environments where subsea pipeline-based CO2 storage is not feasible.The certification confirms the feasibility of the carrier design from regulatory and safety perspectives…

Mark Offshore has agreed with Klaipėda University to operate the research vessel Mintis, expanding its fleet and strengthening its position in offshore renewables and subsea support services.Under the agreement, the Lithuanian university has appointed Mark Offshore as commercial and operational manager for the vessel’s activities within the renewables and energy sectors.The addition of Mintis is aimed at supporting offshore wind, marine survey and nearshore energy projects, as…