Vessel Operations News

LD TravOcean, a subsidiary of Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) Group, has acquired a DP2 multipurpose support vessel as part of efforts to expand its subsea capabilities.The vessel, SIDDIS Mariner, will be renamed TVO Mariner and is scheduled for delivery in summer 2026.The company said the acquisition is aimed at enabling the delivery of integrated subsea solutions combining vessel operations, equipment and expertise.The vessel will support activities including telecom cable work…

Many claim to have ‘saltwater in their veins,’ but all you have to do is walk into the corner office of John McDonald, the new Chairman and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), to see that him saying “I was born into maritime” is not hyperbole. The first thing that greets you is a Dusan Kadlec nighttime painting of the Brooklyn Bridge, a painting that has special meaning to him as he fondly remembers being on a boat in New York harbor in 1983, his father USCG Captain of the Port of New York at that time, watching the fireworks over the bridge for the celebration.

The 19th Asia Pacific Maritime (APM) held its largest-ever edition in Singapore last week, welcoming 19,431 attendees, alongside more than 819 exhibitors from 41 regions and countries, including 20 pavilions, and 112 speakers from across the globe. Amid the strong turnout, APM saw a significant number of announcements, covering product launches and the inking of partnerships, signalling strong momentum for advancing the industry and underscoring the industry’s unwavering confidence in Asia’s premier maritime event and conference.Yeow Hui Leng…

Wah Kwong NatPower and Huzhou Wuxing Ruituo Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop zero-carbon inland shipping corridors, focusing on electrification infrastructure across key waterways in China.The partnership will establish a network of electric vessel charging and battery-swapping facilities, integrating energy supply, digital systems and operational services into a unified platform.The initial phase will focus on the Hangzhou–Jiaxing–Huzhou region in Zhejiang province…

Cavotec has signed an order valued at approximately USD15.11 million (EUR 13 million) for the supply of MoorMaster automated vacuum mooring systems for a special application in North America. Deliveries are scheduled between October 2027 and March 2028.The MoorMaster systems will help ensure safe, reliable, and efficient vessel operations. Cavotec has over 20 years of experience in automated vacuum mooring and MoorMaster systems increase safety, speed up ship handling, reduce emissions, and help ports and other maritime applications increase capacity.

Shipbuilder Damen and Windcat, part of maritime group CMB.TECH, have launched the Windcat Amsterdam, marking the arrival of the first Elevation series commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) in European waters.The vessel was developed jointly by the two companies and constructed at Damen’s Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam. It is designed to support construction, commissioning and maintenance activities across offshore energy projects.Windcat Amsterdam can accommodate up to 120 personnel and will serve as a floating base for offshore operations…

Leveraging the advancements in connectivity and augmented reality (AR) technology, Alfa Laval is strengthening its remote service offering to help crews troubleshoot, maintain compliance and optimize equipment performance in real time directly from vessels at sea. Building on successful trials in partnership with shipowners and ship managers, the company is now developing scalable remote support solutions that give crews continuous access to expert assistance, improving uptime…

Owning and operating a quiet boat offers many benefits, from crew comfort and retention to efficient, safe operations. While the benefits are clear, it’s generally not the first line of design and concern for most vessel owners.Noise is a funny thing in the marine world: it’s invisible, it sneaks up on you, and it’s usually not the headline item on a newbuild spec sheet, until you’re standing in the pilothouse, trying to talk over the machinery, thinking, “oh my gosh, I can’t stand this thing.”That’s the moment Jesse Spence…

Applications are now open for the 2026 edition of the IG Shipping Course, a two-week, residential training program run by shipbroker IFCHOR Galbraiths. Now in its sixth decade, the IG Shipping Course has trained more than 1,000 professionals from across the maritime sector. The course is designed not only for new entrants to shipping, but also professionals transitioning from adjacent sectors such as finance, law and energy, and experienced maritime professionals seeking to broaden…

BMT has poened its Digital Innovation & Simulation Centre (DISC) at the organisation’s Fareham site in the UK - a facility designed to provide a premium environment for high‑value simulation, immersive engineering and commercially focused engagement.The facility is powered by the BMT REMBRANDT navigation simulator - a DNV‑accredited system used globally for port feasibility, pilotage training and quantitative navigation studies - alongside new digital visualisation and synthetic environments that support autonomy assurance…

Argentina's lower house of Congress was set to vote on Thursday on a contentious labor reform backed by libertarian President Javier Milei, as unions staged a nationwide strike that has brought parts of the country to a halt.Argentina's largest umbrella union CGT says the proposed overhaul threatens long‑standing worker protections, including the right to strike. In response, it has launched a 24‑hour stoppage involving transport workers, public sector staff and bank employees."With unity…

In many maritime organizations, the most effective people in shore-based leadership roles are those who have spent meaningful time onboard. Designated Persons Ashore and Port Captains often earn their positions not because of spreadsheets or policy expertise, but because they understand the realities of life at sea. They know how decisions made ashore ripple through watch schedules, maintenance routines, weather windows, and crew fatigue. That onboard experience is precisely what makes them so valuable to management.

Argentine maritime workers from the country's maritime workers federation FESIMAF launched a 48-hour strike on Wednesday, affecting cargo vessel operations, the group said in a statement.The strike action is a protest against President Javier Milei's proposed labor reform bill.The walkout is expected to disrupt cargo loading and unloading, pilot transfers and other services for commercial vessels, mainly in the port area of Rosario, one of the world's largest agricultural export hubs…

In many maritime organizations, the most effective people in shore-based leadership roles are those who have spent meaningful time onboard. Designated Persons Ashore and Port Captains often earn their positions not because of spreadsheets or policy expertise, but because they understand the realities of life at sea. They know how decisions made ashore ripple through watch schedules, maintenance routines, weather windows, and crew fatigue. That onboard experience is precisely what makes them so valuable to management.

MTN, a network operator and pioneer in low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology adoption, has finalized an agreement to offer Amazon Leo, Amazon’s satellite internet, as an authorized reseller for maritime deployment. MTN will initially provide this service across key maritime industries, including commercial shipping, yachting, offshore, and cruise & ferry, among others.Powered by a constellation of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit, the system will provide lower latency and higher transmission capacity than traditional geostationary satellite solutions…

While the IMO has established interim guidelines to facilitate the use of ammonia as a marine fuel, international standards governing the safe treatment and discharge of toxic ammonia effluent generated during vessel operations have yet to be developed.Unlike typical aqueous ammonia, this effluent exhibits different physical and chemical characteristics, and the lack of clearly applicable international standards has created uncertainty for ship design, operation, and environmental management.In response…

In many maritime organizations, the most effective people in shore-based leadership roles are those who have spent meaningful time onboard. Designated Persons Ashore and Port Captains often earn their positions not because of spreadsheets or policy expertise, but because they understand the realities of life at sea. They know how decisions made ashore ripple through watch schedules, maintenance routines, weather windows, and crew fatigue. That onboard experience is precisely what makes them so valuable to management.

NYK convened its third annual Dry Bulk Safety Conference in Athens, Greece, on January 21. The event brought together 150 participants representing 70 Greek shipowners and other companies active in the dry bulk sector. Originally established in 2010 in Japan for domestic shipowners and ship-management companies, the conference first expanded to Greece in 2024.At the conference, we shared with Greek shipowners and related companies case studies of past accidents and incidents, along with countermeasures and measures for crew welfare.

Hefring Marine, a leader in intelligent maritime analytics, and SEA.AI, a pioneer in AI-powered maritime vision systems, announced a new partnership that will integrate collision avoidance technology with advanced vessel operations intelligence. This partnership brings together two of Europe's marine technology companies to deliver comprehensive safety and operational solutions for the global maritime industry. The collaboration will combine Hefring Marine's IMAS, an AI-driven onboard platform that enhances safety…

Louisiana-based boat builder Metal Shark, a supplier for the US Armed Forces and allies, and Tocaro Blue, a developer of Al-powered marine sensor processing solutions, have announced a strategic collaboration to embed Tocaro Blue's ProteusCore M Radar processing software into Metal Shark's fleet of High Speed Maneuverable Unmanned Surface Vessels (HSMUSVs).ProteusCore provides operators with advanced radar data fusion, machine learning based object detection and classification, and real-time target tracking, improving ISR and operational safety in maritime environments.

NYK Line and BHP Group have renewed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) reinforcing both companies’ commitment to support decarbonization and improv the safety of vessel operations.The renewed MoU continues research on technologies for ammonia dual-fuel vessels, the trial of biofuels and other measures to advance low-carbon shipping.Emma Roberts, Vice President Maritime & Supply Chain Excellence, BHP, said: “BHP welcomes the opportunity to build on our shared history with long-term strategic partner, NYK Line.

Inchcape Shipping Services, a leader in port agency and maritime services, has announced the opening of its new office in Geoje, Korea. This expansion increases Inchcape’s footprint in South Korea to three offices—Seoul, Busan, and now Geoje, covering 23 ports nationwide.Geoje is a strategic hub for global shipbuilding and offshore projects, playing a critical role in the construction of LNG carriers, container vessels, naval ships, and offshore platforms. The city is central to international shipping and energy sectors…

Marlink, a leader in managed services for business-critical ICT solutions, has upgraded connectivity and cyber security solutions onboard 22 vessels operated by Tankerska Plovidba and Atlantska Plovidba.As a pillar in Marlink’s possibility portfolio, the Sealink NextGen hybrid network solution will support the company’s transition to fully digitalized shipping operations, enhancing safety and efficiency while enabling high quality crew communications. Tankerska Plovidba will also…