IMO Condemns Charterers’ 'No Crew Change' Clauses
The head of the United Nations' shipping agency has spoken out against “no crew change” clauses in charterparties, stating such clauses exacerbate the dire situation of stranded seafarers and undermine the efforts undertaken to resolve the ongoing crew change crisis.So-called “no crew change” clauses, which are demanded by certain charterers, state that no crew changes can occur whilst the charterer’s…
Fincantieri Delivers Costa Firenze to Costa Cruises
Carnival Corporation's Costa Cruises has taken delivery of the new cruise ship Costa Firenze designed and built by Fincantieri at its Marghera shipyard.With 135,500 gross tonnage and a capacity of more than 5,200 guests, the Costa Firenze is part of a €6 billion ($7.3 billion) development plan that includes seven new ships to be delivered for the Costa Group by 2023. Costa Firenze is the fourth of…
Ships Swap: Genco Trades Six Older Vessels for Three Ultramaxes
Genco Shipping & Trading has entered into an agreement to acquire three modern, eco Ultramax bulk carriers in exchange for six older Handysize vessels, the largest U.S.
Satellites Expose Risks of Forced Labor in Global Fishing
Fishing vessels with crews of forced laborers behave in systematically different ways to the rest of the global fleet, according to a study purporting to be the first to remotely identify vessels potentially engaged in modern slavery.Using satellite data, machine learning and on-the-ground expertise from human rights practitioners, U.S. researchers found up to 26% of about 16,000 industrial fishing vessels analyzed were at high risk of using forced labor.As many as 100…
Argentina: More than 100 Grains Cargo Ships Delayed by Port Workers Strike
More than 100 cargo ships were kept from loading agricultural goods in Argentina on Monday, as a wage strike by grains inspectors and oilseed workers stretched into its second week, paralyzing exports from one of the world's breadbaskets.Argentina is the No. 1 international exporter of soymeal livestock feed used to fatten hogs and poultry from Europe to Southeast Asia. Contract talks between workers and export companies have broken down over compensation packages…
Rem Offshore Nets Long-term Charter for Newly Ordered Offshore Wind Vessel
Rem Offshore, a Norwegian offshore vessel owner which last week ordered an offshore wind construction service vessel, has secured a long-term charter contract for the vessel.The company on Tuesday announced a long-term charter contract with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy for its newbuild CSV, which will be named Rem Energy.The vessel, to be built by Green Yard Kleven shipyard in Ulsteinvik and designed by Havyard Design & Solutions AS…
AqualisBraemar Completes LOC Takeover. Targets 50% of Revenues from Renewables
Offshore energy and marine consultancy AqualisBraemar has completed the acquisition of the marine and engineering consulting firm LOC Group (London Offshore Consultants).Oslo-listed AqualisBraemar announced the completion of the transaction on Tuesday, saying the acquisition created "a leading global independent offshore energy and marine consultancy."As part of the transaction, originally announced on November 23…
Edison Chouest Inks Deal for Battery-equipped PSV
Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) has entered into a contract with an oil major to install battery systems aboard one of its Jones Act platform supply vessels (PSV)…
Atlas Incinerators Debuts X10 Titan Range
The new X10 Titan range from Atlas Incinerators is designed to save shipowners and shipyards money while shrinking their environmental footprint.For decades it has been customary to use steam, electricity or thermal oil to heat sludge oil prior to its incineration. ATLAS Incinerators’ new X10 TITAN range, has been designed to incinerate sludge oil and simultaneously burn solid waste while consuming…
ABS Awards AIP for Infection Mitigating Design to SHI
Classification society ABS said it has awarded South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) Approval in Principle (AIP) for crew accommodation and ventilation systems designed to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19.The AIP, which is said to be an an industry first, is the product of a joint development project (JDP) between ABS and SHI that applied the principles…
Groundbreaking Tech Unlocks Optimal Routing and Usability
End-users trialing the VoyOpt voyage optimization service say it beats the competition in terms of the number of data sources it aggregates, ease of use and bottom-line benefits.Fuel consumption is the leading cost driver in shipping and remains the top fiscal concern of shipowners amid uncertainty surrounding bunker costs and availability. “Managing fuel consumption effectively means owners need increasingly to adopt new performance tools that leverage cutting-edge technology…
Drew Marine Launches Cargo Hold Solutions Lineup
Maritime servies firm Drew Marine announced it will launch a new cargo hold solution product segment, and that Alexandros Strigkos has been named as the Global Market Manager of the product segment.With its recent acquisition of CHEMO Hellas, a Greece-based company, Drew Marine added a number of products, including notably its cargo hold cleaning chemistry and related equipment.Strigkos had long been an important part of CHEMO’s cargo hold business.
Out-casting and Outlasting the Competition
A captain claims victory at the end of a popular high-stakes fishing competition thanks to help from a new electronic boat control system.When the Summer to Fall bluefin tuna season ends in Gloucester, Mass., it’s only just beginning in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It’s in these rough waters that commercial fishermen compete on the TV show, “Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks.” A spin-off of the original “Wicked Tuna…
GTT Wins Tank Design Orders for Four LNG Carriers
France-based GTT said it has received an order from South Korean shipyards Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI) to design the tanks of four newbuild liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.Three of the LNG carriers will be built by HHI, two on behalf of an Asian shipowner and one on behalf of a European shipowner. The last LNG carrier will be built by HSHI on behalf of a European shipowner.Each vessel will offer a capacity of 174,000 cubic meters.
Stena Line Considering Doubling Ireland-France Freight Services
Ferry firm Stena Line has brought forward a planned doubling of its direct Ireland to France freight service in response to “huge demand” from Irish hauliers hit by the closure of the French border to arrivals from Britain.While freight services were exempt from Ireland’s ban on Sunday on travel to Britain over fears of a new coronavirus strain, around 3,000 lorries take the shorter route to mainland…
Costa Rican Hybrid Sailboat Aims to Reduce Shipping's Carbon Footprint
Some 200 workers from 27 nations are building a hybrid sailboat on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica designed to carry 350 tons of goods, hoping to demonstrate that in the 21st century it is possible to transport cargo without polluting the environment.Inspired by the historic Finnish trading schooner Ingrid of the Aland Islands, the firm Sailcargo Inc says it designed the vessel named Ceiba “to be the…
Fincantieri Marine Systems Tallies MSC Contract
Military Sealift Command (MSC) has awarded Fincantieri Marine Systems N.A. (FMSNA) an IDIQ contract to support the maintenance of the Ship Service Diesel Generators (SSDG) on the Expeditionary Fast Transport Vessels (EPF). The current contract is for a base year plus four option years, and should the options be exercised, will run through October of 2025.The Expeditionary Fast Transport Fleet consists of high-speed…
US Coast Guard Kicks Off Northeast Icebreaking Season
The U.S. Coast Guard has launched its icebreaking season, helping to maintain the flow of essential maritime commerce as as winter’s cold temperatures are anticipated to impact every port, waterway and harbor in the Northeast throughout the coming months.Operation Reliable Energy for Northeast Winters (RENEW) is the Coast Guard's region-wide effort to ensure Northeast communities have the security, supplies, energy and emergency resources they need throughout the winter.
Thordon Expresses Concern Over New VIDA Proposals
Thordon Bearings has added to the growing concern over proposed changes to Vessel Incidental Discharge National Standards of Performance (VIDA) requirements, citing far reaching environmental consequences if clauses in the existing document are removed.In a statement submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on November 20, 2020, the Canada-based bearings and seals pioneer “strongly questions the removal of some text” in the proposed amendments…
China Says It Tailed a US Warship in the Taiwan Strait
China’s military tailed a U.S. warship as it passed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Saturday, the Chinese military said, denouncing such missions as sending “flirtatious glances” to supporters of Taiwan independence.China, which claims democratically-run Taiwan as its own territory, has been angered by stepped-up U.S. support for the island, including arms sales and sailing warships through the Taiwan Strait, further souring Beijing-Washington relations.The U.S.
