The Apprentice School Approved as Higher Education Institution
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced that The Apprentice School at its Newport News Shipbuilding division has been approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to operate as a postsecondary institution. The certification gives the school the authority to grant academic degrees, further enhancing its national reputation as the model apprenticeship program.The school plans to grant associates of applied science degrees in maritime technology in 26 disciplines…
Golden Ray Salvage Paused Due to COVID-19, Hurricane Season
Operations to remove the overturned car carrier Golden Ray in St. Simons Sound, Ga. have been suspended due to a coronavirus outbreak among responders and safety risks relating to hurricane season, the wreck removal unified command team announced Friday.To date, 10 responders have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 50 responders, out of approximately 300 personnel, have been quarantined due to contact tracing, according to the St. Simons Sound Incident Unified Command.
GTT Inks Services Deal with Fleet Management
GTT said it has signed a Global Technical Services Agreement (TSA) with Hong-Kong based ship-management company Fleet Management. GTT will support Fleet Management with the shipbuilding supervision, maintenance and operation of the vessels they manage.This agreement includes technical assistance for inspection, maintenance, repairs, operations and engineering services, and access to the HEARS1 emergency hotline…
Taiwan Resumes Ocean Cruise Amid Pandemic
Taiwan resumed an island-hopping ocean cruise on Sunday, joining a handful of places in the world to restart voyages after the coronavirus pandemic brought the industry to a virtual standstill.Some 900 holiday makers are adapting to new safety measures when boarding Genting Hong Kong’s Explorer Dream embarking from Taiwan’s northern Keelung port. The company now offers trips of up to five days from Taiwan to its scenic outlying islands of Penghu…
Pennsylvania Extends Cargo Growth Incentive Program
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced that the state's Intermodal Cargo Growth Incentive Program (PICGIP), which aims to increase cargo activity by incentivizing shippers to move cargo through Pennsylvania ports, will be extended through 2022. The program was previously slated to end in June 2020."Right now, Pennsylvania's ports are more vital than ever," Governor Wolf said. "Increasing shipping activity will help ensure that essential goods are delivered to stores in a timely manner…
USS Tripoli (LHA 7) Departs Ingalls Shipyard
The U.S. Navy’s newest amphibious assault ship, USS Tripoli (LHA 7), departed from Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division Friday, sailing to its homeport in San Diego.Delivered to the Navy in February and officially commissioned last week, USS Tripoli is the U.S. Navy's second America-class amphibious assault ship built by the Pascagoula, Miss. shipyard.“Tripoli sailing away to join the fleet is a proud moment for all of our shipbuilders…
US Oil Exports to Europe Rebound
The United States has increased oil supply to Europe in July for the first month since May, making up for output cuts from OPEC+ members, according to traders and Refinitiv Eikon data.U.S. crude supply to Europe reached nearly 31 million barrels in July, according to Refinitiv Eikon data as of July 24. With crude prices back above $40 a barrel, U.S. producers have rushed to claim market share while the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies…
Webinar: Floating Production Forecasts & Analysis
A free webinar will deliver latest forecasts and market intelligence for the global floating production industry, offering insider access to business and investment opportunities in the deepwater sector.Floating Production Systems: 2020 Forecasts & Analysis, presented by ABS and World Energy Reports, will be held July 29, 2020, 11 a.m. (EDT). REGISTER HERE.The effects of the COVID-19 crisis and oil supply glut continue to seriously dampen investment appetite in the oil and gas sector…
Damen Ramping Up Composites Shipbuilding
The Realization and Demonstration of Advanced Material Solutions for Sustainable and Efficient Ships (RAMSSES) project recently reached a key milestone. On July 18, at Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding’s (DSNS) location in Vlissingen-East, the Netherlands, the project’s partners unveiled the recently assembled full scale composite ship’s hull section they have been developing these past three years.
US Ports Seek COVID-19 Relief
America’s port authorities are advocating for relief to manage the “extremely negative impacts” on the seaport industry brought on by the coronavirus pandemic as U.S. policymakers begin negotiations on the next COVID-19 aid package.Among the port leaders’ advocacy efforts are letters sent Friday to U.S. House, Senate and Administration leaders, urging them to provide $1.5 billion for seaports to cover business-critical expenses that ports have incurred due to COVID-19.
Kenya Planning National Maritime Security Strategy
Kenya is working to create a National Maritime Security Strategy aiming to bring opportunities for social-economic growth, by safeguarding and promoting the blue economy and by providing a safe and secure operating environment for international maritime transportation.The roadmap to develop the strategy was agreed following an inaugural virtual meeting (21 July) organized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and attended by 16 participants…
Aerial Drone Sniffs Out Ship Emissions in Denmark
A new aerial drone is being tested to monitor vessel emissions in the Great Belt, a busy shipping lane between the islands of Zealand and Funen in Denmark.Having previously been used for various surveillance tasks, the drone is being provided by the European Maritime Safety Agency to operate over the next four months in a specific area north of the Great Belt, which connects the Baltic Sea to the Kattegat…
TAS Terminates Shipbuilding Deals for 16 Offshore Vessels
Malaysian offshore vessel operator TAS Offshore has canceled shipbuilding contracts for 16 offshore support vessels.The company had signed the contracts in the 2013-2015 period with two Chinese shipbuilders Guangzhou Hangtong Shipbuilding and Shipping Co. Ltd. (“HangTong”) and Jiangmen Hangtong Shipbuilding Co.The contracts were for 16 offshore support vessels with values ranging from $10.38 million…
Ecuador Monitoring Fleet of Fishing Vessels Near Galapagos
Ecuador is monitoring a large fleet of fishing vessels, many of them Chinese, off the Galapagos Islands and has increased patrolling to ensure the ships do not enter the area of the ecologically sensitive islands, the defense minister said on Thursday.Chinese fishing vessels appear each year near the Galapagos, attracted by marine species such as the hammerhead shark, which is in danger of extinction.A Chinese vessel in 2017 was captured in the Galapagos Marine Reserve carrying 300 tons of marin
VIKING Wins Greek Patrol Boat Order
VIKING Life-Saving Equipment reports it has won a tender to supply the Hellenic Army Special Forces with its Munin S1200 daughter craft, continuing a series of agreements that support patrol, defense and search and rescue capability of Hellenic seaborne forcesDesigned to operate for extended periods of time away from land or its mother ship, the 12m length by 3.5m deep-V hull boat will support Special Forces in tactical maneuvers, patrol and search and rescue operations.
Training Tips for Ships #14: Collect, Analyze Data to Improve Training
As I wrote in last month’s Training Tips for Ships, “If you do not measure it, you cannot manage it. This is especially true with training because the inputs (the training provided) are often far removed in time and apparent direct causality from the key output (performance). Therefore, it is important that we measure everywhere we can”.To address this problem, we discussed the value of student evaluations…
Novatek Ships First LNG Cargo to Japan via Northern Sea Route
Russian oil and gas company Novatek has said it has shipped the first cargo of liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) from its Yamal LNG project to Japan transported eastbound via the Northern Sea Route.The LN
Warship Escorts New Ferry through the Gulf of Aden
A new Australian-built passenger ferry bound for service in the Canary Islands was escorted by EU anti-piracy forces as it made its way through one of the world's top piracy hot spots.The first of two new ferries built by Austal Australia for operator Fred. Olsen Express, the 118-meter trimaran fast ferry Bajamar Express requested support of EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta for its along transit the International Recommended Transit Corridor through the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab Strait…
45 Rescued from Passenger Vessel Fire
All 45 passengers and crew members have been rescued from a ferry that caught fire roughly 5.5 nautical miles east off Binongkalan Point, Cebu Thursday night.The Philippine-registered RoRo / passenger ship MV Filipinas Dinagat owned by Cokaliong Shipping Lines was traveling from Cebu City for Palompon, Leyte when the fire erupted on board.By the time the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) arrived on scene to conduct rescue operations…
Gulf Island Shipyards Delivers Icebreaking Tug to SLSDC
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) announced it has taken delivery of its new 118-foot icebreaking tug, the Seaway Guardian, in Massena, N.Y. Built by Gulf Island Shipyards in Houma, La., the vessel is the first new tug to join SLSDC since the Seaway opened 61 years ago.The new $24 million tug will primarily be used for buoy maintenance and ice management on the St.
