Demand for Larger Dry Bulk Vessels Wanes
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, fell for a fourth straight session on Wednesday, pressured by lower rates for larger capesize and panamax vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, fell by 33 points, or 3.2%, to 1,004.The capesize index went down by 61 points, or 4%…
Russia Carries Out Air Strikes on Ukraine's Odesa Port
Ukrainian air defence systems were engaged in the early hours of Wednesday in repelling a Russian air attack on the southern port of Odesa for a second consecutive night, the region's governor said.Russia struck Ukrainian ports on Tuesday, a day after pulling out of a U.N.-backed deal for safe Black Sea grain exports, a decision that raised concern primarily in Africa and Asia of rising food prices and hunger."Do not approach the windows…
First Force Supply Ship Delivered to French Navy
During a ceremony organized on July 18, 2023 in Toulon, its home port, the Jacques Chevallier, the first of the four force supply vessels (BRF) of the "Logistics Fleet" program (FlotLog), was received by the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) for delivery to the French Navy.Launched in 2019 and built in Saint-Nazaire by Chantiers de l'Atlantique and Naval Group, the Jacques Chevallier returned…
Tuscan FSRU to be Moved Offshore by 2026
A liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessel moored in the Tuscan port of Piombino will be moved off the coast of Vado Ligure and Savona in Italy's northwestern region of Liguria…
Boreas Maritime Opens New Branch in Croatia
Crewing agency Boreas Maritime, headquartered in the Netherlands, announces the opening of a new branch in Croatia. The team has been expanded with two new, dedicated team members to run the branch in Rijeka, Croatia.The branch office will be largely focused on the offshore industry, offering new employment opportunities to Croatian seafarers.Marina Frkovic, senior account manager and co-owner Boreas Maritime Croatia…
The Need for [U.S. Navy Shipbuilding] Speed
The Navy wants, and needs, more ships; but it can’t build them fast enough.While the U.S. Navy aims to achieve a 355-ship fleet, it is decommissioning older (and some not so old) ships at about the same rate it's adding new ones.A Congressional Research Service report stated that, as of April 17, 2023, the Navy included 296 battle force ships. "The Navy projects that under its FY2024 budget submission…
GMS Reports Ship Recycling Industry Frustration
It has been another frustrating week across all of the major ship recycling destinations, with prices marooned / flat and businesses yet to fully resume at pace following the conclusion of Eid holidays, reports GMS in its weekly report for Week 28, 2023.GMS recalls the good news that Bangladesh has completed its accession to the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) as further progress is made in recycling markets before the convention formally enters into force.Meanwhile…
MAIB Concerned Pilot Ladder Incidents are Under-Reported
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its 2022 annual report which includes details of its investigation into pilot ladder safety.The MAIB canvassed 105 UK Competent Harbour Authorities, and this revealed that almost 700 marine pilots conducted over 96,000 transfers underway using a pilot ladder, during which there were over 400 incidents or accidents.Just over half of these were reported to the MAIB…
WinGD to Deliver Ammonia Engines in 2025
Swiss marine power company WinGD is on track to deliver its first X-DF-A dual-fuel ammonia engines by the first quarter of 2025, with the first X-DF-A powered vessels in service from 2026.The confirmation follows combustion tests at WinGD research facilities in December 2022 and is backed by concrete orders. Last month WinGD signed an agreement with AET Tankers and sister company Akademi Laut Malaysia to develop crew training on ammonia engines.
Canada Port Strike Resumes
Dock workers at ports along Canada's Pacific coast rejected a tentative four-year wage deal agreed with their employers last week and returned to the picket line, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) said on Tuesday.The ILWU represents some 7,500 dock workers, who walked off the job on July 1 after failing to reach a new work contract with the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA)…
New Hybrid Ro-pax Vessel Delivered to Finnlines
Finnlines announced it has taken delivery of Finnsirius, the first in a series of two Superstar hybrid freight-passenger (ro-pax) vessels built by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai, China.The vessel will enter service on Finnlines’ Finland–Sweden (Naantali–Långnäs–Kapellskär) line from September 2023, followed by the series' second vessel, Finncanopus, expected to be delivered by the end of…
USS Canberra (LCS 30) Arrives in Sydney Ahead of Commissioning
The U.S. Navy's Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30) arrived in Sydney, Australia, July 18, ahead of the ship’s ceremonial commissioning.USS Canberra entered Sydney Harbour in formation with Canberra-class landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra before mooring pierside at the Royal Australian Navy’s Fleet Base East.“We are thrilled to be here in Sydney this week, and to show this city our fast…
Pearlson Shiplift Confirms $200 Million Backlog
Miami-based shiplift supplier Pearlson Shiplift Corporation reports it has secured four contracts within the past nine months, boosting its order backlog to more than $200 million.A privately held company with a global presence, Pearlson Shiplift Corporation engineers and delivers complex shiplift and transfer systems for both military and commercial shipyards.Recent orders include shiplift systems for BAE Systems – Jacksonville Ship Repair…
UN Set to Start Removing Oil from Decaying Yemen Tanker FSO Safer
An operation to start removing some 1.1 million barrels of oil from a decaying tanker moored off Yemen's coast could start by the end of the week, the United Nations said on Tuesday.U.N. officials have been warning for years that the Red Sea and Yemen's coastline were at risk as the tanker Safer could spill four times as much oil as the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska.U.N. spokesman Stephane…
Three Dead After Shipyard Shooting in Louisiana
Three people are dead following a shooting incident at a shipyard in Harvey, La., near New Orleans.The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating a double homicide at the FMT Shipyard & Repair facility on the West bank of the Mississippi River, and that a suspect was later killed after a shootout with deputies.Around 1 p.m., deputies were dispatched to a report of a shooting at the shipyard.
World’s First Methanol-fueled Containership Bunkers in Korea
Maersk's first-of-its-kind methanol dual-fuel containership made history on July 16 when it became the first to bunker methanol.The newly built vessel bunkered 1,000 metric tonnes of the cleaner burning fuel at Odfjell Terminals Korea in Ulsan before embarking on its 21,500-kilometer maiden voyage toward Copenhagen, where she will be officially named in September.“This journey is an important step in our efforts to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040…
Russia Blocks Cargo Vessel Transits Through the Kerch Strait
The movement of cargo vessels through the Kerch Strait has been suspended by Russian authorities since July 16 following drone attacks on the Crimean port of Sevastopol, two industry sources told Reuters.Russia's defense ministry said its forces had prevented Ukraine from attacking Sevastopol on Sunday, destroying seven aerial and two maritime drones."Navigation is already idle for the third day. They stopped it on July 16, around 5 p.m.
Panama's Arsenio Dominguez Elected as IMO Secretary General
The International Maritime Organization's Council (IMO) has elected Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco from Panama as its secretary-general, the UN shipping agency said on Tuesday.Dominguez beat six other contenders from China, Turkey, Kenya, Finland, Dominica and Bangladesh in a vote and will take office on January 1, 2024, for a four-year term, subject to the approval of the IMO Assembly.Dominguez…
Birdon Announces Subcontracts for Waterways Commerce Cutter Builds
Birdon America, Inc. on Tuesday announced it has awarded the first wave of major subcontracts in support of its $1.187 billion contract to design and build 27 Waterways Commerce Cutters (WCC) for the U.S. Coast Guard. This announcement follows a successful initial Program Management Review (PMR), the first major milestone of the WCC program.The subcontracts range in value from $10 million to $50 million and are firm-fixed price (FFP)…
USACE Awarded a Slew of Dredging Work in the First Half of 2023
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is snapping back from the doldrums of COVID-19, wrapping up a strong first half of 2023 with a slew of awarded dredging work.“The federal government is no different from state and local governments, nor the private sector when it comes to COVID-19 work related recovery and USACE is not an exception,” said William P. Doyle, CEO of the Dredging Contractors of America.
