NOAA Satellites Help Rescue 240 People Last Year
Last year, 240 people were saved from potentially life-threatening situations throughout the United States and its surrounding waters with help from NOAA’s fleet of weather satellites. In addition to their role in weather forecasting, NOAA’s polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites can detect distress signals from emergency beacons carried by downed pilots, shipwrecked boaters and stranded hikers.
Baltic Sea Freight Index Falls to Lowest Level Since 1986
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, spiralled downwards to its lowest level in nearly three…
Bill Proposed to Repay WWII Merchant Mariners
Congresswoman Janice Hahn (Calif.) and Congressman John Duncan Jr. (Tenn.) introduced the “Honoring Our WWII Merchant Mariners Act of 2015,” which would provide…
Navigational Charts App Debuts at Ocean Business
An independent consultancy and software development company will launch a new web and PC based navigational charting app at Ocean Business 2015. Norcom Technology Limited said its eChart software combines up to date information from different sources including wreck, cable, tide and geographical data for navigational charts, making it suited for use by companies carrying out desktop studies prior to installation of offshore structures, cables, pipelines and vessel monitoring.
Ferus Smit to Launch Newbuild for Symphony Shipping
Ferus Smit announced it will launch Newbuuld 417 on Saturday, February 21 in Leer. Newbuild 417, a multipurpose vessel to be christened Nordana Sky, is the first vessel in a series of six that will be delivered to Symphony Shipping. The ship will be chartered out to the Danish company Nordana and sail in her fleet after delivery. Nordana Sky is the first vessel of Ferus Smit’s new ecobox design, which…
Australia Gives Landing Craft to the Philippines
The Australian Government will gift two recently-decommissioned Landing Craft Heavy vessels, including a package of spare parts, to the Philippines Government, the…
Reftrade Upgrades Fleet Refrigeration Systems
Reftrade UK has made an investment to upgrade its fleet with environmentally friendly technology. The world’s first refrigeration system to use CO2 as a natural refrigerant, NaturaLINE, has been installed in Reftrade UK’s fleet. The system has been designed by Carrier to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and reduce the power usage of each unit. The six figure investment will see Reftrade UK take a market…
ClassNK Reports Record 2014
Announcing its registration totals for 2014, ClassNK said 833 new vessels with a combined total of 21,466,272 gt joined its register over the course of the year…
GE Launches GE Marine Organization
GE unveiled today its new GE Marine organization which cumulates several GE businesses and will be led by Tim Schweikert, vice president, GE Marine. The new organization brings together GE’s commercial and technological expertise in the marine sector from gas turbines and diesel engines to motors and generators, variable speed drives and drilling systems to automation and control systems and all the electrical equipment in between.
Damen Delivers Custom-Made Offshore Winches to Fugro
Damen Maaskant Shipyards, part of Damen Shipyards Group, has delivered two dedicated offshore winches to Fugro. The Dutch shipyard was responsible for the design, engineering and manufacturing of the two winches from its base in Stellendam in the Netherlands. Maaskant also worked very closely with Bosch Rexroth, which delivered the hydraulic drive system. Classified by DNV GL, the two winches – a constant tension winch with an own weight of 2…
Liberian Registry Launches Green Ship Initiative
“We have launched a new initiative to help shipowners improve their green credentials and meet other corporate social responsibilities," said Scott Bergeron, CEO of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the U.S.-based manager of the registry. As part of its ongoing commitment to environmental excellence, the Liberian Registry recently entered into a partnership with U.S.-based…
Stolt-Nielsen Q4 Profit Misses Forecast
Shipping firm Stolt-Nielsen reported fourth quarter earnings below forecasts on Thursday and said it was concerned about the outlook for the chemical tanker market…
Dozens Missing off Bangladesh after Boat Sinks
About 40 illegal migrants heading from Bangladesh to Malaysia to look for work were missing on Thursday after their boat sank, police said. A steady stream of people…
Shell: UK Should Reduce North Sea Oil Tax
The British government should review a supplementary tax charge on North Sea oil producers as it has made the operation of some fields unrealistic, Shell Chief Executive…
Wartsila Sees Low Oil Price Impacting Shipping
CEO cautious on 2015 outlook. Finnish ship engine and power plant maker Wartsila reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly profit and warned lower crude prices…
China Watching Greece After Port Sale Shelved
China is closely monitoring the policies of the new Greek government after Athens said this week it will stop the sale of a majority stake in Greece's biggest port…
Shell Eyes Arctic Drilling this Summer
Oil major Shell wants to revive its Arctic oil drilling programme this year after a near two-year suspension, angering environmentalists who say the risk of an oil spill is too high.
National Domestic Surveyor Accreditation in place
Domestic marine surveyors will now be accredited under a national system run by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). The Domestic Surveyor Accreditation…
Australian Tall Ship Rounds Cape Horn
The Royal Australian Navy operated Sail Training Ship Young Endeavour rounded Cape Horn on Australia Day, 36 days into a 12-month circumnavigation of the world.
USCG Rescue 2 on Bahamian Island
Two stranded men are safe after the Coast Guard rescued them off an Island in the Bahamas Tuesday afternoon. Coast Guard 7th District watchstanders received a request…
