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Beaver News

12 Dec 2025

Shipping Majors to Study Methanol Fuel Supply Chain on US Gulf Coast

© Artinun / Adobe Stock

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Japan’s ENEOS, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and SEACOR Holdings have launched a joint study to develop a commercial methanol marine fuel supply network along the U.S. Gulf Coast.The study aims to establish the first large-scale ship-to-ship methanol bunkering operations in the United States, as the global shipping industry looks for practical pathways to meet the International Maritime Organization’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.Methanol…

03 Jul 2025

US Navy: Big or Small, Boats are Indispensable to the USN

Naval Special Warfare Combatant Craft Assault boats approach the well deck of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25).
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Evan Diaz

For the U.S. Navy, boats perform missions from mundane maintenance chores such as hull scraping and cleaning overboard discharges to clandestine special forces insertion and extraction. Some boats are about as basic as you can imagine, and some are equipped with sophisticated combat systems and weapons. Big or small, they all perform indispensable tasks for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.Boats that are carried on and launched from ships are referred to as “shipboard boats,” to distinguish them from boats based at installations ashore.

08 Oct 2024

Towboat Deckhand Was Asleep at Helm When Barge Struck Dock

Cindy B and St. John underway after the contact with the Beaver Dock. (Source: Columbia Pacific Bio-Refinery)

A deckhand at the helm of a towing vessel had fallen asleep before the tow struck a dock near Clatskanie, Ore. last year, according to a report published by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Tuesday.The deckhand of the towing vessel Cindy B was experiencing the effects of fatigue while at the helm on Nov. 12, 2023. The towing vessel was pushing the loaded deck barge St. John up the Columbia River when the tow gradually moved to starboard out of the channel and struck the Port Westward Beaver Dock.The deckhand fell asleep during the end of his scheduled night watch…

31 Jan 2024

Indonesian Firm Orders Two Dredges from Royal IHC

Samsudin Andi Arsyad, the owner of Jhonlin Group, and Derk te Bokkel, CEO of Royal IHC, after signing the contract. (Photo: Royal IHC)

Indonesian firm PT. Jhonlin Marine Trans has placed an order for two dredges from Royal IHC, based in the Netherlands.Jhonlin Marine Trans is the marine subsidiary of Jhonlin Group, one of the largest companies in Indonesia under the ownership of Mr. Samsudin Andi Arsyad. Rangga Rishar Saputra, Country Manager Indonesia for Royal IHC, said, “We are grateful that Jhonlin and Mr. Isam has put their faith in IHC Dredging in developing their dredging capacity. The investment in the Beagle 4 and Beaver 65 as the first purchase from IHC Dredging is a significant commitment.

20 Mar 2023

Mackinac Island Ferry Set for Electric Conversion

The Mackinac Island passenger ferry Chippewa will be converted from diesel to electric propulsion. Photo courtesy of Star Line/Mackinac Island Ferry Co.

A Mackinac Island passenger ferry will be converted to zero-emissions electric power with the help of a $3.06 million award from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Fuel Transformation Program (FTP) Part 2.Star Line, now known as the Mackinac Island Ferry Company (MIFC), will replace two 1988 diesel engines with two brand new electric propulsion motors on a ferry, the Chippewa, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 14,152 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents and 887 metric tons of nitrogen oxides over the boat’s lifetime.

08 Feb 2023

Greenpeace Says Shell Threatens Protestors Occupying FPSO with "Jail Time, Fines"

More Greenpeace activists board Shell FPSO ©Greenpece

Shell has reportedly threatened legal action against Greenpeace activists who last week boarded a heavy load carrier carrying Shell's Penguins FPSO, destined for deployment in the UK North Sea.Last Tuesday, four activists climbed aboard the Boskalis' White Marlin vessel carrying the cylindrical FPSO, in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Canary Islands, calling for Shell to "Stop Drilling. Start Paying." Read more here.According to Greenpeace, Shell, late on Friday, Feb 3, hit the…

11 Jan 2023

The Dutra Group Names Stewart CEO

Bill Dutra, left, and Harry Stewart, who was just named CEO of The Dutra Group. Image courtesy The Dutra Group

The Dutra Group has named Harry K. Stewart as its Chief Executive Officer. Stewart, who previously held the position of Chief Operating Officer at Dutra, assumes his new role as the company celebrates its 50th anniversary. Bill T. Dutra, who led the company since its founding, will move into the role of Executive Chairman.Bill Dutra, who founded the company at age 26, is immediately recognizable by the trademark Borsalino and Stetson hats he wears in tribute to his grandfather, Antone Dutra.

19 Aug 2022

Royal IHC and KSBL Sign Deal for CSD Builds in Bangladesh

(Photo: Royal IHC)

Royal IHC and Karnafuly Ship Builders Ltd (KSBL) in Bangladesh have signed contracts for the design, engineering and hardware of four cutter suction dredgers (CSD). The four mono-pontoon custom-built CSDs (2x 700 mm and 2x 600 mm) will be built in Bangladesh by KSBL for Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) for maintenance dredging in Bangladesh. Royal IHC will provide yard assistance for the installation, testing and commissioning of the equipment and the CSDs.Ronald van Son…

15 Dec 2021

Ships Traveling the Thawing Arctic are Leaving Garbage in Their Wake

© Parilov / Adobe Stock

Following another year of stark climate impacts in the Arctic, scientists warned Tuesday of a new scourge hitting the region: marine trash.With the region warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, sea ice that has long blanketed the Arctic Ocean is disappearing, opening new routes to shipping. Scientists began noticing the trash bobbing in the icy water or piling up on Alaska Bering Strait-area beaches last year.“That’s a direct result of increased human maritime activities…

16 Dec 2020

DREDGING: Royal IHC, Arab Potash Launch CSD Alyarmouk

Photo: Royal IHC

Arab Potash Company's (APC) newest cutter suction dredger (CSD) was launched at Royal IHC’s shipyard in Krimpen a/d IJssel, The Netherlands, on Wednesday. APC will use Alyarmouk at its site in Jordan, where it will cut and remove crystallized salt under harsh conditions.The custom-built vessel is a 3,557-kilowatt CSD and a further developed copy of the dredger Jarash, which IHC delivered to APC in 2018.Alyarmouk is the last of three contracts signed between APC and IHC earlier this year.

10 Dec 2020

Royal IHC Receives Dredger Order from Nigeria

(Photo: Royal IHC)

Dutch shipbuilder Royal IHC has sold a Beaver 65 DDSP alongside a DMC 1450 workboat, booster station and discharge piping to Oretol Nigeria Ltd. The cutter suction dredger (CSD) and additional equipment will be delivered within four months, and deployed on various sand excavation and land reclamation projects, with a view to developing real estate in the Lagos Lagoon. The Beaver will be assembled at IHC’s yard in Kinderdijk, The Netherlands.The Beaver 65 DDSP is the largest of…

27 Aug 2020

IHC Delivers New Dredge to Cameroon's Port of Douala

Mont Mandara (Photo: Royal IHC)

Royal IHC said it handed over the 3,000m³ trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Mont Mandara to Cameroon’s Port Authority of Douala (PAD) on August 20. The delivery completes the PAD fleet, following its acquisition of an IHC Beaver 50 cutter suction dredger and a DMC workboat in 2019.The new TSHD is an IHC Easydredge from IHC’s standardized range of dredging vessels suited for common maintenance and land reclamation projects. The Mont Mandara offers flexibility to PAD as it can be customized to adapt to its dedicated working environment.

25 Feb 2019

Engine Service Work Complete for Britannia Aggregates

Photo courtesy of Royston

Power specialist Royston has completed an extensive overhaul of diesel engines on a Britannia Aggregates’ owned and operated dredger, which extracts sand and gravel from the seabed.Engineers undertook the service work onboard the 100m, 3,610 gross tonnage Britannia Beaver, as part of a comprehensive refurbishment and maintenance program of essential power systems.The 1991 built A class dredger, which operates around the south-east coast of the UK, delivers aggregates to Brett-owned wharves around the South East of England…

07 May 2020

Royal IHC Awarded Dredger Contracts

(Image: Royal IHC)

Dutch shipbuilder Royal IHC said Thursday it has signed three contracts with the Jordan-based Arab Potash Company (APC) to deliver two cutter suction dredgers (CSDs) and implement a new maintenance agreement. The first contract comprises the delivery of a custom-built CSD, the second is a three-year maintenance contract for the IHC dredgers Jarash and Mutah, and the third involves another dredger, which will be a copy of Jarash.The newly built CSD Alkaramah is based on a modified, innovative IHC Beaver 65 DDSP with three different working depth ranges: up to 18, 25 and 32 metres.

13 May 2020

Douala Port Authority Orders IHC Dredger

(Image: Royal IHC)

Cameroon’s Port Authority of Douala (PAD) has acquired high-tech equipment from Royal IHC to support its dredging activities, an order that builds on the excellent partnership between both organizations.As part of measures to autonomously manage its dredging activities, the Management of the PAD acquired an IHC Beaver 50 cutter suction dredger and a Delta Multi Craft (DMC) workboat, which were both delivered in 2019. This first order will soon be completed by an IHC Easydredge trailing suction hopper dredger with a 3,000-cubic-meter hopper capacity.

14 Jan 2017

Royal IHC wins multiple contracts for Dredgers

In the last two months of 2016, IHC saw a substantial increase in the sale of its vessels, equipment and engineering packages. Almost half of the total order intake over 2016 was secured in this period. “We see market recovery in the dredging and renewables industry, and are positive that this will continue in 2017,” says IHC CEO Dave Vander Heyde. One of the highlights of the year end includes the sale of a trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Easydredge 2700 from stock. Supported by the Argentinean bank BICE, the vessel was sold to Dragados Argentinos DASA S.A. (DASA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. DASA is a new company, established by three leading dredging contractors in the country.

27 Jan 2017

Insights: Margo Marks -President, Beaver Island Boat Company

Margo S. Marks

Margo S. Marks is President/General Manager of Beaver Island Boat Company, Beaver Island, Mich. The company has provided passenger, vehicle and freight services, between Beaver Island and Charlevoix, Mich. since 1984. The first ferry service to the island began in 1890. B.I. Boat Company operates two subchapter K vessels with a capacity of up to 294 passengers and 16 vehicles on the larger vessel, and 172 passengers and 9 vehicles on the smaller vessel. Notably, Margo has deep roots in the Gresat Lakes community and graduated from the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in 1983…

03 Oct 2017

Suez Canal Orders Two Cutter Suction Dredgers

(Image: Royal IHC)

The Egyptian Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has placed an order for two custom-built 29,190kW heavy-duty rock cutter suction dredgers (CSDs). The vessels will have an overall length of 147.4 meters and provide a maximum dredging depth of 35 meters. In addition, they will offer accommodation facilities for 73 people. Equipped with one submerged – and two inboard – dredge pumps, the installed cutter power will be 4,800kW. A standardized IHC Beaver 45 CSD will also be built by IHC at SCA’s shipyard in Egypt…

25 Oct 2017

Robert Allan Receives Meritorious Achievement Award

Bob Stewart, P.Eng., President of EGBC with Rob Allan (Mike Crane Photography)

Rob Allan was presented with the Meritorious Achievement Award as one of the President’s Awards conferred by Engineers & Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC) on October 20, 2017 at their Annual Award Gala held in Whistler, BC. This award is given annually to a member of the Association who has achieved distinction and outstanding goals associated with his/her profession. Allan has over 45 years of experience in the design of commercial workboats of all types, but especially high-performance tugboats for tanker escort and offshore terminal operations.

13 Nov 2017

Webb Receives SS Beaver Medal for Maritime Excellence

Elaine and Rollie Webb (Photo: Robert Allan Ltd.)

Rollie Webb, Senior Vice President at Robert Allan Ltd., was presented with the SS Beaver Medal for Maritime Excellence by the Lt. Governor of B.C. Judith Guichon on behalf of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia in a ceremony held on November 9 in Victoria. Webb joined Robert Allan Ltd. in 2008 and assumed duties as Senior Vice President in 2015. Webb has more than 40 years of experience in marine engineering and shipyard experience, starting out in ship operations as a marine engineer at sea…

04 Nov 2016

DBL Group Bangladesh Enters Dredging Market

DBL Group Bangladesh enters dredging market with IHC Beavers and work boats. (Photo: DBL)

Dhaka-based business conglomerate DBL Group has recently launched its dredging business, DBL Dredging. To support its entry into this new market it ordered two IHC Beaver 50 cutter suction dredgers (CSDs), and two Delta Multi Craft (DMC) 1050 work boats. The two IHC Beaver 50s were delivered with a spud carrier pontoon, anchor boom installation, production measuring system and dredge track presentation system (DTPS). This will enable DBL to perform an efficient dredging operation.

08 Nov 2016

MPT's Amy Beavers Passes Away

Amy Beavers, USCG Licensed Master, Academic Principal and VP of Regulatory Compliance at Maritime Professional Training has passed away on November 5. Services will be held on Saturday, November 12, at 11:30 a.m. at Rio Vista Community Church, 880 S. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33316. Longtime maritime training expert and provider Amy Beavers was widely regarded as one of the most knowledgeable stakeholders in the industry when it came to regulatory matters, especially where it intersected the U.S. Coast Guard's credentialing department. Notably, she served as Vice Chair of the Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC), but to most of the mariners who came through MPT for training, she was simply regarded as the "go-to" person for answers.

12 Apr 2018

Royal IHC Bags Big Order from Egyptian MOD

Royal IHC has secured an order from the Engineering Authority at the Egyptian Ministry of Defence (MOD). The contract comprises the construction of 10 IHC Beaver Cutter Suction Dredgers (CSDs) and five Delta Multi Craft (DMC) 1050 workboats. The order also includes three floating IHC Multi-Booster stations, each delivering 895kW of power, as well as HDPE floating pipelines (10 x 1,500m). In addition, IHC will provide a comprehensive training package for crew and staff. “The CSDs will be deployed for the maintenance of Egypt’s lakes and waterways,” says IHC’s Area Sales Director Africa, Rogier Kalis. “This includes the removal of excessive sedimentation, deepening of waterways and environmental dredging.