Capt News

The Administration has made American manufacturing, shipbuilding, and supply chain resilience national priorities. The Great Lakes region is home to steel, autos, agriculture, energy infrastructure, defense suppliers, and advanced manufacturing. The St. Lawrence Seaway carries maritime commerce into that region.Recent events in the Strait of Hormuz have reminded policymakers and the public that maritime transportation matters. Strategic waterways matter because transportation costs matter.

Some books arrive as commentary; Blue Bharat arrives as a working instrument. Capt. Gajanan Karanjikar’s latest contribution is not a lyrical ode to the sea, nor a policy pamphlet dressed in maritime romance. It is something rarer and far more useful: a practitioner’s blueprint that treats the Blue Economy as what it truly is for India - a national economic lever, a strategic imperative, and an operational discipline.What makes Blue Bharat compelling is its core thesis: India cannot meaningfully achieve the ambitions of Viksit Bharat 2047 unless it becomes a confident…

From Congestion-as-Normal to Time-as-a-ServiceAt the Port of the Future Conference in Houston, Texas, I had the privilege of speaking on a subject that, at first hearing, may sound radical, perhaps even impractical: “Zero-Queue Ports – No Anchored Ships and No Truck Lines.” Yet the packed room, the close attention of the audience, and the thoughtful discussion that followed confirmed something important. The maritime world is ready to challenge its old assumptions. It is ready to ask whether congestion…

MASS and Littoral OpTech conferences converge in Atlantic CanadaThe 13th annual Maritime & Arctic Security & Safety Conference (MASS), hosted by the Atlantic Canada Aerospace & Defence Association (ACADA), and presented by Saab Canada, Inc., will be held June 14-16 at the Convention Centre in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.ACADA represents Atlantic Canada’s aerospace and defence industry and promotes the region as a globally recognized hub of aerospace and defence excellence.“MASS brings together industry innovators…

Cal Poly Maritime Academy (formerly the CSU Maritime Academy) will award 150 bachelor’s degrees and 20 master’s degrees at its commencement ceremony Saturday, May 2, at Bodnar Field.The university will also award an Honorary Doctor of Science degree to Capt. Kate McCue, who graduated in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and is the inaugural captain of Four Seasons. McCue is an internationally recognized maritime leader whose career spans nearly three decades at sea.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has rescued a family of three who had been missing for seven days in waters off the Federated States of Micronesia.The crew of the USCGC Midgett located the family on April 6 after authorities reported the vessel overdue following its departure from Fananu Island on March 30.The 23-foot skiff, carrying two men and one woman, had suffered an engine failure during what was intended to be a short journey to Murillo Island, the Coast Guard said.The search area expanded to more than 14…

The 19th Asia Pacific Maritime (APM) held its largest-ever edition in Singapore last week, welcoming 19,431 attendees, alongside more than 819 exhibitors from 41 regions and countries, including 20 pavilions, and 112 speakers from across the globe. Amid the strong turnout, APM saw a significant number of announcements, covering product launches and the inking of partnerships, signalling strong momentum for advancing the industry and underscoring the industry’s unwavering confidence in Asia’s premier maritime event and conference.Yeow Hui Leng…

For Capt. Paul C. LaMarre III, the maritime industry isn’t a career choice as much as it is a family inheritance — and, in his words, “all I’ve known my entire life.” In a recent interview with Maritime Reporter TV, Captain LaMarre gives unique insights on the operating efficiently, effectively and safely on the Great Lakes system – the United States’ ‘Fourth Sea’ – and with passion, intellect and purpose advocates for a strong U.S. maritime industry.A third-generation Great Lakes mariner…

The transition towards digitalisation and automation is speeding up in the maritime industry, and a comprehensive strategy is emerging to turbo-charge efficiency, safety and sustainability. Yet key questions remain about the adoption of technologies and solutions to enhance operational performance, future-proof fleets while remaining commercially competitive, and ultimately realise the zero-emission goal. At Asia Pacific Maritime (APM) 2026, held from 25–27 March 2026 at Marina Bay Sands…

The U.S. Coast Guard has accepted delivery of the 62nd Fast Response Cutter, USCGC Vincent Danz (WPC 1162), in Key West.Danz was serving in the New York City Police Department, Emergency Services Unit, ESU Truck 3, when he responded to the World Trade Center as part of a massive emergency response and was killed when the World Trade Center collapsed. He was posthumously awarded the New York City Police Department’s Medal of Honor for his heroic deeds. His actions that day embodied the Coast Guard's core values of honor…

The barge Defiant was refloated from the Castillo San Felipe del Morro shoreline in San Juan Harbor, Wednesday at approximately 2:22 a.m., just before high tide.Salvage crews and tugboat operators prepositioned three tugboats and completed all the preparations, including the pressurization of all cargo tanks, voids and compartments in the barge. The tugboat, Lobo Grande, successfully pulled the barge off the rocks with the assistance of the incoming tide.An earlier attempt on…

The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of 27 mariners on Saturday after their Venezuelan-flagged fishing vessel caught fire approximately 500 miles north-northwest of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.At 3:51 p.m. PST, Saturday, Rescue Coordination Center Alameda received a notification from the Garmin Search and Rescue Command Center of an SOS distress alert from the 240-foot fishing vessel La Pena.Using a crewmember’s satellite messaging device, Coast Guard watchstanders established communications with the crew and confirmed the vessel had caught fire and sank.

The U.S. Coast Guard is actively conducting icebreaking operations in New York Harbor and the Hudson River in response to worsening ice conditions caused by prolonged extreme cold and Winter Storm Fern. Ice conditions have developed and expanded quickly across New York Harbor and the Hudson River, with significant ice formation now affecting the waterway from New York Harbor north through the Hudson Valley. Shore and drift ice are present throughout the area, and forecasts indicate continued ice growth over the coming days as cold temperatures persist.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) began icebreaking operations in the Southern Ocean in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2026 and marked its 50th year of commissioned service Saturday by freeing and escorting a cruise ship trapped in pack ice.The Australian-owned cruise ship Scenic Eclipse II contacted Polar Star at approximately 11 p.m., local time Friday after becoming beset in pack ice roughly eight nautical miles from McMurdo Sound. Polar Star’s crew conducted two close passes to break the vessel free…

Anglo-Eastern Univan Group introduced its methanol bunkering simulator in October, developed in collaboration with Wärtsilä, a system that delivers both theoretical and practical training for the safe handling of methanol as a marine fuel. This follows the launch of the world’s first functional LNG ((Liquefied Natural Gas))/ammonia bunkering station skid at the Anglo-Eastern Maritime Academy (AEMA) in Karjat, Mumbai in February. Alongside the training skid, Anglo-Eastern has introduced…

Columbia River Pilots is an association of independent pilots, a unique organization that uses a network of pilots and independent boats to manage a long stretch of river in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Capt. Jeremy Nielsen serves as President, Columbia River Pilots, and in addressing the challenges his organization faces, leading the list are the maritime megatrend that sees vessel size outpacing infrastructure along the river, from bridge clearance to dockage; as well as the maritime industry's legislated drive for decarbonization…

The Towing Vessel Inspection Bureau (TVIB) announced that Rio Marine, Inc. has become the first maritime services provider to achieve certification under the American Waterways Operators’ (AWO) Responsible Carrier Program (RCP).The RCP is a safety management system for the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry that sets standards for safety, environmental stewardship, and continuous improvement. To earn certification, companies undergo a third-party audit evaluating policies, procedures, employee practices, and operational performance.Capt. David A. Foret Jr.

The Henriksen HLH 3500 rescue boat and liferaft hook has become a key element of a new fall protection system invented by BC Ferries, the Descent Control System (DCS), which is now installed across its fleet of 38 ships. As launching boats at sea is a high-risk activity, BC Ferries embarked upon a two-year development program for its DCS. Now, whenever BC Ferries rescue crews board their boats, they will each clip onto a webbing line that is controlled by an auto belay unit. As…

The Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) celebrated the first anniversary of SIRE 2.0, its updated and enhanced Ship Inspection Report Program.Since its launch on September 2, 2024, following a gradual roll-out to industry to replace the paper-based SIRE (VIQ7) program, over 22,000 SIRE 2.0 inspections have been completed worldwide. SIRE 2.0 inspections have been conducted in 2,100 ports by 460 SIRE 2.0 accredited inspectors, with only 0.2 percent of inspections having…

As the global shipping industry accelerates toward decarbonization, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) has unveiled its first methanol bunkering simulator at its Maritime Training Center in Kochi, India. Developed in partnership with Wärtsilä, the new platform is designed to give seafarers hands-on training for safely handling methanol, one of the leading alternative fuels driving maritime’s low-carbon transition.The simulator marks a significant step in BSM’s broader strategy to future-proof crew training for a new generation of low- and zero-emission vessels.

Megamas Resources announced a ship design contract with Norway-based Ulstein Design & Solutions AS to start the engineering phase on a fiber-optic cable-laying vessel (CLV) planned to be built at the Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH.Capt. Tiew Sien Kheng, managing partner at Megamas, disclosed the contract at Ulstein's booth at the Nor-Shipping exhibition this week."Ulstein Design & Solutions AS, together with Lloyd Werft, will contribute its extensive expertise to deliver a high-specification, specialized vessel.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis (WAGB 21), the Coast Guard’s first polar icebreaker acquired in more than 25 years, has departed on its maiden voyage.The motor vessel Aiviq, acquired Dec. 20, 2024, from an Edison Chouest Offshore subsidiary, was renamed Storis following modifications to enhance communications and self-defense capabilities.The vessel will expand U.S. operational presence in the Arctic and support Coast Guard missions while the service awaits the delivery of…

Chem Carriers has completed the repower of the M/VCapt. Robert J. Banta, marking the final vessel in its current fleet to be powered by Laborde Products-supplied Mitsubishi engines. The twin-screw towboat is now running on twin Mitsubishi Tier 3 S12R-Y3MPTAW engines, each delivering 1,260 horsepower at 1,600 RPM.Originally built in 2015 by Main Iron Works of Houma, Louisiana, the 78-foot Capt. Robert J. Banta previously operated with Cummins QSK38 engines. With this repower, Chem…