Columbia News

BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair, Jacksonville, Florida, is awarded a $23,865,722 cost-plus-award-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-2317 to exercise options for USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) post-shakedown availability (PSA). The PSA is accomplished within a period of approximately 16 weeks between the time of ship custody transfer to the Navy and the shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) obligation work limiting date (OWLD). The PSA encompasses all of the manpower, support services, material, non-standard equipment and associated technical data and documentation required to prepare for and accomplish the PSA.

Dutch shipbuilder Damen has launched two, 81-metre road ferries for the Canadian ferry operator BC Ferries at its Galati shipyard in Romania.Damen Shipyards Group, which operates 36 shipbuilding and repair yards, said that the ferries were launched “within a few weeks” and they are now undergoing outfitting before the units enter service in 2020.Once operational they will be capable of carrying up to 300 passengers and crew, and 47 vehicles, it added.The ferries have been built to Damen’s Road Ferry 8117E3 design and the order was secured following an extensive…

U.S. coastal and river cruise operator American Cruise Lines continues to accelerate its newbuild program across its diverse fleet, adding new ships to its new Modern Riverboat Series as well as its fleet of new coastal ships and Victorian-style paddlewheelers. American, which introduced a new ship in 2017 and two new ships in 2018, will put its latest new vessel into service this summer, with two more newbuilds coming in both 2020 and 2021.In August 2019, American Harmony, the second of five ships in American’s Modern Riverboat Series…

Canadian shipbuilder Seaspan Shipyards announced Tuesday it has awarded MAN Energy Solutions Canada of Vancouver, BC, a contract valued at $55 million ($41.2 million US) to provide propulsion and power generation components for Canada’s new Joint Support Ships (JSS).The contract was announced today but was awarded and signed late last year, a Seaspan Shipyards spokesperson confirmed to MarineLink.MAN will provide two MAN 12V32/44CR (Common Rail) propulsion engines equipped with environmental protection SCR technology…

Canadian National Railway (CN) said it plans to invest approximately $345 million across British Columbia in 2019 to expand and strengthen the Company’s rail network throughout the province.“Following a record capital program in 2018, CN has been able to take on more traffic from different commodity sectors based on contracts with our customers. This year, CN is planning to invest even more than last year to continue boosting capacity and network resiliency and to meet growing traffic on our corridors across B.C.,” said Doug Ryhorchuk, Vice-President of CN’s Western Region.The B.C.

Canadian ferry owner and operator British Columbia Ferry Services Inc (BC Ferries) will be building up to five new ferries to replace four existing vessels.The provider of all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia said in a press release that it invites customers and communities to join conversations about the new vessels and to provide input that will help shape their future onboard experience."The…

UK-based drilling contractor Awilco Drilling announced that tha appointment of  Jens Berge as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. Berge will succeed Jon Oliver Bryce."The Board would like to thank Jon Oliver Bryce for his nine years as Awilco Drilling's CEO. At the same time, we are very pleased to announce that Jens Berge has accepted to take over the CEO position" says Sigurd E. Thorvildsen, Chairman of the Board of Awilco Drilling PLC.Jens Berge will assume his new position no later than 4 June 2019.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has joined SEA\LNG, the multi-sector industry coalition aiming to accelerate the widespread adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel. Vancouver Fraser Port  is the first North America port member to join the industry group.The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is the federal agency of the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest port, and the fourth port member to join the coalition, alongside Port of Rotterdam, Yokohama-Kawasaki International Port Corporation (YKIP), and most recently the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

On February 13, the two new RAstar 3200 escort tugs SST Grizzly and SST Orca for SAAM SMIT TOWAGE CANADA Inc. (SST Canada) were the toasts of a blessing ceremony in Vancouver Harbor.Designed by Robert Allan Ltd and built at Cheoy Lee Shipyards, these two significant additions to the SST Canada fleet were showcased to guests aboard the luxury harbor cruising vessel Pacific Yacht. Distinguished guests for the evening included local First Nations leaders, valued customers and trusted suppliers…

Columbia Shipmanagement, an organization with over 40 years of experience providing world-class ship management and maritime services to our clients and partners,  announced the launch of its own eLearning Management System (LMS) in partnership with Adobe Systems."For the first time in shipping, a Web and App-based eLearning platform enables seafarers to access and complete their training assingments at their own pace, whereever they are and even withouth having network connectivty…

We recently met up with Kenneth Dastol, CEO & President, Zenitel Group, who provided some exclusive insight and analysis on the dynamic world of mobile communication trends in the maritime sector.Please give an overview of Zenitel Group today.The Zenitel Group is the leader of intelligent communication systems. We are located in 18 countries around the world with more than 300 employees after the acquisition of Phontech. Approximately half of the staff is working out of Norway…

Canada's National Energy Board (NEB) regulator recommended on Friday that Ottawa approve expansion of the government-owned Trans Mountain oil pipeline, but made new, nonbinding recommendations to mitigate harm to Pacific Ocean killer whales and the environment.The pipeline is in the national interest as it will create jobs and give Canadian oil access to more markets, the NEB said in a report. But expanding it is likely to significantly harm the killer whale population off the coast of British Columbia and increase greenhouse gas emissions from ships…

The ferry business, unlike more industrial parts of the shipping business, touches wide swaths of the world’s population across continents. The membership of Interferry, the leading trade group for the industry, with non-Governmental organization (NGO) status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) includes 200+ members from all parts of the ferry spectrum. These include passenger ferries (including fast ferries), Ro/Pax and cruise ferries operating globally. In selecting “the best” we looked beyond the league tables of “the most” (passengers) and “the biggest” (fleet size).

With a year to go before the implementation of the 2020 Sulfur Cap, few topics will be higher on the list of priorities for shipowners than complying with Annex VI of the IMO MARPOL Convention (2008). However, the reduction of sulfur content in marine fuel from 3.5% to 0.5% in time for the deadline means more than identifying a strategically suitable fuel choice. The importance of choosing the correct lubricant, coupled with incorporating the relevant supporting is also a vital consideration.As both a global lubricant supplier and as a part of the wider Total Group…

One year ago, we reported on vacation river cruising, presenting an industry mostly on the optimistic side of growth and expansion for 2018. This year’s review is more geographically limited – to the Mississippi River, heartland cruises centered among New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis and St. Paul – but with links important for a lot of smaller cities in between.Big picture:This industry is strong, at least among its two major players: American Cruise Lines and the American Queen Steamboat Company. Both have extensive and varied schedules for 2019.

Jensen Maritime, Crowley Maritime Corp.’s Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering company, has provided the detailed design for Shaver Transportation Company’s new, Z-drive tug – Samantha S. The multi-purpose tug was built at Diversified Marine Inc., in Portland, Ore., and is operating along the West Coast. The tug is ABS-classed and carries a FFV1 firefighting notation.The 112-foot by 44-foot tug has a 22-foot draft, was built for escort, ocean towing and ship assist, and has firefighting capabilities if needed. The tug features a raised pilot house and a squared forward end.

U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil Corp. has withdrawn its environmental assessment application for a $25-billion LNG export facility on the B.C. coast it proposed in 2015. No reasons given for withdrawing from environmental review process.“After careful review, ExxonMobil Canada and Imperial Oil Resources have withdrawn the WCC LNG project from the B.C. Environmental Assessment process,” a notice on WCC LNG website says. It also says that its websie will only be available until the end…

The British Columbia’s Port of Prince Rupert and DP World have marked a historic milestone as Fairview Container Terminal handled its millionth container (TEU) for the first time in a calendar year.The 40-foot TEU was loaded with dimensional lumber in Prince George before being shipped to Prince Rupert by train and loaded onto the COSCO Africa container ship to be sent to market.“DP World is proud to have achieved the million TEU milestone,” said Maksim Mihic, General Manager DP World (Canada) Inc.

In 1978 Allied Shipyards of North Vancouver built a series of three big steel purse seiners that have become much-admired classics amongst the excellent fleets of British Columbia. In the years since the boats have changed owners and changed names. One, the Viking Star, has even shifted from being a dedicated purse seiner to a transport vessel for salmon farms for the Walcan Seafood plant on Quadra Island.The success of the design, of which more than a dozen were eventually  built…

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced 14 grants, which go to port-related projects, are made through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Grants program.Port-related projects will receive a total of $229.23 million, said a press release from American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA).“BUILD transportation grants are major investments in road, rail, transit, and port projects that serve as a down payment on this administration’s commitment to America’s infrastructure…

Committed to providing tugboat and towing vessel operators with a platform to meet regularity requirements and collaborate with local resources, the annual event also reminds us that Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.On September 28 2018, American Marine Associates, LLC (AMA) coordinated and hosted the 3rd annual Green Apple Spill Response Exercise in Bayonne, NJ. The Green Apple Spill Response exercise was established specifically for the tugboat and towing vessel industry operating in New York Harbor.

Japanese shipping and logistics giant Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) has signed long-term contracts with Diamond Gas International Pte. Ltd. (DGI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) located in Singapore, for DGI to charter from NYK three newly built liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.Previously, NYK concluded long-term time-charter contracts for three new LNG vessels for MC’s Cameron LNG project, so these most recent contracts bring the total to six carriers for MC.The NYK Group will be responsible for ship management for the three ordered LNG carriers…

Maritime Reporter & Engineering News was offered the opportunity to interview Admiral Karl Schultz, the 26th Commandant in the history of the United States Coast Guard, in his office in Washington, DC. Just five months into his tenure, his plate is predictably full with a number of challenges, including: Attracting and retaining future U.S. Coast Guard personnel; addressing a number of assymetric threats, including cyber attacks; and ensuring captial and operating budgets are adequate to safely and efficiently carry out a global mission envelope, to name but a few.