Maritime Trades News

Seafarers International Union President Emeritus Michael Sacco died December 28, 2023, in St. Louis, surrounded by family members. He was 86 years old and passed away from natural causes.Mike was the longest-serving president in SIU history, having led the organization from 1988 until his retirement in February 2023, a period spanning nearly 35 years.The Seafarers International Union, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters, AFL-CIO, represents professional United States merchant mariners sailing aboard U.S.-flag vessels in the deep sea…

The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding trains shipbuilders and leaders to build some of the highest value maritime assets on the planet: U.S. Navy ships. Dr. Latitia McCane, Director of Education, The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding discusses the challenges and rewards of the job.While most shipbuilders lament the dearth of interest from the next generation to take up a career in shipbuilding, Dr. Latitia McCane, Director of Education, The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding has the opposite problem…

Naval shipyards and industry partners see business growing, but finding enough trained and qualified workers is a challenge.General Dynamics Electric Boat will invest $1.7 billion to modernize and upgrade its Quonset, R.I. and Groton, Conn., facilities over the next ten years,” said Sean Davies , vice president for EB’s Quonset Point Operations. “Here at Quonset, we are investing $700 million that will increase our outfitting space by 13 acres, to support work on the Virginia and Columbia class of submarines.

U.S. offshore wind developer Vineyard Wind has contracted Belgium-based DEME for the offshore transport and installation of the wind turbine generators for the first largescale offshore wind installation in the United States.DEME's U.S. arm DEME Offshore US LLC will  team up with American maritime services contractor FOSS Maritime Company LLC to help construct the Vineyard Wind 1 project off the coast of Massachusetts. FOSS will provide the Jones Act compliant feeder vessels,…

New legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) will codify the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking mission on the Great Lakes and increase the icebreaking capacity of the Great Lakes fleet.The Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act aims to increase Great lakes icebreaking capacity, which the lawmakers say will help the businesses and workers that rely on the maritime industry to transport their goods to market and grow the regional economy.“In recent years…

As tourism increases so will the demand for trained, licensed employees and sea pilots navigating the Inside Passage and a new University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) scholarship endowment was inspired to do just that.The Captain Michael A. Clinkscales Maritime Scholarship has been established to support UAS students enrolled in marine transportation courses. Fellow sea pilots led the cause to raise more than $38,000 in honor of “Clink,” a man who was known to inspire and encourage others in the maritime trades.

This evening the U.S. House of Representatives passed by a recorded vote the Full Utilization of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF), H.R. 2440. The vote was 296 in favor and 109 opposed. The voting required a two-thirds super majority of the House in order to pass under “suspension of the rules.”There were  seventeen (17) bills presented in the House of Representatives today with fifteen (15) bills passing by voice vote. The Full Utilization of the HMTF was one of two bills…

President Donald Trump is set to meet with Republican senators on Wednesday over a proposal to waive rules that only U.S.-flagged ships can move natural gas from American ports to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Northeast.The nearly 100-year-old Jones Act mandates the use of U.S.-flagged vessels to transport merchandise between U.S. coasts. Bloomberg News reported last week the administration was seriously considering waiving the requirements for some energy shipments and that Trump…

Bob Kunkel needs no introduction to Marine News readers. Kunkel, President of Alternative Marine Technologies, previously served as the Federal Chairman of the Short Sea Shipping Cooperative Program under the Maritime Administration and Department of Transportation from 2003 until 2008. A past Vice President of the Connecticut Maritime Association, he is a contributing writer for Maritime Logistics Professional magazine and of course, Marine News. A graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy…

A new report from the Washington Maritime Federation shows strong health of industry, increased average salaries and tremendous opportunity to continue to grow maritime jobs. The Washington State Maritime Sector Economic Impact Study 2017 Update, released at the April 2017 Propeller Club luncheon, updates the seminal 2013 study of the same name and provides a detailed analysis of the positive economic impact of the state’s maritime industry. “This study builds upon past efforts and clearly shows the maritime industry is a cornerstone of the State’s economy…

In a bid to raise the maritime container trade between French port HAROPA and Indian ports, a power-packed delegation is visiting India from February 20-23 to hold road shows in four cities across the country. During the visit, the delegation led by Mr Herve Martel, CEO - Port of Le Havre & President- HAROPA ports will meet customers , trading partners, key port authorities and officials to scout for new prospects and opportunities as also senior government officials to exchange information on various maritime issues  with a view to further enhance Indo French Maritime trades.

Commissioner William P. Doyle Votes to reject joint contracting authority for Ro/Ro foreign carriers to negotiate collectively for U.S.-Flag tug services. Doyle's Statement, shown below, says new rules go beyond the scope of the Shipping Act and shipping practices harmful to U.S. Today, I voted to disapprove the roll-on roll-off (Ro/Ro) WLL/Eukor/ARC/Glovis Cooperative Working Agreement amendment involving Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics AS (WWL), Eukor Car Carriers Inc. (Eukor), American Roll-on Roll-off Carrier LLC (ARC), and Hyundai Glovis Co. Ltd. (Glovis) (collectively Parties). This amendment filed with the Federal Maritime Commission seeks to broaden the authority of the Parties to jointly solicit bids for contracts covering the provision of tug services…

While the Silk Road initiated trade between the East and the West starting in the 4th Century BC, the first traces of spice trading, which the Romans loved so much, seem to appear as early as the 1st Century. Over the centuries, and in response to wars and invasions, trade migrated from Land to Sea, a safer way to convey merchandises. The spice trade really grew only in the 14th Century, time of the Explorer Marco Polo, ensuring a faster and safer delivery of these valuable goods. Nowadays, spices continue to cross the seas, and notably onboard of the CMA CGM vessels, claims CMA CGM Group. The term “spices” appeared in 1150, replacing the Greek term 'aromates'.

The National Marine Representatives Association (NMRA) recently awarded its second $500 scholarship to a student pursuing education in the marine industry and maritime trades. Jacqueline Weymann, of Kings Point, New York, was honored in a presentation made by NMRA past president Norm MacLeod, ComMar Sales vice-president. Originally from San Diego, California, Midshipman Weymann is a student at the United States Merchant Marine Academy and is pursuing a bachelor's of science degree in intermodal transportation and logistics. Her expected graduation date is June 2015.

The CMA CGM Group announced the signature of three major agreements on the biggest worldwide maritime trades with China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) and United Arab Shipping Company (UASC). Under the name of Ocean Three, the agreements; which include a combination of vessel sharings, slot exchanges and slot charters; concern the following maritime trades:  Asia-Europe, Asia-Mediterranean, Transpacific and Asia-United States East Coast. On the Asia-US East Coast trade: one service via the Suez Canal and one service dedicated to the Gulf of Mexico. The agreements on the Transatlantic trade are being finalized and will soon be announced. This new offering will combine both speed and reliability.

Leaders of the new coalition say they are fighting for the survival of the Canadian Maritime Industry, and explained their significant worries concerning the Canadian-European Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) and the lack of transparency that government has had when making this deal. This free trade agreement will allow EU beneficially owned Flag of Convenience (FOC) vessels and so-called European National Flag to trade freely between Canadian ports without any restrictions on origin of the crew, or level of wage and working conditions. What we can be sure about is that this agreement will completely halt the Canadian maritime transport sector's growth. Moreover, the communities and regions that depend on this industry will be destroyed.

The National Marine Representatives Association (NMRA) is offering scholarships to students pursuing education and training in the maritime trades. Interested high school seniors and college students can request an application from NMRA at [email protected]. NMRA will award two $500 scholarships to outstanding students seeking careers in marine-related fields. Applications are due on May 1, 2014, and winners will be announced in the summer. High schools, colleges and trade schools wishing to promote this resource with their students can contact NMRA for more information.

Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), a naval architecture and marine engineering firm based in Seattle with offices in New Orleans and Ketchikan, took part in the Alaska Construction Career Days & Maritime Trades on October 14 to foster enthusiasm for future careers in ship design and engineering. The firm, which opened its Alaska office in September, said it is committed to expanding Ketchikan's burgeoning maritime sector and sees this event as a step in that direction. EBDG's representatives at the event included Lydia Benger and Curt Leffers…

I read with great dismay, the article that appeared in your magazine’s February 2013 issue, entitled “THE ARTICULATED TUG BARGE (ATB) QUANDRY”. noun, plural quandaries : a state of perplexity or uncertainty, especially as to what to do; dilemma. There is no dilemma involving AT/B’s present in the coastwise or ocean transportation marketplace. AT/B’s are indeed increasingly supplanting ships in the Jones Act coastal trade. It is a trend that is slowly beginning to spread to coastwise transport in other regions of the world as well.

Houston City Council appoints Dean Corgey, V-P of the Seafarers International Union Gulf Coast Region, to serve as member of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority. Corgey's appointment fills the seat previously held by Janiece Longoria, who was named Port Commission Chairman January 8 during a joint session of the Houston City Council and Harris County Commissioners Court. She had served as the city appointee to the commission since 2002. Corgey, a longtime organizer for the Seafarers Union and lifelong Houston resident…

With just a fraction of the maritime workforce younger than 25 years of age, the industry looks to garner more interest for jobs up for grabs as the nation's largest port for imports anticipates an overwhelming amount of traffic. Industry training demands across the Houston region are rising in preparation for the 2014 expansion of the Panama Canal. With less than 1 percent of the workforce barely reaching their mid 20s, according to a WorkBoat magazine study, and more than half of workers nearing retirement age, the need to certify more mariners becomes increasingly apparent. “We must get the next generation interested in the many careers maritime has to offer,” said Capt.

As Cargo, Fuel or both; LNG is emerging as the clear and clean way forward for the maritime industry. The use of LNG as a marine fuel is not new. Vessels trading cryogenic LNG have burned boil-off natural gas in steam boilers for many years as a simple solution to maintaining necessary temperatures and pressures within cargo spaces. The use of the fuel varied according to the size of the ship and a boil off rate ranging between 0.10 to 0.18 percent of the total cargo. As a result of the variable quantities…

As Cargo, Fuel or both; LNG is emerging as the clear and clean way forward for the maritime industry. The use of LNG as a marine fuel is not new. Vessels trading cryogenic LNG have burned boil-off natural gas in steam boilers for many years as a simple solution to maintaining necessary temperatures and pressures within cargo spaces. The use of the fuel varied according to the size of the ship and a boil off rate ranging between 0.10 to 0.18 percent of the total cargo. As a result of the variable quantities…