Randy News

Caterpillar Marine announced it is working with Serco Inc., a provider of professional, technology, engineering and management services, to advance the use of autonomous vessels for naval applications. The initiative supports the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) project.Autonomous unmanned vessels represent an opportunity to protect crews from the inhospitable, dangerous environment encountered at sea. This technological advancement not only promotes safety but also cost savings…

The U.S Coast Guard has awarded Vigor Alaska, a Titan company, a $3.65 million contract to perform maintenance and repairs on U.S. Coast Guard Cutter John McCormick at the Ketchikan Shipyard.Work on the project begins this week and will cover comprehensive maintenance and repair of the vessel. After USCGC John McCormick is dry docked, the team at Ketchikan Shipyard will inspect the hull plating, conduct maintenance on the ship's propulsion system and renew hull coatings, as well as several other key maintenance and repair operations.

The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board concluded the formal public hearing proceedings into the fire and total constructive loss of the passenger vessel Spirit of Norfolk Feb. 2, 2023.The joint investigation team reviewed and considered evidence related to the fire and total constructive loss of the passenger vessel, which occurred on June 7, 2022.The investigation team heard from 23 witnesses who provided testimony into pre-accident historical events, regulatory compliance…

Vessel operating company New Trade Ship Management S.A. and chief engineer Dennis Plasabas pleaded guilty in San Diego for maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of oily bilge water from the bulk carrier vessel Longshore.New Trade and Plasabas admitted that oily bilge water was illegally dumped from the Longshore directly into the ocean without being properly processed through required pollution prevention equipment. Oily bilge water typically contains oil contamination from the operation and cleaning of machinery on the vessel. The defendants also admitted that these illegal discharges were not recorded in the vessel’s oil record book as required by law.

On June 24, Ingram Marine Group held a special christening ceremony for four vessels: M/V Capt. Roy Daniels, M/V Randy Hooper, M/V Debbie L. Owen and M/V Harold B. Warren. The M/V Debbie L. Owen and M/V Capt. Roy Daniels are new builds. The M/V Randy Hooper and M/V Harold B. Warren are refurbished vessels.“The people we are honoring today are a testament to the kind of company we’ve worked hard to build. They really represent the ‘Ingram Way’ which is why it is so fitting to christen some of our vessels in their honor…

The U.S. will hold a wind energy auction for two lease areas offshore the Carolinas on May 11, the U.S. Department of the Interior said Friday, as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed its environmental review.The lease areas cover 110,091 acres in the Carolina Long Bay area that, if developed, could result in at least 1.3 gigawatts of offshore wind energy, enough to power nearly 500,000 homes, the Department of the Interior said."The Biden-Harris administration is committed to supporting a robust clean energy economy…

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index fell for a sixth straight session on Friday, weighed down by weaker rates across vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, and supramax vessels, fell 109 points, or 5.8%, to 1,764, its lowest since early March 2021. The index has lost nearly 23% this week.The capesize index dropped 250 points, or 14.3%, to 1,496, its lowest since late Feb. 2021. The index is down 38% this week.Average daily earnings for capesizes…

Boat builder Silver Ships is partnering with Auburn University’s Industrial Design program and the Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory (AUSL) to create concepts for an oyster farming boat design.Beginning this fall, Silver Ships, AUSL and students within Auburn’s industrial design program will focus on designing several concepts for a new boat to support oyster farming operations. The class offers third-year students the opportunity to engage in their first substantial design…

Supply chain issues tied to liner shipping have been front page news throughout 2021; just about everyone agrees that there’s a problem. The underlying cause is right out of Economics 101: a surge in demand for moving containerized cargo, in the face of “inelastic” throughput capacity (which includes vessels and their landside interfaces to surface transportation, trucks and rail) that could not handle the swell, attributable to re-stocking of containerized cargo as economic activity recovered from the pandemic induced jolts.

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on Thursday announced the membership of its newly formed National Shipper Advisory Committee.The committee is comprised of 24 members, evenly divided between those who export cargo from and those who import cargo to the United States, that will advise the commission on policies relating to the competitiveness, reliability, integrity and fairness of the international ocean freight delivery system.“The current freight transportation challenges…

The 11th Annual Maritime Risk Symposium: A Virtual Event Exploring All Too Real RisksThe past year has been as impactful for the world’s maritime transportation xystem as it has been for the rest of society. From the Suez Canal to the Arctic and beyond, human, technology and environmental events disrupted maritime activity. And the pandemic highlighted supply chain vulnerabilities in many ways, from mariners quarantined aboard vessels to port congestion due to COVID-driven surges in e-commerce.

US Watercraft has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with SeaArk Marine to utilize the complete portfolio of its commercial firefighting, military, survey and workboats.US Watercraft is a builder of aluminum and steel vessels located on the Intracoastal Waterway in North Carolina. “The SeaArk Marine models will be the marquee products for US Watercraft,” said Randy Borges, managing director of US Watercraft. “We are excited to offer new builds of the highly respected and proven designs…

The inland waterway system, flowing through the United States heartland, is a microcosm of all that has been happening in 2020: trade tensions, infrastructure issues, shifting trends in fuel consumption and the pandemic that has gripped us since the winter months. Shortly after the initial coronavirus outbreak here in the U.S., maritime workers were deemed to be “essential”, paving the way for cargo flows to recover from their springtime nadir. As COVID-19 infections turned up on U.S. shores, the boats continued plying the waterways, albeit with reduced volumes in some cases.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index edged higher on Tuesday, helped by gains in supramax and panamax vessel rates, and marked its best month on record.The Baltic dry index, which tracks rates for ships ferrying dry bulk commodities and reflects rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, rose 5 points, or 0.3%, to 1,799.The index surged about 257% in June, driven by a pick-up in iron ore demand from China, following the easing of coronavirus-led lockdowns in many countries.The Baltic capesize index, which had fallen to -48 in mid-May, eased 5 points, to 4,320.Average daily earni

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships ferrying dry commodities around the world, posted its biggest weekly gain ever, underpinned by a rebound in global commodities trading as iron ore demand from China picked up.The 35-year old index, which reflects rates for capesize, panamax and supramax ships, has now surged nearly 300% since tumbling to a low of 393 points in May following a freeze in global trade due to coronavirus-led lockdowns."Most…

Admiral James Steele Gracey, USCG (retired), 17th Commandant of the Coast Guard, passed away on Sunday, April 5, 2020, in Falls Church, Va., at the age of 92.Born in Newton, Mass. in 1927, Adm. Gracey graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1949. Adm. Gracey was a 1956 graduate of the Harvard Graduate School where he earned a Masters Degree in Business Administration.His career included diverse tours both ashore and afloat, including Commanding Officer, LORAN Station Ocean Cape…

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index posted its biggest percentage jump in eight months on Thursday boosted by stronger rates across vessel segments.The Baltic index, which tracks rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels that ferry dry bulk commodities, jumped 37 points, or 6.6%, to 599, its biggest daily percentage gain since July 04, 2019."The market has started to improve as the supply/demand balance is tightening," said Randy Giveans, senior vice president…

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index fell to its lowest level since April 2016, dragged down by lower vessels rates across categories. The Baltic index, which tracks rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels ferrying dry bulk commodities, dropped 11 points, or 2.0%, to 546 — its lowest in over 3 years.The capesize index fell 30 points, or 18.2%, to 135.The index registered its 32nd consecutive session of losses, touching its lowest level since April 3 last year.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index fell to an over three year low on Friday, with the capesize segment marking its biggest weekly loss since March 1999.The Baltic index, which tracks rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels ferrying dry bulk commodities, fell 19 points, or 3.3%, to 557 — lowest since April 2016.The index has lost more than 26% this week, registering its biggest weekly percentage loss in nearly a year.The capesize index fell 42 points, or 20.3%…

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships ferrying dry bulk commodities, fell for a ninth straight session on Friday, on weaker demand for capesize and panamax vessel segments.The Baltic index, which reflects rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, fell 50 points, or 3.5%, to 1,378. The index was down 18.8% for the week, its biggest weekly decline since February.The capesize index was down by 73 points, or 2.9%, to 2,444, its lowest since June 26. The index was down 17.2% for the week, marking its fourth weekly decline. Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 170,000-180…

USDA Study Underscores Value of Inland Waterways to U.S. Agriculture.On August 28, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Assistant Secretary of the Army (ASA) for Civil Works R.D. James toured Mel Price Locks and Dam in Alton, Illinois, and held a Town Hall Meeting to discuss the importance of the waterways,  agriculture and the U.S. economy. At the event, Secretary Perdue briefed agricultural and waterways stakeholders on a newly released study – Importance of Inland Waterways to U.S. Agriculture – from the U.S.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, slid to a near two-month low on Thursday, as weak demand for iron ore and lower industrial activity continued to weigh on the index.* The Baltic index, which reflects rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, declined 46 points, or 2.55%, to 1,757, recording its seventh consecutive decline.* The overall index was at its lowest level since Aug. 9.* The capesize index fell 218 points…

WCI/NGFA Urge NESP Infrastructure Project to Move Forward.The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) today commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for releasing a significant new study that quantifies the cost-savings and competitive advantages that would accrue from investing in long-delayed improvements to inland waterways locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois River system.The study, entitled, Importance of Inland Waterways to U.S.