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Sunday, July 19, 2026

Sailor News

27 May 2026

Reflecting on Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine's History with the Department of Defense

© Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine partners with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) by supplying high-performance, MIL-Spec-approved coatings for a variety of platforms such as aircraft carriers, submarines, armored vehicles and aircraft. Through decades of collaboration with Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), public and private naval shipyards and contractors, Sherwin-Williams provides corrosion-resistant technologies, technical service support and reliable global distribution that extends vessel service life and lowers total ownership costs.

22 May 2026

Iran's Continued Control of Hormuz Intensifies Seafarer Misery

© Adobe Stock/Aninka

Iran's publication of a new map asserting its control over the Strait of Hormuz risks extending an already punishing ordeal for thousands of mariners trapped on ships in the Gulf.More than 20,000 sailors are stuck on around 2,000 vessels in the Gulf, many of them unable to leave ship, lacking adequate supplies of food and fresh water, and fearful of an uncertain future at sea in a war zone.Sailors interviewed by Reuters in recent weeks have described the hardships and anxieties of their experience…

21 Apr 2026

Wärtsilä Launches Next-Generation Ship-Handling Simulator

(Credit: Wärtsilä)

Technology group Wärtsilä has launched a next-generation bridge and ship-handling simulator aimed at supporting maritime training as the industry shifts towards digital navigation and more complex vessel operations.The new platform, NTPRO 7, is designed to provide immersive training environments for ship-handling, navigation and decision-making across a range of operational scenarios.The simulator incorporates RealSea visualization powered by Unreal Engine 5 and an advanced sound system to enhance realism…

14 Apr 2026

Destroyer USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. Commissioned

Source: US Navy

The Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124) was commissioned in Norfolk, Virginia, April 11, 2026.Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124) was commissioned before a crowd of approximately 1,800 guests, including senior military leaders, Sailors, Marines, veterans and family members.“This is the first vessel to bear the name of a Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient, and Col Barnum’s actions…

01 Apr 2026

Gander Robotics Gains Pre-Seed Funding for Autonomous Search and Rescue Robots

Source: social media

Gander Robotics, a defense and dual-use robotics company developing autonomous rescue systems for maritime operations, has closed a $1.1 million pre-seed funding round.The round was co-led by Impellent Ventures and Underscore VC, marking Gander's official launch.The company traces its origins to MIT Sloan, where Founder Michael Autery's deep domain expertise and 15 years of Naval experience and Co-Founder Lael Ayala's robotics expertise quickly attracted the attention of his investors, advisors, and defense stakeholders.In the U.S.

06 Mar 2026

Obituary: Don O’Keeffe, Naval Architect

Burger Boat Company announced the passing of longtime Burger Naval Architect Don O’Keeffe. Image courtesy Burger Boat

Burger Boat Company announced the passing of longtime Burger Naval Architect Don O’Keeffe, whose influence on the company’s engineering excellence and yacht design legacy spanned decades. O’Keefe passed away at his home in Manitowoc, Wisconsin this week at the age of 90.O’Keeffe was widely respected for his exceptional technical expertise, quiet leadership, and unwavering commitment to sound naval architecture. His work helped shape many of Burger’s most enduring and admired yachts…

15 Dec 2025

Great Ships of 2025: R/V David Packard

R/V David Packard.
Credit: Freire Shipyard

In 2010, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) began the process of replacing its research vessel, R/V Western Flyer. With Glosten at their side as vessel designer, MBARI considered three types of ships for their new project. The Western Flyer was a small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH), but the parties agreed on a monohull design for the new vessel. In 2021, Freire Shipyard won the bid to build the vessel, and R/V David Packard came to life.There is no “I” in TeamWill Moon…

19 Nov 2025

Marine News Great Boats 2025: MV San Jacinto

Images courtesy Houston Pilots

Breaux’s Bay Craft delivered its latest aluminum pilot vessel for the Houston Pilots. The first of two, M/V San Jacinto, is the newest addition to the fleet of high-performance pilot boats,designed for  precision, built for strength, and finished with a striking red, white, and blue color scheme that reflects the Gulf Coast heritage of the Houston Pilots.Measuring 80 x 21 feet wide, the San Jacinto is built with a new-generation inverted deep-V bottom hull, exceeds the rigorous operational demands of one of the busiest pilotage services in the U.S.

03 Nov 2025

“K” Line RoRo Bulk Ship Management taps Cobham for Vessel Satcom

ICT Group from KRBS. Image courtesy Cobham

Cobham Satcom was selected to supply satcom antenna systems for more than 100 vessels under â€śK” Line RoRo Bulk Ship Management Co., Ltd., (KRBS), a core company of the “K” LINE Group, as part of their upgrade to Inmarsat’s NexusWave connectivity service. Numerous installations are already successfully completed and the programme will continue over the next two years across the company’s fleet of roll-on/roll-off and bulk carriers.As part of the fleetwide upgrade, Cobham Satcom will supply its advanced 1m SAILOR XTR GX-R2 VSAT antenna systems.

23 Oct 2025

Women Navy Divers Meet Same Standards as Men

© Mary / Adobe Stock

On March 14, 1975, 22-year-old Californian woman Donna Tobias graduated from the US Navy Second Class Dive School to become the first woman deepsea diver in the Navy.Marking the 50th anniversary of women’s integration into the US Navy Diving community, the Association of Women Navy Divers highlights that over 300 women have now graduated from the Navy’s schools.The society recounts that this happened during a period of immense change brought about by the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment through Congress in 1972. Admiral Elmo R.

25 Aug 2025

Vard Secures Seismic Vessel Conversion Job

(Credit: Vard)

Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has signed a contract with Norway-based Sanco Shipping for the conversion of the seismic research vessel Sanco Sailor into a seismic source vessel.Sanco Shipping contracted PGS Apollo, now renamed Sanco Sailor, earlier in 2025, ahead of conversion job at Vard Langsten.Vard’s scope of work includes significant structural modifications, upgrades to existing seismic equipment, and the installation of a DP2 system for the vessel spanning 106.6 meters in length…

19 May 2025

NTSB Mulls Possible Engine Failure in Mexican Tall Ship Bridge Strike

Source: social media

The investigation into why a Mexican Navy training ship struck the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, shearing the top of its masts, will look into a possible engine failure and the role of a tug boat that assisted it in backing out of its pier, officials said on Monday.The ship's engine was the key focus for the National Transportation Safety Board, said Brian Young, who is leading the agency's investigation."We will look at the status of the engine, we will look for any failures, we will look for engine inspections and we'll talk to the crew on what may have possibly happened with the engine…

07 May 2025

Salvage to Begin in Italy for Mike Lynch's Yacht After Fatal Sinking

The 56-metre-long (184-foot) Bayesian, with its majestic single 72-metre mast, was moored off the small port of Porticello. Credit: Adobe Stock/R

The recovery of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht from the waters of northern Sicily is expected to begin in the coming weeks to help shed light on how a supposedly unsinkable vessel disappeared into the sea last August.The 56-metre-long (184-foot) Bayesian, with its majestic single 72-metre mast, was moored off the small port of Porticello when it was likely hit by a downburst, a very strong downward wind, in the early hours of August 19.The Bayesian capsized and sank from the stern in the space of 16 minutes, killing seven people, including Lynch and his daughter Hannah.

24 Apr 2025

China Military Says It Monitored and Warned US Warship in Taiwan Strait

China's military said on Thursday that it had dispatched naval and air forces to monitor and warn a U.S. guided missile destroyer that sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait. Credit: Adobe Stock/Peter Hermes Furian

China's military said on Thursday that it had dispatched naval and air forces to monitor and warn a U.S. guided missile destroyer that sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait.The U.S. Navy, occasionally accompanied by ships from allied countries, transits the strait about once a month. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, says the strategic waterway belongs to it.China held its latest round of war games around Taiwan earlier this month, drawing condemnation from…

22 Apr 2025

Bayesian Salvage to Commence in May

Bayesian (File photo: Perini Navi)

The superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six others, will be lifted out of the water next month after its mast is dismantled, people close to the matter said on Tuesday.The recovery of the British-flagged Bayesian, lying on its right side at a depth of around 50 metres (164 feet), could help explain why it went down during a sudden storm off the port of Porticello, near Palermo - an event that has baffled naval experts.The salvage operation will be managed by a joint venture of Dutch companies HEBO Maritiemservice and Smit Salvage…

15 Apr 2025

Bayesian Inquest Will Take Many Months

Bayesian (File photo: Perini Navi)

The investigation into the deaths of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, banker Jonathan Bloomer and members of their families who perished when a luxury yacht sank last year will take many months, a British inquest was told on Tuesday.Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah and Morgan Stanley International chairman Bloomer and his wife Judith died when the superyacht "Bayesian" sank during a severe and sudden storm off the port of Porticello, near Palermo in Sicily on August 19, 2024.

03 Apr 2025

AS Tallink Grupp: Q1 Sees a Decline in Transportation

In the first quarter of the year, AS Tallink Grupp transported 970,359 passengers, which is 12% less than in the same period last year. There was also a decline in cargo and passenger vehicle transport volumes, as economic uncertainty persisted across the region and part of the fleet was either idle or undergoing extended dry-docking.“In addition to the usual seasonality, the first-quarter passenger numbers reflect the state of the economies in our core markets. Consumer confidence remains low," said Paavo Nõgene, CEO of AS Tallink Grupp. "Four vessels were out of service, and large-scale dry-docking had an impact on passenger numbers.

11 Mar 2025

The Race is On to Find Vessel Collision Clues

Happier Times for Stena Immaculate: The ship during its delivery ceremony in January 2017 at China’s Guangzhou Shipbuilding International (GSI). Image courtesy Stena Bulk

Inevitably, when a maritime accident like the one involving U.S.-flagged chemical tanker Stena Immaculate and the Portuguese-flagged container vessel Solong happens, the first question invariably is an incredulous: "How could this happen"?Now, a relatively rare collision off the coast of Britain has sparked concerns over what went wrong despite standard safety protocols, according to three shipping and insurance industry sources.The incident, which occurred on the morning of Monday…

05 Feb 2025

Bayesian's Mast to be Removed Before Recovery

Bayesian (File photo: Perini Navi)

The superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six others, will be recovered once its mast is dismantled in a salvage operation likely to begin after the middle of April, a source close to the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.The recovery of the British-flagged Bayesian, lying on its right side at a depth of around 50 meters (164 feet), could help explain why it sank during a severe and sudden storm off the port of Porticello, near Palermo - an event that has baffled naval experts.Twenty-two people were on board…

29 Jan 2025

VIDEO: Rock Steady Vessel, the Artemis EF-12 Escape

Image courtesy Joe Keefe

On the second full day of this year’s Passenger Vessel Association’s 2025 Maritrends conference, the weather probably couldn’t have been much nicer; especially when it involved a tour and test ride on the new Artemis Technologies EF-12 Escape.The high-end water taxi, in the process of being introduced to US markets, was everything its creators promised, and perhaps just a little more. On Tuesday morning, cruising in brilliant sunshine, its full capabilities were on full display.Fully satisfying the brown water industry’s thirst for the Promised Land of “zero carbon footprint…

27 Jan 2025

73-Year-Old British Sailor Lost at Sea

Copyright Wollwerth Imagery/AdobeStock

A British sailor was lost at sea after his yacht was found wrecked off the southwest French coast amid heavy storms over the weekend, French maritime authorities said.The search for the 73-year-old came as Storm Herminia battered western France.

23 Jan 2025

Marine Equipment: Free Software Update for SAILOR VHF Radio

Image courtesy SAILOR

Cobham Satcom released what it calls a significant software update for its flagship SAILOR 7222 VHF DSC Class A radio, an update that introduces new features to improve safety and simplify operation while exceeding the IMO’s Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) standards.The software delivers enhancements to improve overall functionality and reliability. With the new software installed, the SAILOR 7222 VHF GMDSS radio enhances the pioneering SAILOR Replay feature…

09 Dec 2024

60 Graduate from the Ushuaia Merchant Marine Training and Education School

The school year at the Ushuaia Merchant Marine Training and Education School for Embarking Personnel (EFOCAPEMM) has concluded, with the graduation of 60 students, in training provided by the Argentine Naval Prefecture.The event was chaired by the School Director, Prefect Cristian Alejandro Sarasua, who was accompanied by National Deputy Carolina Yutrovic, Councilor Dr. Daiana Freiberger and the Secretary of Government of the Municipality of Ushuaia, Dr. César Molina Olguín.The graduates specialized in various disciplines: nurse, sailor, engine assistant, professional motorcyclist captain of the second and third special zones, and special zone sailors.In addition…