Training School News

MPT announced the addition of Dr. Crystal Allen Craft as Vice Principal of Academic Affairs. Dr. Craft brings extensive maritime, engineering, and leadership history to this role, contributing to MPT’s position as the U.S.’s largest private maritime training school.Dr. Craft began her professional career at New York Maritime College (SUNY), earning a dual degree in engineering and humanities in 2001. Her early years at sea saw her managing complex engineering operations as a licensed unlimited engineer with the American Maritime Officers (AMO).

Maritime Professional Training (MPT), the largest private maritime training school in the U.S., announced it has appointed John F. Flanagan as the school’s Academic Principal, an expansive role that includes overseeing the overall academic management at MPT, including regulatory compliance, curriculum development, faculty training, and strategic planning. This role also involves serving on the Board of Directors, attending strategic planning meetings, overseeing academic operations…

Heavy lift and transport services firm Mammoet has entered into agreement to become the exclusive contractor for the provision of heavy lift and transport services at Steel River Quay, which lies at the heart of the Teesworks industrial zone in Teesside.Teesworks is a 2,600-acre site, located on the banks of the River Tees in the Northeast of England, and is central to the Teesside Freeport – the largest freeport in the UK.Steel River Quay will help to serve the UK’s fast-growing offshore wind energy market…

Captain Morgan McManus will serve as the Ship’s Master on the Empire State VII, the first in a series of five National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV), which at press time was getting its post-sea trial finishing touches at Philly Shipyard. The project to design, build and deliver the NSMV series is one of the most exciting shipbuilding programs in the U.S. – a government shipbuilding project leveraging commercial shipbuilding efficiencies. For insights, we visited with Captain McManus to discuss the ship, it’s technology suite and its role in helping to educate a new generation of U.S.

Edward Schwarz, Vice President for ABB Marine and Ports, received the United States Merchant Marine Academy’s Rear Admiral Lauren S. McCready Award as the 51st recipient.Edward A. Waryas, Jr., Board Member for NYSE-traded KNOT Offshore Partners, LP as the 43rd recipient of the award and co-chair of the award’s committee made the announcement.The Lauren S. McCready Award is intended to recognize graduates of the United States Merchant Marine Academy who have made significant technical…

Marcus Cheesman started his maritime training in 1987 at the early age of 13, attending Trinity House Navigation School, the UK’s only Nautical school. Upon graduation he was selected for a deck cadet apprenticeship with P&O Cruises and continued to progress through the ranks with P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line (including Windstar Cruises) and Disney Cruise Line, ultimately obtaining his Master Mariners license in 2002. He has piloted vessels on the busy River Humber based in his home town Hull…

Dynamic Positioning has been around for a while, it is evolving and it is here to stay. Here to sort it all out are two of industry’s more familiar stakeholders who also explain what might come next.When it comes to critical offshore operations and vessel handling, this is not your grandfather’s marine industry, and it hasn’t been for some time. That’s because the bridge layout and equipment commonly found on any recently delivered offshore service vessel would be unfamiliar to the typical deck officer of just 20 years ago. Much of that can be attributed to the advent of dynamic positioning equipment systems.DP – perhaps like no other skill at sea – has changed the role of the deck officer. The technical requirements to qualify and operate this equipment are vast.

On Saturday,February 23, 2019, Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT) hosted a keel laying ceremony, marking the start of construction on the first of three Multi-mission Inshore Patrol Vessels (MMIPVs) for the South African Navy. These vessels will aid in protecting the country from threats such as trafficking, illegal fishing and piracy, as well as support job creation and enterprise development.The keel laying ceremony is a maritime tradition that dates back to the times of wooden…

When talk turns to ‘Maritime Simulation’ visions of high-tech bridge simulators with seamless graphics and interwoven component simulators – engine room, DP systems, cargo loading – come to mind. But modern simulation is so much more, a wholistic visual, audio, tactile and cereberal experience that prepares mariners to deal with a bevy of real-world situations. Modern maritime simulation has evolved rapidly, driven by exponential leaps in computer and graphic display power, a…

Diversification is the key at Oregon-based North River Boats. Listening closely to the customer’s needs recently won the day on a multi-hull U.S. Navy contract, but that’s not all that’s happening in Oregon. Roseburg, Ore.-based North River Boats has, over time, thrived by delivering one of the most diverse vessel portfolios in North America. Those offerings include both domestic and foreign deliveries, as well as recreational, commercial and military hulls. And, if that formula has taught them just one thing, then that metric would be that different customers need different features. And, for a firm known initially for cranking out a well-known brand of nearly identical recreational craft, it has also learned that flexibility in design and offerings can also win the day.

Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque (DSDu) has completed major refurbishment works to the yard’s floating dry dock. The dock, capable of taking vessels up to 180 meters in length and lifting 14,000 tonnes, is owned by the Port of Dunkerque (Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque – GPMD) and is operated by DSDu. It is a major piece of ship repair infrastructure and an important part of the yard’s capability to repair and maintain a wide range of vessels. The dock has recently celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. It was built in 1986 in Germany and purchased by GPMD in 2001.

Pacific Partnership 2017 made its initial mission stop in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, March 7, with the arrival of Military Sealift Command expeditionary fast transport USNS Fall River (T-EPF 4). This marked the first mission to Sri Lanka in the 12-year history of the annual civil-military operation, and the Pacific Partnership mission in Sri Lanka continues through March 18 and will make follow-on mission stops in Malaysia and Vietnam. Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific, and aims to enhance regional coordination in areas such as medical readiness and preparedness for man-made and natural disasters.

The U.S. Navy is set to commission its newest fast attack submarine during an October 29 ceremony at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn. The third Virginia-class block III submarine and 13th of the Virginia-class fast attack class, the future USS Illinois (SSN 786) has the capability to attack targets ashore with highly accurate Tomahawk cruise missiles and conduct covert long-term surveillance of land areas, littoral waters or other sea-based forces. Other missions include antisubmarine and antiship warfare, mine delivery and minefield mapping.

The second of two Damen Shoalbuster 3009 multi-purpose workboats for SMIT Amandla Marine has been named in a ceremony at Damen Shipyards Cape Town, South Africa. With De Beers Group Services the end client, the Lady Sponsor for the occasion was Mrs Adri Nelson, Supply Chain Centre Manager for De Beers Group Services in Port Nolloth. Mrs Nelson has been integral to the newbuild programme in her role of managing the Northern Cape based supply chain centre for De Beers. Named the Aogatoa, the vessel is the second of two Shoalbusters 3009 ordered by SMIT Amandla Marine for the De Beers contract and built at Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT). The first, the Aukwatowa, was delivered in December 2015.

I have never been in a hurricane. That’s a fact. Actually, my wife likes to say that whenever there is any kind of natural disaster, I’m typically nowhere to be found. And, when I think about it, I realize that she is right. Whether by accident or by design, that’s exactly how it has played out during the 30+ years that we have been together. Whenever this touchy subject does come up – typically once a quarter – she usually points to one particular event as proof of concept. In August of 1983, long before Katrina left her indelible mark on the U.S. Gulf Coast and the city of New Orleans in particular, there was Alicia. On August 18 of that year…

Private maritime training school Maritime Professional Training (MPT) announced it recently graduated Captain Roberto Beretta who is the recipient of the first Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Master (Yachts) - Unlimited license. Captain Beretta is the first in the world to achieve this certification, which he attained through MPT’s first of its kind, expedient superyacht-specific assessment for captains wishing to gain their unlimited license from the RMI Maritime Administrator.

Private maritime training school Maritime Professional Training (MPT) announced the launch of a new annual scholarship, the Morley Family Professional Mariner (MFPM) Founders Grant, in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County (BGCBC). Named in honor of Elmer and Beverly Morley, founder and CEO of MPT, respectively, the MFPM Founders Grant will offer a unique opportunity for BGCBC high school-aged youth interested in a possible career in the professional maritime sector to apply for free tuition to attend MPT’s Fort Lauderdale campus to pursue their studies…

For anyone keeping score, the south Florida maritime training and education infrastructure is enjoying rapid growth, driven largely by an outreach for lucrative offshore oil and gas training and education business. Case in point, today Maritime Professional Training (MPT)—the largest private maritime training school in the nation— said it selected Fort Lauderdale-based Gulf Building Corp. as the general contractor for the construction of its planned 25,000-square-foot facility expansion at its Fort Lauderdale campus.

CEO: Orrin H. Ingram Barge Company (IBCO) has been a quality marine transporter on America’s inland waterways since 1946, and has grown to become a leading carrier on America’s inland waterways. IBCO has superior customer service, state-of-the-art information systems, and training and safety practices that are second to none. A commitment to continuous improvement involving every associate sets Ingram apart from the competition and provides the best possible service and value for the transportation dollar.

Nordic American Offshore Ltd. (NAO) announced that Tor-Øyvind Bjørkli will join the company as chief executive officer (CEO), effective April 1, 2014. Tor-Øyvind will be working from out of the Oslo office on the same premises as Orion Tankers; the chartering department of Nordic American Tankers Limited (NAT). A subsidiary of Nordic American Tankers is the manager of the recently established Nordic American Offshore Ltd. (NAO). Tor-Øyvind graduated from Vestfold University College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering in 1992. He completed the Royal Norwegian Naval Officer Training School in 1993 and his Master of Science degree at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in 1999.

Long awaited, much hyped, the new rules require compliance in January. Will industry and more importantly, the response community, be ready? In September, the U.S. Coast Guard published the long awaited Non-tank Vessel Response Plan (NTVRP) and Other Response Plan regulations. The U.S. Coast Guard cites “Improved preparedness and reaction to an incident, including a worst case discharge, and improved effectiveness of shore-side and onboard response activities” as the primary benefits of the new rule. For all affected vessels, a mandatory compliance date of January 30, 2014 looms large the porthole. The regulations impact self-propelled non-tank vessels of 400 gross tons or greater that operate in navigable waters of the United States and carry any kind of oil as fuel for main propulsion.

Calhoon MEBA Engineering School pioneers two more distance learning programs. Where others wonder if it can work, CMES is up and running – miles ahead of the pack. On the heels of its already highly successful Crowd Management Online, and Crisis Management and Human Behavior Online courses – both intended primarily to satisfy STCW training requirements for the cruise and passenger ship sector – the Calhoon MEBA Engineering School has rolled out two new National Maritime Center (NMC) approved Online Deck Officer Course Programs. The online programs designed to help deck officers renew or upgrade their licenses, Radar Renewal ($225) and Flashing Light ($100)…

Beier Radio was established in 1945 as a family business in a garage workshop. In 1945, two-way radios were the most technologically advanced electronics on the market, hence the name Beier Radio. As the technology has evolved, so has the company, and although Beier Radio continues to sell and service radios, this is only a small part of its business today. The company has remained on the cutting edge of technology, and today it manufactures, sells and services vessel control systems…