Maritime Industry Top News
Containership Aids Offshore Rescue
A 67-year-old man adrift for several weeks on board a disabled sailboat was rescued hundreds of miles miles off the coast of Alaska with help from a 984-foot containership and the U.S. Coast Guard.At approximately 9:00 a.m. Thursday, Coast Guard District 17 command center watchstanders received a distress alert from the sailing vessel Miss Lilly, in which the man aboard reported his vessel to be disabled and adrift roughly 500 nautical miles south-southwest of Dutch Harbor…
Chevron Oil Cargo Tangled in US' Venezuela Sanctions
Chevron Corp crude oil cargo has become embroiled in U.S. sanctions on shipping companies for violating restrictions on doing business with Venezuela, the company…
CMA CGM Sees Shipping Bottoming Out in Q2
CMA CGM expects activity in the shipping sector to bottom out during the second quarter as countries emerge from coronavirus-related lockdowns and ship operators adjust capacity, the France-based group's finance chief said.The world's fourth-largest container shipping line had anticipated a 15% year-on-year drop in its volumes in the second quarter, after a 4.6% decline in the first quarter, Chief Financial Officer Michel Sirat said."I think that the second quarter will be the low point…
China Pushing Sea Claims Under Cover of COVID-19 -US Commander
China is using the coronavirus as a cover to push territorial claims in the South China Sea through a surge in naval activity meant to intimidate other countries that claim the waters, the commander of U.S. Forces in Japan said on Friday.There has been a surge of activity by China in the South China Sea with navy ships, coast guard vessels and a naval militia of fishing boats in harassing vessels in waters claimed by Beijing…
Canada Recommends Mariners Wear Face Coverings
Canada's Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced he is expanding the requirements for the use of face coverings by workers and others involved in the country's transportation industry to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.Transport Canada and the transportation industry had already implemented measures such as increased sanitization, health checks for passengers, and allowing passengers to remain in their vehicles on ferries.
Final Lifting Lug Installed on Golden Ray Wreck
T&T Salvage installed the final lifting lug on the M/V Golden Ray, a roll-on, roll-off vessel that ran aground and overturned near the Port of Brunswick in Georgia in September.The 16 lugs welded to the frame of the Korean-owned car carrier will provide connection points for the 255-foot tall Versabar VB 10,0000 twin-gantry crane catamaran to fasten to in order to secure sections of the hull as they are cut from the wreck during the Golden Ray’s removal from St.
Video: Ferry Bajamar Express Completes Sea Trials
The first of two Austal Auto Express 118 trimarans under construction for Fred. Olsen Express of the Canary Islands has completed sea trials in Western Australia. Launched in February, the Bajamar Express (Austal Hull 394) is scheduled to be delivered this month.Over the past weeks, Bajamar Express has achieved an average speed of 37.6 knots at 85% MCR (power), carrying 80% from maximum deadweight (cargo capacity)…
Seacor Marine Takes Full Ownership of Seacosco
U.S. offshore vessel provider Seacor Marine will buy the remaining 50% stake in Seacosco from China's Cosco.Seacor will pay $28.15 million in installments, and the transaction is expected to close in June 2020.With the acquisition, Seacor will take ownership of eight Rolls-Royce designed platform supply vessels from COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Guangdong) Co., Ltd.Six of the PSVs are of UT 771WP design…
Eidesvik Wins PSV Charters with Aker BP
Norwegian offshore support vessel operator Eidesvik Offshore has secured contracts for two of its offshore vessels with the Norwegian oil firm Aker BP.Aker BP has…
Ocean Shipping Slows Down as Pandemic Pummels Retailers
The $1 trillion container shipping industry is in a slowdown. Literally.Some shipping lines, whose retail customers are being hammered by the coronavirus pandemic, are reducing sailing speeds and taking longer routes around Africa, avoiding Suez canal passage fees, according to the companies and ship-tracking specialists.Many are also cutting down the number of voyages and providing short-term storage for clients as the industry…
Explosion Injures Firefighters Battling RoRo Blaze in Jacksonville
An explosion injured several firefighters battling a blaze on board car carrier Höegh Xiamen at berth in Jacksonville, Fla. Thursday.The eight responders have been transported to the hospital for serious injuries, including two taken by air and two by ground to to Shands Gainesville burn unit. They are all in stable condition.All of the ship's 21 crew members are off the ship, uninjured and accounted for, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) said.The U.S.
Princess Cruises Extends Suspension of Some Voyages
Carnival Corp’s Princess Cruises on Thursday extended the suspension of some of its voyages in Australia, Canada and Taiwan as ports around the world remain shut due to the coronavirus crisis.Cruise lines, hammered by a crisis which has seen some ships develop into high-profile infection hotspots, in recent days have been steadily pushing back cancellations well into the second half of 2020.Princess Cruises…
Most Ships Calling UK Ports Since Start of COVID Lockdown
The number of ships arriving in British ports in late May rose to the highest since the start of the country’s coronavirus lockdown, Britain’s statistics office said on Thursday.The Office for National Statistics, which publishes short-term data to track the economic impact of the COVID crisis, said there was an average of 341 daily ship visits between May 25 and May 31, the highest rolling average since March 23.(Writing by William Schomberg, editing by Andy Bruce)
World's Largest Containership Makes Its First Call in Europe
The world's largest containership HMM Algeciras made its first European port call this week, entering Rotterdam’s Amaliahaven Wednesday on its maiden voyage to transfer containers at the Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) terminal.The most recent vessel to hold the world’s largest containership crown, HMM Algeciras at maximum capacity carries slightly more 20-foot containers than its predecessor MSC Gülsün: 23,964 TEU versus 23,756 TEU.
Fairbanks Morse Completes Engines for First OPC
Fairbanks Morse announced it has completed the build and testing of the two main propulsion diesel engines for the U.S. Coast Guard’s first Heritage class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Argus.Fairbanks Morse was awarded contracts by the prime contractor, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, to build the engines for both Argus and the second OPC Chase.The OPC is a 360 foot-long vessel that will be powered by two FM | MAN 16V 28/33D STC diesel engines…
ABB to Supply Hybrid-electric Propulsion for WSF Newbuilds
U.S. shipbuilding company Vigor has selected ABB to supply the hybrid-electric propulsion and energy storage systems for the newest additions to the Washington State Ferry fleet, setting the largest U.S. ferry system on course to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel use.The new Olympic Class ferries, each with a capacity of 144 cars and 1,500 passengers, with the planned addition of charging capability at terminals, would reduce fuel consumption by up to 95%.
New Landing Craft Will Support RRS Sir David Attenborough
A new monohull landing craft will be one of two support craft on the U.K.'s polar research ship RRS Sir David Attenborough. Designed by Incat Crowther and built by Exeter Fabrication, she packs a lot of functionality into a compact platform.The Incat Crowther 14 Terror will play a critical role in the operations of RRS Sir David Attenborough which, in addition to its scientific role, will support the resupply of the five Antarctic research stations operated by British Antarctic Survey.
Havyard Names New CFO
Norwegian shipbuilding and technology group Havyard will appoint Erik Høyvik as CFO in Havyard Group from August 1, 2020.Havyard, which designs and builds various types of vessels, including those used in the offshore energy industry, said its current CFO Pål Aurvåg, would start in a new role in the company in August. Havyard did not provide details on this new role.As for the new CFO, he will join the company from a position as CEO in Nils Sperre AS…
DNV GL, ABB Sign Digitalization Pact
Classification society DNV GL and technology group ABB have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to accelerate digitalization in the maritime industry. The agreement was signed remotely by DNV GL – Maritime CEO Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen and ABB Marine & Ports Managing Director Juha Koskela in an online ceremony.The MOU will see ABB and DNV GL work together on a “Digitalization Roadmap”, to examine how the maritime industry can benefit from the greater availability of data…
Austal COO Gregg Promoted to CEO
Australian shipbuilding group Austal announced its Chief Operating Officer Patrick Gregg will take over as Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2021, following a six-month transition from current Managing Director and CEO David Singleton.Gregg was appointed as COO 3.5 years ago with a view to him being a natural successor for the CEO role in the future, said John Rothwell, Chairman of Austal Limited.