Maritime Industry Top News
Farstad to Perform Subsea Support for Technip
Farstad Shipping ASA has been awarded a five-year framework agreement by Technip Norge AS for delivery of ROV support operations, light construction work, IMR and other subsea related activities.
Nicaragua Searches for 26 Fishermen after Shipwreck
Nicaragua's navy said on Thursday it was searching for 26 fishermen whose boat was shipwrecked off the Central American nation's Caribbean coast due to heavy swells earlier this week.
Matson Senior VP Hoppes to Retire
Dave Hoppes, Matson’s senior vice president, ocean services, will retire March 31, 2015, the company announced. John Lauer, currently vice president, Transpacific services at the company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Matson Navigation Company, Inc., will succeed Hoppes as senior vice president, ocean services, effective March 31, 2015. The company also announced that Chris Scott, currently director, Asia at Matson Navigation Company…
Vessel Fire Forces Platform Evacuation
About 300 have evacuated a platform in the North sea after a fire left a vessel disabled and drifting nearby without power, BBC reported. BG Group told BBC it was…
Houston Extends Container Terminal Hours
The Port of Houston Authority has expanded gate operating hours at both the Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals by one hour due to increased cargo activity. The change commenced November 17 to enhance services to customers and the trucking industry, the port authority said. The in-gate is now open until 6 p.m. and the out-gate is open until 7 p.m. U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agreed to staff the radiation portal monitors for the additional hour.
Canadian Navy Bans Drinking at Sea
The Royal Canadian Navy on Friday imposed an almost total ban on sailors drinking at sea after a warship had to be recalled from an international exercise because inebriated crew members got into trouble. Sailors had hitherto been allowed to drink off duty. Now, they will only be able to sample alcohol on special occasions such as Christmas, if the captain gives permission. In addition, beer vending machines will be removed from vessels.
Canada Invests $1.8m in Tignish Harbor
Canada’s Shea announces a $1.8 million contract for Tignish Harbor; contract awarded to Gaudette's Transit Mix Ltd. The Government of Canada has awarded a $1.8 million…
Cruise Ship Fire under Investigation
The U.S. Coast Guard assembled a joint investigative team with the National Transportation Safety Board and is sending four marine safety professionals from Coast Guard Sector San Juan, Puerto Rico and the Cruise Ship and Investigation National Centers of Expertise, to investigate Thursday's fire on the cruise ship Insignia in St. Lucia that claimed three lives. The Coast Guard and the NTSB are participating with Insignia’s flag state…
Ferus Smit Launches Newbuild Bulk Carrier
On Friday, December 12, Ferus Smit’s Nb. 413, christened Arklow Brave, was launched at its Westerbroek yard. Arklow Brave is the fifth vessel in a series of six that will be delivered a client from the city of Arklow, Ireland. The design is a bulk oriented general cargo ship that will be mainly employed in the shipment of wheat, corn and other bulk commodities in European waters. As hull form it was chosen to adapt the bulbless principle, creating a slender bow without bulb.
Pacific Basin Sells Harbor Towage Business to Smit Lamnalco
Pacific Basin Shipping Limited has sold to Smit Lamnalco its entire shareholding in PB Towage Australia (PBTA), including all its harbor towage operations and 16…
New Dive Support Vessel Fit for Many Roles
Incat Crowther’s first-of-type Catamaran Dive Support Vessel, Bhagwan Dryden, was launched and delivered earlier this year. According to the designer, operational feedback has been positive for the vessel, which has already received praise for initial operations, including mooring inspection carried out by ROV and operations under four point mooring and DP in shallow, rough seas. Developed in conjunction with Bhagwan Marine…
GE to Equip PSVs under Construction for Petrobras
GE’s Power Conversion business will provide dynamic positioning (DP) and vessel control systems to equip the next generation platform supply vessels (PSV4500), currently under construction at the Detroit shipyard to the Brazilian shipbuilder Starnav Serviços Marítimos Ltda. These vessels, the first of which will be commissioned and will be put into operation by Starnav in 2015 on behalf of Brazilian oil giant Petrobras, will target fuel efficiencies as one of their primary aims.
US Navy Tests Unmanned Underwater Vehicle
The U.S. Navy completed tests on the GhostSwimmer unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story (JEBLC-FS), Dec. 11. GhostSwimmer is the latest in a series of science-fiction-turned-reality projects developed by the chief of naval operations' Rapid Innovation Cell (CRIC) project, Silent NEMO, an experiment that explores the possible uses for biomimetic, unmanned underwater vehicles in the fleet.
China Adds 9 Shipyards to Favored 'White List'
China has added nine shipyards to its "white list" of firms deemed worth of favourable policy support, as it attempts to tackle overcapacity that has weighed on the global shipping market. In September, it published a list of 51 yards which it later cut to 50. These yards, which it says are judged to comply with requirements such as ship emissions, are expected to get favourable policy support, such as bank credit and export tax rebates.
CTruk Unveils Expansion Plans
CTruk held an informal launch event at its new Colne Estuary site on The Hythe, East Colchester yesterday, sharing its plans for expansion to guests and staff. The company will use the old Fieldgates site on Haven Road to build the larger vessels required for offshore wind farm projects further out to sea and will move some production activity over in January 2015. CTruk’s current facility in Brightlingsea lacks the space and waterside access needed to build and launch larger craft.
Vessel Aground Blocks Traffic to Port of Antwerp
Traffic for large ships heading towards the Belgian port of Antwerp was temporarily blocked on Friday after a giant container ship ran aground outside the Dutch port of Terneuzen downstream from the Belgian harbour, emergency services said. Emergeny services for the Dutch province Zeeland said on their website the MSC Rachelle had run on to a sandbank on its way to Antwerp, though they later said it had been refloated.
Damen Expands Dredge Pump Range
The Damen DOP submersible dredge pump range has been enlarged, now running from the smallest DOP150, fitting in any corner of a building pit, to the DOP450L doing some 4,000 m3 of mixture per hour. The DOP submersible dredge pump is designed to be used in many dredging activities. The main part of the DOP is a dredge pump fitted with cast exchangeable parts. A key feature is the large spherical passage preventing blockage.
Diana Enters Time Charter Contract with Clearlake
Diana Shipping Inc., through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, has entered into a time charter contract with Clearlake Shipping Pte. Ltd., Singapore, a member of the Gunvor Group, for one of its Capesize dry bulk vessels, the m/v New York. The gross charter rate is $12,850 per day minus a 4.75% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum 14 months to maximum 18 months. The charter is expected to commence on December 18, 2014.
Call on Governments to Address Migrants at Sea Crisis
Speaking at a high level Dialogue on Protection at Sea, hosted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has called on governments to address the growing refugee and migrant crisis in the Mediterranean. ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe, remarked: “The shipping industry fully accepts its humanitarian obligation to assist anyone at sea whose vessel is in distress.
IACS Holds Council Meeting
The International Association of Classification Societies chaired by Philippe Donche-Gay of BV held its December Council meeting yesterday in London. The flagship…
