Maritime Industry Top News
Tug Crew Tows Fire-stricken and Abandoned Trawler to Portland, Maine
A tugboat crew was recently called upon to tow in a fire-stricken trawler that had been abandoned in the Gulf of Maine.The 81-foot fishing vessel Three Girls had been adrift since August 11 when an onboard fire forced its crew to evacuate about 105 nautical miles east of Portsmouth, N.H. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued the six people that had been on board—including a captain, a NOAA observer and four…
US Moving Forward with Second Central Atlantic Offshore Wind Sale
The United States is advancing plans for a second regional offshore wind energy auction in the Central Atlantic.On Wednesday, the Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced it will issue a Call for Information and Nominations for the Central Atlantic 2 sale. This call invites public input on potential commercial wind energy development in an area spanning 13,476,805 acres off the coasts of New Jersey…
Vessel Loaded with Fuel Sinks at Russian Port After Ukrainian Attack
A ferry loaded with fuel tanks sank in the Russian port of Kavkaz in southern Krasnodar region on Thursday after a Ukrainian attack, local authorities said.The ferry carrying 30 fuel tanks, as confirmed by Fyodor Babenkov, district head of the town of Temryuk which includes the port, sustained significant damage as a result of the attack, which caused a fire.Seventeen crew members were rescued from the ferry, the Krasnodar region governor said on his Telegram channel.
Britoil PSV Pegged for Geotechnical Drilling Conversion
Seas Geosciences announced a multi-year agreement with Britoil Offshore Services (Britoil) to charter and convert the platform supply vessel (PSV) BOS Princess into a geotechnical drilling vessel that will be available to the market starting in January 2025.With its 80-meter length and close to 19-meter beam, the 2015-built BOS Princess will provide a stable platform for Seas’ geotechnical investigations…
Dredging: $47 Million Lined up for Beneficial Use in Port of Mobile
Three major projects related to long-term dredge material management at the Port of Mobile are moving forward in Congress.In partnership with the Alabama Port Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) has been working over the last year to secure additional beneficial use opportunities related to the Port of Mobile’s ship channel deepening and widening…
Germany's Scholz Vows to Keep Shipbuilder Meyer Werft Afloat
The German government is working on a deal to secure the future of Meyer Werft, a 229-year-old shipyard and one of the world's largest cruise ship builders, Chancellor Olaf Scholz assured workers during a visit to the company on Thursday."We all want to secure the continued existence of the shipyard - and with it everything that depends on it," Scholz said at a meeting of the works council, adding…
Body of British Tech Billionaire Mike Lynch Retrieved from Sunken Yacht
The body of British tech magnate Mike Lynch was retrieved on Thursday from the wreck of his family yacht that sank earlier this week off the coast of Sicily during a violent storm, a source close to the rescue operation said.Lynch's 18-year-old daughter Hannah is still unaccounted for, the source said. The bodies of four other people who vanished when the boat went down were recovered from the yacht on Wednesday.The British-flagged Bayesian…
Exhaust-sucking Barge to Capture Ship Emissions in the Port of Los Angeles
STAX Engineering announced it has secured a five-year contract to deploy its cutting-edge emissions capture services at Shell’s Mormon Island Terminal in the Port of Los Angeles, coinciding with new California Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions regulations. STAX’s emission capture and control solution offers an alternative to shore power for emissions reduction for tankers. Available as a land- or barge-based solution…
Stricken Oil Tanker Sounion Poses Environmental Risk After Red Sea Attack
A Greek-flagged oil tanker carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude that was evacuated by its crew after being attacked in the Red Sea now poses an environmental hazard, the EU's Red Sea naval mission "Aspides" said on Thursday.Houthis, who control Yemen's most populous regions, said on Thursday that they attacked the Sounion oil tanker in the Red Sea, as the Iran-aligned group has been attacking ships in…
Greek-flagged Tanker Vessel Crew Forced to Abandon Ship
The crew of Greek-flagged oil tanker the Sounion that was attacked in the Red Sea abandoned the vessel and were taken to Djbouti by the EU's Red Sea naval mission "Aspides", an official in the mission told Reuters on Thursday.The tanker, with a listed capacity of 163,759 MT, was the third vessel operated by Athens-based Delta Tankers to be attacked in the Red Sea this month.The Iran-aligned Houthi…
North Sea O&G Licences Trigger Oceana UK Legal Action
Britain's decision to issue dozens of new oil and gas exploration licences is being challenged in court by a marine conservation organization, which argues ministers unlawfully failed to consider the impact on marine life.Oceana UK is taking legal action over 31 licences issued under Britain's previous government in May this year as part of the North Sea Transition Authority's latest oil and gas licensing round.An exploration licence does not necessarily result in a producing field, though envir
Sources Say Germany to Take a Big Stake in Meyer Werft
The German government plans to take a temporary majority stake in Meyer Werft, one of the world's top cruise ship builders, as part of measures to support the company, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is said to visit shipbuilder Meyer Werft today, raising union hopes for government support for the company which is battling to fill a 2.7 billion euro ($3 billion) hole in its finances.Meyer Werft…
Kongsberg Maritime Adds to Rim Drive Azimuth Thruster Range
Kongsberg Maritime has launched a new Rim-drive Azimuth Thruster, the RD-AZ-2300.The RD-AZ-2300, with a propeller diameter of 2,300mm, sits between the existing RD-AZ-1900 and RD-AZ-2600 models and is suited for vessels operating in demanding environments such as offshore wind farms, where precise maneuverability and low noise levels are crucial.In adherence to DNV’s Silent R classification, the RD…
Report: Observer Program Failing Australian Sheep
A report released by Australia’s Inspector-General of Animal Welfare and Live Animal Exports highlights ongoing and systemic failures within Australia’s Independent Observer program designed to provide independent reporting of animal welfare at sea.The program was established after the 2017 death of over 2,400 sheep on the livestock carrier Awassi Express (now Anna Mara). The sheep died of heat stress…
Methanol Institute Granted Consultative Status at IMO
The Methanol Institute (MI) has been granted consultative status by the IMO.Consultative status is reserved for non-governmental, international organizations that have the capability to make a substantial contribution to the work of IMO. MI will now be able to attend meetings as an observer and offer expert input on discussions in plenary and working groups.MI aims to use its consultative status to…
NYK System Adjusts Frequency to Reduce Fuel Consumption of Marine Generators
NYK has tested its Hz Navi system which can reduce the energy consumption of marine generators by lowering their frequency.Current generator frequencies are set so that onboard equipment such as pumps and motors, which operate in conjunction with the power supply frequency, can perform adequately even under the worst conditions. However, operating at the normal frequency during normal navigation consumes extra power.
Barge Confirmed as Earliest Known Wreck in Swan River
A barge wreck found in September last year has been confirmed as the earliest known shipwreck discovered to date in Western Australia's Swan River, the WA Museum said. The barge was identified as one that lost in 1882 while carrying limestone from Fremantle to Perth.The State Government's release of detailed 3D multibeam surveys of the Swan River riverbed played a crucial role in the initial discovery of the wreck…
CMA CGM Belem Loses 99 Containers off South Africa
The containership CMA CGM Belem has arrived safely at anchorage in the Port of Ngqurha after losing nearly 100 containers in heavy seas off the coast of South Africa.The Maltese-flagged vessel suffered a significant stow collapse and a loss of 99 containers overboard while encountering severe weather off the coast of Richards Bay on the night of August 15, the South African Maritime Safety Authority…
Tanker Adrift After Coming Under Attack in Red Sea
A Greek-flagged tanker was adrift in the Red Sea on Wednesday after repeated attacks that started a fire on the vessel and caused the ship to lose power, the UK maritime agency said.Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched attacks on international shipping near Yemen since November in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas. They did not immediately claim responsibility for Wednesday's attacks.Passengers on two small boats attacked the Sounion…
Pilot Was Asleep at the Helm When Towboat Hit Louisiana Pier
The pilot of a towboat that struck an industrial cargo pier near Saint Rose, La., last year had fallen asleep, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday.The pilot of the Marquette Transportation owned and operated towing vessel John 3:16 was experiencing the effects of fatigue during his watch on September 12, 2023, while navigating the Lower Mississippi River. NTSB investigators concluded the pilot had less than two hours of continuous sleep before taking the watch…
