Marshall Islands News

Bollinger Shipyards announced the delivery of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) John Witherspoon at Coast Guard Sector Key West. This is the 58th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) delivered under the U.S. Coast Guard's current program and the 184th vessel built by Bollinger for the U.S. Coast Guard over a 40-year partnership and will be homeported in Kodiak, Alaska. The John Witherspoon will be homeported in Kodiak, Alaska. This vessel is the fourth FRC to join the fleet in Alaskan waters, reinforcing maritime security and bolstering the U.S.

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and Hanwha Ocean have announced a five-year strategic partnership to advance low and zero carbon fuels, energy efficiency technologies and onboard carbon capture.The GCMD was established as a non-profit organization in 2021 founded by BHP, BW Group, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Foundation Det Norske Veritas, Ocean Network Express and Seatrium. GCMD also receives funding from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), and bp…

Dozens of members of a Greek dockworkers' union have blocked the loading of a container of ammunition destined for Israel in protest against the Gaza war, coast guard and union officials told Reuters on Friday.The container, which arrived at Greece's Pireaus port on Thursday, held 21 tons of ammunition, one of the unionists told Reuters on condition of anonymity. The cargo was trucked from North Macedonia and was due to be loaded aboard a Marshall islands-flagged ship bound for Israel.Before the incident…

Israel's ports in the northern city of Haifa were operating at normal capacity despite an escalation in fighting with Hezbollah in nearby Lebanon and the city being targeted by rocket fire, Israeli authorities said on Tuesday.Haifa is Israel's third largest city and handles much of the country's vital seaborne trade. On Monday, sirens sounded across the city for the first time after months of border-area conflict and the military's defence systems fired interceptors at Hezbollah rockets above the Haifa bay.

U.S. Gulf of Mexico energy firms on Friday were lumbering back from hurricane disruptions as offshore oil and gas producers ramped up operations after halving the key energy region's output, ports reopened, and onshore terminals accepted oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers.Hurricane Francine shut in up to 42% of the region's offshore oil and 53% of its natural gas production. The storm missed Texas and came ashore in Louisiana late on Tuesday, causing flooding and power problems that affected onshore terminals and ports that withstood 100 mph (161 kph) winds.The port of New Orleans…

Fifteen crew members have been rescued from an offshore supply vessel (OSV) that went up in flames off the coast of South Africa.The fire reportedly broke out and grew out of control in the messroom aboard the Marshall Islands registered vessel AM Pride on Thursday, in an ocean area approximately 48.5 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay in South Africa's Western Cape province, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) said.The Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC)…

SV Juren Ae (IMO no. 1021245) was delivered to the Marshall Islands Shipping Corporation (MISC) July 31, 2024, a 'low carbon' vessel funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI), built at Asia Shipbuilding in Geoje City, Korea and classed by KR.SV Juren Ae is a 48-m, 300 dwt supply vessel, the result of a collaborative effort led by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) through its project 'Transition to Low-Carbon Sea Transport in the Republic of the Marshall Islands' for the German Ministry for the Environment…

Iran has released the oil cargo of a Greek-owned, Marshall-Islands-flagged tanker it seized in the Gulf of Oman earlier this year, a shipping source told Reuters on Thursday.The vessel, M/T St. Nikolas, is still being held by Iran, the source added. It was laden with 1 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil destined for Turkey when it was seized."The cargo was released earlier this week after negotiations," the source said.Turkish refiner Tupras said in a statement that the St. Nikolas…

Dry bulk shipowner Diana Shipping announced it has entered into a time charter contract with Stone Shipping Ltd, for one of its Ultramax dry bulk vessels, DSI Polaris.The gross charter rate is US$15,400 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period until minimum June 1, 2025 up to maximum August 15, 2025. The charter commenced retroactively as of July 20, 2024.The Marshall Islands registered DSI Polaris, a 60,404 dwt Ultramax dry bulk vessel built in 2018…

A Chevron-chartered oil tanker seized by Iran more than a year ago has dropped anchor near the United Arab Emirates port of Khor Fakkan, ship tracking data showed on Monday.The Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet was boarded by Iran's military in the Gulf of Oman in April 2023 after an alleged collision with an Iranian boat.After sailing away from Iran last week, its latest position was located close to the UAE, LSEG data showed on Monday.A Chevron spokesperson said on Saturday it was aware of reports that the tanker was released on July 10."We are pleased to see the safe release of the v

A Chevron-chartered oil tanker that was seized by Iran more than a year ago was heading for international waters on Thursday, LSEG ship tracking data showed.The Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet was boarded by Iran's military in the Gulf of Oman in April 2023 after an alleged collision with an Iranian boat.There was no immediate comment from Chevron or Iranian officials on Thursday on whether the vessel had been released or what discussions may have been involved.The movement…

The 2024 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea is to go to two sets of nominees: the captain and crew of the oil tanker Marlin Luanda for containing a fire after the ship was struck by an anti-ship missile; and the captain and crew of the tugboat Pemex Maya for their rescue of six shipwrecked people from four different vessels during a hurricane.Nominations were initially reviewed by an Assessment Panel and their recommendations were considered by a Panel of Judges, who ultimately selected the recipients of honors.

Yemen's Houthis launched attacks on six ships in three different seas, the Iran-backed group said on Wednesday, including the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Laax that was damaged after reporting a missile strike off the Yemeni coast.Security and shipping sources confirmed the Houthis hit the Laax in a barrage of attacks on Tuesday. In a televised speech, the group also said it targeted the Morea and Sealady in the Red Sea, the Alba and Maersk Hartford in the Arabian Sea…

A bulk carrier already taking on water after a Houthi missile attack off the coast of Yemen on Tuesday has reported further damage from a second strike, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Tuesday.Maritime security and shipping sources earlier in day identified vessel as the Marshall Islands-flagged Laax.Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks in the Red Sea region since November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians. They since have expanded to the Indian Ocean.The Houthis have sunk one ship…

Yemen's Houthis launched attacks on three ships in the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Sea, the Iran-aligned group said on Friday, although the manager of the ship allegedly attacked in the Mediterranean said there was no sign of such an incident.The reported attacks are the latest in a months-long campaign of Houthi strikes against regional shipping in what the group says is solidarity with Palestinians fighting Israel in the Gaza war.The Houthis' military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech that Houthi forces had targeted the Yannis ship in the Red Sea…

A group of suspected Somali pirates has been aprehended and transported to justice officials in Seychelles, EU counter-piracy forces said.The six men are accused of attempting to hijack the Marshall Islands-flagged merchant tanker vessel Chrystal Arctic in the Gulf of Aden on May 10.After the failed attack about 100 naautical miles north of Bosaso, the suspected pirates were arrested by ATALANTA forces and treated for injuries of varying severity.Then, an  ATALANTA warship transported…

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has opted to extend its Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (FRC) build program, exercising a contract option with Bollinger Shipyards for two additional vessels.The move brings the total number of FRCs awarded to Bollinger up to 67 vessels since the program’s inception. To date, the U.S. Coast Guard has commissioned 55 FRCs into operational service.“We’re incredibly proud of our long history supporting the U.S. Coast Guard that now stretches four decades,” said Bollinger Shipyards President and CEO Ben Bordelon.

Fairfield Chemical Carriers has taken deliver of its latest vessel, Fairchem Pathfinder, a 26,222 DWT IMO 2/3 chemical tanker built by Japan's Fukuoka Shipbuilding.Fairchem Pathfinder is the first in a series of four LNG-dual fuel sister vessels being built by Fukuoka for Fairfield.The 158.4-meter-long (LOA) stainless steel chemical tanker is classed by NK and registered in the Marshall Islands.U.S.-based Fairfield Chemical Carriers has been operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of MOL Chemical Tankers since it was acquired by the Japanese shipping company in March.

A cargo ship from Russia earlier detained in Germany on suspicion of breaching sanctions is now free to leave the port of Rostock, the Stralsund main customs office confirmed on Friday without providing any further details.The Atlantic Navigator II carried 251 containers of birch wood destined for the United States, which is subject to EU sanctions against Russia, but not to the US ones, prosecutors have said.The vessel, which is managed by Canada-based CISN and sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, also has enriched uranium for some US clients, exempted from both US and EU sanctions, The O

A cargo ship leaving Russia that made an unscheduled stop at the German port of Rostock is under investigation there for carrying cargo in possible breach of sanctions, German authorities said on Wednesday.The Atlantic Navigator II, managed by Canada-based CSAL and sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, has been detained by German customs. On board are 251 containers of birch wood, which is subject to EU sanctions against Russia, prosecutors said."Investigations are under way against the captain of the freighter on initial suspicion of a violation of the Foreign Trade and Payments Act…

The European Union, Canada, Japan and climate-vulnerable Pacific Island states are among 47 countries rallying support for a charge on the international shipping sector's greenhouse gas emissions, documents reviewed by Reuters showed.The documents, being discussed at an International Maritime Organization (IMO) meeting now entering a second week, outline four proposals with a combined 47 backers for imposing a fee on each tonne of greenhouse gas the industry produces.Support for…

Yemen's Houthis targeted a fuel tanker, Mado, in the Red Sea with naval missile and Israel's Eilat port and resort region with winged missiles, the group's military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Tuesday.Mado is a Marshall-Islands flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker heading to Singapore from Saudi Arabia, maritime shipping trackers showed. The Houthis described it as American, but Equasis's shipping database indicates that it is owned by Naftomar Shipping & Trading Co Ltd of Greece.

Bollinger Shipyards recently delivered the USCGC David Duren to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Fla. This is the 182nd vessel Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 56th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) delivered under the current program.“We’re incredibly proud to deliver the USCGC David Duren, the first of three Fast Response Cutters to be homeported in Astoria, Oregon,” said Bollinger President & CEO Ben Bordelon. “We’re confident that pound for pound…