Today in U.S. Naval history: November 18
![USS Currituck (U.S. Navy Photo)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/uss-currituck-us-navy-photo-20339.jpg)
Today in U.S. 1890 - USS Maine, first American battleship, is launched. 1922 – Cdr. Kenneth Whiting in a PT seaplane, makes first catapult launching from aircraft carrier, USS Langley, at anchor in the York River. 1962 - USS Currituck (AV-7) rescues 13 Japanese fishermen from their disabled fishing boat Seiyu Maru, which was damaged in Typhoon Karen. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.
MSRC Enters Contract with Ocean Imaging
The Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) announced an exclusive contract with Ocean Imaging Corporation for cutting edge remote sensing capability. Ocean Imaging…
Ocean Signal Beacon Saves Two in Atlantic Ocean Rescue
![Rescued boater Sandy Williamson, with his Ocean Signal rescueME PLB1](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/rescued-boater-sandy-williamson-with-20334.jpg)
An Ocean Signal rescueME PLB1 was key to saving the lives of two people after a dramatic rescue in the Atlantic Ocean. Sandy Williamson and his crew, Corey, activated their Ocean Signal personal locator beacon when their 22-foot yellow catamaran started taking on water about 20 nautical miles off the Miami coast. The U.S. Coast Guard 7th District command centre in Miami received the emergency alert just after 11 a.m.
Houlder Fuels Advances in LNG with Boil-off Gas Recondensing Unit
![](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/-20338.jpg)
Increased emission legislation is impacting on the maritime industry and the development of LNG as a fuel is growing at a pace. The marine engineers and designers at Houlder have recognized this and are developing specialist equipment as a result. An example, announced this week at the Lloyd’s Maritime Academy LNG Bunkering Seminar, is a standalone processing unit that efficiently manages boil-off gas on board bunker vessels and client ships.
Damen Debuts Walk-to-Work Wind Farm Vessel
![Photo: Damen](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-damen-20328.jpg)
Damen Shipyards has unveiled a completely new Wind Farm Service Vessel (WSV) to support and accommodate turbine maintenance crews at sea and allow them to “Walk-to-Work.” After industry-wide consultation, the vessel has been designed from first principles to provide on-site work facilities and accommodation for 45 maintenance personnel plus 15 crew for voyages of up to one month. “There is a growing trend for wind turbines to be located further from shore…
Maritime and Engineering College Hosts Apprenticeship Awards
![Winner at the annual Maritime and Engineering College North West (MECNW) Apprenticeship Awards](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/winner-at-the-annual-maritime-20324.jpg)
The next generation of engineering and maritime stars was recognized at the annual Maritime and Engineering College North West (MECNW) Apprenticeship Awards. The ceremony on November 14, held at MECNW in Birkenhead, celebrated the achievements of learners across 11 different award categories which were presented by former Liverpool FC and England player and coach Sammy Lee. George Day, from Peel Ports, was named overall Apprentice of the Year and also Peel Apprentice of the Year.
Adveto to Upgrade, Support 26 Passenger Catamarans
![Tyrving is one of the 26 HSC passenger catamarans to be upgraded. Photo Adveto](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/tyrving-is-one-of-the-20323.jpg)
Swedish Adveto has through its distributor Westronic in Bergen secured an order consisting of software and ECDIS-kernel upgrade and new continuous 36 month support for 26 High Speed Crafts (HSC) passenger catamarans. The customer is Norled, the HSC operator in Norway. “Westronic started to work with Adveto´s ECDIS many years ago,” said Arild Mathiessen, Sales & Project Engineer at Westronic AS in Bergen.
Furgo’s New Offshore Wind Farm Drill Readies for Action
![The new T120 drill on top of the Conductor (framework that lifts it above the waves) all in yellow, and also showing the down hole equipment in blue. It will be configured as shown here and attached to the orange steel frame which is fixed to the deck of the transport installation vessel (TIV).](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/the-new-t120-drill-on-20320.jpg)
Specialist overwater drilling and marine construction contractor Fugro Seacore is building a pile top drill, the T120, for the offshore wind farm market to assist with monopole installations of up to eight meters diameter. Their current big drill has 90 metric tons of rotational torque; the new one will have 120 metric tons. This new addition to the fleet means they will have two drills capable of relief drilling piles of larger than six-meter diameter simultaneously…
Star Bulk Acquires Two Ultramax Bulk Carriers
Star Bulk Carriers Corp., a global shipping company focusing on the transportation of dry bulk cargos, announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to…
Bibby Concludes IRM Work form Brunei Shell
![the Atom, the latest compact workclass ROV from SMD](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/the-atom-the-latest-compact-20319.jpg)
Bibby Offshore Singapore (BOS) announced the successful completion of extensive inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) work on Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) offshore assets. The project involved the inspection of BSP’s East and West assets and covered a total of 48 pipelines, with a combined length of 272km, and 93 platform risers. The work was performed by the Bibby Spring operated by BOS. The DP2 ROV Support Vessel is fully configured for IRM operations and boasts dual ROV capability…
BMT Nigel Gee Contracts Penguin for Three Ferries
![](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/-20316.jpg)
BMT Nigel Gee (BMT), a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd., announced its latest contract with Singapore-based Penguin Shipyard International Pte. Ltd., for the design of three 38-meter monohull high-speed passenger ferries for the busy Singapore-Indonesia ferry route. The shipbuilding subsidiary of Singapore-listed crewboat specialist Penguin International Limited recently signed a contract with Horizon Ferries Pte. Ltd.
Cammell Laird Welcomes New Apprentice Group
![Photo: Cammell Laird](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-cammell-laird-20315.jpg)
Merseyside engineering firm Cammell Laird announced its largest ever intake of apprentices since it restarted its apprenticeship program in 2008. Birkenhead-based Cammell Laird has taken on 22 apprentices working across a range of skills which brings the total number within the business to 71. Around 50 apprentices have graduated into highly skilled, qualified tradesmen over the past five years with Cammell Laird and are still actively employed with the business.
Wärtsilä's Ballast Water System Earns USCG AMS Acceptance
![Photo: Wärtsilä](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-wrtsil-20313.jpg)
Wärtsilä has been granted Alternate Management System (AMS) acceptance for its AQUARIUS UV Ballast Water Management System (BWMS) by the United States Coastguard (USCG). This allows all U.S. and foreign flag ships fitted with the Wärtsilä AQUARIUS UV BWMS to operate in U.S. territorial waters and to discharge its treated ballast water for an interim period of up to five years from the ship specific implementation date. AMS acceptance is the first stage towards obtaining full USCG type approval.
Rolls-Royce to Design, Power Fish Carrier
![Photo: Rolls-Royce](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-rollsroyce-20311.jpg)
Rolls-Royce announced today that it has signed a contract for the delivery of design and equipment for a live fish carrier, to be built at the Tersan shipyard in Turkey for Faroese ship owner Bakkafrost. The contract is worth approximately £5.8 million to Rolls-Royce. The vessel is a Rolls-Royce design, type NVC 386, featuring the characteristic wave-piercing bow designed to cut through waves in rough seas…
October Container Volumes Fall 4.7%
The Port of Los Angeles has released its October 2013 cargo volumes. October overall volumes totaled 684,207 TEU, down 4.76% from October 2012 volume. Imports declined by 5.14%…
Report: Ocean Acidity is Increasing ... Rapidly
![Image: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/tergovernmental-oceanographic-commission-20314.jpg)
The unprecedented rate of ocean acidification is one of the most alarming phenomena generated by climate change and the only way to mitigate the dangers it represents consists in reducing CO2 emissions significantly. This is the conclusion of the summary of the Third Symposium on the Ocean in a High CO2 World (Monterey, USA, September 2012) which were presented at the Conference on Climate Change taking place in Warsaw (Poland) from November 11 to 22.
Seagull AS, Marine Learning Systems Partner
![Murray Goldberg](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/murray-goldberg-20327.jpg)
Seagull AS and Marine Learning Systems are partnering to provide the full library of Seagull learning content on the MarineLMS training platform. The partnership will provide an integrated solution to the cruise and ferry industries enabling rapid deployment of eLearning programs with course content on land and on-board, with or without connectivity. The system will also provide metrics and analytics which identify training issues before they become performance or safety problems.
Typhoon Causes Cargo Ship Grounding
A week after typhoon Yolanda hit the country and affected about 12 vessels in Palawan, another ship was reported to have ran aground at the said province and is…
PCG Ship Aids Typhoon Relief Operations in Iloilo
![](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/-20304.jpg)
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) sent one of its multi-role vessels in Iloilo to help in relief efforts especially to those far flung islands greatly affected by Typhoon Yolanda. The vessel BRP Davao Del Norte (SARV-3504) arrived in the Port of Iloilo last Saturday. In a meeting with local officials from LGU, DSWD and some media, Coast Guard District Western Visayas Commander, Commo Athelo Y Ybañez divulged…
ICS: Reducing CO2 is Economic 'No Brainer' for Shipowners
![](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/-20303.png)
Today, at the United Nations (UNFCCC) Climate Change Conference in Warsaw (COP 19), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) will advise a United Nations event on the economics of mitigation that reducing CO2 emissions is an economic 'no brainer' for the global shipping industry. Further efforts by industry to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions from ships - which carry about 90% of global trade - is already a matter of enlightened self interest.