Odfjell to Implement Fleetwide e-Navigation
Odfjell will roll out NAVTOR e-navigation solutions throughout its entire fleet, a move that aims to increase operational efficiency while reducing the number of man-hours spent on administration across the ship owner’s 50 deep-sea vessels. E-navigation specialist NAVTOR will facilitate Odfjell’s transition from paper charts to paperless navigation, ensuring its vessels meet the class deadline for compliance with the IMO’s ECDIS mandate July 2015.
Bennett Named BOEM’s Chief for OREP
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Abigail Ross Hopper announced James (Jim) F. Bennett as BOEM’s new Chief for the Office of Renewable Energy Programs (OREP), the program responsible for overseeing offshore renewable energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf. Bennett has 35 years of Federal service and has served in a variety of capacities around the Department of the Interior and the Bureau.
Settlement Approved Between USCG, Tug Operator
A settlement between the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the operator of the tug Shannon was approved Tuesday by a U.S. Federal Administrative Law Judge. The settlement…
Kvichak Delivers 2 Boats to West Coast Launch
Kvichak Marine delivered two all-aluminum 36.6’ crew/pilot boats to West Coast Launch, Ltd. (WCL), which operates year-round as a water transportation company in Prince Rupert, B.C., Canada. The new vessels, Lelu and Kitson, will join the five vessels already operating in the West Coast Launch fleet, as the company prepares for the growth of Prince Rupert and the demands for transportation with the LNG industry.
Moore Stephens Warns Offshore Maritime Sector to Watch Costs and Risk Exposure
International accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens said today that companies in the offshore maritime sector need to keep a close watch on costs and manage their exposure to risk in the wake of the dramatic fall in oil prices. “It is remarkable how quickly the dramatic fall in oil prices has fed through to increasing levels of financial stress in the oil and gas services industry, where the sudden drop to around $50 a barrel is triggering cost-cutting across much of the sector…
NOL Posts Loss for Third Consecutive Year
Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) reported a 2014 net loss of $260 million today, marking the third consecutive year in the red for the Singapore-based global shipping company. NOL, parent company of APL, did reduce its 2014 fourth quarter Core EBIT (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes and Non-Recurring Items) loss 79% against 2013 fourth quarter numbers. The group also improved its Core EBITDA in the quarter, bringing it to US$92 million compared to US$7 million in the same period last year.
DOI Issues FSEIS for Chukchi Sea Lease Sale
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) released a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) for Chukchi Sea Lease Sale 193, moving the DOI a step…
Costa Cruises Seeks to Reassure Italy over Job Loss Fears
A unit of one of the world's biggest cruise operators sought to reassure Italy on Friday that plans to transfer some of its operations to Germany did not mean it would move abroad. Costa Cruises, part of Carnival Corp, is based in the northern Italian port of Genoa, but transport workers union FIT-CISL fears the company's transfer plan spells job losses. Unions are concerned that the transfer of four…
BP Denied $700M in Insurance from Gulf Spill
The Texas Supreme Court on Friday ruled that BP Plc cannot claim about $700 million in insurance that was carried by offshore driller Transocean Ltd to cover the blowout of BP's Macondo well in 2010…
German Company Pleads Guilty to AK Bilge Dumping
German shipping company AML Ship Management GMBH and one of its chief engineers pled guilty yesterday to illegally discharging oily waste in Alaskan waters last August. The company and Nicolas Sassin, 45, the chief engineer of AML's City of Tokyo vehicle carrier, each plead guilty to one count of violating the Clean Water Act. They also face charges in Portland, OR, for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships.
WCI Awards Sens. Alexander and Vitter
Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) presented the 14th Annual Leadership Service Awards to Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Senator David Vitter (R-La.) for their “strong and continued leadership on ports and inland waterways issues,” WCI announced. Senators Alexander and Vitter were presented their awards on February 11, 2015 at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
CAE Gains Approval for BRM and ERM Training
The Norwegian Maritime Authority (Sjøfartsdirektoratet) granted approval to the CAE Oslo training center to conduct Bridge Resource Management (BRM) and Engine Resource Management (ERM) training. The training courses are designed to address human behaviour and attitudes which can lead to human error on the bridge as well as in control and engine rooms. This approval allows CAE to train engineers and…
Centralize Data with Furuno's F170
Furuno’s new FI70 Instrument/Data Organizer aims to help manage all vessel data in a compact, single display. According to the manufacturer, the new unit is a powerhouse when it comes to taking in information from all the vessel's different sensors, processing it and then displaying it clearly and concisely. The FI70 features a 4.1-inch color display that matches Furuno’s NavNet TZtouch, TZtouch2 and NavPilot Autopilot, allowing for a common family look at the helm.
Another LNG Fueling Milestone for Harvey Gulf
Harvey Gulf International Marine LLC has received the first ABS Classification Certificate and the first USCG Certificate of Inspection for a vessel powered by LNG. The M/V Harvey Energy is the first LNG powered vessel in service in North America. Last week, Harvey Gulf performed the first truck to vessel transfer of LNG, the first vessel to bunker LNG and was the first U.S. Flagged LNG powered vessel to enter into port while being powered by LNG.
Singapore Revokes Two Bunker Licenses
Two companies are no longer allowed to operate as bunker suppliers and bunker craft operators in the Port of Singapore. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore…
First-of-class Tug for Sanmar
Cooperation between both the operational and construction teams of Sanmar AS and the designers at Robert Allan Ltd. has resulted in another new tug/workboat design. Yenicay, this first-of-class compact ASD achieves a 30mt bollard pull in a vessel measuring 18.7m x 9.2m, with a draft of 3.7m. The ABS-classed vessel has joined three other tugs in Sanmar’s fleet at Petkim Port, Aliaga, Izmir, Turkey.
Record Year at Port Metro Vancouver
Port Metro Vancouver has released its 2014 year-end statistics, showing its second consecutive year of record-breaking cargo volumes. According to the port, the year was marked by best-ever volumes in the bulk and container sectors, resulting in a record overall year in tonnage. The port's terminals handled 140 million metric tons of cargo in 2014, up three percent from 2013. Import cargo rose 4.1 percent to 27 million metric tons, and exports rose 3.3 percent to 108 million metric tons.
Diana Shipping Extends Time Charter
Diana Shipping Inc. has, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, agreed to extend the present time charter contract with Glencore Grain B.V., Rotterdam, for one of its Panamax dry bulk vessels, the 73,593 dwt m/v Arethusa built in 2007. The gross charter rate is $7,100 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum 11 months to maximum 14 months. The new charter period is expected to commence on March 5, 2015.
Coast Guard Rescue Underway in Antarctica
A U.S. Coast Guard crew is en route to assist a 207-foot fishing vessel with 26 people aboard beset in ice approximately 900 miles northeast of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star is attempting to reach the crew of an Australian-flagged fishing vessel, Antarctic Chieftain, who contacted Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand Tuesday evening for assistance after becoming trapped in the Antarctic ice.
ClassNK Streamlines Classification Process
ClassNK informed it has revamped its registration system, halving the time it takes to deliver its classification certificates. According to ClassNK, the registrations for the classification of ships are carried out through a rigorous process to confirm complete compliance with rules at each stage of plan approval, material and equipment inspections, and hull and machinery surveys. ClassNK explained…
