AIDA Cruises’ New Flagship Receives Signature Paint Job
At the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki, Japan, the new flagship of AIDA Cruises is now receiving its beaming smile. At the end of March, preparatory work began on the 300 m long white hull of AIDAprima to apply the painting to the bow that is typical for AIDA: kissing lips, eyes, and waves. Since the brand motif of AIDA is individually designed on every ship in the fleet of Germany’s biggest cruise operator, Rostock artist Feliks Büttner provided a special template for AIDAprima.
USCG Searching for Migrant Survivors off Haiti
U.S. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) informs it is assisting the Haitian Coast Guard in searching for possible Haitian migrants in the water after it’s believed their…
Venezuela Curbs Cocoa Exports
Venezuela's flavorful cocoa, coveted centuries ago by pirates and now a darling of specialty producers, will not be enriching foreign chocolate bars any time soon.
US Begins to Formally Review Shell's Arctic Drilling Plan
The U.S. Interior Department said on Friday it has received a plan by Royal Dutch Shell PLC to explore drilling opportunities in the Arctic. Late last month, the…
Norwegian Shipowners See Challenges Ahead
Falling oil prices, heightened geopolitical tensions and sluggish, uncertain growth in the global economy are directly impacting the maritime industry, causing Norwegian…
Obama to Speak at CGA Commencement
President Barack Obama is scheduled to deliver the keynote address during the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s 134th Commencement Exercises on Wednesday, May 20. Presidents traditionally address the graduating class at one of the federal service academies on a rotating basis. President Obama addressed the U.S. Military Academy Class of 2014 at West Point last year. "It is a tremendous honor for us to host…
First Ecobox Nordana Sky in Operation
MV Nordana Sky was delivered to Symphony Shipping on March 26 after the vessel completed sea trials, the builder Ferus Smit announced. Nordana Sky is the first vessel in a series of six ships in the new ECOBOX general/project cargo ship design. It features a single large boxshaped hold of 429,000 cft that can be optionally sailed ‘open top’ without maindeck hatches. Her hull caries 10550 DWT at main dimensions (Loa X B X T) 122.5 X 17.0 X 7.8 mtr.
Anthem of the Seas Delivered to Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean International took delivery of its 23rd ship, Anthem of the Seas. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain officially received the new ship from Meyer Werft Yard’s Managing Partner Bernard Meyer in a signing ceremony held in Bremerhaven, Germany. Anthem of the Seas will now sail to Southampton, U.K., where the ship will homeport through October and sail to the Mediterranean and Canary Islands.
GTT Seeks to Industrialize its Mark V Tech
Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) informs it has signed a cooperation agreement with the South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries to industrialize its new Mark V technology…
Garamendi Calls for US Shipbuilding Revitalization
Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, Calif.), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, spoke at the Bay Planning Coalition’s 2015 Decision Makers Conference. Garamendi's speech focused on America's pivotal opportunity to create thousands of American jobs by revitalizing America's shipbuilding industry. "We're not building big ships in the United States except for the U.S. Navy.
Nor Lines Readies New LNG Cargo Ship
Nor Lines’ new flagship MV Kvitbjørn is ready for its naming ceremony and regular operation as “the most environmentally friendly ship in the world,” the vessel’s owner announced. The naming ceremony will take place on April 16 at Skagenkaien in Stavanger, Norway. “MV Kvitbjørn is the first of two new natural gas-powered cargo ships which will replace older tonnage on route between northern Europe and Norway,” Nor Lines CEO Tor Arne Borge said.
Baltic Sea Freight Index Flat for Second Straight Session
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, remained flat for the second straight session on Friday on muted vessel activity.
Liberia is Top Open Register for Greek Shippers
Figures released by the Greek Shipping Cooperation Committee (GSCC) show that Liberia has further strengthened its position as the undisputed leading open registry of choice for Greek shipowners and operators. The GSCC statistics show that, in the year to end-March 2015, the number of Greek-controlled ships in the Liberian Registry increased by a net total of 61 vessels, more than any other registry in the world.
First Retrofit Plant for Drain Water Treatment
With two centrifuge skids for the treatment of drain water, GEA’s Business Unit Mechanical Separation, recently delivered the first retrofit plant. While drilling for oil, drain water collects on the platform in large volumes, which is passed into large tanks together with other waste water occurring. In conformity with the IMO Regulations MEPC.107(49) this contaminated water must not be drained into the ocean before corresponding treatment and de-oiling.
Bridge Layout Approved for Oman Navy Newbuilds
The bridge layout for two 72-meter high speed support vessels (HSSVs) for the Royal Navy of Oman has been formally approved during a ceremony held at Austal Australia’s shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia, the shipbuilder announced. Rear Admiral Abdullah Khamis Al Raisi, Commander of the Royal Navy of Oman, was guest of honor in celebrating the milestone. He was joined by Commodore Khalifa Hamed Al Qasmi and the onsite Royal Navy of Oman Representatives (RNOR)…
Chevron Cylinder Oil Gains Interim NOL for Wärtsilä Engines
Chevron’s new 100BN cylinder oil Taro Special HT 100 offers ship owners the ability to achieve the latest emissions legislation and has now received interim approval for its use in another key engine range – products made by Winterthur Gas & Diesel Ltd (formerly Wärtsilä). A Wärtsilä engine has satisfactorily completed 2,000 hours of a 4,000-hour shipboard testing program conducted by Chevron and reviewed by the company.
Maritime SAR Exercise in the Seychelles
On Friday, April 10, the Seychelles Coast Guard, Air Force, Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration (SMSA) carried out a comprehensive search and rescue (SAR)exercise in the Seychelles. The Maritime Police Patrol Unit (MPPU) as well as other authorities participated as observers. The exercise was conducted together with EUCAP Nestor and the EU Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta represented by the Dutch Flagship Johan de Witt…
US Fishermen Seek Federal Action against Illegal Fishing
Gulf of Mexico fishermen are threatened by a daily wave of foreign illegal fishing vessels and the U.S. fishing industry is calling on Congress to take action, Florida business owners said April 8 at an event hosted by the Gulf Coast Leadership Conference. Mexican fishing boats enter U.S. sovereign waters and illegally poach hundreds to thousands of fish at a time. Although the U.S. Coast Guard and…
Brazil Port City Suspends Ultracargo Fuel Operations After Fire
The mayor of Santos suspended on Friday operations at a fuel storage warehouse in Brazil after a week-long fire at the facility operated by Ultracargo slowed exports from the country's largest port.
Proposed Rule Change for Deepwater Ports
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has proposed revisions to its regulations for the licensing, construction, design, equipment and operation of deepwater ports, which…
