Spotlight on Intermodal River Transport
Ingram Barge Company’s towboat, the M/V Miss Shirley, arrived at America’s Central Port in Granite City, Illinois, transporting containers via barge as part of a demonstration to show the viability of intermodal river transportation. “Currently our nation’s highways and railways are operating near full capacity, while our inland waterways are vastly underutilized,” said Dan Mecklenborg, Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, Ingram Barge Company.
Chesapeake Launches Tugboat for Vane Brothers
Chesapeake Shipbuilding has launched another tugboat for Vane Brothers, the builder announced today. The tugboat, named Fort Schuyler, represents the 11th tugboat that Chesapeake Shipbuilding has built for Vane Brothers of the 14 contracted. The new tugboat is nearly identical to the previous 10 tugboats built for Vane Brothers - equipped with twin Caterpillar 3512 main engines producing a combined 3,000 horsepower, and a single drum hydraulic towing winch.
Sovcomflot’s New LNG Carrier Named
A naming ceremony was held on April 9, 2015 in South Korea for SCF Mitre, the fourth vessel in a series of state-of-the-art Atlanticmax-type LNG carriers built for Sovcomflot (SCF Group). The vessel, as with her sistership SCF Melampus that joined SCF Group’s fleet in January 2015, will be operated under a long-term time charter to Royal Dutch Shell. A series of Atlanticmax-type LNG carriers have been constructed under a joint project developed by Sovcomflot and STX Offshore & Shipbuilding.
ClassNK Releases Steel Ships Rules and Guidance
Classification society ClassNK has released its 2015 Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships. The 2015 edition’s amendments, made between March 1…
Wheat Ship Barred from Entering Yemen Port
Warships from the Saudi-led coalition have blocked a vessel carrying more than 47,000 tonnes of wheat from entering a Yemeni port, demanding United Nations guarantees…
Two New Patrol Boats for Tunisian Navy
SAFE Boats International informs it has recently completed an order for two SAFE 65-Foot Full Cabin Inboard Boats for the Tunisian Navy. The first boat has recently arrived in Tunisia and the second boat is in the process of being delivered, the builder said. The new patrol vessels will provide the Tunisian Navy with enhanced capability to conduct search and rescue operations (SAR) and extended offshore patrols.
Hearing to Examine USCG's Missions
The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, chaired by U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), will hold a hearing next week to examine how the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) allocates hours and resources among its multiple statutory missions, as well as how the Service measures mission performance. The Subcommittee hearing, entitled, “An Overview of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Missions,” is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 in 2253 Rayburn House Office Building.
Baltic Sea Freight Index Steady, Vessel Activity Muted
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, remained flat on Thursday due to muted vessel activity.
Vessel Cranes Ordered for Nautilus Vessel
An order for cranes to be used on Nautilus Minerals Inc.’s production support vessel has been awarded to MacGregor, headquarter in Kristiansand, Norway. The contract marks the third major long lead time equipment package to be awarded by the shipyard, Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding Limited. Nautilus' CEO Mike Johnston commented, "We are very pleased to have such a world class supplier providing key equipment for use on our Production Support Vessel.
Terragon: Next-Step in Ship Waste Handling
Terragon Environmental Technologies Inc., a developer of waste-to-resource technology solutions, has entered into a strategic partnership with Green Marine Capital (GMC). Terragon CEO and Co-founder Dr. Panayotis Tsantrizos said the partnership will allow the company to commercialize its products in the marine sector. Terragon’s first commercially available product, the Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS)…
Statoil Reports GoM Oil Discovery
Statoil has made an oil discovery in its Miocene Yeti prospect located in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), the company announced today. “The Yeti discovery expands the proven sub-salt Miocene play further south and west of the Big Foot field,” said Jez Averty, Statoil’s senior vice president, exploration for North America. The Yeti discovery was made in Walker Ridge (WR) block 160, which is located approximately 15 kilometers south of the Big Foot field, and 11 kilometers from the Cascade field.
How to Approach Maritime Cyber Security
Maritime security professionals understand the value of a layered approach to risk management. Cyber security posture continues to develop as a critical component of a maritime security strategy, and cyber security insurance has become a valuable layer of protection that risk managers must consider. While the insurance industry has decades or more of actuarial data on various kinds of risk (typhoons, tornados, earthquakes, etc.), no such substantive data exists yet for cyber risk.
MLP3 AFSB NASSCO Delivers for the Navy
General Dynamics National Steel & Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO) christened the USNS Lewis B. Puller (MLP 3 AFSB) in early February in San Diego. USNS Lewis B. Puller, the third vessel of the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) class, is the first of which to be configured as an Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB). While the Lewis B. Puller is the third in the series, in some respects it has lead ship qualities as it is designated MLP 3 / AFSB…
IFC Plans $2 bln Investment in Egyptian Infrastructure, Power
The World Bank's development arm plans to invest between $1.2 billion and $2 billion in Egypt over the next four years, including around the Suez Canal, its regional director told Reuters.
Thunderbolt: Eastern Delivers Innovative Towboat
Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. introduced its new 120-ft., 4,200-hp Inland Towboat design, Thunderbolt, combining twin electric V-Pod propulsion and diesel-electric technology for what the builder calls its “vision of the future for the U.S. Eastern said the idea for the Thunderbolt came from a conversation at a trade show. On the rivers, thruster propulsion systems are starting to get noticed and…
Workboat Interior Outfitting: Decorated for Success
The trend to properly outfit the interiors of today’s workboats goes far beyond the new Maritime Labor Convention. Instead, it’s about doing the right thing for the right reasons.
Imabari Invests in Shipbuilding
Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. secured newbuild orders with the cooperation of Marubeni Corporation for eleven 20,000TEU Ultra-Large Container Carriers, when delivered…
Shipyard Shakedown
Shipyard selection, whether it involves newbuild or repair, can be a daunting task. It doesn’t have to be that way. Selecting a shipyard is a challenging proposition, an investment really, but how does one choose the right one? Location, capabilities, price, and availability are always among the first variable to consider. Equally important, but sometimes relegated to secondary concerns are craftsmanship, safety, integrity, and technology.
Spliethoff Chooses Imtech for VSAT Network
Spliethoff Group, one of the largest ship management companies in the Netherlands, has awarded Imtech Marine a three-year extension contract for the supply of a broad-ranging Ship to Shore Communications service on the global VSAT network of Radio Holland. Radio Holland is Imtech Marine’s solution brand for Nav/Com and maintenance. Amsterdam-based Spliethoff Bevrachtingskantoor BV and Radio Holland have worked together for decades and 27 vessels are already connected.
Employee Representatives Elected to NORDEN Board of Directors
The new employee representatives will join the Board of Directors immediately following the annual general meeting, which will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2015. The present employee representatives Ole Clausen, Anne-Katrine Nedergaard and Lars Enkegaard Biilmann will withdraw from the Board of Directors immediately following the annual general meeting on April 23, 2015. However, Lars Enkegaard Biilmann will join the Board of Directors again as he has been reelected.
