Puget Sound Container Volumes Flat in 2014
![Photo: Port of Seattle](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-port-of-seattle-38844.jpg)
Container volumes through Puget Soundâs largest container ports remained flat in 2014, according to numbers released jointly for the first time by the ports of Seattle and Tacoma. âReporting our combined cargo volumes demonstrates our commitment to the Seaport Alliance,â said Port of Seattle Commission co-President Stephanie Bowman. The two ports announced in October 2014 plans to form a Seaport Alliance to unify management of marine cargo terminals and related functions.
N-KOM Sees Increased Tanker Business
![Photo: N-KOM](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-nkom-38840.jpg.tif)
Nakilat-Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM), which recently celebrated its fourth year in operation, has seen an increasing number of tankers dry docking at its facility in Qatar. With the introduction of de-mucking and de-slopping facilities, tie-up with local customs for âship spares in transitâ and an expanded range of on-site service providers, the shipyard has attracted several major clients over the past year, such as Maran Tankers, Odfjell, V Ships, Euronav and Dynacom Tankers.
Bayonne Drydock Logs Successful '14
![Mike Cranston, President of BDD](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/mike-cranston-president-of-bdd-38838.jpg)
Bayonne Drydock kicked off last year with the repair and drydocking of the U.S. Navy Ship, Pomeroy followed by the successful drydocking and repairs of the USNS Watkins. It closed the year with the completion of the USNS Seay; all were completed on time, with the Seay coming in ahead of schedule with work that included bowthruster overhaul repairs, blasting and painting and hull coatings. In addition to the Grey hulls, BDD serviced several commercial customers via drydock and pier side repairs.
VMT Provides Lifeboat Simulator for Rowan
![Photo: Rowan](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-rowan-38839.jpg)
Virtual Marine Technology (VMT) provided its SurvivalQuest lifeboat simulator training system to Rowan Companies for lifeboat launch and recovery training to lifeboat operators and marine crews, complementing weekly safety drills conducted onboard Rowan drilling rigs. âDeploying the lifeboat simulator training system at Rowan will provide us with realistic training and competency assessment of lifeboat coxswains and marine crewsâŚ
Marine Casualties & Fast Ferry Follies
Passenger vessel safety isnât just a third world problem. Itâs a worthy challenge to take up in 2015 and at the same time, a completely sobering way to ring in the New Year.
South Carolina Container Volumes Climb in 2014
![Photo: SCPA](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-scpa-38836.jpg)
The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) reported that container business rose 12 percent in 2014, a year highlighted by strong volume growth and substantial forward progress on the harbor deepening project. In December the port handled 141,956 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 14 percent compared to the same month last year. SCPA container volume rose to nearly 1.8 million TEUs in 2014. As measured in pier containersâŚ
Editorial: BWTS. Like it or Not, Here it Comes
![Gregory R. Trauthwein Associate Publisher & Editor](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/gregory-r-trauthwein-associate-publisher-38835.jpg)
With age comes perspective, and in my 20 plus years reporting on this industry I have seen my fair share of regulation that has served to âraise the hacklesâ of ship owners. It is quite simple really; new regulation often means new procedure, new design, new equipment and new costs. With the possible exception of the new rules in the wake of the Exxon Valdez which mandated double hulls on tankers, the Ballast Water Management System issue is the most acrimonious debate I have witnessed.
Bollinger Announces Promotions
![From left to right: Tim Martinez, Scott Theriot and Corey Phelps (Photos: Bollinger Shipyards)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/from-left-to-right-tim-38834.jpg)
Bollinger Shipyards announces the promotions of three key leaders, as Tim Martinez, Scott Theriot and Corey Phelps enter new roles. Making the announcement, Bollingerâs President and CEO Ben Bordelon, said, âWe will be strengthening our position in the market by developing our team from within and capitalizing on the talents of our proven leadership group. Tim Martinez has accepted the position of Executive Vice President of the Repair Division.
Greece Delegates New Authority to RS
A new agreement governing the delegation of authority for statutory surveys of ships flying the Greek flag and shipping companies was signed between the Ministry of ShippingâŚ
Port of Long Beach Sees Third-Busiest Year Ever
![Photo courtesy of the Port of Long Beach](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-courtesy-of-the-port-38829.jpg)
Cargo container trade at the Port of Long Beach climbed 1.3 percent in 2014, indicating continued economic growth for the U.S. and bringing the port its third-busiest year ever behind the peak years of 2006 and 2007, the port announced. Last yearâs overall volume rose to 6,820,806 TEUs or twenty-foot equivalent units. Imports increased 1.8 percent to 3,517,514 TEUs, exports declined 5.9 percent to 1,604,394 TEUs, while empties rose 8.2 percent to 1,698,898 TEUs.
Scale Model of Queen Mary to Anchor Onboard Gallery
![Photo: The Queen Mary](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-the-queen-mary-38828.jpg)
A scale model of the famed ocean liner Queen Mary, carved about 80 years ago from a 200-year-old white mahogany log and exact in every detail, will be the centerpiece of a new gallery on the ship that was the epitome of luxury travel in its heyday. The 1/45th scale model, 21 feet long and weighing nearly 1,000 pounds (454 kg) includes a figure of Sir Winston Churchill on the afterdeck. It will be moved on Wednesday from New York's South Street Seaport MuseumâŚ
Satellites to Track Illegal 'Pirate Fishing'
![File photo](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/file-photo-38827.jpg)
Run by the British technology firm Satellite Applications Catapult and backed by the Pew Charitable Trusts, project 'Eyes on the Seas' will open a "Virtual Watch Room". Computers will be able to watch satellite feeds of the waters around Easter Island, a Chilean territory in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, and the western Pacific island nation of Palau, which lacks the resources to monitor all the illegal fishing taking place near its waters.
Tankers Booked to Store Oil at Sea
Oil traders have booked up to 20 tankers to store an estimated 40 million barrels of crude at sea, rising from 25 million barrels last week, as they soak up a stocksâŚ
Salvors Readying to Move Hoegh Osaka
![The map shows the route the vessel will take and the timings for the journey (Image: MCA)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/the-map-shows-the-route-38826.jpg)
The vessel Hoegh Osaka is stable on Aplha Anchorage as salvage operations are ongoing, the U.K Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) reported. The list vesselâs had been reduced to 25 degrees as of 10:30 a.m. this morning, and all water has been removed from the car decks. MCA anticipates that ballast operations will further reduce the list to 15-20 degrees today, at which point Marine Accident InvestigationâŚ
Obamaâs Address Missed Energy Opportunities -NOIA
![President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., January 20 (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/president-barack-obama-delivers-the-38825.jpg)
NOIA President Randall Luthi issued a statement in response to President Obamaâs 2015 State of the Union Address, stating that the President missed a few key points regarding domestic onshore and offshore energy production and supply, and its impact on the U.S. economy. "While the President highlighted America's energy renaissance in his address to Congress tonight, he failed to note that the increase in the supply of American-made energy is occurring on state and private landsâŚ
VT Halter Lays Keel for Crowley LNG ConRo Ship
![Photo courtesy of VT Halter Marine](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-courtesy-of-vt-halter-38823.jpg)
The keel for the first of two liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered, combination container â Roll-On/Roll-Off (ConRo) ships for Crowley Maritime Corp.âs liner services group was laid during a ceremony at ship-builder VT Halter Marine, Inc.âs facility in Pascagoula, Miss. The keel laying ceremony marked the next step in the construction of Crowleyâs first Commitment Class ship, which will exclusively serve the U.S.-Puerto Rico trade laneâŚ
Lightweight Composite Approved for Ship
![Photo courtesy of SP](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-courtesy-of-sp-38817.jpg)
For the first time, combustible, fibre-reinforced, lightweight composite has been approved for use in a SOLAS ship. Panama's flag authority has accepted a design where hatches in fibre-reinforced plastic composite replace steel hatches. Research and fire risk analyses at SP have helped in making this possible. Lightweight composites have a number of advantages compared with steel; among others, ships can be made lighter, which reduces fuel consumption and emissions, and there is no corrosion.
CMA CGM to Inaugurate In-house University
The CMA CGM Group announced the opening of the CMA CGM Academy, its new in-house university, located in its Marseilles (France) headquarters. The first in-houseâŚ
Van Oord Chooses Marlink VSAT Services
![Marlink VSAT for Van Oord fleet. (Photo: Marlink)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/marlink-vsat-for-van-oord-38814.jpg)
Marlink has been selected to provide Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) services for the fleet of the international dredging and offshore contractor Van Oord. The contract is expected to include 30 vessels being supported by Marlinkâs customized VSAT services by the end of 2015. Marlinkâs VSAT services have provided voice and data connectivity services for three Van Oord vessels as from June 2013.
New UK Tax Could Hit Offshore Sector
![Sue Bill (Photo courtesy: Moore Stephens)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/sue-bill-photo-courtesy-moore-38813.jpg)
Companies in the offshore maritime sector could be among those hit by a 25 percent Diverted Profits Tax (DPT) charge under draft UK legislation scheduled to enter force in April 2015, international accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens said. Under the draft legislation published by the UK government in December 2014, the new DPT could potentially apply to many UK companies transacting with overseas connected parties.