UKHO Launches New H-Note App
The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has unveiled a new digital application that enables mariners to submit hydrographic data directly to the UKHO using their mobile device. The ADMIRALTY H-Note App is a free digital version of the UKHO’s Hydrographic Note and will allow important navigational information to be recorded and shared with the UKHO faster and more easily than ever before. The Hydrographic Note, often referred to as H-Note, is a vital source of new hydrographic data.
Divers Continue Hunt for AirAsia Black Boxes
Indonesian search and rescue teams plan to start lifting the crashed AirAsia jet's tail off the sea bed on Friday, officials said, raising hopes that "black box"…
US State Dept. Condemns Oil Tanker Bombing
The U.S. State Department has issued a statement in which it “strongly condemns” the bombing of a Greek-operated oil tanker near Derna, Libya on January 4 that killed two crewmen.
Navios Acquisition Announces Fleet Update
Tanker vessel owner and operator Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation announced the delivery and employment of one VLCC and one MR2 product tanker and the employment of one VLCC and two product tankers. The Nave Synergy, a 2010 Japanese-built VLCC of 299,973 dwt, was delivered to Navios Acquisition's owned fleet in December 2014. The vessel has been chartered out to a high quality counterparty for one year at a rate of $34,125 net per day.
Landmark STS LNG Transfer Achieved
Excelerate Energy Performs 700th Ship-to-Ship Transfer of LNG. Excelerate Energy L.P. (Excelerate) completed its 700th commercial Ship-to-Ship (STS) transfer of LNG on January 7, 2015 in Escobar, Argentina at the GNL Escobar LNG import facility. Using Excelerate Energy's regasification vessel, EXEMPLAR and the conventional LNG carrier CADIZ KNUTSEN, 73,778 cubic meters of LNG were transferred using the double-banked LNG transfer system.
OP/ED: Knowing the Rules of the Road
I am increasingly concerned about the interaction between commercial vessels and recreational craft on the Chicago River. Even more frequently my operation is encountering people in short-term rental craft such as stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, canoes and small electric boats who know little or nothing about the USCG Navigation Rules and who are not aware of the risks of operating on a narrow channel close to large commercial vessels.
Shipbuilding: Sixth Cape Class Patrol Boat Launched
Austal has launched the sixth in-series Cape Class Patrol Boat (CCPB) at the company’s Australian Defense Facility in Henderson, Western Australia. The launch of Cape Leveque marks the third year in a row a CCPB has been launched in the first week of January; preceded by Cape St George (CCPB01) in 2013 and Cape Byron (CCPB02) in 2014. Cape Leveque is the sixth of eight 58-meter patrol boats that are…
A Commercial Marine Lender and Lessor’s Lexicon
We are often “not aware of what we do not know.” Nowhere is that adage more appropriate than in the world of marine finance, especially for the smaller workboat operator. Lost amidst the sometimes confusing language and ‘mumbo-jumbo’ that lenders and lessors use in describing their sometimes arcane products, it is a fact that, often, ‘the devil is in the details.’ Therefore, it never hurts to review what we think we might already know.
PCST Loads First Vessel from Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral Scrap Terminal LLC (PCST) has loaded about 20,000 tons of scrap metal aboard the Grikos to export to Turkey, where it will be used to create finished steel products. The terminal operator, currently employing 17 people with $1.8 million invested into the north cargo terminal, expects to export about 130,000 tons of scrap metal annually. Local stevedore Ambassador Services Inc. (ASI) handles loading operations for PCST.
SCPA Handles Its Heaviest Energy Project Ever
A 1.5-million-pound steam generator was recently offloaded at the Port of Charleston’s Columbus Street Terminal, making for what the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) called one of its heaviest energy project moves to date. The Westinghouse Electric Company steam generator was unloaded on December 20 for the South Carolina Electric & Gas Company nuclear power plant expansion near Columbia, S.C.
U.S. Forecaster Sees Potential for Weak El Nino Conditions
The U.S. weather forecaster on Thursday projected a 50 percent to 60 percent chance of El Nino conditions during over the next two months, compared with the 65-percent chance it predicted for the Northern Hemisphere winter in December. The Climate Prediction Center, part of the National Weather Service, said in a monthly report that the agency remained on El Nino watch, but said it expects a "weak event," should El Nino emerge.
ClassNK Updates Container Stowage Guidelines
ClassNK has released the second edition of its Guidelines for Container Stowage and Securing Arrangements. The update comes in response to recent industry changes as the amount and size of container carriers increases more than ever before, the classification society said. According to ClassNK, the average size newly delivered containership last year was over 7,000TEU and various new securing technologies…
US, Canadian Coast Guard Icebreaking Underway
The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards have begun collaborative icebreaking operations. The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards have commenced Operation Coal Shovel seasonal domestic ice breaking operations in the southern part of Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair and Detroit River systems, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, starting Thursday. The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers work together to prevent ice jams in these vital economic waterways as conditions worsen throughout the winter.
Polarcus Q4 Vessel Utilization Drops
Norwegian seismic explorer Polarcus' said its vessel utilisation dropped in the fourth quarter and it expected a challenging market through 2015. The firm had a…
Asia Bulk-Capesize Rates at 6-year Low
Charter rates at 6-year lows as cargoes scarce; some owners anchoring ships rather than leasing at a loss. Rates for capesize bulk carriers have plunged to fresh…
Seychelles Anti-Piracy Exercise
On Thursday 8 January, a counter-piracy exercise was carried out jointly by the Seychelles Coast Guard, Air Force and Police together with the EU Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta-, and the EU’s civilian maritime security capacity building Mission, EUCAP Nestor. The purpose of the exercise was twofold; firstly, to practice cooperation between the Coast Guard, Air Force, the Police and EUNAVFOR Atalanta a joint counter-piracy operation…
U.S. Navy Officer Guilty of Bribery
Second U.S. Navy Officer Indicted on Related Bribery Charges. A commander in the U.S. Navy pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges today, admitting that he provided…
Thome Group Appoints New CEO
The Thome Group has announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer, Olav Magnus Nortun, who will take up the position on 1st April, 2015. Mr Nortun, a Norwegian national, brings with him vast experience in the maritime industry, especially in the areas of strategic development and governance of production, knowledge management and systems related to ship classification. He has worked with DNV GL for many years in different locations around the world…
New Container Guidelines from ClassNK
ClassNK releases updates to its Guidelines for Container Stowage and Securing Arrangements. Classification society ClassNK (Chairman and President: Noboru Ueda) has released the second edition of its Guidelines for Container Stowage and Securing Arrangements. The update comes in response to recent industry changes as the amount and size of container carriers increases more than ever before. Last year…
BlackBerry Woos Shipping with Cloud Management
Shippers can keep tabs on freight thanks to new technology based upon Blackberry's cloud management platform. BlackBerry is rolling out a version of its QNX software…
