Indonesian President Visits IMO
Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo on Tuesday addressed the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in London at the invitation of IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim. The visit was part of Lim’s initiative to raise awareness of the Organization within the broader audience of global leadership. Delegates from 107 Member States and 53 NGOs heard Widodo outline Indonesia’s strategy for national maritime development and confirm his support for IMO…
Shipbuilding: John F. Kennedy 17% Complete
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division has placed a 965-ton structure called a superlift into dry dock, continuing the construction of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79). The superlift was made with more than twice the amount of outfitting accomplished as compared to the same superlift on Kennedy’s predecessor, Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The superlift, comprising two pump rooms, is 80 feet long and about 100 feet wide.
Baltic Index Rises to Five-month High
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, on Tuesday rose to its highest in over five months on improved rates across vessel segments.
New CEO at GulfNav Leads Expansion Plans
Dubai-based shipping company Gulf Navigation Holding PJSC (GulfNav) has announced in a press conference at Rose Rayhaan by Rotana April 19 its expansion plans to increase its assets under management and service-based revenue. The shipping company also revealed the appointment of Khamis Juma Buamim as the new Board Member, Managing Director and Group CEO by the Board of Directors during the event. Chairman Abdulla Saeed Abdulla Brook Al Hemeiri…
This Day In Naval History: April 19
1917 - The U.S. Naval Armed Guard crew on board SS Mongolia engages and damages a German U-boat, the first engagement against the enemy after declaration of war on April 6. 1920 - The first German submarine brought to the United States after World War I arrives at New York. During World War I, U 111 sank three Allied merchant vessels that included the British steamer Boscastle on April 7, 1918. The submarine surrendered later that year.
Mexican Tall Ship to visit New London
The ARM Cuauhtémoc, tall ship of the Mexican Navy, will visit New London May 2-6. The ship will be open for tours, and its crew is expected to visit the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Mayor Michael Passero announced. A 270-foot barque built in 1982, the Cuauhtémoc serves as a training ship for the Mexican Navy. The vessel, commanded by Capt. Pedro Mata Cervantes, is scheduled to arrive May 2 at 10 a.m. following a sail training trip that began March 12 in Acapulco Guerrero, Mexico, its homeport.
Korean Register to Deliver Statutory Services in India
Classification society Korean Register (KR) has signed an agreement with the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) to deliver services on behalf of the Indian flag administration…
Haifa Port Seeks to Attract Cruise Lines
Haifa Port in Israel is implementing a long-term plan amiing to entice cruise lines back to the "Gateway to the Holy Land" in consultation with Miami-based Access Cruise Inc.…
Man Missing after Tug Capsizes in Houston
The U.S. Coast Guard and Harris County Sheriff Department responders are searching for a missing man after he and four others were sent into the water when their…
Expanded Panama Canal Begins to Take Transit Reservations
The Panama Canal began accepting transit reservations for Neopanamax vessels for commercial transits through the Expanded Canal starting on June 27, 2016. In light of the upcoming Expansion inauguration date, the Panama Canal will offer four additional slots per day for Neopanamax vessels, in addition to the existing 25 slots of the current Canal. The first reservation was granted to a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker LINDEN PRIDE of Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line)…
FMC Chairman Seeks Direct Engagement on Container Weight Issue
Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chairman Mario Cordero issued a statement regarding the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Verified Gross Mass (VGM) amendments implementation, calling for negotiation between shippers and carriers. "I applaud Chairman Hunter and Ranking Member Garamendi for including SOLAS VGM amendments implementation as a topic of yesterday’s hearing held by the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation.
Long Joins SEACOR Holdings as Executive VP
SEACOR Holdings Inc. has appointed William “Bill” C. Long as the company's Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, effective immediately.
Northwest Seaport Alliance’s Auto, Container Volumes Rising
The Northwest Seaport Alliance of Seattle and Tacoma reported that auto imports and container volumes posted gains through the first quarter of 2016. Building off last year’s record-breaking volumes, March marked the highest volume of auto imports in more than a decade. The 21,085 units beat the previous record from December 2002. Meanwhile, international containers improved 4 percent through the first three months of the year, largely on the strength of January and February volumes.
Costa Cruises Renews Its Communications Network
Telecommunications firm Italtel has been selected to renew the communications network of British/American owned Italian cruise shipping company Costa Cruises. Under the contract, Italtel will implement a updated integrated communication system, based on IP protocol and capable of delivering new services. Costa Cruises was previously equipped with a voice-based infrastructure on a different set of local exchanges directly connected to the traditional telephone network.
Maersk to Increase Asia-Europe Freight Rates
The world's largest container shipping company Maersk Line, owned by A.P. Moller-Maersk, plans to increase freight rates for transporting containers from Asia to Northern Europe by $550 per 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) from May 1, it said on Tuesday. The industry has been grappling with overcapacity and freight rates for shipping containers on the key route have plummeted 78 percent this year to a level widely widely seen as loss-making.
Submarine Bidders Step up Lobbying for Australia Tender
Japan's advanced attack Soryu submarine carried out drills with Australia's navy on Tuesday as a German company launched a campaign to advertise its expertise -…
Quote of the Day: Subchapter M
As the American Waterways Operators (AWO) convenes itsSpring Convention & Annual Membership Meeting today through Thursday in Washington, D.C., at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, today's "Quote of the Day" comes from AWO's Jennifer Carpenter, excerpted from her interview set to appear in the May 2016 edition of MarineNews. "It is absolutely time to get Subchapter M published. Jennifer A.
Chinese Lighthouse Operational in South China Sea
Another Chinese lighthouse has become operational on Zhubi Reef, a reef in the disputed Spratly Islands of the South China Sea. China’s Ministry of Transport held ceremony on April 5, 2016 signaling the lighthouse’s completion and start of operation. Construction of the 55-meter-high lighthouse, which has a lantern of 4.5 meters in diameter on top and rotating lights inside, began in October, 2015.
Iran's Crude Oil Exports Show Rise in April
Iran has boosted its crude oil exports so far in April to around 1.75 million barrels per day, according to an industry source and shipping data, as OPEC's No. 3…
Qatar Gas Transport Q1 Net Profit Rises 7.9%
Qatar Gas Transport Co (Nakilat), one of the world's largest shippers of liquefied natural gas, posted a 7.9 percent rise in first-quarter net profit on Tuesday. The company made a net profit of 240 million riyals ($65.91 million) in the three months ending March 31, it said in a statement. This was up from a profit of 222.4 million riyals in the same period a year earlier. One analyst polled by Reuters had forecast Nakilat's first quarter net profit would be 234.2 million riyals.
