Federal Charges for Captain of Deadly Missouri Duck Boat
The captain of the World War Two-style tourist "duck boat" that sank on a Missouri lake during a storm in July killing 17 people was charged on Thursday with misconduct, negligence and inattention to duty by a federal grand jury, prosecutors said.Kenneth Scott McKee, 51, of Verona, Missouri, was charged in a 17-count indictment, one count for each of the passengers who died when the vessel sank on July 19.McKee was captain of the vessel operated by Ripley Entertainment Inc…
NBBB to Build Four Foss Tractor Tugs
Foss Maritime of Seattle has entered into contract with Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) of Freeland, Wash. for the construction of four new 90-ton bollard pull tractor tugs, with an option for six additional tugs to follow. The contract marks the first between Foss Maritime and Nichols Brothers Boat Builders.Foss has selected a design by Jensen Maritime Consultants of Seattle. The 100’ x 40’…
Reach Charters Topaz Tiamat
Norwegian based Reach Subsea said it has entered an agreement with Dubai headquartered Topaz Energy and Marine to charter newbuild light subsea construction vessel Topaz Tiamat for 2.5 years, plus three one-year options.The Norwegian-built vessel will be deployed under a cooperation agreement between Reach and Sweden's MMT. The team has been awarded several frame agreements for survey; inspection, maintenance and repair…
Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle Refit Completed
The sole prime contractor for the entire mid-life refit of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, Naval Group, said it has returned the vessel to the French Navy. The vessel will now start ramping up its systems before returning to its operational cycle.Designed and built by Naval Group and entering service in 2001, the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, further to its modernization, has now entered the technological era of the 21st century.
Norwegian Oil, Gas Plants Restart after Ship Collision
An oil tanker and a Norwegian navy frigate collided off Norway's west coast on Thursday, injuring eight people and triggering the temporary shutdown of a North Sea crude export terminal, Norway's top gas processing plant and several offshore fields.The frigate, which recently took part in a major NATO military exercise, was aground and tilting on one side, live television pictures showed. The Norwegian military was attempting to save the ship."We are working on stabilizing the vessel…
Construction Starts on OSU's Research Ship
Construction of a new Oregon State University (OSU) bound research ship that will advance the science of coastal environments, and support research on topics such as ocean acidification, hypoxia, and sea level rise, officially began today at Gulf Island Shipyards in Louisiana.Officials from OSU the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Gulf Island Shipyards LLC gathered at the shipyard in Houma, La. for the keel-laying ceremony, marking the start of fabrication of the state-of-the art ship.
HATECKE Lifeboat Earns RINA Type Approval
As cruise ships become bigger and their passenger capacity increases, innovation spreads throughout the industry through top level safety. HATECKE, a manufacturer of lifeboats for cruise ship newbuildings, has just received from RINA, the classification, certification, inspection, testing and consulting multinational, the Type Approval Certificate for its PEL14 lifeboat, the biggest and most space saving lifeboat ever built.
Anti-Fouling Film Tested on Fairway Buoys
The biocide-free anti-fouling film, RENOLIT DOLPHIN S is already well established in in shipping industry. As a biocide-free alternative to anti-fouling paints, this product sets new standards. Further practical trials have now shown that this film could be suitable for other fields of application.In April 2018, the German Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA) in Bremerhaven decided to test this film solution from RENOLIT.
Italian Police Make Major Heroin Haul on Ship From Iran
Italian police discovered 270 kg (600 lb) of heroin hidden in a container that arrived aboard a ship from Iran, the biggest such haul for at least 20 years in Italy…
New High Efficiency Propeller Introduced
Philadelphia design firm Sharrow Engineering, LLC announced that the company’s propeller design has been awarded patents in the U.S., Japan, Canada, and European Union with further domestic and international patents pending. Additionally, the final phase of testing on its core propeller product has been completed.Over the past six years, Sharrow Engineering has analyzed extensive testing data collected…
Smit Lamnalco Takes Delivery of Two Tugs
Shipbuilder Damen said it has delivered the third and fourth units in a four-vessel contract to leading towage company Smit Lamnalco. All four vessels are Damen’s ASD Tug 3212 class with a bollard pull of 80 metric tons. The order was placed in November 2017 and, with stock boats available, the first two were delivered in June and these latest arrivals in October.The SL Thunggun and SL Irrong have…
Online Hook Inspection Courses
Henriksen Hooks of Tønsberg, Norway, believes that the maritime world is becoming a little safer thanks to the take-up of its hook inspection training courses. In February, Henriksen introduced an online training course that enables customers to perform their own annual product inspections. Since then, the company has been surprised by the number of individuals who have completed the course, thereby…
Decommissioning Gets into Deep Water in GoM
LOC Group’s Houston office provides perspective on decommissioning developments in the Gulf of Mexico.The Gulf of Mexico basin covers approximately 1.6 million km2 and is one of the most important petroleum production regions in the world. A significant portion of the area is shallow continental shelf waters. These areas were developed first by oil companies, with deeper water development only being undertaken once the ‘easier’ sites had been exploited.
Moody’s: U.S.-China Trade War Means 'Dip' in Global Growth
Credit rating agency Moody’s warned on Thursday that global economic growth was likely to slow in the next two years and that it expected the trade war between the United States and China to escalate further."We expect global growth to slow to under 3.0 percent in 2019 and 2020, from an estimated 3.3 percent in 2017-18," the agency said in a new report.It added that the recently imposed tariffs on…
V.Group Showcases Seafarer App, Manila Training Facilities
V.Group, a leading provider of marine support services, has announced that it will unveil a new app for seafarers as well as an upgraded training center in Manila as progress accelerates on Project Embark, a program designed to transform the way the leading supplier of independent ship management and related marine services handles crewing for its pool of 44,000 seafarers.The app will enhance the seafarers’ experience…
Hapag Lloyd CEO Expects Global Shipping Demand Growth Over Next Two Years
CEO sees box shipping volumes growing 3-4% annually from 2018 to 2019, lower than sector experts estimate due to geopolitical risks.Hapag Lloyd also expects global demand to outstrip supply growth over next two years.CEO also says ship scrapping activity has been picking up in recent weeks after almost no activity earlier this year.
BREAKING: Tanker, Frigate Collision Shuts Down Norwegian Oil, Gas to Europe
Norway has been forced to close the Sture Oil Terminal near Bergen and has started closing down the nearby Kollsness gas-and-condensate terminal — a lifeline of heating gas to Europe — after an early morning collision between a $440-million frigate and an oil tanker.The frigate Helge Ingstad, now listing heavily to its port side, is loaded with torpedoes and weapons systems said to be unstable as a result of the collision.
OSVDPA Announces 2019 Membership Enrollment
Announcement also includes new membership policies and enrollment procedures.The Offshore Service Vessel Dynamic Positioning Authority (OSVDPA) is now accepting Individual and Corporate Membership Applications for the 2019 calendar year.Membership provides individuals and companies involved in the dynamic positioning industry the ability to advise the OSVDPA on the content and requirements of the OSVDPA DPO Certification Scheme.
German Shipyard Suspends Production after Saudi Export Ban
German shipbuilder Luerssen has suspended production of coastguard vessels it was building for Saudi Arabia and placed large numbers of staff on short hours, blaming uncertainty over whether Berlin would grant future weapons export licences.After dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Berlin would authorise no further weapons…
Steelhead Asia Appoints Marina Surzhenko as New Director LNG
Steelhead Asia, a unit of the Canadian LNG export project developer Steelhead LNG, said that Marina Surzhenko has taken the role of Director LNG.Based in Singapore…
