Was Blackbeard an Avid Reader?
![(Image courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/image-courtesy-of-the-north-81383.jpg)
What did Blackbeard and his pirate crew read on board Queen Anne’s Revenge? Artifacts unexpectedly discovered in the wreckage of Blackbeard’s sunken flagship are helping researchers to determine if the infamous pirate captain and his 18th-century crew were literate and what sort of books they kept on board. While performing conservation work on artifacts recovered from the centuries old shipwreck,…
Jumbo Orders LNG-powered Heavy Lift Ship
![(Image: Ulstein Design & Solutions B.V.)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/image-ulstein-design-solutions-bv-81373.png)
Dutch transportation and installation contractor Jumbo said it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with shipbuilder China Merchants Industry Holdings (CMIH) for the construction of a new heavy lift crane vessel (HLCV) scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2020. The DP2 vessel will feature dual fuel engines capable of operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG), and will be built to serve the offshore wind and the offshore oil and gas industries.
Port Hedland to Reopen as Cyclone Fades
Australia's Port Hedland iron ore terminal will likely reopen on Saturday after Australia's weather bureau cut the forecast strength of a cyclone bearing down on the continent's far northwest…
Burning Tanker Drifts into Japan's Economic Zone
![(Photo: NIOC)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-nioc-81371.jpg)
A stricken Iranian oil tanker continued exploding on Friday, hampering rescue efforts, Chinese state media reported, as Japan's Coast Guard said the ship drifted away from the Chinese coast and into Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The ship, which has been ablaze for almost a week since it collided with another vessel on Saturday night in the East China Sea, was about 286 km (178 miles) northwest of Sokkozaki on the island of Amami Oshima as of 0700 GMT on Friday…
Stricken Iranian Oil Tanker Keeps Exploding
![(Photo: China's Ministry of Transport)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-chinas-ministry-of-transport-81368.jpg)
The stricken Iranian oil tanker Sanchi keeps exploding, hampering efforts to extinguish the fire and rescue survivors, state media Xinhua said on Friday, citing the Ministry of Transport, as the blaze raged and worries grew the ship may break up and sink. The week-long rescue effort following the tanker's collision with a freight ship on Saturday night has been roiled by poor weather, including 3-metre (10 feet) high waves and strong winds, and toxic fumes from the burning oil.
World Seaborne Coal Trade Up in 2017
World coal seaborne trade increased by 1.5 percent last year due to a recovery in output in producer countries such as the United States, Russia and China and an accompanying rise in export activity…
Nexans Acquires BE CableCon
French company Nexans has acquired a controlling interest in Denmark-based BE CableCon, which supplies cable kits to wind turbine companies. The acquisition is part…
MedPort Tangier Cranes to Reach APM Soon
The first group of three, of a total of 12 advanced remotecontrolled ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, has departed China for delivery on February 15 to the new APM Terminals MedPort Tangier…
Port Saint John Cargo Volume up 15%
Year-over-year total cargo tonnage at Port Saint John, Eastern Canada’s largest port by volume, increased by over 4 million metric tonnes in 2017. Overall cargo…
Wilhelmsen Relocates to Singapore
Wilhelmsen Ship Management (WSM) will be relocating its global headquarters from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Singapore within the first quarter of 2018. The relocation…
Japanese FM Visits Colombo Port
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has visited the port of Colombo in Sri Lanka. Kono was briefed by Sri Lankan government officials about a project under consideration to expand the port.
Contargo Rolls out New Service from Rotterdam and Basel
Contargo AG has launched a new rail shuttle service to the German town of Weil am Rhein on the Swiss border. This creates a direct connection between the port of…
Port of Incheon Volume Crosses 3 mln TEU
The Container Handing Volume by the Republic of Korea's Port of Incheon surpassed 3 million TEU that it has processed over 1 year. Incheon Port’s 3 million TEU…
AAPA Pushes for $66 bln for Port Upgrades
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has identified $66 billion in potential federal waterside and landside investments over the next decade that…
US Senators from 12 States Seek Offshore Drilling Exemptions like Florida's
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Twenty-two Democratic U.S. senators from 12 states on Thursday joined the chorus of local representatives seeking exemptions from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's newly proposed offshore drilling plan, after his surprise move on Tuesday to shield Florida. Zinke surprised lawmakers, governors, and industry groups on Tuesday night by announcing that Florida would be removed from the Interior Department's proposal to open up over 90 percent of federal waters to oil and gas leasing.
Drone Wars: French Navy Examines Cutting-edge Tech
![(Image: Naval Group)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/image-naval-group-81351.jpg)
Defense technology company Naval Group and helicopter manufacturer Airbus Helicopters will together lead an effort to develop warship based aerial drones for the French Navy. The French companies were recently contracted by the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) to perform a “de-risking” study ahead of future construction of tactical helicopter drones. The demonstration project will eventually lead to trials of the drone launch system…
Baltic Exchange to Develop LNG Freight Index
![(File photo: Teekay Corporation)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/file-photo-teekay-corporation-81349.jpg)
The Baltic Exchange is looking into launching a freight index for liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is working with leading ship brokers to explore potential shipping routes that might be used as the LNG market grows, the company said on Thursday. Founded in 1744 as a forum for chartering vessels, the Baltic Exchange now produces benchmark indexes for global shipping rates, including ones used by the multi-billion dollar freight derivatives market.
Malaysia to Pay up to $70 Mln if MH370 is Found
![(Photo: Ocean Infinity)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-ocean-infinity-81347.jpg)
Malaysia signed a deal on Wednesday to pay a U.S. seabed exploration firm up to $70 million if it finds the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft MH370 within 90 days of embarking on a new search in the Southern Indian ocean. The disappearance of the aircraft en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014 with 239 people aboard ranks among the world’s greatest aviation mysteries. Australia, China and Malaysia ended a fruitless A$200-million ($157 million) search of a 120,000 sq.
ABS Rolls Out New Fleet Management Software
![(Photo: ABS)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-abs-81346.jpg)
ABS announced the release of its Nautical Systems (NS) Enterprise fleet management software, including NS Insight, a new business intelligence module. The NS solution provides complete capabilities to plan, execute and document all compliance work processes. The release includes a new cloud-based NS Voyage Manager, the latest mobile applications, an expanded NS Autologger, and enhancements to NS Health, Safety, Quality and Environmental (HSQE) Manager.
Wärtsilä Developing Hybrid Tug for Brazil
![(Image: Wärtsilä)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/image-wrtsil-81345.jpg)
Wärtsilä said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a new environmentally friendly tug design for a new port facility being built in the Brazilian city of São Mateus. The MoU, signed with Petrocity, parent company of a new port facility, will see Wärtsilä develop a harbor tug design based on its recently launched Wärtsilä HYTug, which features hybrid propulsion and energy storage using batteries.