Marine News' Top Boats of 2020
This year, despite innumerable challenges and setbacks, a great number of new U.S.-flagged vessels made their way into service. In addition to Maid of the Mist's new electric tour boats James V. Glynn and Nikola Tesla featured Wednesday, the newbuilds highlighted below are some of the most noteworthy to come out of U.S. shipyards in 2020.DredgerU.S. dredging contractors have been adding tonnage in a big way. This Spring, Callan Marine added a significant piece to the U.S.
Vessel Disinfection Service Launched in Rotterdam
Rotterdam-based company DisinfectYour.com has launched a new service to help vessel owners and crew respond to COVID-19 outbreaks. The service includes complete disinfection of closed areas on a vessel, as well as care for the crew - including sanitized transfers between the vessel and COVID-safe accommodation in Rotterdam – during the treatment.Nico Vroom, CEO, DisinfectYour.com, said, “Despite strong regulations and safety procedures…
Interlake Acquires Two Great Lakes Vessels
Interlake Holding Company announced today the purchase of the assets of Pere Marquette Shipping Company and Lake Michigan Car Ferry Company in an acquisition that includes two working Great Lakes vessels, the articulated tug-barge Undaunted-Pere Marquette 41 and the historic passenger-and-car ferry S.S. Badger.The acquisition signals the creation of a new business entity, Interlake Maritime Services…
Saltchuk Acquires Centerline Logistics’ West Coast Harbor Towage Ops
Saltchuk Marine announced it has acquired Centerline Logistics’ harbor ship assist operations in California and the Pacific Northwest.Eight ship assist tugs currently operated under the Millennium and Starlight brands will join the Saltchuk Marine fleet in early 2021. Operations will be consolidated under the Starlight brand, which will remain independently-operated – managing, dispatching, and crewing…
Alfa Laval's PureBallast 2.0 BWMS Gains US Type Approval
The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Center issued a ballast water management system (BWMS) type approval certificate to Alfa Laval Tumba AB after a detailed review of the manufacturer’s type approval application determined the system met the requirements of 46 CFR 162.060.Most owners of Alfa Laval’s second-generation ballast water treatment systems can now opt to continue operating in U.S. waters, even…
Fire-stricken Containership Under Tow to Spain
A containership disabled by an engine room fire off the coast of Portugal is being towed to the Port of Algeciras in Spain for repairs.The Danish-flagged Maersk Elba was initially towed to anchorage off Sagres after the fire left the box ship without power and adrift on Saturday while en route from Sri Lanka to Felixstowe, U.K. via the Suez Canal.The crew was able to fight back the blaze and extinguish the fire without any reported injuries or pollution.
France Gives Fincantieri Extension on Chantiers Deal
France has offered Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri's a one-month extension to its planned acquisition of French rival Chantiers de l'Atlantique, the finance ministry said in a statement sent to Reuters on Wednesday.State-controlled Fincantieri has accepted the proposal, a spokesman said.The agreement between France and Fincantieri was due to expire on Thursday, after repeated deadline extensions following…
Eagle Bulk Buys Two Ultramaxes
Eagle Bulk Shipping has acquired two Ultramax bulk carriers, the U.S.-based dry bulk owner-operator announced Tuesday.The first vessel, which was built in 2015 and will be renamed the Helsinki Eagle…
Marine News' Top Boats of 2020: James V. Glynn and Nikola Tesla
Christopher Glynn had known for some time that he wanted to build all-electric vessels for his Niagara Falls tour boat company Maid of the Mist. In January 2018 he decided in earnest that he was going to make it happen.But where to begin? Fully electric ferries had never been built in North America, so Maid of the Mist would be plying uncharted waters. Glynn, the company’s president, said he and his…
Video: Interlake Steamship's New Laker Floated Out
The first new U.S.-flagged Great Lakes bulk carrier to be built in more than 35 years was launched at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. on December 17.Scheduled for completion in mid-2022, the Interlake Steamship Company's new River-Class, self-unloading bulk carrier Mark W. Barker is believed to be the first ship for U.S. Great Lakes service built on the Great Lakes since 1983.Measuring 639 feet long…
S. Korea's Daewoo Nets $2.6 Bln Iraqi Port Deal
Iraq agreed a $2.625 billion deal with South Korea’s Daewoo Engineering & Construction on Wednesday to build the first phase at its planned Faw commodities port in the south of the country.Under the contract, signed in Baghdad by representatives of Iraq’s transportation ministry and the South Korean company, Daewoo E&C will handle construction work including building five berths to unload ships and a yard for containers.Daweoo will also carry out dredging and drilling works to create an access n
71-year-old Tug Sinks off Puerto Rico
Three people were rescued from a 71-year-old tugboat that sank south of Puerto Rico on Thursday.The U.S. Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector San Juan fielded a mayday call from the crew of the 112-foot U.S.-flagged tug Proassist III, stating they were taking on water approximately two miles south of Yabucoa Harbor.A good Samaritan embarked the three people from the 1949-built tug and took them ashore with no reported injuries.On Friday…
Construction of RoRo Ferry Powers Relaunch of Germany's FSG Shipyard
In a traditional keel-laying ceremony at Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG), the first hull segment of the newbuilding number 782, weighing more than 50 tons, was lowered by crane onto the blocks. In accordance with maritime custom, a 1-euro coin was placed under the keel for good fortune. The keel laying of the RoRo ferry to be built was performed by Philipp Maracke, CEO of FSG, Klaus Müller…
Cosmic Rays, the 'Unseen Menace' for Maritime
Most people these days are aware of risks inherent in our increasingly electronic maritime industry. There is malware, ransomware, and spear phishing to name a few. But a new one has been recently identified – cosmic rays.Cosmic rays are high-energy protons and atomic nuclei which move through space at nearly the speed of light. They originate from the sun, from stars outside of the solar system, and from distant galaxies. They are capable of penetrating and passing through almost any material.
Bollinger to Build Four More Fast Response Cutters for U.S. Coast Guard
Bollinger Shipyards will build four more Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters (FRC) for the United States Coast Guard after U.S. President Trump last Sunday signed into law the omnibus spending bill for Fiscal Year 2021, which included funding for four more such vessels.This increases the total number of funded boats to 64, Bollinger said.“It’s a great honor to have the confidence of the U.S. Congress to continue the work we’re doing in support of the U.S.
CNOOC Leads First LNG Group Purchasing on Shanghai gas exchange
Chinese state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) has led the first group purchasing order for liquefied natural gas (LNG) on the Shanghai Petroleum and Natural Gas Exchange, the bourse said in a statement on Wednesday.The 120,000-tonne LNG cargo will arrive in April 2021 via CNOOC's terminals and other approved hubs in Shenzhen and Guangdong, the exchange said. Buyers will have until the…
Petrobras Moves European Commercial Activities from London to Rotterdam
Brazilian oil giant Petrobras will concentrate its European commercial activities in Rotterdam. This will result in the transfer of Petrobras Europe Ltd.’s commercial activities from London, England to Petrobras Global Trading B.V. in Rotterdam. The change will start in the next quarter and must be completed by the second half of 2021.The focus on Rotterdam is in line with the Petrobras policy of rationalizing its international presence in 2021…
All Jackets Installed at Moray East Offshore Wind Farm
Belgian offshore installation contractor DEME Offshore has completed the installation of offshore wind turbine jackets for the 950 MW Moray East offshore wind farm in Scotland.The offshore wind farm is being developed by Moray Offshore Windfarm East Ltd (MOWEL), which is a joint venture company owned by Ocean Winds ( 56.6%) Diamond Green Limited (33.4%) and CTG (10%).DEME Offshore was awarded the full…
Deadline Looms Over Fincantieri-Chantiers Deal
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri's planned acquisition of state-controlled French rival Chantiers de l'Atlantique to create a European "Airbus of the Seas" is facing collapse barring last-minute political intervention from Paris or Rome.With the offer due to expire in two days after repeated deadline extensions over competition concerns, the deal is still awaiting European antitrust approval in a market…
Liberty National Golf Club Gets its own Brix-built Water Taxi
Port Angeles, WA-based Brix Marine delivered a new 4615-CTC luxury water taxi, Liberty National I, to Liberty National Golf Club after launch and sea trials in Port Angeles Harbor. Liberty National Golf Club selected the Brix Marine design last year and will use the planing catamaran to transport passengers between North Cove Marina in New York and the private club’s dock in New Jersey.Liberty National I carries a USCG COI for 30 passengers + 2 crew…
