USS Theodore Roosevelt Returns to Sea Following COVID-19 Outbreak
U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) is underway for the first time since being sidelined by an onboard coronavirus outbreak that infected hundreds of sailors and led to the firing of the ship's commander.Theodore Roosevelt was in the Asia-Pacific region when a number of its sailors began falling ill with COVID-19, forcing the aircraft carrier to eventually dock in Guam on March 27.
Esvagt CEO: No Job Cuts and Furloughs
At these difficult times when companies involved in the offshore industry are cutting jobs across the board as one of the ways to preserve cash, there's one offshore vessel operator that, while indeed cutting salaries, is keeping the jobs in place.Esvagt, the Danish provider of emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRV) and service operation vessels (SOV) to the offshore energy industry, mostly in the North Sea…
South Korea's DSME Wins $330M FSRU Order
South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine and Engineering (DSME) has received an order for a large liquefied natural gas (LNG) floating storage regasification…
Nauti-Craft, ST Engineering Working on Offshore Wind CTV
Australia's Nauti-Craft and Singapore's ST Engineering Marine Ltd, the marine arm of Singapore headquarters ST Engineering, have signed a letter of intent to explore options of collaborating on crew transfer vessels (CTV) for the offshore wind industry.The project would look at ways to incorporate the Nauti-Craft patented marine suspension system which separates the vessel's hull from the deck and…
AWO Elects Crowley's Mead as Chairman
Arthur F. Mead, Vice President and Chief Counsel at Crowley Maritime Corporation, has been elected Chairman of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), succeeding outgoing Chairman Scott Merritt, former Chief Operating Officer with Foss Maritime Company, LLC.Members of the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association elected a new slate of leaders this week during the association's Spring Board of Directors / Annual Membership Meeting…
Australian Navy Commissions Destroyer HMAS Sydney
The Royal Australian Navy welcomed its newest Air Warfare Destroyer, HMAS Sydney, into the fleet in the first commissioning of an Australian warship at sea since World War II.Commissioned during a ceremony off the coast of New South Wales on Monday, Sydney is the last of three Hobart Class vessels built for Navy at Osborne in South Australia and is based on the Navantia F100 frigate design.The 147-meter-long guided missile destroyer is equipped with advanced combat systems…
US Gives $88 Mln Relief to Gulf Fishing Communities
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the allocation of $88 million in fishery disaster funding to Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, where a catastrophic regional fishery disaster occurred due to extreme freshwater flooding in 2019 associated with the unprecedented opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway.“The Department of Commerce stands with our U.S. fishing communities, especially in times of hardship,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.
Forecasters Expect Busy 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season
U.S. forecasters expect an above-normal 13-19 named storms during the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season from June 1 through November 30, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center said on Thursday.NOAA forecasters estimate three to six major hurricanes packing winds of at least 111 miles per hour may form. The last two years have seen an above-average number of named storms with 18 last year and 15 in 2018.
Detyens Wins $24 Mln Ship Repair Contract
Charleston, S.C. repair yard Detyens Shipyards has been awarded a $24,235,291 firm-fixed-price contract for a 120-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul dry-docking of the U.S. Navy oiler USNS Patuxent (T-AO 201). Work is expected to be complete by October 2020.The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $27,416,444. The Military Sealift…
Video: NYK Trials Remote Tug Operations
Several companies within Japan's NYK Group have partnered to test the remote navigation of a tugboat in Tokyo Bay.The tugboat, operated by NYK's Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha Corporation, was equipped with a manned remotely controlled system and put to the test by NYK and its group companies MTI Co. Ltd., Keihin Dock Co. Ltd., and Japan Marine Science Inc. (JMS).During the trials, the tug was operated remotely from an operation center in the city of Nishinomiya, approximately 400 kilometers away.
SMS Delivers Workboat to Maltese Tuna Farmer
U.K. shipbuilder SMS Group reports it has delivered a newbuild aquaculture vessel to a Tuna farm operator in Malta.The new vessel, Emmaya, has 24m LOA, 8.5m beam and a 3m draft, and it is built to the MCA-MGN-280-Catergory 1 (150nm from safe haven) workboat code. Designed by Walker Marine Design, the workboat will provide tuna harvesting and aquaculture/fish farm logistical and maintenance support services.David Azzopardi…
ABS Launches Guide for Wind-assisted Propulsion Systems
ABS has published the ABS Guide to Wind-assisted Propulsion System Installation, providing class safety standards when installing wind-assisted systems.The classification society said its new guide is applicable to both Flettner rotors and wing sails, including both rigid and soft sails. These wind-assisted propulsion technologies have been gaining attention as operators seek new ways to reduce fuel costs as well as their environmental footprint.“Wind-assisted propulsion systems…
Bahri Puts LNG Tanker Plan on Hold
Saudi Aramco’s shipping division Bahri has put on hold plans to charter up to 12 liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers after Sempra Energy delayed its decision on whether to proceed with an LNG export project in Texas, two sources said.Bahri issued an expression of interest (EOI) last year to charter the vessels from 2025 in Saudi Aramco’s first foray into LNG as part of the state oil giant’s plan to become a major global player in the gas market.In May last year, Aramco signed a 20-year agreement
Hyundai Heavy Bags Double VLCC Order
South Korea's shipbuilding giant Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured an order to build two very large crude carriers for unnamed European shipowners.The value of the orders for two 300,000-ton VLCCs, which will be equipped with scrubbers to meet IMO emission regulations, is 200 billion South Korean Won ($162.5 million).The VLCCs will be 330 meters long, 60 meters wide, and 29.7 meters high. Hyundai Heavy…
China to Receive Rare U.S. Ethanol Shipment on Friday
A rare ethanol shipment of U.S. origin is expected to arrive in China this month, according to three industry sources and shipping data, probably the first such…
Near- or Below-normal Hurricane Season Predicted for Central Pacific
There is a 75% chance of near- or below-normal tropical cyclone activity during the Central Pacific hurricane season this year, according to NOAA’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center and NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, divisions of the National Weather Service.The outlook also indicates a 25% chance of an above-normal season.For the season as a whole, two to six tropical cyclones are predicted for the Central Pacific hurricane region.
Indonesia Questions China Over Burials at Sea
Indonesia has summoned China’s ambassador to clarify the deaths of four Indonesian crew from two Chinese-flagged vessels, Indonesia’s foreign ministry said, after rights groups alleged the crew were mistreated and exploited.The ministry issued a statement after a video was circulated on social media, appearing to show a burial at sea aboard a Chinese-flagged ship. The footage showed a group of men…
Israel Linked to Cyberattack on Iranian Port
Israel appears to be behind a cyberattack earlier this month on computers at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port that caused massive backups on waterways and roads leading to the facility, the Washington Post reported on Monday.Citing unnamed U.S. and foreign government officials, the Post said the May 9 disruption of Iranian computers was presumably in retaliation for an earlier attempted cyberattack on rural…
Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Extend Cruise Suspensions
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd on Wednesday extended the suspension of voyages by another month until July 31 amid sailing curbs imposed to check the spread of the coronavirus.The cruise industry has faced the brunt of the health crisis as major outbreaks in ships were blamed for spreading the disease, resulting in government-mandated “no-sail” orders and trip cancellations.Royal Caribbean…
China-Australia Row to Reshuffle Trade in Bulging Barley Market
A prohibitive Chinese import tariff on Australian barley will benefit other suppliers without changing the bleak global outlook caused by large stocks and depressed beer demand, analysts and traders said.Beijing said on Monday it would apply an 80.5% tariff on Australian barley imports for the next five years, a move expected to all but halt flows from its main supplier.“This should benefit Canada and France that have plenty of stock this year…
