Two Storms Head for US Gulf in Rare Hurricane Season Event
A pair of tropical cyclones forecast to become hurricanes early next week are headed for the U.S. Gulf Coast and will spin over the Gulf's warm waters simultaneously, a rare weather event that could cause massive disruption as they make landfall.The last time two cyclones entered the U.S. Gulf of Mexico was in 1959, according to meteorologists interviewed by Reuters, and there have only been a handful of other occasions when two storms entered the Gulf simultaneously.
Four Missing, Six Injured After Dredge Strikes a Pipeline in Corpus Christi
Four people are missing and six have been hospitalized for injuries caused by a pipeline explosion in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel on Friday, officials said.The explosion and subsequent fire were reported at about 8 a.m. local time near Nueces Bay in the northern part of the city after a dredge struck a pipeline in the water. The dredge, Waymon L Boyd owned by Houston-based Orion Marine Group, was working on a private project…
Argentinian Shipyard to Build First Domestically Produced Dredger
SPI Servicios Portuarios Integrados for Mar del Plata port in Argentina has acquired a DOP Dredger component package from Damen Shipyards Group. The Argentinian shipyard will build major components and assemble the dredger. The DOP Dredger 250 will be used to dredge underneath a floating dock, which the shipyards wants to keep operational full-time. The trick is that the dock will remain in place during…
Somali Pirates Release Last of Hostages Captured in 2015
Somali pirates have released three Iranian hostages held for five years, a maritime security official said on Thursday, as conflicting reports emerged whether another ship had been seized after a three-year hiatus in hijackings.The three Iranians are the last of the crew of the Iranian fishing vessel FV Siraj, which was captured by pirates on March 22, 2015.“This marks the end of an era of Somali piracy and the pain and suffering of Somalia’s forgotten hostages…
Mauritius Begins Wakashio Scuttling Operations
Mauritius said on Thursday it had started to scuttle the Japanese-owned bulk carrier that ran aground off its shores and spilled oil over pristine waters and fragile coral reefs. The MV Wakashio hit a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on July 25 and began spilling oil on August 6, prompting the government to announce a state of environmental emergency.Two of the ship's officers were arrested on…
Baltic Index Posts Weekly Fall
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index fell on Friday, posting its first weekly fall in four weeks as demand for capesize and panamax vessels dropped.The Baltic dry index, which tracks rates for ships ferrying dry bulk commodities and reflects rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, fell 37 points, or 2.4%, to 1,481, ending the week 7.1% lower.The capesize index declined 79 points, or 3.5%, to 2,160, lowest in more than three weeks.
Metal Shark Delivers Patrol Boat to the Dominican Republic
Shipbuilder Metal Shark has delivered an 85- by 19.5-foot welded aluminum Near Coastal Patrol Vessel (NCPV) to the Dominican Republic’s Navy under a $54 million U.S. Navy contract to produce up to 13 Defiant-class patrol craft for U.S. partner nations.Christened Betelgeuse in keeping with the Dominican tradition of naming military vessels after constellations, the new patrol craft was built at Metal Shark’s Franklin, La.
Three Firms in Dorado FPSO FEED Contract Race
Three FPSO specialists are competing for Santos' Dorado FPSO front end engineering design contract, set to be awarded later this year.This is according to Carnarvon, Santos' partner in the Dorado field discovered offshore W. Australia in 2018, and dubbed one of the gas-rich country's largest oil discoveries of the century.Santos and Carnarvon have envisioned the development to include an FPSO and a…
Equinor, ConocoPhillips Get Consents for Swisher, Slagugle Drilling
Oil and gas companies Equinor and ConocoPhillips on Friday received approvals for drilling of offshore wells in the North Sea, and the Norwegian Sea, respectively.Equinor…
Wärtsilä Sees 'Significant' Benefits from Profit Sharing Deal with Brittany Ferries
Finnish marine technology group Wärtsilä has said that its profit-sharing deal based on fuel savings signed two years ago with Brittany Ferries has significantly benefitted both companies. The installation of Wärtsilä's Trim and Speed energy management and optimization technology on the first vessel ‘Cap Finistere’, covered by the contract, was finalized and fully operational in March 2019. The installation was carried out by Wärtsilä Voyage.
Bahri Orders Ten Chemical Tankers from Hyundai for $410M
Saudi Arabia's national shipping company Bahri has ordered ten 49,999-dwt Medium Range (MR) chemical tankers from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, part of South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).Bahri said the order, signed at a virtual ceremony, was valued $410 million, meaning $41 million per vessel. The first deliveries are expected in the first quarter of 2022.Seung-Yong Park, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Executive Vice President of HHI…
Wakashio Bulk Carrier Deviated from Shipping Lane before Mauritius Impact
The Japanese-owned bulk carrier that ran aground off Mauritius and spilled oil over pristine waters and fragile coral reefs diverted more than 100 kilometers from a regular shipping lane, data from a maritime analysis firm showed.The MV Wakashio, owned by Nagashiki Shipping and chartered by Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd, struck a coral reef on Mauritius's southeast coast on July 25 and later began leaking oil.
Washington State Partners Set Out to Build Fast Foil Ferry
A group of public and private partners in Washington have come together to accelerate the design of a fast foil ferry to provide zero-emissions, high-speed passenger ferry service in the Evergreen State.Participants in the Joint Innovation Project include three Washington ports that have joined forces to support the effort: Port of Anacortes, Port of Bellingham and Port of Skagit. The vessel is under design by Glosten…
Passenger Vessel Grounds in the Saint Lawrence River
All passengers have safely debarked a passenger vessel that ran aground and began taking on water in the Saint Lawrence River near Alexandria Bay, N.Y., Thursday afternoon.The U.S. Coast Guard said it received a report at 1:17 p.m. that the tour boat Island Duchess, operated by Uncle Sam Boat Tours, had run aground with 134 passengers on board for a day cruise. All passengers were transferred via responding assets from multiple assisting agencies to another USBT-operated vessel…
New Firefighting Vessel Built for Copenhagen FD
Danish operator Hovedstadens Beredskab (HBR)—part of the Greater Copenhagen Fire Department Association— recently commissioned the build of HBR 1 Copenhagen, a full cabin multi-response vessel that can sail under all weather conditions. The new vessel responds to emergency calls in the Harbor of Copenhagen and the surrounding area, navigating the city’s canals to deliver a fast and effective fire response…
US Continues to Crack Down on Maritime Pollution Crimes Despite COVID-19
United States Department of Justice’s steadfast protection of U.S. waters equates to criminal charges and massive finesThe United States has a long history of holding companies and individuals accountable for violating environmental laws and regulations, including the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). With the 40th anniversary of the passage of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS)…
NOAA Sets Up Vessel Ops Support in Rhode Island
NOAA has awarded a lease to Massa Industries, LLC for office space in Middletown, R.I., that will temporarily house a new marine operations support facility for Rhode Island-based NOAA ships Henry B. Bigelow and Okeanos Explorer.The Middletown facility will also support NOAA personnel engaged in the design and construction of a new pier for the two ships and a permanent NOAA marine operations support facility at Naval Station Newport.
How Will the Cruise Industry Recover from Coronavirus?
On Sunday the first major cruise ship to take to the Mediterranean in almost five months sailed out of the Italian city of Genoa. Passengers on the MSC Grandiosa were tested for coronavirus before stepping on board. The ship—which has brought in an array of strict measures to limit the spread of the virus—will stop at three Italian ports and the Maltese capital Valletta in a seven-day voyage. But will these measures be enough to help the sector survive the pandemic?
DMC Delivers Nozzles for Super Trawler Refit
Damen Marine Components said it has delivered two large 19A nozzles to Parlevliet & Van der Plas for its fishing trawler, the Margiris. The vessel, which is one of the largest of its type in the world, is undergoing a modification project at Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam.At Damen’s Amsterdam repair yard, the Margiris is receiving work that includes bow thruster overhaul and fabrication of new bow thruster grids…
Fincantieri Floats Out MSC Seashore
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri announced Thursday it has floated out the new cruise ship MSC Seashore at its shipyard in Monfalcone. The vessel has been moved to a wet dock where interior outfitting work will continue until delivery to MSC Cruises in July 2021.MSC Seashore, which will be MSC Cruises’ longest ship at 339 metres and the largest and most innovative ever built in Italy, is the third of four vessels in MSC Cruises’ Seaside class…
