Cracked Muffler Led to Towboat Fire -NTSB
Cracks in a muffler and the substantial use of combustible materials in accommodation spaces led to a fire aboard a towing vessel last year on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near Freeport, Texas, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.On June 25, 2022, the four-person crew aboard the towing vessel Mary Dupre departed Port Comfort, Texas, for Houston, pushing a single barge loaded with bio-diesel fuel.
After Years of Delay, Alaskan Ferry Hubbard Finally Christened
Hubbard, a new ferry built in 2019 for Alaska's Marine Highway System (AMHS), was formally christened this week after a change of plans put the vessel's entry into service on hold.The vessel is the second of two Alaska class ferries designed by Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group and constructed at Vigor Shipyard in Ketchikan, Alaska. Construction of both vessels began in October 2014. The series' first ferry…
Naming Ceremony Held for SUNY Maritime Training Ship Empire State
Philly Shipyard on Wednesday hosted a ceremony for the first state-class National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV), the Empire State.Empire State is the first of five new NSMVs being built under a program for the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD), which owns and operates training ships for the nation's state maritime academies. The newbuild will be delivered this summer to the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College…
Mejia Takes the Helm at WMU
On 29 June, Professor Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr. assumed office as the eighth President of the World Maritime University (WMU). Appointed by the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), who also serves as Chancellor of the University, President Mejia assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer, overseeing and directing the academic programmes, operations and administration of the University.
Child and Mother Found After Falling Overboard from Baltic Ferry
A mother and her 7-year-old child have been rescued after falling overboard on Thursday from a ferry traveling from Sweden to Poland, Swedish media reported.The two were being winched to a helicopter
Carlyle and Stellex Complete Sale of Titan to an Affiliate of Lone Star Funds
Funds managed by global investment firm Carlyle and private equity firm Stellex Capital Management announced they have completed the sale of Titan Acquisition Holdings, a bi-coastal leader in ship repair services and marine and heavy complex fabrication, to an affiliate of Lone Star Funds. The initial definitive agreement of the sale was announced in February 2023 and the final close took place on June 15…
Baltic Workboats to Build Autonomous Warships
A consortium led by Estonian shipbuilder Baltic Workboats (BWB) has won a funding of 95 million euros in the European Defence Fund competition to create a new type of naval platform for European fleets.The initiative, called EUROGUARD, aims to develop a modular and semi-autonomous surface vessel platform with a remote control system that could be used across Europe. The next-generation design, adaptable for various missions…
Long-Term Container Rates Fall (again)
The beleaguered carrier industry took another major hit in June, with the latest data from Xeneta’s Shipping Index (XSI) showing a decline of 9.4% in global long-term shipping rates. Following on the heels of a 27.5% collapse in May, and a 10.3% fall in April, contracted rates have now shed 47.2% of their value in the last three months alone, and 51.7% over the course of 2023.Xeneta’s data shows falls in the prices of valid long-term contracts across all key trading corridors…
Damen to Build Four Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates for Dutch, Belgian Navies
The Dutch Ministry of Defence, Damen, and Thales have signed the contract for the design, construction, and delivery of four Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Frigates; two for the Netherlands and two for Belgium, focused on anti-submarine warfare.The agreement was signed on HNLMS Karel Doorman, the Royal Netherlands Navy's largest ship, by the Dutch Defence State Secretary Christophe van der Maat, Damen Shipyards Group CEO Arnout Damen…
ClassNK Grants AiP for Ship that Can Transport Ammonia and Liquefied CO2
Japanese classification society ClassNK has granted Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) Approval in Principle (AiP) for a ship that can transport ammonia and liquefied CO2 (LCO2).LCO2 carriers play an important role as one of the means of efficiently transporting captured and liquefied CO2 to storage sites or effective use sites in the CCUS (Carbon dioxide Capture…
Macquarie to Divest U.S. Port Terminal Operator Ceres
Australian financial conglomerate Macquarie Group said on Thursday it would divest its U.S.-based port terminal operator Ceres Terminals, with a source familiar with the matter placing the deal value north of $900 million.Macquarie did not disclose any further details on the deal, and declined to comment on Reuters' request seeking confirmation of the sale value.The Wall Street Journal in May reported that Macquarie was looking for about $1 billion from the sale…
Tidewater Appoints Dick H. Fagerstal Chairman of the Board
Tidewater has appointed Dick H. Fagerstal non-executive Chairman of the Board.In addition, the Board has reduced the size of the Board from nine to eight members.Fagerstal stated, “I am honored to assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Tidewater at such an exciting time for our industry. I believe the company is well positioned to capitalize on the increasing global offshore activity with recently…
EPA Settles Ballast Water Violation Claims
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has settled with two shipping companies over claims of violations of EPA’s Vessel General Permit issued under the Clean Water Act.Under the terms of the settlements, Swire Shipping Pte. Ltd. will pay $137,000 in penalties and MMS Co. Ltd. will pay $200,000 in penalties for claims of ballast water discharge, inspection, monitoring, and reporting violations.The violations relate to Singapore-based Swire Shipping’s vessels…
