NTSB's Alvin Brown Appointed Vice Chairman
Alvin Brown, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board and former mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, was designated Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, by President Biden to serve as vice chairman of the independent safety agency. “I am honored to be named in this new role of vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board,” Brown said. “The NTSB is the gold standard for public safety, and I look…
Port of Oakland Box Volume Finishing 2024 Strong
The Port of Oakland’s container business continues to grow. Total cargo volume shot up 10% year-to-date, January through November 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.“We are optimistic that strong container volume will continue through the end of the year,” said Port of Oakland Manager of Business Development and International Marketing Carolyn Almquist. “We expect to be on track to return to our pre-pandemic baseline cargo numbers.
Finland Boards Vessel Suspected of Cutting Subsea Cables
Finnish authorities said they boarded and took control of an oil tanker travelling from Russia on December 26, 2024, on suspicion it caused the outage of an undersea power cable and three internet lines connecting Finland and Estonia a day earlier.The Cook Islands-registered ship, named by authorities as the Eagle S, was boarded by a Finnish coast guard crew which took command in the Baltic Sea and sailed the vessel to Finnish waters…
WASHINGTON WATCH: Looking Forward and Aft at the Maritime Political Landscape
With the election (largely) settled, we turn our attention to the challenges and opportunities that the new Administration and Congress hold for maritime stakeholders.Maritime Challenges Out (and at) the GatesOn October 3, 2024, the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) and the International Longshoremen's Association, AFL-CIO (ILA) reached a tentative agreement on wages, extending their Master Contract until January 15, 2024.
Maritime Propulsion Choices Begin with Fuel, End with Politics
The maritime industry’s elusive quest to achieve so-called ‘zero’ emissions continues. Where it ends is not a one-size-fits-all discussion.The year-end maritime industry discussions tend to move away from global influence and back drift to national and domestic debates. As this happens, a positioning of a relatively small group of American owners and operators prepare for the upcoming business year and markets.
Russia's LNG 'Shadow Fleet' Runs Full Steam Ahead
A sanctioned LNG tanker named "Mulan", which approached Novatek's SAAM FSU floating storage facility in Murmansk on December 21, is currently sailing around Northern Europe and heading towards Port Said in Egypt, according to LSEG data. The vessel is expected to arrive at its destination on January 6, 2025.Another LNG tanker, "Pioneer", has entered the transshipment zone at the Koryak FSU floating storage facility in Kamchatka…
Cambodia Opens China-Linked Naval Base to Japan Visitors
Cambodia's former Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Friday that Japan would be granted visitation rights to the country's Ream Naval Base, a facility the United States is concerned could become a military outpost for China.Chinese military vessels have been rotating through Ream since a Beijing-funded upgrade started in June 2022. Cambodia has denied reports of a secret deal with China to station its forces at the base.
Tanker Engine Failure Shuts Bosphorus Straight Traffic
Traffic was suspended in Turkey's Bosphorus strait on Thursday after a tanker had an engine failure during northbound transit through the strait that runs through Istanbul, shipping agent Tribeca and the Transport Ministry said.Tribeca said that the Panama-flagged tanker Cordelia Moon with Russia destination suffered an engine failure around Yenikoy area and that an assistance vessel was sent to the scene.(Reuters)
Police Looks Into Foreign Ship’s Role in Estonia-Finland Interconnector Outage
Finnish police said on Thursday they are investigating whether a foreign ship was involved in the damage of an undersea power cable connecting Finland and Estonia following a sudden outage on Wednesday.Baltic Sea nations are on high alert for potential acts of sabotage following a string of outages of power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines since 2022, although subsea equipment is also subject to technical malfunction and accidents.The 658 megawatt (MW) Estlink 2 power interconnector remai
Turkey Eyes Maritime Deal with Syria
Turkey is aiming to strike a maritime demarcation agreement with Syria after a permanent government is formed in Damascus, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on Tuesday.Turkey, which backed Syrian rebels who toppled President Bashar al-Assad this month after a 13-year civil war, has been in close contact with the new interim administration of its neighbour, including Turkey's intelligence…
‘Act of Terrorism’ Sinks Russian Cargo Ship Off Spanish Coast, Vessel Owner Claims
A Russian cargo ship that ran into trouble on Monday in the Mediterranean Sea and later sank was rocked by a series of three explosions in "an act of terrorism," state news agency RIA cited the vessel's owner as saying on Wednesday.Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the "Ursa Major," built in 2009, sank after an explosion ripped through its engine room and that two of its 16 crew were missing.RIA cited Oboronlogistika…
Russian Gas Exports to Europe Rise 20% in 2024
Total exports of Russian gas to European countries have so far been 18-20% higher this year than in 2023, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday.In January to November, supplies of pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exceeded 50 billion cubic metres, Novak said."Despite all the statements and sanctions pressure because gas is a highly ecological product, it is in demand. And Russian gas is the most cost-efficient…
Christmas @ Sea: “Seas and Greetings” from NOC
Have you ever wondered what happens on ships when they’re at sea for Christmas? Crews onboard the National Oceanography Centre’s (NOC’s) research vessels, based in Southampton, have given a glimpse into the holiday season out on the ocean waves, including Christmas carols and – if one captain has his way – watching Frozen.Both research ships that the center operates, the Royal Research Ship (RRS) James Cook and RRS Discovery…
Shipwreck Podcast: Exploring Tragedy, History & Humanity with James Delgado
“Our connections to the maritime world are far more profound and diverse than I think most of us realize.” James P. DelgadoJim talks about his long, storied career, starting with his budding interest in archaeology and history at age 10, and how his career path changed when he was exposed to the buried San Francisco Gold Rush ship Niantic while working for the National Park Service.He also gives moving accounts of famous shipwrecks that have had a profound emotional impact on him.
Russian Cargo Ship Sinks in Mediterranean, Two Crew Missing
A Russian cargo ship called Ursa Major sank in the Mediterranean Sea after an explosion ripped through its engine room and two of its crew are still missing, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.The vessel, built in 2009, was controlled by Oboronlogistika, a company that is part of the Russian Defence Ministry's military construction operations, which had previously said it was en route to…
Saab Inks $72M Contract to Modernize Sweden’s Anti-Ship Missiles
Saab has signed a contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration for the modernization of Sweden’s coastal anti-ship missile capability.The contract includes Saab’s RBS15 Mk3 anti-ship missile integrated on a launcher module installed on a truck.Sweden currently uses the predecessor RBS15 Mk2. The coastal anti-ship missile capability was reintroduced in the Swedish Armed Forces in 2016 and…
Baltic Index Ticks Up as Large Bulkers Post Gains
The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, rose on Monday, as rates increased across larger vessel segments.The index…
Black Sea Spill Volunteers Beg Putin for Help
Volunteers helping to clean up a major oil spill along Russia's Black Sea coast appealed in a video released on Monday for President Vladimir Putin to urgently send federal aid…
ABS, Akselos Sign Floating Wind MOU
ABS and Akselos have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance engineering and certification processes for floating offshore wind projects.The companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on solutions aimed at optimizing design, reducing costs, and improving efficiency for the floating wind sector globally.The collaboration utilizes ABS's expertise in offshore certification…
Inside Fairbanks Morse with CEO George Whittier
You would be hard pressed to find a corporate leader more passionate about the company they lead; more dedicated to the customer they serve. In this case it’s George Whittier, CEO, Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) and the U.S. Navy. Upon his return less than five years ago, Whittier has driven FMD to the top of the U.S. Navy supply heap, with a string of strategic acquisitions. Whittier discusses with Maritime Matters: The Marinelink Podcast…
