Outlook Glum for Ship Recyclers
Shipowners and cash buyers continue to struggle with the ongoing tonnage shortage as sub-continent ship recycling markets continue down their current trajectory, says cash buyer GMS.Negativity is permeating across the industry on the back of a short supply of vessels and global economies that remain shaky.
Penultimate Independence-Variant LCS Commissioned
The U.S. Navy commissioned Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Kingsville (LCS 36) at the Solomon P. Ortiz Center, on August 24.Kingsville, the 18th Independence-variant LCS, is the first to bear this name and pays homage to the city of Kingsville and the King Ranch. The ship’s sponsor is a member of the sixth generation of the King Ranch family, descendants of steamboat captain Richard King who founded in the King Ranch in Kingsville in 1853.
Voyage Optimization Plan Led to Grounding of Bulk Carrier
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its preliminary assessment of the grounding of the bulk carrier Indian Partnership on April 23, 2023, and implicated voyage optimization planning.The UK-registered bulk carrier ran aground at 0409 off the coast of Misool Island while transiting the Indonesian archipelago. The grounding caused significant breaches to the hull, leading to…
Singapore Plays Central Role in Exercise SEACAT
This year’s multilateral Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) exercise, an annual event conducted by the United States Navy which took place from August 12 to 23, 2024, focused on strengthening regional responses to maritime security threats.The participants were Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Palau, Philippines, Republic of Korea…
New CEO Ready to Lead AMSA
Kaylene Dale has been appointed the new CEO of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), starting on October 1, 2024.Dale brings extensive experience in Commonwealth regulatory settings and with the maritime sector. This includes working with AMSA’s search and rescue functions as part of her role at the Australian Border Force, where she has held a number of leadership positions – most recently…
China Uses Water Cannons in South China Sea Clash
The Philippines and China clashed in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Sunday over what Manila said was a resupply mission for fishermen, the latest in a series of sea and air confrontations in the strategic waterway.The incident overshadows efforts by both nations to rebuild trust and better manage disputes after months of confrontations, including a violent clash in June, in which a Filipino…
Canadian Navy Adding Four New Tugs
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) is acquiring four new state-of-the-art Naval Large Tugs (NLT) to modernize its fleet. These new tugs—two for each of Canada's coasts—will replace the current Glen-class and Fire-class tugs.The new IMO Tier III vessels are based on a proven Robert Allan Ltd. RAmparts 2400 design. They are more powerful and more capable, which will improve the RCN's effectiveness in harbor berthing, coastal towing and firefighting.
Bayesian Yacht Disaster: How Specialist Search and Rescue Teams Work Underwater
Search and rescue for missing persons is always challenging for the specialist recovery teams involved, regardless of the environment they’re working in.But the teams looking for the missing aboard the Bayesian yacht which sank off the coast of Sicily leaving several people dead, have faced particularly challenging conditions. Even though the boat lies in relatively shallow water of 50 meters, underwater…
GE Vernova Turbine Blade Fails at UK's Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Farm
GE Vernova's shares fell nearly 7% on Friday following a turbine-blade failure at an offshore wind farm in the UK, the latest in a string of incidents involving the power service firm's equipment.The incident was reported at the Dogger Bank A project, located more than 130 km off the northeast coast of England, according to a statement from the project authorities.GE Vernova said no injuries were reported and that it was investigating the blade failure…
Fires Seen on Abandoned Tanker Sounion Hit by Houthis in the Red Sea
Three fires have been observed on board a Greek-flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea, The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Friday, one day after it was evacuatedby its crew after being attacked by Yemeni Houthi militants.The Houthis, who control Yemen's most populous regions, said on Thursday that they attacked the Sounion oil tanker in the Red Sea, as the Iran-aligned group has…
US-built Coastal Cruise Ship American Liberty Christened
American Liberty, the third new Coastal Cat in American Cruise Lines’ series of 100-passenger ships, was christened in Newport, R.I. this week.Built by Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md., American Liberty is the newest ship in American’s ongoing Project Blue series of 12 new small ships for river and coastal cruising in the U.S. Several more ships in the series are already under construction…
Plaquemines LNG Plant Nearing Test Mode Startup
A tanker full of liquefied natural gas (LNG) docked at Venture Global LNG's Plaquemines export plant in Louisiana, according to shipping data from LSEG on Friday, in what energy analysts said was a sign the plant could start up in test mode soon.The vessel named Qogir came from Norway full of LNG, according to LSEG data and energy analysts.LNG plants under construction, like Plaquemines, use super…
Divers Recover Body of Last Missing Person from Sunken Yacht
Italian divers have retrieved the body of British tech magnate Mike Lynch's18-year-old daughter, Hannah, who was the last person still unaccounted for after the family's luxury yacht sank this week off Sicily.Seven people, including Lynch himself, died when the 56-metre-long (184-foot) sail boat, the Bayesian, capsized during a fierce, pre-dawn storm on Monday off Porticello, near Palermo. Fifteen people survived…
New US Navy Warship Richard M. McCool, Jr. Sails Away from Ingalls Shipbuilding
The U.S. Navy's new warship, Richard M. McCool, Jr. (LPD 29), set sail from HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division on Thursday, heading toward its commissioning location in Pensacola, Fla.Delivered in April, the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship is scheduled to be commissioned on September 7, 2024, at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola.Richard M. McCool, Jr. marks the 13th San Antonio…
Brabo Partners with Artemis Technologies to Introduce 100% Electric Pilot Boat
Brabo, a provider of pilot and port services in Antwerp, Belgium, has entered into a deal with maritime technology firm Artemis Technologies to add an Artemis EF-12 Pilot boat to its fleet. This cutting-edge, fully electric foiling vessel is set to be delivered in late summer 2025.Engineered with feedback from pilotage professionals worldwide, the Artemis EF-12 complies with ES-TRIN standards (European…
Ammonia-fueled Tugboat ‘Sakigake’ to be Classed by ClassNK
ClassNK has classed the ammonia-fueled tugboat ‘Sakigake’ completed by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd. as an ammonia-fueled vessel. This is the world's first ammonia-fueled vessel for commercial use (as of August 23, 2024, according to research by NYK). The NYK Group company Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha will employ the vessel in tugboat operations in Tokyo Bay over…
OMV Gas Discovery Could Extend Life of Aasta Hansteen Hub
OMV (Norge) has successfully completed drilling of a deepwater exploration well in the Norwegian Sea with preliminary estimated total recoverable gas volumes of between 30 and 140 million barrels of oil equivalent (mn boe).The deepwater wildcat well 6605/6-1 S is located 300km west of the Norwegian mainland at a water depth of 1,064 meters. The gas discovery, in the Haydn/Monn exploration prospects of PL 1194…
Ukraine Navy Confirms Destruction of Russian Ferry
Ukraine's Navy confirmed on Friday that it had destroyed a ferry in the Russian port of Kavkaz that was used to deliver fuel and weapons to occupied Crimea.Local authorities had earlier said the ferry was set ablaze and damaged in Thursday's attack on the port in Russia's southern Krasnodar region."Another undoubtedly military objective has been destroyed. Its purpose was to provide fuel for the invaders.
Ammonia-Fueled Tugboat Ready for Operation
NYK’s ammonia-fueled tugboat Sakigake is commencing operation in Tokyo Bay.The vessel was the subject of a conversion project undertaken by NYK and IHI Power Systems, in cooperation with Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), and will be the world's first ammonia-fueled tugboat in commercial use.It is undertaking a three-month demonstration for NYK Group company Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha.The vessel’s predecessor…
Australia Builds Experience with Nuclear Submarines
A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine will undergo maintenance in Australia for the first time on Friday, a key step by AUKUS partners to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific, the defence ministers of Australia, Britain and the United States said.Australian personnel trained with the United States and Britain over the past year ahead of the submarine maintenance at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, involving…