Santorini's Locals Call for a Cruise Ship Cap
Armed with selfie sticks and phones, the tourists flood into Santorini from everywhere - on dinghies from giant ocean liners, on coaches that zigzag up the steep hillsides, atop donkeys that clip-clop along the narrow cobbled streets.Some brave the afternoon heat to find a good spot among the white-washed houses and blue-domed churches where they then wait hours to watch the Greek island's famed sunset.
Australia Inks $1.4 Billion Deal to Upgrade Collins-class Navy Submarines
Australia said on Saturday it had signed a A$2.2 billion ($1.4 billion) four-year contract with state-owned submarine builder ASC to upgrade the navy's Collins class submarines.The "sustainment contract" is part of a government pledge to keep the diesel-electric powered Collins-class fleet "a potent strike and deterrence capability", Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said in a statement.The contract will be "directly ensuring job security for more than 1…
Navalrocha Shipyard Reports Results
Navalrocha Shipyard reported growth in key target markets, including LPG and Product Carriers, after recording one of its strongest ever half-year performances.With more than 30 projects delivered to date, Navalrocha is on course for another record-breaking year having completed projects with wide variety of commercial ships. In particular, the Lisbon yard is ramping up activity to support Iberia’s…
RINA Greenlights Green Marine UK’s Hydrogen CTV Retrofit Initiative
Green Marine (UK)’s initiative looking to retrofit crew transfer vessels (CTV) with hydrogen, fuel cells and battery, with the aim to cut emissions while servicing offshore wind farms, has been granted Approval in Principle (AiP) by global classification society RINA.The first phase of Project Verdant, involving a preliminary design and feasibility study, has now been completed and deemed viable, opening the door to subsequent project phases seeking to execute design…
Esgian Week 30 Report: New Deals for Valaris, Noble and Transocean
Esgian provides an update on new rig deals in its Week 30 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsValaris has been awarded a multi-year contract with Equinor Energy do Brasil, a subsidiary of Equinor, for the 12,000-ft drillship Valaris DS-17. The contract relates to work on Project Raia offshore Brazil.Noble Corporation has secured a one-well contract for 350-ft jackup Noble Resolve with Central European Petroleum (CEPetro) offshore Poland.
Liquefied Gas Cargo Containment Innovations Receive ABS AiPs
ABS awarded approval in principle (AiP) to two new developments from Jiangnan Shipyard: a new insulation system and a modern design for an ultra large ethane carrier (ULEC).The ULEC design is the first equipped with the next-generation BrilliancE® II Type-B cargo containment system, a modern cryogenic liquefied gas containment system designed to optimize ship performance. The second AiP was awarded for Jiangnan’s patented insulation system…
Baker Hughes Bets on Foreign Demand
Baker Hughes cut its outlook for spending by oil producers on Friday, citing lower drilling activity by North American companies, joining other oilfield service companies in warning about softness in the region.However, the company raised its full-year revenue and profit estimates, banking on strong international growth and demand for gas equipment.Shares of the company, which beat analysts' estimates for second-quarter profit on Thursday…
Blinken Applauds Diplomacy at ASEAN Meeting
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticised Beijing's "escalating and unlawful actions" in the South China Sea at a summit on Saturday, while his Russian counterpart said Washington has stoked anxiety with its plan for a nuclear deterrence with ally Seoul for the Korean peninsula.Blinken singled out China over its coast guard's hostile actions against U.S. defence treaty ally the Philippines…
Russian Warships Make Routine Visit to Cuba
Havana residents watched from shore on Saturday as Russian warships arrived for the second time in as many months, in a visit that Cuba called routine.Cuban authorities fired shots into the air to signal their welcome, while curious fishermen watched from Havana's waterside promenade as the ships advanced up the bay. Russian residents were also among the few up early to see the fleet's arrival.The patrol ship Neustrahimiy…
Hornbeck Offshore Installs New DP Simulator
Hornbeck Offshore said it has installed a dynamic positioning (DP) simulator that provides an interactive and immersive training experience for current and future mariners who serve in DP officer (DPO) roles.The Wärtsilä NaviTrainer Professional 6 Offshore Simulator (NT Pro 6) is designed to make training more efficient, cost effective and risk free via a ship-like environment that can subject mariners…
BHGI Hires Addison Pope
Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) announced it has hired Addison Pope as a naval architect. Pope holds a bachelor’s degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Webb Institute. Before joining BHGI, Pope interned at Viking Cruises in Louisiana. During his time there, he created reports detailing the yard’s progress and various vendors. He collected and organized river and wave data…
US Opens Bidding for Offshore Wind Acreage off Texas
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said on Friday it is seeking competitive bids for offshore wind leases off the coast of Texas after renewable energy developer Hecate Energy Gulf Wind LLC made an unsolicited bid.The administration of President Joe Biden sees offshore wind power as a vital part of a broader strategy to decarbonize the U.S. power sector to fight climate change, but the nascent…
Towboat Fire Damage Limited by Crew's Quick Response
When a fire broke out in the engine room of a towboat in Louisiana, the situation could have easily escalated to become much worse, but the quick actions of the vessel's crew helped to contain the blaze and limit the damage significantly, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.The vessel Desperado was transiting in Lake Salvador near Bayou Perot, La., on February 17, 2023, when a ruptured hydraulic hose spraying fuel on a hot engine sparked a fire on board.
Italian Navy Orders Five Minehunter Vessels for $2.82 Billion
Defense group Leonardo and Immsi's naval unit Intermarine have signed a contract worth up to 2.6 billion euros ($2.82 billion) to supply Italy's navy with five coastal minehunter ships, the companies said on Friday.The contract, which also includes logistics support, is worth 1.6 billion euros for the vessels and 1 billion euros in various other options.Immsi's share price jumped more than 16% and Leonardo was up 2.3% after the deal was announced.Intermarine will produce the 63 meter vessels in
CARB Approves Twin Disc's Electric Propulsion Conversion Kit for CORE Discount
An electric propulsion system conversion kit developed by power transmission technology company Twin Disc and distributor partner Palmer Johnson Power Systems has been approved by the California Air & Resources Board (CARB) under the Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE).The CORE incentive program aims to encourage California off-road equipment users to purchase or lease currently…
Finland Suspects Russian Vessel of Territorial Violation
Finland suspects a Russian vessel violated the Nordic country's territorial waters on Friday, the government said, in the latest incident to cloud relations between the two countries.The government said Friday's incident took place in the eastern Gulf of Finland."The Border Guard is investigating the incident and will provide further information as the investigation progresses," the Finnish defense ministry said in a statement.Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat quoted border guard chief investigato
Authorities Make Major Cocaine Bust in Port of Barcelona
Spanish police said on Friday they had seized four metric tons of cocaine hidden in rice sacks at Barcelona's port, breaking up a crime ring that operated in Spain, Paraguay and Britain.The drug smugglers processed the drugs into powder in Asuncion, Paraguay, and then put them plastic bags which were hidden inside sacks of rice sewn by hand before shipping them to Europe, the statement said.The containers arrived at Barcelona's port earlier this year but the haul of cocaine was only discovered i
ClassNK Issues Guide on Cyber Resilience of Ships
ClassNK has released ‘Guidelines for Cyber resilience of ships’, which expound new IACS Unified Requirements (UR) to support the consideration of measures to ensure the cybersecurity of ships.IACS has established UR E26 for ships and UR E27 for on-board systems and equipment as URs setting minimum requirements for cyber resilience, which is the capability to reduce the occurrence and mitigate the effects of cyber incidents due to cyber-attacks or other threats.
Pilotage Concerns Raised After Near Grounding in Great Barrier Reef
A bulk carrier came within 200 m of grounding in the Great Barrier Reef after a GPS unit onboard the ship began providing false information to the pilot and crew on board, an ATSB final report details.The near grounding occurred early on the morning of May 4, 2022, when the 225m bulk carrier Rosco Poplar was transiting Hydrographers Passage under the conduct of a coastal pilot.Unknown to the pilot and crew…
European Commission Urged to Take Action on Calves
Despite stating that the transport of unweaned calves from Ireland to France is in breach of EU law, the European Commission has so far failed to take action against it, says Ethical Farming Ireland.In an audit report published in December 2023, the Commission claimed the journey was in breach of Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport, as the calves are not being fed during the long ferry crossing to France.
