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08 Dec 2017
CMA CGM Completes Mercosul Line Acquisition
CMA CGM Group’ acquisition of Mercosul Line from rival container shipping firm Maersk Line has been completed following Brazilian regulatory approval and the closing of Maersk's Hamburg Süd acquisition. Mercosul Line is a leading player in Brazil’s domestic container shipping market, calling more than a dozen South American ports with a fleet of four 2,500 TEU containerships. The deal, announced in June…
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07 Dec 2017
NASSCO Begins Building Matson’s LNG-ready ConRos
San Diego shipyard General Dynamics NASSCO said it has begun building the first of two liquefied natural gas (LNG)-capable combination containership/roll-on, roll-off (ConRo) vessels for Matson Navigation Company, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Matson, Inc. The 265-meter-long, 3,500 TEU Kanaloa class design was developed by the shipyard in partnership with Daewoo Ship Engineering Company, and incorporates Tier III compliant LNG-capable main and auxiliary engines…
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07 Dec 2017
Box Ship Breaks from Mooring in Boston
The U.S. Coast Guard said it is investigating how a containership broke free from its mooring in Boston on Wednesday morning. The Coast Guard, along with Massport Fire Department…
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05 Dec 2017
Gastro Outbreak on Ovation of the Seas
A gastro outbreak has affected nearly 200 passengers aboard one of the world’s largest cruise ships, Ovation of the Seas. The 168,666 GT cruise liner docked in Hobart on December 5 following a 14-night cruise from Singapore. Over the two weeks, 195 cases of gastro-intestinal illness were reported, the ship’s owner Royal Caribbean said in a statement. There are 5,824 people on board, including guests and crew.
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04 Dec 2017
Voices: Rich Merhige, President/Owner, AME
AME is a Florida based engineering services company specializing in marine (Advanced Mechanical Enterprises) and industrial (Advanced Maintenance Engineering) predictive, preventative and corrective maintenance for rotating and reciprocating machinery. Founded by Rich Merhige in 1992, AME has pioneered the use of technologies and equipment to perform diagnostics, maintenance and repair, particularly for private and commercial vessels.
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28 Nov 2017
North Carolina Orders a New Ferry
The North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division has ordered a new river class vehicle ferry to be built at Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, La. for delivery by March 1, 2019. Designed by Elliott Bay Design Group, the 183-foot ferry with room for 38 regular-sized vehicles will replace M/V Thomas A. Baum, a 22-year-old Hatteras-class ferry that carries 26 vehicles. The vessel will be the…
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28 Nov 2017
Former Harkand DSVs Join Boskalis Fleet
Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. has added two 115.4m diving support vessels (DSVs) to its fleet, in line with the company’s plan to expand its subsea services offering. Boskalis said it reached an agreement with the bondholders of the two former Harkand vessels under which it has acquired the DSV Atlantis for approximately $60 million and has signed a three-year bareboat charter for her sister vessel Da Vinci along with a right of first refusal in the event of a sale.
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27 Nov 2017
USS Fitzgerald Damaged by Transport Ship
U.S. Navy warship USS Fitzgerald, which suffered heavy damage and nearly sank off the coast of Japan after a fatal collision with a Philippine containership in June, has returned to Fleet Activities (FLEACT) Yokosuka to repair further damage received while aboard heavy lift transport vessel Transshelf. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) suffered two punctures in her hull caused by the heavy lift vessel's steel support structure during on load at anchorage…
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21 Nov 2017
INEOS to Ship US Ethane to China in 2019
U.K. chemicals firm INEOS said it has entered a long-term supply agreement with Singapore-based SP Chemicals to ship ethane from U.S. shale gas to China for the first time starting in 2019. “This is another world first for INEOS after importing shale gas to Europe in 2015,” said David Thompson, CEO of INEOS Trading and Shipping. “By bringing in U.S. The deal involves the construction of a 95,000cbm capacity Very Large Ethane Carrier (VLEC)…
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21 Nov 2017
Suspected Pirates Apprehended off Somalia
Six suspected pirates were apprehended by the European Union’s antipiracy force off the coast of Somalia. EU NAVFOR Somalia’s flagship, the Italian vessel ITS Virginio Fasan, detained six crew and their vessels following reported attacks on a 52,000 metric ton containership and a fishing vessel over a 24 hour period on November 17 and 18 in the Southern Somali Basin. During the incidents a number of rocket propelled grenades were fired against the containership…
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14 Nov 2017
Former Maersk Boss Named Unifeeder Chairman
Nils Smedegaard Andersen has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of Denmark based feeder and shortsea operator Unifeeder, taking up his first directorship within the logistics and shipping industry after stepping down from his position as Group Chief Executive Officer of A.P. Moller - Maersk A/S in 2016. Andersen, who is a board member and strategic adviser to Unifeeder’s largest investor, e.g.
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14 Nov 2017
Odfjell, Sinochem Form Chemical Tanker Pool
Odfjell SE said it has signed Framework Agreement with Sinochem Shipping Singapore Pte. Ltd whereby the Norwegian ship owner will take four vessels on long-term bareboat charter and together form a pool of eight 40,900 dwt chemical tankers. The four chemical tankers are part of Sinochem’s series of eight ordered from Hantong Wing Shipyard in China. Sinochem will retain ownership of the series’ four other vessels…
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14 Nov 2017
Kleven, Lürssen Partner to Build Explorer Vessel
Norwegian shipbuilder Kleven said it has signed a contract with German based luxury yacht designer and builder Lürssen to collaborate for the delivery of a 100-meter-long exploration vessel newbuild for a non-disclosed customer. Kleven said the vessel will be built, partly outfitted and technically finalized at Kleven Verft in Norway, before final outfitting at Lürssen’s Blohm+Voss facility in Hamburg, Germany.
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10 Nov 2017
Intellian to Develop New US Navy Antennas
Intellian Technologies USA, Inc. said it has been awarded a contract to research, design and deliver antenna systems for the U.S. Navy. Under the terms of the contract the new antenna system will provide enhanced capabilities and will allow the Navy to retire an older generation system, Intellian said. The product will be certified to MIL-STD 167-A & 461-F.
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03 Nov 2017
Teekay’s New Shuttle Tanker Delivered
Teekay Offshore said it has taken delivery of Beothuk Spirit, the first of three new shuttle tankers to serve East Coast Canada, built in Korea by Samsung Heavy Industries. Heritage Class sister vessels Norse Spirit and Dorset Spirit are scheduled for delivery in the first half of November 2017 and early-2018 respectively. The three Suezmax, DP2 shuttle tankers will provide crude transportation services to the Hibernia, Terra Nova, White Rose and Hebron offshore oil fields located in St.
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03 Nov 2017
Gondan Launches First of Four New Ferries for Baleària
The first of four new catamaran ferries being constructed by Gondan for owner Baleària has been launched by the shipyard's GRP Division. The four ferries, which are due to be delivered between the end of this year and the middle of 2018, are designed to operate on short distance trips in the Balearic Islands. According to the builder, the 28-meter-long GRP ecofast ferries have capacity for 350 passengers and are designed focusing on eco-efficiency, comfort and speed during navigation.
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03 Nov 2017
M/V Harvey Blue-Sea Delivered
Harvey Gulf International Marine has taken delivery of M/V Harvey Blue-Sea, a new large capacity, Jones Act qualified multipurpose support vessel (MPSV) from Eastern Shipbuilding Group. With the delivery of the 340-foot Harvey Blue-Sea, which follows sister vessel M/V Harvey Sub-Sea delivered in July 2017, Harvey Gulf said it now owns and operates the two largest U.S. flag construction vessels in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
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03 Nov 2017
Vard to Build Vessel for Midt-Norsk Havbruk
Vard Holdings Limited said it has secured a contract to build a new aquaculture service vessel for Midt-Norsk Havbruk in Norway. The vessel is scheduled for Q2 2018 delivery from Vard Aukra in Norway, who has previously delivered a live fish treatment barge to the same customer. The new vessel has been developed by Midt-Norsk Havbruk in close cooperation with Marin Design and is specially designed for fish farming operations.
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02 Nov 2017
Coin Ceremony Held for Costa Venezia
Carnival Corporation’s Italian brand Costa Cruises held a coin ceremony for its newest ship, Costa Venezia, which is being built to service the Chinese market from 2019. The new 135,500-ton cruise liner is being built by Italy-based shipbuilder Fincantieri, and is the first Vista-class ship specifically designed and built for China. Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia, said, “The Costa…
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31 Oct 2017
Keel Laid for First Virgin Voyages Ship
A keel laying ceremony was held at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa, Italy for the first of three new cruise ships to be built for the Virgin Group’s new cruise line arm Virgin Voyages. The ceremony was attended by Richard Branson, founder of Virgin; Tom McAlpin, President and CEO of Virgin Voyages; Alberto Maestrini, Fincantieri General Manager; Giovanni Toti, President of the Liguria Region; Marco Bucci, the mayor of Genoa; and other authorities.