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Friday, February 28, 2025
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21 Feb 2025

Schmidt Ocean Institute Successfully Concludes Inaugural Antarctic Expedition

Penguins, Falkor Image Courtesy Schmidt Ocean Institute

After a year of preparing the ship and crew, Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor (too) has completed its first science expedition to Antarctica. The three-week expedition, which ended in early January, was ambitious in its science scope and required operational refinements to navigate safely in unfamiliar environmental conditions.“Operating our ship in the Southern Ocean marks a significant milestone in Schmidt Ocean Institute’s history,” said Eric King, senior director of maritime infrastructure.

11 Feb 2025

Aiviq becomes USCGC Storis, to be based in Juneau

The Coast Guard on Dec. 20 completed acceptance of the motor vessel Aiviq from an Edison Chouest Offshore subsidiary. The vessel, acquired Dec. 11 through a $125 million firm fixed-price contract award to Offshore Service Vessels of Cut Off, Louisiana, will enhance U.S. operational presence in the Arctic and support Coast Guard missions while awaiting delivery of the polar security cutter (PSC) class.) [Credit: Edison Chouest Offshore]

The Coast Guard gets its first new polar icebreaker in more than 25 years.The Coast Guard has accepted its first new polar icebreaker in more than 25 years, but it’s not really new. The 12,900-ton, 360-foot Anchor Handling Tug Support Ship (AHTS) Aiviq was acquired by the Coast Guard and renamed USCGC Storis (WAGB 21).According to a Coast Guard statement, “On Nov. 20, the Coast Guard purchased the M/V Aiviq, a 360-foot U.S.-built polar class 3-equivalent icebreaker for $125 million in a deal with Offshore Surface Vessels LLC.

10 Feb 2025

Trump, Musk to Turn Focus on DoD, Navy Shipbuilding

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class John Bellino

President Donald Trump said that Elon Musk will lead an audit of the Pentagon, aiming to uncover what he claims could be "hundreds of billions of dollars" in fraud and abuse.During a Super Bowl interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, Trump revealed his plans to instruct Musk to broaden his oversight beyond the Department of Education to include the Department of Defense. “We're going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse,” Trump asserted, referring to the Pentagon…

06 Feb 2025

Panama President Tells US to Stop Spreading Lies

© vintagepix / Adobe Stock

Panama President Jose Raul Mulino said on Thursday the U.S. was spreading "lies and falsehoods" after the State Department claimed U.S. government vessels would be able to pass through the Panama Canal without paying.The comments were likely to exacerbate tensions between the two countries after the U.S. had cited progress on military cooperation and confronting alleged Chinese influence over the canal.Later, Mulino added on social media that he would speak to U.S. President Donald…

06 Feb 2025

Maritime Insurers to Keep Facilitating Free Trade as Trump's Tariffs Loom

(Credit: IUMI)

The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) has restated their intention to facilitate free maritime trade, as the protectionist measures were not in the interests of the marine insurance community. In an interconnected global economy, protectionism in the form of trade tariffs was said to run counter to IUMI’s values of securing free trade and maintaining and growing the global economy, the organization said at an executive meeting held earlier in February.Tension and conflict continue to impact free trade in the Black, Red, and Baltic areas.

02 Feb 2025

Summing Up the U.S., the Panama Canal and China

copyright Solarisys/AdobeStock

Some U.S. lawmakers and officials are touting a nearly half-century-old treaty between the United States and Panama to justify the Trump administration's threat to reclaim the Panama Canal - provided it can show the strategic waterway's operation is under threat.Others, however, say hurdles would loom for any bid to use the 1977 Panama Canal Neutrality Treaty, which took effect in 1999 and guarantees that the canal would remain neutral and open to all ships from all countries, as a pretext for the U.S. to seize it.The 82-km (51-mile) waterway's construction was completed by the U.S.

31 Jan 2025

Xeneta: Ocean Box Rates to Fall Again in February

(c) aishzwn / Adobestock

Middle East ceasefire and Lunar New Year will see ocean container freight rates fall further in February - with carriers now taking action to slow the market decline.Latest data from Xeneta – an ocean and air freight intelligence platform – shows average spot rates from the Far East stand at USD 3 795 per FEU (40ft container) into North Europe and USD 5 085 per FEU into the Mediterranean – down 22% and 13% respectively since 1 January.Early data suggests spot rates will fall further on 1 February…

28 Jan 2025

Senators Weigh In on Panama Canal Concerns

© searagen / Adobe Stock

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Tuesday expressed alarm at China's influence on the Panama Canal, which President Donald Trump has vowed the United States would take back."Chinese companies are building a bridge across the canal – at a slow pace so as to take nearly a decade – and control container ports at either end," Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz said at a hearing on the canal's role in U.S. trade and national security."The partially-completed bridge gives China the ability to block the canal without warning…

29 Jan 2025

MEGA INFRASTRUCTURE: Inside the Chickamauga Lock Upgrade Project

The sun rises Jan. 5, 2022 over Chickamauga Lock on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which is operated and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District. (USACE Photo by Leon Roberts)

This episode of Maritime Matters: The MarineLink Podcast, delves into the critical importance of the inland waterways infrastructure in the U.S., focusing on the Chickamauga Lock Project on the Tennessee River. A trio of experts – Tracy Zea, President & CEO of WCI; Elizabeth Burks, USACE Nashville Division Chief; and Capt. Joe Cotton, Project Manager, Chickamauga Lock Project – discuss the current state of the inland waterways, the history and significance of the Chickamauga Lock…

27 Jan 2025

Port Houston Breaks Volume Record in 2024

Image courtesy Port Houston

Port Houston achieved a historic milestone in 2024, handling a record-breaking 53.07 million tons of cargo, a 6% increase over 2023 at its public terminals. Container volume also surged by 8%, reinforcing the port's critical role in facilitating trade and driving economic growth for Houston, the surrounding region, and the nation."Houston is at the heart of our nation’s trade, connecting our region to global markets," said Charlie Jenkins, CEO of Port Houston. "This record tonnage achievement reflects the dedication of our team and our strong partnerships with labor and key stakeholders.

27 Jan 2025

INTERVIEW: Patrick Murphy, PVA President and President, Blue & Gold Fleet, LP

Patrick Murphy, President of Blue & Gold Fleet, L.P., and president of PVA.

Patrick Murphy has been President of Blue & Gold Fleet, L.P., the San Francisco Bay Area’s largest and premier provider of Bay Cruises and ferry service, since 2016. Murphy grew up in the Maritime business. His father, Roger Murphy, founded Blue & Gold Fleet in 1979. Patrick Murphy began his career in 1982, working part-time in the Box Office and as a Deckhand before receiving his United States Coast Guard’s license in 1995 and was promoted to Captain in 1996. In 2005, Murphy advanced to Blue & Gold Fleet Operations Manager, and then to Director of Operations in 2009.

26 Jan 2025

CMA CGM Not Yet Willing to Risk Red Sea

© Maritime Art Blog / Adobe Stock

French shipping and logistics group CMA CGM will continue to avoid the Red Sea even though it considers the region is more stable following the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, it said on Saturday.Shipping executives remain cautious about a return to the Red Sea, where Iran-backed Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships since November 2023, leading most shipping companies to divert vessels to other routes.CMA-CGM said in a statement the improved stability was "a positive but fragile sign" for the industry, and safety was a priority."Given the ongoing tensions and a

24 Jan 2025

Maersk rules out early return to Gulf of Aden

(c) Fotokon / Adobestock

Maersk will continue to divert vessels away from the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea and toward the southern tip of Africa despite Yemen's Houthis announcing they will curb their attacks on ships, the container shipping giant said on Friday.The Danish shipping company said the announcement by the Iran-backed militant group was "a very welcome step in the right direction towards stability and eventual normality for the global shipping industry".However, it said the security risk for commercial…

20 Jan 2025

Trump 2.0: "Gulf of America" & Taking Back the Canal

(U.S. Army photo by Patrick Albright, Maneuver Center of Excellence, Fort Benning Public Affairs)

President Donald Trump vowed again that the United States would take back the Panama Canal as he delivered an inauguration speech in which he invoked the 19th century expansionist doctrine of "Manifest Destiny."Doubling down on his pre-inauguration threat to reimpose U.S. control over the canal, Trump again accused Panama of breaking the promises it made for the final transfer of the strategic waterway in 1999 and of ceding its operation to China - claims that the Panamanian government has vehemently denied."We didn't give it to China.

16 Jan 2025

Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd: No immediate return to Red Sea

©Hladchenko Viktor/AdobeStock

Two of the world's top shipping companies, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, said on Thursday they did not see an immediate return to Red Sea after the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was announced.Both companies said they would be closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East and would return to the Red Sea once it was safe to do so."The agreement has only just been reached. We will closely analyze the latest developments and their impact on the security situation in the Red Sea…

16 Jan 2025

AAPA Announces Policy Agenda for America’s Ports

©Tom Nast/AdobeStock

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), the unified voice of our nation’s seaports, today released their policy agenda for the 119th Congress and the incoming Donald J. Trump Administration to revitalize America’s ports, keep America safe and secure, and unleash sustainable economic growth. The agenda was developed with extensive input from its 80 plus member public port authorities and will serve as an advocacy guide to inform the Federal Government and industry of the port industry’s top policy priorities.“There’s no such thing as a strong America without strong ports…

14 Jan 2025

Bibby Marine Inks Shipbuilding Contract for eCSOV with Spanish Shipyard

(Credit: Bibby Marine)

Bibby Marine has signed a new shipbuilding contract with Spanish shipyard Armon to build its electric Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (eCSOV) for offshore wind industry.The eCSOV will feature a battery system complemented by dual-fuel methanol engines offering alternative green operating solutions.With the capability to operate solely on battery power for a typical full day of operations, the range of the vessel will allow for passage from field to port and return.Integrating…

16 Jan 2025

Panama Canal Slots Going Unfilled

©searagen/AdobeStock

The average number of vessels that passed through the Panama Canal in December increased to 34.2 per day, according to a notice from its authority seen on Monday, but the waterway did not fill all the slots on offer, a sign that some ships continue taking alternative routes.The canal, the world's second busiest and the only interoceanic way that operates with freshwater, between August and September lifted passage restrictions following a severe drought that forced a limit to…

06 Jan 2025

New Bunkering Service Debuts in Canadian Port

Image courtesy Robert Allan Ltd.

The port of Prince Rupert has welcomed the startup of Wolverine Terminals’ marine bunkering service for deep sea shipping, adding a key logistical capability to this strategic deepwater port on the west coast of Canada. Using a unique pair of barges designed by Robert Allan Ltd., Wolverine Terminals can deliver a wide range of fuels to suit the needs of vessels calling at the port, including marine diesel, heavy, intermediate, and other blends to individual customer specifications.The Wolverine Terminals fleet is composed of a transloading barge and a fuel delivery (lightering) barge.

01 Jan 2025

Single Point of Failure Led to Grounding

Source: ATSB

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has issued several safety recommendations after an electrical short circuit led to the grounding of a bulk carrier in the channel off Port Hedland, in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.On April 9, 2022, the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Hagen Oldendorff departed its berth with a harbor pilot on board and four tugs assisting for an outbound passage of Port Hedland’s 40km dredged channel.During the transit, shortly after completing a turn…

26 Dec 2024

WASHINGTON WATCH: Looking Forward and Aft at the Maritime Political Landscape

Copyright Igor/AdobeStock

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. The tentative agreement reopened ports stretching from Maine to Texas following a three-day strike.

24 Dec 2024

Christmas @ Sea: “Seas and Greetings” from NOC

RRS James Cook Captain John Leask (right) and electro technical officer Harvey Jack (left) with the NOC’s Autosub Long Range (ALR) underwater robot (aka Boaty McBoatface), complete with some festive tinsel. Image courtesy 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, are out in the Atlantic Ocean over this Christmas period…

23 Dec 2024

Trump Threatens to Retake Control of Panama Canal

President-elect Donald Trump threatened to reassert U.S. control over the Panama Canal on Sunday, accusing Panama of charging excessive rates to use the Central American passage and drawing a sharp rebuke from Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino.Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Arizona, Trump also said he would not let the canal fall into the "wrong hands," warning of potential Chinese influence on the passage.After the event, he posted an image on Truth Social of an American flag flying over a narrow body of water, with the comment: "Welcome to the United States Canal!""Has anyone ever heard of the Panama Canal?" Trump said at AmericaFest, an annual event organized by Turning Point, an allied conservative group.