Maritime News – Page 16 – Professional Mariner

‘Midshipman X’ and second female USMMA cadet sue Maersk Line Ltd.

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) student who described her rape aboard a merchant ship in an online essay has filed a lawsuit against Maersk Line Ltd. The woman, who wrote under the name “Midshipman X,” identified herself as Hope Hicks. A second USMMA student using the name “Midshipman Y” also is suing the shipper, alleging she faced sexual…

Coast Guard highlights risk from unsafe pilot boarding arrangements

The U.S. Coast Guard is warning pilots, ship operators and foreign flag states to be vigilant about unsafe gate arrangements at the top of a pilot boarding ladder. In a safety alert issued this spring, the service highlighted a fatal fall from a pilot ladder on a ship with a gateway arrangement that did not meet International Maritime Organization…

Delays expected as WSF re-opens bidding on electric ferry project

Washington State Ferries (WSF) will seek new bidders for its hybrid-electric ferry project after failing to reach agreement with Vigor, one of its longtime shipbuilding partners in the Seattle area. The two sides confirmed separately that they could not come to terms on key aspects of a proposed contract for final design work and construction of five battery-electric/diesel hybrid…

Fight between Centerline, Harley Franco reaches the courtroom

Both sides are claiming victory after an initial courtroom battle involving Harley Franco and the towing company he founded more than 30 years ago. In June, a 12-person Seattle jury ruled Macquarie Capital, Macquarie Marine Services and a company executive must pay Franco $75.1 million in damages stemming from claims of defamation and tortious interference that Franco raised in a…

Survey shows most mariners aren’t all that happy on the job

The latest Seafarers Happiness Index found the lowest levels of fulfillment among oceangoing mariners since the project launched in 2015. “Seafarers continue to work with dedication, professionalism, care and resolve,” according to the quarterly index compiled by Mission to Seafarers. “However, many are facing a time like never before, with a pandemic, a war and commercial decisions all impacting them.”…

Congress passes law targeting shipping fees, port congestion

President Joe Biden has signed a bipartisan law aimed at addressing port congestion, skyrocketing overseas shipping costs and other issues amplified during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) updates shipping regulations last modified in 1998. The law gives the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) new oversight and enforcement tools to target unfair shipping practices or pricing. “There…

Women take the helm at U.S. Coast Guard, Maritime Administration

The U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) are both under new leadership. President Joe Biden instated Adm. Linda Fagan as Coast Guard commandant during a change-of-command ceremony on June 1 in Washington. About three weeks earlier, the U.S. Senate confirmed retired Navy Rear Adm. Ann Phillips as MarAd administrator. Fagan is the first woman to lead any…

Report: Offshore wind towers interfere with marine radar

Maritime vessel operators need to be aware of new and heightened concerns about how offshore wind (OSW) towers can interfere with and degrade radar systems. Mariners can be impacted on at least two fronts, one being interference with marine vessel radar. According to a report released earlier this year by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), wind towers undercut…

Foss tugboat crews rescue man floating on the Columbia River

Crews aboard the Foss Maritime tugboats Betsy L. and P.J. Brix were preparing a barge tow on the Columbia River, just up from the Bonneville Dam, when someone on board spotted what they thought was unusual debris floating downriver. Capt. Eric Braden aboard the towboat P.J. Brix and his counterpart Capt. Dane Howard on Betsy L. initially thought it…

Key actors in Coast Guard test-fixing scheme plead guilty

Two former U.S. Coast Guard employees have pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a test-score-fixing scheme in Louisiana, and charges against another former employee have been upgraded. Dorothy Smith and Beverly McCrary pleaded guilty on Feb. 24 before Judge Barry Ashe to conspiracy to defraud the United States, U.S. Attorney Duane Evans announced in New Orleans this spring. The maximum…