Trends – Professional Mariner

Emerging AI technology can create safer, more efficient maritime operations

What exactly can artificial intelligence (AI) do for mariners? Well, potentially a lot. Like the emergence of electronics more than a century ago, it may not always be the answer, but in general AI can enhance many existing aspects of maritime practices and potentially revolutionize others. For starters, the capabilities of AI can serve as a critical backstop for crew,…

Navy Secretary urges investment in U.S. shipbuilding

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro has met with two top South Korean shipbuilding industry executives in the Republic of Korea (ROK) for talks aimed at attracting Korean investment in “integrated commercial and naval shipbuilding facilities” in the U.S. Del Toro first visited Seoul, where he met with Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Dong Kwan Kim and HD Hyundai Vice…

National Maritime Day

Every year on May 22, National Maritime Day recognizes the launch of the maritime industry in the United States. The celebration also honors America’s merchant mariners for their contributions and sacrifices for our country. Special acknowledgment is given to ships and seafarers that have held a prominent place in our nation’s history. As a fundamental industry, its time-honored traditions comprise…

Concerns grow over Chinese cranes at U.S. ports

Cyber security and the perceived vulnerability of the nation’s supply chain has turned a spotlight on the ship-to-shore (STS) container cranes manufactured by China’s Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company (ZPMC) that are installed at a number of U.S. ports. Currently, nearly 80 percent of the cranes at U.S. ports were built by ZPMC, one of the largest manufacturers in the…

Training mariners for a safe and efficient career at sea

Despite the downsides of a maritime career, a professional life at sea can provide high pay and good benefits, interesting and meaningful work, and exciting experiences that stretch to the horizon and beyond. A variety of mariner jobs beckon with learning the right way to do things in the wheelhouse, on deck and below, playing a critical role in developing…

New Merchant Marine Credential format unveiled

On March 1, the U.S. Coast Guard began issuing merchant mariner credentials (MMCs) in a new format that replaces the legacy passport-style red book and associated endorsement labels. The MMC consolidates the credentials issued to merchant mariners into a single document, and streamlines the application process by removing the requirement that all mariners appear at one of 17 Regional Exam…

New eLog software OK’d for use on U.S.-flag ships

ABS-affiliated software-as-a-service company ABS Wavesight has had its eLogs software formally approved by the U.S. Coast Guard for use by U.S.-flag ships. The approval makes ABS Wavesight, first unveiled in 2022, one of only three maritime software providers to receive such approval on the basis of the USCG’s guidance under USCG NVIC 01-23. NVIC 01-23 provides guidance to the owners and…

ARC acquires a new RO/RO carrier

Ponte Vedra, Fla.-based American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier Group (ARC) has added a ninth such U.S.-flag vessel to its fleet. The roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) ship is a former Wallenius-Wilhelmsen large car/truck carrier, the Tulane, built in 2012. The ship was re-flagged to U.S. registry and renamed ARC Honor in a ceremony conducted with the U.S. Coast Guard at the Port of Incheon, South Korea.…

The two Wind Energy Areas encompass a combined 195,012 acres of water off the coast of Oregon.

BOEM (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) has designated two final Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) for development off the Oregon coast. The Coos Bay WEA covers 61,204 acres approximately 32 miles offshore, while the Brookings WEA is 133,808 acres in size and is located about 18 miles off the coast, close to the border with California. If fully developed, the final…

Pacific Northwest ports gear-up

In 2015, the Federal Maritime Commission approved a plan that authorized the creation of the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) by the ports of Tacoma and Seattle. The Alliance established a framework for, among other goals, the joint management of the ports’ marine cargo operations and the design and execution of marketing strategies to build business volumes. December 2023 container…