Professional Mariner Staff – Professional Mariner

10 Oct

Bollinger, Finnish yard to build first Arctic security cutters

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreakers, shipbuilding, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — President Trump on Thursday announced that Bollinger Shipyards, in conjunction with Rauma Marine Constructions, Seaspan Shipyards and Aker Arctic Technology Inc., will lead an effort to supply six Arctic security cutters under an initiative to deliver next-generation icebreakers to the U.S. Coast Guard by 2028, USNI News reported. “We sort of have almost a monopoly on icebreakers if…

09 Oct

NMC update: Government shutdown and mitigation measures

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, UncategorizedLicensing and training, U.S. Coast Guard

(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — The National Maritime Center (NMC) and all Regional Examination Centers (RECs) remain closed. Customer walk-in service at the RECs is suspended. Examinations and other REC appointments are canceled. To mitigate the impact caused by the government shutdown, the NMC has implemented the following measures: • Email submission of applications and supporting documentation remains active. Processing will resume…

09 Oct

TSB: Overloaded barge led to crewmember overboard, loss of cargo

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsshipping, TSB

(QUEBEC CITY) — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its investigation report into a loss of cargo and a person who fell overboard in Frobisher Bay, Nunavut. On Oct. 27, 2023, the barge Tasijuaq was being used for transshipping cargo from the vessel Sivumut to the Port of Iqaluit, Nunavut, with the assistance of tugboats. During the…

09 Oct

Port of Long Beach awarded $20 million for Pier Wind

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsoffshore wind, Ports, shipbuilding

(LONG BEACH, Calif.) — The Port of Long Beach on Wednesday was awarded $20 million by the California Energy Commission to fund the ongoing development of Pier Wind, a proposed 400-acre terminal to assemble and deploy floating offshore wind turbines. The Port of Long Beach will match $11 million to complete engineering, environmental, business planning and community outreach requirements needed…

09 Oct

Maine Maritime, Northwest Maritime partner on Blue Schools Initiative

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & TrainingJobs

(PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. and CASTINE, Maine) —Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) and Northwest Maritime Center have announced a partnership to establish the Blue Schools Initiative in the Greater Portland-Brunswick and Midcoast Maine areas. This initiative aims to increase awareness and create opportunities for students to explore careers in the maritime sector, including vessel operation, marine construction, and marine resources and aquaculture.…

07 Oct

St. Johns Ship Building gets three-barge contract from Johnson Bros.

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsshipbuilding, Tugboats and towing

(PALATKA, Fla.) — St. Johns Ship Building has been awarded a contract by Johnson Bros. Corp. for the construction of three 140-by-40-by-8-foot steel material deck barges with spud wells. Founded in 1929, Johnson Bros. is a leader in the infrastructure industry, working with both private and public clients. In 2012, Johnson Bros. joined Southland Holdings, which is one of the…

06 Oct

MarAd advisory: Foreign tech threats and cyber influence

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, Ports, Security

(WASHINGTON) — This advisory from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) continues to alert maritime stakeholders of potential vulnerabilities to maritime port equipment, networks, operating systems, software and infrastructure. Foreign companies manufacture, install and maintain port equipment that creates vulnerabilities to global maritime infrastructure information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) systems. In the past few years, the U.S. government has…

06 Oct

Vancouver posts record trade as Canada expands markets

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsPorts, shipping

(VANCOUVER, British Columbia) — The Port of Vancouver moved record volumes of Canadian cargo in the first six months of 2025, delivering made-in-Canada grain, energy and fertilizer exports to diverse world markets against a challenging geopolitical backdrop. The port’s mid-year cargo statistics show a 13 percent increase in cargo moved between January and June 2025, compared to the same six-month…

06 Oct

Newest Coast Guard icebreaker completes first patrol

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreakers, shipbuilding

(SEATTLE) — The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Storis (WAGB 21), the service’s newest commissioned icebreaker, arrived in Seattle on Friday after completing its 112-day inaugural patrol. Storis departed Pascagoula, Miss., on June 1, then transited the Panama Canal and the Pacific Ocean en route to conduct its first Arctic patrol operating north of the Bering Strait to control, secure and defend…

03 Oct

Colonna’s acquiring fourth dry dock for Norfolk yard

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsshipbuilding

(NORFOLK, Va.) — Colonna’s Shipyard, the oldest continuously operating family-owned shipyard in the United States, has announced the acquisition of its fourth dry dock, marking a significant milestone in its long-standing commitment to supporting commercial and government customers, its workforce, and the city of Norfolk. According to company officials, the new dry dock represents a major company investment of over…