Professional Mariner Staff – Professional Mariner

10 Oct

SOCP offers training course for sex assault/sex harassment contacts

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training

(WOODINVILLE, Wash.) — The Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP), in cooperation with National Organization for Victim Advocacy, has announced the release of a maritime-based course for industry SASH (sexual assault/sexual harassment) contacts. The SOCP’s Achieving a Respectful Onboard Culture (AROC) technical team developed the course under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) to support the Every Mariner…

10 Oct

Grain cargoes continue to lead Great Lakes-Seaway traffic

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Ports, shipping

(OTTAWA, Ontario) — The fall season is the busiest time of year for marine shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, and agricultural commodities and steel continue to drive activity in 2024. As noted in a release recently issued by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., there has been:…

10 Oct

ABS to set up industry innovation center for MarAd

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsLicensing and training

(WASHINGTON) — The Maritime Administration (MarAd) recently selected the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to establish and maintain the U.S. Center for Maritime Innovation as its secretariat. Support for the congressionally authorized center comes from MarAd’s Office of Environment and Innovation through the Maritime Environmental and Technical Assistance (META) program. The center will promote the study, research, development, assessment and…

09 Oct

MarAd advisory: Threats to IT systems, automated cranes

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, Ports, Security, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — This advisory from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) seeks 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…

08 Oct

Deck hand asleep at helm led to Columbia River dock strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — A deck hand at the helm of a towing vessel had fallen asleep before the tow struck a dock near Clatskanie, Ore., last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. The deck hand of the towing vessel Cindy B was experiencing the effects of fatigue while at the helm on Nov. 12, 2023. The towing vessel…

08 Oct

Coast Guard seeking applicants for navigation safety panel

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry Newssafety, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard is accepting applications to fill 19 vacancies on the National Navigation Safety Advisory Committee. This is a great opportunity for passionate individuals who want to make an impact on the future of maritime navigation safety. The application deadline in the notice published in the Federal Register on Aug. 29 has been extended. Applications are…

07 Oct

Canadian Arctic, Norwegian Sea now emission control areas

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsEnvironment, IMO, Regulation

(LONDON) — The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted significant amendments to MARPOL Annex VI during the 82nd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) last week, establishing two new Emission Control Areas (ECAs). The amendments designate the Canadian Arctic and the Norwegian Sea as ECAs for nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM). The new regulations…

07 Oct

Bollinger gets Navy contract for seventh berthing barge

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsshipbuilding

(LOCKPORT, La.) — Bollinger Shipyards has been awarded a contract to build the U.S. Navy’s seventh Auxiliary Personnel Lighter-Small (APL 73) class berthing and messing barge. The contract award is for a fixed-price option for the detail design and construction of the vessel. "We’re honored to be entrusted by the U.S. Navy to continue building these critical vessels that improve the…

07 Oct

Eastern cuts steel for Florida passenger and vehicle ferry

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsferries, shipbuilding

(PANAMA CITY, Fla.) — Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) marked a milestone Friday with the official steel cutting for the new Fisher Island ferry, Falcon, at Eastern's Allanton facility. Attending the event were members of the Fisher Island Community Association (FICA). The ferry is slated for delivery to the Florida group in the spring of 2026. “The Falcon will provide a…

04 Oct

Port strike ends as dockworkers reach wage agreement

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsPorts, shipping

(BALTIMORE) — The strike by tens of thousands of dockworkers on the East and Gulf coasts has been called off, after the International Longshoremen's Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, representing ocean carriers and port operators, reached a tentative agreement on wages, NPR reported. The two sides have agreed to a 62 percent wage increase over six years, according…