Maritime News – Professional Mariner

04 Feb

U.S.-flag shipping on Great Lakes down 8.9 percent in 2025

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

(CLEVELAND) — U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) carried 71.3 million tons of cargo in 2025, an 8.9 percent decrease from a year ago, the Lake Carriers' Association reported. Cargo movement in 2025 on the Great Lakes was 8.1 percent below the fleet’s five-year average. Except for salt shipments, which increased by 4.1 percent, all commodity shipments decreased in 2025. Iron…

04 Feb

Tanker crew rescues three sailors in heavy seas off Florida

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsSearch and rescue, shipping, U.S. Coast Guard

(MIAMI) — A U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City (N.C.) air crew coordinated with the tanker Radiant Pride on Monday to rescue three people from a sailboat taking on water 450 miles east of Daytona Beach, Fla. The three sailors were brought aboard Radiant Pride in stable condition with no injuries reported. Coast Guard Southeast District command center watch…

04 Feb

Texas GulfLink gets deepwater port license to export crude

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, Ports, shipping, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Texas GulfLink has received a license to own, construct and operate a deepwater port for the export of crude oil from the United States. The license is the first to be authorized under President Trump’s Unleashing American Energy Executive Order. The deepwater port will: • Support creation of up to 720 jobs for construction and operation. • Export…

03 Feb

Galveston LNG, TOTE Services to partner on bunkering

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsLNG, propulsion

(HOUSTON) — Texas-based Galveston LNG Bunker Port (GLBP) has signed a strategic agreement with TOTE Services, a subsidiary of TOTE Group, to develop and operate dedicated liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessels. The partnership provides the maritime industry with reliable, scalable LNG bunkering to meet rising demand in the Greater Houston port complex. The agreement establishes a framework for vessel…

03 Feb

Study aims to boost cargo between Great Lakes, inland rivers

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsbrownwater, Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Ports

(WASHINGTON) — The American Great Lakes Ports Association (AGLPA), including members Ports of Indiana, the Illinois International Port District (IIPD) and Port Milwaukee, in partnership with the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. (GLS), will begin a comprehensive market analysis aimed at expanding cargo movement between the Great Lakes and inland waterways system. Together, the Great Lakes and inland…

02 Feb

NMC, exam centers close due to government shutdown

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsLicensing and training, NMC, U.S. Coast Guard

(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — Due to the government shutdown, the National Maritime Center (NMC) and all Regional Examination Centers (RECs) are closed until further notice. Customer walk-in service at the RECs is suspended. Examinations and other REC appointments are canceled. The following applies during the government shutdown: • The NMC Customer Service Center (CSC) will be open from 8 a.m. to…

02 Feb

Port of Baltimore sets records for cargo, ship visits

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsPorts, shipping

(ANNAPOLIS, Md.) — The Port of Baltimore’s state-owned public and private marine terminals set records for total cargo vessel visits and container activity in 2025. The record year follows the port's recovery in 2024 following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse – an achievement made possible by the coordinated effort to clear the Fort McHenry shipping channel into the Port…

02 Feb

Ferry completes world’s longest electric sea journey

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsferries, propulsion, technology

(STOCKHOLM, Sweden) — Demonstrating that electric passenger vessels are no longer confined to short, fixed routes – or dependent on costly, purpose-built charging infrastructure – the world’s first electric hydrofoiling ferry, Candela P-12, has completed a record-breaking voyage from Sweden’s west coast to Norway’s capital, Oslo. Electric ferries are gaining momentum globally. However, high energy consumption and limited range have…

30 Jan

New report highlights growing strain on world’s seafarers

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsHealth, Licensing and training, shipping

(MALMO, Sweden) — The World Maritime University (WMU) has published a new report, "In Search of a Sea-Life Balance in an Adverse Environment," shedding light on the realities of seafarers’ work, health and career intentions in today’s shipping industry. Commissioned by the Officers’ Union of International Seamen (OUIS), the study draws on responses from 4,372 seafarers representing 99 nationalities, making…

29 Jan

Icebreakers called to duty in New York Harbor, Hudson River

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreaking, Navigation, U.S. Coast Guard

(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Coast Guard is actively conducting icebreaking operations in New York Harbor and the Hudson River in response to worsening ice conditions caused by prolonged extreme cold and Winter Storm Fern. Ice conditions have developed and expanded quickly across New York Harbor and the Hudson River, with significant ice formation now affecting the waterway from New…