Derecktor to build new ferry for Georgia’s Sapelo Island
03 Nov

Derecktor to build new ferry for Georgia’s Sapelo Island

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has awarded Derecktor Shipyards a contract to build a 70-foot, 150-passenger catamaran ferry that will provide a vital transportation link between Sapelo Island and the Georgia mainland. Construction of the Chartwell Marine-designed vessel is scheduled to begin before the end of 2026 at Derecktor's shipyard in Dania Beach, Fla. The ferry will operate between…
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CARB seeks industry input on alternative fuels, emissions technology
03 Nov

CARB seeks industry input on alternative fuels, emissions technology

Tom EwingMaritime News
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) will hold a virtual meeting Nov. 17 to gather technical feedback on alternative marine fuels and emissions-reduction technologies as the agency considers new measures to reduce pollution from oceangoing vessels operating in California waters. The meeting, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to noon Pacific time, will focus on CARB's Updated Technology Assessment for Ocean-Going Vessels,…
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All American Marine launches second Alaska tour vessel
02 Nov

All American Marine launches second Alaska tour vessel

Professional MarinerMaritime News
All American Marine has launched North Star, an 84.5-foot aluminum catamaran built for Phillips Cruises & Tours to operate sightseeing excursions in Alaska's Prince William Sound. The hydrofoil-assisted vessel is the second built by the Bellingham, Wash., shipyard for the tour operator, following Chugach Express, which has completed three seasons of service. Both vessels are designed to carry up to 150…
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NTSB calls for new safety standards for uncrewed vessels
30 Oct

NTSB calls for new safety standards for uncrewed vessels

Professional MarinerMaritime News
The National Transportation Safety Board is calling for new federal safety standards governing uncrewed surface vessels after determining that a NOAA research vessel involved in a 2024 collision on Lake Erie was difficult to detect and inadequately monitored. In a report released Oct. 27, the NTSB issued six safety recommendations addressing vessel visibility, remote monitoring and collision avoidance, including a…
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Study finds widening gap between seafarer training and real-world competency
27 Oct

Study finds widening gap between seafarer training and real-world competency

Professional MarinerMaritime News
A new study has found a widening gap between seafarers' formal qualifications and their ability to handle the increasingly complex demands of modern vessel operations, as digital technology transforms the maritime workplace. The research, conducted by maritime innovation consultancy Thetius on behalf of Lloyd's Register-owned maritime software provider OneOcean, found that just 18 percent of maritime professionals surveyed believe current…
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MarAd ends first NSMV activation, returning ‘Empire State VII’ to SUNY
22 Oct

MarAd ends first NSMV activation, returning ‘Empire State VII’ to SUNY

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News
After being called into federal service in late August for an undisclosed national security mission, the training ship Empire State VII is expected to return to SUNY Maritime College, bringing an early end to the first federal activation of the nation's new National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) fleet. “The federal activation plan has changed, and the ship is now expected…
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Safety Alert: Coast Guard clarifies local navigation rules for commercial vessels
16 Oct

Safety Alert: Coast Guard clarifies local navigation rules for commercial vessels

Professional MarinerMaritime News, Uncategorized
The U.S. Coast Guard recently issued a safety alert clarifying that federally inspected commercial vessels are not automatically exempt from state and local navigation safety requirements, including no-wake zones. The alert followed an investigation into a marine casualty in which the wake of a commercial towing vessel swamped and capsized a recreational boat. “The investigation found that both the credentialed…
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November sinking planned for historic ‘SS United States’
14 Oct

November sinking planned for historic ‘SS United States’

Bill BleyerMaritime News
After delays in obtaining required federal permits, Okaloosa County in Florida has announced plans to sink the historic ocean liner SS United States during the second week of November, creating what is expected to become the world's largest artificial reef. The vessel is scheduled to be deployed in the Gulf of Mexico about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton…
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Matson Christens First of Three New Aloha Class Containerships
14 Oct

Matson Christens First of Three New Aloha Class Containerships

Professional MarinerMaritime News
Matson and Hanwha Philly Shipyard have christened Makua, the first of three new Aloha Class containerships being built under a roughly $1 billion construction program to modernize the carrier's Hawaii and China-Long Beach Express services. The vessel was christened Oct. 10 at Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, where Matson board member Jenai Wall broke a ceremonial bottle of champagne against…
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Metal Shark wins patrol boat contracts for Cameroon, Georgia
14 Oct

Metal Shark wins patrol boat contracts for Cameroon, Georgia

Professional MarinerMaritime News
Louisiana-based boatbuilder Metal Shark has been awarded two U.S. Coast Guard Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contracts to build patrol boats for the maritime forces of Cameroon and the Republic of Georgia. Each contract includes a 38 Defiant patrol boat, transport trailer, spare-parts package and operator training. The vessels will be constructed at Metal Shark's production facility in Jeanerette, La. "These…
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