Maritime News – Professional Mariner

03 Oct

ARC expands U.S. fleet with reflagged ro-ro

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsJones Act, shipping

(PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.) — American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier Group (ARC) has added ARC Endeavor to its U.S.-flag fleet. ARC Endeavor was reflagged to American registry on Sept. 27 as the 10th U.S.-flag roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessel in ARC’s fleet. The reflag was conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard in the Port of Baltimore. “ARC has consistently invested in new tonnage…

03 Oct

Healy heads back to Arctic after engine room fire

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreakers, U.S. Coast Guard

(SEATTLE) — The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Healy (WAGB 20) departed Seattle on Tuesday, beginning a months-long Arctic deployment. Healy’s earlier science mission was cut short due to an onboard electrical fire. Healy returned to Seattle for an inspection and repairs. The crew will support scientists conducting three distinct science missions during Healy’s fall 2024 Arctic deployment. Other science of…

02 Oct

Florida county signs deal to turn idle liner into reef

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsSalvage

(PHILADELPHIA) — A historic ocean liner that once ferried immigrants, Hollywood stars and heads of state may soon find its final resting place at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, after a Florida county inked a tentative deal to turn the ship into the world's largest artificial reef, WPVI News reported. The contract approved Tuesday by officials in Okaloosa…

01 Oct

Philly Shipyard cuts steel on LNG-ready Matson boxship

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsshipbuilding, shipping

(PHILADELPHIA) — Philly Shipyard began construction Monday on the first of three new Aloha-class containerships for Matson. The ships, scheduled for delivery in 2026 and 2027, will serve Matson's Hawaii and China-Long Beach Express (CLX) routes. The three new Jones Act-compliant vessels, representing an investment of approximately $1 billion, will be built to match the size and speed of Matson's…

01 Oct

Dockworkers’ strike halts cargo at East Coast, Gulf ports

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsPorts, shipping

(BALTIMORE) — Union dockworkers at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports began walking picket lines early Tuesday, halting the movement of billions of dollars' worth of goods including furniture, paper, shoes, manufacturing components, farm machinery and much more, NPR reported. The pickets began just after midnight, after talks between the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance…

30 Sep

$2 million fine levied for oil dumping; captain faces prison

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsPollution, Regulation, U.S. Coast Guard

(NEW ORLEANS) — Two corporations that operated the motor tanker PS Dream — Prive Overseas Marine LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret — were sentenced Thursday in federal court to pay a $2 million criminal penalty and complete four years of probation for concealing an oil discharge from the ship. The companies pleaded guilty in May to charges of conspiracy,…

30 Sep

Philly Shipyard delivers new Mass. Maritime training vessel

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsLicensing and training, shipbuilding

(PHILADELPHIA) — Philly Shipyard on Thursday delivered Patriot State, the second of five new purpose-built training vessels for America’s state maritime academies. The new national security multi-mission vessels (NSMVs) were designed to provide world-class training for America’s future mariners and to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions in times of need. Patriot State will serve Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “We…

26 Sep

Seaspan: New BC Ferries won’t be built in BC

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsshipbuilding

(NORTH VANCOUVER, British Columbia) — On Sept. 16, BC Ferries publicly announced the release of a request for proposal for its New Major Vessel (NMV) program. Seaspan has assessed the competition for the BC Ferries NMV program and concluded that it does not support the opportunity for the BC maritime sector to make a meaningful contribution to building these vessels…

26 Sep

Digitalization causing bridge alarm rates to soar

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newssafety, technology

(LONDON) — Digitalization of maritime operations has led to the number of vessel bridge alarms increasing by 197 percent in less than two decades, which may be contributing to poorer decision making, according to new research from Lloyd’s Register (LR). The report calls for the number of alarms on ships to be rationalized to ensure they support officers’ and watchkeepers’…

23 Sep

Hydrofoil ferry for Puget Sound gets design grant

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsshipbuilding, technology

(SEATTLE) –– Kitsap Transit will receive $1.2 million for the design of an all-electric, zero-emission demonstration fast ferry and its shoreside charging infrastructure, the Washington State Department of Commerce recently announced. Last week’s grant builds upon a $4 million state Legislature grant that will help pay for the design of the demonstration vessel: a scaled-down version of the 150-passenger foil…