Maritime News – Page 2 – Professional Mariner

20 May

U.S. Great Lakes shipping lost 82 days due to ice delays, trade group says

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

(CLEVELAND) — The numbers are in and U.S.-flag shipping on the Great Lakes lost 1,953 hours or 82 ship days due to inadequate icebreaking during the past winter. To put 82 days in perspective, it is about a third of the shipping season on the Great Lakes as the Soo Locks close on Jan. 15. It took 96 hours after…

20 May

Mariners, operators honored at annual CSA safety awards

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newssafety, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. maritime industry publicly recognized the merchant mariners responsible for safe vessel operations at the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) Annual Safety Awards Dinner in New Orleans on May 4. The event recognized 1,157 vessels with 8,075 cumulative years of accident-free operation. U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Will Watson, commander, Heartland District, joined seafarers, Customs and…

18 May

Canada commissions largest science vessel in its fleet

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsCanadian Coast Guard, shipbuilding

(DARTMOUTH, Nova Scotia) — The Canadian Coast Guard on Tuesday officially welcomed Canadian Coast Guard chip (CCGS) Naalak Nappaaluk to its fleet at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Lena Diab, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, alongside vessel sponsor Qiallak Nappaaluk, the crew and community members, participated in the traditional breaking of a ceremonial bottle upon…

18 May

IMO sharpens focus on gender equality in maritime industry

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIMO, Licensing and training

(LONDON) — This year’s International Day for Women in Maritime (May 18) focuses on embedding gender equality at every level of the maritime industry, both on shore and at sea. Under the theme “From Policy to Practice: Advancing Gender Equality for Maritime Excellence,” the day highlights actions to translate international ambitions and commitments into tangible actions that will make a…

18 May

New Coast Guard icebreaker completes Bering Sea mission

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreakers, U.S. Coast Guard

(SEATTLE) — The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard’s newest polar icebreaker, USCGC Storis (WAGB 21), returned to their temporary Seattle home port Monday after a 36-day deployment to the Bering Sea. The patrol focused on advancing operational readiness, strengthening interoperability with other military assets and testing new concepts to support prolonged operations in one of the world’s most demanding…

13 May

U.S. indicts Dali operators for fatal Baltimore bridge strike

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newscasualties, NTSB, shipping, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Federal prosecutors have brought criminal charges against two companies and an employee connected with the 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, World News Group reported. Dali, a 984-foot containership, crashed into the bridge in the early morning of March 26, 2024. The collapse killed six construction workers on the bridge and resulted in at least $5…

11 May

Philly now working on three LNG boxships for Matson

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsLNG, propulsion, shipbuilding

(PHILADELPHIA) — Matson marked two milestones in its fleet renewal program on May 5 with the beginning of hull assembly on the second of three new LNG-powered Aloha-class containerships designed for its Hawaii and China-Long Beach Express (CLX) services, and the start of construction of its third new vessel at Hanwha Philly Shipyard. A small shipyard ceremony to mark the…

11 May

Coast Guard ends seasonal icebreaking in East, Great Lakes

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

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard concluded all icebreaking operations in America’s Eastern and Great Lakes waterways on Thursday following a severe winter season that continued well into spring in some regions. Operation Taconite, the Coast Guard’s final ongoing domestic icebreaking operation, has ended as ice throughout the western Great Lakes has nearly melted and icebreaking in support of commercial…

08 May

MarAd launches nuclear initiative for commercial shipping

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, propulsion, shipping, technology

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) on Thursday launched an initiative to develop small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) for commercial shipping. As a first step, MarAd is calling on innovators and industry stakeholders to help develop an SMR model that revitalizes U.S. shipbuilding, cuts costs, and secures energy dominance. The request for information (RFI) is seeking input from industry…

07 May

Safety alert: Importance of bridge visibility, trained lookouts

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsLicensing and training, Navigation, Safety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Major contributing factors to several recent collisions and near-collisions included cargo-loading conditions that negatively impacted the operator’s visibility from the navigation bridge. Failing to address obstructions to visibility from the navigation bridge, by either moving cargo or posting trained lookouts, has repeatedly resulted in catastrophic outcomes including loss of life and property damage. Vessel operators, owners, and crews…