AMVER ship rescues sailors 1,120 miles from Bermuda

AMVER ship rescues sailors 1,120 miles from Bermuda

(PORTSMOUTH, Va.) — The U.S. Coast Guard and a good Samaritan vessel rescued two mariners Monday approximately 1,120 miles southeast of Bermuda. Watch standers with the Coast Guard Fifth District command center received an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) alert from the 19-foot sailing vessel Lhor One at approximately 6 p.m. Sunday. Fifth District watch standers alerted mariners in…
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MarAd designates 32 new Centers of Excellence

MarAd designates 32 new Centers of Excellence

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) on Thursday announced the designation of 32 Centers of Excellence (CoE) for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education. The designated COEs consist of 50 maritime training locations across 17 states and Guam. The designation recognizes and promotes support to post-secondary maritime training programs that prepare students for careers in the maritime industry. “Our…
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New format coming for merchant mariner credentials

New format coming for merchant mariner credentials

(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — On March 1, the U.S. Coast Guard will begin issuing merchant mariner credentials (MMCs) in a new format. This new mariner credential will replace the legacy passport-style red book and associated endorsement labels. The complexity and degraded reliability of the custom printers used to print the MMC books necessitated a change to the credential printing process. The…
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Crew risks grow as maritime piracy edges higher in 2023

Crew risks grow as maritime piracy edges higher in 2023

(LONDON and KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia) — The annual Piracy and Armed Robbery Report of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) raises concern over the first successful Somalia-based hijacking since 2017. The IMB annual report recorded 120 incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships in 2023 compared to 115 in 2022. The 2023 annual report reveals that 105 vessels were…
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APM Terminals, Plaquemines Port plan new container facility

APM Terminals, Plaquemines Port plan new container facility

(BELLE CHASSE, La.) — The Plaquemines Port Harbor and Terminal District has announced the execution of a letter of intent with APM Terminals (APMT) to build a state-of-the-art container terminal on the west bank of Plaquemines Parish. APMT is one of the largest terminal operators in the world and is a subsidiary of A.P. Moller-Maersk, a global leader in logistics…
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MarAd alert: Piracy, robbery, kidnapping in Gulf of Guinea

MarAd alert: Piracy, robbery, kidnapping in Gulf of Guinea

(WASHINGTON) — Piracy, armed robbery and kidnapping for ransom (KFR) pose significant threats to vessels transiting or operating in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) as well as mariners onboard a vessel or transiting to or from a vessel in the GoG. Guidance In 2023, pirates, armed robbers and KFR groups are known to have operated off Nigeria, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory…
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Derelict tugboat sinks at pier in San Juan Islands

Derelict tugboat sinks at pier in San Juan Islands

(SEATTLE) — Crews from Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound, Washington Department of Ecology, and the Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA) responded to the sinking of the 80-foot vessel El Capitan at West Sound Marina on Orcas Island on Nov. 18. Watch standers at Sector Puget Sound command center received notification Nov. 18 from the West Sound Marina that El Capitan,…
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Silver Ships delivers six riverine patrol boats to Navy

Silver Ships delivers six riverine patrol boats to Navy

(MOBILE, Ala.) — Silver Ships has completed the construction of six riverine patrol boats (RPB) under a contract award worth $6.12 million from the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). The vessels were designed and constructed as a part of the U.S. Navy Foreign Military Sale (FMS) program and will benefit a Pacific region ally. Each RPB was inspected and accepted…
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