Professional Mariner – August/September 2024

South Korean firms to acquire Philly Shipyard for $100M

Philly Shipyard, which has built nearly half of the U.S.-flagged oceangoing ships since 2000, has been acquired by two companies from South Korea in a deal worth $100 million. Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Ocean will acquire the shipyard, which had previously operated as a public company controlled by Aker ASA, a Norwegian investment company, according to a news release. “The…

Gladding-Hearn completes major refit on Bermuda ferry

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding has completed a major refit of the 700-passenger ferry Bermudian, which is owned by the government of Bermuda’s Department of Marine and Port Services. The project was a massive undertaking. The shipyard repaired and repainted the steel hull, replaced the main engines and generators and upgraded critical systems. The updates were intended to improve the ship’s overall efficiency…

MARINER PROFILE: Earning her place on the inland waterways

Chasity Schlitz Southern Devall What is your background/bio? Chasity Schlitz grew up in Hardy, Ark., in a family that worked on inland towboats. Her father, uncle, brother-in-law and grandfather all worked in the maritime profession. She planned to follow the same path after graduating from high school. Her parents were supportive, with one important caveat: They wanted her to get…

USMMA graduates 214 students in class of 2024

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point graduated 214 officers into the military and merchant marine during a celebration on June 23. The class included 56 graduates sworn in as active-duty officers in the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, according to a news release from the academy. The remaining 158 graduates will serve…

St. Johns Ship Building delivers 2 CTVs for offshore wind

St. Johns Ship Building recently delivered crew transfer vessels (CTVs) to Windea and Atlantic Wind Transfers that will support offshore wind farms in the Northeast. Windea Enterprise is the second CTV the Florida shipyard has completed for Windea CTV, a partnership between Hornblower Wind and MidOcean Wind (MOW). Incat Crowther designed the 98-by-38-foot aluminum catamaran, which draws less than 5…

Eastern Shipbuilding wins contract for 4 escort tugs

Saltchuk Marine, the parent company of Foss Maritime and other West Coast towing companies, has ordered four 7,000-hp escort tugboats from Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG). The order marks the start of a long-term fleet renewal effort. The 84-by-42-foot tugboats will be built to the RApports 2600 platform developed by Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia. They will be equipped…

Construction underway on Brooklyn offshore wind port

Construction has begun on the $861 million South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, a site that officials in New York believe will become one of the nation’s largest offshore wind ports. The 73-acre port will become a hub for Equinor’s Empire Wind offshore wind project located between 15 and 30 miles southeast of Long Island. The first phase, Empire Wind I, will…

Report: Number of containers lost at sea reaches new low

The number of shipping containers that fall into the sea from commercial ships fell to a record low in 2023, according to a report from the World Shipping Council. Just 221 containers were lost in 2023 out of roughly 250 million carried from one port to another. The figure represents a 66 percent drop from 2022, which had set the…

SF Bay Ferry places hydrogen-powered vessel into trial service

The San Francisco Bay Area’s public ferry service has placed a zero-emission passenger vessel into service for a six-month pilot program that could demonstrate the viability of hydrogen as a maritime fuel. The Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) placed the 70-foot Sea Change into service in San Francisco starting July 19, 2024. Operator Blue & Gold Fleet will run the…

Coast Guard extends grace period for lapsed merchant mariner credentials amid workforce challenges

The U.S. Coast Guard has temporarily extended the grace period for lapsed merchant mariner credentials from one to six years, a move the service acknowledged could help the industry preserve the nation’s maritime workforce. The change, which was announced in an April policy letter and took effect immediately, gives mariners six years to renew lapsed credentials without requiring them to…