Abrams Marine Group has acquired Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy (MAMA) of Norfolk, Va. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Dave Abrams, CEO of Abrams Marine Group, also owns Training Resources Maritime Institute in San Diego. He intends to merge the two centers into a single organization that will be the largest maritime training company in the United States. Abrams intends…
An apparent “near miss” between a commercial fishing boat and a roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) cargo ship on the Columbia River near Astoria, Oregon, has yielded violations against the smaller vessel’s captain and owner. The incident involving the 587-foot Grand Race and the unidentified 48-foot fishing vessel happened on Nov. 29 near buoy No. 8 in the Columbia River navigation channel, the Coast Guard…
Federal authorities have charged an Ohio man who they say dropped pipe bombs onto tows passing below in the Ohio River. None of the devices detonated. Nathaniel Blayn Becker, 42, of Marietta, Ohio, is accused of possessing an unregistered firearm and of attempting to destroy a maritime vessel. According to court documents, a deck hand working aboard the towboat Janis R. Brewer spotted a 1.25-inch-by-24-inch pipe…
Helen Sharp lifted the ceremonial champagne bottle, held it upright for a moment, then brought it down with a shattering blow. Applause erupted from hundreds of people, and water from Lake Michigan flowed into the dry dock at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. And with that, the first Great Lakes freighter built in the United States in nearly…
Maritime Partners will build the world’s first methanol fuel cell towboat in collaboration with a new joint venture called e1 Marine. The future Hydrogen One will be powered through a system that converts methanol and water into pure hydrogen. That hydrogen will run through fuel cells, creating electricity to propel the vessel’s motors. Batteries will provide additional boost power while underway…
The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) must do more to combat sexual harassment and assault on campus, according to an independent consultant. Those findings were included in a 274-page report released this fall by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA). The report also identified issues with the culture, facilities and academics at the Kings Point, N.Y., institution. The U.S.…
Foss Maritime has closed its money-losing shipyard on Seattle’s Lake Washington Ship Canal. The closure, announced in late October, resulted in 115 layoffs. Foss paid the salaries, benefits and average overtime to the impacted employees through the remainder of 2021. Sustained losses at the 11-acre shipyard and potential future pension liabilities influenced the company’s decision to close the facility, Foss…
Federal prosecutors have secured numerous guilty pleas in connection with separate credentialing scams that occurred over several years in multiple states. Lamont Godfrey, the former chief administrator for Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy (MAMA) pleaded guilty to mail fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft stemming from a multiyear counterfeit merchant mariner credential scam operated from the Norfolk, Va., training center.…
Reports of piracy and armed robbery against shipping fell sharply during the first nine months of 2021, but authorities warn the slowdown might not be permanent. During that nine-month period, the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau (IMB) received the fewest reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships for any nine months since 1994. Mariners reported 90…
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will continue to target a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 rather than a more ambitious plan to eliminate emissions entirely. The decision came during the 77th session of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 77) in November. The 50% reduction target is based on 2008 emissions levels. Some industry leaders,…