The U.S. Coast Guard published a final rule in December 2024 in the Federal Register outlining U.S. Great Lakes pilotage rates for the 2025 shipping season. The new rates seek to generate revenue for each of the three U.S. Great Lakes pilot associations by implementing hourly charges for pilotage services according to geographic area. Pilotage rates are paid by vessel…

Late last year, the Maritime Administration (MarAd) awarded $4.85 million in grants to five projects through the United States Marine Highway Program (USMHP) in Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Washington and West Virginia. The grants will pay for equipment and infrastructure like cranes and loading machinery, vehicle ramps and expanded barge service to enhance cargo-handling capacities at ports and terminals. The outgoing Secretary of Transportation…
In December 2024, Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) held a “steel cutting ceremony” as it began construction of the first of four advanced escort tugs destined for Saltchuk Marine in Seattle. The 84-foot-long by 42-foot-wide high-performance, state-of-the-art tugs will be built at Eastern’s Allanton Shipyard in Panama City, Fla., before going into service in the Pacific. “Saltchuk could not ask for…

Corvus Energy was selected as the energy storage systems (ESS) supplier for Statue City Cruises’ ferries, which service the iconic Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island routes in New York Harbor. “Corvus Energy’s ESS will be integrated aboard Statue City Cruises’ current fleet of nine ferries with the goal of reducing fuel consumption and emissions along the New York/New Jersey…

All American Marine (AAM) announced late last year that they will partner with San Francisco Bay Ferry to build the nation’s first-ever battery-electric, zero-emission high-speed passenger vessels. The vessels are part of massive federal, state and local investment in electrification and zero-emission technology. Three 150-passenger ferries will be built at the Bellingham, Washington-based AAM, with the first vessel scheduled for operation…

The Wisconsin-based Burger Boat Company was awarded a contract to build an 89-foot passenger vessel for Chicago-based Wendella Sightseeing Co. Inc. in January. The announcement marks Burger’s continued relationship with Wendella, which offers sightseeing tours and taxi service on Chicago’s waterways. “We are honored to partner with Wendella Sightseeing Co. Inc. to deliver a vessel that combines innovation, quality and…

U.S. Navy rear admiral (Ret.) Ann Phillips departed as the head of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) in January. Phillips, who was sworn in as MarAd’s 20th administrator in May 2022, “guided a team of nearly 900 professionals, orchestrating 33 wide-ranging responsibilities that provide critical infrastructure and support for the nation’s commercial and military maritime sectors,” MarAd said in a…

Late last year, the world’s largest shipbuilding company announced it had taken “significant steps” toward the commercialization of Degree 3 navigation, or a remotely controlled ship without mariners on board. Though international maritime law does not currently allow for completely unmanned vessels, a new era of technology is poised to transform seafaring with the goal of meeting stricter environmental regulations and enhancing safety. In…

The automatic identification system (AIS), which monitors and tracks vessel movements for safety and security, is in its second decade of operation as an effective security and safety tool. The accumulation of 20 years of AIS information is now bolstered by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to monitor and analyze the huge amounts of data…

The California State University Maritime Academy, better known to its students and alumni as Cal Maritime, will merge with California Polytechnic State University later this year in a move that aims to preserve maritime higher education in the Golden State. The merger follows years of declining enrollment and rising costs at Cal Maritime, which will become the Cal Poly Solano…