Professional Mariner – June 2022 - Professional Mariner

Military contracts drive demand for new patrol boats

The United States Navy operates some of the most advanced, most capable warships in the world. And when those vessels are in port, the service relies on a force of smaller crafts to keep its ships, sailors and installations safe. That’s the concept behind the Force Protection-Medium (FP-M) patrol boats currently under construction at Lake Assault Boats in Superior,…

Russian invasion left mariners in harm’s way, stressed supply chains

At the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 140 ships with more than 1,000 seafarers on board were trapped in the Black Sea with dwindling supplies, limited communication and no guarantee of safe passage. That remained the case for many seafarers more than a month later. Maritime organizations are still trying to account for these crewmembers, and they’ve pleaded with…

U.S. merchant mariners served valiantly during wartime

My father-in-law served in the merchant marine during World War II, sailing as an assistant purser on a supply ship. I asked him once about his most frightening experience of the war. He replied grimly, “Our ship was part of a convoy of 20 merchant ships, and we had two Navy ships escorting us. One night in the North Atlantic…