Professional Mariner – October/November 2025 – Page 2

Clean Ports projects underway, but unresolved lawsuits weigh on federal funds

In October 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would provide almost $3 billion in grant funding for Clean Ports projects. Awarded through a competitive application process, Clean Ports funds helped pay for projects meant to increase the use of clean energy and improve air quality, not just in ports but also in nearby neighborhoods. Last year, EPA…

A flotilla of working vessels welcomes the Coast Guard’s flagship

Professional Mariner’s “Vessels at Work” section has been a staple of the magazine for nearly 30 years. Photographer Brian Gauvin was among the writers and photographers who, “In conjunction with the editors, developed what became the ‘Vessels at Work’ centerpiece of the journal,” he said. Casey Conley, the editor of Pro Mariner for nearly 10 years, said of “ride-alongs” (what…

LIVE CASUALTIES: Explosion reported on coal-carrying bulker in Baltimore

On Aug. 18, an explosion on a Liberian-flagged ship filled with coal rattled the Patapsco River, not far from where the Francis Scott Key Bridge once stood. Remote cameras caught a fireball emanating from the near the bow of the 751-foot, Liberian-flagged bulk carrier W-Sapphire. At approximately 1830 on Aug. 18, National Capital Region watch standers received a mayday call…

LIVE CASUALTIES: Bulk carrier loses propulsion, runs aground near Montreal

Following a complete loss of engine power, a 590-foot bulk carrier grounded in the St. Lawrence River near Vercheres, Quebec — about 30 miles east of Montreal — on Aug. 12. The Marshall Islands-flagged Federal Yamaska was carrying sugar when it grounded and remained partially in a shipping channel, though other vessels were able to navigate around it, according to…

Captain failed to identify charted jetties, ran towboat aground

The Ohio River was completely dark at around 1855 in February 2024 as the 136-foot-long towboat Tom Frazier pushed 15 empty barges upbound, toward Portsmouth, Ohio. The 1979-built vessel was maneuvering to pass a downbound tow by heading for a common area where upbound vessels often diverted to give way. Running parallel with the right descending bank but outside the…

Canadian tour boat deviates voyage plan amid limited visibility and runs aground

After a passenger vessel hit bottom during a tour of the area near Halifax, Nova Scotia, in October 2022, Canadian transportation officials cited the hazards of deviating from a voyage plan. Kawartha Spirit had 54 passengers, a tour guide and four crewmembers on board when it departed Tall Ships Quay at 1130 on Oct. 26, 2022. It was scheduled to take…

Towboat captain faulted for barge contact with power poles, bridge near Galveston

Misjudgment by the captain of the towing vessel Duke resulted in one of the barges in his charge striking three electricity transmission poles and a bridge outside Galveston, Texas, in July 2023, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The 84.5-foot-long towing vessel Duke was barely underway, having departed from Gaveston’s Texas International Terminal with a five-person crew at…

Steering failure leads to collision with moored ship in Houston

After multiple steering and mechanical tests prior to departure, the 390-foot multipurpose vessel BBC Africa got underway on Aug. 25, 2023, from the Manchester Terminal in Houston, Texas. After transferring controls from the port wing back to the bridge, the pilot ordered a 10-degree starboard turn. The rudder initially responded, then unexpectedly went hard to port. The master switched the…

A modern maritime service can deliver what the nation needs

By Rear Adm. Mark Buzby and Capt. Doug Burnett, U.S. Navy (Retired) In 2020, Proceedings published the fictional story “Losing the Great Pacific War for Lack of Ships and Mariners.” The article included an image of laden ships stranded in U.S. ports because there were no available crews. Unfortunately, that image represents reality today. On Nov. 21, 2024, the Navy confirmed the removal…

Stop-work orders and grant reneges create uncertainty in US offshore wind industry

An air of uncertainty hangs over the U.S. offshore wind industry after the Trump Administration halted numerous projects at various stages of completion, canceled federal funding for ports meant to support wind farms and had numerous federal agencies, which typically don’t engage in energy policy, weigh in against offshore wind. On Aug. 22, the Trump administration issued a stop-work order…