Licensing and training – Professional Mariner

26 May

America’s ‘greatest asset’ honored on National Maritime Day

Rich MillerMaritime NewsLicensing and training

(WASHINGTON) — The contributions of U.S. shipping as well as past and present mariners were recognized across the country on Monday during the annual National Maritime Day observance. This was the 90th celebration of Maritime Day, which was established in 1933 to commemorate the May 22, 1819 trans-Atlantic crossing of SS Savannah. Captained by Moses Rogers, the sidewheel steamer departed…

22 May

Honoring merchant mariners on National Maritime Day

Rich MillerMaritime NewsLicensing and training

(FAIRFAX, Va.) — The International Propeller Club on Monday celebrated National Maritime Day, a United States holiday created to recognize the maritime industry. It is observed each year on May 22, the date in 1819 that the American steamship Savannah set sail from Savannah, Ga., on the first transoceanic voyage under steam power. The holiday was created by Congress on…

11 May

Buttigieg appoints members of USMMA advisory council

Rich MillerMaritime NewsLicensing and training

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced the appointment of 13 inaugural members of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) Advisory Council, five of whom are USMMA graduates, including one member of the Class of 2022. Appointees to the Advisory Council are drawn from academia, the maritime industry and maritime labor, the senior ranks of the U.S.…

28 Apr

Texas A&M welcomes transfer of training ship Kennedy

Rich MillerMaritime NewsLicensing and training, shipbuilding

(GALVESTON, Texas) — Texas A&M University at Galveston has received a new training ship, T/S Kennedy, a 540-foot vessel that will enhance year-round training for Texas A&M Maritime Academy cadets in ship navigation and marine engineering systems, maintenance, safety and security. “We have dreamed of having this capacity for over a decade and are extremely grateful to the Department of…

28 Apr

Task force terminates multiple illegal Gulf Coast charters

Rich MillerMaritime NewsLicensing and training, U.S. Coast Guard

(MOBILE, Ala.) — The U.S. Coast Guard-led Gulf Coast Illegal Charter (GCIC) Task Force terminated multiple voyages through March and April for operating in violation of the Vessel Passenger Safety Act and regulations governing passenger vessels. On March 11, the Coast Guard was notified by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Alabama Marine Resources Division, who boarded a charter…

11 Apr

Polar Star returns to Seattle after 26th Antarctic mission

Rich MillerMaritime NewsLicensing and training, U.S. Coast Guard

(SEATTLE) — The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew returned to their home port of Seattle on Saturday following a 144-day deployment to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2023. The deployment marks Polar Star’s 26th journey to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze, an annual joint military service mission to resupply the United…

30 Mar

MarAd chief cites growing crew gap for U.S. sealift fleet

Rich MillerMaritime NewsLicensing and training, Security

(WASHINGTON) — The head of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) is "not at all confident” that all the ships in the Ready Reserve Fleet could be crewed if called to duty in a crisis, USNI News reported. The United States was already short 1,800 credentialed mariners for its vessels before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, retired Rear Adm. Ann…

14 Mar

Shell, Gulf Wind Technology partnering on Louisiana hub

Rich MillerMaritime NewsClimate change, Licensing and training, offshore wind

(AVONDALE, La.) — Gulf Wind Technology (GWT) has secured $10 million from Shell New Energies US to create the Shell Gulf Wind Technology Accelerator program at the former Avondale Shipyard site, renamed Avondale Global Gateway under the ownership of terminal operator T. Parker Host. The collaboration includes deployment of novel technologies, as early as 2024, to develop, test and implement…

09 Mar

Fagan: Recruiting, icebreakers among USCG priorities

Rich MillerMaritime NewsLicensing and training, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Adm. Linda Fagan, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), delivered her first State of the Coast Guard Address on Tuesday at the Reserve Organization of America. During the address, the commandant thanked Congress and the American public for investments in operational assets and resilient shore infrastructure, as well as housing, health care and child care for the…

01 Mar

Coast Guard Foundation launches new logo, brand

Rich MillerIndustry NewsLicensing and training, U.S. Coast Guard

(STONINGTON, Conn.) — The Coast Guard Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening the U.S. Coast Guard community and service by supporting members and families, has launched a new logo and brand to better reflect the organization’s mission and future vision. The new look is on display across Coast Guard Foundation digital properties and will be featured at events throughout…