MarAd – Professional Mariner

21 Oct

St. Johns Ship Building uses MarAd grant to add new crane

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry NewsMarAd, shipbuilding

(PALATKA, Fla.) — St. Johns Ship Building, a subsidiary of Americraft Marine Group, has announced the receipt and commissioning of a new 100-ton Link-Belt rough terrain crane, acquired through funding provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MarAd) Small Shipyard Grant Program. The Link-Belt 100|RT is fabricated and assembled in Lexington, Ky., and represents a significant step in…

06 Oct

MarAd advisory: Foreign tech threats and cyber influence

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, Ports, Security

(WASHINGTON) — This advisory from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) continues to alert maritime stakeholders of potential vulnerabilities to maritime port equipment, networks, operating systems, software and infrastructure. Foreign companies manufacture, install and maintain port equipment that creates vulnerabilities to global maritime infrastructure information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) systems. In the past few years, the U.S. government has…

05 Aug

Pacific-Gulf Marine gets management contracts for six MarAd ships

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry NewsMarAd, Ready Reserve Fleet

(NEW ORLEANS) — Pacific-Gulf Marine (PGM) has been awarded three 10-year firm contracts with a total value of $621 million, including fixed fees and reimbursables. Of the six ships PGM will manage on behalf of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd), two are out-ported in the San Francisco Bay Area, two in Newport News, Va., and two in New Orleans. These…

04 Aug

U.S. commits $6.2 billion to manage Ready Reserve Force

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, Merchant mariners

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) has signed 20 contracts totaling $6.2 billion to manage its Ready Reserve Force (RRF). The RRF, through the MarAd, provides strategic sealift support for the rapid deployment of U.S. military forces and equipment during conflicts, crises and emergencies. “The Ready Reserve Force supports our military men and women and strengthens our supply chains,”…

24 Jul

MarAd marks historic reflagging of neo-Panamax boxship

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) has announced the historic reflagging of CMA CGM Phoenix as the largest U.S.-flagged commercial containership. The in-port flag change ceremony took place at the Port of Charleston, S.C., with MarAd Acting Administrator Sang Yi attending and delivering remarks. “Adding the CMA CGM Phoenix into the U.S.-flagged fleet is a powerful move toward reclaiming…

21 Jul

17 small shipyards receive grants totaling $8.75 million

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, shipyards

(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Monday announced that the Maritime Administration (MarAd) has awarded $8.75 million in grants to revitalize U.S. shipyards and advance America’s maritime dominance. The funding is part of the Small Shipyard Grant program, which supports advanced training, workforce development, and new technologies that strengthen U.S. shipbuilding and repair capabilities. “Unleashing the full power…

14 Jul

MarAd adds 848 miles to U.S. Marine Highway Program

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsbrownwater, MarAd, Ports, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — The Maritime Administration (MarAd) has designated 848 new miles of navigable waterways and approved 14 new sponsors for the U.S. Marine Highway Program (USMHP). The network, which now covers 27,139 miles across 35 designated routes, supports U.S. supply chains, critical infrastructure, and maritime workforce development. A key highlight of this expansion is the strengthening of the M-90 route, which…

02 Jul

GAO: MarAd lacks ‘measurable’ goals for build programs

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, shipbuilding

(WASHINGTON) — Building commercial ships in U.S. shipyards supports the maritime industry, which plays a vital role in national security. However, U.S. commercial shipbuilding has been in decline for decades. The U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) has four financial assistance programs to help change that. It's not clear if these programs are meeting the needs of the industry or national security,…

16 Jun

MarAd alert: Potential threat to shipping near Iran

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, Maritime alerts, safety, Security, shipping

Threat type: Potential retaliatory strikes by Iranian forces Geographic area: Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Arabian Sea (WASHINGTON) — At approximately 0100 UTC on June 13, Israel commenced military strikes against targets in Iran. Due to the now heightened tensions in this region, U.S.-flagged commercial vessels operating throughout this region are strongly encouraged to maintain close…

16 Jun

Kings Point graduate named acting head of MarAd

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsLicensing and training, MarAd

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Thursday that Sang H. Yi has been named acting maritime administrator. As acting head of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd), Yi will play a critical role in advancing the Trump administration’s domestic shipbuilding goals and restoring the nation’s maritime dominance. Yi will lead MarAd’s efforts to maintain and modernize the vital infrastructure…