shipping – Professional Mariner

25 Apr

Legislators honor San Francisco Bar Pilots on 175th anniversary

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry NewsPilots, shipping

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — On Tuesday, the San Francisco Bar Pilots was presented with a resolution from the California Legislature commemorating the organization's 175th anniversary. On April 22, 1850, during the first legislative session of the new state of California, elected officials enacted laws to create the first state-licensed bar pilots. Since then, the bar pilots have continuously served California and…

24 Apr

New Atlantic ECA links Europe and North America

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsemissions, Environment, IMO, shipping

(LONDON) — At the 83rd session of the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83), the panel approved a proposal to designate the northeast Atlantic Ocean as an Emission Control Area (ECA) for nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM), amending MARPOL Annex VI Regulations 13 and 14 accordingly. The northeast Atlantic Ocean ECA encompasses…

24 Apr

Wiernicki to step down as chairman and CEO of ABS

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry Newsshipping

(HOUSTON) — Christopher J. Wiernicki, chairman and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), announced at the company's 163rd annual members meeting that he will step down and retire at the end of 2025, concluding 14 years at the helm. After thanking the ABS board of directors, employees and his family for their support, Wiernicki said, “We have faced…

23 Apr

AWO honors Crowley mariners for heroic rescues

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry NewsSearch and rescue, shipping

(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) — The American Waterways Operators (AWO) has awarded Crowley mariners serving on the Crowley-managed containership Potomac Express and the company’s LNG-powered container/roll on-roll off vessel El Coqui with the Honor & Excellence in Rescue Operations (HERO) Awards. The U.S. domestic industry mariners were recognized for their heroic efforts in ensuring the safety and security of others while at…

21 Apr

Port Everglades welcomes its first LNG-fueled cargo ship

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsLNG, Ports, shipping

(BROWARD COUNTY, Fla.) — Port Everglades last week welcomed its first cargo ship fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The Crowley ship Quetzal is one of four newbuild vessels using cleaner fuel that the Florida-based global company plans for trade among the U.S., Central America and the Caribbean Basin. Several cruise ships fueled with LNG, including Princess Cruises' Sun Princess…

15 Apr

Port of Long Beach busiest in U.S. through first quarter

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsPorts, shipping

(LONG BEACH, Calif.) — Coming off its best first quarter on record, the Port of Long Beach is the nation’s busiest port through the first three months of the year as imports surged ahead of anticipated tariffs. Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 817,457 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last month, up 25 percent from March 2024. Imports grew 25.8 percent to…

14 Apr

Crowley’s first Avance-class boxship enters service

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsshipping

(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) — Crowley’s new LNG-powered containership Quetzal has successfully begun its inaugural commercial voyage, opening the company’s next era of faster, frequent ocean shipping with a new class of vessels for the U.S., Central America and the Dominican Republic. With capacity for up to 1,400 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), Quetzal and its three forthcoming sister Avance-class ships will provide…

14 Apr

IMO approves net-zero regulations for global shipping

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsemissions, Environment, IMO, shipping

(LONDON) — The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has achieved another important step toward establishing a legally binding framework to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships globally, aiming for net-zero emissions by or around 2050. The IMO Net-Zero Framework is the first in the world to combine mandatory emissions limits and GHG pricing across an entire industry sector.  Approved by the…

10 Apr

NTSB cites bank effect on tanker in Cooper River pier strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — A tank vessel struck a pier at Joint Base Charleston’s Naval Weapons Station in South Carolina after a pilot allowed the vessel to get too close to a riverbank, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday. The 604-foot tanker Hafnia Amessi struck Naval Weapons Station Pier B while transiting the Cooper River on Jan. 14, 2024. A…

09 Apr

Great Lakes iron ore trade down nearly one-third in 2025

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Ports, shipping

(CLEVELAND) — Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes were below 1 million tons in March, a decrease of 39.1 percent compared to 2024. Loadings were also below the month’s five-year average by 19.4 percent, according to the Lake Carriers' Association. Year to date, the iron ore trade stands at nearly 3 million tons, a decrease of 31.9 percent…