T&T Salvage installed the final lifting lug on the M/V Golden Ray, a roll-on, roll-off vessel that ran aground and overturned near the Port of Brunswick in Georgia in September.The 16 lugs welded to the frame of the Korean-owned car carrier will provide connection points for the 255-foot tall Versabar VB 10,0000 twin-gantry crane catamaran to fasten to in order to secure sections of the hull as they are cut from the wreck during the Golden Ray’s removal from St. Simons Sound.
The $1 trillion container shipping industry is in a slowdown. Literally.Some shipping lines, whose retail customers are being hammered by the coronavirus pandemic, are reducing sailing speeds and taking longer routes around Africa, avoiding Suez canal passage fees, according to the companies and ship-tracking specialists.Many are also cutting down the number of voyages and providing short-term storage for clients as the industry, which includes heavyweights like Maersk, MSC and Hapag-Lloyd, faces its biggest downturn since the 2008 financial crisis.
An explosion injured several firefighters battling a blaze on board car carrier Höegh Xiamen at berth in Jacksonville, Fla. Thursday.The eight responders have been transported to the hospital for serious injuries, including two taken by air and two by ground to to Shands Gainesville burn unit. They are all in stable condition.All of the ship's 21 crew members are off the ship, uninjured and accounted for, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) said.The U.S. Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Jacksonville were notified at 3:53 p.m.
The world's largest containership HMM Algeciras made its first European port call this week, entering Rotterdam’s Amaliahaven Wednesday on its maiden voyage to transfer containers at the Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) terminal.The most recent vessel to hold the world’s largest containership crown, HMM Algeciras at maximum capacity carries slightly more 20-foot containers than its predecessor MSC Gülsün: 23,964 TEU versus 23,756 TEU. During its maiden voyage, HMM Algeciras is carrying a total of 19,621 TEU on board – itself a record number.
The first of two Austal Auto Express 118 trimarans under construction for Fred. Olsen Express of the Canary Islands has completed sea trials in Western Australia. Launched in February, the Bajamar Express (Austal Hull 394) is scheduled to be delivered this month.Over the past weeks, Bajamar Express has achieved an average speed of 37.6 knots at 85% MCR (power), carrying 80% from maximum deadweight (cargo capacity), shipbuilder Austal said.
Carnival Corp’s Princess Cruises on Thursday extended the suspension of some of its voyages in Australia, Canada and Taiwan as ports around the world remain shut due to the coronavirus crisis.Cruise lines, hammered by a crisis which has seen some ships develop into high-profile infection hotspots, in recent days have been steadily pushing back cancellations well into the second half of 2020.Princess Cruises, long a favorite of older travelers, said it has extended the delay of operations on all cruises sailing in and out of Australia through mid-September on the Sea Princess
U.S. offshore vessel provider Seacor Marine will buy the remaining 50 percent stake in Seacosco company from China's Cosco.Seacor will pay $28.15 million in installments, and the transaction is expected to close in June 2020.With the acquisition, Seacor will take ownership of eight Rolls-Royce designed platform supply vessels from COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Guangdong) Co., Ltd.Six of the PSVs are of UT 771WP design, with 4,400 tons deadweight capacity, and two are of UT 771CD design, with 3,800 tons deadweight capacity.
Norwegian offshore support vessel operator Eidesvik Offshore has secured contracts for two of its offshore vessels with the Norwegian oil firm Aker BP.Aker BP has awarded Eidesvik's LNG-powered platform supply vessel Viking Lady a four-month contract extension. The extension is in direct continuation of the current contract, and starts in early September and ends in late December 2020.Also, Aker BP will charter the VIking Prince vessel, also on a four-month charge, also starting in early September.
Norway's Kongsberg Maritime has signed its first contract for its ROV launch & recovery system (LARS) specifically designed to handle remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) from unmanned vessels.The contract has been signed with Ocean Infinity, who will install the system on their Armada fleet of robotic ships.To remind, US-based seabed survey and ocean exploration company Ocean Infinity in February launched Armada, a new marine technology and data company boasting the industry's largest fleet of unmanned surface vehicles (USV).
The number of ships arriving in British ports in late May rose to the highest since the start of the country’s coronavirus lockdown, Britain’s statistics office said on Thursday.The Office for National Statistics, which publishes short-term data to track the economic impact of the COVID crisis, said there was an average of 341 daily ship visits between May 25 and May 31, the highest rolling average since March 23.(Writing by William Schomberg
America’s marine economy, including goods and services, contributed about $373 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product in 2018 and grew faster than the nation’s economy as a whole, according to the marine economy statistics released today by two Department of Commerce agencies.“These statistics are the first-of-its-kind estimate of the U.S. marine economy, a primary driver of jobs, innovation and economic growth,” said retired Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and deputy NOAA administrator.
Cox Powertrain announced its 300-horsepower diesel outboard has achieved U.S. EPA Tier 3 approval for commercial and recreational applications.Cox's CXO300 is a new design built for purpose, meaning the manufacturer had to work with the EPA to perform rigorous testing to prove the engine's ability to meet emission standards.Joel Reid (Global Sales Director), said, “We developed a diesel engine with a much lower carbon footprint than an equivalent gasoline outboard. So far, those who have joined us on sea trials have commented favorably how quiet, smooth and clean the engine is.