German shipbuilder Meyer Werft announced it held a steel cutting ceremony for a new cruise ship it is building for NYK Cruises, a company of the Japanese shipping group NYK. The vessel will be named Asuka III and is scheduled for delivery in 2025.The 52,200 GT newbuild will be 230 meters long and 29.8 meters wide, with space for 744 passengers.Meyer Werft said it will use numerous customized solutions for the new cruise ship. These include hydrodynamics optimized according to the planned routes, contactless controls as well as onboard facilities adapted to the needs of Japanese passengers.
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) said Monday it had completed its environmental review of the proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) commercial project.“The completion of our environmental review marks another step towards a clean energy future—one that benefits communities and co-exists with other ocean users,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “The best available science and knowledge shared by Tribes, other government agencies, local communities, ocean users, industry, environmental organizations, and others informed the analyses contained in this document
Mike Complita is going on 30 years in the maritime industry. Complita started work at Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) as an intern while attending the University of Washington in his hometown, Seattle. “And since that time, I've served in pretty much every role, from a technical and project management standpoint, all the way up to principal of our organization,” he said. Today, as Principal in Charge and VP of Strategic Expansion, Complita works alongside EBDG’s other principals to help guide the firm’s project managers
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District is working to delay upriver progression of salt water from the Gulf of Mexico by augmenting the sill initially constructed in July 2023.Construction is underway to increase the existing underwater sill from a depth of -55 feet to a depth of -30 feet. A 620-foot-wide navigation lane will be kept to a depth of -55 feet to ensure deep-draft shipping continues along the nation’s busiest inland waterway.
Dave Lee recently joined Louisiana-based maritime leasing and financing company Maritime Partners as its new vice president of technology and innovation. A well-known figure in the U.S. maritime sector, Lee has previously held leadership positions at ABB, American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) and Jeffboat. His next task: help guide one of the nation’s leading maritime companies through the next chapter of technological advancement.
Offshore wind developer Ørsted is deploying Rutter’s wave prediction technology on board selected crew transfer vessels (CTV) worldwide within its contracted fleet to improve the safe transfer of personnel to offshore wind turbines.Roots of the initiative stretch back to 2018, when the two companies launched a project to investigate wave prediction applications for improving safety during transfers from CTVs to offshore wind turbines, resulting in the development of wave prediction capability and operational processes to make transfers safer offshore.
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, rose to its highest since mid-May on Monday, supported by gains in the capesize vessel segment.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, rose 21 points, or 1.3% to 1,614, its highest level since May 10.The capesize index added 65 points, or 3.1% to 2,148, its highest level in over four months.
Facing rising costs, an Icelandic tour operator is using technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance safety and slash insurance premiums for its fleet of high-speed rigid inflatable boats (RIB).Reykjavík-based Whale Safari runs tourist RIBs for whale and bird watching excursions in Iceland. From an insurer’s standpoint, the endeavor—which sees vessels that seat up to 12 passengers achieving high speeds and g-force wave impacts—is inherently risky.
Tidewater Inc., the world's largest fleet operator in the offshore support vessel (OSV) industry, has signed a Global Value Agreement (GVA) with engine manufacturer Caterpillar to ensure comprehensive parts, service, monitoring and maintenance support to help reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) and increase uptime and availability.Tidewater’s fleet of more than 200 OSVs, including platform supply vessels (PSV), anchor handler towing supply vessels (AHTS), offshore tugs and crew boats, will have a dedicated Caterpillar fleet manager to identify the most effective
Taiwan hopes to deploy at least two new, domestically developed submarines by 2027, and possibly equip later models with missiles, to strengthen deterrence against the Chinese navy and protect key supply lines, the head of the program said.Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has made the indigenous sub program a key part of an ambitious project to modernise its armed forces as Beijing stages almost daily military exercises to assert its sovereignty.
Klaveness Combination Carriers ASA (KCC) announced it is exploring the potential of improved vessel connectivity with a pilot of Starlink, a satellite internet service provisioned by Marlink. The move focuses on improving digital collaboration and data exchange between shore and ship, a key step in reaching KCC’s targets set for crew safety/welfare and carbon emission reductions, the company said.Taking traditional VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) connectivity to the next level, Starlink uses a vast constellation of LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites to ensure high-speed
Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Blakeley BoatWorks is building a new EPA Tier 4 ship assist tugboat for fellow The Cooper Group company Crescent Towing. Upon completion, Crescent will operate the new tug in New Orleans as part of its Mississippi River ship assist fleet.“The addition of this new 6,000-hp z-drive in support of our Mississippi River operations highlights our continued commitment to providing our customers with the most powerful and technologically advanced equipment in the industry,” said Scott H. Cooper, president of Crescent Towing.