The barge Defiant was refloated from the Castillo San Felipe del Morro shoreline in San Juan Harbor, Wednesday at approximately 2:22 a.m., just before high tide.Salvage crews and tugboat operators prepositioned three tugboats and completed all the preparations, including the pressurization of all cargo tanks, voids and compartments in the barge.
Norwegian ship designer and builder VARD has secured on order from France’s Orange Marine for two additional cable laying and repair vessels of the VARD 9 03 design, to be built at Colombo Dockyard in Sri Lanka.The vessels will be based on the same design as CS Sophie Germain, delivered to Orange Marine in July 2023.
At Washington State Ferries, 2026 has started with a thud, one ferry each of the first three days of the year were pulled from service for mechanical problems. Here's a rundown.Walla Walla was removed from our Seattle/Bremerton route midday Thursday, Jan. 1. A propeller blade broke off. The cause is still unknown.
Mavrik Marine, Inc. was selected to build high-speed passenger ferries for the Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District. Mavrik will construct catamaran passenger ferries as part of the District’s eight vessel Lima Class Ferry Replacement Program to provide transportation services in San Francisco Bay.
Singapore-based engineering group Seatrium has reported strong execution in the third quarter ended September 30, 2025, bolstered by major offshore and wind project deliveries, a high-value order book and strategic asset sales.The group’s net order book stood at about $12.8 billion (S$16.6 billion), covering 24 projects slated for delivery through 2031.
We are well into the discussions advising shipbuilders and operators how the U.S. will create a renaissance of the maritime industry. Federal Legislation, Executive Orders, and new foreign partnerships driving the promise of commercial competitiveness with the leading global shipbuilders. Most of the shipbuilding rhetoric indicates the domestic markets will be left to survive on their own.
Colonna’s Shipyard, Inc. (CSI) will invest $70m to acquire its fourth drydock, expected to have a lifting capacity of 25,000 tons and slated for delivery in the first half of 2028.“This new drydock acquisition is a testament to our continued dedication to innovation, quality service, and our steadfast investment in the future,” said Randall Crutchfield, Chairman & CEO, at Colonna’s Shipyard, Inc.
Dating back to the year 1786, Thomas Jefferson wrote to a member of the Continental Congress on the importance of free press keeping government in check. He was quoted as saying if he had a choice between “a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to choose the latter.
The military and Coast Guard budgets are established that will benefit the U.S. ship building and repair sector, but what will stimulate the commercial yards?This author has been scratching his head of late, after a thrilling dive into July’s U.S. Big Beautiful Bill Act, and has asked several colleagues where the funding for support commercial shipbuilding can be found? To answer that
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has 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.
On April 30, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), together with several original co-sponsors, reintroduced the SHIPS for America Act in the U.S. Senate, first introduced in December 2024, divided into two bills. Companion legislation was also introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS) and Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA). This is a major, historic effort to revitalize the U.S.
[The following are exerpts and paraphrasing from testimony given by Matthew O. Paxton, President of the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), to Congress on the morning of February 26, 2025.]While maritime strength and shipbuilding historically have been a cornerstone of global power, shifting times and geopolitical pressures impact readiness and output.