The U.S. inland waterways don’t just move cargo — they move people into long-term, well-paid careers. At a time when trucking and rail struggle with shortages, turnover, and burnout, inland waterways operators quietly offer something different: a job you can start without experience, a career you can grow into, and a paycheck that gets better every step of the way.
By Captain Bobbie Scolley, U.S. Navy (ret.) and Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, U.S. Navy (ret.)For more than six decades, spanning from 1905 to the late 1970s, the U.S. Navy’s diving apparatus for deep ocean operations and salvage remained fundamentally unchanged. During this period, the demographic of navy divers also saw little alteration.
On July 10, 2025, the electric solar passenger ship "Insel Mainau," designed and built by Ampereship GmbH, completed a range test on Lake Constance. During a 19-hour continuous journey, the all-electric catamaran covered exactly 211.3 kilometers on the lake, with a remaining battery capacity of 20 percent. The ship was back in regular operation the very next day.
Dutch maritime solar innovator Wattlab has delivered a solar energy system for HGK Shipping’s inland shipping cargo vessel Blue Marlin. The vessel’s 192 solar panels will provide power to both the onboard and propulsion systems, making the Blue Marlin the first inland shipping vessel in the world capable of hybrid sailing with solar power.
“As the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (Hong Kong Convention) enters into force we have updated our estimate for the ship recycling potential over the next 10 years. We now estimate the potential to be 16,000 ships, or 700m deadweight tonnes (DWT), from previously 15,000.
A Trump administration proposal aimed at reviving the U.S. shipbuilding industry may backfire by imposing steep fees on China-linked vessels—penalties that industry leaders say would hurt American ship operators and ports rather than help them, industry executives said at U.S. Trade Representative hearings on Monday.
J.F. Lehman & Company, an alternative asset manager focused on the aerospace, defense, government, maritime, environmental and infrastructure sectors, has announced that investment affiliates, including JFL Equity Investors VI, L.P., have acquired Forged Solutions Group, Inc. (FSG).
French offshore marine services company Bourbon has completed a financial and capital restructuring, with Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP and Fortress Investment Group becoming its majority shareholders.The restructuring marks the start of a new strategic phase aimed at improving profitability, enhancing organizational efficiency, and expanding market presence.
The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance, and repair industry, announced its annual member safety awards for the 2024 calendar year. This year, 14 shipyards are receiving awards for their achievements in safety. The shipbuilding industry continues to improve on safety metrics year after year.
Florida-headquartered Seascour has struck a second deal to supply its organic marine descaler product on one of the Great Lakes most famous vessels, The Wilfred Sykes.The iconic steam powered bulk freighter built in 1949 operated by Indiana based Central Marine Logistics, has just received its second application of Seascour.
ABS Wavesight, the ABS-affiliated software-as-a-service (SaaS) company, has been chosen by Navios Maritime Partners L.P. to provide a single integrated platform to support compliance with the FuelEU Maritime Regulation and EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) requirements.As of January 1, 2025
Autonomous navigation solution provider Avikus, a subsidiary of HD Hyundai, has joined the newly established MIT Maritime Consortium.Launched at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on March 18, 2025, the consortium brings together prominent maritime organizations to drive innovation and set international standards in autonomous navigation and maritime decarbonization.