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.
Parker Towing Company has completed the repower of the M/V Syble Fay at Verret Shipyard, replacing the vessel's Cummins QK38 main engines with two Mitsubishi S12R Tier 3 engines supplied by Laborde Products. Each engine is rated at 1,100 horsepower at 1,600 RPM, providing a total of 2,200 horsepower for the vessel's continued service on the inland waterways.
Construction on a new 48m catamaran passenger ferry designed by Incat Crowther for Hy-Line Cruises is now underwayat Midship Marine in Louisiana. The vessel, when completed, will operate on Hy-Line Cruise’s critical tourism and commercial routes connecting Hyannis, Mass., with the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
Canal Barge Company has repowered the M/V Hallie M. Merrick with two Mitsubishi S12R Tier3 engines rated at 1100 horsepower at 1800 RPM. The project was completed at Sterling Shipyard with support from Laborde Products, replacing the vessel’s original Cummins KTA38 engines and bringing the towboat in line with Canal Barge’s ongoing fleet-modernization program.Built in 2013, the Hallie M.
Silverback Marine has completed seatrials and commissioning of the OX series, twin Z-Drive equipped truckable tug earlier this month.The concept was designed to fulfill the vision of a truly tow-capable, tractor tug style vessel to the non subchapter M market. Traditional truckable tugs, driven by prop and rudder, are suited strictly for pushing, with limited maneuverability.
Lady Kailani, a new 20-meter (65 foot) luxury catamaran designed by Incat Crowther for Kauai Sea Tours in Hawai'i, is now in service offering tours along Kauai’s Nā Pali Coast.The successful delivery of Lady Kailani by south Louisiana shipyard Breaux Brothers Enterprises has allowed the tourism operator to expand to year-round tourism experiences in Kauai, Hawai'i.
Interest in hybrid government and patrol boats is growing as boat builders demonstrate their many benefits.Launched last year at Seawork, Sweden-based Marell Boats says its M17 Patrol was the star of the show with its hybrid powertrain from Scania and propulsion system by Marine Jet Power.
Kilimanjaro IX, a 53-metre high-speed ferry designed by digital shipbuilder Incat Crowther for Tanzania’s Azam Marine, has been launched by AFAI Southern Shipyard in Guangzhou, China and will soon begin sea trials.The vessel is the 12th high-speed ferry designed by Incat Crowther for the Tanzanian operator and will service Azam Marine’s popular routes to and from Dar-es-Salaam on the Tanzanian
For the U.S. Navy, boats perform missions from mundane maintenance chores such as hull scraping and cleaning overboard discharges to clandestine special forces insertion and extraction. Some boats are about as basic as you can imagine, and some are equipped with sophisticated combat systems and weapons.
Blue Sky Maritime Coalition (Blue Sky) appointed Rich Byrnes as its new President and Chief Executive Officer as of July 1, 2026.“Rich is a dynamic leader with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our industry,” said David Cummins, current President/CEO of Blue Sky. Ted Tregurtha, Chair of Blue Sky’s Board of Directors, also welcomed Byrnes.
Maritime Partners has repowered the pushboat M/V John Austin, replacing its Cummins QSK38 (1300 hp @ 1800 rpm) with a Mitsubishi S12R-Y3 engine rated at 1260 hp @ 1600 rpm. After 28,000 hours on the previous platform, the decision to repower was driven by the need for reliability, reduced downtime, and a smarter long-term investment.
Carpentaria Marine Services, a marine services provider in northern Australia, is expanding its fleet after commissioning Incat Crowther to design a new multi-purpose offshore support vessel.Construction of the vessel, which will be deployed across northern and eastern Australia including Cape York and the Gulf of Carpentaria, is now underway at Richardson Devine Marine’s shipyard in Hobart