CHICAGO — July 30, 2026 — The United States cannot rebuild its maritime strength by focusing solely on its ocean coasts. Instead, the nation's industrial resurgence depends on recognizing the Great Lakes as one of America's five maritime coastlines and leveraging the region's unmatched manufacturing ecosystem, according to U.S. Maritime Administrator Stephen M. Carmel.
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.
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation and Saltchuk Resources, Inc. announced a definitive agreement for Saltchuk to acquire Great Lakes at an aggregate equity value of approximately $1.2 billion and a total transaction value of $1.5 billion.Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of both companies
The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of 27 mariners on Saturday after their Venezuelan-flagged fishing vessel caught fire approximately 500 miles north-northwest of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.At 3:51 p.m. PST, Saturday, Rescue Coordination Center Alameda received a notification from the Garmin Search and Rescue Command Center of an SOS distress alert from the 240-foot fishing vessel
Capt. Jonathan Andrechik transferred command of Coast Guard Sector New York to Capt. Doreen McCarthy Monday, during a change-of-command ceremony at Sector New York in Staten Island. Rear Adm. Michael Platt, Commander, Coast Guard Northeast District, presided over the ceremony.Capt. McCarthy reported to Sector New York and has served as the deputy commander since May of 2024.
The Administration has made American manufacturing, shipbuilding, and supply chain resilience national priorities. The Great Lakes region is home to steel, autos, agriculture, energy infrastructure, defense suppliers, and advanced manufacturing. The St. Lawrence Seaway carries maritime commerce into that region.
Persistent precipitation this spring has resulted in rising water levels throughout the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin and flood conditions in many tributaries. Since March 1, water levels in Lake Ontario have risen from 74.54 meters (244.55 feet) to 75.30 meters (247.05 feet) by April 30, a total increase of 0.76 meters (2.50 feet) in two months.
Port Milwaukee welcomed the Marshall Islands-flagged Federal Nagara as the first vessel of the 2026 international season on Friday, April 3.The Federal Nagara arrived at the Logistec terminal to unload specialty steel products following its transit through the St. Lawrence Seaway from Spain and Belgium, where it was loaded. The St.
Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor celebrated the start of the 2026 international shipping season Saturday with the arrival of the Ocean7 Ranger. The ocean vessel completed a 52-day voyage carrying equipment for facility improvements at U.S. Steel Gary Works, the largest integrated steel mill in North America.The 2026 opening of the St.
The Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA) announced that its most prestigious honor, The Commodore Award, has been renamed The Jim Lawrence Commodore Award, effective immediately. This change commemorates the extraordinary life and lasting legacy of Jim Lawrence, who passed away on June 1, 2025, after a distinguished career spanning more than four decades in the maritime industry.
Cavotec has successfully delivered and commissioned three MoorMaster automated mooring systems at the Iroquois Lock in Ontario, Canada. The systems were officially handed over to the Saint Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) on June 30, 2025.With this latest installation, Cavotec’s MoorMaster systems support vessel transit at nearly all locks of the St.
In Memoriam: Captain Charles Robert MacVean, USN, (Ret.), PhDMarch 22, 1937 – September 10, 2025The book, Blind Man’s Bluff, describes the secret USN submarine operations known as “The Projects.” It begins with the opening line, “There was something about Commander Charles R. MacVean that had a way of inspiring legend.