Frederick Joseph Harris of Mystic CT, passed peacefully at 5:47PM on 10/24/2025, with his family by his side. “Fred” was born on 11/25/1944 at Framingham Union Hospital to Frederick Everett and MaryRosa Camilla Harris.Fred was a proud patriot who loved his country. Fred received his bachelor’s degree in Marine Engineering from Maine Maritime Academy (with Honors) in 1967.
The 110th session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 110) was held from June 18 to 27, with significant progress on a new non-mandatory code of safety for autonomous ships (MASS Code).The code addresses the emerging need for a regulatory framework to ensure the safe, secure and environmentally sound operation of autonomous and remote-controlled key functions.
The keel laying of the new research vessel, Thuwal II, for the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) at the Freire Shipyard marks the beginning of a new chapter in marine research in Saudi Arabia, driving innovation in this crucial field for the country. The contract for the newbuild was announced in August 2024.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended that 30 owners of 68 bridges across 19 states conduct a vulnerability assessment to determine the risk of bridge collapse from a vessel collision.The recommendation comes as part of the ongoing investigation into the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
On February 21, 2025, the Office of the US Trade Representative (UST) released a notice of a proposal to impose wide-ranging fees on shipping companies and vessels with a Chinese nexus. The USTR has yet to release regulatory or administrative language that implements the proposals, and there is no guarantee this will actually happen.
James Fisher and Sons has ordered four new LNG dual-fuel tankers from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Yangzhou) Dingheng as part of its ‘fleet of the future’ business strategy.The new tankers, which will carry oil products and IMO Class II chemicals, will have LNG dual-fuel propulsion capability
The domestic passenger vessel answers the call for cleaner and more efficient platforms. It is truly an electric time to be a part of this niche industry.In the shadow of a rapidly changing political landscape, the domestic passenger ferry sector is nevertheless seeing an increasing number of newbuild vessel orders.
Shandong Port Group has banned U.S.-sanctioned tankers from calling into its ports in the eastern Chinese province, home to many independent refiners that are the biggest importers of oil from countries under U.S. embargo, three traders said.The province imported about 1.74 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil from Iran, Russia and Venezuela last year, accounting for about 17% of China's imports
Abu Dhabi's Al Seer Marine, a subsidiary of International Holding Company (IHC), has taken delivery of two new Medium Range (MR) tankers, M.T. Saiph and her sister ship from K Shipbuilding Korea.Each vessel is equipped with an Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (EGCS) and engineered to accommodate alternative fuels such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), ammonia, and methanol.
Each year, as we prepare for the largest U.S. based maritime industry conference in New Orleans, we tend to look back on the state of the industry and initiatives that were announced from the conference that took place the year before. 2023 provided us with plenty to talk about. In September of 2023
Spoiler Alert: we already know what to do. Some of it just isn’t physically possible. Help isn’t going to come from South Korea.Just two days following Donald Trump’s historic election victory, positioning him to become just the second U.S. President to be elected twice, in separate, non-following terms, the headlines curiously turned to shipbuilding.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced its approval of the Construction and Operations Plan for the Maryland Offshore Wind project.This is the final approval needed for the project from BOEM following the Department of the Interior’s September 2024 Record of Decision.