The Panama Canal is a strategic crossroads for maritime traffic, and is arguably one of the most important maritime developments in the past century. Here we take a deeper dive into the history behind that famous strip of waterway.The present canal, which saw its first vessel transits in 1914, along with possible alternatives through Nicaragua and Mexico
While nothing lasts forever, the cruise industry – and particularly the ‘expedition’ cruise sector – remain on a historic run with no indication of a near-term slowdown.The leisure travel sector, of which expedition cruising is a part, offers numerous possibilities for delivering new “experiences” unlike industrial shipping businesses (or even conventional ferry and passenger transport)
Genoa, Italy based Rimorchiatori Riuniti Group took delivery in February of a modified version of Robert Allan Ltd.'s TRAktor 2500-SX standard design from Turkih builder Sanmar Shipyards.The addition of Italia, a modern Z-drive tractor to their fleet could potentially signal a renewed interest in Z-drive tractor tugs for the group.Robert Allan Ltd.
MAN Energy Solutions said it has secured a contract to supply the main propulsion engines for two new 41-meter patrol vessels for the Royal Thai Navy. Each vessel will be powered by two MAN 16V175D-MM, IMO Tier II engines, each rated at 2,960 kWm at 1,900 rpm.Marsun Shipyard in Thailand will construct the newbuildings with delivery scheduled for August 2020.
Australia-listed Global Energy Ventures (GEV) has extended a letter of intent (LOI) with Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore to build the CNG Optimum 200 ships.The extension is for six months through to 30 June 2020. The LOI is based on a firm order for four 200 MM scf Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) ships with the option for GEV to order up to an additional four ships.
Portugal's Navalrocha shipyard reports a strong influx of BWTS (Ballast Water Treatment System) retrofit projects for 2020.The shipyard completed its first ever BWTS installation with technical engineering partner Step Consolidated on the Paxoi bunker tanker, managed MM Marine Inc.
MAN Energy Solutions won the contract to supply the main propulsion engines for two new ice-breaking ASD tugs, to be operated by Svitzer in the Scandanavian region. Each vessel, rated with 60 tonnes of bollard pull, will be powered by 2 × MAN 12V175D MM, IMO Tier II engines, each rated at 2,040 kWm at 1,800 rpm.
Canada's Island Tug and Barge (ITB) christened the second of two new ATB tugs, the Island Regent, at its headquarters in Burnaby.The Island Regent was designed by acclaimed Robert Allan Ltd. naval architects and marine engineers of Vancouver, B.C. to be paired with ITB’s double-hulled oil tank barge, the ITB Reliant, as an articulated tug and barge (ATB)
Istanbul-based shipbuilder RMK MARINE delivered two 70-metric-ton bollard pull towing vessels, T.DAMLA-8 and T.DAMLA-9, handed over to a local client on January 31, 2020 and March 27, 2020 respectively.The RAmparts 2500-SD vessels are based on Robert Allan Ltd.’s RAmparts 2500-W design
OCEAN Industries Inc. has ordered 8 × MAN 12V175D-MM, IMO Tier III-compliant engines in connection with the construction of 4 × 24-meter ASD tugs for the Royal Canadian Navy. The vessels are set respectively for delivery to Canada’s major naval bases at Esquimalt, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia, with each location set to receive two tugs.
Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard (Group) Co. Ltd. of China has delivered Cao Gang 27 to Caofeidian Tugging Services Co., Ltd, Tangshan Port.The vessel designed by Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) for service at Cao Fei Dian Port located in Tangshan in the northeastern part of Hebei Province China is a customized RAmparts 2800 tug with a shallow draft, ice strengthened hull.
Turkish shipbuilder and tugboat operator Med Marine signed a contract for a MED-A2360 series tugboat with Saam Guatemala for its Puerto Quetzal operations.The vessel is a RAmparts 2300-MM tugboat, designed exclusively for Med Marine. She is named as Saam Itza and the delivery is set for June 2019.