Phoenix Successfully Completes Emergency Underwater Hull Repair
Phoenix International Holdings, Inc. announced the successful completion of an emergency underwater repair operation on a foreign-flagged bulk carrier that had run aground in the Gulf of America.In early April, Phoenix mobilized a team of commercial divers to Pascagoula, Mississippi, to assess and repair damage to the vessel's hull. Upon arrival, the team conducted a detailed underwater inspection…
HDI Global Reorganizes US Operations, Welcomes New CEO
As part of its new group strategy Xcelerate29, HDI Global (HDI) announced a new organizational setup and leadership changes in its US business.In line with the Xcelerate29 strategy, HDI Global is pursuing growth in the US market. To meet the requirements of the coming years, HDI is reorganizing its US operations with the clear objective of bringing underwriting, claims, and service teams closer to brokers and clients. Shadi Albert will assume the role of CEO of HDI Global US as of July 13.
BRIX Marine Delivers Custom Offshore Passenger Catamaran for FunToSee Island
BRIX Marine has delivered It's About Time, a custom-built 4818-HTC Offshore passenger catamaran from the company's PaxCat lineup, built for FunToSee Island Ferry of Castries, St. Lucia. This marks the second vessel BRIX Marine has built for FunToSee Island, continuing a growing partnership between the two companies.FunToSee Island operates St. Lucia's premier airport water ferry service, connecting…
Vessel Maintenance Demands Rise, IMCA Urges Focus on Diver Safety
The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has reminded vessel owners and operators of the significant risks associated with underwater ship husbandry (UWSH) operations as activity in the Strait of Hormuz increases.As vessels begin returning to service following extended periods at anchor, demand for hull cleaning, inspection, and maintenance has risen sharply. These activities, commonly grouped under UWSH…
Anschuetz Adds Generic Overlay for SYNAPSIS ECDIS NX
Anschuetz has added the Generic Overlay feature, which extends SYNAPSIS (W)ECDIS NX by enabling the direct display of external, geo-referenced data within the chart. Third-party systems can provide their information as overlay layers, visualized seamlessly alongside standard navigational data in a consistent spatial context.Based on a standardized, generic interface, external applications can be connected…
Chinese Advanced Aircraft Carrier Passes Through Sensitive Taiwan Strait
China's newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, the Taiwanese defence ministry said, the first such mission in the sensitive waterway since April.Taiwan, which Beijing views as its territory, reports almost daily Chinese military activity around the island in what Taipei views as an ongoing pressure campaign against the democratically elected government.In a brief statement…
Gulf Tanker Rates Nearly Double as Middle East Exports Ramp Up
Oil tanker operators are reaping record profits after nearly doubling the hire cost of vessels going through the Strait of Hormuz and wider Gulf region this week on rising demand as traffic through the waterway slowly picks up, according to shipping data and sources.Traffic through the vital strait has been modest since Iran lifted its effective blockade last week after agreeing to a 60-day ceasefire with the U.S.…
Oman, Iran Discuss Managing Strait of Hormuz Navigation
Oman and Iran agreed on Tuesday to press on with discussions about the future administration of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, including maritime services in the strategic waterway and the costs associated with them.In a joint statement issued after talks in Muscat, the two countries said a joint working group involving their foreign ministries would be formed to continue the discussions and that…
More Vessels Pass Through Hormuz, Empty LNG Tankers Return
Three stranded supertankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, while seven empty Qatar-linked liquefied natural gas tankers have entered in recent weeks in an early sign Gulf gas shipping may be resuming, ship-tracking data showed.Iranian-linked tankers also continued to transit the vital waterway, according to the data, with traffic picking up on Monday as U.S.-Iran talks progressed.The first round of talks…
Evacuation Plan Underway for Vessel Stranded in Strait of Hormuz
An evacuation plan to enable hundreds of ships with some 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf to sail through the Strait of Hormuz is underway after Iran and the U.S.
Concordia Damen Delivers Century Star Cruise Ship, First for the European Market
Dutch specialized shipbuilder Concordia Damen has delivered the Century Star to Century Cruises. The vessel is the first river cruise ship that the China-based cruise line has had built specifically for the European market and marks the start of a series of three sister ships. The Century Star will sail on the Danube from September 2026, with itineraries on the Rhine to follow at a later date.The vessel was built in collaboration with United Waterways…
Sailors' Society to Roll Out Seafarer Wellbeing Program
Global maritime charity Sailors' Society has announced a partnership with insurance giant NorthStandard to roll out its Sea Mate training to the P&I club's Members. The partnership prompts a sea change in seafarer care with a dramatic increase in the number of Wellbeing Officers on board ships.Sea Mate is an interactive training program that equips seafarers with a specialist set of skills. They serve as key support figures…
Caterpillar’s C32B: Six Years on the River Proves the Point
For inland towboat operators, engine selection is rarely about chasing the newest technology. Reliability, uptime, serviceability and lifecycle cost remain the metrics that matter most. Caterpillar Marine's new C32B engine is a 1,000-hp platform designed specifically with the demands of continuous-duty commercial operations in mind.While the C32B’ss origins can be traced to Caterpillar's pursuit of higher power density in the yacht and sportfishing markets…
Marlink Expands Partnership with Oldendorff through Starlink Deployment
Maritime connectivity provider Marlink has expanded its long-standing partnership with dry bulk shipping company Oldendorff Carriers by integrating Starlink low Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity across the company's owned vessels.The agreement extends Marlink's connectivity services across more than 80 Oldendorff-owned ships, integrating Starlink LEO services with existing geostationary (GEO) VSAT and mobile satellite services (MSS) backup systems.Under the expanded arrangement…
How the U.S. Coast Guard is Shaping the Future of Maritime Nuclear Power
Looking back at history one could argue that it was French author Jules Verne in his book “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”, published in 1869, who was speculating about a new power source much in the same out of the box thinking that H.G. Wells employed when he wrote about inter-planetary flight in “War of the World’s. Verne was writing about “electricity” from batteries using seawater which he created…
Saipem Mobilizes for GranMorgu Oil Development off Suriname
Italian energy services company Saipem has launched operations for the GranMorgu offshore project in Suriname with the arrival of the multi-purpose construction vessel Normand Navigator at the Jules Sedney Harbour commercial port in Paramaribo.The vessel is berthed and ready to begin preliminary activities for the project, which is located in Block 58 around 150 km offshore and is scheduled to start production in 2028.GranMorgu is operated by TotalEnergies…
ASCO Sets Up Shop in Qatar to Drive Middle East Expansion
Logistics and materials management company ASCO has opened its first office in the Middle East, establishing a presence in Qatar as it looks to expand its regional operations and support growing demand for logistics and environmental services.The new office in Doha will support ASCO's clients across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as well as the wider Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions…
ABL Expands Asset Integrity Services in Brazil
Energy and marine consultancy ABL has opened a new office in Salvador, Brazil, expanding its presence in the country and strengthening its asset integrity management offering for the oil and gas, maritime and industrial sectors.The new office will support asset integrity management projects in Brazil and across the wider Americas region, while also serving as a platform to expand ABL's broader portfolio of maritime…
Svanehoj Appoints Larsen President
Morten Christian Larsen will succeed Søren Kringelholt Nielsen as President of Svanehoj. Svanehoj, a specialist in marine pumps and safety equipment for liquefied gases, will have a new President as of July 1, 2026. After seven successful years as President, Søren Kringelholt Nielsen will take over the role as President of ITT Nutrition & Health Solutions. He will be succeeded by Morten Christian Larsen, currently Managing Director of Svanehoj Singapore.
Washington State Ferries Builds a Hybrid Electric Future
At the head of the U.S.’ largest ferry system is Steve Nevey, Deputy Secretary, Washington State Ferry (WSF), which is engaged in a historic modernization to a hybrid-electric fleet. Nevey gives a candid look inside problems during the Wenatchee conversion, with insights on the hybrid electric direction and pace for newbuilds at Eastern Shipbuilding.Steve Nevey did not stumble into maritime. He was raised in it, shaped by it, and by most accounts destined for it.