Rough Seas News

Officer Lee Tae Young, a first mate from the Republic of Korea, has been awarded the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, in recognition of his heroic actions that saved 12 fellow crew members from the Geum Seong No. 135 when it sunk in November 2024. He was honored during a special ceremony recognizing seafarers held in London on November 24, 2025, in the margins of the IMO Assembly taking place from November 24 to December 3, 2025. IMO Secretary-General Mr. Arsenio Dominguez applauded Mr.

Germany’s largest utility RWE and U.K.’s largest shipowner-operator North Star have signed long-term agreements for next-generation service operation vessels (SOVs) to maintain RWE’s growing offshore wind fleet.The companies have agreed that RWE will charter two SOVs, the Grampian Eagle and the Grampian Kestrel, from North Star, both capable of using alternative low-emission fuels.Full marine services will be delivered by North Star as part of the charters.RWE and North Star have also signed reservation agreements for two newbuild vessels delivered by the Norwegian Vard Group.

Artemis Technologies is leading a feasibility study on the establishment of a new ferry service between Newlyn in Cornwall and St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly, around 30 miles off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England, in the Atlantic Ocean.The study will assess the technical and commercial viability of deploying the Artemis EF-24 Passenger, a 100% electric, high-speed hydrofoil ferry, to provide a reliable, year-round passenger and cargo service on a route where no winter…

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has issued formal recommendations to three government agencies and a salvage operator with the release of its final report into the near stranding of the bulk carrier Portland Bay near Sydney in July 2022.“The stranding on pristine national park coastline of a 170-metre ship carrying 950 tonnes of heavy fuel oil would have had internationally significant environmental and economic consequences, and as such this was one of the ATSB’s most comprehensive marine occurrence investigations in nearly two decades…

Vestdavit has bolstered its position as a supplier of boat-handling systems to navies worldwide after landing an order to deliver multiple davits and painter booms for a series of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) contracted by the French Navy at domestic yards.The davit deal covers delivery and commissioning of a total of 14 PLR-5004-type davits, as well as 14 PBH-2500 painter booms, for the seven OPV newbuilds–two davits per vessel—that are being built as part of the French Ocean Patrol Vessel Program…

To commemorate the history of Hong Kong – Macau sailings, Aero Editor launched a book “Hong Kong - Macau High-Speed Ferries” (Traditional Chinese) last year. This book introduces the history, development and current status of sea travel between Hong Kong and Macau, especially the stories of the legendary Jetfoil fleetOn April 25, 1975, Jetfoil MADEIRA of Far East Hydrofoil Co. Ltd. (now TurboJET) set sail from Hong Kong to Macau, setting a new benchmark for the upcoming 50 years of sea travel between the cities with stability borrowed from airplane technology…

Zelim, an Edinburgh-based maritime safety innovator, has signed an agreement with Ambassador Cruise Lines for the installation of its ZOE man overboard (MOB) detection system on Ambition cruise ship, marking its entry into the global cruise ship sector.Zelim is fitting out the 1,200-passenger capacity cruise ship with a full ZOE installation to deliver instantaneous detection and tracking of persons in the water following MOB incidents.The installation – comprising multiple infrared and daylight cameras…

All American Marine (AAM) has delivered a 78’ x 26.7’ semi-displacement aluminum catamaran to Cal Poly Humboldt. The vessel will serve as a scientific exploration platform and support faculty research along the Northern California and Oregon coasts.Designed by Nic de Waal of Teknicraft Design, the RV North Wind builds on the proven success of similar research vessels, including the R/V Shackleford and the University of Hawaii’s R/V Imua.Constructed to US Coast Guard Subchapter T standards…

The Coast Guard gets its first new polar icebreaker in more than 25 years.The Coast Guard has accepted its first new polar icebreaker in more than 25 years, but it’s not really new. The 12,900-ton, 360-foot Anchor Handling Tug Support Ship (AHTS) Aiviq was acquired by the Coast Guard and renamed USCGC Storis (WAGB 21).According to a Coast Guard statement, “On Nov. 20, the Coast Guard purchased the M/V Aiviq, a 360-foot U.S.-built polar class 3-equivalent icebreaker for $125 million in a deal with Offshore Surface Vessels LLC.

AIRCAT Vessels, in collaboration with ESNA, delivered the first three AIRCAT 35 Crewliners. Designed to meet the demanding needs of the oil and gas sector, the 35-m vessels, based on SES (Surface Effect Ship) technology, achieve speeds of more than 50 knots, even in challenging maritime conditions. Each vessel has a capacity of 80 passengers with a cabin designed to business class standards. In addition, two operational modes have been integrated to help ensure comfort:The Ride Control System (RCS)…

ST Engineering has signed a shipbuilding contract for the design and construction of a Walk-to-Work (W2W) vessel for an unnamed oil and gas company.The contracts marks ST Engineering’s expansion into the market for specialized vessels supporting offshore operations.The W2W vessel will be 97 meters in length and able to accommodate 106 persons. It will feature an advanced motion-compensated gangway to ensure safe personnel transfers in varying sea conditions, and a 10-ton crane…

Global digital shipbuilder Incat Crowther has been commissioned to design an ultra-efficient, all-electric light cargo transfer vessel for Singapore’s marinEV, a business of Yinson GreenTech. The vessel, Hydromover 2.0, will transport light cargo such as stores, food and maintenance items to vessels anchored in the Singapore Strait, waiting to dock at the Port of Singapore. Hydromover 2.0 builds on the success of the prototype Hydromover 1.0.Hydromover 2.0 will feature Incat Crowther’s efficient hull form…

As global offshore markets evolve to create a more sustainable future, rising up to meet these challenges is Sweden-based Northern Offshore Services. Offshore engineers won’t be the only beneficiary – but they might be the most important. In August, Northern Offshore Services (N-O-S) unveiled its unique I-Class Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV), powered by the first commercial application of Volvo Penta’s IPS Professional Platform. In the cutting-edge IMPRESSER, N-O-S designed a flexible…

Eureka Naval Craft is introducing its suite of high-speed AIRCAT (air cushion catamarans) surface effect ships (SES), already in use with the offshore energy industry, to the defense market.According to Bo Jardine, CEO of Eureka Naval Craft, a newly formed U.S.-based naval defense company, the versatile suite of AIRCAT naval vessels can serve as a patrol craft, rescue craft, medical evacuation vessels, heavily armed small combatants and landing craft.The AIRCAT SES has both an air cushion…

Five people were rescued from a tug that lost steering in heavy seas off the coast of La Push, Wash., Friday afternoon.At 4:10 p.m., the 130-foot commercial tug Luther lost steering and was beset by weather while towing a concrete barge 10 miles off the coast of La Push and requested assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard. On scene weather conditions were 10- to 14-foot seas and winds of 45-knots.A 47-foot Motor Lifeboat (MLB) crew from Coast Guard Station Quillayute River, an MH-60 Jayhawk crew from Coast Guard Air Station Astoria…

The owners of a private island in the U.S. rely on vessel transport as a lifeline to the mainland. Their boat, used for carrying supplies and even supplying medevac support in emergency situations, must be able to run at any time, in all conditions.So when it came time for their existing vessel to be replaced, the island’s owners sought a new vessel that would be rugged and reliable enough to withstand the harshest weather, said Tim Weston, the island’s general manager (note: Tim Weston is a fictitious name used to protect the identity of the island’s owners…

For years, operators of high-speed boats have silently endured the physical toll of their profession. Repeated slamming impacts from rough seas caused serious injuries—many of them life-altering. However, one Navy doctor saw these challenges not as an unavoidable consequence but as a problem that could be solved. His solution? A seat that would change the course of high-speed boat safety.The hidden cost of high-speed operationsRecent research shows that professional high-speed boat operators suffer more severe injuries than seen in almost any other peacetime profession.

Taiwan's coast guard tried on Friday to rescue dozens of sailors stranded off the southern coast after Typhoon Gaemi sank a freighter and grounded eight others in the Taiwan Strait.The powerful typhoon swept through Taiwan on Thursday with gusts of up to 227 kph (141 mph) before barreling west across the Taiwan Strait towards China where it is expected to dump more torrential rain.One crew member was found dead, while four were rescued and four others were missing after a Tanzania-flagged cargo ship sank off Taiwan's southern Kaohsiung port…

A marine tanker carrying industrial fuel sank in rough seas off the Philippines on Thursday, causing the death of a crew member and an oil spill that could spread to waters off the capital Manila, officials said.Sixteen of the 17 crew members of MT Terra Nova have been rescued, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said, after the ship capsized off the coastal town of Limay in Bataan province.The coastguard said they found the body of a previously missing crew member in the sea off Limay town in Bataan province…

A marine tanker carrying industrial fuel sank in rough seas off the Philippines on Thursday, causing a large oil spill as coast guard rescuers search for a missing crew member, officials said.Sixteen of the 17 crew members of MT Terra Nova have been rescued, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said, after the ship capsized off the coastal town of Limay in Bataan province. A search is underway for the missing sailor."There is already oil spill. Right now, we cannot dispatch our resources because of strong winds and high waves…

The U.S. military announced on Wednesday that its mission to install and operate a temporary, floating pier off the coast of Gaza was complete, formally ending an extraordinary but troubled effort to bring humanitarian aid to Palestinians.The pier, announced by President Joe Biden during a televised address to Congress in March, was a massive endeavor that took about 1,000 U.S. forces to execute. Aid began flowing via the pier to Gaza in May, an operation aimed at helping avert…

The 2024 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea is to go to two sets of nominees: the captain and crew of the oil tanker Marlin Luanda for containing a fire after the ship was struck by an anti-ship missile; and the captain and crew of the tugboat Pemex Maya for their rescue of six shipwrecked people from four different vessels during a hurricane.Nominations were initially reviewed by an Assessment Panel and their recommendations were considered by a Panel of Judges, who ultimately selected the recipients of honors.

A luxury cruise ship has rescued dozens of migrants who were trying to reach the Spanish Canary Islands in a fishing boat that had stalled in rough seas killing five people, Spanish authorities and the cruise operator said on Thursday.The archipelago has become the main point of entry to Spain for illegal migrants from Africa in recent years, and the route is also the deadliest. Migration rights group Walking Borders said last week that nearly 5,000 migrants died at sea on that…