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The fight against COVID-19 involves nearly every aspect of the maritime industry: stranded mariners aboard ships at sea, including American seafarers with the Military Sealift Command; plunging ferry ridership and vessel transit cutbacks; and a new world of protocols for just about anyone heading onto any commercial vessel. But the industry is pushing through, from efforts to keep cargo moving at the Port of New Orleans and other key points, to the Coast Guard changing course to handle aspects of Subchapter M compliance remotely. In its August issue, Professional Mariner also examines recent advances in marine communication and tracks the latest in casualty news from across the U.S. and Canada.

Signals: Civilian mariners barred from leaving MSC ships during pandemic

While the world embraced social distancing and self-isolating amid the spread of the coronavirus, the Military Sealift Command (MSC) required thousands of civilian mariners, or “civmars,” to stay on U.S. Navy ships, sharing tight quarters and cramped workspaces.

3 mins

With ridership down 90 percent, US ferries endure pandemic pause

Most U.S. ferry operators saw ridership declines of more than 90 percent during certain weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Passenger Vessel Association. Going into the summer months, ferry systems from coast to coast are retaining as many crewmembers as they can while waiting for passengers to return.

2 mins

High court's safe-berth ruling favors shipowner over charterer

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that charterer Citgo is liable, not the shipowner, for the cost of cleaning up the 15-year-old Athos I oil spill in the Delaware River, deciding that the safe-berth clause in the charter contract should be interpreted as a safety warranty.

4 mins

Towing: Pandemic leads to remote inspections, extensions for Subchapter M

There were numerous obstacles during the decade-long period in which Subchapter M, the new regulatory framework for the towing industry, was created. Now, in the second year of the rollout, there is another challenge: COVID-19.

4 mins

Vinik answers call, clears hurdles with seasoned offshore fleet

Daunting is a good word to describe the process of getting some older tugboats into compliance with Subchapter M, said Capt. Mike Vinik, a 2003 SUNY Maritime graduate and owner of Vinik Marine, a New Jersey-based towing company founded in 2005. He then brought up the case of his largest current tugboat, Vinik No. 6, which is 50 years old.

5 mins

Casualties: NTSB: Failure to heed storm warning doomed Stretch Duck 7

Stretch Duck 7 entered Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo., on a warm summer evening with 31 people on board. Barely 10 minutes later, a powerful storm front passed, generating 70-mph winds and 3-foot waves on the previously flat lake.

7 mins

Explosion injures crewman, leaves boxship adrift in North Atlantic

One crewman was injured during a “severe” engine failure aboard a Danish containership that left the vessel adrift in the North Atlantic.

2 mins

Strong outdraft ‘overwhelmed' pilot before tow hit dam, NTSB says

Mary Lucy Lane looked out of shape as its 12-barge tow neared Markland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Warsaw, Ky. A challenging crosscurrent from the dam sucked the downbound vessels farther out of position during their final approach.

4 mins

Marine radio tech gets friendlier, more capable in cellular age

For more than a century, marine radio has been a boon to all who work on the water, providing first for improved safety and, over time, becoming an indispensable operational tool. In recent years, it may not have experienced the “mobile revolution” that smartphones have brought to life ashore, but it has acquired many new capabilities.

5 mins

Correspondence: Pandemic shuffles deck, but marine exchange keeps San Pedro safe

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, all of the terminals in San Pedro, Calif., remain open, but ship traffic has decreased and the amount of cargo transiting both ports — Los Angeles and Long Beach — declined significantly through the first four months of the year. The anchorages in the San Pedro roadstead were full of cruise ships going nowhere, loaded car carriers with no place to offload, and tankers with full loads but no buyers.

5 mins

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Professional Mariner Magazine Description:

Tugs, towboats, cargo, government, passenger, spill response, pilot boats, offshore support, salvage, dredge and fireboats - Professional Mariner covers them all. Plus, only Professional Mariner gives you all the essential information you need to advance your maritime business or career including the latest news and in-depth, investigative reporting on maritime casualties, regulations, legislation, shipbuilding, safety, technology, business/management issues and more.