Piracy edges closer to home with wave of raids in southern Gulf

In the brief cellphone video recorded by a crewmember on the offshore supply vessel (OSV) Remas, the pirates walk back and forth on the deck of the ship, clenching their guns and using them to point as they order around the crew. Their faces are draped in clothing and bandanas.

Analysis points to faulty loading, low ballast in Golden Ray rollover

While the salvage of the sunken vehicle carrier Golden Ray has been delayed for months due to COVID-19 and the hurricane season, analysis by the U.S. Coast Guard has determined a possible cause for the rollover: a combination of vehicles placed too high on the ship’s decks, and not enough ballast water gave the placement of the cargo.

CAPTAIN MURCHISON - Texas Game Wardens gain crime-fighting advantage in the Gulf of Mexico

It’s a cat-and-mouse game on the high seas: Unlicensed commercial fisher-men from Mexico head north into Texas waters in small, swift boats called “lanchas,” hoping to catch a haul of seafood before the authorities catch them.

MEGAYACHTS - Megayacht demand remains strong in North America despite virus impacts

Twelve months ago, 2020 looked to be a banner year for megayachts. Sales were on the rise, clients were interested and yards were buzzing with projects. The 2019 fall boat shows, which informally kick off the yachting industry’s year, saw record attendance both in terms of exhibitors and visitors. The Marine Industries Association of South Florida reported that the 2019 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show brought in more than $715 million in sales.

SHEARWATER - Speedy Shearwater creates new opportunities for offshore research

The scientists at Duke University Marine Lab had a good idea what they wanted in a new research vessel. It had to be quick enough to keep pace with the speedy pilot whales, and efficient enough for voyages well offshore.

RESEARCH/SURVEY - Seaspan delivers again for Canadian science; new RCRVs take shape at Gulf Island

The promise of new orders and a couple of prominent deliveries — led by the latest addition to Canada’s oceangoing fleet — kept North American shipbuilders engaged in the research and survey sector during the past year.

WINDSERVE ODYSSEY - Jones Act newbuild signals growing potential from offshore wind

It’s likely a matter of when, not if, offshore wind power will take off in the United States. WindServe Marine has made an early investment in crew transfer vessels (CTVs) to get ahead of the coming boom.

Workboat capsizes during Louisiana oil spill exercise, killing two

A workboat that capsized and sank during a boom deployment exercise on the Lower Mississippi River, killing both people on board, turned broadside to the current moments before it rolled over.

Sixty-three injured in fire aboard Navy ship; vessel's fate unknown

USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) sustained extensive damage from an onboard fire that started while it was tied up in San Diego, and Navy officials say it is too soon to know if the amphibious assault ship will return to service.

Six months into outbreak, cruise lines still repatriating crews by ship

Though the COVID-19 pan-demic brought passenger travel to a halt for all major ocean-going cruise lines, many ships were still sailing an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 crewmembers to their home countries in July, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

Navy continues to modernize yard tug fleet with launch of YT 808

The U.S. Navy took another step toward replacing its aging yard tugboats with the launch of the first vessel in the YT 808 class at Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes, Wash., in May.

Faster, safer, cheaper: Drones taking flight for ship inspections

Drones are everywhere these days, from far-flung battlefields to family events. Where they haven’t gone, until recently, is into the confined hull spaces of ships.

COVID actions testing relationship between MSC, civilian crews

As the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the planet in March, a “gangway up” order by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) restricted thousands of civilian mariners to U.S. Navy vessels around the world.

Pandemic clouds job outlook for new maritime academy grads

A degree from a maritime academy usually spares one from the pain of checking job websites throughout a day, hoping a suitable position has popped up since they last hit refresh.

Ship's turn off dock, not upriver first, cited in Louisiana bridge strike

Dank Silver loaded clean product at a refinery near Donaldsonville, La., and prepared to sail down the Lower Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. Getting there meant coming off the dock and spinning 180 degrees in the swollen, fast-moving current.

Correspondence

Why do containership stacks collapse, and who is liable when they do?

Coast Guard warns that inaccurate vessel data can undermine AIS

A spring collision on the Mississippi River that resulted in several fatalities has spurred the U.S. Coast Guard to ramp up efforts to get two points across about automatic identification systems: that it’s unsafe to rely solely on the communication tool to know what vessels are nearby, and that improper entry of AIS data can even be deadly.

At Work Another day in paradise for agile island tug

Capt. Curtis Iaukea steered Tiger 21 toward Hono-lulu Harbor on a postcard-perfect Hawaii afternoon. The job awaiting them was straightforward: shifting a Sause Bros. barge a few hundred yards from one berth to another.

Apprentice steersman being trained when tow hit moored barges

A towboat pushing six barges down the Lower Mississippi River struck moored barges at a shipyard near Sunshine, La., causing 11 empty shipyard barges to break free. An apprentice steersman had turned over the helm just before impact.

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.

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.

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.

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.

NTSB: Hull leaks reported but ‘not resolved' before towboat sinking

Tom Bussler was upbound on the Tennessee River when the captain noticed the bow riding low in the water. He steered toward the riverbank but didn’t get there before the 58-foot towboat sank.

Wind ships ahead: Technology pulling more power from sails

Correspondence

Shipping proposes $5 billion research program to cut CO2 output

Maritime shipping transports 90 percent of the goods traded globally and is responsible for about 2 percent of the world’s human-produced CO2 emissions, according to the International Maritime Organization. That percentage could rise to 20 percent by 2050 if no action is taken.

Latest training melds new technology, proven tactics in fight against fire

Seemingly out of nowhere, word spread of a fire in the galley and a missing crew member. A firefighting team wearing turnout gear and self-contained breathing apparatus mobilized quickly and stepped into the dark, smoky space.

High water in Vicksburg: Another bridge strike, another breakaway

Pilot error was the primary cause of a bridge strike in Vicksburg, Miss., during high water in February 2019 that caused 30-grain barges to break away, according to federal investigators.

Industry faces hurdles on crew changes, essential staff in pandemic

Signals

Real estate firm advances plan to restore SS United States

In a significant step toward preserving “America’s flagship,” a prominent New York development company has agreed to proceed with renovating the mothballed ocean liner SS United States, converting it into a hotel, museum, and entertainment and cultural center — if a city agrees to provide a permanent berth.