Maritime News – Page 6 – Professional Mariner

04 Mar

Congress finalizes funds for key Great Lakes interests

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Icebreakers, Ports, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — Five months after the beginning of the fiscal year, Congress unveiled its final spending plan for a handful of government agencies Sunday. These include programs of critical importance to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway maritime industry. How did we get here? As a reminder, the federal fiscal year begins on Oct. 1 and ends on Sept. 30 of…

04 Mar

Port of Long Beach dedicates new fireboat stations

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsFireboats, Ports

(LONG BEACH, Calif.) — Officials on Friday dedicated two new Port of Long Beach fireboat stations that are greatly enhancing the Long Beach Fire Department’s waterside and landside emergency response capabilities, better safeguarding visiting ships, cargo and waterfront workers. The facilities – Fireboat Station 15 and Fireboat Station 20 – are the products of a $109 million Port of Long…

01 Mar

AWO urges Gov. Newsom to delay enforcing CARB rule

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsEnvironment, Regulation, Tugboats and towing

(ARLINGTON, Va.) — In a Feb. 22 letter, Jennifer Carpenter, president and CEO of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), asked California Gov. Gavin Newsom to delay deadlines or enforcement of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) commercial harbor craft rule due to safety issues and lack of the EPA-required authorization. Carpenter pointed out that technical experts have not approved diesel…

29 Feb

Safety alert: Keyed VHF radios may block AIS reception

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsElectronics, Navigation, Safety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — A very high frequency (VHF) maritime radio transmission on one’s own vessel, or even transmissions by a nearby vessel a football field’s length away (about 445 feet), may block AIS reception for the duration the radio is keyed. An analysis of the relevant standards has shown that this may impact all classes of AIS equipment regardless of how…

29 Feb

Marine Corps turns Hornbeck OSV into landing craft

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsshipbuilding

(CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.) – Gears grinded as the offshore supply vessel HOS Resolution folded its long stern ramp on Friday and prepared to head into the Pacific for an afternoon session with a group of Marines and their drones. The 254-foot Resolution, under contract with the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, pulled into Camp Pendleton’s Del Mar boat basin on Thursday…

29 Feb

U.S. launches $3 billion program to cut port pollution

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsEnvironment, Ports

(WASHINGTON) — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday announced the launch of the $3 billion Clean Ports Program to fund zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure to tackle the climate crisis and improve air quality at U.S. ports. The funding opportunities were created under the Inflation Reduction Act – the largest climate investment in history – and will advance environmental…

27 Feb

33 shippers hailed for slowing to reduce whale strikes

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsEnvironment, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — Thirty-three shipping companies have received awards for reducing speeds last year in the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies program. The voluntary incentive program ran May 1 through Dec. 15 to reduce fatal ship strikes to endangered whales, and to reduce air pollution, regional greenhouse gas emissions and underwater noise. Vessels from participating companies transited at 10 knots…

27 Feb

MarAd advisory: Black Sea attacks, collateral damage

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, Security, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in late February 2022, commercial vessels have reportedly been struck by projectiles and experienced explosions in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. There have also been reports of moored and drifting naval mines. • NATO Shipping Center – Risk of collateral damage in the northwestern, western and southwest Black Sea…

26 Feb

Polar Star handles fast ice, wraps up Antarctic mission

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreaking, Licensing and training, U.S. Coast Guard

(SOUTHERN OCEAN) — The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew departed McMurdo Station, Antarctica, on Feb. 12 after operating for 51 days below the Antarctic Circle in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2024. Polar Star and crew broke a 38-mile channel through fast ice to create a navigable route for vessels to reach McMurdo Station and…

23 Feb

Understanding the IMO’s new guidance on biofouling

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsbiofouling, Environment, shipping

(ARENDAL, Norway) — The revised International Maritime Organization (IMO) Biofouling Guidelines came into force in 2023 and provide updated guidance on how to prevent the spread of marine invasive species. Here are the key recommendations. Marine invasive species infestations are a major threat to the world’s oceans and to the conservation of biodiversity. They can be triggered by marine hull…