News – Page 41 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

State of Oregon to Help Fund Port of Newport Seawall Repair

A $1.14 million appropriation from the State of Oregon is expected to allow the Port of Newport to make major repairs this year to the 540-foot seawall that supports the headquarters for Newport-based Rogue Nation Brewing. Built in 1979, the seawall was under study by an engineering firm in 2021 after showing signs of considerable wear and corrosion. PBS Engineering reported that the seawall “is considered to have exceeded its useful design life” and predicted the eventual failing of the corroded steel piles if measures weren’t taken to repair or replace the structure. Last November, port General Manager Paula Miranda…

Singapore-based Keppel O&M Completes Autonomous Vessel Development

Singapore-based Keppel Offshore & Marine announced in April that it has achieved several industry ‘firsts’ with the successful completion of its maiden autonomous vessel project. Capable of autonomous vessel navigation as well as collision detection and avoidance, the Maju 510 tug, owned and operated by Keppel Smit Towage, is the first vessel in the world to receive the Autonomous Notation from ABS classification society, according to Keppel O&M. “The tug is the first in South Asia that can be remotely operated by joystick control,” Keppel said in a statement. “It can be controlled from the shore command center with a…

Bay Area Report 2022: Pandemic Rebound

Two years after COVID-19 swept the world, the Bay Area, like many maritime regions, continues to feel the effects of the pandemic. During this time, the Bay Area’s maritime industry has been working to rebound from the impacts while investing in its future, whether it is seaports finding ways to ease the bottlenecks stemming from pandemic-driven cargo records or a transportation agency working to maintain services as ferry riders slowly return. Here’s a look at what’s happening in the region: PORT OF OAKLAND For the past several months, the Port of Oakland has been working to solve a major shipping…

Panama Canal Looks to Simplify Toll Structure

As part of what it says is its commitment to improve customer experience and reflect the growing value of the waterway, the Panama Canal Authority in April issued a proposal for a new simplified toll structure that the Authority says would “provide price stability for customers in years to come.” It would also, the Authority said, offer customers “predictability, establishing tariffs well in advance allowing them to plan their business decisions accordingly.” The proposed toll structure will reduce the number of tariffs from 430 to less than 60, with the simplified system minimizing unnecessary complexity and facilitate transactions by eliminating…

Russian Tankers Turning Off Tracking to Evade Sanctions: Reports

Russian tankers carrying chemicals and oil products have been concealing their movements since the invasion of Ukraine, which maritime experts say could be in attempt to evade sanctions imposed after the invasion. Various reports, including by business news outlet Bloomberg, say that Russian oil tankers have averaged 12 “dark activities” a week since the invasion of Ukraine, which is more than double the usual rate, according to predictive intelligence company Windward AI. “Going dark” is a term used to describe when vessels turn off their tracking systems. By turning off its location data, a ship can obscure its final destination…

Grays Harbor, Wash. Labor Leader Sworn Into Federal Maritime Commission

Longtime Grays Harbor, Wash.-area labor leader Max Vekich is the newest member of the Federal Maritime Commission. Vekich, nominated by President Joe Biden in June, was sworn in on Feb. 15 for a commission term that expires June 30, 2026. Port of Grays Harbor Commission President Tom Quigg congratulated Vekich on his appointment to the five-member commission. “Having someone at the table that understands the role that small and large ports play in trade will be valuable,” Quigg said. “International trade is the cornerstone of our mission at the port, and we have no doubt that Max’s leadership and decades…

BC Ferries Names Sixth Island Class Ferry

In a nod to the ‘Namgis First Nation, BC Ferries has named its newest Island Class vessel Island Gwawis. The name was announced at Victoria’s Point Hope Maritime, at an event which also drew representatives from Damen Shipyards and the Province of British Columbia. Gwawis, which translates to “raven of the sea,” honors the ‘Namgis First Nation and the “cultural connection between the original mariners of the coastal waters and the communities the vessel will soon serve,” according to BC Ferries. As the sixth and last in the Island Class series vessels to join the fleet, Island Gwawis is expected…

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Creates Temporary Storage for Empties

To bolster its regional and Canada’s supply chains, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is establishing a temporary storage site for empty shipping containers in Richmond, the port authority announced Feb. 25. The news comes months after torrential rains shut down the rail service that linked the port to the supply chain for eight days. Situated on Portside Road at the end of No.8 Road in Richmond, work on the temporary site started in January and is expected to be fully completed in early March and remain in service until July, the port said. “As partners throughout the Port of Vancouver…

USCG Cutter Active Returns to Washington Homeport

After 55 days supporting counterdrug missions off the Central American coast, crew members with the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Active returned to Port Angeles and their loved ones earlier this month. During their patrol on the 55-year-old medium-endurance cutter known as “Li’l Tough Guy,” crew members also took part in helicopter training and proficiency operations that resulted in qualifying and certifying eight pilots. Eighteen shipboard aviation support crew members also received certifications. Active also teamed up with the Florida-based Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron and Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco. “The crew performed superbly in every assigned mission during this…

Port of Hueneme Receives COVID-19 Recovery Help

The Port of Hueneme will be able to recoup some of the revenue it lost in the 2020 fiscal year, early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The port, located in Ventura County, Calif., is expected to receive more than $2.3 million from California’s American Rescue Plan Act, which was created to help ports impacted by COVID-19, it was announced in February. For example, the port’s auto manufacturing sector took a hit during the pandemic when auto manufacturers encountered production setbacks. The port saw the number of auto ships drop from up to six vessels weekly to two, and in some cases…