Articles – Page 45 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

Shoebox Be Gone! Truckable Towboats Incoming

A new truckable tugboat collaboration between Tacoma-based aluminum commercial boatbuilder Silverback Marine and Seattle-based naval design firm Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) appears poised to disrupt the small tugboat niche. The 25' 10-7/8" overall length, trailer-able design has standard 500 horsepower, 12,500 pounds of bollard pull and a still water range of 60 nautical miles pushing about 10,000 pounds at 4.1 knots. The truckable tug is also compatible with electric, hybrid and outboard propulsion systems. “It’s been an exciting journey and we’re happy to have connected with Elliott Bay Design,” Silverback Marine founder and owner Ian Gracey said. Silverback’s shipyard…

Lesko Named Irving Shipbuilding President

Dirk Lesko will assume the role of president of Halifax, Nova Scotia-based Irving Shipbuilding Inc. on Sept. 1, the company announced July 11. Lesko retired in April 2022 as a vice president with the General Dynamics Corp. and the 15th president of Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. He was president of BIW from 2017 to 2022. BIW has been building ships for 140 years and is one of the primary military shipbuilders for the U.S. Navy. Lesko, a 32-year BIW employee and third generation shipbuilder, previously held various leadership positions with the company, including Vice President DDG 1000 Program,…

Jim Walker Retires from AAPA

The American Association of Port Authorities recently celebrated the long career of Jim Walker, AAPA’s Director of Navigation Policy and Legislation, as he retired from the workforce in June. Walker was responsible for handling waterside infrastructure issues and relevant legislative and regulatory matters, including AAPA’s Quality Partnership Initiative (QPI) with the Army Corps of Engineers. He also served as staff liaison to the Harbors and Navigation Committee. Following a 36-year career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he joined AAPA in 2012. His responsibilities included the organization’s efforts to improve navigation policies, legislation and funding. He was instrumental, according…

Oakland Seaport Board Elects New Pres., VPs

The president of Oakland, California’s Chamber of Commerce president is taking on an added role leading the Port of Oakland’s governing board. At their mid-July Board meeting, Port Commissioners unanimously selected Barbara Leslie as their new president. Leslie will lead the seven-member board that sets policy for Oakland’s 93-year-old port authority. She succeeds Commissioner Andreas Cluver who steps down after two years as Board President. The Board elected architect Yui Hay Lee as First Vice President. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf nominated Commissioner Yee to serve another term. The Oakland City Council ratified Commissioner Yee’s second term to serve on the…

New Executive Vice President for GEODIS

Laurent Melaine has been appointed to the position of Executive Vice President, Commercial and Marketing with European transport and logistics company GEODIS, the company announced in early July. He is a member of the company’s executive committee and reports to Marie-Christine Lombard, the company’s Chief Executive Officer. Melaine, 56, began his career at Transports Graveleau and then Dachser, holding various business development and site management positions. He joined GEODIS in 2011 as Key Account Sales Director for the Distribution & Express business, and joined its executive committee in 2013. In 2018, he was appointed International Sales Director, managing, among other…

Making Moves Toward Methanol

As the U.S. marine industry pushes toward decarbonization, our domestic fleet will be the first to adopt and experiment with different propulsion methods. For the majority of passenger vessel operations, the most viable and fully developed option for substantively reducing carbon emissions will be all-electric propulsion—where it can be practically implemented. However, certain vessels may not be able to accommodate marine battery systems due to weight or space constraints. For others that operate on longer routes, have highly variable operating profiles or serve rural areas where the addition of shoreside charging infrastructure is impractical, all-electric propulsion may not be achievable.…

Maritime Security is Everyone’s Job

The challenge of securing ships and ports is not new. The Jack Sparrows of the world long have been trying to hijack ships, steal their cargo and misdirect the vessels onto the rocks, so pirates can harvest the booty that floats onto the beach. However, with better technology on ships and in ports, and new vectors available for the attacks, the necessary actions to predict and prevent physical and cyber assaults to shipping companies and seaports are increasing. There is more work to do to keep the buccaneers at bay, and there are new threats to consider in the maritime…

UWL and Swire Shipping Announce Seattle-to-Vietnam Express Export Ocean Service

Singapore-based Swire Shipping and UWL, a Cleveland-based non-vessel operating common carrier, have introduced a new dedicated, express ocean export service from Seattle, Washington to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, offering a 21-day transit time. The announcement was made in mid-June by UWL President Duncan Wright as he spoke at the 34th annual meeting of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) in Tacoma, Wash. “The recent ocean disruption and 100-day-long transit times are literally wiping out U.S. food exporter livelihood; many of these businesses simply cannot withstand the consistent lost sales, rotting food, and cancelled orders,” Wright said. “Our new service provides much…

ICHCA Welcomes Mediterranean Shipping to Board of Directors

ICHCA International, an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the safety, productivity and efficiency of cargo handling and movement worldwide, in June named Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC) as its newest board member. ICHCA stands for International Cargo Handling Coordination Association. The organization is based in London. Dirk Van de Velde, MSC’s chief Environmental, Health, Safety and Quality Management (EHSQ) officer is taking a board position at ICHCA. “The added knowledge and experience that the number one container shipping line brings will be a tremendous asset in carrying out ICHCA’s primary mission of maintaining and improving safety in all aspects of…

Puget Sound Maritime Award Recipients Named

Port of Seattle Executive Director Steve Metruck was named Puget Sound Maritime Public Official of the Year, and Debbie Granger, a long-time member of the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County, was presented the annual Puget Sound Maritime Achievement Award, during the annual Seattle Maritime Day Breakfast. The breakfast, presented by Crowley Maritime, was sponsored by the Seattle Propeller Club and Port of Seattle. “Both Steve and Deb have been tireless advocates for the working waterfront and their passion, leadership and energy have contributed immensely to the success of our region’s maritime industry,” said Tosca Pinder, Seattle Propeller Club president…