News Briefs – Pacific Maritime Magazine

17 Sep

BC Ferries Leader Urges Fleet Resilience Amid Big Ship Repair

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsbcferries, queenofnewminster, repairs

With the BC Ferries’ Queen of New Westminster passenger vessel out of commission for six months and no backup vessel to service its routes, BC Ferries’ president and CEO said the company plans to seek the Ferry Commissioner’s approval for the addition of a new vessel to the fleet. The news was announced by BC Ferries Sept. 7. “If we had a backup vessel available, this incident would have had minimal impact on service,” BC Ferries President and CEO Nicolas Jimenez said. “It underscores the importance of our fleet renewal strategy to ensure we have the capacity and resilience to…

17 Sep

Port of Long Beach Sets Monthly Container Volumes Record

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscontainervolumes, polb, TEUs

The Port of Long Beach in August experienced its busiest month on record, moving 913,873 TEUs, according to statistics released by the port Sept. 12. Last month’s cargo numbers were 33.9% higher than August 2023 and outpaced the former milestone set in May 2021 by 6,657 TEUs. Imports that moved through the Long Beach seaport in August soared 40.4% year-over-year to 456,868 TEUs, while exports increased by 12% to 104,646 TEUs. Empties also rose 33.7% to 352,360 TEUs, POLB data show. August’s cargo numbers marks the port’s third straight month of year-over-year growth and just the second time Long Beach…

17 Sep

BOEM Finalizes Protections for Marine Archaeological Resources

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsboem, ocs, regulations

New regulations finalized by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Aug. 30 aim to better protect shipwrecks and other cultural resources on the seabed from adverse impacts of offshore oil and gas activities. Under the final rule, which is effective Oct. 3, lessees and operators are required to submit an archaeological report along with any exploration or development plan for proposed activities on the U.S. Continental Shelf (OCS). The report must detail procedures for reporting discovery of possible archaeological resources and how operations would avoid or minimize harm if archaeological resources are present. BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein said that…

17 Sep

TraPac Names New President-CEO

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsdpworld, newsmakers, psa, TraPac

Cameron Thorpe, the former chief executive officer of container handling company PSA Belgium, is the new president and CEO of TraPac, which operates container terminals at the Los Angeles and Oakland seaports, TraPac Holdings, LLC said Sept. 5. Thorpe, who officially began his new role Sept. 9, is tasked with leading “the company’s overall performance, with a strong emphasis on safety, environmental stewardship, customer satisfaction, operational excellence and governance,” the company said. Thorpe brings to the table more than 30 years of experience in global container shipping and terminal business. At PSA Belgium, he oversaw a program that bolstered capacity…

17 Sep

West Coast Ocean Observing Systems Secure Federal Funds

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscencoos, ioos, nanoos, pioos, sccoos

West Coast and Pacific Islands-based ocean observing systems are set to receive a combined $27.7 million in federal funding to bolster and expand the reach and capability of U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) regional associations, it was announced Sept. 4. The Department of Commerce and NOAA said 12 grants are being awarded totaling $101.5 million with funds from the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act to support IOOS, which helps in the collection of coastal and Great Lakes data and creates infrastructure and tools toward that effort. “With this $101.5 million investment, NOAA’s IOOS will be able to improve and…

10 Sep

Seaspan Shipyards to Build Polar Icebreakers for Canadian Coast Guard

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsccg, icebreakers, seaspan

British Columbia-based Seaspan Shipyards is set to build the first of two new heavy polar icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard later this year, the company revealed Aug. 21. So far, about 80% of the functional design for the icebreaker has been completed, with production design on schedule to support cutting steel in late 2024, according to Seaspan. When completed, the polar icebreaker is expected to be 158 meters (518 feet) long and 28 (about 92 feet) meters wide, and can accommodate up to 100 people. “It will be able to operate farther north, in more difficult ice conditions and…

10 Sep

West Coast Entities Awarded Marine Debris Removal Funding

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsdebris, marinedebris, noaa

West Coast agencies are poised to receive a slice of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s $23 million Climate-Ready Coasts initiative funding for the removal and interception of marine debris, the U.S. Department of Commerce and NOAA said Sept. 5. Recipients include the City of Oakland, which is being awarded about $3.1 million to extract dilapidated vessels, appliances, furniture and other large debris from the Oakland Alameda Estuary and help launch a boat buy-back program and drive cleanups along the shoreline, among other efforts. Meanwhile, the Gulf of Alaska Keeper has secured nearly $3.8 million to team up with the…

10 Sep

Port of Bellingham Awarded Shipping Terminal Electrification Grant

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsbellingham, grants, shipping, terminal

The Port of Bellingham has secured a $2.8 million state grant to electrify operations at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal, the port announced Sept. 3. Bellingham was among 11 Washington seaports to obtain funding from the state’s $26.5 port electrification grant program. The project, which the port plans to complete by 2026, would allow vessels docked at the terminal to plug in with shore power. It also builds on a number of modernization projects already in progress, which include fortifying the main dock and deepening the navigation depth to attract a larger range of cargo vessels. The port previously netted a…

10 Sep

Northwest Seaport Alliance Enhances Trade Presence in Vietnam

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online NewsNWSA, unitedbaseco, vietnam

In an effort to bolster the Pacific Northwest’s trade opportunities in Vietnam, the Northwest Seaport Alliance has chosen United Base Co. to represent the Seaport Alliance in Vietnam, the NWSA announced Aug. 27. The partnership, which began Sept. 1 and contains a January 2025 renewal option, allows the Seaport Alliance to leverage its fast ocean service connection between Vietnam and the Pacific Northwest through the Sun Chief Express service operated by UWL and SWIRE Shipping. The partnership also allows the Pacific Northwest to grow its agricultural exports market and take a bigger piece of the import market from Vietnam which,…

10 Sep

BRIX Marine Launches Alaska Whale Watching Vessel

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsallenmarine, brix, catamaran, whalewatching

Port Angeles, Wash.-based vessel designer and manufacturer BRIX Marine has launched a new custom-built whale watching vessel for Allen Marine Tours in Alaska, BRIX announced Aug. 29. The 4818-HTC Raven has a 48-foot hull, a 17-foot-6-inch beam, a lightship weight of about 31,000 pounds, four 450-horsepower outboard engines and a fuel capacity of 600 gallons. “Raven is a 49 passenger-vessel built on our proven High Tunnel Catamaran design,” BRIX Marine Managing Director Perry Knudson said. “With the 1,800 horsepower provided by Yamaha, she’s fast, quiet and smooth.” “We also incorporated some additional amenities in the galley that elevate the experience…