News – Page 2 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

24 Sep

Kitsap Transit Secures $13.5 Million for New Fast Ferry

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsferries, fta, kitsaptransit

Kitsap Transit may soon be able to replace an aging ferry operating its Kingston-Seattle route with the help of federal funding. The Washington-based transportation organization is expected to receive $13.5 million from the Federal Transit Administration’s Passenger Ferry Grant program toward the purchase of a new fast ferry, covering almost 80% of the $17.5 million project, it was announced Sept. 11. Kitsap Transit would underwrite about $4 million of the project. “This funding allows us to buy a new boat to operate a route that has been running with a backup vessel – m/v Finest – that is older and…

24 Sep

Container Dwell Times Rise at San Pedro Bay Ports Amid Volume Increases

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscontainervolumes, pmsa, pola, polb

Cargo dwell times have been on the rise at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach amid significant volume increases at the nation’s two busiest seaports, according to data released Sept. 13 by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. Containers that linger at the ports before leaving by rail stayed an average of 8.20 days, compared to the 2023 peak season high of 6.54 days. Meanwhile, truck-bound cargo lingered an average of 2.95 days in August, the highest since the 3.21 day-average during peak season last year. “In August, the increases in dwell times reflect the need for ongoing coordination…

24 Sep

WSF’s Wenatchee Ferry Set to Return This Summer

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsferries, vigor, wsf

Washington State Ferries’ vessel Wenatchee, which is in the midst of a major propulsion system and hybrid-electric power upgrade at Vigor shipyard, is expected to return to service in the summer of 2025, WSF announced Sept. 19. Vigor has been working on the vessel since WSF awarded the company a contract in September 2023 to upgrade the agency’s Jumbo Mark II class ferries with hybrid-electric power capabilities and finish needed propulsion system upgrades on the 1998-built Wenatchee, the 1997-built Tacoma and the 1999-built Puyallup. “There are no issues with the technology itself, but as is common with major vessel retrofits,…

24 Sep

Seaspan Completes CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier Vessel Life Extension

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsccgs, seaspan, vancouverdrydock, vessellifeextension

Seaspan’s Vancouver Drydock facility confirmed Sept. 12 that the Canadian Coast Guard’s CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s Vessel Life Extension project has been completed, wrapping up one of the biggest, most complicated ship repair and overhaul projects the drydock has tackled. The project to modernize the 272-foot-long CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier, one of six CCG-operated Martha Black-class icebreakers, took more than 100 separate upgrades, according to Seaspan. The work included replacing the ship’s three 2100kW generator sets and propulsion drive cycloconverters, repairing and refitting the rudder and shafting and installing a new towing bollard with new underdeck structure and a new…

24 Sep

Cargo Volumes Up at Port of LA

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscargovolumes, pola, TEUs

Cargo volumes at the Port of Los Angeles rose 16% last month from the same time a year ago, according to data released Sept. 18. Los Angeles moved 960,597 TEUs in August, considered the busiest non-pandemic month on record at the port. Loaded imports soared 18% to 509,363 TEUs from August 2023, while loaded exports dipped 3% year over year with 121,744 TEUs. Also, the port handled 22% more empty containers than it did in August 2023 with 329,491 TEUs, data show. So far this year, Los Angeles has processed 17% more cargo overall than it did the first eight…

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…