July-August 2024 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

EBDG Delivers New Spill Response Barge for Coastal Alaska

A state-of-the-art, Coast Guard-certified oil spill response barge for operation in Prince William Sound has been delivered to the Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. in Valdez, Alaska by Elliott Bay Design Group and shipbuilding and repair company Dakota Creek Industries. The Allison Creek, with a capacity of 13,600 barrels, has an overall length of 200 feet, a 42-foot beam, depth of 16 feet and is outfitted with a deck crane and on-deck houses to store emergency response equipment. The new vessel is targeted to further bolster the pipeline service company’s ability to deal with emergency response situations in the region. Officials…

New Report Highlights Continued Threat of Somali Piracy

In its first quarter report for 2024, the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has raised concern regarding continued acts of maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia. A total of 33 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were recorded during the first three months of 2024, an increase from 27 incidents for the same period in 2023. Of the 33 incidents reported, 24 vessels were boarded, six had attempted attacks, two were hijacked and one was fired upon, data show. Violence toward crew continues, with 35 crew members taken hostage, nine kidnapped and one threatened.…

Maritime Cyber News

April was a remarkably busy one for maritime cyber and physical security news. For this column, the focus will be on the U.S. Coast Guard Cyber Command’s annual Cyber Trends and Insights in the Marine Environment (CTIME) report. A high-level overview of this 60-page report is provided below with some recommendations for actions by shipping companies, seaports and other maritime stakeholders. Cyber Trends On April 22, the U.S. Coast Guard announced the release of the third annual CTIME report, available at https://bit.ly/4b19aVg. The report’s intention is to provide relevant information and lessons learned about cybersecurity risks to maritime security, while…

New Vessel and Tugboat Review

As constituents and regulators increasingly push for cleaner maritime operations, supply chain stakeholders are commissioning the next generation of vessels to be more sustainable to ensure compliance. “Two or three years ago, vessels that had a lower emissions footprint may have made up 10% of the work we were doing,” Michael Fitzpatrick, president and CEO of the Vancouver-based naval architect company Robert Allan, Ltd., told Pacific Maritime Magazine. “This year, in new contracts we’ve received in the last 12 months, it’s somewhere between 60% and 70%,” he said. “It’s a real sea change from the last couple of years.” The…

Infrastructure Projects: Big West Coast Ports Focus on Capacity, Navigation, Efficiency

A variety of infrastructure projects are underway at major West Coast ports, with a focus on increasing capacity, improving navigation and enhancing efficiency. To accommodate bigger ships and increased demand, ports have been expanding facilities, deepening and widening channels and turning basins and enhancing on-shore coordination with rail and truck transit. They’ve also invested in digital infrastructure and green technology, both to meet emissions goals and to improve efficiency with several training, educational or other maritime facilities in the works. To find out the latest news, Pacific Maritime reached out to port and port authority officials in Vancouver, BC, Tacoma, Wash.,…

Alternative Fuel, Environmentally Friendly Equipment: How Terminals are Going Green

Terminals up and down the West Coast are incorporating environmentally friendly practices, equipment and technologies in an effort to meet emissions goals, improve efficiency and enhance community and workforce health. The focus for many is to reduce carbon emissions and upgrade terminal vehicles, including heavy-duty equipment. The challenge is that the market is still expanding to include the maritime industry and demand outpaces the supply. As green technology advances, ports, terminals and manufacturers are reaffirming their commitment to environmental, social and governance principles. To find out the latest, Pacific Maritime reached out to officials from green certification programs, terminal operators…

Vessel Profile: Hungry Like the eWolf

Crowley Maritime’s first all-electric tugboat begins its working life in San Diego. Maritime industry firsts are always exciting, and the first American all-electric ship assist tugboat, the eWolf, is no exception. The 82-foot tug is now homeported in the Port of San Diego where it’s expected to be put to work this spring. Vessel owner Crowley Maritime accepted delivery of the vessel in January. “The eWolf will provide services through its advanced vessel control technology and first-in-class energy features while providing the safety, quality and reliability that Crowley and our mariners are known for,” Crowley Shipping Senior Vice President and…

Seaspan’s Victoria, BC Shipyard Celebrates 30 Years

Back in 1994, Bill Clinton was a year into his first term as President of the United States, gasoline cost an average of $1.12 per gallon, the film Pulp Fiction first landed in movie theatres, and Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley. And there was also another momentous event that year that helped—and continues to help—shape the maritime industry on British Columbia’s West Coast: the opening of Seaspan ULC’s Victoria, British Columbia shipyard, which took place in April of that year. In 1994, the business began with one 20-foot shipping container and five managers. The facility’s first major repair job…

Port of LA Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Clean Water Act Violations

Environment California, a nonprofit political organization that lobbies for environmental legislation, has notified the Port of Los Angeles of plans to file litigation related to numerous alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. The environmental advocacy organization on May 21 announced plans to file its lawsuit within 60 days in the federal Central District Court of California. Environment California also alleges that the port’s stormwater treatment system is drastically undersized and that as a result, untreated wastewater frequently bypasses the system entirely, in violation of federal law. Phillip Sanfield, the port’s communications director, said that the intent to sue notice…

Seattle Port Breaks Ground on Maritime Innovation Center

On May 21, the Port of Seattle broke ground on the renovation and modernization of the historic Ship Supply Building at Fishermen’s Terminal, paving the way for its transformation into what’s being called the Maritime Innovation Center. The new facility is expected to serve a confluence of maritime industry needs that bring together students and innovators from business, public agencies, and academia, along with community stakeholders to collaborate around maritime industry needs and opportunities, according to the port. Seattle is partnering with architecture firm Miller Hull in the construction of what’s expected to be a unique architectural feature in the…