The inaugural Floating OSW (Offshore Wind) Port & Vessel Summit is scheduled for Feb. 22 in Sacramento, Calif., presented by Oceantic Network, a nonprofit focused on harnessing the power of offshore wind and other ocean renewable energy. The summit, according to Oceantic, is expected to convene key decisionmakers and innovators for a day-long West Coast-centric event to set goals, identify challenges and propose pathways to success for critical port infrastructure and supporting the sector’s vessel demands. Representatives with various entities, including the California Association of Port Authorities, consulting and technology services company ICF, General Dynamics NASSCO and the California Energy…
Eighty-five Crowley vessels and their crews have been recognized by the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) for a cumulative 782 years of safe environmental practices and operations. The Environmental Achievement Awards, presented annually by the CSA, commend vessels and mariners that demonstrate an outstanding safety record with no reportable spills, no U.S. Coast Guard environmental citations or other pollution incidents. The latest awards were given out Nov. 14. The Crowley-owned and – managed vessels recognized by the CSA span diverse categories, including tugs, barges, containerships, tank vessels and company-managed government ships operating globally. Crowley has said that its commitment…
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro in mid-January ordered Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development & Acquisition Nickolas Guertin and Commander Naval Sea Systems Command Vice Adm. James Downey to conduct an analysis of the Navy’s shipbuilding portfolio. The intent is to provide an interim progress review to Secretary Del Toro within 45 days of the edict, which would be Feb. 25, according to the Navy. The purpose of the review, Del Toro said, is to provide an assessment of national and local causes of shipbuilding challenges, as well as recommended actions for achieving a healthier U.S.…
For the first time since voters approved the creation of the Port of Everett in 1918, the port is advancing an effort to expand the boundaries of its district. Port commissioners have authorized port staff members to submit a proposition to Snohomish County Council for voters to consider the expansion. A proposal is expected to appear on the August 2024 primary ballot. The port is expected to prepare and file the necessary paperwork with the Snohomish County auditor and the Snohomish County Council to include the measure on the ballot. A simple majority would be needed for approval. The measure…
The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), the agency that provides ferry service to the San Francisco Bay, announced in January that its Main Street Alameda Ferry Terminal has re-opened for service after a 10-week closure for major refurbishment. The refurbishment project included the repair and replacement of the existing terminal infrastructure to bring the site into compliance with current seismic safety requirements. Improvements include bridge and foundation replacement, gangway replacement, float replacement and utility upgrades. The project design also included elements to facilitate future electrification of the terminal for zero-emission ferry vessels. Direct benefits to passengers…
Updates to Snug Cove’s marine infrastructure on Bowen Island, British Columbia are underway and expected to be complete by the end of March, BC Ferries confirmed in January. The $3.7 million project, which began Jan. 8, is expected to deliver strengthened structural elements, safer walkways, restoration of damaged concrete, new access platforms for maintenance crews and new mechanical components, among other changes. “These improvements,” the ferry service provide said in a statement, “will ensure continued safe and reliable ferry service the community depends on for commuting to work, school, medical appointments and other travel needs.” Due to the upgrades, a…
Kitsap Transit said in January that its passenger-only ferries carried more than a million commuters in 2023, a 33% jump over ridership in 2022, as demand rebounded in the post-pandemic era. The Kitsap County, Wash. public transit agency said its three cross-sound fast ferry routes between the Kitsap Peninsula and downtown Seattle accounted for nearly all the ridership gain, with the Bremerton/Seattle route posting a 54% gain over the prior year. Starting in December 2022, Kitsap Transit temporarily added 14 weekday sailings and 14 Saturday sailings on the Bremerton/Seattle route in an arrangement with the state until Washington State Ferries…
Shipbuilder Austal USA, which is headquartered in Mobile, Ala. and has a service office in San Diego, said in January that it has formally handed over the expeditionary fast transport vessel USNS Cody to the U.S. Navy. Representatives from the company and Navy recently signed official delivery documentation onboard the ship, Austal said Jan. 11. The vessel is named after the city Cody, Wyoming which itself is named after William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. “Austal USA and the Navy’s Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) program team successfully completed acceptance trials on the (14th vessel) in the Gulf of Mexico in December,…
The annual Piracy and Armed Robbery Report of the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) released in mid-January has raised concern over the first successful Somali based hijacking since 2017. The IMB’s annual report recorded 120 incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships in 2023 compared to 115 in 2022. According to the report, 105 vessels were boarded, nine attempted attacks, four vessels hijacked and two fired upon. Since the number of 2023 reported incidents has slightly increased compared to 2022, the IMB has urged caution for crew safety as the number of crew taken hostage and kidnapped increased…
A new secretary-general has been installed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and has announced the members of his leadership team. Arsenio Dominguez became the 10th elected Secretary-General of IMO on Jan. 1. Dominguez, who’s from Panama, succeeded Kitack Lim of South Korea, who was IMO Secretary-General from 2016-2023. Dominguez was confirmed by the IMO Assembly 33rd session, which met in November-December 2023. His initial term is four years, ending Dec. 31, 2027. Dominguez had been director of the IMO’s Marine Environment Division, a post he’d held since January 2022. He joined the IMO Secretariat in 2017 as Chief of…