Yard infrastructure projects, facility upgrades and work on notable vessels have kept West Coast shipyards busy over the past year as they take on major jobs and expand operations. Some have purchased new cranes and expanded drydocks, others completed maintenance and repowers on historic boats and a few handled unique projects. Pacific Maritime reached out to yards to find out the latest news, notable jobs and yard improvement projects. Bay Ship and Yacht Co. The big news out of Alameda, Calif.-based Bay Ship and Yacht Co. is the change to employee ownership though an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), Bay Ship and Yacht CEO Joel Welter wrote in an email to Pacific Maritime. “This transition was initiated by BSY’s owners after they explored many options and concluded that selling to…
Setting the Stage The frenzied buzzing of the seaport manager’s cell phone interrupted his weekly staff meeting. There were urgent text messages and voice mails signaling that there was a major problem at Container Terminal 5. One text message said, “Crane 5A has stopped functioning! Crane 5C can’t be stopped! Help!” Apparently when one of the world’s largest container ships containing over 20,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) docked at Terminal 5, all hell broke loose. But why? Even though this is a hypothetical story, the U.S. Government and FBI are worried that such a scenario could come true. On Feb. 21, the Biden Administration, Coast Guard and Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) all issued alerts to “…bolster the security of the nation’s ports, alongside a series of additional actions…
The second phase of the Terminal 5 Modernization Program, a key expansion project for trade in the Seattle harbor, is now complete, the Northwest Seaport Alliance said March 29. In a statement, the Seaport Alliance and SSA Terminals lauded the modernization project, which includes 185 acres of capacity for cargo and shore power capability at two berths. The newly upgraded Terminal 5 features two reconfigured berths with six modern super-post Panamax cranes. On-dock rail facilities, with more refrigerated plug-ins, support agricultural exporters and lower truck traffic near the terminal, NWSA said. “The opening of Phase 2 of Terminal 5 marks a significant milestone for both economic expansion and increased sustainable operations in the NWSA gateway,” Port of Seattle Commission President and NWSA Co-Chair Hamdi Mohamed said. “Together with our partners,…
During the early morning hours of March 26, a 10,000-TEU capacity containership, the Singapore-flagged Dali, suffered a complete power loss, resulting in the massive vessel crashing into a support beam for the Francis Scott Key Bridge near the Port of Baltimore. The cause of the outage is still under investigation, but the allision resulted in the deaths of six construction workers who had been on the bridge repairing potholes at the time, as well as the total loss of the bridge itself. Part of the 1.6-mile bridge was turned into a twisted heap of metal by the 984-foot Maersk-chartered cargo ship, which weighs 95,000 tons when empty, but reportedly had over 2,000 containers aboard, carrying industrial and hazardous materials that were bound for Sri Lanka, according to various media reports.…
Cargo volumes were up at the Los Angeles and Oakland seaports in February, a sign of stronger consumer spending, according to new data. The Port of L.A. saw a 60% spike in overall cargo year over year in February, when it handled 781,434 TEUs, marking seven straight months of year-over-year increases, according to data released by the port March 18. POLA imports in February rose 64% to 408,764 TEUs, while loaded exports jumped 61% to 132,755 TEUs when compared to the same time last year. Empties also spiked 54% to 239,916 TEUs year over year. Through the first two months of 2024, Los Angeles moved 1,637,086 TEUs, a 35% jump over the same time in 2023. Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said the port is well-positioned entering…
The Port of Long Beach saw a 24.1% year-over-year growth in overall cargo volumes last month with 674,723 TEUs, according to data released March 13 by the port. Imports rose 29.4% to 329,850 TEUs while exports tumbled 21.1% to 87,474 TEUs last month compared to February 2023. Meanwhile, empties spiked 44.8% to 257,400 TEUs year over year. During the two months of 2024, Long Beach processed 1,348,738 TEUs, about 20.7% more than the first two months of 2023, the data show. The port is attributing “cooling inflation, rising consumer confidence and an ongoing effort to recapture market share boosted cargo shipments” as factors for the improved numbers. “Our top-notch customer service and ongoing efforts to attract business back to the West Coast are paying off,” port CEO Mario Cordero said.…
The Port of Oakland moved $7.1 billion worth of refrigerated cargo in 2023, making it No. 1 in TEU volumes for reefer exports in the U.S. last year, the port announced Feb. 21. The Northern California seaport saw its reefer export numbers rise by 4.1% last year to 18.3%, while the nation’s total volumes for reefer exports tumbled by 20%. The port added that it has ranked first among U.S. seaports in international reefer export TEUs for seven straight years, moving perishable products such as beef, pork, fruit, dairy and vegetables, the port’s top reefer exports to overseas destinations such as Asia. “The port and its partners have made significant investments in state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled facilities over the past seven years, including Cool Port, PCC Logistics and Custom Goods,” port Maritime…
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach started 2024 strong with year-over-year double-digit increases in January, mainly a result of shippers rushing to stock shelves before the start of the Lunar New Year, according to both ports. The Port of Los Angeles posted its second-busiest January last month, moving 855,652 TEUs. That’s an 18% jump from January 2023 and represents six straight months of year-over-year growth, according to data released Feb. 14. LA handled 441,763 TEUs in loaded imports, a 19% increase, and processed 126,554 TEUs in loaded exports, a 23% spike from the same time last year. Empties also rose 14% to 287,336 TEUs. At a media briefing, POLA Executive Director Gene Seroka said two factors contributed to the strong cargo start. “First, cargo owners have been replenishing…
Data show that in 2023, maritime cargo numbers at most California ports started to stabilize to pre-pandemic levels, and officials have zeroed in on key priorities. Last year, the state’s ports were awarded millions in grant funding for projects focused on infrastructure, the supply chain and environmental goals. Ports kicked off projects, installed equipment and implemented new public programs. For some, cargo volume numbers grew and they prepared to compete for more business. This year is set to continue that momentum as seaports all along the Golden State’s coastline have ambitious plans already in place. Pacific Maritime reached out to large and midsize California seaports to recap 2023 and find out what’s in store for this year. What’s happening at the state’s seaports is an important part of the bigger…
During their annual “State of the Port” speeches in January, the heads of the adjoining Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports outlined their goals and priorities, which include increasing market share, cleaning the environment and developing wind energy. Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka gave his ninth annual “State of the Port” address on Jan. 10 at the POLA’s World Cruise Center terminal. The speech took place as part of a luncheon attended by about 550 community, business and labor stakeholders. The event was sponsored by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. During his nearly 40-minute speech and presentation, Seroka presented the port’s top initiatives and plans for 2024, including workforce development and improving infrastructure to handle additional cargo. He detailed, among other things, the POLA’s capital improvement projects…
