In a rare public bust, Philippine police have arrested five Chinese nationals and two accomplices for allegedly spying on U.S. Navy ship movements in Subic Bay. 

Last week, a task force led by the Philippines' National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) launched a tactical raid at Grande Island, a former strategic fort at the entrance to Subic Bay. Today, it is home to a Chinese-operated resort complex, along with the ruins of U.S.-built Fort Wint. 

The five Chinese suspects were posing as recreational fishermen and tourists, according to the NBI, and were accompanied by one Cambodian national and one Filipino guard. (Initial reports appear to have misidentified the Cambodian suspect as a sixth Chinese national.)

"We have identified this group as the one flying drones during the day and night under the guise of sending fishing bait out to sea," NBI cybercrime official Van Angluben said at a press conference. "These drones are actually being used for surveillance . . . of the U.S. Asiatic [Indo-Pacific] fleet." 

The NBI recovered photos and videos of Philippine and US ships from gadgets of suspected spies arrested in Subic. Karen de Guzman reports. #DatelinePhilippines pic.twitter.com/p4exIV5EHG

— ABS-CBN News Channel (@ANCALERTS) March 27, 2025

The men had multiple photos of American warships on their personal devices, according to NBI, along with images of shipments of military cargo. The police also recovered a handwritten document marked in Chinese characters, which described the date, time and ID of vessels coming and going from Subic Bay. 

Immigration records show that the foreign nationals entered and exited the Philippines frequently, the agency said. 

The Chinese suspects declined to comment, but the Filipino man who was arrested with them - identified as Melvin Aguillon - told media that he was not aware of the alleged spying activity. "I'm just the driver," he told ANC. He was in possession of an illegal firearm at the time of his arrest, according to the NBI.  

The Chinese resort operator's lease on the island is now under review, according to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

Situated in the Indian Ocean between Mauritius and Seychelles, more than 200 miles from land, the Saya de Malha Bank extends over an area the size of Switzerland and is one of the world’s biggest seagrass meadows, which make it the planet’s most important carbon sink. Much like trees on land, seagrass absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it in its roots and soil. But seagrass does it especially fast—at a rate 35 times that of tropical rainforest. As such, it is existentially crucial to the planet. Due to its remote location, the Bank is among the least-studied, shallow marine ecoregions on the planet—and, tragically, the area is today being systematically decimated by a multi-national fleet of fishing ships that virtually no one tracks or polices.

The Bank got its name, which means “mesh skirt,” more than 500 years ago, when Portuguese sailors came across it on the high seas and noticed rolling waves of seagrass below the surface. In 2012, calling it “globally unique,” UNESCO named it as a potential candidate to become a Marine World Heritage site for its “potential outstanding universal value.” 

Seagrasses are frequently overlooked because they are rare, estimated to cover only a tenth of one percent of the ocean floor. “They are the forgotten ecosystem,” said Ronald Jumeau, the Seychelles Ambassador for Climate Change. Nevertheless, seagrasses are far less protected than other offshore areas. Only 26 percent of recorded seagrass meadows fall within marine protected areas, compared with 40 percent of coral reefs and 43 percent of the world’s mangroves. 

Often described as the lungs of the ocean, seagrasses capture about a fifth of all its carbon and they are home to vast biodiversity. Thousands of species, including in the Saya de Malha Bank, many as yet unknown to science, depend on seagrasses for their survival. But the planet has lost roughly a third of them since the late nineteenth century and we lose seven percent more each year – roughly equivalent to losing a football field of seagrass every 30 minutes.?

Seagrass also cleans polluted water and protects coastlines from erosion, according to a 2021 report by the University of California, Davis. At a time when at least eight million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year, seagrass traps microplastics by acting as a dense net, catching debris and locking it into the sediment, found a 2021 study in Nature. At a time when ocean acidification threatens the survival of the world’s coral reefs and the thousands of fish species that inhabit them, seagrasses reduce acidity by absorbing carbon through photosynthesis, and provide shelters, nurseries, and feeding grounds for thousands of species, including endangered animals such as dugongs, sharks, and seahorses. 

But the Saya de Malha is under threat. More than 200 distant-water vessels - most of them from Sri Lanka and Taiwan - have parked in the deeper waters along the edge of the Bank over the past few years to catch tuna, lizardfish, scad and forage fish that is turned into protein-rich fishmeal, a type of animal feed. Ocean conservationists say that efforts to conserve the Bank’s sea grass are not moving fast enough to make a difference. “It’s like walking north on a southbound train,” said Heidi Weiskel, Acting Head of Global Ocean Team for IUCN.

On May 23, 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare March 1 as World Seagrass Day. The resolution was sponsored by Sri Lanka. Speaking at the assembly, the UN Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka, Ambassador Mohan Pieris, said seagrasses were “one of the most valuable marine ecosystems on earth,” highlighting, among other things, their outsized contribution to carbon sequestration. But recognition is one thing; action is another. As the ambassador gave his speech in New York, dozens of ships from his country’s fishing fleet were 9,000 miles away, busily scraping the biggest of those very ecosystems he was calling on the world to protect.

Ian Urbina is the director of The Outlaw Ocean Project, a non-profit journalism organization based in Washington D.C. that produces investigative stories about human rights, environment and labor concerns on the two thirds of the planet covered by water. 

 

After reporting strong financial results for 2024, Taiwan’s Yang Ming took the first steps in a fleet optimization and expansion program first announced in December 2024. The company reported it is buying three under-construction dual-fuel methanol containerships from Japanese leasing company Shoei Kisen Kaisha.

The three vessels are reported to already be on order with Imabari Shipbuilding. They are scheduled for delivery in 2028 and 2029 and each will have a capacity of 8,000 TEU. The report says they will be equipped with energy-efficient main engines to maintain flexibility for the future adoption of alternative fuels. It also plans to pursue digitalization and smart technologies. 

Yang Ming, which is currently number 10 on Alphaliner’s sector ranking with a capacity of just over 700,000 TEU, has said it is committed to strengthening its core business. The group is part of the reworked Premier Alliance that launched in February 2025 along with HMM and Once Network Express (ONE). The new five-year alliance agreement calls for the expansion of services to make up for the loss of Hapag-Lloyd in the former The Alliance. Yang Ming has already announced its new 2025 Transpacific trade service and Transatlantic routes. It said it plans to strengthen its regional services to broaden its service portfolio.

As reported two weeks ago, the company's financial results for 2024 achieved consolidated revenues of $6.9 billion. It reported a new profit of nearly $2 billion, while still highlighting the challenges in 2024. It cited supply growth outpacing demand last year while expressing long-term confidence in the sector.

The fleet optimization plan calls for replacing its over 20-year-old vessels with between 5,500 and 6,500 TEU capacity. The group plans the addition of 13 new vessels, including up to six 8,000 TEU dual-fuel-ready vessels. It is also planning seven 15,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel vessels.

No timing was announced for the fleet optimization program but the company reports it is a key part of the business strategy.
 

 

On Monday, U.S. Central Command continued to exchange fire with Yemen's Houthi rebels for the 17th day. U.S. Navy forces launched additional Tomahawk missile strikes and airstrikes on positions in Yemen, while Houthi fighters claimed to have shot down another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over the region of Marib. The claim could not be immediately verified, and footage was not provided. 

"The Iran-backed Houthi terrorists have been decimated by the relentless strikes over the past two weeks. Many of their fighters and leaders are no longer with us," said U.S. President Donald Trump in a statement Monday. "The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at U.S. ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran."

Strikes overnight Sunday hit the Houthi capital of Sanaa, killing one person, Houthi media reported. An additional strike targeted a moving vehicle in Hajjah, killing two. The Trump administration has changed tactics and is now bombarding Houthi military leaders individually, a practice not pursued under the Biden administration. 

CENTCOM Forces continue attacks on Houthi Positions...#HouthisAreTerrorists pic.twitter.com/NiONzwUEA7

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 1, 2025

U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has claimed that the campaign killed the Houthis' "top missile guy" on the first night of bombardment, but military sources have not confirmed this, according to Reuters. The Pentagon and the White House have not released the names of any high-value Houthi targets who may or may not have been killed in the strikes. 

Experts on the decade-long Yemen conflict have warned that the Houthis will be difficult to influence or remove.

"They are very pain tolerant, so they're the worst people to try and publicly coerce," said Michael Knights, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, speaking to Reuters. "We're probably pursuing something unattainable in trying to actually make the Houthis be submissive."

 

Providing a strong demonstration of confidence for the offshore wind energy sector and helping Germany’s RWE fend off pressure from activist investors, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund has agreed to acquire stakes in two under construction wind farms. Norges Bank Investment Management will invest $1.5 billion for 49 percent stakes in the projects RWE is developing in Denmark and Germany.

RWE has been dealing with activist shareholders who have been demanding the company take steps such as share buyback to generate more value for investors. The company during its year-end financial report said it would be exploring partners for more of its wind farm while also cutting €10 billion (US$10.8 billion) from its planned green technology investments. 

Norges expects to close on the transactions in the third quarter of 2025 acquiring stakes in the Nordsecluster in Germany and the Tho project in Denmark. RWE has also said it would seek a 50 percent partner for a project in the UK in 2026. The company reports work is progressing on the two projects in today’s agreement as well as a new wind farm in the UK and another for the Netherlands. RWE currently operates 19 offshore wind farms.

The projects in Germany and Denmark have the potential to provide more than 2.6 GW. Nordseecluster, located approximately 50 km (30 miles) north of the island of Juist in Germany, is being built in two phases, with Nordseecluster A with 660 MW scheduled for commissioning in 2027 and Nordseecluster B with 900 MW, scheduled for full commissioning in 2029. Thor wind farm is Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm to date. Located approximately 22 km (14 miles) off the west coast of Jutland, it will have a capacity of 1,080 MW, and full commissioning is planned for 2027.

Norges is reported to be the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund driven by the country’s oil and gas sector. It has been an investor in renewable energy since 2021 starting with a Dutch wind farm. Last year it invested in wind energy assets in the UK and solar power in Spain.

 

A panel of senior cyber experts has called for more investment in maritime cybersecurity in order to ensure American military mobility in wartime. Most cyber analyses focus on the economic and commercial impact of cyber meddling, but this study is squarely focused on defense - specifically on defense against China, America's most sophisticated adversary in the cyber domain. 

In its 2024 report, the U.S. intelligence community predicted that China could use "aggressive cyber operations against U.S. critical infrastructure and military assets” and attempt to “interfere with the deployment of U.S. forces." China's hackers have also proven themselves capable of penetrating utilities, videocameras, routers and the deep infrastructure of American telecom companies - giving Beijing a birds-eye view of American logistics, including military logistics. 

"The nation can no longer afford to waste time debating the immediacy of the threat. Washington must identify and resource solutions now," wrote Annie Fixler, RADM Mark Montgomery (USN, ret'd) and Rory lane for the Cybersecurity Solarium Commission (CSC 2.0).

The threats affect all modes of transport - rail, road, air and maritime. Sealift may be the most important link in the chain, as it carries 90 percent of the cargo when America goes to war overseas. It is also vulnerable, as U.S. sealift capacity is already strained, reliant on aging tonnage and uncertain mariner availability. "The nation’s lack of excess sealift capacity means that the U.S. military’s ability to mobilize forces could be severely degraded by any cyber or physical incident," the panel warned. 

The authors singled out known vulnerabilities in Chinese port equipment, including unexploited security vulnerabilities in cranes built by ZPMC; likely logistics spying activity in China's free-to-use LOGINK container tracking platform; and low performance of a Chinese-made cargo inspection device that is marketed for detecting nuclear materials. 

The Biden administration gave the Coast Guard more authority to directly regulate port and maritime cybersecurity, and USCG captains of the port are following up with stakeholders. However, "the Coast Guard has no funding specifically designated for work with the private sector to improve the cyber resiliency of America’s port infrastructure," the panel warned. It remains to be seen if the Trump administration will prioritize cyber vulnerabilities in its next budget. 
 

 

Upset by Belgium’s new collation government’s plans for budget cutting, public and private workers walked on their jobs on Monday, March 31, for a 24-hour strike that stopped many parts of Belgium for the day. Officials for the Port of Antwerp-Bruges said the disruptions began on Sunday evening and were expected to last until Tuesday with it taking days to fully recover.

The European Transport Workers’ Federation announced it was standing in solidarity with the Belgium Trade Union Confederation which led the call for the 24-hour nationwide strike. The union cited planned cuts to pensions, reforms to the labor market, and cuts to the public service sector. The universal call across all the groups was to maintain pensions and fair working conditions.

“Transport workers are particularly affected, facing drastic budget cuts, job insecurity, and the erosion of collective bargaining rights. At a time when Belgium should be investing in its workforce and public services, this government is taking the country in the wrong direction,” said the ETF in its statement of support.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges which manages the country’s two busiest ports, Antwerp and Zeebrugge, reported “very strong obstacles for ships.” The delays and backlogs grew as the day progressed with the authority’s final update saying only about 10 ships had been able to enter and leave Antwerp all day on Monday. It said the backlog grew to about 50 ships. Three of Antwerp’s locks were closed.

“The disruption will continue until tomorrow morning (Tuesday). Afterward, we will see how we can quickly and safely clear the backlog. This is expected to take one to two days,” the authority said in its update at 2015 Monday evening.

Zeebrugge reported there had been a complete blockage since 1100 saying it would continue until 0700 on Tuesday. No seagoing vessels entered or departed the port on Monday afternoon. Earlier it had reported that one ship had departed and two arrived, before the end of the day saying a backlog of 25 ships was waiting for the port to resume activity.

The problems were not limited to the seaports. Brussels Airport canceled all 244 outbound flights for Monday and said incoming traffic might also be impacted. Public services were reported to be at a standstill, including the post office and garbage services. Some schools also closed for the day and much of public transport around the country was disrupted.

The government which came to office in February has presented an austerity plan for the country. Today was the second round of major strikes against the planned sweeping cuts to all sectors of the economy.
 

 

Last Thursday, a D.C. circuit court judge ruled that a Biden-era oil and gas lease sale was unlawful because the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management failed to consider the impact of climate-warming emissions from the project, or the potential effect of extra activity on the endangered Rice's whale. The ruling unwinds a Biden-era policy decision that supported offshore oil and gas - but it conflicts even more deeply with the priorities of the Trump administration.  

District of Columbia Judge Amit Mehta found that the March 2023 lease sales violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) because the agency "failed to take a hard look" at the CO2 emissions from the project. BOEM projected that the 2,500-square-mile lease areas would produce about 110 bcm of gas and 1.1 billion barrels of gas over the course of the next 50 years, resulting in foreseeable downstream CO2 emissions. However, BOEM's analysis concluded that leasing in the Gulf would lower global CO2e upstream emissions because of the comparatively low carbon footprint of drilling in the U.S. Gulf (relative to other international sources). 

“We are pleased the court recognized the serious hazards Lease Sale 259 would have inflicted upon Gulf coast communities, as well as the harms it would have caused to Gulf ecosystems and highly imperiled species like the endangered Rice’s whale,” said Devorah Ancel, Senior Attorney with Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program, a plaintiff in the suit. 

The American Petroleum Institute panned the judge's decision and accused environmental groups of "weaponizing" NEPA, according to the AP. 

 

Days after confirming that it was considering newbuilds for its UK cruise operation known as Marella Cruises, Germany’s TUI Group has entered into an agreement with Fincantieri for two cruise ships. They would mark the first newbuilds for the company’s UK operation and expand a relationship started with the Italian shipbuilder for the group’s Germany cruise joint venture Mein Schiff.

The group said it had entered into a Memorandum of Agreement for the two new cruise ships based on Fincantieri confirming building slots with tentative delivery dates in 2030 and 2032. Fincantieri reports the value of the order exceeds €2 billion (nearly US$2.2 billion). The deal is subject to financing and completion of binding shipbuilding contracts.

No details were announced on the size of the planned cruise ships. They noted the ships would be customized to the UK cruise market and continue the premium positioning of the brand.

Last week, TUI outlined opportunities for its investors highlighting the UK cruise market as a growing segment of the business. The group said it expects the market will grow by 9 percent per year until 2030. In today’s announcement of the shipbuilding plan, the parent company TUI AG said the business case points to an EBIT of between €130 and €150 million (US$140 to $162 million) per ship per year and a Return on Invested Capital of 11 to 12 percent.

The cruise line started in the 1970s when Thomson, a UK tour operator, chartered an older ship for cruises. TUI restarted the operation in the 1990s based on the success of competing tour operators with the burgeoning cruise market in the UK. In October 2017, the operation was rebranded Marella Cruises. Its marketing is entirely in the UK and through a series of efforts it has been positioned in the premium segment of the market.

Marella currently operates five cruise ships, between 70,000 and 77,000 gross tons each, with accommodations for approximately 2,000 passengers per ship built between 1995 and 1997. Two of the ships, operating as Marella Discovery and Marella Discovery 2, were acquired in 2016 and 2017 from Royal Caribbean Group which is TUI’s partner for the German cruise operations. Two more ships were acquired for Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Cruises in 2018 and 2019 and operate as Marella Explorer and Marella Explorer 2. The final ship, Marella Voyager, was added to the brand in 2023 coming from Mein Schiff, and built for Celebrity Cruises.

TUI’s executives highlighted the challenges the brand faced with older ships that are also smaller versus competitors. Carnival’s P&O Cruises is the UK’s largest brand and has added new, large cruise ships, while Saga Cruises, a UK niche brand built two new ships. Fred. Olsen upgraded its fleet with second-hand ships acquired from Carnival’s Holland America Cruises during the pandemic.

Marella said given the aging of its fleet it was exploring “re-fleeting” and was in discussions to secure newbuilding slots. It noted that Europe’s cruise shipbuilders are all fully committed till 2030. Cruise ship construction is specialized due to the vast network of subcontractors and suppliers involved in the projects and the complexity of the hotel operations integrated into the vessel.

TUI has been working to rebuild the profitability of the group but emphasizes the strength of the UK cruise market. The group said in its release that it would also “continue to explore partnership options.” Mein Schiff was launched as a joint venture with Royal Caribbean and in 2020 the group sold Hapag-Lloyd Cruises to the joint venture. 

Fincantieri highlights the addition of another brand to its orderbook, while it is completing the second cruise ship for TUI, Mein Schiff Flow, which will deliver in 2026. The shipyards also have large orders from Carnival Corporation, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Crystal Cruises, and Viking, as well as small, luxury ships for Four Seasons. 
 

[By: Hempel]

Hempel A/S, a global supplier of paints and coating solutions, has today launched its first podcast, Beyond the Horizon. As a long-standing partner to the maritime industry, Hempel has chosen to focus the inaugural season on advancing diversity, bringing together influential voices from across the maritime sector to explore how greater diversity, equity and inclusion can shape a stronger, more resilient industry.

“As a key partner to the maritime sector, we have a responsibility to contribute to its long-term sustainability - not only environmentally, but also socially,” says Alexander Enström, Executive Vice President and Head of Marine at Hempel. “That’s why we created this podcast: to help bring visibility to the diversity challenges our industry faces and to highlight the practical actions that can move us forward.”

Season 1: Diversity in the maritime industry

Over five episodes, Beyond the Horizon Season 1 explores how companies can create more inclusive working environments at sea and onshore. Through open conversations with business leaders, academics and non-profit voices, the series explores both the systemic barriers to progress and the opportunities for collaborative change.

Season 1 guests include:

• Mia Krogslund-Jørgensen, Vice President, People, Culture & Strategy at Hafnia
• Irene Rosberg, Programme Director, Blue MBA at Copenhagen Business School
• Jan Dieleman, President of Cargill Ocean Transportation
• Susanne Justesen, Director, Human Sustainability at The Global Maritime Forum
• Alexander Enström, Executive Vice President and Head of Marine at Hempel A/S

Key themes explored in the series:

• Why diversity is a business imperative
• The structural and cultural barriers that prevent progress
• The importance of industry-wide collaboration and leadership accountability
• The role of data, visibility and communication in accelerating change
• How to make maritime careers more attractive to future generations

While Season 1 focuses on diversity in the maritime industry, Beyond the Horizon will evolve to address other timely topics across the industries Hempel serves.

“This podcast reflects our ambition to be more than a coatings provider. We want to contribute to the long-term resilience of our customers’ industries by engaging in the conversations that matter. Season 1 is just the starting point,” says Alexander Enström.

Beyond the Horizon is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

 

The hit song from Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern's 1927 groundbreaking musical, "Show Boat," continues to mesmerize, nearly 100 years later. Haunting and magical, the lyrics and melody seem to cast a spell:

Ah gits weary/An' sick of tryin' Ah'm tired of livin'/An' skeered of dyin', But ol' man river, He jes' keeps rolling' along.

Timeless, really, like the river itself.

None of which was going through our minds last year when we decided to sail the Mississippi. We'd done the Snake and Columbia rivers out west, the Ohio two years ago, and the Great Lakes in between. So why not the Mississippi, the most storied of American rivers?

Our favorite cruise line, which happens to be featured on this edition's cover, offered a number of different itineraries: the entire river, from St. Paul to New Orleans; the Upper Mississippi, from St. Louis to St. Paul; the Lower Mississippi, from Memphis to New Orleans; and various combinations thereof, including the stretch from St. Louis to Memphis.

We chose the Lower Mississippi, partly because of the timing (late August) and partly because of its rich history. It turned out to be one of American Cruise Lines' most popular itineraries, and for good reason.

RIVER TRIVIA

Our vessel was the American Symphony, one of the newer ships (built in 2022) in ACL's fleet and part of the so-called River Class of American Riverboats™. Not the traditional paddle-wheelers we had sailed before, she holds just 180 passengers and boasts spacious staterooms and bathrooms (much bigger than on ocean cruise ships) and lots of public spaces.

She also has a unique bow design that opens up to allow passengers to disembark on a retractable gangway. At many destinations the vessel literally grounds itself against the shore; the bow opens up like a beached dolphin, and passengers climb (or take a golf cart) up a steep embankment, called a revetment, to reach the waiting coaches or take a stroll through town.

The revetments are to protect against floods, of which there have been many over the years. Built by the Army Corps of Engineers and made of concrete and a combination of rocks and sand called "rip-rap," the revetments also provide an anchorage for commercial barge and towboat traffic, which attach lines to the embedded cables or hooks and can "park" for the night or days at a time, safe from the constant flow of barge tows on the river.

The Mississippi is all about commerce. Hopper barges hauling wheat and corn and soybeans downriver to New Orleans for export. Tank barges carrying oil and petrochemicals to the refineries in Baton Rouge or upriver to St. Louis. Building materials and construction products and ethanol and all kinds of things for consumption at home or export abroad. It's the I-95 of river traffic, and it's always busy. The Corps of Engineers designed it that way.

You won't see many pleasure craft or jet skiers on its waters. It's too dangerous. There's too much barge traffic and, increasingly, riverboats. And there are too many twists and turns, too many blind curves. Mark Twain, in Life on the Mississippi (1883), called it "the crookedest river in the world, since in one part of its journey it uses up one thousand three hundred miles to cover the same ground that the crow would fly over in six hundred and seventy-five."

Another feature of the Lower Mississippi is no locks. No dams or rapids to slow traffic. As a result, tows can extend to 32 or 40 barges – an amazing sight and a wonder to navigate. Above St. Louis on the Upper Mississippi and on the Ohio, there are locks and dams galore. As a result, tows are limited to 15 barges – the maximum number that can fit through the locks, which are typically 1,000 feet in length.

Here's an interesting factoid: It takes 90 days or three months for a single drop of water to travel the length of the Mississippi – from its origin in Lake Itasca, Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of 2,340 miles. That works out to roughly one knot an hour, but the current on the Lower Mississippi is often much stronger, at up to three or four knots. The average is brought down by all the twists and turns of the "crookedest river."

SIGHTS & SOUNDS

Our cruise started in "Music City" – Memphis – with a pre-cruise visit to Graceland. You know, Elvis Presley's place? Loud, boisterous, a little raunchy, people from all over, everyone having a good time – the way Elvis would have liked it.

We also toured the Peabody Hotel, home of the famous ducks. You know the story, right? Twice a day the "Peabody ducks," five of them, come down in an elevator from their rooftop digs and walk a red carpet to their daytime home in the grand fountain in the hotel's lobby. Hundreds of people arrive each day in time for the 11:00 am entrance and 5:00 pm departure of the ducks, who are directed by a "duck master" outfitted in red velvet and a cane.

A sight to see, and a big moneymaker for the hotel as people come and stay for a while, eating and drinking the whole time.

So Elvis and the ducks put everyone in the right mood for cruising, and we boarded the American Symphony on a Sunday for the 640-mile, 10-day journey to New Orleans.

Our first stop was Cleveland, Mississippi, named for the eponymous President and home to Delta State University, the "Fighting Okra." Located in the Mississippi Delta region, it was a center of cotton and rice production before and after the Civil War.

Next came Vicksburg, one of the highlights of the cruise and a delight to all the Civil War buffs onboard. We toured by motor coach around the vast battlefield dotted by more than 1,400 monuments and memorials to the men and women who fought and died there. There's also a wonderful on-site museum, all part of the Vicksburg National Military Park.

Ever been to a cotton plantation? Neither had we, but we got our chance the next day when we docked in Natchez, home to some of the most beautiful mansions you'll ever see. We crossed the river by bus to Vidalia, Louisiana and visited Frogmore, a restored, highly mechanized 1,800-acre cotton plantation where we toured the fields and visited a working, computerized cotton gin. Separating the white "lint" (which is spun into cotton) from the seeds is no easy task, and I finally learned what a "cotton gin" really did.

How about an old-fashioned pig roast? Ever been to one of them? For a foodie like me, it was a definite highlight, and we were not disappointed. Located on Bayou Sara (which was dry due to lack of rain; the year before the boat had been able to pull right up to it) in St. Francisville, Louisiana, we had to travel by bus to reach the Oyster Bar (really a restored fishing shack), where the entire staff was waiting for us. It was easily the best pork I've ever had.

And while I'm on the subject of food, the menus onboard American Symphony were outstanding, featuring many regional dishes. Crawfish hash, catfish po' boy, chicken and sausage gumbo, country fried steak, BBQ ribs, New Orleans Creole pasta, spiced pork belly. A gourmet's delight!

The entertainment in the evening in the River Lounge was equally authentic. Blues band Chris Gill & the Sole Shakers, fiddlers Dwight and Wayne Thibodeaux, jazz trumpeter Wendell Brunious and clarinetist Caroline Fromell, to name a few.

There were other stops along the way, but I'm running out of space here and you get the idea. I do want to mention that at each stop we had an experienced guide on board the bus, who briefed us on the local color and culture of the place we were visiting. Most were retired teachers or local professionals who got a big kick out of spinning yarns and telling tales and just educating us out-of-towners. We soaked it up.

SILENCE OF THE RIVER

But the real joy was just being on the river, sitting in a rocker and watching the river – and the world – go by. And the stillness, the silence, when suddenly a barge tow comes into view, rounding a bend and looking like a mirage, moving ever so slowly toward you, majestic in its size and breadth and lording it over everything else on the river.

You can't hear it yet, but you can see it, coming at you slowly, steadily, relentlessly, timelessly. It's like a freeze-frame, implanted in your memory and your brain. Like the river itself, beautiful, quiet, majestic, enveloping you in its wonder and taking you back to an earlier time.

 

French shipping giant CMA CGM Group is citing more than $5 million in damages in a suit filed in a Houston court. The suit alleges that 13 vessels either owned or chartered by the company were damaged due to faulty fuel supplied while they were in Houston, Texas.

The complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas reports between March and June 2023, CMA CGM took delivery of 33,628 metric tons of very low sulfur fuel oil for its vessels while they were docked in the Port of Houston. The company had a supply contract with GCC Supply & Trading for the manufacture, sale, supply, and delivery of maritime fuel.

“Shortly after the fuel was supplied, the vessels encountered significant operational issues, including but not limited to fuel pump seizures, ICU leakages, loss of engine power and propulsion in some cases leading to blackouts. CMA CGM put GCC on notice of these issues as soon as they became known,” the complaint alleges. It goes on to state, “The vessels suffered physical damage to their fuel tanks, fuel purifiers, fuel systems, and their engines and engine components, causing CMA CGM damages.”

They are alleging that GCC should have known that it was delivering “contaminated, defective, off-specification, unfit for consumption,” fuel that would cause physical harm to the vessels. They contend the supplier failed to “employ reasonable practices and policies for testing and screening its product for harmful contaminants or components.”

CMA CGM says it incurred disrupted and delayed operations, which caused operational cost increases, lost opportunities, demurrage, and further damages. They are suing for breach of contract, breach of warranties, negligence, and product liability.

The shipping company is demanding a jury trial. It asks the court to determine the final amount of damages and relief it will be granted.

Bunker fuel testing and advisory company VPS issued a public report on the problem in July 2023 saying that it detected the presence of Dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and associated isomers at significantly high levels in VLSFO bunker fuel deliveries in Houston. At the time, it said at least 11 vessels had been impacted but it caused widespread concern. Weeks earlier in March 2023 over 200 vessels reported issues after fueling in Singapore. Regulators later traded the problem back to the origin well and imposed significant penalties on the supplier.

 

After seven weeks of preparation, Russian and Chinese officials are reporting progress toward the refloating of a bulker that has been stranded since early February. The Chinese crew remained aboard the vessel being supplied from shore while the efforts were underway.

The vessel named An Yang 2, a Chinese-owned and registered bulker, was built in 2010, The vessel which is 56,700 dwt and 623 feet (190 meters) in length, was inbound to the Russian port of Nevelsk located on the southwest coast of the Sakhalin Island, on February 9. It was transporting 1,000 tons of coal.

The vessel encountered high seas and strong winds as a winter storm was overtaking the area. Early in the morning, it ran aground near the entrance to the port. Initial rescue efforts were delayed by a heavy snowfall and temperatures falling to 14 degrees F (-10 C). Efforts to survey the hull were hampered by the high seas and the fact the vessel was sitting on the rocks.

 

 

Determining there was no significant damage visible to the vessel, local authorities determined that the crew would remain aboard their ship, but emergency accommodations were arranged if they had to be evacuated. The surveys determined there were 50 tons of diesel and 700 tons of heavy fuel aboard but no leaks were observed.

Chinese officials report a delegation visited the ship. They also met with the local officials to plan the salvage effort. A contract has been signed for the removal of the fuel to lighten the vessel. Russian officials said that an access road also had to be created to reach the vessel.

No timing was offered for when they expected to have the vessel afloat.
 

 

Slowing down vessels may be the most direct way to cut fuel consumption and emissions, but it is not without its issues. A new solution from Wärtsilä, Fit4Power, offers an alternative that tackles many of the challenges of running large engines on low load, while monitoring since the first installations in October 2022 reveals just how effective radical derating can be. Andreas Wiesmann, General Manager of Strategy and Business Development for 2-stroke Engine Services at Wärtsilä Marine, explores the potential of the technology, leveraging broad industry expertise to demonstrate its transformative effect on the shipping industry.

Slow steaming is a crucial component of emissions reduction strategies for vessels that do not need speed to cater to their markets, such as those on scheduled routes as opposed to spot trades. One of the key drivers is IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), which demands annual improvements in operational efficiency from vessels based on reported fuel consumption and voyage data. Wärtsilä analysis shows that, without modifications or operational measures, more than 80% of the global merchant fleet could fall into the ‘D’ and ‘E’ CII ratings by 2030, requiring mandatory corrective action.

Balancing speed and emissions

Slowing vessel speed therefore offers a straightforward option for cutting fuel and emissions without investing in new efficiency technologies. However, operating at low loads well below those for which they were designed is not an ideal scenario for engines. As a result, an overall reduction in fuel consumption and emissions can carry a significant penalty in efficiency. Less fuel is used overall, but more fuel is needed to generate an equivalent power output.

The practice leaves operators with another cost problem: the maintenance requirements of a big engine with the power output of a small engine. In addition, because engines that run outside their optimal load are more prone to wear, those costs can also increase with slow steaming. The result is an oversized engine for which operators are paying oversized maintenance and fuel bills, without being able to take advantage of the surplus installed power.

Further, slow steaming does not necessarily help comply with design efficiency regulations. The IMO’s Energy Efficiency Index for Existing Ships (EEXI), for example, does not directly demand that less fuel is used but instead that available power is limited. That means using mechanical or software-based measures to ensure that the lower power is maintained (with an exception for emergencies). Those limitation solutions come at a cost and add complexity to the engine configuration.

A radical approach

When Wärtsilä applied itself to the inherent problems of slow steaming, it came up with a radical solution. If vessel operators can sail at slower speeds, the most efficient way to do it would be to reduce the size of the engine. Thermodynamically, running a smaller engine at higher loads will always be more efficient than running a bigger engine at low loads due to relatively lower mechanical losses and a more optimal air-fuel mix in the combustion chamber.

While this principle has guided engine selection for newbuild vessels for decades, until recently it had little value for ship operators with existing vessels. It was not viable to reduce the size of an engine already installed. The unique proposition behind Wärtsilä’s radical derating solution for two-stroke engines is that it makes reducing the size of the engine achievable.

The advanced retrofit solution enables ship owners to reduce the bore size of two-stroke engines by 25%, enabling the vessel to reduce speed while the engine runs at optimal loads, with outstanding fuel and combustion efficiency. This cuts both fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The bore size reduction is achieved with no changes to the engine frame and only matching part replacements on turbocharger installations. This simplifies the conversion process, limiting it to cylinder, piston and fuel injection components alongside an update to the engine automation system.

While Fit4Power is a significant project, it does not represent what IMO classes a ‘major conversion’, meaning that the derated engine does not need a new nitrogen oxide (NOx) certification. The engine’s original tier rating can be maintained and is confirmed by Wärtsilä after the project using its approved ‘shop test at sea’ methodology. This process avoids the time-consuming and costly process of running an equivalent engine on a testbed.

A retrofit project of this scale is an exercise in teamwork. Across the 17 vessels already installed by the end of the first quarter in 2025, Wärtsilä has developed close relationships with partners across the supply chain and with repair yards. The retrofit execution has been refined over time, allowing the current conversion to be completed in less than four weeks – comparing favorably to other technology installations and allowing operators to plan their regulatory compliance less than a year into the future.

Staying ahead of the curve

It is already clear that the benefits of the radical derating are well worth the effort. An engine retrofitted with the Fit4Power technology can deliver annual fuel savings of up to 2,000 tons and a reduction in CO2 emissions of 6,400 tons. In financial terms, this translates to potential yearly savings of two million euros, or more, in operational expenses, based on current fuel costs and carbon levies. Add to this an annual savings in parts, and the economic case for radical derating becomes compelling. 

Fit4Power can cut fuel consumption and emissions by 10-15%. Across 17 vessels retrofitted since late 2022, Wärtsilä has saved operators a total of more than 25,000 tonnes of fuel, translating to 80,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions or more. Further translated into regulatory compliance terms, this buys operators a further three to five years of compliance with CII, giving them time to plan the next stage of their decarbonization investment strategy.

However, derating is more than just an interim measure. By making engines smaller and more efficient, operators are setting a new efficient baseline for the operation of their vessels, as well as paving the way for incremental steps towards decarbonization. For example, future conversion of the engines for methanol, LNG or ammonia fuel, using Wärtsilä’s Fit4Fuels platform, will enable the use of zero- or near-zero emissions fuels, and because the engine is already running at optimal efficiency, the cost of those expensive fuels will be minimized.

Slowing the speed of vessels can be a game-changing strategy as operators seek to reduce emissions. But slowing down the vessel need not mean slowing down the engine and all the inefficiencies that come with it. With Fit4Power, operators can sail full steam ahead into a future of lower emissions.

Andreas Wiesmann is General Manager of Strategy and Business Development for 2-stroke Engine Services at Wärtsilä Marine. This article is brought to you by Wärtsilä Marine.

Iranian news agencies tied to the government and Revolutionary Guard reported that two foreign-owned tankers were apprehended on Monday, March 31, for diesel fuel oil smuggling. The crews are being detained, and the vessels directed toward Iran.

Iran in the past has made accusations of vessels smuggling fuel, although today’s report asserts it is on a much larger scale. The Tasnim News Agency citing officials from the Revolutionary Guard is saying a “naval operation” was conducted in the central Persian Gulf. It is identifying the two vessels with the names Star 1 and Vintage, with some Western media reports saying one of the vessels appears to be owned by interests in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

They are contending the vessels are part of fuel smuggling networks and organized efforts to steal oil from Iran. They are reporting detaining 25 crewmembers after having seized 3 million liters of diesel fuel. The vessels are reportedly being taken to the Bushehr oil dock where the fuel will be unloaded under judicial order. The report says the tankers were identified through “intelligence monitoring” at the Bushehr port.

The action comes as tensions remain high in the region. Iranian officials said they are rejecting a letter from Donald Trump that demanded talks to resolve Iran’s nuclear program and threatened dire consequences. Trump reportedly said he could send long-range bombers to attack Iran.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, threatened retaliation if Iran was attacked. He told reporters on Saturday if ordered he was prepared to close the Strait of Hormuz. 

Reports indicated on Saturday, March 29, the second of two cargo ships carrying the base component for rocket fuel reached Iran after a trip from China. After processing, it could supply solid fuel for approximately 250 of Iran’s medium or short-range rockets.
 

 

Ghana’s Navy announced over the weekend that it was investigating a suspected piracy attack on a commercial fishing boat off the coast of the West African country. Initial reports indicated that three Chinese nationals had been kidnapped from the vessel but today, March 31, Chinese officials reported the crew are “physically safe.”

The incident took place Thursday evening, March 27, according to the report from Ghana. The fishing vessel Mengxin 1, registered in Ghana, was at sea when it was approached and boarded by seven armed pirates. The Ghana Navy reports warning shots were fired and several crewmembers on the fishing vessel went into hiding.

The pirates assembled the crewmembers they could locate on deck and robbed the crew of their mobile phones. After about three hours the pirates left the vessel. MDAT-GoG (Maritime Domain Awareness Trade - Gulf of Guinea), the French – British effort for maritime situational awareness in the Gulf of Guinea reports the incident took place approximately 16 nautical miles southwest of the Ghanian capital of Accra.

The crewmembers in hiding reported they emerged to find the captain, chief mate, and chief engineer, all Chinese nationals, missing. Because there was no mobile network coverage out at sea it took some time for the incident to be reported until the remaining crew could get the vessel close enough to shore to gain a signal.

The Ghanaian Navy began a search. It also issued an alert to neighboring countries to be looking for the pirates. The fishing boat proceeded back to the port of Tema in Ghana.

Asked about the incident, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had been in touch with the embassy and Ghanian officials. 

“The crew members are physically safe now. China will work with Ghana to earnestly protect the safety and security of Chinese nationals and institutions in Ghana,” responded spokesperson Guo Jiakun during the ministry’s daily press briefing in Beijing on March 31. 

It is the second incident with a Chinese fishing vessel in recent months. In November, a Chinese fishing boat operating in the east off the Horn of Africa was boarded and held by pirates from Yemen. The Chinese embassy reported that the vessel had been released in January 2025 without providing details.
 

[By: ABS]

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at Singapore Maritime Week to advance innovations in applied research in maritime technology and enhance talent development within the global maritime and offshore industries.

The collaboration advances applied research in next-generation vessel system design, including ship power simulations with hardware-in-the-loop, shore-to-ship charging technologies, and augmented and virtual reality tools for visualizing simulated scenarios.

It also fosters talent and workforce development by offering targeted upskilling and professional growth opportunities under SIT’s Industrial Doctorate and Industrial Master’s (IDIM) programs, alongside structured on-the-job training placements for SIT undergraduate students.

“Given the rapid pace of technological evolution across the maritime industry, it is important to share best practices, breakthroughs and insight. Signing this MOU formalizes our long-standing collaboration with SIT and brings ABS’ global perspective to further maritime innovation on a range of technical and safety topics while also supporting the next generation of seafarers with new skills and competencies,” said Dr. Gu Hai, ABS Vice President of Technology.

Bernard Nee, Deputy President of Industry and Community at SIT, said: “We are committed to empowering the next generation of maritime professionals with the skills and knowledge to excel in a dynamic global landscape. As the university for industry, we offer students authentic, hands-on experience through real-world projects and industry placements. Together with ABS, we are shaping the future of maritime innovation and talent development in areas such as power system simulation, ship charging technologies, and augmented and virtual reality applications.”

[By: Fincantieri]

Fincantieri and TUI AG signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the design and construction of two new cruise ships for the Marella Cruises brand. The value of this agreement, subject to financing and other typical terms and conditions, is considered as very important.

This agreement represents a major step for Marella Cruises, which is venturing into newbuilding for the first time and has chosen Fincantieri as its strategic partner for this transformation. At the same time, it establishes a new customer relationship for Fincantieri, expanding its client base with a fresh brand in the cruise sector.

The ships will be designed specifically for the English market and have a focus on environmental sustainability. They will redefine premium cruising through refined design, high-quality materials, and a variety of spacious accommodations.

The two vessels will be delivered in calendar year 2030 and 2032.

Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri, commented: “We are proud to welcome Marella Cruises as a new customer and to support its vision as it enters the newbuild segment. This agreement is a testament to Fincantieri’s ability to forge strategic partnerships with an expanding client base, reinforcing our long-term visibility and ensuring a high level of capacity saturation for our shipyards. The project will bring together our expertise in ship design, innovation, and sustainability to deliver vessels that meet the evolving expectations of modern cruise passengers."

Fincantieri has built a solid and successful relationship with the brand TUI Cruises, joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises. This year in February, the Group delivered the cruise ship “Mein Schiff Relax”, the first of two InTUItion class new concept cruise ships dual-fuel powered (Liquid Natural Gas - LNG and Marine Gas Oil - MGO), while the second unit, “Mein Schiff Flow”, is currently under construction at the Monfalcone shipyard, with delivery scheduled for 2026.

[By: Bureau Veritas]

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) has awarded Approval in Principle (AiP) to the Marine Design and Research Institute of China (MARIC) for its new 155,000m³ Ultra Large Ethane Carrier (ULEC) design.

The vessel, measuring approximately 274 meters in length and 42 meters in breadth, is designed as a single-propeller liquefied ethane carrier powered by a MAN ME-GIE ethane dual-fuel main engine, supporting worldwide ethane transportation. The design is compatible with both Type B cargo tanks and GTT Mark III membrane tanks, offering a lower boil-off rate (BOR), reduced unloading residue, and higher cargo capacity utilization. It is also capable of transporting ethylene, propylene, and LPG. 

Optimized for fuel efficiency, the vessel features advanced hull lines, propellers, and rudders, along with energy-saving devices such as propeller cap fins, a pre-swirl duct, and a shaft generator. Additionally, MARIC’s Smart Ship Solution is integrated, including a Smart Navigation System (SNS), an Energy Efficiency Management System (EEMS), and a Machinery Health Management System (MHMS), enhancing safety, operational efficiency and sustainability. 

The vessel has been reviewed in accordance with BV’s classification rules and key notations. Leveraging its extensive experience in gas carrier classification, including Very Large Ethane Carriers (VLECs), BV will be able to conduct critical assessments such as structural strength evaluation, non-linear fatigue analysis, crack propagation studies, and leakage risk assessments.

Matthieu de Tugny, President of Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, said: "This AiP reflects our commitment to advancing innovative ship designs that enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability in gas transportation. We are pleased to support MARIC in this project, which demonstrates ongoing progress in the development of ultra-large ethane carriers.” 

Mr. Zhu Jianzhang, Vice President of MARIC, said: “This AiP underscores MARIC’s commitment to developing next-generation gas carriers that combine efficiency, sustainability, and advanced technology. With BV’s expertise, we are confident this design will contribute to the future of safe and efficient ethane transportation.”

[By: IACS]

IACS, the membership organisation for the world’s leading classification societies, has published its 2024 Annual Review, which highlights the central role played by IACS in supporting safety standards in global shipping.

In a year that marked the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the SOLAS Convention, safety was at the forefront of IACS’s work programme for 2024. This was exemplified by the new Safe Digital Transformation Panel, which began its important work to identify and mitigate any safety risks posed by shipping’s ongoing digital transformation. 

Technical and digital advances featured heavily in IACS’s programme for 2024, including the significant challenge posed by new technologies and alternative fuels when it comes to the safety and reliability of engines and other onboard systems. IACS’s work in emerging fields was further highlighted by its work on remote surveys, which included the development of a new Unified Requirement to ensure uniform standards in the conduct of surveys undertaken without the presence of a surveyor.

The report also highlights a number of other areas of important work, including safety standards for gas carriers, improvements to the implementation of the Safe Return to Port (SRtP) scheme for passenger ships, and further guidance to support compliance with ballast water management system (BWMS) standards. 2024 also saw extensive consultation with industry and Flag States on the ongoing comprehensive review of the IACS Common Structural Rules, which will continue into 2025 and until their expected adoption in four years’ time.

Although digital and technological innovation has been a core focus of IACS’s work, the human element has remained at the heart of IACS safety agenda. As the report explores, IACS has continued to invest heavily in training and guidelines that support the role of people, including the risks posed to and by people in a ship’s lifecycle.

Robert Ashdown, IACS Secretary General, commented: “2024 was an extremely busy year for IACS, which saw us deliver a diverse work programme, with safety at the heart of all we do, whether that was through our strong presence at IMO, our close collaboration and engagement with industry partners, or our new and revised rules, recommendations and guidance. Through the collective efforts of our team and our members, IACS is playing a significant role upholding our purpose of safer, cleaner shipping.”

Roberto Cazzulo, Chair of the IACS Council, said: “At a time of transformation for our industry, IACS has been at the forefront of setting the standards needed to keep vessels safe and to protect the environment, particularly when the world around us is being reshaped by digitalisation and decarbonisation. This pace of change also requires an agile, rapid response in order to address the technical and safety implications for shipping. Throughout 2024, IACS and our members proved their ability to deliver the expert guidance needed by our industry to help safeguard safety at sea.”

The report recognises IACS’s extensive programme of engagement and support for industry at a technical and strategic level with a wide range of regulatory authorities, representative bodies and other stakeholder groups, most notably at the IMO, where IACS works closely with the secretariat and member states to deliver on the shared safety vision of both organisations. In 2024, the collective contribution from IACS and its members resulted in 77 submissions to IMO, along with the co-sponsorship of a further 12 papers.

IACS also plays an important role as a convenor and partner with industry stakeholders through other initiatives, such as the Joint Industry Working Group (JIWG) on Safe Decarbonisation, which was established last year. Through regular technical meetings and workshops, the feedback and insight from these discussions has fed directly into IACS’s rules and recommendations.

Over 2024, IACS adopted 85 new or revised Resolutions and Recommendations for implementation by its members, and the Annual Review provides a full list of all these, as well as those withdrawn. It also includes the ‘Class Report 2024’, which contains data on the global IACS fleet, broken down by the twelve IACS members.

The 2024 Annual Review is available for download at the IACS website at https://iacs.org.uk/about-us/annual-review.