[By CMT]

The shipping industry’s adoption of smart technology risks being undermined by the crew’s ability to understand the information they provide, according to a German diagnostics firm.

Condition Monitoring Technologies (CMT), a provider of engine performance analytics and training, has warned that crews are increasingly under-equipped to interpret the growing volume of diagnostics data produced onboard modern vessels.

“Ship operators are buying monitoring equipment,” CMT Managing Director David Fuhlbrügge said, “but crews are being asked to make critical engine operation and maintenance decisions based on diagnostic outputs they don’t fully understand.”

As shipowners invest in sensors and predictive maintenance tools to improve performance, reliability and reduce downtime, CMT said many are missing the point that someone must still understand the data and act on it.

Several independent studies appear to support this view. In Navigating the Sea of Data: A Comprehensive Review on Data Analysis in Maritime IoT Applications, published in Applied Sciences (August 2023), researchers at Gdynia Maritime University wrote: “The lack of skilled personnel can hamper data analysis efforts.

Furthermore, the maritime industry, being traditionally conservative, may be slow to adopt new technologies. While the initial allure of data analytics in the maritime sector seems heavily skewed towards bolstering operational efficiency, its applications are far more profound and expansive.”

A 2021 paper from Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Systematic Review of Machine Learning in Condition Monitoring, concluded that while new tools hold major potential, success relies on high-quality data and user ability to interpret outputs.

Earlier research from Shanghai Maritime University (Li, Chen and Zhang, 2012) also highlighted the role of human insight. Their study on diesel engine condition monitoring found that advanced algorithms could detect engine faults with over 90 percent accuracy, but only if trained operators were present to interpret and respond to the signals.

CMT said this growing mismatch between systems and skills is particularly acute in engine rooms. “Thirty years ago, a crew of 30 might have several engineers who knew how to interpret pressure curves, vibration patterns, or scavenge air temperatures,” Fuhlbrügge said. “Today, crews are half the size, and a lot of that knowledge has disappeared. Skills are lost and needs to be relearnt.”

While some companies are shifting diagnostics and analysis to shore-based engine performance teams, CMT said that doesn’t negate the need for competent decision-making onboard. “You can’t outsource everything. When a problem emerges at sea, the person onboard needs to know what to do. And if they don’t, the result could be a dead ship!”

CMT provides condition monitoring systems along with remote training through its in-house academy. But the company said few clients integrate training into equipment procurement.

“There’s a reluctance to spend on people. And yet without trained personnel, even the best technology can’t prevent failure.”

The company is now urging shipowners and technical managers to rebalance their digitalisation strategies. “We’re not short of technology,” Fuhlbrügge   said. “What we’re short of are crews that know how to use it.”

The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) clarifies that it has no restrictions or prohibitions on the recognition of Certificates of Competence or Proficiency Certificates issued by the Maritime Administration of the Republic of India. On the contrary, it recognizes and values the professionalism, experience, and quality of officers and seafarers of Indian nationality.

As the world's largest ship registry, Panama promotes international cooperation and reciprocity, and maintains open collaboration with all States Parties to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended (STCW´78 Convention, as amended), in accordance with Circular MSC.1/Circ. 1163 of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

In compliance with our obligations under this Convention, we ensure that seafarers serving on Panamanian-flagged vessels receive appropriate training, assessment, and certification from qualified instructors, in accordance with Regulation 1/6 and Section A-1/6 of the STCW´78 Convention, as amended, and its STCW Code, considering that the human factor is fundamental to maritime safety, the protection of life at sea, and the marine environment.

The PMA applies strict criteria and control measures in the evaluation of seafarers' documentation to prevent fraudulent practices in the issuance of certificates, endorsements, and related technical documentation, in full compliance with the STCW´78 Convention, as amended, and it’s STCW Code.

The PMA remains committed to strengthening technical cooperation, training, and mutual recognition of seafarers' competency qualifications, with a view to achieving safe, efficient, and sustainable maritime transport, and to ensuring and respecting the well-being of seafarers worldwide as key workers.

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) congratulates Representatives Mike Ezell (R-MS4) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY11) on introducing the Port Cranes Tax Credit Act of 2025 (H.R.?4589) along with two original cosponsors: Representatives Randy Weber (R-TX14) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA2).

The bill will boost domestic manufacturing, bolster supply chain resiliency, and support national security by beginning to bring port crane manufacturing back to America. It does so by establishing a 25% investment tax credit for qualified U.S. facilities that manufacture or repair ship-to-shore (STS) and mobile harbor port cranes, along with a production credit of 40%, rising to 60% if at least 90% of crane components are American made. AAPA looks forward towards working with Congress to see this bill passed into law, which would bring crane manufacturing back to America much faster than tariffs on foreign equipment paid by American households and businesses.

“Without safe, reliable and affordable cranes, America’s ports would not be able to move the goods that sustain our economy and support the daily lives of American consumers,” said Cary S. Davis, AAPA President and CEO. “Instead of levying unfair taxes on port development, the Port Cranes Tax Credit Act is a tangible first step on the supply side towards incentivizing the reshoring of key cargo-handling equipment in the coming years since there are currently no domestic STS crane manufacturers. We thank lead sponsors Representatives Ezell and Malliotakis, alongside original cosponsors, Representatives Weber and Kiggans, for recognizing the need for supply side incentives - not punishments on the demand side through taxes - and encourage others concerned about the future of the port industry and our nation’s supply chains to support this bill and quickly get it to President Trump’s desk.”

“Our ports are essential to our economy—and our national security,” Ezell said. “They serve as the gateways for trade, driving billions of dollars in commerce and supporting millions of jobs across the country. But more than that, they are critical infrastructure, and their vulnerability can pose real risks to our national safety. From cybersecurity threats to supply chain disruptions, foreign control over critical components—like ship-to-shore cranes—creates unacceptable exposure to espionage, sabotage, and logistical choke points. The Port Crane Tax Credit of 2025 is about putting American workers and American safety first. It will incentivize the production and deployment of domestically manufactured cranes, reduce our dependence on adversarial nations, and stimulate investment in American manufacturing and innovation. This isn’t just an economic policy—it’s a national security imperative. I’m proud to introduce this legislation to strengthen our ports, empower our workforce, and reinforce the foundation of American resilience.”

“Modern cargo handling equipment is a major capital expense for Port operations. As the largest inland public port and logistic hub in Upstate New York, the Port of Albany couldn’t function without key equipment – from our mobile harbor cranes to our front loaders and forklifts. We have to keep the supply chain moving,” said Richard J. Hendrick Sr., Port of Albany CEO and AAPA Board of Directors Vice Chair. “The Port’s been operating for almost a century, and the numbers don’t lie – our overall economic impact on New York State is annually more than $813 million with approximately 4,500 related jobs. Vessel calls have increased 41% during the past year due to Heavy Lift work and breakbulk cargo. I’m proud of those numbers, and the people who make those numbers possible, year after year, but they need the right equipment. We need to support onshoring manufacturing and good manufacturing jobs, and to make sure that our U.S. ports are equipped to continue to get the job done. I applaud Representatives Malliotakis and Ezell, and original cosponsors Representatives Weber and Kiggans, for taking decisive action to move the 2025 Port Cranes Tax Credit Act forward.”

“Strengthening and securing our nation's supply chain resiliency depends on U.S.-built and manufactured port cranes. This bill addresses urgent national security concerns and our nation’s ports greatly benefit from this proposed legislation to create tax incentives to support domestic production of port infrastructure equipment,” explained Paul Anderson, Port Tampa Bay President and CEO.

"Congressman Mike Ezell’s leadership on the Port Crane Tax Credit Act of 2025 is exactly the kind of forward-thinking support Gulf Coast ports like ours need to stay competitive and meet the demands of a modern, American-made supply chain,” stated Bo Ethridge, Port Pascagoula Port Director. “Port Pascagoula plays a critical role in the regional economy, and as manufacturing continues to return to U.S. shores, our port is experiencing increased demand and new growth opportunities. Yet we remain the only major Gulf Coast port without cargo cranes, which is an infrastructure gap that limits our ability to diversify commodities. This legislation is a vital step toward closing that gap. With federal support, including incentives like this tax credit, we can move forward with the acquisition of two mobile harbor cranes that will significantly enhance our operational capabilities and position us to serve a broader range of industries and cargo types. We’re proud to work alongside Congressman Ezell to strengthen America’s ports and power the future of domestic manufacturing."

AAPA urges swift consideration of the Port Cranes Tax Credit Act by the House Committee on Ways and Means and encourages Senators to introduce companion legislation in their chamber. By supporting domestic production of port crane infrastructure, Congress can help ensure the competitiveness, security, and resiliency of America’s ports.

[By USCG]

 The Coast Guard Captain of the Port Honolulu reopened all commercial harbors in the Hawaiian Islands following the end of the tsunami advisory Wednesday.  

Coast Guard crews including an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Barbers Point conducted port assessments and overflights of harbors, waterways, and aids to navigation throughout the Hawaiian Islands. 

No observable hazards or pollution were reported.  

“The safety of all mariners has been our top priority throughout the tsunami warning in Hawaii,” said Capt. Nicholas Worst, commander of Coast Guard Sector Honolulu and Captain of the Port Honolulu. “While the ports are now fully reopened to maritime traffic, we are working continuously with our federal, state, local agency, and industry partners to assess any potential hazards and keep commerce flowing safely. Strong teamwork with our partners helps safeguard the maritime transportation system, which facilitates the delivery of over 98% of Hawaii’s goods.” 

The Coast Guard is urging all mariners to proceed with caution due to the potential for shoaling and unmarked hazards. Vessels and facilities should immediately report any dangerous situations or navigation discrepancies to the Sector Honolulu command center at (808) 842-2600.   

The Maritime Administration has awarded seven private ship management companies with new 10-year contracts to operate the 51 vessels in the Ready Reserve Force (RRF), the strategic sealift fleet that is maintained in layup status.

“When our military is called to respond, the RRF delivers the tanks, the trucks, and the supplies,” said Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy in a statement. “These ships don’t just support the mission – they are the linchpin that makes the mission possible. National security depends on strategic sealift, and strategic sealift depends on the RRF.” 

The maintenance contracts provide for $6.2 billion worth of operating expenses over a 10-year period, amounting to an average of roughly $120 million per ship. The funds cover crewing, maintenance, repairs, activation out of layup, operation, and post-usage deactivation. The RRF ships are kept minimally-crewed in reduced operating status most of the time, and priority hulls are intended to be capable of getting crewed up and ready with about five days of notice. Periodic activation exercises test whether these vessels can get under way; a large-scale activation test with a full public report occurred in 2019, and significant issues with readiness were reported at the time, primarily due to vessel age. 

The overwhelming majority of the RRF is made up of militarily-useful ro/ros, including commercial PCTCs and custom-built or heavily-modified transports. The latter category includes the eight Algol-class SL-7 Fast Sealift Support (FSS) ships, powerful steamships capable of 33 knots, and the seven Bob Hope-class Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off ships (LMSRs). The average age of the fleet is about 45 years, including several hulls built in the 1960s; Congress has been purchasing replacement ro/ros at a steady pace to replenish the fleet. 

The RRF is stationed at commercial and government ports around the country, keeping assets near to where they might be needed for a contingency operation. MARAD also maintains a central anchorage of its own in Beaumont, Texas. 

The funding for opex is in addition to funds for vessel replacement, historically accomplished through the purchase of used foreign-built tonnage or the reassignment of ships from Military Sealift Command. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act allocated $600 million for lease or purchase of new ships through the National Defense Sealift Fund, which could be used to buy U.S.-built tonnage. 
 

The container ship Ever Feat has arrived at the port of Montevideo, Uruguay with a collapsed stack of containers, according to local reports. 

Videos from the scene show two 40-foot containers hanging over the side, with a jumble of collapsed boxes just behind them. Aerial photos suggest that at least two bays were affected. Spanish outlet El Pais reports that Ever Feat encountered rough weather on a voyage south from Navegantes, Brazil, causing about 30-40 containers to topple over. 

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— The Sea In Arabic ????? ??????? (@Theseainarabic) July 30, 2025

Uruguay's National Port Administration and its coast guard are conducting a damage assessment and making plans to remove the affected cargo safely. Some of the boxes contain fertilizer, El Pais reported, and local freight forward Swan Logistics suggests that some may have toxic cargo. 

Ever Feat is a modern Neopanamax boxship flagged in Liberia and operated by Evergreen. She was one of 12 F-class hulls built by Imabari in 2021-22, and she has a capacity of about 12,000 TEU. Sister ships include Ever Forward, which grounded near Baltimore in 2022, and Ever Fortune, the largest boxship ever to call Boston. 

A ceasefire encouraged by President Trump and agreed between Cambodia and Thailand on July 28 appears to be more or less holding, notwithstanding a series of small arms clashes.

The border battles between the two countries were largely focused on a forested national park area in Thailand’s Si Sa Ket province on the country’s southeastern border, with the focus of attention being the ownership of the Preah Vihear temple complex held by Thailand and claimed by Cambodia. The dispute reaches back to a treaty signed between Thailand and France in 1907, and inaccuracies in French map-making. But in modern times, the dispute has been overlaid by tensions between the prominent Shinawatra political and business dynasty in Thailand and the ruling Hun Sen family in Cambodia. Also featuring in the dispute has been Cambodia's sponsorship of casinos and scam factories in border areas, as well as the growing economic disparity between the two neighbors. 

While the complexities of the dispute have little wider relevance, save that most ASEAN countries and the United States have lined up with Thailand whilst Cambodia initially relied on support from China, there is a maritime aspect to the dispute between the two countries.

As part of the Franco-Siam Treaty of 1907, Thailand took control of the Koh Kut and Koh Klang islands and the Khong Yai coastal strip in Trat province, to the east of the islands in the Gulf of Thailand, in exchange for surrendering the populous province of Battambong to France. Relatively undeveloped, Koh Kut has been described as a completely undisturbed tropical paradise. The Hun Sen family have reportedly been seeking to take control of Koh Kut to develop it as a prime potential tourist resort, as part of a secretive business arrangement with the Shinawatra family which has now been exposed - prompting widespread outrage in Bangkok.

Lt Gen Maly Socheata, until a few weeks ago a well-known cabaret singer but now mobilized as the Cambodian military spokeswoman, reported that the Thai navy had deployed first four and then a second set of four patrol boats to the Trat Province coastal area. She described this deployment as a provocation, but said that no fighting had taken place in the area.

The Royal Thai First Naval Area Command announced that it had indeed sent four patrol craft as reinforcements to the area, one of which was apparently the Krabi Class HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan (P552). Royal Thai Marines then repelled a Cambodian infantry assault on July 26 at Ban Chamrack and at Ban Hat Lek at the southern end of the Khong Yai coastal strip, with 76mm fire support provided from the offshore Royal Thai Navy patrol craft helping to repel the attack.

The importance of Cambodia’s Gulf of Thailand coastline has grown in recent years. China has now completed construction of one of its five Project 141 Overseas Support Bases at Ream, within the Cambodian naval facility. The base, like other Project 141 facilities such as that at Djibouti, has a pier long enough to dock an aircraft carrier. China is also backing the construction of a ship canal from the Mekong at Phnom Penh to Kep on the Gulf of Thailand, which would allow the passage of large ships up the Mekong without the need to transit through Vietnamese territory, as is necessary at present.

As the ceasefire negotiations achieved no agreements over disputed territory, there is a danger that clashes will resume as each side attempts to reverse losses of territory and to consolidate gains made as the ceasefire went into force.

The classic WWII-era laker Cuyahoga has completed her final voyage and arrived at a scrapyard in Port Colborne, Ontario. Damaged in a conveyor fire in 2024, the Cuyahoga was deemed unsuitable for repair and consigned to demolition. 

The Cuyahoga is an 18,000 dwt self-unloader built in 1943 by the American Ship Building Company, one of 16 sister ships that were quickly delivered to transport iron ore for the Great Lakes steel mills to feed the wartime production effort. The L6 "Maritimer"-class was the first bulker design on the Lakes with a cruiser stern, a classic style now rarely seen. She was later renamed and flagged-out to a Canadian operator. At the time of decommissioning, Cuyahoga was the oldest Canadian-flagged laker in service, and the very last of her class. 

Cuyahoga survived a serious engine room fire in 2023, but was thoroughly repaired and returned to service later that year. In March 2024, while in winter layup in Ashtabula County, Ohio, another fire broke out aboard Cuyahoga - this time in the conveyor belt system, reportedly ignited when a contract worker "used welding equipment to remove paint" during repairs in a cargo hold, according to OSHA. Self-unloader conveyors use thick rubber belting systems that are as flammable as rubber tires, and they burn fiercely once ignited. Local fire department crews provided boundary cooling, and the fire eventually burned out; no personnel were reported injured, but the damage was extensive. OSHA fined the repair services company $160,000 for allegedly exposing workers to fire and smoke inhalation risk. 

Late last year, Cuyahoga's operator confirmed that the vessel would be scrapped in 2025, ending her 80-year run on the Great Lakes. This week, the vessel was towed the short distance across Lake Erie from Ashtabula to Port Colborne's Marine Recycling Corp. yard, where she will be dismantled for her steel. 

Top image credit: Still The Oldie / CC BY NC ND 2.0

Singapore-based Seatrium reports it has concluded a series of agreements related to a 2015 corruption case involving its predecessor companies. With finalized agreements in both Brazil and Singapore, the company believes it can now move forward without the recurring developments in the case.

Separate agreements were reached in both Brazil and Singapore to conclude the investigations. They were largely in keeping with the previously announced preliminary agreements, but also critically brought to a close the investigations. Two key authorities in Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Commercial Affairs Department, informed the company that they have concluded their joint investigations into potential offenses ranging from securities fraud and other serious crimes. They informed the company that no action will be taken against the company and/or its officers.

The case stems from actions of the predecessor companies, Sembcorp Marine and Keppel Offshore & Marine, which have merged to form Seatrium. Both companies had operations in Brazil that were linked to a corruption case that came to be known as “Operação Lava Jato” (Operation Car Wash) in Brazil. It has been described as one of Brazil’s largest corruption scandals involving a broad range of politicians and companies.

A business consultant working for the company was linked to the case and, in 2020, was indicted on charges of money laundering. The former president of Sembcorp Marine’s Brazilian subsidiary, Martin Cheah Kok Choon, was also indicted in 2020 on charges of money laundering and corruption.

After years of investigations, the company in February 2024 announced it had an agreement in-principle in Brazil. On July 30, 2025, Seatrium signed a leniency agreement with the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Brazil, and it expects to sign a similar agreement with the Brazilian Attorney-General’s Office in the company days. Under the terms, it will make a payment equal to approximately $130.7 million as the final settlement in the case.

In Singapore, the company also finalized an agreement with the authorities. Under the terms, it will pay a financial penalty of $110 million. This will be lowered by the $53 million already paid in Brazil for a final payment of $57 million to Singapore.

“With this positive development, the company is keen to move forward, to ride on the energy market tailwinds to create transformative offshore energy solutions globally and ultimately deliver long-term sustainable growth. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all stakeholders for their patience and support over the years,” Seatrium said in its announcement of the agreements.

The company highlights that it previously made provisions in its financial statements for the in-principle settlement payment and financial penalty. As a result, it reports there will be no material impact on the net earnings and net tangible assets for the year ending December 31, 2025.

On Wednesday, after securing tentative trade deals with Japan and the EU, President Donald Trump ratcheted up the pressure on India with the announcement of a 25 percent tariff rate on Indian exports. The announcement also includes an extra surcharge to penalize India for its purchasing of Russian arms and oil, with the percentage amount yet to be determined. It is the first time that India, the second-largest remaining buyer of Russian crude, has been directly targeted for its role in financing Russian military activities in Ukraine. 

"[India's] Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country," Trump announced in a social media post (caps original). "Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE."

As of June, India's refineries accounted for about 38 percent of Russian oil export sales, according to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). Seaborne crude exports bring in about $220 million per day for the Russian economy, generating billions in tax revenues for the Kremlin. 

The tariffs on India are an initial sign of the president's new willingness to penalize Russia for ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, and amount to indirect financial sanctions on a key Russian trading relationship. Trump has so far refrained from expanding Treasury's list of direct sanctions on Russian individuals, entities, commodities and vessels, but this could change. A separate U.S. Treasury action announced on Wednesday placed sanctions on Iranian tanker operator Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, who manages about 50 "shadow fleet" vessels that often carry Russian oil; the move is a significant expansion of U.S. tanker sanctions, and will have direct effects on Russian crude oil shipping. 

Trump has so far resisted the Senate's efforts to pass a severe sanctions bill targeting Russia's trading partners. If passed as written, the bill would impose crippling 500-percent U.S. tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil - India, China and to a smaller extent Turkey. The bill contains a provision for a single 180-day presidential waiver, but Trump wants to maintain full control over any sanctions or tariffs, and has pressed the Senate for a version that contains an unlimited presidential waiver authority. 

“We’re still working with them [the White House],” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Politico. 

Top Image: Nayara / CC BY SA 4.0

The Fincantieri group reported a strong financial performance in the first half of 2025, citing growth in each of its key areas of business. The company continues to follow a strategy to diversify and strengthen its role not only as a leading cruise ship builder, but also in defense, offshore, energy, and its newly launched underwater segment.

The shipbuilder has continued a strong rebound from the challenges of the pandemic, and with limited participation in commercial shipbuilding, as it is not involved in segments such as containerships or LNG carriers, which have been driving others’ growth. Order intake was strong during the first half of 2025, with the company highlighting a 93 percent increase versus 2024 to €14.7 billion ($16.8 billion). It was equal to 96 percent of the group’s total orders for all of 2024, with the shipbuilding segment of its operations driving the growth.

Fincantieri reports that as of mid-year, its backlog stands at an all-time record of €57.7 billion ($65.9 billion) with €41.9 billion ($47.8 billion) in firm orders. The committed orders increased 35 percent compared to year-end 2024 and represent more than seven times 2024 revenues. Cruise was a critical part of this, with the company reporting it had booked orders and options for a total of 21 cruise ships (Crystal Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Four Seasons Yachts, and Viking), compared with 19 firm orders for cruise ships during all of 2024. However, it also points to orders from the Italian Navy and a replacement order for the Indonesian Navy, and a total orderbook of 100 vessels.

For the first half of 2025, Fincantieri reported a 24 percent increase in revenues to €4,576 million ($5,226 million). EBITDA increased 45 percent to €311 million ($355 million) with a net profit of €35 million ($40 million). It reported a total of 13 ships delivered for eight yards, including three cruise ships (Norwegian Aqua, Mein Schiff Relax, and Viking Vesta) as well as the ninth vessel in the 10-unit FREMM series. 

“Our results are not merely figures, but a snapshot of a company that is turning the complexity of the global scenario into a driver of growth and value creation,” said Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Fincantieri. “Our industrial vision focused on long-term value generation continues, also benefiting the broader stakeholder ecosystem, with a record-level total backlog, amounting to 57.7 billion euros, that not only represents a solid foundation for future growth but also stands as proof of the trust our clients place in our ability to be strategic partners in their transformation journeys.”

Under Folgiero’s leadership, the group is expanding and diversifying as it builds on its existing cruise and defense shipbuilding as well as specialized ships, including VARD and offshore and other construction businesses. With the acquisition of Leonardo’s Underwater Armament Systems business, Fincantieri has launched a new business Underwater segment, and sees strong opportunities in the space.

Cruise remains the largest portion of the group’s business at 43 percent of total revenues. However, it continues to make progress in diversifying, while the defense sector represents 24 percent of total revenues.

The group also points to new initiatives, including strategic partnerships signed in Southeast Asia, including with Indonesia and Malaysia. It looks to participate in a program promoted by the Royal Malaysian Navy for the renewal of its fleet. It also took steps to expand its commercial opportunities in the Middle East. It signed new agreements in Qatar and took steps to grow, including a new office in Riyadh, to grow in Saudi Arabia.

The group said its performance in the first half of 2025 “confirms the growth trajectory and its forecast for the full year.” Revenues at expected to reach approximately €9 billion for all of 2025. It points to continued opportunities in the cruise segment as the tourism market continues to grow, as well as strong demand for offshore energy resource development. Geopolitical instability, it said, is driving increased investment in defense and critical infrastructure protection, providing a positive overall outlook for the group.
 

A major electrical fire that burned for nearly nine hours has caused significant damage at the HD Hyundai Samho shipyard in South Korea. Officials are reporting that all of the power has been turned off to the yard, but fortunately, the fire struck just hours after workers went on summer vacation.

The fire started around 11:20 p.m. local time on July 28 in an underground tunnel that houses a power substation for the yard and connects to key areas of the yard. The substation is located approximately 5 to 6.5 feet underground and was very difficult to reach due to the intense heat and toxic smoke.

The local fire department reports that the shipyard initially tried to fight the fire with internal resources, but it quickly spread. The fire department reports it was on scene overnight and finally declared the fire extinguished around 8:30 a.m. on July 29. They report there is extensive damage to the wiring and substation, but the transformer appears undamaged. They were speculating that the yard would not be able to reuse the existing wiring. 

All power has been turned off to the shipyard facilities while they work to recover and assess the level of damage. Workers, however, had gone on summer leave starting July 28, which helped to ensure there were no casualties. Work is suspended as planned for the vacation period.

Work is scheduled to resume from the vacation period on August 8. Yard officials said it was too early to tell when work would resume as they continue to explore the level of damage and needed repairs.

The Samho yard is one of the large facilities in the HD Hyundai shipbuilding operation, with reports that it accounts for 13 percent of the company’s assets. The companies are all running at near capacity based on the strong order flow and tight production schedules.

The yard is one of the large facilities for building LNG carriers. Among the projects that were reported to be underway is construction of the first of two 174,000 cbm LNG carriers for Nakilat as part of the massive QatarEnergy shipbuilding program. Work has also just commenced for eight new container cranes being built got the Gwangyang Port in South Korea.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, the holding company for all the shipbuilding operations, reported on July 24 that it has received so far in 2025 orders for 82 ships worth $11.22 billion, marking 62 percent of its annual target for new orders. Earlier in 2025, it was reported that the company had a nearly three-year backlog. As of the first quarter of the year, the company valued its backlog at over $74 billion.
 

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has rescinded all Wind Energy Areas (WEAs), the designated study areas for offshore wind development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. The decision doubles down on the White House's "day one" executive order on offshore wind, which suspended all wind energy leasing processes on the OCS pending a review, and it aligns with the president's focus on side effects of wind farm development. 

"We will not allow a windmill to be built in the United States. They're killing us. They're killing the beauty of our scenery," said President Donald Trump during a press conference at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland last weekend. 

Since 2013 - long before he became president - Trump has complained about Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm, an array of 11 turbines visible from his other Scottish golf course, Trump International Golf Links at Balmedie. He renewed his critique of wind turbines at length during last weekend's visit, noting that he could see the wind farm from the 18th hole. "People ought to know that these windmills are very destructive, they're environmentally unsound - because the environmentalists, they're not really environmentalists, they're political hacks, they're - these are people that they almost want to harm the country," he said Sunday. 

With this general directive from the president, on Monday the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that it would be "ending special treatment for unreliable energy sources, such as wind." Interior said it would halt future offshore wind lease sales, and would consider whether to halt onshore wind development on some federal lands. 

On Tuesday, Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management rescinded all Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) in U.S. waters. In a brief statement, BOEM said that it was "ending the federal practice of designating large areas of the OCS for speculative wind development." 

The revocation does not affect existing leases, but it ensures that already-suspended lease sales will not go forward.

More than 50 individuals and entities, as well as 50 ships ranging from tankers to containerships, are being designated in the largest U.S. sanction package targeting Iranian assets since 2018. The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Office of Foreign Asset Control, in coordination with the U.S. State Department, are launching the expansion of the sanctions targeting a financial empire it says is controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, a top political advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran.

Treasury assets that Hossein “leverages corruption through his father’s political influence at the highest levels of the Iranian regime to build and operate a massive fleet of tankers and containerships. This network transports oil and petroleum products from Iran and Russia, as well as other cargo, to buyers around the world, generating tens of billions of dollars in profit.”

In a detailed announcement, Treasury maps out a broad network of companies and individuals all involved in the efforts and a wide-ranging program designed to conceal the activities and launder billions of dollars in proceeds. Hossein’s network, they assert, comprises a vast fleet of vessels, ship management firms, and front companies, involved in the global sale of Iranian and Russian crude oil and other petroleum products, which it says are most often sold to buyers in China.

“The Shamkhani family’s shipping empire highlights how the Iranian regime elites leverage their positions to accrue massive wealth and fund the regime’s dangerous behavior,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.  “The over 115 sanctions issued today are the largest to date since the Trump Administration implemented our campaign of maximum pressure on Iran. These actions put America first by targeting regime elites that profit while Tehran threatens the safety of the United States.”

They report that the network employs significant measures to disguise its operations and obfuscate its ties to the Shamkhani family, Iran, and Russia. They link the network and its operations to companies and individuals in the United Arab Emirates, the Marshall Islands, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and elsewhere.

Although the U.S. says the primary income source for Hossein’s network is oil sales, it reports that the network also operates a containership fleet that carries cargo both to and from Iran, among other locations. It says that in an attempt to evade prohibitions on the sale of certain non-humanitarian goods to Iran, Hossein’s network offers certain overseas sellers Iranian oil in lieu of payment.  The containerships, like the tankers, use a wide range of obfuscation tactics.

Treasury further says that billions of dollars in income from Hossein network’s illicit trade are transferred through a global network of front companies designed to disguise the trail back to Iran. Layers of front companies with an innocuous appearance and no easily discernible connection to Hossein’s network, they report, are used to accrue enormous profits while avoiding outside scrutiny.

They also point to influential associates, including UAE-based Yves Leon Agnes Demasure, the former chief investment officer of UAE-based hedge fund Ocean Leonid Investments. They highlight that the company, which trades in futures, options, and securities, primarily in oil, gas, and metals, uses monies from Hossein and that Hossein is involved in the investment decisions.

The ships that are being listed include a broad range of registries. They cite ships sailing under the flags of Tanzania, Panama, Liberia, Palau, San Marino, Vanuatu, and Comoros, as well as the registered owners and managers.

Concurrent with the actions of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of State is also designating 20 entities and identifying 10 vessels as blocked property. All of them are being listed for their involvement in the trade and transport of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products.
 

Expedition cruise line Swan Hellenic has finally been able to regain its flagship, the SH Minerva, after an exasperating three-year legal battle related to the sanctions placed on Russian companies after the invasion of Ukraine. The ship has been laid up in Uruguay since the spring of 2022 while lawyers sought to find a solution to free the ship from an unintentional legal trap.

The expedition cruise ship, which was delivered in 2021, was built at the Helsinki Shipyard as the first of ultimately three ships used to restart the famed Swan Hellenic brand, which was known as a pioneer in expeditions dating to the 1950s. The company used a common legal structure with the ships being built for a single purpose finance company, which in turn was leasing them long-term to Swan Hellenic.

The leasing deal was with an Irish subsidiary of Russian financial giant GTLK. After the invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions, Swan Hellenic was barred from making lease payments on the ship, but due to the legal structure and sanctions also could not buy the ship. Norway’s Havila found itself in a similar situation with its fleet of coastal cruise ships being built in Turkey and also financed by a subsidiary of GTLK. Havila was able to complete is refinancing in July 2023 to free its ships, but it would take Swan Hellenic two more years of legal battles.

“We’re delighted to welcome back our flagship SH Minerva,” said Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito, announcing a deal has finally been completed. “It’s a moment of immense pride for us.”

Swan Hellenic in March 2022 had declared its intent to buy the leasing companies, but that too was caught in the legal entanglement of the sanctions. To free Swan Hellenic’s second and third ships from the legal trap, Helsinki Shipyard ultimately declared the construction agreements void and auctioned the incomplete ships, making it possible for the company to buy the ships. However, the process of freeing SH Minerva proved more complicated and became even more involved in May 2023 when the GTLK subsidiary was declared insolvent and placed in the hands of liquidators.

Swan Hellenic reports that the liquidators who had control of GTLK Europe and its subsidiaries obtained compliance with all the applicable sanctions for the sale of the assets, including SH Minerva. After lengthy negotiations, Swan Hellenic has now been able to acquire the cruise ship in accordance with all applicable sanctions. The transaction was completed on July 25 using shareholders’ funds.

The cruise ship remains at Fray Bentos, Uruguay. The company reports it will undergo routine maintenance and preparations for its return to service in November 2025. It has been in Uruguay since April 2022, when it completed its Antarctic cruise season while the company proceeded with operations of its sister ship SH Vega, introduced in July 2022, and the larger SH Diana, introduced in April 2023.

SH Minerva is a Polar Code PC 5 expedition cruise ship with an ice-strengthened hull. She accommodates 152 passengers in 76 suites. Swan Hellenic reports she will join the fleet with all three ships operating the 2025-2026 Antarctic cruise season. Then, in March 2026, SH Minerva will launch the company’s first-ever Asia-Pacific season. She will sail to the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan.

An investigation into the deadly collision between a construction barge and a small sailboat in Biscayne Bay is under way. The barge has been relocated alongside a nearby pier, and salvors have recovered the wreckage of the boat from underneath its hull. 

At about 1100 hours on Monday morning, Coast Guard Sector Miami received notice from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue that a barge had hit a sailboat near Hibiscus Island, a residential community off Miami Beach. The catamaran boat was run by a sail training camp, and five young girls were aboard, along with a 19-year-old instructor. All six people went into the water, and some came up underneath the barge. 

First responders rescued two people uninjured, including one student and the instructor. Two of the girls sustained critical injuries and remain in treatment, and two were pronounced dead at Jackson Memorial Hospital. 

"Our hearts are with the families of those lost and all who have been affected by this tragedy," said Capt. Frank Florio, Commander of Coast Guard Sector Miami.

CBS News Miami has obtained a surveillance video of the moment that the barge's bow made contact with the sailboat. The footage - taken facing the barge's starboard side - suggests that the sailboat remained upright for a few moments, pushed ahead by the bow of the tug, then capsized and disappeared under the bow. NBC Miami has obtained a similar video that captured the event from an angle facing the port side of the barge.

The master of the small tug that was pushing the barge at the time of the casualty has been questioned and tested for intoxicants, as is standard after a serious marine casualty, the Coast Guard said. The service is not speculating on causal factors while the investigation continues, but the inquiry will cover the tug crew's licensure and the operations of the sail training camp. 

"We owe you answers, and we are going to find them," Capt. Florio told local media at a press conference Tuesday. 

Sri Lanka’s Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) confirmed that it has begun negotiations with MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company seeking compensation for environmental damage related to the MSC Elsa 3 casualty. The government is considering legal action, although a representative said MSC has accepted responsibility in the ongoing discussions.

The containership sank in late May, southwest of the Indian state of Kerala on the west coast. The direct distance is over 300 miles from Sri Lanka, but approximately 500 miles following the ocean currents around the southern tip of the Indian continent. Despite the distance, Sri Lankan authorities report they are clearing plastic beads (nurdles) from the beaches daily.  Officials declined to identify the quantity of material retrieved, but did confirm that so far, no oil from the wreck has reached the shores of Sri Lanka.

Officials told the media that plastic pellets have been found washed ashore in areas such as Jaffna, Kalpitiya, and Delft. They said the debris is being collected and will be used as evidence in the demand for compensation and a possible insurance claim.

They are discussing the best course of action while the Lankasara news outlet reports initial discussions are underway with MSC. It reports that the damage assessment is ongoing. The report says in addition to the nurdles, packing materials, plastic fragments, damaged consumer goods, and other debris believed to be from the MSC Elsa 3 have been washing up along the shore as far south as the Hambantota District at the southern tip of the island. On July 29, Sri Lanka alerted residents as part of its "Clean Sri Lanka" coastal clean-up campaign.

Reports from India have said that so far, MSC’s lawyers have denied claims of widespread environmental damage from the casualty. India’s Directorate General reported that approximately 60 containers washed ashore and were recovered. As of July 17, it says 557 metric tons of nurdles have been collected from the affected shoreline areas. Its priority, however, is now on the second phase of the recovery operation, which was due to start in the coming days. Equipment has been moved to the site for a campaign of saturation diving as part of the effort to pump the fuel and oils from the wreck. In June, divers were successful in capping the tanks to stop a slow seepage of oil.

Sri Lanka looks to the recent court decision from the 2021 casualty of the X-Press Pearl as a model for its compensation claims. The country’s highest court ordered the shipping company and its agents to pay nearly $1 billion in compensation for what was termed the worst environmental incident in the Indian Ocean. 

India has also launched legal actions for compensation from MSC for the impact of the casualty. The Indian courts impounded the containership MSC Akiteta II, which is being held until the company posts a bond in the case. The initial court filing made at the beginning of July lists a total claim for $1.1 billion, with the bulk, $1 billion, for damages as a result of pollution. It is also seeking $44 million to restore the environment and a further $61.3 million in economic loss for the fishing community.

Ukraine’s National Agency for Tracing and Asset Management (ARMA) reports it is preparing to sell another seized cargo ship, at least the third it has moved to sell this year to bolster the state’s finances. Like the previous sales, the vessel, a 5,100 dwt cargo ship named Anka, is accused of transporting goods stolen from Ukraine and violating the ban on entering occupied Crimea.

ARMA has increased its efforts and accelerated plans for the sale of seized assets. The latest move, however, comes as the agency itself is also involved in a controversy. The director of the agency either resigned or was fired, depending on the various reports from Ukraine. Olena Duma reports she resigned after spending the past two years firmly establishing the agency, and now that its role has been strengthened under the laws of Ukraine.

The agency reports it has built a strong working relationship with the courts. Last week, the courts awarded custody of the Anka to the agency so that it can proceed with the sale of the confiscated vessel.

Ukraine released a video showing the ship as it prepares of the auction

The Anka was initially impounded by the Security Service of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service in April, and its crew detained. The vessel, which was built in 2005 and operating at the time under the flag of Tanzania, was stopped while it was traveling on the Danube. Reports said it had departed Moldavia and was heading to the Turkish port of Gemlik.

The Ukrainian authorities searched the vessel and reported they found information confirming that it had been used to transport grain stolen from Crimea. They charged that the ship had exported 5,000 tonnes of wheat from Sevastopol in late 2024, violating Ukraine’s embargo on the port in occupied Crimea. 

Details for the ship are murky, with ownership believed to be in Turkey, although registration papers show a company in the Marshall Islands, and other reports place the owners in Montenegro. The ship has a spotty history, including long lists of deficiencies during Port State inspections in 2024 and 2023. For a time, it was claiming registry in Mongolia.

ARMA reports that it has completed a technical inspection of the vessel and that it was found to be in good condition and ready for future use. As part of the sale process, it also released a video showing the condition of the vessel, which is currently anchored in the Danube near Reni.

The sales are conducted online after valuations of the vessels are completed. According to media reports, the estimated value of the vessel is $420,000.

Media reports from Ukraine state that Russia has exported over 400,000 tonnes of grain from Crimea since 2022, according to an analysis by. United24 Media reports that more than 20 bulk carriers, primarily Russian-flagged, have transported grain from Crimea.

A massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake shook the seabed off the Kamchatka Peninsula in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and officials around the Pacific have responded with tsunami warnings for shoreside communities. 

In far northern Japan, at the port of Ishinomaki, a minor tsunami of about 1.5 feet in height was observed Wednesday. More than one wave was noted, as is typical for the ripple effects from a major subsea earthquake. Tsunamis and quakes are taken seriously in Japan, and officials advised evacuation for more than 100 towns up and down the nation's eastern shorelines. 

Small tsunami waves of less than one foot came ashore in the eastern Aleutian Islands and were observed in Adak, according to the AP. No significant impacts were reported. In Hawaii, a tsunami warning and evacuation order were in effect Tuesday evening, and U.S. Coast Guard Oceania ordered all commercial vessels out of all Hawaiian harbors as a precautionary measure.

The #USCG Captain of the Port Honolulu has issued an order for all commercial vessels to evacuate all commercial harbors in the state of #Hawaii. All harbors are closed to incoming vessel traffic. #tsunami pic.twitter.com/pM9swvZYJl

— U.S. Coast Guard Oceania (@USCGOceania) July 30, 2025

Even in New Zealand, far on the other side of the equator, officials have warned of potentially serious effects on currents in coastal waters. The public has been cautioned to stay clear of the waterfront when the waves begin to arrive. 

In Kamchatka, nearest the epicenter, minor damage and power outages occurred in the regional capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky from the effects of the quake, and several injuries were reported. The quake was among the strongest ever recorded, but it was about 75 miles off the coast and was too remote to cause major direct damage. Tsunami waves of up to about 13 feet were reported in some parts of the peninsula, resulting in localized flooding but no reported fatalities. 

The Kamchatka quake registered in at 8.8 on the Richter scale, powerful enough to tie for sixth place on the all-time list of the most powerful earthquakes on record. Kamchatka is known for seismic activity, and the fifth quake on the list was also in the province - the 1952 Severo-Kurilsk earthquake, a magnitude 9.0 giant that caused a major tsunami event. Multiple waves of up to 60 feet high hit the small fishing port of Severo-Kurilsk in the Kuril Islands, killing more than 2,000 people and obliterating the town. 

The port was hit hard again in Tuesday's quake, based on footage circulating online. Waterfront facilities in Severo-Kurilsk appear to have been inundated by at least one high wave. 

Drone footage shows tsunami flood damage to coastal areas as well as the port in the town of Severo-Kurilsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East. pic.twitter.com/VG74V0Pn8S

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) July 30, 2025

U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has released an RFI for another set of new unmanned surface vessels, which might be in line to fulfill the unkept promises of the Littoral Combat Ship.

Nearly 30 years after the conception of the Streetfighter, the Navy has returned to a strikingly similar idea: the service's unmanned-vessel office wants to buy three bare-bones platforms that are small, fast, cost-efficient, lightly-manned, and ready for swappable weapons systems - much like a conceptual LCS. But with low-risk unmanned operation and easy-change containerized payloads, this reboot of the concept just might succeed where the manned LCS did not. 

The newly-announced Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC) program is the latest in a series of trial-scale USV initiatives and draws upon predecessor designs, but under a different name and with bigger ambitions. The vessel specification favors a high speed crewboat design, with an unobstructed working deck capable of hosting 20- or 40-foot boxes. This is the same general arrangement as the much-discussed Ghost Fleet Overlord USVs, Ranger and Nomad, which are offshore crewboat conversions.

MASC appears to expand upon and subsume another new program name, the "Future USV," a medium-sized hull with capacity for two forty-foot boxes on deck. Requirements for Future USV were announced earlier this year, and include open ocean capability, a 25-plus knot top speed, long endurance, autonomy, and "non-exquisite" design.

The same vessel specification appears in the just-released RFI as the base case MASC design, with a minimum range of 2,500 nautical miles - enough to reach Guam from Midway.

The second MASC vessel concept is a "high capacity" variant with room for four 40-foot containers. The third is a reduced-size version capable of carrying a single 20-foot box. 

For a sense of what might fit into a containerized payload, one 40-foot Mark 70 modular vertical launch system can carry four full-length missiles, including the SM-series and the Tomahawk. This would give each "high capacity" MASC a total of 16 VLS cells, without the expense (or the lives at risk) of a 32-VLS-cell frigate. The on-deck Mark 70 concept has been live-fire tested aboard the Ghost Fleet Overlord USVs before. 

The Navy is also seeking a modular containerized launcher for the Mark 48 heavyweight torpedo, which could give MASC a potent anti-ship capability. 

While its previous USV programs have been trial-sized in nature, the Navy now has more resources and experience to pursue unmanned vessels at scale. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act allocated $1.5 billion for small USVs, $2.1 billion for medium USVs, $188 million for unmanned vessel R&D, and $174 million for an autonomy test center - on top of the Navy's FY2026 defense bill appropriation.