The famed sailing ship Falls of Clyde will finally leave Honolulu Harbor following the award of a $5 million contract for its removal, with ocean sinking having been settled as the ideal method of disposal.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) is announcing that after nearly two decades at Honolulu Harbor, the fate of Falls of Clyde has been sealed. Having received numerous proposals on how to remove the vessel, it has settled on ocean disposal at a deep-water site at least 12 miles due south of Honolulu Harbor. Ocean disposal was one of the methods recommended in a Final Environmental Assessment issued in June last year, with the two others being dismantling and third-party acquisition. Florida-based maritime technical consulting firm Shipwright LLC was awarded the contract for its removal.

The 146-year-old vessel has been docked at Honolulu Harbor since 2008 and is currently berthed at Pier 7, where it once served as a museum ship as part of the Hawai‘i Maritime Center. The vessel was impounded in 2016 when its permit was revoked and the owner failed to remove it from the harbor. Since then it has remained in the custody of the department.

HDOT has been wanting to remove the vessel from the harbor since it was delisted from the Hawaii Register of Historic Places in November 2023. Besides, due to significant deterioration, the ship has lost most of the qualities of historic significance that originally led to its listing in the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The ship was placed on the list because of its national significance as the oldest surviving American tanker and the only surviving sailing oil tanker left afloat, not only in the U.S. but the world.

Following the award of the contract, Shipwright has already assembled a project team with extensive experience with salvage, remediation, wreck assessments, dead ship tows, derelict vessel removal and fragile hulls. Starting next week, the team will begin debris removal and will restore the watertight integrity of the ship’s subdivision bulkheads.

The next task will be hull strength remediation to prepare the vessel to be safely towed out of the harbor in the event of a storm threat or other emergency. From next month through November, additional structural reinforcement work will be performed before the vessel is towed and disposed of in late November.

As part of the project, HDOT has ensured the Falls of Clyde will not be sunk with any treasures after working with a maritime archaeologist to catalog and safely remove all historical items from the vessel and storing the artifacts in a secured facility.

Built in Glasgow, Scotland, Falls of Clyde is the world’s only surviving iron-hulled, four-masted, fully rigged ship. The ship was constructed during a shipbuilding boom inspired in part by increased trade with the U.S., and it made several voyages to American ports while under the British flag. In 1898 the ship first changed ownership when it was purchased by Captain William Matson (of the Matson Navigation Company) and registered in the Republic of Hawai‘i.

From 1899 to 1907, the ship was re-rigged as a bark for sail with fewer crew and made over sixty voyages between Hawai‘i and San Francisco carrying passengers, sugar and general cargo. It was sold on to San Francisco-based Associated Oil Company, which installed large steel tanks in the hull to allow it to carry 750,000 gallons. For decades, the ship would bring kerosene to Hawai‘i and molasses back from Hawai‘i to California.

Falls of Clyde's removal and disposal is part of ongoing initiatives focused on the removal of inoperable vessels from its commercial ports to protect maritime facilities, improve port efficiency and support commerce. This emanates from the fact that more than 90 percent of imported goods enter the state through Honolulu Harbor.

 

As Ukraine intensifies recovery efforts, Italy has pledged support in the reconstruction of its ports, which have been repeatedly targeted in Russian missile and drone strikes. Last week, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority(USPA) signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Italian port authorities, the Eastern Adriatic Sea Port Authority and the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority. The agreements were signed on the sidelines of the International Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine, held in Rome.

With Eastern Adriatic Port Authority managing the ports of Trieste and Monfalcone, Ukraine hopes to benefit from the Authority’s expertise in the implementation of digital port solutions. The Port of Trieste is one of the largest cargo ports in Italy and a critical terminal in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Italy, through national railways company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS Group), is already leading plans to establish a logistics corridor from Western Ukraine (Lviv) to Trieste and Venice ports.

On Friday, to accelerate development of the corridor, FS Group signed a cooperation agreement with Ukrainian Railways (UZ). FS Group said that a working group will be formed with representatives from both railway companies, which will meet at least four times a year. Italian shipbuilding firm Fincantieri is also said to be considering to set up a shipyard in Odessa. These plans were initially revealed in September last year, with Fincantieri targeting to revive Ukraine’s defunct state-owned shipyards in the port of Odessa. 

“These memorandums open up new opportunities for digitization and implementation of modern logistics solutions as well adapt ports to new challenges. This is another step towards integration into the European logistics space - through concrete cooperation, training and investments,” said Oleksandr Semirga, the head of USPA.

Notably, the Rome conference helped Ukraine secure over $11 billion in deals spanning defense and infrastructure. Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal estimated the country’s rebuild at $1 trillion. The deputy minister of territorial development, Andriy Kashuba, estimated that Ukraine needs $566 million to rebuild critical port infrastructure in the Black Sea region.

 

[By Jennifer Parker]

At an estimated $368 billion cost, a Pentagon review underway and talk of the United States seeking a guaranteed commitment in the event of conflict, Australia’s push for nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS is never far from the headlines. But the idea that Canberra is hostage to American whim is off the mark and lacks self-awareness. Australia must consider how our AUKUS partners view us.

Are our actions instilling confidence in this critical deal? Our real test is proving we can hold up our end: expedite infrastructure, build confidence and show allies and voters alike that Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-West) will be ready in 2027, less than two years away.

Since the AUKUS announcement in September 2021, significant progress has been made. Within 18 months, the three partners agreed on an optimal pathway and concluded a binding treaty, no small feat. Training is well underway, with Australian submariners reportedly progressing through the US system, and Australian shipbuilders working at Pearl Harbor to build the skills needed to maintain and eventually construct nuclear-powered submarines at home. And perhaps most remarkably, despite persistent headlines of doubt, the latest Lowy Institute Poll shows more Australians support the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines than oppose it, a striking shift for a country long defined by its anti-nuclear stance.

Yet for all this progress, a looming infrastructure crunch threatens to derail momentum. The Australian government must now lean in, decisively, to ensure the foundations are in place to sustain what has been achieved.

Worries are growing in Canberra, and Washington, that upgrades at HMAS Stirling and the new Henderson defense precinct are drifting off-schedule. Addressing the Lowy Institute, CSIS president John Hamre warned that many in Washington feel “the Albanese government supports AUKUS but isn’t really leaning in”, a perception he said is “more widely felt … than people realize”. Days later, former US Navy secretary and current Austal chair Richard Spencer drove the point home highlighting that policy alone won’t build submarines: “it has to move from politics to military to construction,” Spencer said. “We need to start moving dirt”.

These worries are hard to verify because Canberra still hasn’t published a real schedule for HMAS Stirling or the new Henderson precinct. The December 2024 Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Plan and the March 2025 AUKUS Submarine Industry Strategy trumpet job numbers but stay silent on real infrastructure deliverables. Even the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, which examined the Stirling upgrade in June 2024, seems to only address the scope. Publicly available detail on Stirling timelines amounts to a single line: “major construction is expected to start in 2025”. With no dated milestones, assurances that we are “investing in both sites” look aspirational, and the perception gap widens.

With no published timelines, even loyal supporters are left wondering whether Canberra can meet its AUKUS obligations, first hosting SRF-West, then taking delivery of an Australian-flagged Virginia-class boat in 2032. Our credibility problem is hardly new: the public and industry still recall years of slipped schedules and blown budgets in naval shipbuilding and infrastructure.

The 2020 Force Structure Plan flagged the need for a second dry-dock in Western Australia, an urgency only amplified by AUKUS, yet five years and two governments later we still lack a start date. Dry-docks are neither cheap nor quick to build, but they are essential if we hope to maintain nuclear-powered submarines on home soil. Meanwhile, the promised east-coast submarine base has vanished from the agenda. Although not critical to the AUKUS pathway, submarine access to both the Indian and Pacific Oceans is central to any credible Australian maritime strategy.

Shipbuilding and sustainment are hardly healthier. Both Australian Navy replenishment ships have been idle since 2024 with engine and shaft failures, and an ANAO audit says the landing helicopter docks suffer “ongoing deficiencies” and “critical failures” thanks to poor contract management. The first 1,640-tonne Arafura offshore-patrol vessel took three-and-a-half years to move from launch (December 2021) to commissioning (June 2025), an extraordinary pause for such a simple platform. Steel for the Hunter-class frigates was cut in 2024, yet the lead ship is not due until 2032 because Canberra will not expedite the program. Meanwhile, the Collins-class submarine life-of-type extension looks increasingly unlikely to proceed as originally scoped, if it proceeds at all.

Every shortfall has its own back-story, too complex to detail in this space, but the record is clear: our patchy performance on naval infrastructure, shipbuilding and sustainment has bred a reputation for delay and indecision. Rather than continually seeking reassurance that Washington and London will meet their AUKUS commitments, Canberra should confront the tougher question: do we inspire confidence, or are we becoming the weak link in the trilateral partnership?

The government’s refusal to lift defense spending, insisting we are “doing enough” despite allied doubts, erodes the very confidence we need to build. Any military planner can see the ADF’s ambitions are kneecapped by a budget that falls well short of our stated strategy.

Much has been achieved since AUKUS was unveiled, but we are now on the critical path: without timely upgrades at HMAS Stirling and Henderson, the first phase stalls. From the outside it is impossible to judge progress, and partners are openly skeptical, hardly surprising given Australia’s patchy record on recent naval projects. Repeating that we are “doing enough” no longer cuts it. If Canberra wants to shore up confidence, it should publish a detailed schedule for the Stirling and Henderson works. Transparency, not talking points, will keep AUKUS on track.

Jennifer Parker is an expert associate at the National Security College, Australian National University, an adjunct fellow at the University of New South Wales and Nancy Bentley Associate Fellow in Indo-Pacific Maritime Affairs at the Council on Geostrategy. Jennifer has over 20 years experience in the Australian Department of Defence working in a broad range of operational and capability areas. 

This article appears courtesy of The Lowy Interpreter and may be found in its original form here. 

[By: Hydrex]

We were contacted by the representative of a 200-meter vehicle carrier to perform a crack repair during the ship’s stop in Durban, South Africa. The operation was carried out swiftly during the Easter weekend in April.

We perform repairs on any type of rudder at anchorage or while the vessel is berthed, without interrupting cargo operations. In most cases these repairs are permanent and do not require follow up. In some cases, the repairs are temporary and subject to further action when the ship is next in drydock. This was the case with the operation in Durban.

A team of Hydrex diver/welders traveled from our headquarters in Antwerp to Durban where they met up with our local support base. We have a large global network with state-of-the-art equipment at the ready. This allows us to mobilize for smaller operations like this almost immediate.

After arriving on-site, our team set up their equipment while the team leader discussed the scope of work with the superintendent of the ship. The divers then started the underwater operation by cleaning the area around the crack. This allowed them to make a detailed inspection of the affected area.

With the measurements taken during this inspection, a complete assessment of the damage could be made. This allowed us to create the best possible repair plan for the problem.

The crack was found to be 650-mm in length, covering the weld seam of the starboard side rudder cover plate. The crack was curved over the left top corner of the inspection plate.

To prevent the crack from spreading, crack arrests were drilled at its extremities. Next our diver/technicians ground out the crack in a v-shape over its entire length. They also ground the surrounding area. Then a root pass was made in the crack. It was then filled with full penetration welding.

As a result of this repair the owner of the vessel did not have to go off schedule for an emergency visit to drydock, but could make arrangements for a follow up repair at a more convenient time and location.

 

Police in Indonesia's Riau Islands have broken up a ring of pirates who were allegedly engaged in serial armed robberies in the Phillips Channel, a notorious hotspot for criminal activity. 

Acting on tips from the public and from Singapore's International Maritime Bureau (IMB), the Directorate of Water and Air Police in the Riau Islands launched a patrol in piracy-prone areas of the strait. The tip was accurate, and the authorities busted a gang of eight male suspects in the act of stealing stores from a vessel, identified as the "MT Thom Elisabeth." (No ship by this name exists in international databases; it is possible that it is a coastal vessel.)

The police told local Batam News Asia that the suspects have been active since 2017. The gang was allegedly in the practice of using methamphetamine before each of their heists, and the substance was found in the possession of one of the suspects during the bust. The drugs fueled their intimidation tactics and enabled risk-taking, "even jumping into the sea if threatened," agency director Kombes Handono Subiakto told Batam News. 

To select targets, the suspects allegedly used standard online ship-tracking tools to hone in on ships that would slow down to five knots or less while passing through the narrow strait. Then they would board these vulnerable targets at night, taking spare engine parts that could be resold for a profit in Jakarta. Their maximum earnings from a heist came to about $6,000 per boarding.

While unarmed at the time of capture, the gang was allegedly in possession of an airgun that they had used to threaten crewmembers; the police also believe that they had homemade firearms as well, but not in their possession at the time of arrest. 

The bust is significant, as it comes amidst a major resurgence of maritime crime in the Strait of Malacca. According to the IMB ICC, the area saw 57 incidents of maritime armed robbery in the first half of 2025, up from just 15 in the same period last year. At least three more criminal gangs are still believed to be operating in the same region, so the threat - which has waxed and waned for years - is still far from over.  

Phillips Channel is just south of Jurong Island, where ships make the turn between the Strait of Malacca and the Strait of Singapore. The turn forces vessels to slow down, making them more vulnerable to boarding by criminal gangs, who often threaten the crew and make off with valuable stores. 

 

[By: Metal Shark]

Boat builder Metal Shark has announced the delivery of a new 40’ x 12’ welded aluminum monohull pilothouse fireboat to Tampa Fire Rescue. Designed in-house by Metal Shark and built at the company’s Jeanerette, Louisiana production facility, the new vessel is the first of two next-generation 38 Defiant NXT fireboats being built for the Department.

Powered by triple 300 hp Yamaha outboards with HelmMaster controls and joystick operational capability, the new 38 Defiant NXT combines proven high-speed performance with exceptional maneuverability. The vessel is purpose-built to enable Tampa Fire Rescue to deliver faster response and increased capability across a wide range of critical missions.

Tampa Fire Rescue is charged with the responsibility of primary fire suppression in and about Port Tampa Bay and the surrounding industrialized area, the 42-mile Tampa shipping channel, and all waters of Tampa Bay from downtown Tampa to the barrier island of Egmont Key. Search and rescue missions, including emergency medical response are also within the scope of the Department’s mission.

“Our Defiant NXT firefighting vessels are specifically designed to meet the complex mission challenges faced by Tampa Fire Rescue and many other departments across the nation,” said Dean Jones, Metal Shark VP of Sales for LE, Fire/Rescue and Specialty Markets. “The 38 Defiant NXT is right-sized, versatile, crew-friendly, and designed for safe and efficient mission execution, making it the perfect platform for Tampa Fire Rescue. Our fireboat specialists worked closely with the Tampa Fire Rescue team to design and outfit this vessel to meet the demanding and specific needs of their personnel.”

The Department’s new vessel features Metal Shark’s NXT EMS response cabin equipped with three SHOXS shock-mitigating seats, an EMS bench, dedicated officer/communications and firefighting control stations, and comprehensive gear storage for EMS, fire suppression, dive, and rescue operations. Equipped with a Honeywell CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive) detection system and an HDT cabin filtration and pressurization package, the vessel is fully prepared for HAZMAT and CBRNE response missions at the Port or at sea.

Firefighting capabilities are anchored by a Darley fire pump drawing from a fully flooded Seachest and delivering 1,500 GPM via NFPA piping and electronically controlled valves to a remote-operated monitor. This configuration enables long-range throw for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore operations. Additional features include dual 2.5” handline discharges, a 5” Storz hydrant discharge for supplying land-based apparatus, and a 40-gallon quick-fill foam injection system for AFFF firefighting capability.

For search and rescue (SAR), dive, and emergency medical missions, the vessel offers a urethane-sheathedclosed-cell foam collar by Wing, bow push knees, port and starboard full-height hinged dive doors, a dedicated dive/rescue ladder, SCBA and dive tank storage, and Metal Shark’s exclusive full EMS-size bow access hatch. A generator-powered HVAC system ensures cabin climate control, while advanced Raymarine electronics, FLIR thermal imaging system with dedicated Nauticomp LCD display, long-range search lighting, and a full emergency lighting package support safe and effective operations around the clock.

“The delivery of this advanced new fireboat represents a significant capability boost for Tampa Fire Rescue,” said Metal Shark CEO Chris Allard. “We are proud to support Tampa and departments across the country with purpose-built vessels designed to meet the evolving challenges faced by first responders on the water.” Metal Shark is delivering new fireboats to over a dozen fire departments nationwide in an 18-month span as part of its ongoing expansion in the fireboat market.

The new Tampa Fire Rescue 38 Defiant NXT will be joined by a second sister vessel in 2026, further strengthening Tampa’s ability to respond rapidly to a wide range of emergencies on the water.

[By: Marine Group Boat Works]

Marine Group Boat Works (MGBW), a San Diego-based boatbuilding and repair company, has been purchased for an undisclosed amount by Co-Founder and President Todd Roberts, who has joined forces with entrepreneurs Chip Besse, a MGBW customer with successful investments in multiple industries, and Skye Callantine, principal of investment firm Vigeo Investments. Besse will serve as Chairman of the board while Roberts will continue to actively lead the company in his new role as CEO, with a greater focus on growth and expansion plans made possible by the new partners’ substantial investment.

The acquisition included the purchase of MGBW’s two waterfront facilities and their assets – a shipyard on San Diego Bay in Chula Vista, Calif., and a boatyard in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. The deal also included Marine Group Global Services, the technical services arm of MGBW that provides specialized consulting and marine services worldwide. MGBW will continue to operate and manage Fifth Avenue Landing, a superyacht marina in downtown San Diego, under the Global Services division.

With roots dating back to the 1970s, the company started off as a small Chula Vista boatyard operation and was successfully relaunched 25 years ago as MGBW, a new state-of-the-art superyacht facility founded by Roberts and members of the Engel family. The company had been approached by several other potential buyers over the years, but they were never the right fit. Roberts and the Engels were committed to maintaining the integrity of the brand and protecting the legacy built over the last half-century. For them to consider a sale, they wanted MGBW to be allowed to grow and reach its potential, and not just be swallowed up by a larger firm that didn’t share their vision or commitment to the environment and their people. 

“Chip and Skye are young, visionary and willing to take risks when they see opportunity. But they are also extremely selective. They only partner with companies with very healthy financials, a strong company structure and even stronger management team,” said Roberts. “My team and I have a bold vision for expanding the MGBW brand and pursuing new market segments, and our new partners share our vision. This investment represents an incredible opportunity for us to make our vision a reality. With the resources that they bring to the table, the sky is really the limit for us now.” 

All 250 team members across both facilities will continue with the company, and more are expected to be added to support MGBW’s growth plans. The entire management team will also remain in place, ensuring continuity and a seamless transition.

Some of the immediate changes people will see include a complete brand refresh; new improvements to the aesthetics, security and functionality of the Chula Vista shipyard entrance (adjacent to the new Gaylord Pacific Resort); greater engagement with the superyacht industry; expansion of its Navy repair capabilities; and growth of MGBW’s construction division in support of the revival of California boatbuilding and U.S. manufacturing.  

Company History & Evolution
The Engel family, starting with brothers Art, Herb and David, have operated multiple companies on the San Diego waterfront since 1977. In the early years, the shipyard in Chula Vista was originally Southwest Marine and mostly served the tuna fleet and engaged in Naval ship repair. It quickly outgrew the site and expanded into a larger San Diego facility near the Coronado Bridge while rebranding the original Chula Vista yard to South Bay Boatyard. Southwest Marine expanded to five other locations nationwide. In 1997, the Engels sold Southwest Marine and all of its shipyard facilities, except for the boatyard in Chula Vista.

In 2000, Todd Roberts, a 27-year-old California Maritime grad, was hired as vice president and tasked with shutting down what was then a financially struggling boatyard. However, he had a vision for turning the business around that included pursuing a new market with strong growth potential – large privately owned superyachts. Roberts convinced the Engels to invest $6.5 million to redevelop the facility and upgrade its equipment.

In 2006, under Roberts leadership, MGBW was founded to pursue Robert’s new vision. It has now become the largest superyacht refit facility on the West Coast. In 2010, the company opened a second multi-million-dollar boatyard and drydock storage facility in Los Cabos, Mexico. In 2024, Marine Group Global Services was launched, offering maritime consultation and a variety of ship agent and crew services that do not fit the core capabilities of a shipyard.

Following the sale of MGBW, the Engel family will continue to have a business presence on the San Diego working waterfront, maintaining ownership in its other local companies, Flagship Cruises & Events, Coronado Ferry Landing and the Fifth Avenue Landing marina (managed by MGBW).  

“This year marks my 25th anniversary with the company and talk about a full-circle moment,” said Roberts. “I was originally supposed to close this place down. Instead, the Engel family took a chance on a young guy with big ideas, and together we built something special. We have come a long way, but I’d like to think we’re also just getting started. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue the Engels’ legacy and hope to make them proud for many years to come.”

 

One of South Korea's policy banks has made a significant investment in clean power company Amogy, which is designing a system to run hydrogen fuel cells with an ammonia fuel source. 

Ammonia is one of the most promising available fuel options for low-emission propulsion, but it generally requires a small amount of carbon-based fuel to initiate combustion. Burning ammonia also produces NOx, which must be abated before the exhaust stream is released to the atmosphere. 

Amogy's technology takes a different route. Instead of an internal combustion engine as the primary energy generating device on board, it substitutes hydrogen fuel cells. Since these can't run on straight ammonia, Amogy has developed compact equipment that can break down ammonia into its constitutent elements - nitrogen and hydrogen. The nitrogen gas gets released back to the atmosphere, while the hydrogen goes into the fuel cell to generate power. There is no combustion involved, so there are no onboard emissions. (Lifecycle emissions still depend upon the source of the ammonia, whether from green energy or from natural gas.)

Amogy is still a few years out from developing a system large enough for a merchant ship, but it has a test-scale platform on a tugboat and is working on a terrestrial powerplant version as well. It has been successful in raising funds to support its R&D process, and its latest round came to $23 million - led by a tech-focused arm of Korea Development Bank (KDB), the policy bank that supports South Korea's major shipyards and shipowners. The funds will be used to "drive market entry in Asia and scale stationary power applications alongside maritime innovation," Amogy said. 

Korea has a well-developed interest in  green propulsion technology, which it hopes to leverage as a competitive edge in a tough shipbuilding market. But clean ammonia for ships could just as easily be used on shore, where it is just as needed for decarbonization objectives. Amogy noted that Korea's Clean Hydrogen Portfolio Standard (CHPS) and Distributed Energy Act (DEA) will lift the use of hydrogen and ammonia, and that these two closely-related feedstocks will supply two percent of the country’s electricity by 2030 and seven percent by 2035.

"We’ve long recognized the strong demand for ammonia-to-power technology in the shipping industry, but we also see much broader opportunities to use ammonia as a clean fuel – especially with the growing demand for the ‘clean power’ globally. We’re ready to meet that market demand," said Seonghoon Woo, co-founder and CEO at Amogy. “Support for a hydrogen-based economy is especially strong in Asia, and as the most cost-effective hydrogen carrier, ammonia is quickly evolving into the leading zero-carbon fuel solution for these markets."

 

According to a recent report from UNCTAD, global maritime trade is projected to grow an average of nearly three percent a year through 2029.

The shipbuilding and repair market is projected to grow even faster, from $260 billion in 2024 to $279 billion in 2025 or just over seven percent. This growth can be attributed to rising population, economic expansion in emerging markets and increasing demand for all things – 80 percent of which are carried by sea.

Commercial vessels must be drydocked once every five years while passenger vessels need to go twice in that same period (with a maximum interval of 36 months between overhauls), thereby providing a steady flow of business to repair yards.

Considering growth in the global cruise market, which is projected to increase by 26 percent by 2029 to $53.5 billion in revenue, and you can see that drydock space will come at a premium.

More ships, more shipping, more shipyards.

MODERN SHIPYARD OPERATIONS

To win the work, yards must stay competitive. Modern facilities, larger docks and faster turnaround times are all key considerations in selecting a yard.

This type of forward planning and progressive practice is exemplified at BLRT Repair Yards, based in Tallinn, Estonia with additional yards in Lithuania, Finland and Norway. Boasting the largest floating dock in the Baltics and one of the largest in Northern Europe, and a total of seven docks across all locations, BLRT has the capacity required.

"What sets us apart is our ability to combine craftsmanship, modern technology and forward-thinking project management," says BLRT CEO Andrejus Babachinas.

Technology such as robotic welding, automated surface preparation and AI-assisted inspection technologies where feasible give the company an edge. Using digital twin and predictive maintenance techniques, the company is able to better optimize planning and operations with the ultimate goal of shifting to a proactive maintenance approach.

The use of energy-efficient coatings and application technology, installation of hybrid propulsion systems and recommendations for improved hydrodynamics work hand-in-hand with clients sustainability and environmental goals.

"At BLRT Repair Yards, we believe that maintaining a vessel's reliability and extending its life is more than just a service – it's a partnership," Babachinas says. "Every ship we work on represents a commitment to safety, efficiency and sustainability. We see it as breathing new life into vessels, ensuring they are stronger, safer and ready for the seas ahead."

SUPPORTING THE GREAT LAKES

An important sector of the U.S. market is the Great Lakes fleet.

The five Great Lakes, their connecting channels and the St. Lawrence River form one of the longest deep draft navigation systems in the world – the St. Lawrence Seaway. Moving over 32 million metric tons of cargo each year, the Seaway plays a vital role in North American shipping.

Located on the shores of Erie, Pennsylvania, on the site of the former Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair operates the largest shipyard of its kind on the Great Lakes.

Equipped with a 1,250 foot drydock, it's one of only two drydocks on the Great Lakes capable of handling 1,000-foot Great Lakes Self-Unloading vessels, giving it a unique capacity to build, repair, refit and re-power ships.

Located on 44 acres, the Erie facility has more than 200,000 square feet of production area, including fully enclosed fabrication and assembly buildings, as well as 4,000 feet of pier space.

From its beginnings in 1964 as a marine salvage provider, Donjon has continued a measured expansion over time into dredging, decommissioning and recycling, and heavylift support services.

This integrated skill set allows Donjon to add value to any number of operations including the response to the Francis Scott Key bridge removal following its collapse after being struck by the containership Dali in March 2024. The company was able to respond with almost all of its substantial fleet, led by the 1,000-ton capacity derrick barge, Chesapeake 1000.

MAINTAINING MILITARY MIGHT

Since its inception in 1917, the shipyard facility located offshore Mobile, Alabama, on Pinto Island – now home to Alabama Shipyard (ASY) – has played a vital role in serving the U.S. Navy.

During World War II, it produced twenty Liberty Ships in support of the war effort and over 100 T2 tankers – known as "navy oilers" – used to transport fuel oil, diesel fuel, gasoline and sometimes black crude. Many of these ships returned for years afterwards as the yard provided ongoing maintenance and repair support.

That legacy of support and service continues today with a fresh restructuring aimed at partnering more closely with the U.S. Navy while taking advantage of progressive new American shipbuilding initiatives.

Backed by the private equity-supported United Submarine Alliance Qualified Opportunity Fund (USA Fund), the land upon which ASY sits was sold to the newly created Mobile Naval Yard, LLC. ASY subsequently leased back 70 acres of the original 356-acre site, resulting in a right-sized footprint for its operations.

Additional capital will be invested in infrastructure upgrades and improvements across the whole site, allowing for enhanced support of the Maritime Industrial Base (MIB). These improvements will enhance the yards' capabilities, allowing ASY and other future tenants to more effectively support the MIB and contribute to the restoration of America's shipbuilding and repair capacity.

MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY

The Port of Coeymans, located south of Albany on the Hudson River, is New York's premier industrial waterfront terminal.

Owned and operated privately by Carver Companies, the owner and staff are dedicated to providing customers with top-flight service from a prime location for all shipping, processing, warehousing and transportation needs.

Capable of handling vessels up to 750 feet in length, the dock is heavylift-rated up to 4,000 pounds per square foot. This allows the terminal to undertake a variety of projects as the site is equipped to handle modularization of power plants and bridges as well as small manufacturing, marine construction, aggregates and disaster-recovery projects.

Strategically located at the port, Carver Companies offers comprehensive vessel repair, maintenance and fabrication services inclusive of tugboats, barges, offshore supply vessels and much more. The facility features a Marine Travelift capable of hauling vessels up to 820 metric tons and 60 feet in beam for drydock and topside repair services. With more than two acres of outdoor storage and an indoor bay spanning 100'x300'x88', projects are ensured to stay on track regardless of weather conditions.

Who says shipyards are just for ships?

MULTI-CAPABLE YARD

Shipyards are land- and resource-intensive, requiring dock space, drydocks, travel lifts, heavy equipment and workshops. If you find yourself sailing in the Caribbean, then Astivik Shipyard has these resources at the ready.

With facilities spread over seven hectares, it's equipped with three floating drydocks, a 220-ton slipway drydock with three docking positions (one of which specially equipped with airbags for barges), more than 300 meters of pier for alongside works, rolling equipment such as cranes, forklifts and telehandlers plus 2,155 square meters of covered workshops.

Founded in 1972 in Cartagena, Colombia, Astivik has evolved into one of the leading shipyards in the Caribbean. Key milestones include expanding into construction and maintenance for the national market in the 1980s, launching Colombia's first domestically designed floating dock in 2004 and increasing lifting capacity to 4,000 tons by 2011 with the addition of multiple docks.

In 2016, the strategy shifted toward the export of services, and by 2024 nearly 80 percent of revenue came from international clients.

Thanks to an exemption under the Jones Act, U.S.-flagged vessels can receive repair and maintenance services in Cartagena without incurring any taxes upon returning to the U.S. This makes Astivik and Cartagena a strategic and cost-effective choice.

With over 50 years in operation, the yard stands proud as a premier facility in the Caribbean.

SHIPPING'S SUPPORT STRUCTURES

Ship repair yards play a crucial role in maintaining and modernizing the global fleet of ships. They're shipping's support structures, providing essential maintenance, repair and alteration services for a wide range of vessels, ensuring they remain operational and compliant with regulations.

With an ever-expanding fleet, modernization is the name of the game. Yards are adapting to become bigger, faster and more efficient by adopting the latest technologies to shorten stays and increase regulatory compliance.

Modern vessel owners require their vendors to handle increasingly sophisticated ships and equipment, moving them through quickly while being stewards of the environment. Modern shipyards are rising to the challenge, offering full support from keels to coatings and beyond.

Master mariner SEAN HOGUE is a frequent contributor to The Maritime Executive.

 

On October 29 2023, a 45-year-old American named Joshua Farinella flew into the city of Amalapuram near India’s eastern coast to start his new job as the general manager at a shrimp processing plant owned by a company called Choice Canning. Farinella, who is softly spoken with a shaved head, neatly trimmed beard and full sleeve of tattoos, was excited about the prospect of living abroad for the first time.

True, this would be a high-pressure job, and he would miss Christa, his wife, but he had negotiated a salary of $300,000 a year, more than double what he’d earned at another seafood company in the United States. He joked that he was now the best paid shrimp worker who did not own his own company. He figured that if he could stick it out for two or three years he would be set up for life: he looked forward to upgrading his camper van, paying off his car loan and setting aside some money for his stepdaughter’s university education.

Farinella’s dream quickly turned into a nightmare. He soon discovered that the plant’s largely female employees were effectively trapped on the compound, routinely underpaid, and forced to live in inhumane, unsanitary conditions. The managers were also misleading auditors and processing shrimp with banned antibiotics. It soon dawned on him that he’d been hired as an American face to “whitewash” a forced-labor factory. Over several months, Farinella meticulously gathered evidence that he brought to the Outlaw Ocean team. The results of that investigation are the subject of the fifth episode of the Outlaw Ocean Podcast, Season 2.

In recent years, India has exploded as the dominant source of shrimp for much of the world, with support from its government through subsidies and loosened foreign investment restrictions. In 2021, India exported more than $5 billion of shrimp globally and was responsible for nearly a quarter of the world’s shrimp exports. Choice Canning is one of the largest Indian suppliers in the market, with corporate offices in two big Indian cities, Kochi and Chennai, as well as in Jersey City, N.J.

Choice Canning categorically denied Farinella’s claims and said that the company never underpaid workers, prevented them from leaving without permission, or maintained subpar living conditions.

On any given day, there might be more than 650 workers at the plant, typically hired by third-party contractors. Hundreds of the workers lived locally in Andhra Pradesh and went home at the end of each day. The rest were migrant workers recruited from impoverished corners of the country who lived at the plant. A security guard was usually posted outside near the building’s front door. Soon, Farinella found migrant workers living on the compound in deplorable conditions — like shared beds with bedbug-infested mattresses — as well as downright dangerous conditions, like a secret dorm above the plants’ ammonia compressors. He also realized there are hundreds more people living on site than the paperwork accounts for, and they cannot freely leave.

At 3 a.m. on November 11, 2023, a manager sent Farinella a WhatsApp message informing him that a woman had been found running through the plant’s water treatment facility. “She was searching for a way out of here,” the manager wrote. “Her contractor is not allowing her to go home.” The woman made it as far as the main gate but was turned back by guards.

Forbidding workers to leave their plants when they choose to is a violation of the Indian constitution and also likely violates the country’s penal code, according to the Corporate Accountability Lab, an advocacy and research group. When Farinella arrived at the plant several hours later, he tried to get an answer about what had been going on—and was told by an HR manager that it had all been a misunderstanding. The woman had not wanted to leave after all. An alarm bell went off in Farinella’s mind.

On January 3, 2024, news outlets in India reported that a group of about 70 workers, many of them women, marched to a police station in the Andhra Pradesh province to demand that action be taken against a labor contractor at their workplace, the nearby Choice Canning shrimp factory.

The workers alleged that the plant’s labor contractor stole approximately $2,600 in wages, equivalent to about two years of an average worker's salary. They also demanded a manager be charged for abusive language under Indian legislation that seeks to prevent hate crimes against members of underprivileged castes - many of the workers were from India’s lowest caste, called Dalits or “untouchables.” Local media reported Choice Canning had properly paid the contractor, who then withheld payment. Following police intervention, the contractor repaid roughly $1,600 to the group.

Farinella was concerned when he found workers sleeping on the floor, but he said he and others struggled to get authorization for the necessary changes. A few weeks later he discovered during a recorded conversation with two labor contractors for Choice Canning that 150 workers had not had a day off in a year.  It was also hard, he said, to tell how long employees spent working. A human-resources executive admitted candidly in a Zoom meeting recorded by Farinella how she would need to adjust attendance records and timecards for an audit.

Processing seafood is a race against the clock to prevent spoilage, so the Choice Canning plant in Amalapuram runs more or less 24/7. There’s also not a lot of automation in shrimp processing, so this means that the factory relies on an enormous amount of labour to deliver 40 shipping containers full of packaged shrimp — every single day.

The story about conditions at the shrimp plant in India come against a broader backdrop. The same week that the whistleblower documents were published, the Corporate Accountability Lab, which is an advocacy group of lawyers and researchers, released a report detailing severe cases of captive and forced labor as well as environmental concerns often tied to wastewater at a variety of other shrimp plants in India.

After leaving his job at Choice Canning, Farinella returned to the U.S. and filed whistleblower complaints to several federal agencies. These complaints also allege a variety of food safety violations, including that the company knowingly and illegally exported shrimp that had tested positive for antibiotics to major American brands in violation of federal law.

Marcella Boehler is global publishing editor at 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. Season Two of The Outlaw Ocean Project's podcast series may be found here. 

 

After months of effort, salvors have removed the majority of the bunker fuel aboard the stricken boxship MSC Baltic III, substantially reducing the risk of pollution. 

Taking advantage of calmer summer weather along the coast of Newfoundland, the salvage response team has been bringing a barge alongside to receive cargo containers from MSC Baltic III's deck. The same barge has taken on more than 1,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil from the vessel's bunker tanks and carried it to the Port of Corner Brook for safe disposal. The ship had an etimated 1,600 tonnes of fuel oil aboard when it grounded, and the pollution prevention effort has reduced environmental risk for Newfoundland's pristine coastline. 

MSC Baltic III ran aground in heavy weather on Newfoundland's west coast on February 15, coming to rest on a shallow rock shelf exposed to wave action. The crew were evacuated in a high-risk helicopter maneuver, and all were retrieved safely. 

The salvage response has been exceptionally challenging, hindered by the remote location, significant site access difficulties, and the continuous stormy weather of the North Atlantic in winter. Salvors persisted, and about 200 of the vessel's cargo containers have been lightered off, including some that were in extremely damaged condition. The operation to mitigate pollution risk from the cargo and fuel oil continues. 

The vessel itself remains wedged firmly on the rock, its hull seriously damaged from its time aground. A refloat attempt is considered impossible in its current condition; for now, salvors hope that the good weather will hold long enough to complete the lightering process before hurricane season raises risk again. 

Local residents are watching closely as well, since ocean industries are central to the region's economy. "Our biggest concern, of course, is pollution ," said Wade Park, the mayor of Lark Harbour, speaking to Radio Canada. "We want to make sure there's no pollution, there's no danger. Fishing is the backbone of our community. Contaminated waters would be disastrous for us."

[Brief] On Monday, a European border patrol vessel ran aground and sank off the coast of Lesvos, Greece during a search and rescue mission, according to the Hellenic Coast Guard. 

At about 1800 hours on Monday evening, an unnamed Frontex rescue boat was engaged in a near-shore search for a group of migrants who had gone missing while attempting to reach shore. The migrants' vessel had crossed over from Turkey to Lapsarna, Lesvos, and 36 survivors made it to shore; they informed the authorities that four migrants were unaccounted for. 

While searching for the missing migrants, in rough surface conditions, the Portuguese-crewed Frontex boat struck a rock. Its fiberglass hull was damaged, resulting in flooding and sinking. 

Six crewmembers from the vessel - five Portuguese and one Greek national - were rescued and brought safely to shore. The Lesvos port authority is investigating the circumstances of the casualty. 

 

 

In a story broken by Lloyds List and Yemeni journalists, evidence has emerged that the Houthi administration in Yemen is siphoning off crude oil from an oil storage facility maintained by the United Nations off Ras Isa. The story comes as no surprise to observers of Yemen, who have long admired the Houthi’s capacity to leverage UN-funded aid programs to their own economic and political advantage.

The oil that the Houthis have purloined came originally from Yemen’s Marib oilfield, and had been stored in the FSO Safer (IMO 7376472), a floating oil storage facility moored off Ras Isa. This infrastructure fell into disuse when the Houthis captured the coastal area around Ras Isa and Hodeidah in 2015, and the Safer Exploration and Production Operations Company (SEPOC) stopped pumping their Marib crude, as they could no longer sell it.

At this point, the FSO Safer was left holding 1.14 million barrels of oil, today worth nearly $80 million. Holding the oil but unable to sell it, the Houthis also prevented maintenance of the FSO Safer, whose cargo became progressively more volatile as the condition of the ship deteriorated, threatening an explosion and an environmental catastrophe.

In 2022, the Houthis finally agreed to a deal with the UN, whereby the oil aboard the Safer was transferred to VLCC Yemen (IMO 9323948), a tanker that was acquired for the specific purpose. There was no further agreement to proceed either with the removal and salvage of the FSO Safer, or with the disposal of the crude oil now transferred to the Yemen, whose ownership was disputed between by the Houthis and SEPOC. Thus for the last two years, FSO Safer has remained in position, with VLCC Yemen moored close by and still fully loaded. In the meantime, ownership of the Yemen has been transferred gratis to SEPOC, although the UN has also continued to pay directly for the maintenance crew on board the ship.

Since the recent Israeli attacks on the docks and oil facilities at Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Salim, the oil on board the VLCC Yemen has acquired a scarcity value. Even though modern refining facilities and transshipment facilities have been destroyed, locals still have the capacity to "cook" crude oil into poorly distilled products, for which - despite the poor quality - there is a hungry local market.

Left: Safer, Yemen and Seastar-1 off Ras Isa, June 8 (Sentinel-2/CJRC)

Hence on June 8, the coastal tanker Seastar-1 (IMO 9163283) was seen alongside the Yemen, transferring oil, and was later seen offloading in Ras Isa. Lloyd’s List reported that prior to June 8, Yemen had also taken on board ship-to-ship transfers of Russian petroleum products.

The UN has lodged a protest over the oil transfers, which must have been made with the aid of the Yemen’s UN-sponsored but presumably press-ganged crew. It would also be feasible for crude oil to be barged the short distance into Ras Isa using lighters. Given that the VLCC Yemen now has a UN-paid crew, and the vessel itself is owned by the Yemeni government’s SEPOC, it may be difficult to curb future siphoning of crude that is much needed by the Houthis.

 

The maritime industry, a cornerstone of global trade, is undergoing a digital transformation. With approximately 90% of global commerce transported by sea, the sector is increasingly reliant on interconnected systems to enhance efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and remain competitive. However, this digital evolution brings with it a growing risk of cyber threats, making cybersecurity a critical priority for maritime organizations.

In 2017, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) issued its "Guidelines on Maritime Cyber Risk Management," recognizing the urgent need to address cyber risks in the maritime sector. These guidelines, updated regularly, emphasize the importance of managing cyber risks to ensure the safety and security of vessels, crew, and cargo. But how can maritime organizations effectively implement these guidelines and build a robust cybersecurity posture? Getting the basics right is an excellent place to start.

The Basics of Maritime Cybersecurity

Cyber risk management in the maritime sector involves identifying, analyzing, assessing, and mitigating cyber risks to an acceptable level. This process is essential for ensuring operational resilience and safe shipping. The IMO's guidelines outline five key functional elements for effective cyber risk management:

• Identify: Understand the systems, assets, data, and capabilities that, if disrupted, could pose risks to ship operations. Define roles and responsibilities for managing these risks.
• Protect: Implement measures to safeguard systems and data, including firewalls, secure configurations, and access controls.
• Detect: Develop mechanisms to identify cyber incidents promptly.
• Respond: Establish plans to mitigate the impact of cyber incidents and restore operations.
• Recover: Implement measures to back up and restore systems affected by cyber incidents.

While these principles provide a solid foundation, the challenge lies in translating them into actionable steps.

Practical Steps to Strengthen Maritime Cybersecurity

To build a strong cybersecurity foundation, maritime organizations must address several key areas. Below are practical examples of how organizations can implement effective cybersecurity measures:

1. Scope and Asset Management

Does the scope of your risk assessment cover the entire vessel, including all IT and Operational Technology (OT) devices and networks?

Best Practice: Create a comprehensive asset register that tracks the make, model, and operating system version of every device. Assign ownership for each asset to ensure accountability.

2. Firewalls and Security Gateways

Do your vessels have firewalls at the boundaries between internal networks and the internet?

Best Practice: Deploy hardware or software firewalls and ensure they are configured to detect and mitigate attacks. Regularly review firewall rules and disable those no longer required.

3. Secure Configuration

Do your IT and OT devices only contain necessary user accounts?

Best Practice: Remove unnecessary accounts and enforce a password policy that includes guidance on creating strong, non-guessable passwords. For example, ensure passwords are at least 10 characters long and changed from default settings.

4. Access Control

Do you ensure that crew members have only the privileges needed to perform their current job?

Best Practice: Implement the principle of least privilege and regularly review administrative access. Disable accounts for crew members who have left the organisation or no longer require access.

5. Malware Protection

Do you have anti-malware software installed on your IT and OT devices?

Best Practice: Configure anti-malware software to update daily, scan files automatically, and warn users about malicious websites. For OT systems, consider limiting application installations to an approved set.

6. Incident Response and Recovery

Do you have a documented incident response plan?

Best Practice: Develop a clear plan that outlines steps to take during a cyber incident. Train crew members on the plan and conduct regular drills to ensure readiness. Additionally, maintain secure backups of critical data and test them regularly.    

A Commitment to Cybersecurity

The practical steps address key aspects of maritime cybersecurity and represent a critical starting point for owners and operators of maritime vessels, across all classifications, to rigorously evaluate their security posture. Implementing controls and processes is not merely a precautionary step, it is a clear demonstration of an organization's commitment to cybersecurity. Such dedication not only mitigates the risk of cyber incidents onboard vessels but also reinforces the confidence of all personnel within the maritime industry.

Craig Wooldridge is Maritime Cyber Baseline Certification Manager at IASME Consortium.

 

Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) is rumored to be in the lead for the U.S. Coast Guard's newly-created Arctic Security Cutter contract, and it has partners, according to Finnish media.

Rauma is a well-regarded medium icebreaker yard, and it has delivered some well-known vessels, including the Fennica - the dual-purpose icebreaking offshore vessel that was chartered by Shell for its Alaska project. Earlier this month, RMC CEO Mika Nieminen returned from a business meeting with the U.S. Coast Guard and told outlet Satakunnan Kansa that his company was "number one" on the shortlist of bidders for the USCG's next medium icebreaker.

According to Helsingen Sanomat, Rauma has proposed to build five medium icebreakers for the USCG for a price of about $2.7 billion. Satakunnan Kansa reported that RMC is working in partnership with Canada's Seaspan Shipyards and the icebreaker design house Aker Arctic Technology Oy on the bid, which will be based on the Seaspan/Aker Multi-Purpose Icebreaker (MPI) design. (This was previously known as the Canadian Coast Guard's Multi-Purpose Vessel, or MPV.) The MPI is one of three icebreaker classes under Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy, and it is nearing production - but as Seaspan's yard is fully booked, the construction would be done at Rauma. The details of the bid were first reported by specialist news site Sixty Degrees North. 

Illustrations courtesy Aker Arctic

The MPI closely fits the Coast Guard's request for information for a medium icebreaker from a proven shipyard. It is DP-enabled, has provisions for helicopter operations, and comes in just under 330 feet in length. It can make four knots in three feet of ice, and has an ample maximum range of 12,000 nautical miles. 

The advantage of building at Rauma would be the timeline. The yard has delivered previous icebreakers in less than three years, a central - and thorny - condition of the Coast Guard's requirements. The service is said to be interested in taking delivery before the end of President Donald Trump's current term. 

Funding for the program should not be a significant issue. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act gave the Coast Guard $25 billion for asset recapitalization, including $3.5 billion for the Arctic Security Cutter. 

 

On Monday, Vigor Marine Group announced that it will be marketing its construction and ship repair capabilities in a new segment: autonomous vessels. The yard has signed an agreement with unmanned vessel developer Saronic Technologies to create autonomous capabilities for defense and commercial customers. Vigor serves both, providing ship repair for merchant vessels, the Navy, Military Sealift Command and the Coast Guard (among many other customers). 

In the announcement, Vigor highlighted its experience in small vessel fabrication, as well as its repair presence on the West and East Coasts for vessel sustainment. Saronic brings maritime autonomy and platform design experience, as well as expertise in high-rate production for rapid delivery at scale. 

Together, the two partners will provide "full lifecycle" industrial and operational support for autonomous vessels in commercial and defense applications, and they will work together to market their joint capabilities. 
 
“Combining Saronic’s technical leadership in autonomous maritime systems and scaled production with Vigor’s strategically located infrastructure and experience in maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) and lifecycle sustainment creates new opportunities to accelerate capability delivery," said Saronic CEO Dino Mavrookas. 

The announcement follows shortly after Congress provided a massive infusion of funding for Navy autonomous vessel acquisition programs, both for small and midsize vessels. 

Backed with $600 million in venture capital financing, Saronic recently bought aluminum boatbuilder Gulf Craft, and it will be using its yard to produce unmanned warships, starting with a 150-foot unmanned vessel design called the Maurader - marketed as a contender for the Navy's MUSV program, which now has $2.1 billion in funding for development and acquisition. Saronic has a long-term plan to build a "next-generation" greenfield shipyard, dubbed "Port Alpha," but the Gulf Craft site gives it room to build and deliver hulls immediately. 

 

Commodity trader and shipowner Trafigura has been named in past scandals in Angola, Ivory Coast, Brazil, Myanmar and Mexico, and one of its employees is now implicated in Indonesia's oil-import fraud scandal as well. A sales manager of the Switzerland-based commodities giant has been detained in connection with an investigation into suspicious oil trading at state petroleum firm Pertamina, a scheme that spanned five years and allegedly cost the Indonesian state at least $12 billion. 

Last Thursday, Indonesia's attorney general named nine new suspects in the sprawling case, doubling the size of the existing list. Prosecutors allege that the suspects were involved in a scheme to improperly import fuel and oil; one of the accused is a business development manager at Trafigura's Indonesian operating company, identified only as "MH." Trafigura said in a statement that it is providing the employee with legal representation, and awaits more detail on the specifics of the allegations. 

Also named in the attorney general's announcement was Mohammad Riza Chalid, a well-known Indonesian businessman with a controversial past. Chalid owns shipowner PT Navigator Khatulistiwa and terminal operator PT Orbit Terminal Merak. An international manhunt for Chalid is said to be under way, and he is believed to be in Singapore. 

Prosecutors allege that Pertamina - which has a near-monopoly on fuel sales in Indonesia - was improperly importing foreign oil and fuel, even though domestic sources were available. The state oil company is required by law to first source its products domestically, then resort to foreign suppliers only if there is no alternative. In this case, adequate domestic supplies existed, but Pertamina bought foreign imports anyways, prosecutors allege. The second part of the scheme allegedly saw Pertamina fraudulently sell a low-grade fuel blend to motorists as "premium" gas at inflated prices. The third and last component was an alleged scam to inflate the cost of Pertamina's petroleum shipping. Each step in this chain cost money for the Indonesian state - Pertamina's owner - while enriching the participants, according to prosecutors.  

Top image: Akhmad Fauzi / CC BY SA 3.0

 

In a milestone for maritime pilots’ safety, on June 26, 2025, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) significantly improved Pilot Transfer Arrangement (PTA) requirements by adopting amendments to International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulation V/23, as well as new mandatory PTA Performance Standards. The Performance Standards are incorporated into SOLAS, giving them the full force of international law.

The path to this achievement began on a tragic day more than five years ago. On December 30, 2019, Captain Dennis Sherwood, a New York State-licensed pilot, was killed in a fall while embarking a container ship using a combination arrangement with a trapdoor. This arrangement did not comply with either V/23 or IMO Assembly Resolution A.1045(27) (“Recommendation on Pilot Transfer Arrangements”), the relevant international standards. While advocating for pilot safety has always been a key role for the American Pilots’ Association (APA), Captain Sherwood’s death was an impetus for APA to immediately redouble its domestic and international efforts in this area.

APA’s domestic strategy included communications with shipping companies, reaching out to state pilot oversight authorities, and working with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). In January 2020, APA sent letters to shipping lines stressing the necessity to provide compliant PTAs. These letters also explained existing requirements and recommendations for the three main types of PTAs – a single pilot ladder for climbs 9m or less, and for climbs over 9m, a pilot ladder combined with a platform (with or without a trapdoor) and an accommodation ladder.  

This prompted several shipping lines to improve their PTAs. In January 2020, APA followed up with an alert to state pilot oversight authorities that explained the rules and asked them to reiterate to pilots their right to refuse to use a noncompliant PTAs. It also urged them to remind shipping interests of the obligation to provide compliant PTAs. Numerous state pilot oversight authorities responded to APA’s requests.

APA also reached out to the USCG to ask for assistance. In January and February 2020, APA met with USCG officials to discuss PTA safety. While the USCG’s actions were delayed while Captain Sherwood’s incident was under investigation, the agency eventually  issued a safety bulletin and supporting PTA regulatory efforts at IMO.

In addition to working to improve PTA at home, APA reached out to the International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA), which was able to get PTA on the IMO agenda. IMPA President, Captain Simon Pelletier, and current IMPA Secretary General, Mr. Matthew Williams, were responsive to APA’s requests and particularly effective in advancing pilot safety at IMO. On January 17, 2020, Captain Pelletier made a powerful intervention at the 7th Session of IMO’s Subcommittee on Navigation, Communication, and Search and Rescue (NCSR 7).

Captain Pelletier explained that Captain Sherwood was killed while using a combination trapdoor arrangement which “involved a trapdoor in the platform of the accommodation ladder with the pilot ladder hanging from a bar near the bottom of the platform and the top step of the pilot ladder significantly below the level of the platform. This requires a pilot to pull himself or herself up through the trapdoor while twisting to get a secure footing on the platform.” He noted that this arrangement clearly did not meet IMO’s requirements and urged all parties to help make PTA safer.   

Because IMO’s process for taking up issues is purposefully deliberate, it took until November 2022 for PTA to be formally placed on IMO’s agenda. APA Executive Director-General Counsel, Clay Diamond, served on the U.S. Delegation to Maritime Safety Committee 106, while Captain Jorge Viso, APA President served on the IMPA delegation. Viso and Diamond would continue to represent the interests of U.S. pilots at IMO throughout the multi-year process of strengthening PTA requirements.

In May 2023, IMO’s Subcommittee on Navigation, Communication, and Search and Rescue (NCSR 10) made a pivotal decision regarding the future of PTA standards. In response to proposals by IMPA and IMO member states, NCSR 10 agreed that all PTA standards should be mandatory and contained in a single “performance standard,” as opposed to the existing structure of a mandatory SOLAS regulation coupled with IMO recommendations. NCSR 10 authorized a "correspondence group” to meet via email between NCSR sessions to begin drafting V/23 amendments and the Performance Standards. IMPA and APA participated in this correspondence group.

At NCSR 11 (June 2024), deliberations concluded on amendments to SOLAS V/23 and the Performance Standards. Within this new international PTA regulatory scheme, the revised SOLAS V/23 is now restricted to essential provisions, such as application dates, while the technical specifications for PTAs are delineated within the mandatory Performance Standards. The updated PTA safety framework includes key improvements such as:

• Application to existing ships with no “grandfather clause;”

• Application to SOLAS and non-SOLAS ships;

• Third party type approval of pilot ladders, manropes, and means of securing pilot ladders deployed at intermediate lengths;

• Clarification and strengthening of the requirements for combination trapdoor arrangements;

• A maximum service life for pilot ladders and manropes, including spares, of 36 months from the date of manufacture;

• Strengthening requirements for securing pilot ladders deployed at intermediate lengths;

• Making the “pilot mark” (indicating the maximum climb of 9m) on ships’ hulls mandatory;

• Increasing breaking strength requirements of strongpoints, shackles and securing ropes; and

• Explicit recognition of the right of pilots to refuse to use an unsafe or noncompliant PTA.

While NCSR 11 agreed on the text of the amended V/23 and Performance Standards, both then had to be approved at MSC 109 and then adopted at MSC 110. In December 2024 MSC 109 did approve the revised PTA requirements. At MSC 110 in June 2025, after several days of a MSC 110-established drafting group’s effort to finalize the text, IMO adopted the amended V/23 and Performance Standards.

Because SOLAS is an international convention with mandatory rules for global shipping, sufficient notice of any amendments must be given to allow ships time to comply. As such, the entry into force of the new PTA requirements will be phased in beginning on January 1, 2028 and concluding by April 1, 2030. Considering this unavoidable delay, IMPA successfully advocated for an IMO circular encouraging governments to voluntarily implement the PTA requirements before the entry into force date.

This successful outcome required constant communications with IMPA, regular meetings with the USCG, and numerous meetings of IMO committees, subcommittee, and other subgroups. APA applauds the USCG for its support for enhancing PTA safety and for working with APA prior to and during IMO deliberations. This crucial project also benefited immensely from the work of IMPA, and APA thanks Captain Simon Pelletier and Mr. Matthew Williams for their persistence, support, leadership, and technical expertise. This major safety milestone would not have been possible without IMPA’s efforts.

[By: Spot Ship and Vanguard Tech]

Spot Ship has launched a strategic partnership with Vanguard Tech, to provide war hull insurance at their significantly reduced rates (up to 40% below market standard) to Spot Ship's users. Vanguard Tech's AI-powered technology driven by superior information and close relationship with marine insurers makes this possible. James Kellett, CEO of Spot Ship, said: In today's increasingly unstable geopolitical climate, the exceptional commercial insight that Vanguard can generate and the subsequent premium savings, will offer a meaningful advantage to our shared customers. We are delighted to be working with Vanguard, a company that shares our understanding of the importance of speed and reliability.

Upon its launch Spot Ship users will be able to instantly calculate insurance rates provided by Vanguard for any voyage, allowing them to act with confidence and speed to assess their coverage costs. This partnership will expedite another part of the ship management workflow by integrating brokers' insurance requirements at the charter decision-making stage. Ellie Shafik, Vanguard's Head of Intelligence, said: At Vanguard, we recognize Spot Ship's unique market proposition and their impressive ability to automate outdated vessels commercial processes. We're genuinely energized by their innovative approach and see a natural synergy between our services. This partnership is a strategic step forward, combining our strengths to offer the maritime industry a smarter, more efficient way to do business.

Spot Ship and Vanguard Tech's announcement represents a partnership between two companies at the frontier of AI in the shipping technology industry and signifies the growing appetite of the market for the efficiency and cost-saving that such groundbreaking technology can provide. The companies plan ever deeper integration between their market leading commercial, risk and insurance products.

 

 

China has become the most dominant player in the shipbuilding industry since World War II, when American builders like Henry Kaiser cranked out thousands of ships for the war effort.

U.S. tonnage ruled the waves in the 1940s, but times have changed. Chinese yards took home three-quarters of the world's newbuild orders by gross tonnage in 2024, according to the latest numbers. But competitors are pushing back to rebuild sovereign capacity and regain market share.

In the E.U., a nascent effort to launch a bloc-wide maritime industrial strategy promises more support for high-end shipbuilders like Meyer Werft, Remontowa and Damen. In the U.S., leaders in Congress and the White House are contemplating the most significant structural supports for shipbuilding in a generation: steep tariffs on Chinese ships, strengthened cargo preference rules for U.S.-built tonnage and a "strategic commercial fleet program" to underwrite construction of 250 new ships, among many other provisions.

The measures would create much-needed demand for American yards of all shapes and sizes – from builders like NASSCO and Philly Shipyard to repair specialists like Detyens and Colonna's Shipyard.

These plans interconnect. U.S. policymakers want to attract foreign expertise from South Korea and the E.U. to revitalize American shipbuilding and even export the most successful products (like Fincantieri's Constellation Class frigates) to allied nations. Shipbuilding is a strategic, sovereign capability, but it's also an ideal opportunity for international collaboration.

AMERICAN ROOTS, FOREIGN EXPERTISE

For decades, America's shipbuilding industry has benefited from the technology and support of foreign investors like Norway's Aker Group, South Korea's Hanwha Ocean and Italian shipbuilding giant Fincantieri, which has invested heavily on the Great Lakes.

Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG) has a history in U.S. shipbuilding dating back to 1918, the year a predecessor company opened its doors in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Its Bay Shipbuilding division is still famous for its work on "lakers," the iconic bulkers that trade the Great Lakes – like the 2022-built Mark W. Barker, the first new full-size American laker since the 1980s.

Today, Bay Shipbuilding is leading the way forward with pace-setting projects like the LNG barge Progress, the largest Jones Act-compliant LNG carrier. The 400-foot barge entered service last year and carries up to three million gallons of LNG at a time to bunker dual-fuel boxships at the Port of Savannah, Georgia. Operated by Crowley and chartered by Shell, it provides clean-burning fuel for the growing number of LNG-powered container ships that call at U.S. ports, and FMG takes pride in serving that mission.

"From a shipbuilder's perspective, being involved in a build like this is extremely rewarding," said Bay Shipbuilding Director of Program Management Jeff Frank on the occasion of the barge's delivery. "Part of you is in the ship. It goes with the ship when it leaves the yard."

FMG takes a forward-looking approach to workforce development, a pressing concern for American shipbuilders (and for many of those abroad, too). In an "extremely tight" shipbuilding labor market, it's boosted the pay and benefits package for mission-critical employees at its Marinette Marine division. As an incentive, staff at Marinette Marine may be eligible for up to $10,000 in retention bonus payments over 2024-25 plus up to $5,000 in tax-free benefits for child care.

"This benefit gives you peace of mind that your child is being cared for," says Marinette Marine engineer Hilary Homa. "Both parents can work to provide for their family."

HIGH-PROFILE JOBS

Gulf Copper has developed a reputation for tackling some of the biggest and most challenging jobs on the U.S. Gulf Coast – a region with plenty of shipbuilding expertise – like its work on the high-value, high-profile TX-10000 (formerly the VB-10000), the largest heavy-lift vessel ever built in the U.S.

TX-10000 removed the wreck of the car carrier Golden Ray from Georgia's St. Simons Sound in 2021, and her new owners picked Gulf Copper to perform a complex, five-year drydocking on this one-of-a-kind vessel, completed earlier this year.

Gulf Copper also gets the call for demanding emergency repair jobs. When the ultra-luxury cruise ship Scenic Eclipse developed problems with an azipod last September, the "discovery yacht" went to Gulf Copper for a short-notice replacement. The job was so urgent that the owner had a spare thruster flown out to Galveston aboard one of the world's largest cargo aircraft. Gulf Copper got the new azipod installed ahead of schedule and put Scenic Eclipse back in the water, allowing the "six-star" expedition cruise vessel to depart in time for its Antarctica cruise season.

The project that really sets Gulf Copper apart, though, is the ongoing refit of the USS Texas (BB-35), the last surviving dreadnought battleship from the First World War era. Texas fought in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters during WW II, and she provided fire support for four of the most important amphibious operations of the war – the Allied invasion of North Africa, the D-Day landings in Normandy, the Battle of Iwo Jima and the invasion of Okinawa.

USS Texas was given to the State of Texas after the war to serve as a museum ship and operated by the nonprofit Battleship Texas Foundation on the state's behalf since 2020. The foundation's biggest job on taking over management was to arrange a much-needed drydocking, the first out-of-water repair period for the century-old ship since the early 1990s.

As the battleship's long-term berth was in Houston, Gulf Copper's nearby Galveston yard was a natural choice. But the shipyard didn't have a drydock that would work for the job. As an inventive and swift solution, Gulf Copper acquired a damaged floating drydock in the Bahamas, carried out structural repairs to put it back in service, then had it towed all the way to its new home in Texas.

In 2022, when the dock was ready, USS Texas got under way on a short transit from her berth to the Gulf Copper yard. Once the battleship was out of the water, workers fitted massive new torpedo blister tanks to the hull and replaced hundreds of tons of steel from wasted framing and shell plating.

In March 2024, after an estimated 200,000 man-hours of work, USS Texas was successfully refloated and towed to a nearby pier. Final repairs and fitting-out are still under way including removal and reinstallation of the 40-ton steel foretop – the enclosed crow's nest atop the ship's superstructure that housed the directors for her 14-inch guns. (T&T Salvage donated the use of a giant floating crane for the hoisting.) Workers are also installing thousands of square feet of pine decking on her weather decks, and from top to bottom she's getting a clean new coat of period-correct Navy Blue.

The quality and thoroughness of the work were enough to win the USS Texas project the Excellence Award from Naval History and Heritage Command in 2024 – a recognition that puts Gulf Copper's Galveston yard permanently on the map. When the multimillion-dollar project is completed later this year, USS Texas will move to a new permanent berth at Galveston's Pier 15, ready for her next 111 years on the water.

TUG SPECIALISTS

In the global market for specialty vessels, Turkish yards have a prominent presence.

Tugs have been a staple of Turkish shipyard production for years, and they remain a key area of strength – especially high-spec harbor tugs with advanced technology. The country even beat out shipbuilding giant China for tugboat exports in 2023, according to Turkey's Ship, Yacht and Services Exporters' Association (GYHIB).

Sanmar Shipyard, based in Tuzla, has been building tugs for export for decades. In recent years its footprint has grown to include two yards and a block-building shop, and it can produce dozens of tugs a year. Sanmar is known for world firsts like the first LNG-powered tug and the first remote-operated tug, and it's a leader in the production of battery-electric tugs as well. To date, it's delivered more than half a dozen all-electric tugs and has plans for more.

"Our fully electric tugs stand out with zero carbon emissions, silent operation and environmental sensitivity," says Fatma Karagöl, Sanmar's public relations specialist. "These tugboats contribute to future-oriented port operations with minimal environmental impact. A fully electric tug must be considered as a whole – combining energy efficiency, long-life system design and low operating costs. This is exactly the approach we follow."

In a competitive global market, Sanmar can draw on more than 50 years of experience in tug construction, supported by its long-running collaboration with Robert Allan Ltd., the Canadian design house known for innovation in towing technology. Sanmar's portfolio covers diesel, hybrid and LNG power options, but Karagöl says green propulsion is in demand thanks to global regulations and carbon-neutral targets: "In coming years, we expect green technologies to make up a larger portion of our portfolio."

Working with the Robert Allan team and battery-maker Corvus Energy, Sanmar is making that ambition a reality. Its ElectRA series has been selected for first-of-a-kind, battery-electric projects on three continents: the BB Electra, the first electric tug in Europe; the Trapananda, the first in Latin America; and the HaiSea Wamis, the first in Canada.

Wamis is one of three Sanmar-built electric vessels imported by Seaspan's HaiSea Marine. In April, together with sister vessels HaiSea Brave and HaiSea Wee'git, Wamis welcomed the first LNG carrier to call at Canada's first West Coast LNG terminal, marking the start of a new era for the Canadian energy economy.