After striking fuel piers at Ras Isa, Yemen on Thursday, U.S. Central Command expressed solidarity with Yemeni citizens who want to "throw off the yoke of Houthi subjugation." It is the first time since the start of the Red Sea maritime security crisis that the command has discussed regime change in northwestern Yemen, and it comes amidst reports of Yemeni government-aligned troops preparing for a ground offensive against the Houthis. 

"Today, US forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorize the entire region for over 10 years," U.S. Central Command said in a statement. 

The strike hit at least two different locations in Ras Isa, triggering large secondary explosions. Houthi media outlets have reported that more than two dozen people were killed in the blasts. In a statement, the Houthi leadership accused the U.S. of "direct targeting of the entire Yemeni people"  and called the port "a vital civilian facility." Central Command did not discuss casualty numbers, but emphasized that the goal of the strike was not to harm Yemeni civilians. 

#BREAKING: U.S. military destroys Yemen’s Ras Isa fuel port, targeting Iran-backed Houthis’ economic lifeline. CENTCOM says strike aims to curb terrorism funding pic.twitter.com/sDp28uOZ4O

— Breaking News (@TheNewsTrending) April 17, 2025

U.S. CENTCOM has announced that precision strikes destroyed the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa fuel port in Yemen. The action was taken to disrupt the group’s financial lifelines, as the site was reportedly used to facilitate illicit fuel sales that funded their ongoing terrorist… pic.twitter.com/G9GUtfl23w

— GMI (@Global_Mil_Info) April 18, 2025

Ras Isa is a dual-use port, providing energy imports for Houthi military operations and for the Yemen's civilian population. Duties on commercial energy imports are an important source of revenue for the Houthis' finances. 

Previously, on April 9, the U.S. State Department warned that the U.S. would no longer tolerate "offloading ships and provisioning oil at Houthi-controlled ports." In addition to Ras Isa, the Houthis also control the key commercial port of Hodeidah, 100 miles away to the south. 

Forces allied with Yemen's internationally-recognized government are reportedly arming and preparing for an offensive to retake the coastline region controlled by the Houthis. Bloomberg reports that U.S. military officials have held talks with regional partners and Yemen's anti-Houthi coalition about their plans for renewed combat on the ground. 

After a 13-month investigation and complaints filed by five U.S. trade unions, the U.S. Trade Representative released its proposal calling for escalating tariffs on Chinese-built ships and the companies that operate them designed to address the perceived unfair Chinese trade practices. While the fees are not as large as the proposal in February 2025, they are broader targeting both LNG exports and vehicle carriers. The effort is tied to President Donald Trump’s call to rebuild the American shipbuilding industry.

In light of the information obtained during the investigation and taking into account public comments, the U.S. Trade Representative determined that China’s targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for dominance is unreasonable and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce and is therefore actionable. Specifically, USTR found China’s targeting for dominance unreasonable because it displaces foreign firms, deprives market-oriented businesses and their workers of commercial opportunities, and lessens competition and creates dependencies on China, increasing risk and reducing supply chain resilience. China’s targeting for dominance is also unreasonable because of Beijing’s extraordinary control over its economic actors and these sectors.

USTR asserts that China’s targeting for dominance burdens or restricts U.S. commerce by undercutting business opportunities for and investments in the U.S. maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors; restricting competition and choice; creating economic security risks from dependence and vulnerabilities in sectors critical to the functioning of the U.S. economy; and undermining supply chain resilience.

While it focuses on Chinese vessel operators and vessel owners, Chinese-built vessels, the industry was surprised by the inclusion of all foreign vehicle carriers (PCTCs) and the transport of LNG. The structure does offer some exemptions for vessels in the MARAD programs, engaged in short sea shipping, arriving empty at U.S. ports and below a certain size or capacity threshold. It also includes fees on container cranes, containers, and chassis made in China.

The proposal sets the fees for Chinese-built vessels based on the net tonnage of the vessel and a phased-in schedule. The fee would be charged up to five times per year, per vessel. The first fee effective October 14, 2025, would be $50 per net ton and step up six months later to $80. Annual increases would move to $110 and $140 per net ton in 2028.

For vessel operators of Chinese-built vessels, the fee starts at $18 per net ton in October 2025, moving six months later to $23 per net ton. The annual step-ups would be to $28 in 2027 and $33 per net ton in 2028. The alternative for vessel operators is based on per container discharged, starting at $120 for each container in October 2025, and then the step-ups at $153 per container in 2026, $195 in 2027, and finally $250 per container in 2028. The fee can be suspended for up to three years if the owner orders and takes delivery of a U.S.-built vessel of equal or greater net tonnage. Among the other exemptions are for vessels with a capacity of less than 4,000 TEU, specialized vessels, and Lakers.

Vehicle carriers get one of the harshest penalties, and it targets all foreign-built vessels in the sector. The fee is set at $150 per car arriving on the vessels starting in October 2025. Again, there is a possible exemption for operators who order U.S.-built vehicle carriers. 

LNG transport is also targeted with a requirement that one percent is exported on U.S.-built vessels starting in 2028. The percentage steps up every two years so that by 2047 fifteen percent of LNG must be exported on U.S.-built vessels.

The language in the proposal offers a much stricter definition of what constitutes a U.S.-built ship versus the current Jones Act definitions used by the U.S. Coast Guard which permits foreign-made elements and components. The language in the USTR schedule requires all major components of the hull or superstructure of the vessel to be manufactured (including all manufacturing processes from the initial melting stage through the application of coatings for iron or steel products) in the United States. It also specifies key components of the vessel must be built in the United States.

USTR which is led by Ambassador Jamieson Greer who was confirmed at the end of February 2025, said these steps are necessary because China controls nearly a fifth of the world’s commercial shipping fleet, allowing them to influence the pricing and availability of ships used to conduct international trade. It cites data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies that shows the U.S.only accounts for 0.1 percent of global shipbuilding while China produces (more than 53 percent) more than the rest of the world combined. Chinese officials have criticized the effort saying the U.S. was blaming its long-term decline on China instead of investing in its shipbuilding industry.

While the industry was still analyzing the 42-page outline of the fees, the unions were quick to respond calling the USTR effort “meaningful remedies put forward to reinvigorate domestic shipbuilding.” The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, one of the unions filing the original complaint, said it applauds the United States Trade Representative and vowed to “work to ensure these policies are properly implemented.”

The release of the proposal starts a comment period that runs to May 19, and once finalized the proposal calls for the fees to begin after 180 days. 
 

 

On Thursday, President Donald Trump opened up the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to commercial fishing, allowing U.S.-flagged tuna boats to pursue their catch within an area covering more than 400,000 square miles of the U.S. exclusive economic zone. The area has been closed to fishing ever since the national monument was expanded by former President Barack Obama in 2014.

"The economic zone . . . is huge and it's exclusively ours. So why wouldn't we have our fishermen fish there?" said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at a signing ceremony. "Every country in the world, they all fish the 200 miles off the coast, and we were stopping our own fishermen."

Going forward, fishing permits and catch limits in the area will be regulated by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and  NOAA Fisheries under U.S. law. Foreign vessels will be excluded, except for foreign-flag fishing tenders (with appropriate permits.) The extent of any agency resources for enforcement in this far-flung region is unknown: NOAA Fisheries is being downsized by the administration, and may soon be folded into the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to leaked plans from the White House Office of Management and Budget.

The PIHMNM covers nearly half of the U.S. EEZ in the Pacific Islands. American Samoa is highly dependent on tuna for jobs and economic growth, and the administration says that withdrawing access to such a large swath of the fishing grounds in the U.S. EEZ was detrimental to Samoa's commercial fishermen. 

"I find that a prohibition on commercial fishing is not, at this time, necessary for the proper care and management of the [PIHMNM] or the objects of historic or scientific interest therein," the president wrote in the order.

 

The largest fully battery-powered ferry planned for operations in Norway’s Arctic fjord region has completed construction and began its delivery run from Turkey to Norway this week. The vessel is set to set several new marks in size and speed as well as its charging capabilities as the largest of its kind yet built for operations in Norway.

The Hinnøy is 7,115 gross tons and 117 meters (384 feet) in length. Built by Turkey’s Cemre shipyard for Norwegian ferry operator Torghatten Nord, the RoRo double-ended ferry was designed by Norwegian Ship Design. The companies highlight it will have a record-breaking speed of 14 knots and power systems capable of a one-hour run in the weather and exposed conditions in Norway’s fjords and Arctic waters.

The ferry is larger replacing LNG-fueled ferries that have operated on the route between Bognes and Lødingen for the past decade. Torghatten highlights the design is enclosed to handle the relatively weather-hard conditions. Typically, battery ferries that have been placed into service so far are open designs for shorter distance runs.

 

 

The new vessel has a capacity for 399 passengers and 120 cars. It was classsed by DNV and is registered in Norway. The shipyard lists propulsion as two Schottel 1.8 kW motors supported by a Siemens water-cooled battery system with approximately 4.750 kWh and a Siemens electrical system.

It was outfitted with two independent power systems to provide redundancy and ensure it could operate even if one fails. On-shore it will be supported by what may be the largest connections with 9,200 watts for fast charging of the onboard batteries. In case the shore power is unavailable, biodiesel generators will provide sufficient power for normal operation.

The order was placed for the ferry in April 2022 and it was launched in November 2023. The delivery trip commenced on April 15 from Yilova, Turkey after the final functional testing and certification.

The vessel is seen as a milestone for electric ferries and a key part of meeting Norway’s increasing environmental regulations.

Torghatten Nord plans to continue its advanced ferry designs having selected Norway's Myklebust Verft to build two ferries which will be the world's largest hydrogen ships. The ferries, which will also be 117 meters in length are designed to carry up to 120 cars on Norway's longest ferry route between Bodø and Lofoten. They are scheduled for delivery in 2026.
 

 

[Graphic images - reader discretion advised]

The remains of two more deceased crewmembers have been recovered from the wreck of the capsized sand carrier Hong Hai 16, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. The search continues as responders still hope to find survivors who may have been trapped inside the upturned hull.

The sand carrier Hong Hai 16 was operating off Barangay Malawaan on Tuesday morning in moderate seas. At about 0520 hours, the vessel capsized for reasons stil under investigation. There were 25 crewmembers aboard, and 14 were rescued alive, including six Philippine nationals and eight Chinese seafarers.   

Courtesy PCG

On Wednesday afternoon at about 1430, a dive team found the body of a deceased Filipino crewmember on the vessel's bridge. At about 0815 on Thursday, divers with the Coast Guard Special Operations Unit – Southern Tagalog found one more body in an accommodation area below the bridge of the Hong Hai 16. At about 1135 hours, a third body was found in a cabin on the main deck level. 

One injured Hong Hai 16 crewmember who was evacuated also died at the hospital, bringing the total number of fatalities to four. 

 

 

Courtesy PCG

Seven crewmembers remain missing, and dive rescue operations continue. As a precautionary measure, Red Cross volunteers have conducted health assessments on all responders to make sure that ensure they remain in top physical condition, the PCG said. 

The sand carrier was carrying about 2,000 liters of lube oil and 30,000 liters of diesel. As diesel fuel dissipates and is not persistent, the PCG is not treating it as an imminent environmental threat. 250 meters of containment boom have been deployed as a precautionary measure.  

 

Demonstration tests recently completed on vessels at the Prot of Long Beach, confirmed the ability to combine maritime emissions capture with carbon capture for at-berth vessels. The project combines the technology of STAX Engineering, a pioneer in maritime emissions capture and control based in California, and Seabound, a UK-headquartered leader in onboard carbon capture, offering what the companies call a comprehensive, cost-effective solution for the maritime industry.

Trails on the solution began in March 2025 and the companies report they conducted three iterations, including with Wallenius Wilhelmsen and NYK Line. The latest demonstration took place in Long Beach, yesterday, April 16, serving a RoRo vehicle carrier operated by Wallenius Wilhelmsen. The companies said the end-to-end modular solution has now cleared its final trial.

The combined system integrates STAX’s mobile emissions control unit—which removes 99 percent of particulate matter and 95 percent of Nox from the vessel’s exhaust—with Seabound’s carbon capture technology. Connecting directly to a vessel's exhaust pipe, STAX technology first removes criteria pollutants, turning the exhaust into purified gas. The gas is then directed through Seabound’s capture unit, isolating and storing up to 95 percent of carbon and 90 percent of sulfur before releasing the cleaned exhaust. The companies report that all results were independently verified by Yorke Engineering, an environmental consultancy.

“Our partnership demonstrates that effective, scalable emissions solutions are a reality that we can implement now,” said Alisha Fredriksson, co-founder and CEO of Seabound.

Since its launch in early 2024, STAX has established itself as the only emissions solution servicing all major vessel classes in California. To date, STAX reports it has provided a critical pathway to CARB (California Air Resources Board) compliance in five major ports, and captured more than 126 tons of pollutants. CARB is expanding its in-port emissions regulations to cover all classes of merchant ships. 

STAX positions a barge alongside the vessel which places a cap on the funnel to capture emissions. The company reports it will deploy its eighth barge this month. STAX also recently announced $70 million in funding to fuel fleetwide carbon capture integration and international expansion this year.

Founded in late 2021, Seabound has demonstrated its onboard carbon capture technology. Seabound recently installed its system for onboard carbon capture system together with Lomar Shipping and Hapag Lloyd, successfully capturing CO2 at approximately 80 percent efficiency onboard a 3200 TEU container vessel. Seabound will be launching its first full-scale commercial carbon capture systems this year.

“Today marks a landmark moment in our journey toward a zero-emissions future, and it’s just the beginning of a global maritime emissions' solution,” said STAX CEO Mike Walker. “As we expand our carbon capture capabilities across the fleet, our inaugural partnership with Seabound has been instrumental, and we look forward to partnering again with ABP in the Port of Southampton.”

STAX and Seabound report they will continue their partnership in the UK's Port of Southampton. In March 2025, ABP accepted STAX and Seabound into its Energy Ventures Accelerator, a program designed to explore clean energy hardware startups to clean up ABP’s ports nationwide as it works toward Net Zero by 2040.
 

 

The Australian Border Force has caught and destroyed another two foreign fishing vessels off the coast of Western Australia, the latest in a broad crackdown on Indonesian intrusions into protected waters of the Australian EEZ. 

On April 3, a foreign fishing vessel was spotted near Cape Bougainville, Western Australia. It was suspected of illegal fishing, and was boarded and seized. The five fishermen aboard the boat were detained. 

On April 15, another boat was spotted near Holothuria Banks, and was suspected of engaging in illegal fishing. Officers boarded it and detained the crew. 

Between the two boats, ABF officers seized more than 400 kilos of cucumber, a common target for unlawful artisanal fishing activity. They also found 360 kilos of salt, used to preserve the illicit catch for the long journey back north, and fishing gear. 

The boats were seized and "disposed of" at sea, as allowed by Australian law. In previous cases, ABF units have burned illegal fishing boats on the spot. 

The 12 fishermen will be transferred to Darwin for further investigation and processing, and may face charges. Typical penalties include a suspended sentence and deportation, or brief prison stays and fines for repeat offenders. 

The ABF has recently redoubled its enforcement efforts in the remote regions of Western Australia and the Northern Territory, where vast distances and sparse settlement make border control a challenging task. An uptick in Indonesian fishing boat activity, including at least one known instance of human smuggling, has given new impetus to the agency's efforts. It is also now working more closely with local indigenous patrols to find and identify intruding vessels. 

Equinor issued a statement detailing the potential impact of the Trump administration’s order yesterday, April 16, stopping construction that was underway on its New York offshore wind farm Empire Wind. At the same time, the state’s regulators issued a strongly worded condemnation of the order following a vow yesterday for the state’s governor to fight the administration.

The company reports that it is suspending offshore work on the project, as ordered, complying with the order received yesterday from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). It states the project has a gross book value of around $2.5 billion, including its investment in the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal which would be the construction and operational base. 

It reports that it has drawn about $1.5 billion from the project finance term loan that was completed in late 2024. Equinor US Holdings has provided guarantees for the equity commitment in the project financing and would have to repair the $1.5 billion to the project finance lenders in a full-stop scenario. The company would also be exposed to termination fees from its supplies.

Both the state and Equinor are highlighting the long and rigorous review process the Empire Wind project went through before it received federal and state approvals in 2024. NYSERDA (New York State Research and Development Authority) highlighted that it was the first Trump administration that issued the lease for the project saying they are now showing “a complete disregard” for a project that is New York’s largest energy infrastructure project in 50 years and follows Trump’s prioritization of independence and locally produced energy.

“The federal government’s interference not only ignores the reality surrounding the future energy security of our state and country, it’s fueled by a shortsighted, political agenda that ignores the well-demonstrated economic benefits that this industry can provide as the state and nation work to ensure an affordable, reliable and abundant energy supply for future generations,” said Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA. “The irrefutable harm created by this action will send a chilling signal to any party investing in the U.S. market, all of whom rely on regulatory certainty.”

Yesterday, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum asserted that had information that “raises serious issues” with the project’s approvals. He asserted the Biden administration rushed the approvals “without sufficient analysis or consultation among relevant agencies.” Burgum directed BOEM to order Empire Wind to cease all construction activities until a further review is completed to “address these serious deficiencies.”

While saying it will safely halt the offshore construction, Empire also said it is, “engaging with relevant authorities to clarify this matter and is considering its legal remedies, including appealing the order.”

The company highlights it has more than 35 years of history in the U.S. It says it has invested more than $60 billion in the U.S. to date, including in oil, gas, and renewables.

Several companies including Shell and BP have already pulled back from the U.S. offshore wind sector while analysts were left to speculate on the broader implications of the stop work order against Empire Wind. Burgun in his memorandum said the review is ongoing of federal wind permitting practices with respect to “both existing and pending permits.”
Two projects, Vineyard Wind and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind as well underway with offshore construction. Vineyard was delayed by a blade failure and subsequent inspection program while Dominion paused some offshore work during the winter and is due to resume this spring. Orsted also has two projects, Sunrise Wind and Revolution Wind, which have started onshore cabling and other work. In total, the Biden administration approved 11 offshore projects with one completed in 2024. Other projects remain in review at the federal and state levels.

 

[Brief]  The maritime authorities in Mozambique report that four crewmembers required treatment at a local clinic after a fire broke out on their vessel as they were departing a northern port on the Indian Ocean island. The crewmembers, whose nationality was not specified, are reported to be out of danger while their vessel is being detained pending further inspections.

The Maritime Transport Regulatory Authority (ITANSMAR) told the local media that the fire began on the bulker Altzek on Sunday afternoon, April 13. The vessel was reportedly loaded with coal and departing the Nacala port.

“It is assumed that there was an explosion in the engine room [of the ship], a fact that has yet to be ascertained,” Itransmar said in a statement sent to the news outlet Lusa. “The four crew members (…) are out of danger and are currently undergoing treatment at a clinic in Nacala,” the newspaper reports.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Club of Mozambique (@clubofmozambique)

 

Four tugboats with fire-fighting equipment were sent to aid the 81,177 dwt bulker which is registered in Nigeria, but the fire had already been extinguished by the ship’s crew. After loading the ship was bound according to its AIS signal for a stop in Las Palmas, Spain with a final destination of Poland.

The ship according to the Equasis database had recently been acquired from South Korea by the Green Seeds General Trading Company of Oman. It was built in 2012.

The ship is showing that it is not under command while lying in the Nacala Porto anchorage. ITRANSMAR said a delegation of naval engineers would be sent to inspect the vessel. They are inspecting to determine if it can continue on its trip.
 

 

The draftsmen's union at General Dynamics Electric Boat has voted to authorize a strike if the company can't provide higher wages and benefits in its next contract. If carried out, the strike would further slow progress on the Columbia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine, a multibillion-dollar program that is already behind schedule and over budget.

UAW Marine Draftsmens' Association Local 571 represents the 2,500 workers who draw up schematics and plans for sub construction at GD Electric Boat, one of the two firms in the United States that can build nuclear-powered submarines. Electric Boat holds contracts for the Columbia-class and the next generation of the Virginia-class attack sub, two of the Navy's highest-priority programs. Columbia is needed to replace the aging Ohio-class as the platform for the nation's at-sea nuclear deterrent, the most survivable second-strike option in the arsenal. The UAW MDA's members did the detail design for Columbia, and they produce the plans for construction. 

GD Electric Boat emphasizes that "our nation needs submarines now more than any time in our history," and says that it has already made its best and final offer to the union. This includes a pay raise of 23 percent and certain retirement package improvements. 

The union, however, says that the wage increase doesn't go far enough to offset recent inflation, and that a proposed hike in employees' insurance premiums would further erode the gains in the package. Meanwhile, the union says that Electric Boat has kept profits totaling $13 billion over 2022-2024 - more than the price of one Columbia-class hull. 

"This company has a simple choice. They can get back to the table and get serious about the demands, or they can keep messing around," said UAW President Shawn Fain in an address to 1,200 Local 571 members on Monday. 

At the meeting, rank and file union members voted to authorize a strike, and approved the motion by a margin of about two-thirds. The union leadership will keep working on negotiations with GD Electric Boat, but now has the power to start industrial action if the talks do not produce results. 

On the same day as the meeting, Electric Boat filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that the union is refusing to bargain or is bargaining in bad faith.

The crew aboard an offshore support vessel has taken to social media with the aid of the International Transport Workers’ Federation to highlight their plight. It comes after the union groups called 2024 the “worst year on record for seafarer abandonment.”

The ITF posted on its social media channels a video of the 15 Indian crewmembers aboard the vessel which has remained in Indonesia since October 2024. They are holding handwritten signs saying they do not have proper food and the ship’s managers have threatened them when they ask for their back pay. They are appealing for the help of the Indian seafarer unions and the flag state of the vessel for help. The crewmembers want their pay and reparation back to India.

According to the ITF, the vessel named Star Apollo (1,500 gross tons) has been in the Batamec Shipyard in Indonesia since last year. There are 15 people, all Indian nationals, aboard who report they have not been paid since their contracts began between four and eight months ago. The ITF says it is trying to aid in the recovery of nearly $80,000 in unpaid wages.

The vessel, built in 2012, was sold in 2025 to Mumbai-based Vindhyawashini Offshore, according to the Equasis database. The ship is registered in St. Kitts & Nevis. 

 

 

“The crew are extremely frustrated, and the stress of not being paid is taking a toll on their health,” writes ITF Global Inspectorate Coordinator Steve Trownsdale on his social media account.

The ITF issued a warning in January that the abandonment of seafarers is “spiraling out of control.” It said abandonment of seafarers skyrocketed 87 percent (3,3133 seafarers compared to 1,676) in 2024 vs 2023. Vessel abandonment they reported was up a staggering 136 percent to 312 vessels in 2024.

Abandoned seafarers the ITF warned can experience months of unpaid wages, extremely poor on-board conditions, inadequate food and clean drinking water, and long periods of work without proper rest. In some cases, they are left completely stranded for months – even years – on end.

Under maritime regulations and the Maritime Labour Convention overseen by the International Labour Organization, flag states are obliged to step in when seafarers are abandoned. It calls for the states to arrange the transport home of seafarers, but many are reluctant to leave the ship until they settle their wages. 

The lack of enforcement and responsiveness from flag and port states, the lack of insurance for vessels, and shipowners refusing to accept that they are mistreating their crew are common factors the ITF said that contribute to abandonment and complicate the resolution of cases.  
 

 

Trump’s tariffs have elicited a backlash from Canadian tourists, who now choose to visit domestic attractions. The shift has opened the door to evaluate prospects to develop cruises that sail mainly in Canadian waters, including along shallow waterways and bodies of water where tourist cruise operations are presently absent. At present, cruise ships that carry guests on Arctic cruises, sail from the Port of Churchill on Hudson Bay. While most of the guests travel by air from Montreal to the airport at Churchill to board the ship, there is passenger railway service between Winnipeg and Churchill.

The precedent of Port of Churchill serving as a cruise ship terminal allows development of cruise tourism from other northern Canadian ports. Shallow draft river cruise ships that sail along European waterways would be an option to sail along Canada’s shallow Mackenzie River. However, extreme shoaling along some sections some northern Canadian waterways would require operation of a vessel capable of sailing in shallower water than the European river cruise design.

Precedents

Tug-propelled freight barges have sailed along the shallow Mackenzie River in northwestern Canada for decades, including into the Beaufort Sea and east toward Amundsen Gulf and Coronation Gulf. Such barges have also sailed on Hudson Bay, including along the navigable Chesterfield Inlet to the Hamlet of Baker Lake (pop. 2,000). The barges measured 450-feet length by 50-feet width, or very slightly larger than a European river cruise ship, and provide the basis to develop cruise vessels capable of sailing along shallow waterways such as the Mackenzie River, Slave River and Peace River in northwestern Canada.

Waterways

The Mackenzie River is navigable from the Beaufort Sea to Great Slave Lake, where the City of Yellowknife (pop. 20,000) has an airport and dock facilities. Duplicating the precedent at Churchill, guests interested in sailing aboard a river cruise from Yellowknife would arrive at the local airport from numerous other Canadian airports. Shallow water depth occurs along some sections of the Mackenzie River, requiring the cruise vessel to elevate in the water to transit shallow sections. There might be scope for the vessel to navigate the Slave River between Lake Athabasca and Great Slave Lake.

Arctic ice conditions during summer would determine as to whether a cruise vessel would be able to sail the extended voyage between the Beaufort Sea and Hudson Bay, sailing from Yellowknife to Port of Churchill. The sailing distance between Yellowknife and the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk (pop. 1,000) on the Beaufort Sea is equivalent to the Alaska cruise from Vancouver to Juneau. A cruise between Yellowknife and Churchill would likely involve a month of sailing, with stops at northern hamlets to allow guests to make extended visits to communities located north of the Arctic Circle.

Hudson Bay

A passenger train service connects Toronto to the Village of Moosonee, located on Moose River in the southwestern corner of James Bay. The shallow waters of the Moose River would allow for a river cruise ship or modified Mackenzie River barge to approach the village. A water taxi might need to shuttle guests from a dock at the village to a floating dock, to allow guests to board the cruise vessel. Once underway, the vessel could sail across Hudson Bay and to stop at Port of Churchill and other coastal villages including Baker Lake (pop. 2,000).

A large shallow draft vessel sailing from Moosonee might connect with a large cruise ship at the Port of Churchill, to allow for a transfer of passengers. Both a modified river cruise ship or a modified Mackenzie River barge rebuilt into a cruise vessel would be able to sail through the gentle summer wave conditions on James Bay and Hudson Bay. Such a cruise vessel would be able to sail to both Yellowknife and Moosonee. There would be scope to sail freight barges capable of elevating in shallow water, between Churchill and Moosonee.

Conclusions

As a result of the tariffs, Canadian are choosing to remain in Canada during their vacations, including booking passage aboard cruise vessels that sail in Canadian waters and visit Canadian destinations. There is now likely a market for cruise service along the Mackenzie River and on Hudson Bay.

[By: Port Everglades]

Broward County's Port Everglades this week welcomed its first cargo ship fueled by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), an environmentally friendly alternative fuel. The Crowley ship, Quetzal, is one of four new-build vessels using cleaner fuel that the Florida-based global company plans for trade among the U.S., Central America and the Caribbean Basin.

Several cruise ships fueled with LNG, including Princess Cruises' Sun Princess and Silversea's Silver Nova and Silver Ray, already visit Port Everglades, however, this is the first LNG-powered cargo ship to call.

Broward County Commissioners Lamar P. Fisher and Robert McKinzie joined port staff during a dockside plaque presentation to recognize Crowley's commitment to decarbonization and their trade partnership. This was also Queztal's first U.S. port call as part of its route between Central America and the U.S.

The Quetzal, like the other three forthcoming Avance Class container ships, has a capacity for 1,400 TEUs (20-foot container equivalent units) and 300 refrigerated unit plugs for transporting perishable cargo.

"Over the last year, our port has welcomed several cruise ships that use LNG, and we applaud Crowley's efforts to reduce its impact when transporting perishables through Florida's No. 1 port for perishable goods," said CEO and Port Director Joseph Morris. "It's clear that our maritime future relies on innovation and continuous evolution."

Ships using LNG, instead of diesel, can significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions such as sulfur oxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide while eliminating particulate matter.  According to Crowley, the new class of vessels also have high-pressure ME-GI engines and reduce methane slippage to negligible levels.

 

President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order extending the ban that “regulates the anchorage and movement of Russian-affiliated vessels” first instituted by President Joe Biden in April 2022. While the ban will have little practical impact, it is the latest demonstration of the frustration of the Trump team to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine.

“The policies and actions of the Government of the Russian Federation continue to constitute a national emergency by reason of a disturbance or threatened disturbance of international relations of the United States,” says the Executive Order signed by Trump on April 15. It was published today in the Federal Register.

The U.S. followed the lead of its European allies and Canada launching the ban two months after Russian forces invaded Ukraine. It was seen at the time as a symbolic step demonstrating the U.S. commitment to penalize the Russian economy. However, it was highlighted that only approximately 1,800 Russian vessels had made port calls in the U.S. in 2021 and the Biden administration had already taken other steps to limit imports and trade with Russia.

Trump has alternately threatened to take further steps against Russia and swung to blaming Ukraine for the war. He promised during the election to immediately end the war but has not been able to complete the proposed ceasefire. He has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and both sides have said an in-person meeting is being planned.

Russia wants the U.S. to roll back sanctions and restrictions such as the vessel ban and the sale of oil. Trump has shown a willingness while the U.S. State Department has said there will be no agreements with Russia or lifting of the sanctions until a ceasefire in the war with Ukraine is achieved.

The order signed by Trump this week says the U.S. is “continuing for one year the national emergency with respect to the Russian Federation and the emergency authority relating to the regulation of the anchorage and movement of Russian-affiliated vessels to United States ports.”

This follows an earlier move by Trump last week to extend the national emergency status concerning the “harmful foreign activities of the Russian government.”

[By: ABS]

Hanwha Ocean has received the ABS SMART (SHM) Tier 3 approval in principle (AIP) for its advanced hull monitoring system.

The system from Hanwha Ocean is designed to estimate structural damage to ships and offshore assets during operation, which can support decision making for the optimal maintenance timing to maintain safety. ABS SMART(SHM) Tier 3 recognizes systems that employ hull sensors combined with additional algorithms to generate structural health insights at critical locations, even at locations where no sensors are present.

The AIP is one of the first fruits of the Offshore Technology Collaboration Agreement signed by ABS and Hanwha Ocean in 2024. The agreement promotes technology development in three areas: digitalization and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity operations, and sustainability.

“ABS celebrates this achievement with Hanwha Ocean, a milestone in our collective pursuit of safety at sea. As a leader in supporting the adoption of smart technologies in the maritime and offshore sectors, ABS recognizes the transformative capabilities of these systems – advancing health and condition awareness, operational optimization and, eventually, classification supported by condition-based programs,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer.

“Recently, shipowners have been including digital technologies as part of their contractual requirements, and classification societies are also in the process of refining regulations related to digitalization. Based on this approval, we will proactively respond to the growing demand for smart and digital technologies in the shipping industry,” said Young Chang Shon, Chief Technology Officer of Hanwha Ocean.

The hull monitoring system from Hanwha Ocean is being developed in accordance with the ABS Guide for Smart Functions for Marine Vessels and Offshore Units, which can be found here.

[By: Damen Shipyards Group]

Fugro and Damen have teamed up to provide the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) with a surveillance vessel and operating crew. The Dutch Ministry of Defence has contracted this new partnership to enhance its marine security and surveillance capabilities. The RNLN will deploy the surveillance vessel to conduct security operations within the Netherlands’ North Sea exclusive economic zone (EEZ), both above and below the water. Using advanced technology like uncrewed vehicles, it will enable the RNLN to monitor vessel activities in the North Sea and survey critical underwater infrastructure, such as cables and pipelines.

Fugro and Damen have established a joint venture to deliver the vessel and crew for a two-year charter, with an option to extend twice for another year (four years total). The charter agreement, awarded through a public tender, is set to begin in the first half of 2025. The vessel that will perform the charter is a Damen FCS 5009, which offers unparalleled seakeeping abilities through its Sea Axe bow design, which was developed together with the Delft University of Technology.

“We are very proud of this alliance with Fugro and the confidence the Ministry of Defence has placed in us for executing this important contract,” says Arnout Damen, CEO of the Damen Shipyards Group. “The Damen way of working means we can deliver a vessel quickly and, with Fugro, we can start work at short notice to monitor and protect the strategic interests of the Netherlands in the North Sea. At Fugro, our mission is to create a safe and liveable world. Keeping our underwater infrastructure in the North Sea safe is integral to this, and by working together with Damen and the RNLN, we can contribute to national security and surveillance efforts. We have previously showcased our experience in monitoring critical underwater infrastructure to the Dutch Ministry of Defence and look forward to continuing to work with them. We are also excited to work with Damen on this. Damen has a long history of providing vessels to the RNLN and Fugro. By joining forces, we’re showcasing the innovative strength of the Dutch maritime industry," said Mark Heine, CEO Fugro. This project has been funded by the North Sea Infrastructure Protection Program (PBNI) coordinated by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.

[By: Port of Galveston]

Our new $156 million Cruise Terminal 16 is on track to open on schedule this fall thanks to great work by our port Engineering staff and experienced port partners, including architects Bermello Ajamil and contractors Hensel Phelps and Orion Marine Services.

We’ll celebrate the opening of the port’s fourth cruise terminal in November as we welcome MSC Cruises’ MSC Seascape for the first sailing from its new Galveston home. The terminal also will be home to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings ships.

The project entails transforming two existing cargo buildings into a 160,000-square-foot cruise terminal. A newly constructed two-story vertical core, with elevators, escalators, stairs, and a passenger ramp, will seamlessly connect the structures.

Passengers will access cruise ships via a new concourse leading to two passenger boarding bridges (PBBs) custom-built by ADELTE.

The cruise complex also includes the port’s first newly built, onsite parking garage. The seven-story precast concrete garage will provide more than 1,600 spaces. A dedicated ground transportation area under the garage will accommodate buses, shuttles, rideshare vehicles, and taxis. 

The 25.5-acre cruise complex also encompasses new paved surface parking lots totaling 733 spaces, landscaping, a public plaza and roadway upgrades.

Orion Marine Services is upgrading marine infrastructure to support a 5,500-passenger cruise vessel, including new mooring foundations, bollards and fenders.

Construction Progress
Hensel Phelps, Terminal 16 project construction manager, has provided pre-construction and construction services on other major projects at the port including the newly constructed Cruise Terminal 10 for Royal Caribbean and major renovations at Terminal 25, home to Carnival Cruise Line.

Hensel Phelps’ Terminal 16 work began in July 2024 and is projected to be completed in September. Concrete foundations were finished in December 2024, air conditioning units installed in March 2025 and electrical generators installed in April. Work also included new roofs on both buildings.

Parking garage erection began in December 2024 and will be complete by the end of April. Hensel Phelps shaved months off the construction schedule by building the garage with pre-cast concrete. The parking garage was initially designed as a cast-in-place structure. 

Hensel Phelps worked with the architect and structural engineer to redesign the parking garage as a pre-cast concrete structure, saving money and time.

Major milestones between now and July include placing toping slabs at the garage, bringing permanent power online and completing elevator installations.

To date, Hensel Phelps has employed 825 craft workers and logged 185,000 work hours without a lost-time injury. At peak, 275 construction workers will be onsite. 

Our hardworking port Engineering staff is coordinating and overseeing this project, along with five major construction projects to expand our West Port Cargo Complex. Congratulations to everyone on the progress to date, and keep up the good work!

[By: WISTA International] 

Sustainable shipping and successes in diversity took centre stage at the inaugural WISTA India ExCo Conference in Mumbai, which coincided with the first WISTA International Mid-Term Meeting to take place in India.

With WISTA International membership exceeding 6,000 this month, the Executive Committee (ExCo) met over two days to discuss topics that included the professional training programmes available to members and the upcoming report following the IMO/WISTA Women in Maritime Survey. Priority was also given to regional reports, while an in-depth review of the equity fund examined strategies to support National WISTA Associations (NWAs) in need.

Entitled Navigating Change: The Future of Sustainable Shipping, the WISTA India ExCo Conference brought together local industry, consulates, maritime leaders and professionals to share insights on how to drive the industry towards greener, more resilient maritime operations.

Addressing the conference, WISTA International President, Elpi Petraki, highlighted the way collaboration and greater diversity could help overcome industry challenges and create a more sustainable future for global shipping.

“A collaborative spirit is essential to make the most of the opportunities that arise from the challenges we face,” said Petraki.

“Shipping brings together people from all around the world and has always included a wide range of cultures, nationalities and ethnicities. Diverse and global by nature, it demands versatility and collaboration every working day. It has taken thousands of years of collaboration to create the global maritime community we enjoy today. Even during trying times, therefore, we must not lose sight of the fact that it will be by working together that women will be most effective in driving the positive changes that benefit our global community.”

WISTA India, Sanjam Gupta, said: “It was an honour to host the first WISTA India ExCo Conference and the WISTA International Executive Committee in Mumbai. The conference provided an excellent opportunity to discuss key elements of the industry’s green transition while also showcasing India’s position as a sustainable shipping leader and many of the women who are driving change and contributing to the country’s swift transition to greener shipping operations.”

In a direct engagement with a key maritime stakeholder in India, the WISTA International ExCo visited the Anglo-Eastern Maritime Academy to discuss the programmes it has in place to support and attract more females to the seafaring profession. In touring the academy’s facilities, delegates made full use of opportunities to speak to many of the female cadets enrolled.

“As a major maritime hub, significant steps have been taken in India to educate the seafaring community about the importance of creating an inclusive and safe working environment onboard,” added Petraki.

“Over 450 cadets graduate from the Anglo-Eastern Maritime Academy each year, and in the last year, the number of female cadets studying there has increased, showing the effort that is being made to create a more diverse and inclusive seafaring profession.”

 

An interim factfinding report on the allision involving the boxship Maersk Shekou at Fremantle last year suggests that the vessel's helmsman and pilots were operating with different goals. The helmsman was actively steering to maintain a heading of 083 degrees, his last received helm order. Meanwhile, the pilots were trying to make an emergency turn to port, using full ahead thrust, assist tugs, bow thrusters and the port anchor - unaware that their helmsman was applying starboard rudder to counteract them. The ship hit a historic tall ship and a museum, causing considerable damage.

In the early hours of August 22, 2024, Maersk Shekou began heading inbound into Fremantle's harbor and took aboard two pilots. The primary pilot assigned for the transit was fatigued, so the backup pilot took charge during the master/pilot exchange.  

At about 0610, as they entered the narrow entrance channel for the inner harbor, southwesterly winds picked up to about 40 knots on the starboard quarter. The ship began to swing to starboard. The pilot ordered the helmsman to steer 083; the helmsman correctly acknowledged the order at about 0613:45. This was the heading that the helmsman would try to maintain throughout the final minutes of the casualty sequence. 

At the time that the order was given, the helmsman had the rudder hard to port to counteract the effects of the strengthening wind. It wasn't enough to do the job, and Maersk Shekou's heading was about four degrees off to starboard (087). The master suggested going to full ahead to increase steering forces, and at about 0614:34, the pilot agreed. There was a pier ahead, and they needed to turn to port fast in order to enter the harbor. 

With more power and a series of assist tug movements, Maersk Shekou began to swing back to port. As it swung back from 087 through 086, the helmsman moved to check the swing: he brought the helm to midships, then briefly to 33 degrees starboard. The vessel steadied up squarely on 083, the last ordered heading he had received, which was straight towards the pier. 

Courtesy ATSB

The pilot was unsure why the vessel had stopped swinging to port, and at 1615:33 he told the (fatigued) secondary pilot that something was wrong. The secondary pilot had been on a phone conversation at the back of the bridge and had not been involved in the back-and-forth among the bridge team, but he interrupted the call and joined the decisionmaking process. 

Together, without checking in with the helmsman, they began working the assist tugs to try to turn Maersk Shekou to port. The rudder was amidships at this point, and the helmsman was maintaining a steady heading of 083.5 towards the moored tall ship STS Leeuwin II - now less than a ship length away, with the boxship full ahead and making seven knots. 

At 0615:54, the master put the bow thrusters full to port. At 0616:10, the secondary pilot ordered stop engines, then full astern, and the master ordered the crew to prepare to drop the port anchor. 

Beginning at 0616:21, as these emergency measures to turn to port were under way, the helmsman applied more starboard rudder to try to counteract the effort to turn to port. The rudder would be over to starboard as much as 29 degrees over the course of the next minute. 

At 0616:49, the engines reached full astern and Maersk Shekou began to slow. The anchor, tugs and bow thruster managed to start a swing to port, but not fast enough to avert an allision. At about 0618, Maersk Shekou hit STS Leeuwin II at about three knots, dismasting the sailing vessel and prompting the two crewmembers aboard to flee onto the pier. They escaped with minor injuries. 

Maersk Shekou makes contact with STS Leeuwin II

Maersk Shekou came to a full stop by about 0618:30, but continued to spin in place. The bow thrusters were still on full to port, and the ship was swinging to port at about 13 degrees per minute. At 0619:52, the master noted to the pilots that the bow thrusters were still running with full power to port, and the thrusters were shut down - but not quickly enough to prevent contact in the narrow confines of the harbor.

40 seconds later, a stack of containers on Maersk Shekou's starboard quarter hit the roof of the Western Australia Maritime Museum. The ship's hull scraped along the wharf for a short distance, damaging the quayside and breaching a small section of the hull plating above the waterline. 

The ATSB continues its investigation and will release its full report, including its formal conclusions, when it has completed its review. 

 

A federal judge has sentenced a Michigan teenager to eight months in prison for calling in a bomb threat to Carnival Cruise Line because he was upset that his girlfriend had gone on a cruise without him. 

Joshua Darrell Lowe, 19, was found guilty of sending an email to Carnival with a short - but potentially dangerous - threat. According to court documents, Lowe's message read "Hey, I think someone might have a bomb on your sunrise cruise ship [sic]." Carnival took the matter seriously, and Carnival Sunrise - which was under way in the Caribbean - was diverted to Jamaica for an inspection. Officials had to search through more than 1,000 cabins for any sign of a hazardous device; none was found. 

Lowe's motivation, according to prosecutors, was not related to  Carnival or to the ship. He was angry at his girlfriend, who had gone on a cruise with her family "while leaving him behind to care for their pets." The FBI traced the email address back to Lowe and questioned him; he admitted sending the message. 

When he was charged, Lowe took responsibility for writing the email and pleaded guilty to a single count of false information and hoaxes. On Monday, he was sentenced to eight months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. The relationship he had with his girlfriend is now over, his counsel said in a memorandum before the sentencing. 

"Bomb threats are not a laughing matter and are extremely irresponsible," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, FBI Special Agent in Charge for the case. "When individuals make false hoax threats, they divert critical law enforcement resources and spread unnecessary fear. The FBI takes all threats to life seriously and will ensure that those who resort to this kind of intimidation face the appropriate consequences."