Image Credits: Wartsila Wärtsilä Technology Group has acquired the largest ever methanol newbuild order in China’s maritime sector. The order involves the supply of methanol-fueled auxiliary engines for twelve container vessels: five for COSCO shipping lines and seven for the Orient Overseas Container Line. Each vessel will be powered by a combination of three 8-cylinder and two 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 35 Engines. This substantial order, secured by Wärtsilä in December 2023, represents an important turning point in the Chinese maritime industry’s acceptance of methanol-fueled vessels. In addition ..read more

Image Credits: PIB In a recent study conducted by Dr Babula Jena and coworkers from the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), in association with the British Antarctic Survey, researchers delved into the conditions that are causing unprecedented delays in Antarctic Ice Expansion and ice retreat of the annual ice maximum in 2023. The Arctic has lost significant sea ice over the last decade due to global warming, whilst the Antarctic saw a mild growth until 2015, followed by a sharp decline since 2016. This decline continued with extremely low sea ice conditions observed every s ..read more

Screengrab from YouTube video posted by AP The first cargo ship successfully passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on April 25. The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse had disrupted most of the maritime commerce through the city’s port. The Balsa 94, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier, became the first vessel to travel through the new 35-foot (12-meter) channel on its way to Saint John, Canada. Later that day, two additional commercial ships joined in, including a vehicle carrier destined for Panama. The reopening of the channel represents progress in the ongoing cleanup and ..read more

A tanker was at anchor waiting for a berth. During the anchor period routine maintenance was to be done on the auxiliary boiler fuel oil pump. According to the vessel’s records, a job hazard analysis had been carried out and a cold work permit and a pressure pipeline work permit had been issued before the work began. The senior person of the group undertook the work while the three junior members of the team watched. The senior engine room crewmember switched the pump to manual control and put it in the stop position. He isolated the pump from the system by closing the inlet and outlet valves ..read more

Image Credits: Navsea On 25 April, HII confirmed that its Newport News Shipbuilding branch had successfully delivered a fast-attack submarine dubbed the New Jersey to the US Navy. SSN 796 is the 11th Virginia-class submarine delivered by HII-NNS and the 23rd co-produced by General Dynamics Electric Boat. Jason Ward, NNS VP of Virginia-class submarine construction, gladly mentioned that it is a proud day for the team as they deliver a leading submarine, such as the New Jersey, to the top-notch US fleet and added that the mission ahead for New Jersey and the crew is clear. He applauded the ship ..read more

Representation Image China is providing moorage to a US-sanctioned Russian cargo vessel implicated in the North Korean arms transfers to Russia, per satellite images obtained by Reuters, as the US concerns regarding Beijing’s support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine grow. Britain’s Royal United Services Institute (abbreviated as RUSI) think tank declared that Russia’s vessel, Angara — which since August last year has moved to Russia’s ports with thousands of containers believed to comprise North Korean munitions — has been anchored at one of China’s shipyard in eastern Zhejiang province from this ..read more

Image Credits: U.S. Department of Defense U.S. troops have begun building a maritime pier off the Gaza coast that will start operating in May and aim to expedite the flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave. Israel’s six-month-long military assault against Hamas has ravaged the tiny Gaza Strip, plunging its 2.3 million civilians into a humanitarian crisis. A senior official associated with the Biden administration, speaking to reporters, said that humanitarian aid coming off the pier would have to pass via Israeli checkpoints on land despite the aid having been examined by Israel earlier in ..read more

Image Credits: US Navy/Twitter The U.S. Navy reportedly embarked on the first Mine Countermeasures Mission Package (abbreviated as MCM MP) on the USS Canberra on 18 April. The MCM MP is currently on LCS 30, and the Navy is excited about the first deployment of the MCM Mission Package in FY 2025. As part of the embarking process, the Navy installed unmanned vehicles, sensors, support containers, and software that helps Sailors execute MCM operations via an Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship. The embarkation commemorates the turnover of the MCM mission package to the vessel, symbolizing ..read more

A loaded LNG carrier was underway at about 18 knots in open seas with low swell and waves near 1.5 m. Visibility was very good at approximately 15nm. The only traffic in the vicinity was a single fishing vessel. The bridge watch consisted of the OOW and one AB. The OOW had assigned the AB duties other than lookout due to the good visibility. The AB had seen the fishing boat earlier and had reported it to the OOW. Some time later, the Master was on deck when he noticed the fishing boat abeam of ship’s port manifold at a distance of about 50 metres. The Master went to the bridge to inquire abou ..read more

A general cargo vessel was proceeding in a Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) at reduced power due to engine problems, making 4.5 knots at dead slow ahead. It was dark, but visibility was good. On the bridge the OOW was accompanied by a lookout. The Closest Point of Approach (CPA) alarm was triggered on the ECDIS, and the OOW observed that a vessel was approaching them from astern, with a CPA of 0.2nm. After acquiring the vessel on the ECDIS, the OOW recognised the target was a fishing vessel. The CPA was now 0.1nm and the vessel was doing about 9 knots. The fishing vessel was in sight from the ..read more