News
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DOT Awards a Record $380M in Grants to Ferry Systems in the U.S.
Using the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration is awarding a record amount of grants designed to modernize and enhance ferry services in different parts of the United States. The more than $380 million in grants being awarded will fund projects including the replacement…
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U.S. Coast Guard Cracks Down on Northwest’s AIS-Disabling Fishermen
The U.S. Coast Guard’s Columbia River unit is beginning to crack down on fishermen who turn off their AIS to keep their location secret. Operating “dark” is a common procedure in the Northwest’s coastal fisheries. AIS broadcasts a vessel’s position, and that is exactly what fishermen want to avoid: Their…
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Smugglers Are Abandoning Migrants on Rocky Island in Mona Passage
Monito Island, an uninhabited outcropping of American territory in the Mona Passage, is becoming a regular destination for migrant smugglers, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Twice in the last week, cutters have diverted to Monito in order to rescue migrants who were abandoned on the island by smugglers,…
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Video: Vietnamese Cargo Ship Holed, Washes Ashore Caught in Surf
Storms along the Pacific coast in Asia have been playing havoc on shipping this week with a Chinese vessel lost in the East China Sea and another evacuated after grounding on a Japanese reef. Now comes a report from Vietnam that one of its cargo vessels was stranded in…
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FMC Reports Increase in D&D Claims as Carrier Rulemaking Proceeds
The Federal Maritime Commission is reporting that it has received a strong response to the proposed rulemaking for key parts of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 focusing on fees and the business practices of the leading carriers. The FMC is extending its process to solicit additional input…
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Study: U.S. Will Run Out of Anti-Ship Missiles in a Fight With China
America’s military possesses sophisticated precision weapons, but it doesn’t have enough of them for a major naval conflict with China, according to a new study by Washington think tank CSIS. The war in Ukraine has woken up the U.S. defense establishment to the burn rate for munitions in modern industrial…
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St. Johns Shipbuilding Starts Next CTV for Atlantic Wind Transfers
On Friday, St. Johns Ship Building held a keel laying ceremony for its second crew transfer vessel (CTV) for Rhode Island-based Atlantic Wind Transfers (AWT). The Chartwell-designed aluminum catamaran can transport 24 people to and from offshore wind turbines for repair and service operations, and AWT has ordered a series of…
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French Authorities Hunt for Source of Plastic Pellet Spill
Environmental authorities in France are livid over a wave of plastic nurdles washing up on the pristine shores of Brittany, where the tiny white pellets have become known as the “white tide” or “mermaid’s tears.” The source vessel is unknown, but local and national officials have asked prosecutors to find…
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Construction Milestone for First Hydrogen-Powered Inland Cargo Ship
Construction of the first inland cargo ship that will operate entirely on hydrogen marked a key milestone in the demonstration project that expects to place the ship in service later this year. The WEVA Project is supported by a broad coalition of companies and the government of The Netherlands to…
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Australia Responds to Bulker Reporting Water in its Engine Room
Australia authorities responded to a call for assistance from a Japanese-owned bulker anchored near a coal port in Queensland. The Frontier Unity (181,415 dwt) was reporting water in the engine room measuring up to 22 feet, but in no immediate danger of sinking. The vessel which is owned by Japan’s Nissen Kaium…
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