BOURGAS SHIPYARDS JSC

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division delivered the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) to the U.S. Navy today with shipbuilders, ship’s force and representatives of Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Gulf Coast in attendance.The signing of the DD 250 document officially transfers custody of the ship from HII to the Navy. Paul Ignatius is scheduled to sail away from the shipyard in June.DDG 117 is named in honor of Paul Ignatius, who served as the 59th Secretary of the Navy, from 1967 to 1969. He made significant contributions during the administrations of presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Event heralds new era of world-class supply chain service.   Crowley Maritime Corp. christened the U.S.-flag combination container/roll on-roll off (ConRo) ship MV Taíno today in San Juan, where the company’s investments have ushered in a new era of world-class supply chain services in the U.S. mainland-Puerto Rico trade. Clara Crowley, daughter of Chairman and CEO Tom Crowley and board member Christine Crowley, served as the ship’s sponsor and broke the ceremonial bottle of champagne on the bow of MV Taíno at the company’s Isla Grande Terminal before several hundred employees, customers and dignitaries. It was the first time a container ship had been christened in San Juan in recent memory.

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding held a christening ceremony on February 21 for the next-generation LNG (liquefied natural gas) carrier currently under construction for Mitsui & Co., Ltd.The new ship, named Marvel Crane, is a design that significantly improves both LNG carrying capacity and fuel performance due to the adoption of efficient hull structure and hybrid propulsion system. Completion is scheduled for March 2019, after which the Marvel Crane will be put into service, transporting LNG for the Cameron LNG Project in the U.S., in which Mitsui & Co. is participating.

Uncertainty mounts in dry bulk shipping  against a backdrop of weaker growth in Chinese imports, said BIMCO."The extent of the freight rate recovery in 2018 was limited – when compared with initial expectations – by a faster-growing fleet. Q4-2018 wasn’t as strong as it often is either, but we now know that was merely the beginning of a sharp downturn. On top of that, in the first month of 2019, leading the way even further down was a massive lack of cargoes. By early February, the industry appeared to be paddling in quicksand," the report said.The November dip in Capesize freight rates was just an ill omen of what was to come.

As Oceanology International celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Marine Technology Reporter explores half a century of subsea technology development and discovery. Oceanology International Americas runs February 25-27, 2019 in San Diego.When Oceanology launched in 1969 in the seaside resort of Brighton the world was a very different place. For a start, Brighton was home to the mods and rockers, who would square off against each other on the town’s elegant seafront. The British currency included shillings and ha’ pennies and man had yet to step foot on the moon.