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The containership Maersk Athabasca has diverted to Vizhinjam, India due to a suspected COVID-19 outbreak on board while en route from Tanjung Pelapas, Malaysia to Colombo, Sri Lanka.Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) said Monday it was informed of the diversion by its partner Maersk. The Singapore-flagged Maersk Athabasca is deployed on MSC's elephant service, under Maersk and MSC's 2M Alliance.Maersk confirmed that several crew members have tested positive for coronavirus, and that the affected crew members will be taken onshore for medical treatment.The entire crew will be changed and the vessel sanitized before continuing its journey to Salalah, Oman, causing a delay for cargo on board.

Cyprus-based shipping company Castor Maritime has purchased its ninth vessel of 2021.The Nasdaq-listed company said it paid $18.48 million through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary to acquire a 2011 Japanese-built Panamax bulk carrier from an unaffiliated third-party. The vessel is scheduled to be delivered to Castor in the second quarter of this year.Petros Panagiotidis, Castor CEO, said, “We are pleased to announce our ninth vessel acquisition in 2021 with the addition of another Panamax dry bulk vessel to Castor’s fleet. Our focus remains on deploying our capital and growing our fleet through timely acquisitions of vessels across shipping segments.

Take a look around you.Perhaps you’re snacking on a banana, sipping some coffee or sitting in front of your computer and taking a break from work to read this article. Most likely, those goods—as well as your smartphone, refrigerator and virtually every other object in your home—were once loaded onto a large container in another country and traveled thousands of miles via ships crossing the ocean before ultimately arriving at your doorstep.Today, an estimated 90% of the world’s goods are transported by sea, with 60% of that—including virtually all your imported fruits, gadgets and appliances—packed in large steel containers.

SAAM Towage has launched operations in Peru as the Valparaíso, Chile-based tugboat operator continues its growth plans in the Americas. “We are taking the first steps at the Port of Callao, which lets us provide better coverage on the southern Pacific coast,” said SAAM Towage managing director, Hernán Gómez. “We are interested in this market and foresee leveraging our broad network in the region. Our strategy is to preserve our leadership position and play an important role in the industry's consolidation process.

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) said its board of directors has appointed Robert Ekse as president of the firm. Ekse will assume the position from current president and chief engineer, Brian King, who is retiring after 33 years of service. King will remain active in EBDG projects in a limited capacity, accepting the role as principal emeritus."Brian will be deeply missed, but his many accomplishments will be a reminder of his contributions to our industry, our company and our future," states John Waterhouse, founder and chairman of the board of directors.