MORNING CELESTA

The rhythmic clang of hammers and the bright flashes of welding torches filled the air at Skaramangas Shipyard near Athens last month, as workers busily repaired the bow of a large tanker. Nearby, other vessels awaited their turn in the dry dock—an unmistakable sign of renewed activity at the once-idle shipyard.Just a year ago, Skaramangas stood empty, a stark reminder of Greece’s prolonged debt crisis from 2009 to 2018. Following decades of inconsistent government ownership and uncertainty, the shipyard had languished. But today, it is experiencing a revival.“Now there is life here again,” said Theodoros Evagelou, a worker sandblasting and painting ships.

Taiwanese container shipping firm Evergreen Marine Corporation has ordered 11 new LNG dual-fuel container ships from South Korean and Chinese shipyards, whose combined worth is up to $3.2 billion.On February 12, Evergreen disclosed two orders for 11 container ships, each with a 24,000 TEU capacity.The company placed an order to South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean for six vessels, and to CSSC Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) in China for the remaining five vessels.Evergreen will pay between $265 million and $295 million per unit, totaling up to approximately $1.77 billion for six vessels to be built at Hanwha Ocean and around $1.47 billion for five containerships at GSI.

Manson Construction has long been a pillar of the U.S. maritime industry, rooted in a tradition of U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, and U.S.-operated vessels. The company was founded in 1905 by Peter Manson, when he dug up a jar of gold coins [because he didn’t trust the banks] and purchased a winch, a winch that was then put on a barge and that became Manson's first pile driver. With barge-mounted pile driver, Manson Construction  embarked on its journey into marine construction and eventually dredging, a journey which continues today as it has become a dominant player today in the U.S. maritime market, playing a crucial role in building and maintaining the nation’s maritime infrastructure.

Canada’s Marine Communications and Traffic Services received a MAYDAY on Saturday from the MSC Baltic III as it ran aground located approximately 12 nautical miles outside the entrance to Bay of Islands, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.The vessel reported a loss of power, and unable to secure an anchor in the adverse conditions, grounded in Wild Cove west of Lark Harbour. All 20 crew have been airlifted to safety.Weather in the area continues to be a factor as work is underway to assess the situation and determine the next steps. Canadian Coast Guard crews and Eastern Canada Response Corporation representatives are establishing a staging area in Lark Harbour.

The U.S. State Department has removed a statement on its website that it does not support Taiwan independence, among changes that the island's government praised on Sunday as supporting Taiwan.The fact sheet on Taiwan retains Washington's opposition to unilateral change from either Taiwan or from China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own.But as well as dropping the phrase "we do not support Taiwan independence", the page has added a reference to Taiwan's cooperation with a Pentagon technology and semiconductor development project and says the U.S. will support Taiwan's membership in international organisations "where applicable".