Maritime Vessels Directory

Supply chain issues tied to liner shipping have been front page news throughout 2021; just about everyone agrees that there’s a problem. The underlying cause is right out of Economics 101: a surge in demand for moving containerized cargo, in the face of “inelastic” throughput capacity (which includes vessels and their landside interfaces to surface transportation, trucks and rail) that could not handle the swell, attributable to re-stocking of containerized cargo as economic activity recovered from the pandemic induced jolts.

Iconic 27-ton 'Floating Head' finds itself Back in the Water

5 minutes ago

AMS Global helped out in a most unusual project for the marine consulting and safety firm, helping to return The Floating Head back to the water, 33 years after it was first created.The Floating Head, a sculpture created by artist Richard Groom, was the centrepiece for Glasgow’s 1988 Garden Festival. It has been carefully restored over the past six months, and is now on public display at Canting Basin at Govan Docks, adjacent to Glasgow Science Centre, for the next four weeks.Inspired by the carvings on Easter Island, the sculpture was built with support from Govan Shipbuilder Ltd, using the same method used to construct the Mulberry harbours during WWII.

US Barge Costs Spike Weeks After Hurricane Ida

2 days ago

Barge freight costs for moving grains in the Midwestern United States spiked on Thursday due to ongoing logistical problems more than two weeks after Hurricane Ida, while CHS Inc said the timeline to reopen its terminal remains uncertain.CHS Inc, a farmer cooperative and grain trader, said it expected its Myrtle Grove, Louisiana, grain export terminal to be operational by the height of the U.S. corn and soy harvest but could not be more specific.The terminal, which unloads grain barges and loads ocean-going vessels for export, remains without power from the local utility provider and repair crews are using an onsite generator, it said. Power will have to be restored to resume shipments.

Louisiana Ports Seek Federal Aid for Ida Recovery

2 days ago

Several south Louisiana ports are requesting federal assistance to bolster recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ida.On August 29, Ida made landfall in southeast Louisiana as a category 4 storm, heavily impacting local infrastructure, waterways and communities.The Lower Mississippi River opened three days later, and by September 2, the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) resumed limited operations and became fully operational September 7. Although operations resumed, there remains ongoing assessment of needs, and supply chain disruptions also continue.

Indonesia Warns Against Arms Race After Australian Nuclear Sub Pact

2 days ago

Indonesia said on Friday it was worried about an arms race in the region after neighboring Australia announced plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines as part of a new Indo-Pacific security alliance with the United States and Britain.Known as AUKUS, the alliance will see Australia get the technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines as part of agreement intended to respond to growing Chinese power.In a statement on Friday, the Indonesian foreign ministry noted with caution Australia's decision to acquire the submarines and said it was "deeply concerned over the continuing arms race and power projection in the region".

Maritime Reporter and Engineering News (September 2021)

The Marine Design Edition