Maritime Vessels Directory

German NGO Sea-Watch said on Friday it had rescued nearly 100 migrants in the Mediterranean overnight, many of whom were injured, some with severe "fuel burns" - chemical burns caused by exposure to gasoline mixed with seawater.Migrant boat departures from Libya and Tunisia to Italy and other parts of Europe have increased in recent months with better weather.According to the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 1,100 people fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East have perished this year in the Mediterranean.

FBI: Amount of Chemicals in Beirut Blast Was a Fraction of Original Shipment

3 hours ago

The amount of ammonium nitrate that blew up at Beirut port last year was one-fifth of the shipment unloaded there in 2013, the FBI concluded after the blast, adding to suspicions that much of the cargo had gone missing.As the first anniversary approaches on Aug. 4, major questions remain unanswered, including how a huge quantity of ammonium nitrate - which can be used to make fertilizer or bombs - was left unsafely stored in a capital city for years.The blast was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded, killing more than 200 people, wounding thousands, and devastating swathes of Beirut.The FBI's Oct.

Halter Marine to Build Fifth U.S. Navy Berthing Barge

2 hours ago

U.S.-based Halter Marine, an ST Engineering North America company, has been awarded a contract option for the U.S. Navy’s fifth Auxiliary Personnel Lighter–Small (APL(S)) 67 Class berthing and messing barge. APLs are used by the Navy to house crewmembers when ships are in port for availabilities and Inter-Deployment Training Cycles. The barges are mobile and can be towed to new bases or shipyards to support changing fleet requirements and also offer potential use for humanitarian missions and other temporary assignments.The contract award announced Friday is $41 million for a firm, fixed-price option for the detailed design and construction of the vessel.

New Push Tug Delivered to Vane Brothers

3 hours ago

Jones Act marine transportation provider Vane Brothers announced it has taken delivery this month of the third in a series of four 3,000-horsepower push tugs. Named the Rock Hall, Vane’s newest addition is the nineteenth Maryland-built towing vessel to join the Baltimore-based company’s fleet since 2008.Chesapeake Shipbuilding and Naval Architects of Salisbury, Maryland has delivered 16 3,000-horsepower, model bow tugs and three 3,000-horsepower square-bow push boats. Two of the Rock Hall’s sister tugs, the Salisbury and the Annapolis, were delivered in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The molded depth of these push tugs is only 10.

Seacor Power Capsizing: Public Hearing Scheduled for Aug. 2

4 hours ago

The U.S. Coast Guard will next week hold a formal public hearing to consider evidence related to the April 2021 capsizing of the liftboat Seacor Power and the death of 13 of its 19 crewmembers in the Gulf of Mexico.The Seacor Power liftboat capsized, April 13, 2021, about seven miles south of Port Fourchon, La., in the Gulf of Mexico with 19 crewmembers aboard. Six crewmembers were initially rescued, and six were recovered unresponsive during the course of the response. Coast Guard boat and aircrews, local agencies, and good Samaritans searched for a cumulative 175 hours, covering more than 9,200 square nautical miles

Maritime Reporter and Engineering News (June 2021)

USCG Fleet Modernization Annual