Maritime Vessels Directory

A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 63 nautical miles west of Saudi Arabia's port city of Yanbu, leading to a fire on the vessel's main deck, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Monday.The UKMTO said all crew were safe and accounted for with no reported environmental impact.Yanbu is Saudi Arabia's main Red Sea oil port, where millions of barrels a day are loaded, and has become the main route out for Saudi oil skirting the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded by Iran.Shipping from Yanbu has itself faced disruption since Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis declared a blockade on Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea last month.

Decrepit Port Infrastructure has Vessels Stacked Off Venezuela

3 days ago

Venezuela's dilapidated oil port terminals are imposing a de facto export cap on the country's resurgent crude production, with tankers having to wait up to 30 days to load because of ageing infrastructure, power outages and quality issues, according to shipping data, sources and documents.The delays are putting roadblocks on a U.S. plan to quickly boost Venezuela's oil exports following a flagship pact with global trading houses. The fight for infrastructure looks likely to intensify as many partners of state energy firm PDVSA get ready to market their share of output independently under new contract terms.

Viking Orders Two Cruise Vessels for 2032 Delivery

4 days ago

Fincantieri and Viking have signed contracts for two new cruise ships, extending a long-running shipbuilding relationship that now encompasses 28 vessels.The ships result from Viking exercising options announced in April 2025 and will be constructed at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard in Italy, with both vessels scheduled for delivery in 2032. Fincantieri classified the value of the agreement, which remains subject to financing and other conditions, as “large.”Designed for the small cruise ship segment, each newbuild will measure approximately 54,300 gross tons and accommodate 998 passengers in 499 cabins.

South Korean Container Ship Will Test Arctic Route

4 days ago

A container ship will depart from South Korea bound for Europe via the Arctic on Saturday, testing whether a route opened by melting sea ice can be commercially viable, but risking friction with Western allies, as the voyage requires Russian cooperation.If successful, the trip would be South Korea's first such commercial voyage to Europe via the Arctic, placing it with China and Russia among the few countries whose shipping firms have tested or run cargo services along the route.Sailing north from the port of Busan, the PanStar Acro will make stops at Felixstowe in Britain, Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Poland's Gdansk before returning in a journey expected to take 40 to 45 days

UAE Trade Pause, US Sanctions Threaten Indian Exports to Iran

40 minutes ago

Planned new U.S. sanctions on Iran and the UAE's halt on Tehran trade could severely disrupt Indian exports of rice, tea and pharmaceuticals to Iran, which have been largely routed through Dubai's port in recent years, Indian exporters said on Monday.India has been among Iran's five largest trading partners, though bilateral trade has fallen by more than 90% from its 2018/19 highs of $17 billion, with exports now limited mostly to goods exempted on humanitarian grounds.Indian exporters fear U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed "economic D-Day" plan, likely to be unveiled later on Monday, could further squeeze trade weakened by sanctions, banking caution and shipping constraints.

Maritime Reporter and Engineering News (August 2026)