BOWEN QUEEN

Uber is taking to the water in London. Earlier this month the international ride-hailing company marked the start of a partnership with water taxi operator Thames Clippers to provide its services on the River Thames.The first vessel donning Uber Boat by Thames Clippers branding set sail on August 3 as part of a fleet of 20 passenger vessels departing from 23 piers across London from Putney in the west to Woolwich Royal Arsenal in the east.Uber is rolling out the service on its app, meaning commuters and tourists can purchase tickets in advance to guarantee a seat and then use contactless QR technology to board. The payment will be processed using the Uber account details.

A shipping joint venture between Venezuela and China has fallen apart in the wake of U.S. sanctions, resulting in the South American nation losing three supertankers at a time when foreign shippers are reluctant to carry its oil, court documents show.PetroChina Co Ltd, which had been state-run Petroleos de Venezuela’s partner in the Singapore-based joint venture CV Shipping Pte Ltd, took control of the three tankers between January and February, according the documents from a Singapore court reviewed by Reuters.The transfer of the Junin, Boyaca and Carabobo very large crude carriers (VLCC) has not been previously reported.It came after U.S.

Container lines have resumed calls to Beirut after last week's explosion, with the terminal having sustained only minor damage, leading companies said on Tuesday.The August 4 blast in Beirut's port, which killed more than 160 people and injured 6,000 more, demolished entire neighborhoods of Lebanon's capital in seconds.Container lines diverted ships to Lebanon’s smaller port of Tripoli to keep vital supply lines running."We are glad to advise that the container terminal suffered only minor damage and it has restarted operations,” German container line Hapag Lloyd said in a note to customers on Tuesday

Two new tugs launched last month at the Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam are due to enter service for Boluda Towage Europe at the Port of Zeebrugge in December. The new tugs will be named VB Bolero and VB Rumba and will join Boluda Towage Europe's fleet currently comprising 81 tugs operating in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom.The highly maneuverable Damen ASD Tugs 2813 each offer 85 metric tons bollard pull and will be used for harbor and terminal escort and berthing duties, firefighting and coastal and offshore towing operations.both vessels are equipped with the Damen Marine NOX Reduction System and comply with the most recent IMO Tier III emission standards.

Longtime Maersk executive Jack Mahoney has been named president and CEO of Westwood Shipping Lines, Inc., a Puyallup, Wash. based independent conbulk liner carrier in the north Transpacific trade. He succeeds Guy Stephenson who is retiring after 13 years in the role. Stephenson will continue in a support role as Executive Advisor/General Counsel.Mahoney’s recent posts with Maersk include three years as President of Maersk in Canada and, more recently, he has been Vice President of the Automotive Industry in Florham Park, N.J.