M.V. Aiviq – icebreaking anchor handling tug and supply vessel

M.V. Aiviq was originally delivered in 20212 for long term charter to Royal Dutch Shell in order to support oil exploration and drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off the coast of Alaska. Unfortunately, Shell’s exploration program was terminated in 2015 after expenditure of around US$ 7 billion with the company having suffered several operational issues and disappointing drill results. The program was also opposed by environmental groups and was subject to an increasingly uncertain U.S. regulatory framework impacting Arctic exploration.

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M.V. Bahijah – livestock carrier

 

The diversion of vessels away from the Red Sea has many unintended consequences, most of course being logistical and financial. However, when it comes to cruise ships and livestock carriers, much more is at stake given the microscope that both sectors live under. One such livestock carrier diverted last month was the Israeli owned Bahijah while on passage from Australia to Jordan.

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Terror Threat to Primary Supply Chain

15 Jan 2024 News

The events of the last month have again drawn the world’s attention to the vulnerability of a major supply chain and maritime trade choke point to terrorism. Not since the Suez Canal was closed following the 6 day war between Israel and her neighbours in 1967 have so many ships trading between Asia and Europe been re-routed via the Cape of Good Hope. Between 1986 and 1985 the Canal was of course closed to all shipping but now it is Iranian financed and armed Houthi terrorists based in Yemen that are creating havoc by launching attacks, primarily aimed at container shipping when transiting the 20 mile wide Bab al Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, an area which hosts close to 12% of world trade including 30% of container traffic on a daily basis. The stated objective is to punish vessels having trading links with Israel, however the range of vessels being targeted goes well beyond this.

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Celebrity Edge – cruise ship

Having returned from a few weeks of cruising in mid December, including 26 days on Celebrity Edge, I decided to take the liberty of using her to kick off the 2024 selection of ships.

After being laid down in November 2016, Celebrity Edge was delivered at the end of October 2018 and began her maiden voyage in December 2018.

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Ecuador on the brink

15 Dec 2023 News

A recent BBC headline ran “Ecuadoreans are voting in the run-off of a presidential election that has been overshadowed by a crime wave which has turned the country into one of the most violent in the region.

The first round of the election was held just days after presidential candidate Fernando Villavicenio, an outspoken opponent of organized crime and corruption, was shot dead in the capital city of Quito. Seven suspects were arrested in connection with his assassination but have themselves been murdered in jail”.

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U.S. Merchant Marine Training Ship Empire State (courtesy MARAD)

The era of dedicated merchant marine/navy cadet training ships has long since gone the way of the Dodo bird in most countries, however in the case of the United States, the tradition survives. The new build training ship Empire State was last month delivered to the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) by Philly Shipyard and TOTE Services, which is overseeing the program of constructing five new training ships to be distributed across the country. Empire State has been assigned to the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College which has a 150 year history in the training of future U.S. mariners.

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panama canal expansion

Panama Canal expansion faces climate change challenges

15 Sep 2023 News

When the expanded Panama Canal opened for commercial operations in 2016, the prospects for easier access between Asia and the U.S. East Coast looked set to provide a major boost to east-west trade. Initial trial runs using the 13,100 TEU capacity Maersk Edinburgh proved successful and a combination of vessel design enhancements and adjustments to permitted vessel beam and draft have gradually allowed the benchmark to be tweaked upwards.

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