Following Hurricane Maria's landfall in Puerto Rico last September, a number of media reports claimed that the Jones Act had severely damaged the Puerto Rican economy both over time and in the immediate aftermath of the storm. These claims were nothing new. For years even before the storm, the Jones Act, a nearly century-old law that requires goods shipped between U.S. ports … [Read more...]
Singapore Shipping Company Sentenced Pay $1 Million Fine for Illegal Dumping in Hawaii
A Singaporean shipping company has been sentenced to pay a fine of $1 million and serve two years of probation for failing to maintain an accurate oil record book and false statements concerning the illegal dumping of oil-contaminated bilge water at sea. U.S. District Court Judge Helen Gillmor handed down the sentence to Hai Soon Ship Management on 12 July 2018 relating to … [Read more...]
Twelve People Injured by Flying Lava Aboard Kilauea Volcano Tour Boat
A dozen people were injured on Monday when the tour boat they were on was struck by flying lava from the Kilauea volcano on Big Island of Hawaii. The U.S. Coast Guard said it received a report of 12 people injured aboard a lava tour boat off Kapoho Bay, HI, where lava from the erupting Kilauea Volcano has been entering the ocean in recent months. The Coast … [Read more...]
Polar Research Vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough (aka ‘Boaty’) Launched in the UK
The 10,000-tonne hull of the RRS Sir David Attenborough was launched into the River Mersey on Saturday, marking a major milestone in the build of the UK's new state-of-the-art polar research ship. The ship, which is under construction at the Cammel Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, is the largest civilian ship to be built in the UK in the last 30 years. The £200 million polar … [Read more...]
Tidewater and Gulfmark to Merge, Creating Offshore Supply Vessel Leader
U.S.-based offshore supply vessel companies Tidewater (NYSE: TDW) and GulfMark Offshore (NYSE: GLF) announced Monday that their respective Boards of Directors have unanimously approved a definitive agreement to combine the two companies. The combination would create a global leader in the offshore support vessel sector that is "positioned to capitalize on significant cost … [Read more...]