Hello Club Members! Here is your weekly Dispatch with all the maritime news you need to know to end your week.
Ship Photo of The Week
Crowley’s American Energy, the first U.S.-flagged LNG carrier to supply Puerto Rico. Photo courtesy Crowley
Top Stories
Ceasefire Crumbles
The shaky Israel-Hamas ceasefire officially unraveled this week, reigniting regional tensions and increasing maritime threats across the Middle East. With offensive operations resuming in Gaza, the Houthis have quickly reimposed their ban on Israeli shipping and raised the stakes by threatening U.S. warships, declaring American vessels fair game “as long as they continue their aggression,” and even reverting to their old habit of claiming strikes on American carriers without proof.
With President Trump ordering renewed strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has vowed an “unrelenting” campaign until the group stops firing on ships in the Red Sea.
Trump has also turned up the heat on Iran, warning that any Houthi attacks will now be treated as Iranian attacks, vowing consequences. Iran shot back with a threat of “severe consequences” for any U.S. action.
With this week’s ceasefire collapse, maritime security experts are warning of escalating risks to merchant ships from the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf, plus renewed threats to Israeli ports as the region braces for more troubled waters ahead.
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
A drone view of the Dali containership, which crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge causing it to collapse, in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., March 26, 2024, in this still image taken from a handout video. NTSB/Handout via REUTERS
Turns out the Francis Scott Key Bridge wasn’t just unlucky—it was off-the-charts risky. The NTSB revealed this week that the bridge’s vulnerability to vessel strikes was nearly 30 times higher than acceptable levels before it collapsed last year, tragically killing six people. And it’s not alone: 68 bridges across the United States—including icons like the Golden Gate and Verrazano—lack modern assessments for ship strike risks.
In a scathing interim report, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy called out the Maryland Transportation Authority for skipping a critical vulnerability check—one that could’ve flagged the bridge’s extreme risk. Worse, the agency didn’t have key data on vessel traffic, speeds, and other details needed for a proper analysis.
The NTSB is now urging federal agencies to step up oversight and guide bridge owners in assessing collision risks.
Teapots in Hot Water
The U.S. Treasury just turned up the heat on Iran’s oil trade, dropping sanctions on a Chinese “teapot” refinery and a fleet of tankers caught sneaking around sanctions. At the center of the crackdown is a small but critical Chinese refinery accused of buying half a billion dollars’ worth of Iranian crude.
Eight tankers—five VLCCs and three Aframaxes—were slapped with sanctions for allegedly helping Iran move oil under the radar, using shady tactics like turning off tracking systems. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent didn’t mince words: “These oil sales fund terror and nukes—we’re cutting off the cash flow.”
The move marks the fourth round of sanctions since President Trump’s February ‘maximum pressure’ push to squeeze Tehran’s revenue. Translation: The U.S. is cracking down on Iran’s shadowy oil hustle, and China’s teapot refiners just got a scalding wake-up call.
Pushback on USTR’s Built-in-China Tariff Plan
Maritime leaders are sounding alarms over the U.S. Trade Representative’s plan to slap massive fees on Chinese-built ships, warning it could cripple U.S. trade, spike prices, and push carriers and ships out of the market.
The proposal? Up to $1.5 million per port call for Chinese-built vessels and $1 million for operators with Chinese ships—hitting 98% of container vessels at U.S. ports. Even non-Chinese carriers could face millions in fees due to ties to Chinese shipyards, which produce 61% of the world’s ships.
Industry expert John McCown pegs the annual cost at over $100 billion for the container sector alone, calling the plan “worse than tariffs.” Atlantic Container Line warns export rates could quintuple and says it may abandon U.S. service. Meanwhile, U.S. exports like Iowa grain, Texas LNG, and West Virginia coal could lose ground to global rivals.
With Monday’s public hearing fast approaching, critics urge the USTR to rethink. Their message? Don’t sink the economy to save the ship.
Déjà Vu in Gibraltar
A view of the half-sunk cargo ship OS 35 in Catalan Bay after its collision with an LNG tanker near Gibraltar, September 1, 2022. Gibraltar Government/Handout via REUTERS
An LNG tanker and a bulk carrier got a little too close for comfort this week in Gibraltar’s Western Anchorage, sparking déjà vu from a much messier 2022 incident. Early Tuesday morning, the SM Kestrel lightly bumped into the anchored MV Diamond Star while maneuvering to depart. No injuries, no spills, and only minor damage—but the fender-bender has reignited debate over whether ships should be required to have a pilot onboard when leaving port.
Currently, Gibraltar doesn’t mandate pilots for departures, and most ships skip it to save money. But this policy is under fire, especially after 2022’s OS 35 disaster, when a similar collision with another LNG carrier led to a grounding, an oil spill, and a wreck removal saga that lasted 10 months.
Investigators say pilotage would have “very likely” prevented that crash. Now, with another near-miss on the books, calls are growing louder for mandatory pilotage, better training, and tighter communication. For now, SM Kestrel and Diamond Star averted a much more serious incident—and Gibraltar’s pilot policy is once again under the microscope.
Germany Nabs Russian Shadow Ship
A handout photo released on January 10, 2025, shows the suspected ‘shadow fleet’ tanker Eventin, carrying oil from Russia, under tow after a propulsion issue in the Baltic Sea. Photo: Havariekommando/German Central Command for Maritime Emergencies
Germany just made an unexpected addition to its fleet—a rusty oil tanker suspected of running sanctions for Russia. The Eventin, a Panama-flagged vessel, was found adrift off Ruegen Island in January, carrying about 100,000 metric tons of oil worth tens of millions of dollars.
German authorities subsequently seized the ship, believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet”. The government has now issued a confiscation order, effectively taking ownership of the ship and its cargo, while delivering a stern rebuke to Moscow. Russia is denying involvement, with the Kremlin claiming it knows nothing about the ship, its owner, or why it was seized.
Customs measures are reportedly still in progress, but Germany says it’s working with allies to close loopholes that let Russia finance its war in Ukraine—one seized shadow ship at a time.
Korean Yard Fixes U.S. Navy Ship
In a first for South Korea’s shipbuilding scene, Hanwha Ocean just wrapped up a major maintenance job on the USNS Wally Schirra, marking the first time a Korean shipyard has serviced a U.S. Navy vessel. Over six months at Hanwha’s Geoje Shipyard, the dry cargo ship got the full spa treatment—engine and hull repairs, system upgrades, and a few surprise fixes along the way.
The milestone follows Hanwha’s 2024 maintenance deal with the Navy and a fresh contract for work on the USNS Yukon. The timing is key—America’s shipyards have struggled with delays, so outsourcing some repairs could be a game-changer.
Hanwha’s not stopping there, either. After snapping up Philly Shipyard last year, it has now acquired a minority stake in Australian shipbuilder Austal, whose U.S.-based subsidiary is a major military shipbuilder. The company is clearly positioning itself to ride the defense sector wave.
As always, we’d love to hear your feedback. Email [email protected] with any questions, comments, tips, or concerns. Don’t forget to check out the Club Discord and gCaptain.com for the latest maritime news.
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