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Ship Photo of The Week
NCL Salten meters from a house in Byneset, Norway. (Source: VG-Tipser)
Top Stories
Tragedy Under the Bridge
A festive farewell turned fatal Saturday night when the Mexican Navy’s tall ship Cuauhtémoc backed into the Brooklyn Bridge, killing two and injuring 22. The 297-foot sailing vessel, adorned with lights and a giant flag, was leaving South Street Seaport when its 147-foot masts clipped the bridge’s underside, toppling onto the deck.
Videos show the ship approaching too tall, too fast—and stuck traveling astern—just minutes after departure. Naval cadets clung to the rigging as the ship collided with the iconic span, narrowly missing crowds on shore.
The bridge, built in 1883, was undamaged and reopened hours later. The vessel, bound for Iceland, is now moored nearby as investigators assess the wreck.
The NTSB is leading the probe, examining engineering factors, tug operations, and survival conditions. The Mexican government is also involved as investigations unfold on both sides of the border.
Shadow Fleet-Boxing
The EU and UK just slapped their biggest sanctions yet on Russia’s shadow fleet, targeting hundreds of vessels and support companies involved in dodging the oil price cap. The EU’s 17th sanctions package hits 189 ships, bringing its blacklist to 342 vessels—up from just 79 in late 2024. The UK added 18 more ships and sanctioned British national John Michael Ormerod, a prominent shipping figure and the first UK citizen named for aiding Russia’s covert oil trade.
In a twist, the EU also cracked down on Russia’s LNG sector for the first time, sanctioning three new carriers linked to Mitsui OSK Lines and Novatek’s Yamal LNG project. These ships have been key to Arctic transfers of Russian gas.
The sanctions don’t stop at ships—58 companies and 17 individuals were also named, including VSK Insurance and Eiger Shipping, a UAE-based operator connected to Lukoil. Still, maritime intel firm Pole Star Global says the net may not be tight enough—only a third of suspected violators were included.
The goal: cut off the cash. Russian oil revenues are already down 15% this year, and talk of dropping the $60 price capto $50 is heating up. But one major player is missing: the U.S. hasn’t joined in since January. European officials are now urging Washington to step in before Russia’s shadow fleet slips further through the cracks.
Wind Wins, But Pipelines Get a Nod
The Trump administration has lifted its stop work order on the $5 billion Empire Wind project after striking a deal with New York Governor Kathy Hochul that could revive natural gas pipelines long stalled by the state.
Construction was paused in April, stranding 11 offshore vessels and putting 1,500 union jobs in limbo. But three weekend phone calls between Trump and Hochul helped seal the agreement: Wind can resume, if pipelines get a fair shot.
Empire Wind 1 is already 30% built and aims to power 500,000 homes by 2027. The deal could breathe new life into projects like the Constitution Pipeline and Williams’ Northeast Supply Enhancement.
The agreement may signal a broader shift—pairing renewable energy development with fossil fuel infrastructure. With $2.5 billion already sunk into the project and a massive Brooklyn port transformation underway, Equinor is reassessing costs but still targeting a 2027 launch.
U.S. Eyes Ocean Floor for Critical Minerals
For the first time in over 30 years, the U.S. is exploring deep-sea mining—this time off the coast of American Samoa. The Department of the Interior has launched a lease sale evaluation for criical minerals under President Trump’s new executive order, “Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources.”
The goal? Tap into polymetallic nodules rich in nickel, manganese, and copper, and potentially add $300 billion to GDP while creating 100,000 jobs. U.S.-based Impossible Metals kicked things off with a formal lease request in April.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will weigh science, environmental impacts, and local feedback—especially from Indigenous communities and ocean users. But critics warn of lasting damage to marine ecosystems, while backers argue deep-sea mining could ease pressure on land.
Jurisdiction may be tricky—especially beyond 200 miles offshore—since the U.S. never ratified the UN Law of the Sea. Still, Washington’s message is clear: dig deep, and dig local.
Flagged for Review: FMC Probes “Race to the Bottom” at Sea
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has initiated a sweeping investigation into vessel flagging practices that may be putting U.S. trade—and ports—at risk. At the heart of the 90-day probe? Flags of convenience (FOCs), where ships register under lenient nations to dodge stricter safety and labor rules.
The FMC warns of a global “race to the bottom” that sacrifices oversight for profit. Recent incidents underscore the stakes: the MV Dali, flagged in Singapore, caused the collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge; another near-miss involved Malta-flagged APL Qingdao in New York.
The investigation also tackles the rise of “shadow fleets” evading sanctions and using fake IDs.
The Commission seeks public comment through August 20, aiming to promote responsible flagging, enforce safety standards, and ensure America’s ports aren’t left holding the anchor.
Kim’s Warship Debut Goes Sideways
Satellite image via Airbus Defence and Space
North Korea’s big naval moment capsized—literally—when a 5,000-ton destroyer toppled during launch with Kim Jong Un watching from the sidelines. The vessel lost balance in a risky side-launch at the Chongjin shipyard, landing half-submerged and damaged.
Satellite imagery shows the stern slipped into the harbor while the bow got stuck on the ramp—likely due to outdated infrastructure. The shipyard, better known for fishing boats than warships, lacks dry docks and modern launch systems.
Seawater flooded the stern, but no holes were found. Officials hope to right the ship within days and patch it up in two weeks.
Kim didn’t hold back, calling it a “criminal act” of “carelessness” that “collapsed national dignity.” The shipyard manager has since been detained, and a full investigation is underway.
The failed launch comes just weeks after a similar destroyer floated fine on the west coast—highlighting the regime’s uneven shipbuilding capabilities.
Wake-Up Call: Containership Parks in Norwegian Front Yard
In what might be the world’s biggest “you can’t park there” moment, a 135-meter containership ran aground just meters from a cabin near Trondheim, Norway—while the homeowners slept soundly.
Johan Helberg only discovered the NCL Salten in his front yard after a neighbor rang the doorbell “We slept just seven meters from where the bow is and didn’t hear a thing,” he said. “We were lucky. If it had been on a slightly different course, it would have hit the house.”
Norwegian investigators have since arrested the ship’s Second Officer, who admitted to falling asleep while alone on watch.
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After months of inactivity Russia’s nascent fleet of sanctioned LNG carriers is on the move again. The 79,800-cbm Arctic Mulan (ex-Mulan) pulled alongside the 360,000-cbm Koryak FSU inside Bechevinskaya Bay in Kamchatka late on June 2. The LNG carrier has been in ballast for the past five months suggesting that it will be receiving cargo from the storage barge.
North Korea appears to have returned to an upright position its stricken Choe Hyun Class destroyer that partially capsized during a botched launching ceremony, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.
The US Coast Guard is reporting no injuries among the 22 crew aboard the medium-size car carrier. Morning Midas is capable of carrying around 6,000 motor vehicles.
The vessel departed from Yantai, China on May 26 with destination Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico where it was expected on June 15. According to shipping database Equasis the 2006 Morning Midas is owned by Hawthorn Navigation Inc. out of London with management by Zodiac Maritime Limited.
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