EDITORIAL NOTE: Elements of this story have been fictionalized for brevity. OP-ED By John Konrad (gCaptain) Those five words have special meaning. They motivate like no other. They ring for years in the sweat-soaked nightmares of any sailor who has ever heard them. They excite and calm. Words have power and meaning but few words have more meaning to sailors than these five. … [Read more...]
A Flag Under Siege: Security or Loyalty?
By Josh Hutchinson, CEO of ARX Maritime Ever since their inception back in the 1920s, Flags of Convenience (FoC) have been a subject of no small amount of controversy. The practice originally began during prohibition, when American cruise ships would fly under the Panamanian flag in order to be able to serve alcohol to passengers and thus escape the stringent US … [Read more...]
Opinion: American LNG, Oil and Coal to China via Mexico
By Albert A. Melvin (Opinion) - The USA, China, and Mexico have an excellent trans-Pacific trade opportunity that can greatly benefit all three countries for the next 25 years and potentially beyond. The key is a state of the art, deep-water port in Sonora, Mexico taking advantage of the naturally deep water in the Sea of Cortez. This proposed port would be very similar, … [Read more...]
Deja Vu All Over Again
By Captain George Livingstone - Some of you may recall another phrase, “Call me Cassandra”. The term, originating in Greek mythology is used when valid warnings or concerns are either dismissed or disbelieved. In the space of just 90 days since my January column “2018 The State of Maritime” where concerns about modern maritime safety were discussed, there have been … [Read more...]
2018 The State Of Maritime
By Captain George Livingstone (Editorial) As we enter 2018 what is the state of the international maritime industry? The Cruise ship industry is booming, building incredibly big ships along with record profits and creating a few questions about safety. The Container shipping industry is after the same strategy, building more and more incredibly big ships minus the profit … [Read more...]