US News
In a significant move in March, the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson made an historic port visit to Vietnam, the first by an American carrier since the end of the Vietnam War in 1973.
The carrier took part in multi-national exercises under the auspices of the Pacific Partnership mission which includes co-operation with Canadian, British, French, Peruvian, Japanese and Australian forces in the region.
The American organisation DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) handed over the first prototype of what the US Navy hopes will be an autonomous sub hunting surface ship on 30 January. Sea Hunter is the result of the US Navy’s Anti Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) program and is likely to create a whole new class of naval vessels that could remain at sea for months at a time without humans onboard. Sea Hunter is a trimaran hulled vessel with a displacement of 140 tons and capable of speeds up to 27 knots. As a prototype, the vessel carries no weapons, but is capable of carrying out surveillance over a large ocean territory.
German News
The German Navy recalled the latest class of frigates after they failed first of class sea trials and had to be sent back to the shipbuilders. Baden-Wurttemberg class ships are designed to replace the 1980’s era Bremen class in service. Sadly, the ship is the first vessel ever to be refused to be accepted by the German Navy from its shipbuilders following the discovery of a large number of faults and problems.
Around ninety percent of the systems onboard the frigate are new as well as the computer software designed to control them. The Atlas Naval Combat System, built by Atlas Electronik GmbH of Bremen, has reportedly, been particularly troublesome. Furthermore, the ship lists to starboard slightly and is overweight and its propulsion systems cannot get the ship to its designed top speed.
Indian News
The third of a planned class of six French designed Scorpene class attack submarines for the Indian Navy, Karanj, was launched on January 31.
The submarine was built by Mazagon Dock Limited and the ceremony was performed by Reena Lanba, wife of the Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba.
South Korean News
The first of the new FFX-II class guided missile frigates Daegu was delivered on 1 February.
At 122 metres long the new frigate was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering. She is the first of eight such vessels on order and is an enlarged version of the earlier Incheon (FFX-I) class ships that entered service from 2013.
What will be the largest purpose-built shiprepair yard in the South Atlantic Basin is being developed in the state of
Associated British Ports (ABP) plans to expand its Grimsby River Terminal to enable it to handle the world’s largest car
A new Chief Executive has been appointed by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to succeed Paul Boissier, who has held
Each year, the Clean Tyne project removes around 400 tonnes of debris from the River Tyne between Blaydon and the
The 20-year Master Plan for boosting trade through the Kent port of Sheerness has reached a significant milestone with the
The Houston Ship Canal reopened to daylight traffic after being closed for nearly a week due to a serious fire
The US Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Star arrived back at her homeport of Seattle, Washington on Mar 11 after an
Four new Super-Post-Panamax container cranes arrived at Tacoma, Washington, from China in early March, just over a year after the
Two crew members of the tanker Chemtrans Nova, 73,870dwt, had to be flown ashore for treatment after the lifeboat they
At Port Everglades, Florida, on Feb 5, some 34,780lbs of cocaine with a street value of $466mn was unloaded from
The major Japanese shipping line Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has unveiled a number of new objectives aimed at improving its
The first of two 700 teu cargo ship for the Bass Strait route between the Tasmanian port of Burnie and
A major anti-pollution operation was launched in the Solomon Islands after the bulk carrier Solomon Trader, 73,592dwt, with a cargo
The Stellar Daisy, owned by Polaris Shipping, of South Korea, was carrying a cargo of iron ore from Brazil to
American News The contract for the construction of LPD30, the first Flight II Landing Platform Dock of the San Antonio
British News Whilst on patrol in the Gulf, the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon seized and destroyed ten tonnes of
American News On 31 January, the US Department of Defense announced the awarding of a block buy contract with Huntington
British News It has been announced by the Brazilian Government in early December that the Falklands Patrol ship HMS Clyde
The drama surrounding the much delayed new ferries for Caledonian MacBrayne continues to rumble on with the latest, not unsurprising,
A poster of Llandudno pier prompted a memory from ex Calmac chief engineer Charlie McCurdy as he took another trip
Scandinavian and Baltic operators seem to be leading the way in reducing ferry reliance on fossil fuels.
A new ferry will replace the 1992-built MF Herjólfur to the Westmann Islands and will be in line with Iceland’s
I am gratified to hear at Cammell Lairds and Red Funnel have a particularly good record in ordering from UK
Most of the rivers flowing into the Thames had their own barge type.
For some time Victory, the 110gun ship of the line, has had trouble with dry rot and is in danger
Scottish maritime interests particularly may mourn the loss of Geo Gibson.
In the Victorian era, there were many coastal places where craft worked off open beaches.
In the Victorian era, there were many coastal places where craft worked off open beaches.
Red Kestrel, the newest addition to Red Funnel’s fleet, arrived at her new home in Southampton on 18 April.
I was intrigued to read recently about the career of Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy (1805-65).
I was reading recently about the unsuccessful auction to find a buyer for the Falls of Clyde, the last remaining
The Spectrum of the Seas (169,379 GT), Royal Caribbean International’s first ship in the Quantum Ultra Class, embarked on the
For over fifteen years, the SeaDream Yacht Club has operated two yachtlike ships, on 7 to 15-day voyages.
If ever proof was needed that traditionally built craft can still play a part in the luxury charter market in
Yet another new and modern expedition vessel custom built for Antarctic air-cruises will make her debut in 2019.
SAGA Cruises has announced it is taking up an option for it’s second new ship to be built at the
