Houthis Being Pushed Back from Bab el-Mandeb

The Liner’s Dilemma: Schedule Integrity vs. Contractual Flexibility

Published Sep 14, 2026 4:58 PM by Gary English

Liner shipping sells predictability. Published schedules, fixed rotations, guaranteed port calls—these are the commercial promises that drive shipper decisions. When chokepoint disruptions force carriers to reroute entire service strings, those promises collide with operational reality. The contract is supposed to resolve that collision. Too often, it does not. In a previous article, “When Geography Breaks the Contract,” we examined how chokepoint disruptions—from the Red Sea to the Strait of Hormuz to the Panama Canal—expose fundamental gaps in shipping contracts built...

PCG servicemembers search low-mounted double-level bunk racks on the top deck of the June Aster (PCG)

Philippine Coast Guard Orders Salvage Operation After Fatal Ferry Fire

Published Sep 14, 2026 4:19 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Philippine Coast Guard has completed its search of all passenger spaces aboard the burned-out ro/ro ferry June Aster, which caught fire off Palawan last Wednesday and subsequently ran aground. PCG responders have now fully searched the bridge, crew accommodation, economy passenger berthing and air-conditioned passenger accommodation areas, and are about two-thirds of the way through the cargo decks. So far, a total of 76 bodies have been recovered. Escaping passengers awaking to the smoke and fire would have encountered...

diver recovering smuggled drugs from vessel's sea chest

Turkish Police Seize 350kg of Cocaine from Bulker’s Sea Chest

Published Sep 14, 2026 3:57 PM by The Maritime Executive

The police and narcotics units from Turkey’s Ministry of Justice reported a major cocaine seizure recovered by divers examining a sea chest on a bulker docked in the port of Mersin. The port is increasingly becoming a center for drug smuggling, while reports also show that smugglers are increasingly using sea chests to conceal narcotic smuggling. The Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the police reported they were acting on intelligence that a large quantity of narcotics was coming from...

The Strait of Hormuz and Oman's Musandam Peninsula (center) (NASA)

Oman's Strait of Hormuz Conference Implodes

Published Sep 14, 2026 3:37 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Omanis have cancelled a regional conference which they had called for Monday in Salalah, to which all GCC members plus Iraq had been invited. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the Fars News Agency that the business of the meeting in Oman was to have been the joint presentation of a new maritime transit corridor in the Strait of Hormuz, over which Oman and Iran have come to a draft agreement. Oman and Iran have been negotiating for months...

Shipping

Saudi Aramco's loading berths at Yanbu, a giant pipeline-supplied terminal on the Red Sea (Maxar / Airbus / Google)

Key Saudi Pipeline Could Be Slowed for Weeks, Affecting Global Oil Trade

Recent attacks on Saudi Aramco's East-West Pipeline have raised concerns in the oil market about the continued availability of cargoes. The concern appears to be justified: officials familiar with the damage assessment believe that it will take 3-5 weeks for pipeline flow to be fully restored, according to the AP. Given the size of the oil supply in storage sites to seaward of the pipeline damage, Aramco's Red Sea stockpiles could run low and its export loadings could begin to...

Tugs & Salvage

As Gulf Crisis Continues, Biofouling Risks Multiply for Ships at Anchor

Maritime operators are navigating an unusually volatile Gulf shipping market, with months of disruption and uncertainty leaving large numbers of vessels anchored for extended periods across the Arabian Gulf. AIS data gathered by MarineTraffic and reported by Weathernews put the number of stranded vessels at 958 as of mid-June 2026, with 63% idle for 100 days or more – a glimpse into a crisis that has continued to evolve since. Whatever happens next in the Gulf, months of inactivity have...

Government

Oman's Strait of Hormuz Conference Implodes

Corporate News

KROHNE Highlights OPTIMASS 6400 Coriolis Mass Flowmeter

[By: KROHNE] KROHNE, a leading provider of industrial process instrumentation, has designed the OPTIMASS 6400 Coriolis mass flowmeter for demanding applications in which difficult operating conditions can disrupt flow measurement. Its twin-bent-tube design combines mass, density and volume flow measurement with Entrained Gas Management (EGM™) technology to maintain operation when air or gas becomes entrained in the process medium. Designed for demanding applications across the process industries, the OPTIMASS 6400 is suitable for media temperatures from -200°C to +400°C (-328°F...

Cruise Ships

First River Cruise Ship Floated for Celebrity Cruises

The Dutch shipyards building the first river cruise ships for Celebrity Cruises marked key milestones as the first hull was floated and moved to the fitting-out yard. The ship will launch the ocean cruise line into river cruising in August 2027. The brand announced in January 2025 plans to expand its operations into European river cruising with a commitment to build 10 ships. As of June 30, 2026, the parent company, Royal Caribbean Group, reports that definitive building contracts for...

Ports

(I'm still confused on what to put for alt text)

Oversized

The growing global demand for clean energy and more energy (think data centers) is driving the growth of heavy lift, special project and breakbulk cargoes through international seaports. Offshore wind projects require, among other components, huge blades and turbines that will eventually add clean power to major power grids in America and elsewhere. While ports have announced increases in these cargoes, the infrastructure required to effectively handle these awkward pieces requires specialized equipment and knowledge. For Carver Companies, with global...

Shipping

Key Saudi Pipeline Could Be Slowed for Weeks, Affecting Global Oil Trade

Tugs & Salvage

As Gulf Crisis Continues, Biofouling Risks Multiply for Ships at Anchor

Government

Oman's Strait of Hormuz Conference Implodes

Corporate News

KROHNE Highlights OPTIMASS 6400 Coriolis Mass Flowmeter

Cruise Ships

First River Cruise Ship Floated for Celebrity Cruises

Ports

Oversized

Offshore

California Sues DOI Calling Offshore Wind Cancellation “Blatantly Unlawful"

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Energy Commission moved forward with their earlier challenges and filed a lawsuit on August 28 against the Trump administration and Golden State Wind over what it is calling “the unlawful buyout” of the offshore wind energy lease. The state is contending the deal to buy back the offshore wind lease is illegal and would jeopardize its investments to support the project, the state’s energy policy, and the commitments from the developer for...

Shipbuilding

The China Zorrilla loaded aboard Black Marlin off Tasmania, July 2026 (Incat press handout image)

World's Largest Electric Vessel is Set to Begin Service on Rio de la Plata

The heavy-lift ship Black Marlin has successfully delivered the world's largest electric ferry, the China Zorrilla. The Australian-made vessel is the world's largest electric vehicle of any kind, and it will operate on a 30-nautical-mile run across the Rio de la Plata between Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay and Buenos Aires, Argentina. China Zorrilla is an aluminum fast-ferry design constructed at the Incat yard in Tasmania. Capable of carrying up to 225 vehicles and 2,100 passengers, it is physically larger and...

Environment

Executive Interview: Carleen Lyden Walker, Co-Founder & CEO, NAMEPA

Carleen Lyden Walker is one of the best-known figures in maritime – founder of her own marketing business, co-founder of NAMEPA, former IMO Maritime Ambassador, Chief Evolution Officer of SHIPPINGInsight and a fierce advocate for all things maritime. She's a frequent speaker and participant at maritime conferences around the world, advocating for seafarers' rights, environmental stewardship and the role of women in maritime while raising the profile of an industry that touches every aspect of human life. Welcome, Carleen, we're...

Business

Poten: VLCC Rates Hit Unprecedented Levels Amidst Mideast Conflict

Participants in the tanker industry are no strangers to market cycles combined with extreme volatility. However, even seasoned veterans are looking at current developments in the market and scratching their heads. What is happening is truly unprecedented. It begs the question: What is driving this market and, more importantly, how sustainable is it? In this Tanker Opinion we will focus on the market for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), the most volatile and visible tanker segment. Just to provide a...

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

Select any month to view events: September October November December January February March April May June July August

Houthis Being Pushed Back from Bab el-Mandeb

The Liner’s Dilemma: Schedule Integrity vs. Contractual Flexibility

Philippine Coast Guard Orders Salvage Operation After Fatal Ferry Fire

Turkish Police Seize 350kg of Cocaine from Bulker’s Sea Chest

Oman's Strait of Hormuz Conference Implodes

Key Saudi Pipeline Could Be Slowed for Weeks, Affecting Global Oil Trade

As Gulf Crisis Continues, Biofouling Risks Multiply for Ships at Anchor

Oman's Strait of Hormuz Conference Implodes

KROHNE Highlights OPTIMASS 6400 Coriolis Mass Flowmeter

First River Cruise Ship Floated for Celebrity Cruises

Oversized

Beyond Web-Based SaaS: The Cloud-Native Advantage

A Mediterranean Residence Worth Pursuing for American Families

The Next Generation of Marine Propulsion

Key Saudi Pipeline Could Be Slowed for Weeks, Affecting Global Oil Trade

As Gulf Crisis Continues, Biofouling Risks Multiply for Ships at Anchor

Oman's Strait of Hormuz Conference Implodes

KROHNE Highlights OPTIMASS 6400 Coriolis Mass Flowmeter

First River Cruise Ship Floated for Celebrity Cruises

Oversized

California Sues DOI Calling Offshore Wind Cancellation “Blatantly Unlawful"

World's Largest Electric Vessel is Set to Begin Service on Rio de la Plata

Executive Interview: Carleen Lyden Walker, Co-Founder & CEO, NAMEPA

Poten: VLCC Rates Hit Unprecedented Levels Amidst Mideast Conflict

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

Join the conversation.

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events