Paul Benecki

Staff Writer

Paul Benecki is a graduate of Cornell University's chemistry program. He worked in industry for several years before shipping out on freighters and tugs on the U.S. West Coast, then with the University of Washington's research vessel, the Thomas G. Thompson. He studied navigation and bridge resource management at the Pacific Maritime Institute, and is currently a staff writer and news editor at The Maritime Executive Magazine.

Quieting the Waters

By Paul Benecki 2018-06-04 19:18:00

Orcas are charismatic, playful and well-publicized, and they might be British Columbia's best-known animals. One large subgroup is also endangered, and researchers say that ship noise - particularly cavitation - bears a large share of the blame. Southern resident killer whales (SRKWs) are...

White House Seeks Input on U.S. Shipping Regulations

By Paul Benecki 2018-05-18 18:04:00

The White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs is soliciting public input on ways to reduce regulatory costs and restrictions on the American maritime industry. In particular, it is asking for recommendations regarding merchant ships and opportunities for "increased...

Compliance Challenges

By Paul Benecki 2018-03-22 22:04:00

Wastewater is ubiquitous on land and sea, and ships create multiple streams of effluent as they voyage from one port to the next. Their ballast systems discharge marine life. Their passengers and crew create sewage, and oil mixes with water...

IN THE KNOW Podcast 3: Transas Wants to Change Navigation

By Paul Benecki 2018-03-18 13:09:00

[Update: On Monday, technology firm Wärtsilä announced that it is purchasing Transas.] Transas CEO Frank Coles is one of the industry's most outspoken provocateurs. He questions the methods of the class societies, the P&I clubs, the satcom providers and the IMO. He describes...

PULLING TOGETHER

By Paul Benecki 2018-02-09 22:40:00

In the wake of Hurricane Maria, the Jones Act has become a bone of contention with critics claiming it hinders the Puerto Rican economy and supporters pointing to its importance for American jobs and national security. However, the tugs and...

Digging Deep

By Paul Benecki 2017-12-15 21:34:44

The Panama Canal Expansion is complete. The New Suez Canal has been built. China’s island-building campaign appears to be finished, and Dubai’s land-reclamation market has slowed. The next truly big thing for marine construction may be China’s “One Belt, One...

Adm. Buzby: Media Missed the Story on Puerto Rico Sealift

By Paul Benecki 2017-12-04 15:36:31

In a speech at the International Workboat Show last week, Maritime Administrator Rear Adm. Mark Buzby took the mainstream media to task for its coverage of the Jones Act and the American maritime industry's support for Puerto Rico. "Everyone in this...

Profiting from Data

By Paul Benecki 2017-09-07 21:41:27

The method most shipowners use to monitor a vessel’s performance hasn’t changed much in decades. The captain sends his ship’s status to the home office every day in a Noon Report, which contains the distance traveled, the propeller slip, the...

Could "Big Data" Predict Freight Rates?

By Paul Benecki 2017-08-15 21:26:53

What if you had a good idea of what container freight rates for your cargo might be next week? If you knew they would go up, you could book your shipment now; if you knew they would go down, you might...

Moneymaker

By Paul Benecki 2017-07-26 20:46:32

The Relatively Low Startup Costs of a Ro/Ro Terminal Can Pay Big Dividends. For a port authority, there’s a lot to like about a roll-on/roll-off operation. The latest ro/ros can handle almost anything that can...