ShippingNews
Fast Facts: What are the Horse Latitudes?
The horse latitudes are regions located at about 30 degrees north and south of the equator. These latitudes are characterized by calm winds and little precipitation. It is common in this region of the subtropics for winds to diverge and either flow toward the poles (known as the prevailing westerlies) or toward the equator (known as the trade winds). These diverging winds are the result of an area of high pressure, which is characterized by calm winds, sunny skies and...
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Panama Canal Proposes New Toll Structure
The Panama Canal published a proposal to modify its current tolls structure on Friday. There will now be a 30-day formal consultation period for industry feedback, which will close on July 15, 2019. For the dry bulk segment, the proposal offers matching the tolls charged to Neopanamax vessels carrying iron ore with the tolls assessed for grains and “other dry bulk” cargoes, as well as a tariff increase for Neopanamax dry bulkers transiting in ballast. The proposal also aims to...
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Songa Shipmanagement Awarded Cyber Security Certification
As the shipping industry becomes more and more digitalized, so cyber attacks on shipping companies and ships have increased. A robust and comprehensive cyber security response and active cyber protection is now essential to ensure the safety of any vessel and its crew. Reflecting this, the IMO affirmed that safety management systems (SMS) should take into account cyber risk management in accordance with the objectives and functional requirements of the ISM Code. Shipowners may risk having their ships detained by...
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Blockchain Applied to Electronic Logbook
The classification society RINA has released a tamper-proof version of its electronic logbook, a first of its kind to employ blockchain technology to provide a secure, traceable record of ship data. An electronic logbook replaces paper logbooks, such as the Oil Record Book (Part I and II), cargo, garbage and ballast logbooks. This simplifies data entry, improves data reliability, increases regulatory compliance and helps minimize the risk of human error, which, in turn, reduces the risk of fines or non-conformities. ...
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Pompeo: Tanker Attacks Fulfill Iranian Promise
Two tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz on a south easterly course were attacked on Thursday, sparking condemnation across the maritime industry. The two vessels involved were the crude oil tanker Front Altair and the chemical tanker Kokuka Courageous. Both crews have abandoned ship after explosions occurred on the vessels. Front Altair is Marshall Islands flagged, and Kokua Courageous Panama-flagged. The Front Altair is believed to be carrying 75,000 tons of Naptha originating from Abu Dhabi’s ANDOC. The Kokuka Courageous...
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STM Project Starts Work on S-100 Interoperability
The E.U. Sea Traffic Management (STM) project is working on further interoperability for navigation systems, and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has approved a new work item SECOM – Secure Exchange and COMmunication of S-100 based products. The goal is to standardize how data is exchanged. SECOM aims to support all S-100 products that define what data is exchanged, making it a cornerstone for exchange of maritime information. STM connects and updates ships and ports in real time and facilitates...
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CMA CGM Wants Twenty LNG-Fueled Ships by 2022
CMA CGM made the environmental commitment to be operating 20 LNG-fueled ships by 2022 on World Environment Day last week. Since 2015, CO2 emissions per container transported per kilometer have been reduced by 17 percent by the group, and CMA CGM is the first shipping company in the world to have trialed biofuel oil on board a container ship. In recent years, the Group has reduced the carbon footprint of its vessels, by: • Improvements in ship design to improve...
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Cattle Shipped to Asia Suffer Heat Stress, Lack of Fodder
Australia's live export debate has focused on high mortality shipments of sheep to the Middle East over the last year, but, says veterinary association Vets Against Live Export (VALE), cattle shipped from the southern state of Victoria to China are also suffering heat stress. On May 31, 2018, Phoenix Exports exported cattle from Portland, Victoria, to China on the Dareen and had a high mortality voyage. 1.45 percent (46 out of 3,180) cattle died, with heat stress believed to be...
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Crew Sent Home After Thirteen Months Marooned Off Tunisia
After being left abandoned off the Tunisian coast without wages, food and fuel, 12 seafarers on board the Qaaswa have been sent home. The have spent the last 13 months marooned off the Port of Sfax. The ITF said the situation is one of most notorious cases of abandonment that the ITF has seen in years, and the third crew on board the UAE-flagged tanker that have been successfully repatriated after being abandoned at sea by Alco Shipping Services....
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Flashback: Shipping in the 1960s and 70s
The modern shipping office as well as the modern offices of today boast of many machines, devices and systems which were not imagined much less available when I was hired at a shipping agency office in New Orleans. Communication has always been at the heart of shipping as it is for almost all businesses. When I began my career in shipping in the mid 1960’s, the primary means of communication was by telephone. Telephones were land lines, and long-distance...
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