Recent blog posts

The National Maritime Security Advisory Committee (NMSAC) convened the open portion of its spring meeting at 1:00PM, May 15, 2012. Agenda topics for this afternoon session included: National Supply Chain Security; Transport Canada/USCG Regulatory Harmonization; Port Security Grants and TWIC Readers; and Vessel Detain on Board/Armed Guard Requirements.

A little-known potential energy source.

A new approach is needed to tackle excess tonnage and volatile rates, but are the lines willing to change.

Mixing Business with pleasure can yield quick results

Maybe; maybe not. Allegretti also correctly points out that only continued, vigorous advocacy on behalf of protecting cabotage will prevent detractors from chipping away at what’s left of it.

Don’t expect anything good this year is the bleak assessment from the world’s largest box carrier.

The first major Canadian icebreaker.

Mentoring in the maritime industry is a long-held and incredibly valuable tradition. However, due to the unique nature of the maritime working environment, the opportunities to form and sustain mentoring relationships are actually very limited. Fortunately, these limitations can be overcome through web-based mentoring. This article discusses the potential for web-based mentoring in the maritime industry: what it is, whether it can work, and what its benefits are.

Trade upset over move to levy duty for ‘on deck cargo’

A magnificent animal, once hunted almost to extinction.

Just days after shippers on the transpacific were warned of an impressively high peak levy, peak season surcharge fever has arrived on Asia-Europe.

All three VLCCs that were taken delivery of by Great Eastern Shipping this year have been handed over to the buyers

The initial BPA Worldwide Brand Report for Maritime Professional magazine and online community has been accomplished. You should care. Here’s why:

Never slow to seize a revenue-gathering opportunity, transpacific carriers expecting cargo to build through the summer were swift to slap down the peak levy.

A long-disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic

The trend in salvaging and wreck removal as well as the problems the occupation is beleaguered with got highlighted in the first ever conference held last week

There are very few forms of learning as effective and personal as mentoring. This article looks at mentoring in the maritime community. It discusses the impediments to mentoring, what mentoring is and is not, and the characteristics of healthy mentoring relationships.

European discoverer of Australia and New Zealand

Here’s a question for US ports: Would it be possible to get planning approval to reclaim 220 square kilometres of land?

The port of the future will need to take into account the capacity problems plaguing their customers.

Shipping Corporation of India took delivery of the last of the six Supramax Bulk Carriers ordered in 2007

The May 1st issue of the Federal Register has scheduled a USCG Notice of the next meeting of the National Maritime Security Advisory Committee (NMSAC). The meeting will be held May 15-16, 2012 at two locations in the Washington, DC area.

A last hurrah for Spain in Latin America

Rumors of construction delays could be far fetched

A dedicated freight corridor,TransAfrica, takes shape on the Indian African route

Last week I called for experienced mariners (and other maritime workers) to volunteer as mentors for a proposed on-line maritime mentoring site. I have been humbled by the outpouring of positive comments and offers of help. At the time of writing we have well over 100 mentor volunteers, and the number continues to grow. This article provides an update, discusses the mentorship initiative a little more deeply and provides a sampling of the responses recieved.

Two recent developments affect everyone’s favorite (if only to hate) US maritime transportation security feature, the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Program. Of particular interest to those who will need to renew their TWICs later this year and beyond, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has selected

The north-west port aims high over the next 10 years.

An Ordinary Seaman is the lowest rank of a ship’s deck crew. It is considered an entry-level position and comprises the main labor force on board a boat. An Ordinary Seaman is supervised by the Captain and the Engineer, and can be given instructions by any individuals ranked above him, such as Mates or Able Bodied Seamen.

An Able Seaman is also called an Able-Bodied Seaman. This is probably the reason the initials commonly used for able seaman are “AB” rather than “AS.” An Able Seaman has more knowledge and experience than an Ordinary Seaman (OS). The differentiation between the titles “Able Seaman” and “Ordinary Seaman” first occurred in the mid 1800s as a means of creating pay scales. Able Seamen were paid about 25% more than Ordinary Seamen in the Merchant Marines. The Merchant Marines refers to a country's commercial ships that are both publicly and privately owned.