MarEx eNewsletter - May 7, 2009

May 7th, 2009 Vol. 7, No. 18 Piracy Debate Changes Course in Washington Armed protection for U.S. merchant crews all but guaranteed; who will do it, how and when it will come remains unanswered. Changes to existing laws being discussed at highest levels in Washington. Tuesday's Senate subcommittee hearing on piracy provided a very public forum that served to ramp ... Read More>>>Back to Top MarEx Mailbag: This week's Mailbag is full and references several articles in previous editions. Maritime education, the net effect of STCW, and MERPAC input to all of that was the subject of our 23 April editorial. We thought that the Maritime Education Summit and the quarterly MERPAC meeting which ... Read More>>>Back to Top NTSB: Cosco Busan Casualty Report Issued Report, dated 18 February 2009 provides analysis and details of allision of Hong Kong-Registered Containership M/V Cosco Busan with the Delta Tower of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, San Francisco, CA on November 7, 2007 Marine Accident Report (NTSB/MAR-09/01) is now available for download at the NTSB ... Read More>>>Back to Top St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation Reports Sharply Lower Traffic Volumes Seaway traffic results for the period through April 30th now available In the immediate wake of the St. Lawrence Seaway's 50th anniversary, the corporation is also reporting sharply lower cargo volumes and ship transits for the first four months of 2009. Reflecting the general turndown in the ... Read More>>>Back to Top GAL TEX Pilots Ask for Pay Increase Newly received document alleges insufficient rates since 2000 and further requests significant multi-year rate increases. Industry stakeholders expected to file formal protest. A newly filed Application for Pilotage Rate Change has been filed by the Pilots of Galveston County, Texas. The rate increase request, received by the ... Read More>>>Back to Top 2009 International Maritime eLearning Symposium Join the leaders in Maritime eLearning Training from around the world for this year's Conference. Thursday, May 7th, 2009: The Calhoon MEBA Engineering School will be hosting the 2009 International Maritime eLearning Symposium from July 21st through July 23rd this year at its campus in Easton MD. ... Read More>>>Back to Top Retail Import Volume at Lowest Level in Five Years Port Tracker report: Number of cargo containers still below 1 million mark. WASHINGTON, May 7, 2009 – Import cargo volume at the nation's major retail container ports improved in March over February's seven-year low, but was still at its lowest level in five years and remained below ... Read More>>>Back to Top Maritime Liaison Unit (MARLU) Established New department stands up to enhance cooperation and the exchange of information between the U.S. Navy, its regional security partners and the commercial shipping community throughout Europe and Africa. NAPLES, Italy (NNS) -- Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa/Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet (NAVEUR-NAVAF/C6F) established ... Read More>>>Back to Top Globe Wireless in the News Globe Wireless announces new services, cutting edge equipment and deals for customers • Inmarsat Fleet 33 to Iridium OpenPort Upgrade Palm Bay, Florida, USA (4th May 2009): Today Globe Wireless announced today an Inmarsat Fleet 33 to Iridium OpenPort upgrade program. Customers deactivating a ... Read More>>>Back to Top ABS Reports Strong 2008, Prepares For More Challenging Times Orderbook of new vessels contracted to ABS class increase by more than 13m gt to a new record of 51m gt for which formal requests for class had been received. An additional 21m tons of orders were pending to ABS class. ABS Chairman & CEO called 2008 a "successful, challenging ... Read More>>>Back to Top ITIC Maintains Continuity Credit Payments to Members FOR the fourteenth year in succession, International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) is to pay a continuity credit to all those members who renew their cover with the club during the 2009 policy year, which begins on June 1, 2009. ITIC says that, despite the sharp downturn, ... Read More>>>Back to Top U.S. DOJ: Chief Engineer Sentenced for Concealing Vessel Pollution Government's investigation began in March 2008, when inspectors from the U.S. Coast Guard conducted an examination of the M/T Nautilus, following the ship's arrival in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, and subsequently in the Port of Boston. WASHINGTON (May 6, 2009): Carmelo Oria, a Spanish citizen who ... Read More>>>Back to Top IMC Employment Advertisement Marine Technical Representative Contact: John O'Connor / International Marine Consultants 6800 Jericho Turnpike / Suite 118E Syosset, NY 11791-4401 / E-mail: employment@IMCmarine.com Website: www.IMCmarine.com Notes: Candidates should e-mail a detailed resume and cover letter which explains their interest in ... Read More>>>Back to Top Shipping Coordinating Committee; Notice of Meeting The Shipping Coordinating Committee (SHC) will conduct an open meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 Meeting Location: Room 2415 of the United States Coast Guard Headquarters Building, 2100 Second Street, SW., Washington, DC 20593. The primary purpose of the meeting is to prepare for ... Read More>>>Back to Top Liberty Maritime Calls for Congressional Action to Permit Arming U.S.-Flag Vessels to Protect Against Pirate Attacks President and CEO Testifies Before Congress in Wake of Pirate Attack on Liberty Sun WASHINGTON, DC - Liberty Maritime Corporation President and CEO Philip J. Shapiro today asked Congress to provide the U.S. legal framework to allow for ship owners to arm crews or contract armed private ... Read More>>>Back to Top New Engineering Course Offering at the Global Maritime and Transportation School (GMATS) GMATS adds to their schedule a new course in Marine High Voltage Safety. In the maritime community, change is a constant. Too often change is motivated by catastrophe. Changes in equipment, changing crews and limited time all contribute to the conditions for accidents to occur. The Global ... Read More>>>Back to Top TDC Security Alert: 20090504 Dynamite found on pirate mothership Forces from a Portuguese warship seized explosives from suspected Somali pirates after thwarting an attack on the Greek-owned and Bahamian-flagged crude oil tanker Kition late Friday about 100 miles (161 kilometers) north from the Somali coast in the Gulf of Aden. Read More>>>Back to Top SCA Annual Meeting "Butch" King remembered and New Chair/Vice Chair elected • SCA Remembers "Butch" King At the Shipbuilders Council Annual Washington, DC Meeting held April 27-29, 2009, membership remembered and shared fond memories of BG (ret) Boyd E. "Butch" King, CEO of VT Halter Marine and ... Read More>>>Back to Top ISSA highlights late payment as a major concern to the world ship suppliers Late payment, and in some cases the non‐payment of ship supply invoices, is a growing concern for ship chandlers in the world's ports and is a focus of attention for the new Presidency of the International Ship Suppliers and Services Association (ISSA). Not only does it affect ... Read More>>>Back to Top SNAME Dinner to be Hosted by Wartsila North America Presentation by Leo Schnellman on "Two and Four Stroke Engine Technology" will highlight the event. Wartsila North America is hosting a SNAME dinner on Thursday, May 21st at 6:00pm on "Two and Four Stroke Engine Technology" presented by Leo Schnellman. During the presentation, Leo will share his ... Read More>>>Back to Top Current Issue of Proceedings is Available U.S. Coast Guard's Spring 2009 (Volume 66, Number 1) issue of Proceedings can be accessed on line at the U.S. Coast guard's WEB site. The Coast Guard's Journal of Safety and Security at Sea is available for download and can be found by clicking http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/ ... Read More>>>Back to Top Maritime Accident Casebook: The Case of the Silent Assassin MAC and Bob Couttie offer free video / teaching aid warning of the dangers of enclosed/confined space entry. We have made several references to the animated video version of The Case of the Silent Assassin video, based on a report by Ron Strathdee of the Isle of ... Read More>>>Back to Top EMAIL UNSUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2009 The Maritime Executive. 3200 S. Andrews Avenue, Suite 100 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316