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Holland America Line is bringing back its Grand Australia and New Zealand Voyage in 2024 for the first time in more than ten years, according to a press release.

The 94-day sailing aboard the Volendam is scheduled to depart on January 3, 2024, sailing roundtrip from San Diego, California, as Holland America Line continues to add longer voyages departing from a North America homeport, according to the company.

“It’s been more than 10 years since we’ve offered this Grand Voyage itinerary, and we listened to our guests who requested that we bring it back. The San Diego departure makes it easy for our North American guests to explore this region and make it a memorable journey along the way,” said Beth Bodensteiner, chief commercial officer, Holland America Line.

Guests on this Australia expedition will experience the Great Barrier Reef, the wonders of Hawaii and the South Pacific, and the landscapes of New Zealand, all without air travel from the United States or Canada involved.

“Australia continues to be a sought-after cruising destination, and by offering it as a Grand Voyage we’re able to take our time and feature other beautiful locales like the islands of the South Pacific, New Zealand and the Great Barrier Reef,” added Bodensteiner.

Highlights of the 2024 Grand Australia and New Zealand Voyage include 43 ports of call, four overnight stays in Fremantle (Perth), Sydney, Auckland, and Papeete, two days of scenic cruising in the Great Barrier Reef, explorations of the Ribbon Reef and Far North regions, a stop at Komodo Island, as well as cruising through the Torres Strait and Milford Sound.

The company also offers two shorter segments of the sailing: 58 days from San Diego to Sydney and 36 days from Sydney to San Diego.

Source: https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/28252-holland-america-line-brings-back-grand-australia-and-new-zealand-voyage.html

To add to the myriad supply chain woes across the US, a potential national work stoppage of the nation’s railroads starting tomorrow is causing widespread alarm.

The six Class I freight railroads in the US started early this week to prepare for the possibility of a system shutdown starting on Friday, when the 30-day cooling-down period mandated by the Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) established on July 17 by President Biden comes to an end.

The railroads are in down-to-the-wire negotiations with the three unions that have not reached tentative agreements. Nine of the 12 involved unions have reached agreements based on PEB recommendations, and two of those agreements have been ratified.

The two largest unions, SMART Transportation Division and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, are not satisfied with the PEB recommendations and are seeking further concessions from the railroads. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers reached a tentative agreement, but it was rejected by union members.Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, BNSF and CSX, the four largest US railroads, on Monday began limiting service for some shipments, in particular hazardous materials, to ensure that such products are not stranded in the event of a strike.

According to the Association of American Railroads (AAR), a national work stoppage “would dramatically impact economic output and could cost more than $2 billion per day of a shutdown.”

If the parties do not reach agreement through negotiation, the US Congress could pass legislation to implement the recommendations of the PEB.

Source: https://splash247.com/congestion-alert-as-us-railroads-brace-for-strikes/

Kongsberg Digital, a subsidiary of KONGSBERG, and Shell Marine signed an MoU during SMM Hamburg to work together on new ways to accelerate decarbonisation initiatives and assist the energy transition in the maritime industry.

The MoU will see the companies develop joint solutions, enhancing their service portfolios, and identifying pilot projects to test their combined capabilities.

“The energy transition for the maritime sector will involve new types of fuel, new technology and new ways of working, as the industry pushes towards decarbonisation. KDI and Shell both see the urgent need to support their maritime customers through the energy transition. In the short run, the marine industry needs to operate vessels in a more efficient manner through increased uptime and reliability, while ensuring environmental compliance,” said Anders Bryhni, VP digital ocean applications in Kongsberg Digital.

The new partnership will see KDI bring its digital data infrastructure solutions, applications and open ecosystems together with Shell’s portfolio of technical and digital services, which improve performance and reduce running and maintenance costs for its marine customers.

“Partnerships and technical services play a key role in shipping decarbonisation given the scale of the challenge ahead. Shell and Kongsberg have long worked closely to optimise vessel efficiency and operations, and I am pleased that this MoU further underscores this collaboration,” said Marcus Schaerer, general manager services & technical Shell Marine.

The MoU strengthens a longstanding partnership between KDI and Shell in the energy sector. KDI provides Shell with its digital twin Kognitwin on several Shell assets, including the Nyhamna Gas facility in Norway.

Source: https://thedigitalship.com/news/maritime-software/item/8052-kongsberg-and-shell-sign-mou-to-push-industry-decarbonisation

ClassNK has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Maersk Training regarding training education for alternative fuel ship crews.

The MoU also includes training for offshore wind farm operators.

With the signing of the MoU, the two parties will cooperate proactively towards enabling high-quality training which satisfies the international standards to be provided and thus a competent local labor force to be supplied to the growing offshore wind industry in Japan as well as in APAC region.

Based on its expertise and experience in ships’ survey and certification, ClassNK will work with Maersk Training to develop a set of guidelines including the safety of boat transfer, which is one of the most frequent HSE risks across the offshore wind sector. Furthermore, research will be carried out on seafarer training for ammonia-fuelled vessels jointly.

Source: https://thedigitalship.com/news/maritime-software/item/8063-classnk-and-maersk-training-sign-mou-to-fuel-seafarer-education

AAL Shipping (AAL), one of the world’s leading global breakbulk and project heavy lift operators, has been named ‘Best Shipping Line – Project Cargo’ at the 2022 Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards held in Hong Kong on Wednesday 7 September.

The AFLAS Awards are a celebration of Asia’s freight, logistics and supply chain industry, and AAL beat off intense competition from the global sector’s leading carriers to win the award for a consecutive year. The award win follows a successful year for AAL in a project cargo market that has endured its share of ebbs and flows. Over the last 12 months, AAL has been optimising its service model to adapt to changing market conditions and resulting in a number of significant milestones such as trade lane expansion, record-breaking shipments, sustainable fleet expansion, and the strengthening of its presence and sailings regularity in core global markets including Asia.

The officers and crew of the 31,000dwt mega-size heavy lift vessel, AAL Kembla, with a cargo of wind blades and towers, ex-China.

Felix Schoeller, Commercial Director of AAL, commented: ‘We are honoured to have won this award. To lift your customer service to the highest level is a hard process, demanding commitment and investment across all aspects of the organisation. To maintain such reputable status for consecutive years truly reflects an outstanding achievement from all of AAL’s Asia-based offices, supported by our global operations. Noteworthy is that such performance has been delivered in the midst of challenging times for the Asia market, characterised by highs and lows for the local shipping sector and residual fall-out from the global COVID pandemic still being dealt with.’

Jack Zhou, AAL’s General Manager and Chief Representative in China, added: ‘AAL has been extensively involved in the Asian project cargo market for almost three decades and, as we’ve grown our local presence, Asia has similarly prospered. We have served many of the biggest names and most exciting industrial and infrastructure projects in the region. Such recognition of our hard work is warmly appreciated and we accept this award on behalf of the whole company.’

Source: https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/aal-triumphs-yet-again-in-2022-at-the-aflas-awards/

Regulating Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) has implications for safety, legal and facilitation instruments under the purview of the international Maritime Organization (IMO). The first session of a joint IMO working group to address common high-priority issues across various instruments was held in September (7-9), in remote session. The session was preceded by an IMO MASS Seminar (5-6 September) which brought together stakeholders to share insights and views.

The working group was established following a regulatory scoping exercise on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), that was designed to assess existing IMO instruments to see how they might apply to MASS and what gaps existed to permit their operation. The scoping exercise was conducted by the following committees: Maritime Safety committee (MSC), Legal Committee (LEG) and Facilitation Committee (FAL) – for relevant treaties under their purview.

MSC agreed on Road Map of developing a goal-based instrument regulating the operation of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS), which, as a first step would be in the form of a non-mandatory Code for adoption in the second half of 2024 while a mandatory MASS Code is to be developed thereafter for entry into force on 1 January 2028.

The Joint Working Group developed a table – intended as a living document – to identity preferred options for addressing common issues, such as: role of MASS master and crew; responsibilities of Mass master and crew; competencies required for MASS master and crew; identification and meaning of term “remote operator” and their responsibilities.

A draft work plan was agreed, for approval by the three committees, which envisages the Committees reviewing the report of the first session and a second Joint Working Group to be convened in 2023.

The Joint Working Group agreed that a seminar on legal issues, including implications under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), would be beneficial.

The Joint MSC-LEG-FAL Working Group on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) has been established as a cross-cutting mechanism to address common high-priority issues identified by the regulatory scoping exercises for the use of MASS conducted by the three committees.

Source: IMO

ABS granted approval in principle (AIP) to CSSC Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding CO., LTD and China Ship Design & Research Center Co., Ltd (CSDC) for the world’s first methanol-powered Newcastlemax Bulk Carrier.

The dual-fuel, 210,000 dwt vessel is also equipped with the methanol tank capacity to fully meet endurance requirements on methanol fuel alone.

“Methanol as marine fuel is a promising fuel with the potential to support the industry’s journey to low- and zero-carbon operations. ABS is involved in multiple methanol-fueled projects, with leading operators all over the world. We are pleased to use our insight and experience to support this innovative bulk carrier design,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Engineering and Technology.

“As early as 2016, CSDC realized the feasibility of methanol as a decarbonization fuel for ships and carried out relevant design and research continuously. In the research and development of this ship, we used our knowledge and experiences to make the ship have a good technical maturity and high reliability. We hope to bring more commercial and social value to our customers while continuously improving ship technology,” said Yu Dexin, General Manager of CSDC.

Source: https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/abs-awards-aip-to-worlds-first-methanol-powered-newcastlemax-bulk-carrier/

Jordanian officials have ordered an Egyptian-owned cargo ship to be detained at the port of Aqaba after the vessel grounded in the country’s marine reserve park. It is the second vessel in two months to cause damage to the reserve area with the Jordanian Maritime Authority reporting it is investigating the repeat occurrence of a vessel traveling outside the channel.

The Lotus, an 8,500 dwt general cargo ship was entering the port at 6:50 a.m. local time on Tuesday, September 13 when it grounded in the marine reserve. The preservation area, a prime location for tourists and divers, makes up about half the 16-mile coastline and lies near the entrance to Jordan’s only seaport.

The Jordanian Royal Navy assisted in removing the 356-foot vessel which is registered in Palau from the reef and escorted the ship to the dock in Aqaba for an inspection. The staff of the Jordanian Maritime Authority boarded the vessel to assess the situation. The head of the port authority told local media that they were “taking a measure to prevent the ship from traveling until the investigation is completed.”

The vessel was reported to be arriving empty with its AIS signal showing it was coming from Somalia. It was expected to load a cargo of potash at the fertilizer pier.

Noaman Al-Saifi, head of the Maritime Authority made an official statement reporting that they were sending divers to inspect the coral reef. “It’s too early to talk about damages, if there are damages,” he was quoted as saying by state media. Later in the day, however, the state-owned Al-Mamlaka TV was reporting that there is substantial damage to the reef.

In August, Jordanian authorities detained another Egyptian-run vessel, the Flower of the Sea, accusing the cargo ship of having spilled 11 tons of fuel oil in the same area. Jordanian media reports that both vessels are operated by Sea Gate Management with the Flower of the Sea having a history of detentions and deficiencies in prior port state inspections.

The 10,500 dwt vessel, also registered in Palau, was reported to have contaminated a section of the marine reserve on August 14 with the spill later washing up on Jordanian beaches and spreading to the Egyptian side of the Gulf of Aqaba. The case was referred to Jordanian prosecutors later in August.

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/jordan-detains-egyptian-cargo-ship-accusing-it-of-damaging-coral-reef

Joseph Hazelwood, the captain of a tanker that reportedly ran aground in 1989 off Alaska and resulted in one of the worst oil spills in history, has passed away at 75 after a battle with cancer.

Hazelwood’s family informed The Washington Post and The New York Times that the former captain passed away in July 2022 after his fight with COVID-19 and cancer.

An experienced sailor, Hazelwood navigated the Exxon Valdez when the vessel abruptly ran aground in Prince William Sound off Alaska on 24 March 1989.

The accident reportedly tore open the vessel and spilt about 11 million gallons of crude oil.

The spill devastated the area, killing wildlife that lived there, especially those that inhabited Prince William Sound.

It impaired approximately 1,500 miles of the Gulf of Alaska Coastline, killing almost 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbour seals, nearly two dozen bald eagles, and many killer whales.

Hazelwood was initially under suspicion of being intoxicated when the spill happened. Still, he was cleared in a trial that took place in 1990 in which eyewitnesses mentioned that he appeared to be sober when the ship ran aground.

Following the colossal spill, Exxon’s chairman said that the firm had made a “bad judgment” by allowing Hazelwood, who had been treated for alcoholism, to become the captain of the Valdez.

The chairman said someone in management should’ve been informed at that time. The policy wouldn’t have allowed the person to be back on the vessel.

The Exxon Valdez mishap led to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which strengthened the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency to respond to and prevent oil spills.

Had a spill of an extent as the Exxon Valdez disaster has taken place off the US East Coast, the devastation would have stretched to the Chesapeake Bay from Cape Cod, Walter Parker, Alaska Oil Spill Commission’s head, wrote following the spill.

At that time, Hazlewood was acquitted of a felony charge for operating a ship when intoxicated but was reportedly convicted of his negligence. The court asked him to do 1,000 hours of community service and pay $50,000 as a restitute.

Thousands of plaintiffs later sued Exxon and claimed they were massively affected by this disaster.

Five years following the spill, an Alaska jury rewarded them with about $5 billion as punitive damages. The amount was, later on, cut in half.

The US Supreme Court again reduced the award to about $507 million in 2008.

Hazelwood was not on the bridge as the vessel ran aground, as he had left the third mate in charge.

The National Transportation Safety Board discovered that the third mate had failed to manoeuvre the ship owing to fatigue and extreme workload.

Investigators also said that Hazelwood was unsuccessful in offering proper navigation. Hazelwood was the only individual who was charged for the disaster criminally.

The Exxon Valdez spill was the worst in US history for over 20 years until it was surpassed by the disaster of Deepwater Horizon that took place in 2010, which again spilt nearly 170 million gallons of crude oil into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico — over 15 times the amount the Valdez spilt off 21 years ago off Alaska.

References: LA Times, UPI, NewYork Post

Gaslog invests in fleet digitalisation to cut fleet emissions

Holland America Line Brings Back Grand Australia and New Zealand Voyage

Congestion alert as US railroads brace for strikes

Kongsberg and Shell sign MoU to push industry decarbonisation

ClassNK and Maersk Training sign MoU to fuel seafarer education

AAL Triumphs Yet Again In 2022 At The Aflas Awards!

Safety, Legal And Facilitation Aspects Of Autonomous Shipping Discussed In IMO MASS Seminar

ABS Awards AiP To World’s First Methanol-Powered Newcastlemax Bulk Carrier

Jordan Detains Egyptian Cargo Ship Accusing it of Damaging Coral Reef

Joseph Hazelwood, The Captain Of Exxon Valdez During The Massive 1989 Oil Spill, Passes Away At 75

New Requirements for Ballast Water Record Books (BWRBs)

PSC focus on NOx technical files and machinery components

AI’s Strategic Role in Maritime Security

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