Larger at the time than either the Suez or Panama canals, the St. Lawrence Seaway was officially inaugurated on June 26, 1959 by young Queen Elizabeth II and U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower. The latter had overcome initial strong opposition in Congress to the colossal project.

Widely regarded as one of the engineering marvels of the 20^th century, the marine highway’s 13 Canadian and two American locks have so far facilitated the movement of 3 billion tons of cargo.

The Seaway notably allows ocean vessels to deliver general and bulk cargo into the industrial heartland of North America.  The Great Lakes-Seaway waterway connects more than 110 commercial ports in Canada and the United States. Photos Seaway archives

Source: https://maritimemag.com/en/queen-elizabeth-ii-inaugurated-st-lawrence-seaway/

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto; Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo) and Ferry Sunflower Limited (President: Mitsujiro Akasaka; Headquarters: Oita-shi, Oita Prefecture) today announced their intent to conduct a trial use of the “Berthing Aid System,” which is under development by Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. (President: Yukio Furuno; Headquarters: Nishinomiya-shi, Hyogo Prefecture) using the large-scale car ferry Sunflower Gold, which plies the Kobe-Oita route.

The “Berthing Aid System” measures the exact distance and angle between the hull and the pier, based on information obtained from LiDAR and satellite compasses, and displays the results on multiple screens. This system was developed to improve the safety and efficiency of berthing operations, which were conventionally conducted visually by crewmembers based on their experience.

In this trial use, MOL and Ferry Sunflower will verify the usability of the system, such as the ease with which crewmembers can understand the displayed measurement results when looking at the system screen. The two MOL Group companies also aim to support developing and commercialize a system considering safety from crewmembers’ point of view by exchanging opinions with the ferry captain and crewmembers.

The MOL Group continually develops and applies technologies and systems that reduce the risk of accidents and enhances vessel operating safety not only within the group but also throughout the ocean shipping industry.

MOL also conducted a sea trial of the “Berthing Aid System” in the MOL-led “sea trial of autonomous sailing on a commercial containership and car ferry” (January-February 2022) (*), as part of the unmanned ship project MEGURI2040, backed by The Nippon Foundation. In this trial, based on the results obtained from the “MEGURI2040” demonstration, the two MOL Group companies are simplifying the system installation on the vessel to improve the usability of the system in advance of its commercial implementation.

Reference: MOL

An investigating commission formed by some members of Italy’s parliament has published a report indicating that a third vessel was involved in a maritime incident that left 140 people dead in 1991.

The recently concluded parliamentary inquiry into the April 10, 1991 incident involving the Ro-Pax ferry Moby Prince and the oil tanker Agip Abruzzo stated that the presence of another vessel was a key factor that resulted in one of Italy’s deadliest maritime disasters since the end of World War II.

The report said the third vessel suddenly appeared directly ahead of Moby Prince as the ferry was manoeuvring to depart Livorno on a scheduled voyage on the said date.

Moby Prince made an abrupt left turn to avoid colliding with the unidentified vessel. However, the manoeuvre caused the ferry’s bow to strike the tanker Agip Abruzzo, which was at anchor at the time.

Moby Prince‘s bow eventually penetrated right through to one of Agip Abruzzo‘s cargo tanks, causing some of the light crude oil contained within to spill into the water and onto the ferry’s deck. The spilled oil then caught fire, and the ferry was engulfed in flames within minutes.

All but one of the 141 people who were on board the ferry perished in the incident, with many of them dying of carbon monoxide poisoning. The tanker’s crew, meanwhile, were all successfully rescued.

The subsequent rescue operation was also reportedly hampered by coordination problems. Additional government investigations over the years showed this factor to be among the main causes of the slow emergency response, which then led to further loss of life.

The parliamentary report could not identify the third vessel with certainty, though the report itself was approved unanimously by the members of the investigating commission.

The report also concluded that the area off Livorno where the incident occurred was experiencing calm seas and good visibility at the time.

The probe into the Moby Prince disaster was reopened by Italy’s parliament in July last year. Legislators decided on this action upon realising that the initial investigations conducted in the immediate aftermath of the incident did not identify its exact causes and therefore did not result in any convictions.

Source: https://www.bairdmaritime.com/work-boat-world/passenger-vessel-world/ro-pax/italian-probe-reveals-third-vessel-involved-in-ferry-disaster-that-killed-over-100-in-1991/

Storylines is building a luxurious residential cruise ship that will indefinitely travel worldwide starting from 2025.

However, a passenger must be prepared to trade their comfortable multi-room house for a tiny studio condominium where they will need to sleep on a Murphy bed.

The 18-deck MV Narrative, the start-up’s first luxury residential cruise vessel, that will travel all over the world indefinitely.

The ship and its 1,000 occupants will not begin such a unique lifelong journey until 2025, but the vessel’s 547 floating condominiums are capturing the wallets and, of course, the hearts of interested buyers.

In August, some floor plans are almost sold out, Katie Drew, Storylines’ VP of marketing, informed Insider.

The 741-foot cruise vessel is lined with 11-floor plans that are semi-customizable.

The price of the residences ranges from a $1 million 237-square-foot studio home that can be compared to NY apartments to a palatial four-bedroom, spanning almost 1,970-square-foot, a two-floor house that will run potential buyers about $8 million. The 237-square-foot home is not a conventional $1.1 million condo.

A guest will still have access to furniture such as storage units, a closet, and a TV, per the Storyline brochure.

Instead of a divider or bedroom that separates the living room from the former, the studio apartment has a queen-size Murphy bed. This means the bed can be easily stored in the wall when it is not used.

Remote employees depending on the Narrative’s WiFi, can either use the workspace of the vessel or lease the vessel’s private offices. But if they would instead work from home, they could use the two chairs and table across from the beds.

A small bar separates this public living space from the bathroom. While the bathrooms lack a bathtub, the neutral washroom has modern furnishings and a bright vanity that can easily rival a bathroom found in any multimillion-dollar condo.

And the studio home’s price does not include the “living fees” incurred monthly. The rate is approximately $2,600 per person in a dual-occupancy unit, per the firm’s brochure.

But in the Narrative, the monthly fees and sticker price does not include a home at sea.
As the Narrative happens to be “all-inclusive,” the cost will also cover the homeowners’ daily drinks and food at the 20 restaurants and bars the ship boasts.

Besides, guests will also have access to onboard medical staff, gorgeous pools, and a marina with water toys.

The ship also boasts a bowling alley and a 10,000-square-foot large wellness facility that Storylines says is the biggest of its kind at sea.

And throughout the vessel’s journey worldwide, residents will spend several days at lovely international destinations such as Istanbul, Kotor, and Palermo.

So, to some, paying almost $1 million for such a tiny home may seem unreasonable.

But for travellers who are never likely to get exhausted from exploring different countries, the ability to circumnavigate the planet every three and a half years while staying on a luxury cruise vessel is worth each penny.

References: Business Insider India, Yahoo News

Royal IHC is proud to announce that its portfolio of standard Cutter Suction Dredgers (CSDs) is expanding with electrical counterparts for each of the Beaver® types. The Beaver® E will be available from stock soon.

For nearly 60 years, Royal IHC has continuously developed its Beaver® range of standardised CSDs to become the highly efficient dredgers they are now. By launching the Beaver® E, we further support the dredging industry with the sustainability challenges of today: operating in a more environmentally responsible manner and reducing emissions.

The Beaver® E is a fully electrically powered version of the standard Beaver®. In addition to the unique features of Royal IHC’s conventional CSDs, the Beaver® E offers a number of added benefits in terms of sustainability, efficiency and reliability. With zero emissions plus limited noise and vibration disturbance, the Beaver® E fully complies with the latest environmental regulations and is suitable to work in the most sensitive environments.

Furthermore, the Beaver® E is more energy efficient and the electrical components require low maintenance. With an identical dredging and hydraulic installation, the diesel-powered main ponton can just be exchanged for an electrical one. All current standard Beavers® types are available in an electrical version and are suitable for every common dredging project.

Catina Geselschap, Director Dredging Standard Modular Vessels, commented: “Royal IHC wants to play a leading role in designing, building and providing sustainable solutions to our customers in the maritime industry. We have an existing track record in fully electric Cutter Suction Dredgers and are now taking the next step by adding this electrical Beaver® as a stock product to our portfolio of standard modular vessels.”

Reference: Royal IHC