International Launches New Intergard 6788 Universal Primer for Newbuilds
AkzoNobel’s International brand has introduced Intergard 6788, an aluminum‑pigmented universal primer designed for new‑building vessels. The product leverages pure epoxy technology to deliver higher solids content and meet tightening VOC regulations. Launching in Asia, the primer will be first available in China and Vietnam, with a debut at the Asia Pacific Maritime conference in Singapore. It promises cost‑effective corrosion protection while boosting shipyard application efficiency.
Electric Propulsion Innovator Arc Raises $50M in New Funding
Arc, a Los Angeles‑based electric boat and powertrain firm, closed a $50 million Series C round led by investors such as a16z, Menlo Ventures, and Eclipse. The capital will be used to accelerate production of electric tugboat powertrains and to expand the...
C&C Marine Expands 24 Acres, Builds Automated Spool Shop
C&C Marine & Repair announced a 24‑acre expansion of its Belle Chasse facility and the construction of a fully automated spool shop, touted as the most advanced in the United States. The shop will house CNC bending, plasma cutting, blasting,...
Soo Locks to Open for 2026 Shipping Season
The Detroit Engineer District will open the Poe Lock at the Soo Locks on March 25, 2026, officially starting the Great Lakes shipping season. After a 10‑week winter shutdown, crews completed extensive repairs, including gate work and an experimental ice‑shedding...
OpenTug Debuts Signal Optimization for Marine Logistics
OpenTug introduced Signal Optimization, a new BargeOS feature that streamlines marine logistics planning by matching demand signals with the appropriate barge assets. The tool lets charterers, shippers and commercial teams capture inbound demand, evaluate equipment against operational and commercial constraints,...
Austal USA Contracts Master Boat to Fabricate T-ATS Modules
Austal USA has awarded Master Boat Builders a contract to fabricate two hull modules for the U.S. Navy’s Navajo‑class T‑ATS program. The agreement follows a 2025 memorandum of understanding and positions Master Boat as a key subcontractor in a distributed‑production...
Seatrium in New Agreement with Royal Caribbean Group
Singapore‑based Seatrium Limited has renewed its strategic partnership with Royal Caribbean Group, signing a multi‑year agreement for statutory inspections, repairs and upgrades of the cruise line’s global fleet across Seatrium’s Singapore yards. The deal, building on a relationship that began...
Silverback Marine Completes Sea Trials for OX Series Truckable Tug
Silverback Marine announced the successful sea trials and commissioning of its new OX series truckable tug, a twin‑Z‑Drive vessel delivering 14,300 lb of bollard pull. The tug features a 25‑by‑16‑foot hull, twin Cummins QSL9 diesel engines, and a 480 V Wintech towing...
BV Certifies Everllence’s PrimeServ Assist Digital Monitoring Solution
Everllence received Smartship Software Type Approval Certification and Smart Service Supplier recognition from Bureau Veritas for its PrimeServ Assist digital monitoring solution, satisfying the SMART(MH3) class notation criteria. The certification, covering about 80 % of the required verification, streamlines the path...
Horizon Air Freight: Time-Critical Logistics for Tug, Towboat & Barge Operations
Specialized logistics firm Horizon Air Freight announced its dedicated time‑critical freight services for tug, towboat and barge operations. The company integrates air, charter, inland and coastal freight with vessel schedules, providing urgent spare‑part, AOG and project cargo moves while maintaining...
Brian Dooley to Lead New Ports of Indiana International Trade Office
Ports of Indiana announced the launch of its first overseas trade office in Ireland, appointing maritime veteran Brian Dooley to lead the European Trade Office based in Cork and Kildare. The office aims to develop a direct Europe‑Indiana container service...
Seasats Quickfish USV Completes 8-Day Continuous Sea Trial
Seasats announced that its Quickfish autonomous surface vessel successfully completed an eight‑day continuous sea trial, demonstrating over‑35‑knot top speed and multi‑week on‑station endurance. The hybrid jet‑electric propulsion and a dedicated payload bay for UAV launch set it apart from other...
Port Houston Cargo Volumes up 4% in February
Port Houston reported a 4% rise in February cargo volumes, handling 4.38 million short tons and bringing the year‑to‑date total to 8.93 million short tons, a 5% increase. Container activity was flat in February with 326,799 TEU, leaving YTD container volumes up...
Maersk Offshore Wind Christens Its New WTIV Maersk Viridis
Maersk Offshore Wind officially christened its new 40,000‑ton wind turbine installation vessel, Maersk Viridis, on the ship’s main deck. The vessel features a Jones Act‑compliant feeder‑based installation system with stabilizing technology for high sea states. Maersk Viridis will sail to...
Chris Scott to Succeed John Lauer as Matson EVP and CCO
Matson Inc. announced that Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer John Lauer will retire on July 1, 2026 after 19 years leading sales, marketing, pricing and customer service. Senior Vice President Chris Scott, who oversees Transpacific Service and corporate...
Ingalls Shipbuilders Get Largest Single Wage Increase in Yard’s History
Ingalls Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, secured historic collective bargaining agreements covering all five unions at its Pascagoula yard. The contracts deliver an immediate base wage increase of at least 18% and total wage growth of 35%‑47% through...
VIDEO: Three Ships Struck in New Iranian Attacks
Video footage released on March 12 showed two crude oil tankers, the U.S.-owned Safesea Vishnu and the Greek‑owned Zefyros, ablaze after being struck by Iranian suicide surface drones during an STS transfer south of Al Basrah. The coordinated attacks killed...
VIDEO: MacGregor Launches New Balanced Lashing System for Containerships
MacGregor has launched a Balanced Lashing System that equalises forces across a containership’s lashings, addressing the chronic issue of upper‑lashings bearing most of the load. By incorporating proven elastic elements, the system can boost deck payloads by up to 10%...
TTB 2026 Draws Strong Operator Turnout Despite Headwinds
The TTB 2026 conference in Mobile, Alabama attracted a strong operator turnout despite a partial federal shutdown, severe weather, and competing events. Attendance from vessel owners and operators rose compared with the previous year, underscoring the event’s role as a...
Q&A: The Case for Quantum Navigation at Sea
GPS interference, including jamming and spoofing, is rising sharply in key shipping lanes, with more than 1,100 vessels affected in the Persian Gulf during the first week of the Iran conflict. Michael Biercuk, CEO of Q‑CTRL, argues that reliance on...
FMC Monitoring Strait of Hormuz Surcharges
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is closely tracking how the Middle‑East conflict is inflating surcharges for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. It reminds carriers that any tariff increase must be published at least 30 days before it takes effect,...
FRS Clipper Launches New Whale Watching Cat Emerald Clipper
FRS Clipper Inc. launched the Emerald Clipper, a 103‑foot high‑speed whale‑watching catamaran, on March 10. The vessel, designed by One2Three Naval Architects and built by Mavrik Marine, can cruise up to 32 knots and features two wind‑protected viewing decks with...
Logistec Acquires Logistics Park Dubuque (LPD) Marine Terminal
Logistec, a Montreal‑based logistics operator, has completed the acquisition of Logistics Park Dubuque (LPD), a 100‑acre multimodal marine terminal on the Upper Mississippi River. The facility offers barge, CN rail, and truck connectivity and serves key U.S. sectors such as agriculture, steel,...
Cool Carriers Takes Delivery of First Ship in New Snow Class
Cool Carriers, the world’s largest specialized reefer operator, has taken delivery of Snow Flower, the first of a seven‑ship Snow class built by Kitanihon Shipbuilding. The vessel can carry 5,000 high‑cube pallets and up to 168 refrigerated containers, offering 630,000‑660,000...
PPG Completes 200th Drydocking Using Electrostatic Coating Application
PPG has finished its 200th vessel drydocking using electrostatic marine‑coating technology, applying its silicone‑based Sigmaglide 2390 fouling‑release paint to Stena Line’s Stena Britannica at the EDR Antwerp shipyard. The electrostatic spray method directs charged particles onto grounded hulls, delivering uniform coverage...
Op-Ed: Air Lubrication at a Crossroads: Why Proof, Not Promises, Will Decide the Future
Air‑lubrication technology is touted as a key efficiency tool for shipping’s decarbonisation, yet more than 600 systems on order have not yet proven sustained fuel savings. Early‑generation designs rely on compressors, delivering bubbles only in narrow speed and sea‑state windows...
TT-Line Switches Two RO/ROs to Bio-LNG
TT‑Line switched its Baltic ro‑ro ferries Nils Holgersson and Peter Pan to bio‑LNG in 2025, achieving a near‑zero emissions profile. The vessels, commissioned in 2022‑23 and powered by Everllence dual‑fuel engines, ran on renewable LNG without any performance loss. Tests...
Op-Ed: Visibility Alone Is Not Progress: Why Retention Matters in Building a Future for Women at Sea
Julia Anastasiou, chief crew management officer at OSM Thome, argues that the maritime sector’s focus on merely increasing the visibility of women seafarers is insufficient. Women comprise less than 2% of the global crew pool and leave the industry at...
Fincantieri Partners with Generative Bionics to Develop Humanoid Shipbuilding Robots
Fincantieri has entered a four‑year industrial partnership with Italian robotics firm Generative Bionics to develop a humanoid welding robot for its shipyards. The robot will incorporate AI‑driven perception, vision and manipulation to operate safely alongside human workers, targeting initial on‑site...