Came across this while reading Bryant’s Maritime Blog.  On the afternoon of November 2nd some 360 nautical miles east of Mombasa, Kenya, pirates attempted to hijack MV Harriette, a U.S. bulk cargo ship operated by Sealift Inc. From the EU Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSC-HOA) press release: MV Harriette, a US flagged [...]

The Bahamas flagged M/V Petersfield, a 41,000 DWT bulk ship has raised concern with residents living along the coast of British Columbia, Canada after it suffered damage stemming from a reported steering malfunction.  The Canadian Transportation board reported that the ship veered sharply to starboard while underway resulting in the ship hitting the shore.  Water [...]

I am always interested in learning about unique ships, especially ships with unique propulsion systems. The E.M. Ford struck me as one of the most unique historic American ships (although the vessel became Canadian flagged before she retired).

The E.M. Ford is a Great Lakes ship, or a “Laker.” Built in 1898, it was a true workhouse, carrying coal, cement, and perhaps a few other cargos across the Lakes on countless voyages. Believed to be one of the last remaining ships with a quadruple expansion steam engine, the E.M. Ford holds a particular importance in the history of Great Lakes Shipping. Engineering buffs recognize the rarity of a quadruple expansion steam engine.

You may recall the widely published and tracked voyage of the North Korean cargo ship Kang Nam 1 that occured during most of june and early July.  It’s destination and cargo was widely speculated, and the fear or assumption was that it was carrying some type of elicit cargo such as weapons or nuclear material.  [...]

This past Wednesday marked the implementation of a new regulation in the state of California requiring every commercial ocean-going vessels over 400 ft in length or greater than 10,000 gross tons to switch to fuel with lower sulfur content before coming within 24 nautical miles of the state’s coast.