Africa

Seakeeper Opens Dealer Training Site in Italy

Seakeeper, a developer of marine motion control systems, has launched a new training facility in San Salvatore, Italy. This European location will enhance training access for partners outside North America, helping to build a global network of skilled technicians to support Seakeeper’s expanding customer base.“Our dedication to continuous improvement goes beyond our products; it’s also about the people who support them,” said Seakeeper president and CEO Andrew Semprevivo. “Our new training facility in Italy is part of our commitment to ensuring our partners are the best in the industry.

Orcas Sink Sailing Yacht in Strait of Gibraltar

An unknown number of orcas have sunk a sailing yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain's maritime rescue service said on Monday, a new attack in what has become a trend in the past four years.The vessel Alboran Cognac, which measured 15 meters (49 feet) in length and carried two people, encountered the highly social apex predators, also known as killer whales, at 9 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Sunday, the service said.The passengers reported feeling sudden blows to the hull and rudder before water started seeping into the ship.

Radio Holland and Furuno Extend Distributorship Agreements

Furuno and Radio Holland prolonged their partnership with distributorship agreements. The senior management of both companies signed the agreements during Europort in Rotterdam. The companies have been working together in the global maritime market for more than 58 years.Radio Holland is the distributor for Furuno in The Netherlands, UAE, Egypt and South Africa. In addition, Radio Holland is a dealer of Furuno in USA, Panama, Canada, Belgium, Portugal, Curaçao, Trinidad & Tobago…

Global Mercy Joins Mercy Ships' Fleet and, with Volunteers, Delivers Hope in Africa

Each year, 16.9 million people die due to lack of access to surgical care, according to Lancet Global Surgery 2030 Report. A large percentage of these deaths occur in Africa’s developing nations, where the fragile healthcare systems simply cannot support the overwhelming need for safe surgical procedures.For more than 40 years, Mercy Ships has been on a mission to change that. Through the support of faithful volunteers and partners from around the world, Mercy Ships provides access to safe surgery and delivers medical training through the platform of hospital ships.

Tito's Restored Former Flagship to Become Hotel and Museum in Croatia

The restored flagship of former Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito is being converted into a hotel and a museum devoted to its turbulent history, from banana boat to meeting place for world statesmen.Berthed in Croatia’s Adriatic port of Rijeka, the Galeb (Seagull) will open to the public in its new role next year.The ship was built in 1938 in Italy to transport bananas from Africa. During World War Two, it was used first by the Italian navy and then by the Germans and it was sunk by Allied planes at the end of the war.In communist Yugoslavia…

Allsalt Maritime Expands in US and Singapore

Marine shock mitigation technology provider Allsalt Maritime Corporation announced Thursday it has opened new sales and support offices in the U.S. and Singapore in response to market growth in the commercial and recreational boating industries.Victoria, B.C.-based Allsalt Maritime, owner of the Shoxs and Kinetix brands, said its new U.S. office is located in Edgewater, Fla., and will be led by newly appointed brand development and U.S. managing director Lisa Wood, a marketing and business development professional with more than 20 years of experience managing brands such as Stanley…

Bandwidth Efficiency will Drive Maritime Digitalization

Gregory Darling and Applied Satellite Technology (AST) works with shipowners to help them use their bandwidth more efficiently for ship business and crew needs.When Gregory Darling, Group MD, AST, worked in the marine industry in the 1980s with a marine survey company, he needed to get word to one of his ships off of West Africa to recalibrate its course and head off to a new job. But the ship had left port, and radio calls to the ship went unanswered, resulting in two days of lost time and revenue.“That was frustrating and costly…

Product in Focus: Vesconite Hilube Rudder Bushing

A Vesconite rudder bushing has been an important part of the step-by-step dismantling, parts procurement and reassembly of the rudder of a 30ft Jeanneau Arcadia sailing yacht known as the Ghaaata.When an annual maintenance inspection revealed significant rudder play caused by the internal structure, Jeanneau Arcadia sailing yacht owner Jorge Veiga embarked on a full rudder replacement, including everything from the pins, bolts and bushings, through to the actual rudder.For the rudder bushings he chose Vesconite Hilube…

New Harbor in the Island of São Miguel (Azores)

On the island of São Miguel, in the Azores, a new harbor has been built by local authorities. The harbor with a capacity of 58 boats is located in Povoação, on the south eastern side of the archipelago’s largest island.The initiative taken by the local Municipal Authority of Povoaçao wascarried out with the objective of promoting nautical tourism in this area of the island as well improving conditions for local boaters. The execution of the design, manufacturing and installation…

Explorer Profile: Sven Lindblad

Profiled in the March 2019 cruise edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News is Sven Lindblad, intrepid explorer and wildlife photographer Sven Lindblad blazed the trail for environmentally sensitive travelers to Antarctica on Lindblad Expedition’s fleet of cruise ships with National Geographic.You can tell a lot about a man by whom his heroes are, whether famous athletes, virtuoso musicians, brave warriors or movie stars. As we age, we choose our heroes by their moral compass…

Global Piracy Up in 2018, Gulf of Guinea Leads

Piracy increased on the world’s seas in 2018, with a marked rise in attacks against ships and crews around West Africa, the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) latest annual piracy report reveals.Worldwide, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) recorded 201 incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery in 2018, up from 180 in 2017.The Gulf of Guinea remains increasingly dangerous for seafarers. Reports of attacks in waters between the Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo more than doubled in 2018…

All-Women Crew Circumnavigating the Globe

Indian vessel INSV Tarini entered Port Stanley, (Falkland islands on January 22, 2018 during it’s maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. The vessel is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta. Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister had flagged-off INSV Tarini from Goa on 10 September 2017. The vessel has covered approximately 15…

Brunswick, Mercury Marine to Aid Mercy Ships

When the Africa Mercy, the world’s largest private hospital ship, provides its next field service in Cameroon, Africa, it will do so with a new dive boat and several new Mercury Marine outboard engines for the ship’s dive and rescue operations thanks to a recent donation from Brunswick Corporation and its engine subsidiary, Mercury Marine. Mercy Ships is a global charity that offers free life-changing surgeries, holistic health care and specialized training for local health care professionals in some of the world’s poorest areas.

With 80 Years Around the World

Never before has someone at the impressive age of 80 sailed around the world non-stop. New Zealand-born Dr Stanley Paris wants to be the first. What's more, the American now residing in St. Augustine, Florida is planning on breaking the course record from Bermuda to Bermuda. The extreme sportsman had an offshore yacht ideally suited to the task built at the Kiel-based Knierim shipyard in Germany, a member of the DEUTSCHE YACHTEN – Superyachts Germany working group. The Finot-Conq FC3 53 is 17.33 metres long, 5.26 metres wide and is very racy.

ACR Electronics Names Delcourt Sales Manager

ACR Electronics, Inc. manufacturer of maritime safety and survival products, has appointed a new sales manager within its Land and Marine Division for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Guillaume Delcourt will focus on expanding ACR’s international sales footprint in these geographic regions as demand increases for its popular range of 406 MHz beacons, AIS man overboard devices, distress lights and other safety products for the recreational and commercial markets. Delcourt brings several years of experience in the marine sector to his new role at ACR…

Pirates Attack, Loot Container Ship

Pirates stormed a container ship off the coast of Guinea on Wednesday, making off with money and some of its cargo but leaving the crew unharmed, the government said. They fired guns and briefly held the crew hostage while they were looting the ship named Wendok, Guinea government spokesman Albert Camara said by telephone. He did not have details of the flag Wendok was flying under, the company running it, what its cargo was nor the nationalities of the crew. He said that Guinea's navy had been alerted but that the pirates had escaped before it could catch them.

Mick Fanning Claims Victory at J-Bay Open

Three-time WSL Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) has won the J-Bay Open, stop No. 6 on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), defeating John John Florence (HAW) in an exciting Final in three-to-four foot (1 metre) surf at Jeffreys Bay. Today’s incredible victory comes a year after a dramatic incident during the 2015 J-Bay Open Final where Fanning was attacked on live television by what is believed to be a Great White Shark. “It’s definitely a very different feeling this win,” said Fanning. “There was a real emotional build up coming back here this year.

KVH Expands mini-VSAT Broadband Network

KVH Industries, Inc. expanded the capacity of its mini-VSAT Broadband network with two upgrades recently, supporting growing customer demand for broadband at sea. One expansion added a new satellite beam that doubled the mini-VSAT Broadband network capacity in the North Atlantic Ocean region, including Canada’s Hudson Bay. The second expansion added a new beam across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to add 30 percent more capacity across areas such as the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

Fairline Appoints Sales & Marketing Director

Fairline has announced Douglas Culverwell as its new Sales and Marketing Director. Douglas will be responsible for Fairline's global sales and marketing operations, leading Fairline’s international sales team and managing its worldwide dealer network. Douglas brings a wealth of global marine industry knowledge and experience acquired over the last 17 years. Douglas joined Fairline a year ago as Regional Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Prior to joining Fairline, Douglas worked for boat distributors and manufacturers across the world.