Panama

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.

Volvo Penta Expands Marine Services in Central America

Volvo Penta announced it has entered into a new partnership with SVF Panama, part of the SVF Group, to support its customers with marine services in Panama and Costa Rica.In recent years, Volvo Penta has steadily expanded its service and support network, partnering with companies that specialize in marine operations to provide technical support, field service, maintenance operations and parts supply for its customer base across the marine leisure and commercial sectors.“SVF is an ideal partner for Volvo Penta…

Yacht Goes Missing in the Red Sea with Five Aboard

A private yacht with three Russians and two Egyptians on board has been reported missing in the Red Sea near the coast of Yemen for several days by its owner and the Russian embassy in Saudi Arabia.It was not immediately clear what had happened to the pleasure yacht named 30 Minutes which its owner said was heading to Djibouti to be sent onwards by ship to Dubai.The ship, which its owner said was registered in Panama, was not fitted with the standard AIS ship tracking system which…

Russian Billionaire's Yacht Detained in Gibraltar

A luxurious super-yacht linked to the owner of Russia's largest steel pipe maker, who is currently under British and European Union sanctions, docked in Gibraltar on Monday and was then detained by the authorities.Western sanctions on Russian oligarchs over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine have triggered an exodus of luxury yachts from Europe in recent weeks, with several heading towards the Maldives, which has no extradition treaty with the United States.Reuters TV footage showed the "Axioma", believed to be owned by Dmitrievich Pumpyansky…

Galápagos: Extended Protection for Marine Resilience and Biodiversity

While much of the COP26 coverage last year relayed an urgency to act swiftly before the planet reaches a point of no return, some moments of hope shown through. One such announcement was made by Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, who shared news of an expanded marine reserve, aiming to protect biodiversity and increase productivity and, in turn, natural carbon sink processes.The current ­­ (GMR) stands at roughly 130,000 km2, with an additional 60,000 km2 proposed. The expansion includes what is known as the Cocos-Galápagos Swimway…

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…

CG Continues Search for 2 Missing Boaters in Florida

The Coast Guard is continuing its search for two overdue boaters from Panama City, Fla. Thursday.Overdue are Gerald Cook, 81, and Peter Cook, 55, and four of their dogs aboard the 52-foot yellow steel vessel Rom'e.Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Miami received the initial call from family stating a father and son were traveling from Panama City to Vero Beach, Florida by the Okeechobee Waterway and were scheduled to arrive Tuesday.Coast Guard rescue crews who have been involved…

Sanlorenzo Americas Names New CEO

Marco Segato has been appointed CEO of Sanlorenzo Americas, the division that has aided in the Italian superyacht-builder’s expansion in North, Central and South America for the last 10 years.The  Italian shipbuilding company company said that Marco Segato, formerly Vice President of Sales of Sanlorenzo Americas since 2014, held important positions in the field of strategic consulting and business development Having developed a great wealth of experience in the boating sector, Segato has also been made a shareholder of the US company and will further build upon the growth achieved by Sanlorenzo Americas.Sanlorenzo Americas…

Dream Yacht Charter Opens in Panama

Dream Yacht Charter has announced the opening of the new charter cruising region in Panama’s San Blas archipelago with over 350 beautiful and mainly uninhabited islands waiting to be explored. This new region will offer skippered, all-inclusive crewed yacht and by the cabin charters.Panama is a diverse country where you can explore lush tropical rainforests to the cosmopolitan Panama City. One of the treasures of this country, located off the northeast coast, is the San Blas Islands, home to and governed by the Guna tribe.

Kramer Promoted to MarineMax District President of North Florida

MarineMax has promoted Aaron Kramer to District President of North Florida. In this position, he will oversee all MarineMax stores in North Florida including MarineMax Gulf Shores, MarineMax Pensacola, and MarineMax Panama City Beach.Kramer joined MarineMax in 2012 at MarineMax Houston. He has gradually moved through increasing roles of responsibility eventually managing MarineMax Gulf Shores. Most recently, Kramer was the General Manager of MarineMax Venice where he and his team achieved the utmost success for the past three years.

Florida’s Panhandle Hammered by Hurricane Michael

Hurricane Michael slammed into Florida’s Panhandle on Wednesday, October 10 as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, the strongest storm ever recorded. Originally forecast as a Category 2, Michael gained far more strength than originally anticipated, putting Panama City on the western side of the eye. Making landfall at Mexico Beach, Michael wreaked havoc and destruction on homes, boats and marinas in its path.With widespread devastation and grid outages across Florida’s Panhandle…

UK Court Orders Russian Oligarch to Hand Over Superyacht in Divorce Fight

A Russian billionaire has been ordered by a court in London to hand over a 350 million-pound ($500 million) superyacht to his wife as part of Britain’s biggest-ever divorce battle.Justice Haddon-Cave at the High Court ruled that Farkad Akhmedov, 62, had used evasive and underhand tactics to keep the yacht beyond the reach of the English courts and avoid paying his wife, Tatiana Akhmedova, 41.The 377-foot "Luna" was bought by Akhmedov in 2014 from fellow Russian oligarch and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich.The court heard that the yacht, currently in Dubai, is the second largest expedition yacht in the world.It is fitted with an anti-missil

KVH TracPhone V7-HTS System Delivers Maritime Broadband

An advanced, 60 cm marine satellite antenna system designed to consistently deliver the fastest data speeds globally to the maritime market will be unveiled tomorrow by KVH Industries, Inc., at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, in Florida. The TracPhone V7-HTS achieves data download speeds of up to 10 Mbps, three times faster than current 60 cm models on the market, including KVH’s own system, and fast enough to enable the streaming of HD-quality content at sea. In addition, to further meet the demands of increased data usage at sea…

GAC Pindar Expands Bishop's Role

GAC Pindar has expanded the scope of the role filled by Murray Bishop, its Superyacht Services Manager, to serve as a single point of contact for logistics and shipping support for the global luxury yachting community. Murray’s role will centralize and simplify contact and invoicing for superyacht clients, and he will coordinate the unique package of GAC solutions for the world’s superyachts. Murray’s colleague Mimi Maniati will continue in her role as yacht fuel trader. “We have…

Eastern's Columbia on Display in Fort Lauderdale

Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s reengineered Columbia, built from the original design plans of the classic 1923 Essex-built schooner, will be on display at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, October 30-November 3, 2014. The original Columbia, a 141’ classic Gloucester Fishing Schooner designed by William Starling Burgess, built at the historic A.D. Story shipyard of Essex, Massachusetts and launched April 17, 1923, was bred for speed, challenging – and nearly defeating – Canada’s legendary Bluenose schooner in the International Fishermen’s Cup Races in Halifax.

Ebola Fears Hit the Maritime Market

Brazil, Argentina and the United States have tightened port entry procedures for ships that have sailed from West Africa in a bid to control the potential spread of the deadly Ebola virus. Ebola has killed more than 3,400 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, and its spread has become a global concern -- with worries for trade, which could affect the airline and tourism industries together with seaborne activity. The virus is already threatening to disrupt logistics activity…

1923 Schooner Replica Completes Sailing Trials

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) announced that the Columbia (ESG Hull 981) a steel hull exact replica of the historic Gloucester Fishing Schooner, has completed her sailing trials. The sailing trials were held on September 18, 2014 directly offshore of the beaches of Panama City, Florida. Ninety-one years earlier, the original Columbia was officially measured on October 27, 1923 just before her race with the Bluenose by Raymond J. Milgate, a marine surveyor of Halifax, N.S. The original Columbia was a 141’ classic wooden hull Gloucester Fishing Schooner built at the historic A.D.

ESG Replicates Historic Schooner 'Columbia'

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) informs that a steel hull replica of the historic Gloucester Fishing Schooner COLUMBA has been launched at its Panama City, Florida, shipyard with employees, dignitaries and guests in attendance. The original COLUMBIA was a 141’ classic Gloucester Fishing Schooner built at the historic A.D. Story shipyard of Essex, Massachusetts, which was the center for North American Fishing Schooner construction. At the christening ceremony, Brian D’Isernia, owner of Eastern Shipbuilding Group spoke about the journey of bringing the COLUMBIA back to life…

Hemingway Joins Anglers for Upcoming Wahoo Smackdown V

Following in the footsteps of his famous grandfather, author John Hemingway this year has run with the bulls in Pamplona and will be soon fishing the big game grounds off Bimini—the same tiny Bahamas out island where Papa Hemingway chased marlins and tuna aboard his beloved Pilar in the 1930s. In November, John Hemingway will return to Bimini, this time chasing speedy Wahoo as Grand Marshal of the popular Wahoo Smackdown V series, hosted by the historic Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina in Alice Town.