Strait of Gibraltar Ferry Tossed by High Waves, Damaging Dozens of Cars

Korea’s HJ Heavy Industries Wins First U.S. MRO Project

Published Dec 15, 2025 6:26 PM by The Maritime Executive

South Korea’s HJ Heavy Industries has signed its first repair and maintenance contract for a U.S. Navy support vessel. It becomes the first of Korea’s mid-sized shipyards to enter the business, which is seen as a lucrative segment for the companies. The U.S. has sought to undertake more of the repair and maintenance work overseas, close to the area of deployment, to lessen the downtime for critical support ships. It is also a strategic relationship-building opportunity for the yards that...

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Fisherman From Burning Boat Off Florida

Published Dec 15, 2025 6:02 PM by The Maritime Executive

On Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued a fisherman from the water after a commercial fishing vessel caught fire about 100 miles to the west of Clearwater, Florida. At about 1530 hours on Sunday, Coast Guard Southeast District received an EPIRB alert from a fishing boat at a position off Florida's Gulf coast. Watchstanders dispatched a Jayhawk helicopter aircrew to the scene to investigate. On arrival, the aircrew found a burning vessel and one individual alive and afloat in a...

Removal of Stranded Shadow Tanker Completed to Bulgarian Anchorage

Published Dec 15, 2025 5:41 PM by The Maritime Executive

Bulgaria’s Maritime Administration reported late on Monday, December 15, that the blast-damaged tanker Kairos has been successfully relocated from the coastline to a secure anchorage. The vessel will now be held and only released after the Chinese owner repays the salvage costs. The Kairos (149,989 dwt) drifted toward the Bulgarian coastline more than a week ago under uncertain circumstances. The vessel was damaged in a drone attack while sailing north of Turkey, which caused an explosion and fire, leaving the...

EU Sanctions Oil Traders While Ukraine Sanctions Majority of Shadow Fleet

Published Dec 15, 2025 4:35 PM by The Maritime Executive

In an effort to continue to keep the pressure up on Russia, and specifically targeting oil revenues, the European Union’s Council is targeting the traders and operators that it says support the Russian oil trade. At the same time, Ukraine sanctioned nearly the entire shadow fleet while saying it would continue to work with its partners to block the vessels generating funds to prolong the war. The Council of the European Union highlights that the EU has already sanctioned over...

Shipping

An American helicopter approaches the tanker Skipper off Venezuela, Dec. 10 (DOJ)

After U.S. Bust, Four Tankers Turn Around Instead of Calling in Venezuela

Venezuela's oil exports are coming under heavy pressure after the U.S. seized the VLCC Skipper off the country's shores last week. The boarding netted 1.85 million barrels of oil and one 20-year-old supertanker for the United States, satisfying a court-ordered arrest warrant and generating millions for the U.S. Treasury, but its more significant impact may be to deter other tanker operators from engaging in Venezuelan trade. According to TankerTrackers.com, four "legitimate" tankers that were en route to Venezuela to lift...

Tugs & Salvage

Strait of Gibraltar Ferry Tossed by High Waves, Damaging Dozens of Cars

The ferry Ciudad de Mahon encountered rougher conditions that she was expecting when she left the port of Algeciras and sailed out into the Strait of Gibraltar. Force 7 winds from Storm Emilia was blowing hard, tossing the ro/ro ship about in unexpectedly high waves. Late Saturday night, the vessel made an attempt to depart Algeciras for Ceuta, leaving the dock three hours behind schedule. But she didn't make it far. After heavy pitching and rolling in the severe swells,...

Government

Southern Command Strikes Three More Suspected Drug Boats, Killing Eight

On Monday, U.S. Southern Command reported that its forces attached and destroyed three drug-smuggling boats in the Eastern Pacific, killing the occupants. In a statement, Southern Command emphasized that it carried out the strikes at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Based on intelligence suggesting that the boats were engaged in narco-trafficking, including their presence in the known Eastern Pacific smuggling lanes, U.S. forces launched three aerial attacks. Three suspected smugglers were killed in the first strike; two...

Corporate News

EFIS Maroc Accelerates Commercial Ambition Under New Commercial Director

[By: ECS Group] ECS Group has appointed Yousra Khalihamou as the new Commercial Director of EFIS Maroc, reinforcing its strategy to accelerate commercial performance in one of North Africa’s most competitive and high-potential cargo markets. Her promotion marks a key step in strengthening EFIS Maroc’s leadership as Morocco continues to consolidate its position as a strategic cargo gateway between Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Yousra’s career is a clear example of internal talent development within ECS Group. She began...

Cruise Ships

PortMiami Starts Winter Cruise Season with New Daily Record

The 2025-2026 cruise season started with a bang for PortMiami, with the port, which likes to call itself the cruise capital of the world, setting its third record this year for the number of passengers handled in a single day. It is the start of what promises to be a very busy season as the cruise industry continues its dramatic growth. The port highlights that on November 30, it set a new daily passenger record with 75,201 passengers (embarking and...

Ports

Turkish-Owned RoPax on Fire After Russian Attack on Odesa Region

A Turkish-owned RoPax transporting cargo to Ukraine was set on fire during a midday Russian attack on the Great Odesa region. Reports indicate that one person, possibly a dockworker, was injured, but there are no fatalities. The Ukrainian Air Force had issued the alert at around 1500 local time, reporting high-speed targets coming from the south. It is believed that at least two ballistic missiles had been fired, as well as a launch of drones. It followed an overnight barrage...

Shipping

After U.S. Bust, Four Tankers Turn Around Instead of Calling in Venezuela

Tugs & Salvage

Strait of Gibraltar Ferry Tossed by High Waves, Damaging Dozens of Cars

Government

Southern Command Strikes Three More Suspected Drug Boats, Killing Eight

Corporate News

EFIS Maroc Accelerates Commercial Ambition Under New Commercial Director

Cruise Ships

PortMiami Starts Winter Cruise Season with New Daily Record

Ports

Turkish-Owned RoPax on Fire After Russian Attack on Odesa Region

Offshore

Maryland Calls for Offshore Wind Proposals Days After Court Victory

The State of Maryland celebrated the victory in the courts against the Trump administration's order halting licensing for wind energy projects by launching a new call for Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) from the licensed developers. The state reiterated its commitment to wind energy despite the ongoing struggles with federal regulators. Maryland published the details of the call open to leaseholders. The state will be conducting an information conference this upcoming week. Proposals are due by January 16. At the beginning...

Shipbuilding

Poetry in Motion

Shipyards are key pieces of the global maritime infrastructure. From newbuilds to refits to scheduled maintenance, every single ship on the sea needs to return home periodically for a little rest and recovery – not to mention needed repairs, realignment, a fresh coat of paint and so on. Shipyards come in all sizes and shapes and can be found anywhere that the land meets the sea. But no matter the size, location or specialty, there's one constant you'll find at...

Environment

Odfjell Tankers Launches Green Corridor Between Brazil and Europe

Norwegian shipping major Odfjell reports it has initiated the first green corridor for service between Brazil and Europe. The company emphasizes that this is not a one-off demonstration, but instead, with supply contracts, it becomes a long-term commitment to demonstrating what is possible today. The company reports it has secured a supply of sustainable biofuel, which will be used as its chemical tankers make the 5,000-nautical-mile journey between Brazil and Europe. The corridor will operate 12 to 15 voyages per...

Business

Drew Marine Insights Tour: Connecting Expertise with Shipboard Challenges

In an era of digital communication and AI, real relationships with real people still drive real progress. In maritime, practical know-how matters and staying connected to customers remains essential for building trust and long-term partnerships. “Drew Marine is staying front and center with the best technology and no digital collateral can replace the human discussion and insight a Drew Marine Business Unit Manager provides, especially as regulations tighten and operational demands rise” says Cynthia Lakis, Vice President, Business Unit Management...

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Strait of Gibraltar Ferry Tossed by High Waves, Damaging Dozens of Cars

Korea’s HJ Heavy Industries Wins First U.S. MRO Project

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Fisherman From Burning Boat Off Florida

Removal of Stranded Shadow Tanker Completed to Bulgarian Anchorage

EU Sanctions Oil Traders While Ukraine Sanctions Majority of Shadow Fleet

After U.S. Bust, Four Tankers Turn Around Instead of Calling in Venezuela

Strait of Gibraltar Ferry Tossed by High Waves, Damaging Dozens of Cars

Southern Command Strikes Three More Suspected Drug Boats, Killing Eight

EFIS Maroc Accelerates Commercial Ambition Under New Commercial Director

PortMiami Starts Winter Cruise Season with New Daily Record

Turkish-Owned RoPax on Fire After Russian Attack on Odesa Region

Drew Marine Insights Tour: Connecting Expertise with Shipboard Challenges

Understanding Hazardous Area Classification on Ships and Offshore

Why Financial Wellbeing Is Central to Seafarer Welfare

After U.S. Bust, Four Tankers Turn Around Instead of Calling in Venezuela

Strait of Gibraltar Ferry Tossed by High Waves, Damaging Dozens of Cars

Southern Command Strikes Three More Suspected Drug Boats, Killing Eight

EFIS Maroc Accelerates Commercial Ambition Under New Commercial Director

PortMiami Starts Winter Cruise Season with New Daily Record

Turkish-Owned RoPax on Fire After Russian Attack on Odesa Region

Maryland Calls for Offshore Wind Proposals Days After Court Victory

Poetry in Motion

Odfjell Tankers Launches Green Corridor Between Brazil and Europe

Drew Marine Insights Tour: Connecting Expertise with Shipboard Challenges

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Maritime Industry Conferences and Events