Ukraine Attacks Russian Black Sea Port of Tuapse Starting Large Fire

overturned capsized cargo ship Mariana Islands

USCG Confirms Finding Capsized US Cargo Ship but No Sign of Crew

Published Apr 20, 2026 12:40 PM by The Maritime Executive

The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed in a statement on Monday, April 20, that it has identified the overturned vessel found in the Northern Mariana Islands as a missing U.S. cargo ship. The search is ongoing, having located additional debris, but so far, no sign has been reported of the six missing crewmembers. The Mariana, a 145-foot U.S.-flagged offshore supply vessel used to move cargo between Guam, Tinian, and Saipan, lost contact with the U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday evening, April...

Brazil Investigates "Slave-Like" Conditions on Workboat Rescued off Amapa

Published Apr 19, 2026 10:40 PM by The Maritime Executive

Authorities in Brazil are investigating the circumstances aboard a rusting, disabled pollution control vessel found drifting off the coast last week. The crew was almost out of food and water, and they reported "slave-like" working conditions aboard, according to the Brazilian Labor Prosecutor's Office. The Tanzanian-flagged, 1945-built Latifa (ex name Northern Orion, Chichi) was found adrift at a position about Amapa. While under way from Cartagena to Montevideo, she had suffered a propulsion casualty and had been drifting for more...

U.S. Marine Corps teams prepare to board the Iranian boxship Touska (U.S. Central Command)

Confused? A Hormuz War Aide Memoire for Mariners

Published Apr 19, 2026 10:25 PM by The Maritime Executive

The maritime community know the Gulf well. But when mixed in with the political system in Iran, which is sophisticated but opaque and very different to a Western-style democracy, plus the unorthodox approach adopted by President Trump, it is easy to get confused. Herewith is a summary to set matters in context. Iranian objectives: The Iranian clerical regime’s long-term strategy is a mix of religious and Persian nationalist objectives, aiming to establish Shi’a Iran as the dominant regional power in...

Journalist Tracks Dutch Frigate By Mailing It a $5 Bluetooth Tracker

Published Apr 19, 2026 10:25 PM by The Maritime Executive

In the recent past, there has been a rise in cases of operational security (OPSEC) flaws affecting active naval vessels. While navies invest heavily to protect the location of their vessels, inexpensive technologies can easily expose movements if not managed. Most recently, this trend has been reported within the NATO strike group supporting the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the Mediterranean Sea. Last week, Dutch regional broadcaster Omroep Gelderland reported that one of its journalists was able to...

Shipping

USCG Confirms Finding Capsized US Cargo Ship but No Sign of Crew

Tugs & Salvage

Damage to the freighter, its name blurred out and withheld in line with GDPR requirements (DLGR)

Inland Freighter Hits Pier at Decommissioned Nuclear Plant on the Elbe

Last week, an inland freighter hit an industrial pier on the river Elbe, damaging its bow and injuring the master, according to German response agencies. Just after 0230 hours on Friday morning, emergency response agencies in Stade, Germany received notice that a ship had hit an industrial dock on the Elbe, at the inactive Kernkraftwerk Stade nuclear powerplant. The local branch of the German Life Saving Association (DLRG) reported initially that the captain had lost consciousness while on watch. He...

Government

Japan's Senaku and Yonaguni Islands, Taiwan and Chinese PLA Navy stations (Google Earth/CJRC)

Japan Builds Up its Defense Posture Through Investments and Alliances

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is pushing ahead with election manifesto promises to strengthen Japan's defense posture. The Liberal Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Takaichi won a strong mandate in the Japanese parliamentary election held on February 8, winning 316 of the 465 seats in parliament and thus a two-thirds super majority necessary to make changes to the self-defense oriented constitution. Nonetheless, the Prime Minister is proceeding in a methodical manner, commissioning urgent updates to Japan's National Defense Strategy...

Corporate News

Bolidt on Deck at Scale as New Cruise Season Approaches

[By: Bolidt] The coming season sees major operators including MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean and AIDA Cruises engaging industry-leading decking company Bolidt for key works across their fleets. As part of MSC Cruises’ refurbishment programme focus to add exclusive, high-end areas on several existing ships, Bolidt recently completed extensive refit works aboard MSC Magnifica, to be followed by MSC Poesia, both at Palumbo Shipyards in Malta. Upgrades cover the installation of prefabricated elements and the creation of VIP spaces in the...

Cruise Ships

Saudi-Owned Cruise Ship Escaped Before Hormuz Closure Resumed

The Aroya, a cruise ship operation launched in coordination with Cruise Saudi, became the last of the cruise ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend. Five other cruise ships, operated by MSC Cruises, TUI Group, and Celestyal Cruises, had previously made the transit over the weekend, taking advantage of the brief lull in the region. The 151,000 gross ton cruise ship owned by Saudi interests but registered in Malta had not joined the others in their sailing,...

Ports

Ukraine Attacks Russian Black Sea Port of Tuapse Starting Large Fire

Ukraine is continuing its pressure on the Russian oil export infrastructure as it seeks to interrupt the revenues coming from the surging oil market. After repeated attacks on the ports in the Baltic, Ukraine has targeted the Black Sea port of Tuapse with two attacks in recent days. The governor of the region described the overnight assault as a “massive drone attack” targeting the seaport and the nearby refinery. Operated by Rosneft, the refinery reportedly has an annual capacity of...

Shipping

USCG Confirms Finding Capsized US Cargo Ship but No Sign of Crew

Tugs & Salvage

Inland Freighter Hits Pier at Decommissioned Nuclear Plant on the Elbe

Government

Japan Builds Up its Defense Posture Through Investments and Alliances

Corporate News

Bolidt on Deck at Scale as New Cruise Season Approaches

Cruise Ships

Saudi-Owned Cruise Ship Escaped Before Hormuz Closure Resumed

Ports

Ukraine Attacks Russian Black Sea Port of Tuapse Starting Large Fire

Offshore

China Commissions Wind Farm At Its Deepest Offshore Position

Chinese officials highlighted the commissioning of its newest offshore wind farm, which is also setting a record for the country’s deepest fixed-bottom wind turbines and is located far out to sea. They highlighted the complex geology and challenges of extreme sea conditions in developing and operating the 504 MW wind farm, the Huaneng Shandong Peninsula North L Site. The wind farm was developed by the state-owned China Huaneng Group and will be managed and operated by the Yantai Power Plant....

Shipbuilding

The approximately 300-metre-long hole at Tyholt in Trondheim is big enough to accommodate the London Eye, Oslo Plaza and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris – one next to the other. Photo: Statsbygg

Norway is Building the Most Advanced Testing Basin Ever Constructed

[By Henriette Louise Krogness and Tore Stensvold] It was no easy task for Statsbygg when the Norwegian Ocean Technology Centre was given the go-ahead to put shovels in the ground at Tyholt in Trondheim, Norway. Statsbygg oversees the Norwegian government’s building and property development affairs. “I have never had a more challenging task in my entire career,” says Statsbygg project director Arild Mathisen. “That’s because nothing like this has ever been built in Norway, or anywhere else in the world,”...

Environment

Riding the LNG Wave

The age of global LNG is upon us. In the latter half of 2025, the global supply increased nearly seven percent. This came largely from North America, which frankly has LNG down to a science. It's abundant here. We know how to extract it in an environmentally conscious manner, and we have the infrastructure to process, store and move it. New U.S. LNG projects reaching final investment decisions in 2025 included Louisiana LNG, Corpus Christi Trains 8 & 9, CP2...

Business

A VLCC in ballast arrives at Port of Corpus Christi (file image courtesy Port of Corpus Christi)

"Energy Dominance" In Action

The crisis in the Middle East and in particular the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has upended global oil markets. Both crude oil and refined products are now in short supply. Refiners around the world are desperate to get their hands on alternative sources of crude oil, almost at any price. However, the options are limited and dwindling. The volume of Russian and Iranian oil in floating storage is shrinking fast since the U.S. has lifted some of...

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Ukraine Attacks Russian Black Sea Port of Tuapse Starting Large Fire

USCG Confirms Finding Capsized US Cargo Ship but No Sign of Crew

Brazil Investigates "Slave-Like" Conditions on Workboat Rescued off Amapa

Confused? A Hormuz War Aide Memoire for Mariners

Journalist Tracks Dutch Frigate By Mailing It a $5 Bluetooth Tracker

USCG Confirms Finding Capsized US Cargo Ship but No Sign of Crew

Inland Freighter Hits Pier at Decommissioned Nuclear Plant on the Elbe

Japan Builds Up its Defense Posture Through Investments and Alliances

Bolidt on Deck at Scale as New Cruise Season Approaches

Saudi-Owned Cruise Ship Escaped Before Hormuz Closure Resumed

Ukraine Attacks Russian Black Sea Port of Tuapse Starting Large Fire

Estonian Solutions Support Cruise Industry’s Green Transition

Cyber Risk in Shipping: From Technical Threat to Business Reality

Architecture of Adaptability: Designing Vessels to Stand the Test of Time

USCG Confirms Finding Capsized US Cargo Ship but No Sign of Crew

Inland Freighter Hits Pier at Decommissioned Nuclear Plant on the Elbe

Japan Builds Up its Defense Posture Through Investments and Alliances

Bolidt on Deck at Scale as New Cruise Season Approaches

Saudi-Owned Cruise Ship Escaped Before Hormuz Closure Resumed

Ukraine Attacks Russian Black Sea Port of Tuapse Starting Large Fire

China Commissions Wind Farm At Its Deepest Offshore Position

Norway is Building the Most Advanced Testing Basin Ever Constructed

Riding the LNG Wave

"Energy Dominance" In Action

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Maritime Industry Conferences and Events