NorthLink Ferries’ Post

As far back as 592 BCE, humans have been transporting people and cargo by water. And for centuries, captains have relied on locals familiar with the ports currents and hazards to guide them safely to shore. While pilotage is one of the oldest naval professions, it remains one of the least known. Did you know that ships carry roughly 70% of the world's trade? #shippilots #maritimepilots #ships #houstonshipchannel #porthouston #maritime #sealife #globaleconomy #texastrade #houstonpilots

𝐎𝐩-𝐄𝐝: 𝐔.𝐒. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐰 By Bruce Kimbrell (Policy Op-Ed) The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, finds herself at the proverbial ‘tip of the spear’ for America’s strategic sealift readiness—forced into an impossible decision between her vision for putting more players on the field and the practicality of managing a fleet impacted by a mariner recruiting and retention problem.  Yet, this is not just a Navy problem. America’s Strategic Sealift: A Crisis in the Making The United States faces a critical challenge: a growing shortage of mariners, the essential personnel who sustain both our economy and military logistics. The U.S. Merchant Marine, often called the “Fourth Arm of Defense,” includes these mariners who play an indispensable role in ensuring the flow of goods, fuel, and military supplies during peacetime, crises, and war. Today, this vital workforce is in peril. Without swift action, the nation’s ability to project power and maintain strategic mobility through our mariners at sea is at risk, making us susceptible to coercion from our adversaries. The Long-Overlooked Fourth Arm of Defense The World War II moniker of “Z-Men” for U.S. Merchant Mariners evokes images of those who delivered victory in the great wars. Their legacy reminds us that mariners on U.S.-flag ships provide vital support to both military operations and the peacetime economy, delivering supplies that enable forces to operate far from home while ensuring our store shelves remain stocked. Today’s mariners are the modern embodiment of those who came before, expected to fill the ranks of our strategic sealift fleet and be ready to man our vessels in times of crisis and war. Yet, this critical role is jeopardized by a significant shortfall of qualified mariners that undermines both peacetime and crisis readiness. In 2018, former Maritime Administrator Mark Buzby warned Congress about this issue, reporting a national deficit of nearly 1,800 mariners. Unfortunately, this shortage not only persists but appears to be part of a worsening trend for the readiness status of the Merchant Marine. In April 2024, Air Force General Van Ovost, Commander of U.S. Transportation Command, testified before Congress, expressing growing concern over mariner shortages exacerbated by an aging fleet of ships. Her comments highlighted not only the immediate readiness challenges but also the broader implications of fleet size and material readiness on the demand for mariner billets. 

Royal Canadian Navy | Marine royale canadienne Ships Horn On Every Major Bridge In The World Transport Canada - Transports Canada Infrastructure Canada Public Safety Canada | Sécurité publique Canada

Have you heard? The #NationalShipbuildingStrategy supports Canada’s marine industry in building vessels here at home and in repairing, refitting and maintaining our existing fleet. We’re committed to ensuring the Royal Canadian Navy | Marine royale canadienne and the Canadian Coast Guard/Garde côtière canadienne have the equipment they need to maintain our nation’s sovereignty, protect our interests at home and abroad, and ensure safe and accessible Canadian waterways. In summer 2019, the Government of Canada announced a $7.5-billion investment to maintain the Royal Canadian Navy’s fleet. These contracts are crucial to maintaining peak performance and operational efficiency for Canada’s naval fleet. From routine maintenance to critical upgrades, we’re ensuring our ships are always mission-ready. https://lnkd.in/gk9p6Ui9

🚢 Unlocking insights with another NCAGS #infographic – cruise ship edition! Dive into some intriguing figures on cruise ships from the Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping. #StraitForward #MerchantShipping #CruiseShips #MaritimeSecurity

A picture paints a thousand words ……. But when you have a picture of pictures it must be millions. This is exactly what the RN Maritime Domain Awareness Programme does. There is always plenty of coverage, glossy images and video clips with punchy soundtracks of the sharp pointy end of military capabilities - jets, ships, submarines and Royal Marines with rifles/daggers. But situational awareness is absolutely essential for any sharp pointy bits to be effective. From the Grand Strategic to the lowest sub-tactical, the first question in any decision making is always “what is going on?” The RN MDA programme delivers this to our allies and partners - military, law enforcement and emergency. And the more the merrier. The more allies and partners who can contribute can also benefit. I really do think this is the future. It will be like the coverage and safety services we give to aircraft. Terry - don’t spend all the air miles at once!

Serco MEO (formerly JJMA) -I bid (Next Generation Logistics Ship) NGLS with Philly Yard builder of NSMV - this is just what mission discription this article points to, a common hull logistics ship. It was a multiple award phase 1 concept study 2 years ago- I was floored Philly/Serco didn’t get an award not even for a concept!!!- Austal got an award, TAI got an award, I don’t recall the 3rd a- so yes there is a program and contract for this sort of thing, and a builder delivering on it a potential hull- for some reason there was no appitite for what the article proposes or at least there wasn’t 2 years ago in the program which is looking to acquire just this. I will say 300M is a healthy price point for a craft of this size, and the ships were ordered as a block which helps

Recent reports from Der Spiegel indicate that the German Navy's FSG Baden-Württemberg frigate and FGS Frankfurt am Main have opted to avoid the Red Sea on their return from an Asia-Pacific deployment, choosing instead to navigate around the Cape of Good Hope. This decision raises serious concerns about the deterrent capability of the German Navy. If these warships cannot safely traverse such critical areas, what message does that send to merchant ship captains? It undermines confidence in their ability to protect commercial shipping, which is vital for global trade. This situation highlights the challenges facing modern naval operations and the implications for maritime security. https://lnkd.in/dKrhUYZs

NZ Ocean Floor Survey Naval Vessel Runs Aground Off Samoa

It is always great to see sites where there is a strong hand protection policy in place so that regardless of who attends site they are issued with Traffi gloves. The UK Secretary of State for Defence was issued with a pair of Traffi TG6240 gloves for his dockside visit. The unique, Traffi 🚦 traffic light system makes it simple, a green glove means Cut D/A4 or higher. While the Defence Secretary's task is to keep the country safe, our task is to keep hands safe! This is to ensure those critical jobs can be carried out safely day in and day out with workers returning home safely each day. The Traffi system proven to reduce hand injuries by up to 94%. https://lnkd.in/ep8bz3-t https://lnkd.in/g3XuSnHJ With Traffi, while reducing hand injuries you can also reduce Planetary Costs with our certified Carbon Neutral glove range. #sustainable #handprotection #Gloves #PPE #handsafety #carbonneutral #inclusive #colourcoded