Ariel Re has obtained regulatory approval to launch a Managing Agent at Lloyd’s of London. The new managing agency, Ariel Re Managing Agency (ARMA), will assume the management of Ariel Syndicate 1910, together with SPA 6117, from Argo Managing Agency Ltd. Ariel Syndicate 1910 started underwriting in early 2008. Today Ariel Re employs almost 100…
EU could exempt pilotage services from Russian oil ban
The European Union’s preparations for a ban on Russian oil imports beginning this December have not run completely smoothly. This week Greece, Cyprus and Malta were reported to be unhappy with the eighth tranche of sanctions because of the impact it would have on their shipping industries. In addition, a proposal has been made to…
Glencore sued in US court over alleged off-spec HSFO
Ship owner Serifos Maritime is suing oil trader Glencore for $2.18mn for allegedly supplying its vessel with off-specification high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) in Singapore in March. Serifos owns of 309,396dwt tanker Serifos (IMO 9410399), which had been fitted with a marine exhaust scrubber ahead of the 2020 introduction of new sulphur limits for shippers. A…
Water rises on Rhine, shipping loads back to normal
Heavy rains in the past week in Germany have meant that water levels on the Rhine have risen sharply, returning to normal levels and enabling cargo ships to sail fully loaded, vessel brokers and commodity traders said. While weeks of high temperatures and little rainfall in August had reduced water levels to near record lows,…
Windward snaps up three new Greek customers
Maritime artificial intelligence company Windward has signed three partnerships with Greek shipping companies: Ortsa Marine, a shipbroking company, Goldenport, a ship management company, and Marine Trust, a shipowner. its new customers will use Windward’s Maritime artificial intelligence platform for due diligence, vessel screening, and to mitigate sanctions compliance risk. Windward co-founder and CEO Ami Daniel…
Norwegian Cruise Line in talks with NYC over using cruise ship to house migrants
The deployment of older and under-utilized cruise ships to house migrants looks set to spread from Europe to the US, with New York City and Norwegian Cruise Line in discussions about a long-term charter of a vessel by New York in order to find temporary homes for migrants. If the deal goes through it would…
Fifth UN-chartered ship to deliver Ukrainian wheat to Somalia, says ministry
Bulk carrier New Island (IMO 9258349), the fifth vessel chartered by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), has arrived at the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Chornomorsk and will deliver Ukrainian wheat to Somalia, Ukraine’s infrastructure ministry said on Sunday. The ministry also said on Sunday that a total of 5.8 million tonnes of…
Indonesian navy denies it requested payments to release ships
Senior officers of the Indonesian Navy met with media late last month to deny reports of officers soliciting payments from tankers being detained in Indonesian waters. Reuters has published more than one report in which officers from the Indonesian Navy were alleged to have asked for payments of up to $375,000 to release tankers being…
Marine accident round-up : 5th October 2022
Container ship Nordic Italia (IMO 9474395) collided with 12-metre Polish fishing boat DZI 18 early in the morning of September 30th when 30nm NE of Swinoujscie, Poland, while en route from Szczecin, Poland, to Helsinki, Finland. The container ship was reported to have dragged the fishing boat in its bow for about an hour before…
Europe scrambles to defend underwater infrastructure
Western and Central European countries have been taking rapid action to defend what they perceive as a growing threat to the region’s critical infrastructure. Italy’s Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerini said that the country’s military would take immediate steps to reinforce the protection of trans-Mediterranean gas pipelines. The Italian navy will deploy remote-controlled submarines to monitor…