What the Ship (Ep 104: The Maritime Day Edition) | Dali and Baltimore | US Ports | Red Sea

Summary

In this special May 22nd, 2024 edition of 'What the Ship', host Salmer Kagano discusses the refloating of the motor vessel Dolly and its implications on the US Maritime industry. The channel highlights the Baltimore port's 24/7 reopening, new regulations requiring tugs and state pilots, and the salvage efforts captured by Dead Rise Marine Photography. The script also addresses the broader maritime scene, including the impact of tariffs, cyber security threats, and the challenges faced by US Merchant Mariners in contested regions like the Red Sea. The episode concludes with a tribute to mariners on National Maritime Day, emphasizing their crucial yet underappreciated role in global commerce.

Takeaways

• 🚢 The motor vessel Dolly was successfully refloated and moved back to Baltimore with the help of five tugs from Mallister and Moran.
• 🛳️ The channel to and from Baltimore has been reopened 24/7 with a 400-foot width and 50-foot draft, following the accident involving Dolly.
• 📋 New rules by the captain of the port now require all vessels to have a Maryland state pilot and two escorting tugs when passing through the area.
• 📸 Deadrise Marine Photography on Instagram captured significant images of the salvage operation, showing the damage and efforts to remove debris from Dolly.
• ⚓ Dolly is currently without operable anchors, which is a significant issue for a ship that cannot sail into harbors without them.
• 🌉 The salvage of Dolly involved removing the bridge structure and other materials from the bow, which was not designed to support such weight.
• 🚧 The port of Brunswick, Georgia set a new record for the movement of roll-on/roll-off cargo, positioning itself as a key port in the Southeast.
• 🛃 Portland's container terminal, which was planned to shut down in October, will remain operational thanks to state funding allocated by Oregon.
• 💻 The port of South Carolina experienced a shutdown due to software issues, highlighting the vulnerability of ports to cyber attacks and technical glitches.
• 🦅 The US is imposing tariffs on Chinese-built ship-to-shore cranes from ZPMC due to security concerns over undisclosed modems in some cranes.
• ⚓ The Bob El Mandeb, a strait in the Red Sea, has seen a significant reduction in ships and tonnage passing through due to the threat from the Houthi rebels.

Q & A

What was the significant event that took place with the motor vessel Dolly?

The motor vessel Dolly was refloated and moved across the channel back to Baltimore with the help of five tugs from Mallister and Moran.

What is the current status of the channel to and from Baltimore?

The channel to and from Baltimore is now open 24/7 with a 400-foot width and a 50-foot draft, returning to the previous draft before the accident.

What are the new rules set by the captain of the port for vessels passing through the area?

Under the new rules, all vessels will need a Maryland state pilot and two escorting tugs when coming through the area. There will also be a continued speed limit and a minimum 3-foot under clearance requirement.

What is the current situation with the containers on board Dolly?

The containers on board Dolly, which were crushed under the weight of the bridge, have not yet been moved. The focus is on removing the roadway and concrete off the bow before addressing the containers.

Why is the ship Dolly unlikely to go to sea?

Dolly's bow compartment is compromised and open to the sea, and it probably does not have any operable anchors. Without anchors, the ship cannot sail into harbors.

What is the scale of the damage to Dolly and its current draft?

The damage to Dolly is significant, with a severe gash in the bow and the ship's starboard side also severely damaged. The ship is currently drawing about 13 meters of water, which is approximately 42 feet.

What is the fate of the cargo on Dolly?

The cargo on Dolly is expected to be offloaded, with half to two-thirds of the containers having cargo heading to Asia. The shippers will want this cargo sent on other ships crossing to Asia.

What happened at the Port of Brunswick in Georgia?

The Port of Brunswick in Georgia set a new record for the movement of roll-on/roll-off cargo. It has become the go-to roll-on/roll-off port in the Southeastern United States.

Why was the Port of Portland's Container Terminal 6 at risk of shutting down?

The Port of Portland was set to shut down its Container Terminal 6 due to financial losses. However, the state of Oregon allocated state funds to maintain the container port.

What caused the temporary closure of the Port of South Carolina's ports?

A software issue, possibly a malware or virus, was uploaded into the system of the South Carolina ports, effectively shutting down the port of Charleston and the inland ports.

What is the impact of the houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea?

The houthi attacks have led to a significant reduction in the number of ships and tonnage passing through the region. Many ocean carriers, including US flagged vessels, have chosen to divert and go around Africa to avoid the area.

What recognition did tugboat captains receive on National Maritime Day?

Governor Wes Moore of Maryland recognized the efforts of tugboat captains John Shellenberger and Wesley Southworth for their work in moving the Dolly back to the Seagirt Marine Terminal.

Outlines

00:00

🚢 Motor Vessel Dolly Salvage and US Maritime Update

The May 22nd, 2024, edition of 'What the Ship' focuses on the salvage of the motor vessel Dolly and the state of the US maritime industry. Host Salmer Kagano discusses the refloating of Dolly, the Baltimore channel's reopening 24/7 with new regulations, and the significant effort by five tugs from Mallister and Moran. The channel's return to its previous 400-foot width and 50-foot draft is highlighted, alongside the requirement for vessels to have a Maryland state pilot and two escorting tugs. The episode also features images from Dead Rise Marine Photography, showcasing the damage to Dolly and the salvage operation. The vessel's move to the Seagar terminal for removal of debris and containers by float cranes is detailed, with concerns about the ship's stress and compromised bow compartment raised. The episode concludes with a discussion on the ship's inability to sail without operable anchors.

05:04

📈 Post-Salvage Plans and US Port Developments

This paragraph outlines the expected procedures following the salvage of the motor vessel Dolly, including the offloading of containers, potential emergency repairs in Baltimore, and possible further repairs in Norfolk or a full dry docking in Asia or Europe. The involvement of the classification society ENK in assessing the vessel's damage is mentioned. The paragraph also highlights other US ports' developments, such as Georgia setting a new record for roll-on/roll-off cargo and the Port of Brunswick's growth. The potential impact of the reopened Port of Baltimore on cargo redistribution is discussed, along with the announcement of the Port of Portland's decision to shut down its container terminal, later reversed by state funding. The challenges faced by Portland due to geographical and demographic factors are analyzed, emphasizing the importance of the Columbia River's role and the Rockies' barrier to rail transport.

10:06

🛳️ Global Shipping Impact and Cybersecurity Concerns

The third paragraph addresses the global impact of shipping, with a focus on the tracking of cargo through the IMF Port Watch and the significant reduction of ships and tonnage passing through the Bab El-Mandeb strait due to security threats. The paragraph details the US government's response to cybersecurity threats, including the imposition of tariffs on Chinese-built ship-to-shore cranes from ZPMC over security concerns. The potential influence of tariffs on shipping patterns and the flow of cargo is discussed, with a historical context provided by the Trump Administration's previous tariffs and their impact on the shipping industry. The paragraph concludes with a mention of the ongoing risks faced by US Merchant Mariners in contested regions such as the coast of Yemen and the Mediterranean Sea.

15:06

🛑 The Aftermath of Cyber Attacks and Strategic Shipping Decisions

This section discusses the repercussions of a cyber attack or software issue that led to the temporary closure of the Port of Charleston and other inland ports in South Carolina. It emphasizes the vulnerability of American ports to cyber threats and the potential implications for global shipping. The narrative then shifts to the strategic decision by ocean carriers to divert ships around Africa to avoid the high-risk Red Sea region due to attacks by the Houthi rebels. The paragraph uses Marine Traffic data to illustrate the dramatic decrease in ship traffic through the Red Sea and the subsequent impact on global shipping routes, highlighting the US's inability to maintain its maritime presence in the area.

20:06

🇺🇸 US Naval Presence and National Maritime Day Celebrations

The fifth paragraph critiques the US Navy's current ability to protect commercial shipping, suggesting a failure in its mission due to resource constraints and the inadequacy of current naval assets. It contrasts the US's approach with that of the French Navy, which continues to escort ships through the Red Sea. The paragraph also highlights a National Maritime Day observance hosted by the US Maritime Administration, attended by notable figures such as Senator Mark Kelly and Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. The event's focus on commemorating veterans and the maritime industry is emphasized, along with the significance of recognizing the hard work and dedication of those in the maritime field.

25:07

🎉 Recognizing Maritime Professionals and National Maritime Day

The final paragraph celebrates the efforts of tugboat captains and crews from Mallister and Moran who played a crucial role in the salvage operation of the motor vessel Dolly. It includes a statement from Maryland Governor Wes Moore commending the captains for their resilience and hard work. The paragraph also reflects on the broader recognition of mariners on National Maritime Day, emphasizing the unique and demanding nature of their work. The host expresses gratitude to the maritime community and encourages viewers to support the channel, highlighting the importance of sharing and subscribing for updates on shipping and maritime affairs.

Keywords

💡Motor Vessel Dolly

The motor vessel Dolly is a significant subject in the video, which refers to a specific type of ship powered by engines rather than sails. It was involved in an incident where it got refloated and moved across the channel back to Baltimore. The video discusses the salvage efforts and the aftermath of this event, highlighting the challenges faced by the maritime industry in response to such incidents.

💡Maritime Day

Maritime Day is a key concept in the video, representing a day dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the maritime industry. The script discusses various happenings around the US maritime industry in the context of Maritime Day, emphasizing the importance of the industry and the people who work within it, such as tugboat captains and other maritime professionals.

💡Salvage

Salvage is a term used in the video to describe the process of recovering or rescuing a ship in distress. The salvage of the motor vessel Dolly is a central topic, as it was refloated and moved to Baltimore with the help of five tugs. The video provides insights into the complexities and efforts involved in such operations.

💡Channel

In the context of the video, a channel refers to a navigable waterway for ships. The script mentions the reopening of a channel to and from Baltimore, which is crucial for maritime traffic. The channel's width and draft are highlighted, indicating its capacity for handling large vessels and its importance to the port's operations.

💡Tugs

Tugs are small powerful boats used to push or pull larger vessels, especially in confined spaces or during operations like salvage. The video script details the involvement of five tugs from Mallister and Moran in the refloating and movement of the motor vessel Dolly, showcasing their critical role in maritime operations.

💡Maryland State Pilot

A Maryland state pilot, as mentioned in the video, is a licensed professional who guides ships through complex or regulated waters. The script indicates that under new rules set by the captain of the port, all vessels will need a Maryland state pilot, emphasizing the importance of such roles in ensuring safe navigation.

💡Escorting Tugs

Escorting tugs are tugs that accompany vessels through certain areas to provide assistance and ensure safety. The video mentions that, under new regulations, vessels passing through the area will need two escorting tugs, highlighting the increased safety measures being implemented.

💡Under Clearance

Under clearance refers to the minimum distance a vessel must maintain below a certain point, such as a bridge, to prevent collisions. The video script specifies a requirement for at least a 3-foot under clearance, indicating a safety regulation that vessels must adhere to while navigating through the channel.

💡Container Ship

A container ship is a large vessel designed to transport containers, which are standardized steel boxes used to ship goods. The video discusses the motor vessel Dolly as a 10,000 TEU vessel, comparing it to the largest vessels in the world that can carry up to 24,000 TEUs. This highlights the scale of modern maritime shipping.

💡Roll On-Roll Off Cargo

Roll on-roll off (RORO) cargo refers to a method of shipping vehicles and other cargo that can be driven on and off the ship on their own wheels. The video mentions Georgia setting a new record for the movement of RORO cargo, indicating the growth and importance of this type of cargo in the maritime industry.

💡Cyber Attacks

Cyber attacks are malicious attempts to damage, disrupt, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems or networks. The video script discusses a potential cyber attack that shut down the port of Charleston and other inland ports, emphasizing the vulnerability of modern ports to such threats.

💡Tariffs

Tariffs are taxes imposed on imported or exported goods, often used as a trade barrier. The video script mentions the imposition of tariffs on Chinese-built ship-to-shore cranes, which are critical for port operations. This decision reflects broader trade and security concerns affecting the maritime industry.

💡Merchant Mariners

Merchant mariners are civilian crew members who work on merchant ships, transporting cargo and passengers. The video highlights the risks faced by merchant mariners, particularly those operating in contested areas such as off the coast of Gaza or near Yemen, where they may come under fire or face other dangers.

💡Bob El Man Deb

Bob El Man Deb is a strait located between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The video uses this location to discuss the impact of the Houthi attacks on maritime traffic, showing a significant reduction in the number of ships and tonnage passing through the area as vessels are diverted around Africa.

💡US Maritime Administration

The US Maritime Administration, or MARAD, is a federal agency responsible for promoting and maintaining a robust U.S. maritime industry. The video script mentions MARAD hosting a National Maritime Day observance, indicating its role in recognizing and supporting the maritime community.

💡Tug Life

The term 'tug life' is used in the video to describe the challenging and demanding work of tugboat operators. It highlights the dedication and hard work of these individuals, who are often on the front lines of maritime operations, such as the salvage of the motor vessel Dolly.

Highlights

Special edition of 'What the Ship' discussing the salvage of motor vessel Dolly and National Maritime Day in the United States.

Refloating of motor vessel Dolly, which was grounded with its bow in the mud, and moved back to Baltimore.

Announcement of the channel to and from Baltimore being open 24/7 with a return to its previous 400-foot width and 50-foot draft.

New rules require all vessels to have a Maryland state pilot and two escorting tugs when passing through the area.

Images from Dead Rise Marine Photography showcasing the salvage effort and damage to Dolly.

Dolly moved to the Seagar terminal for removal of materials off the bow with the help of float cranes.

Dolly's bow is under significant stress due to the unsupported weight and compromised bow compartment.

Discussion on whether Dolly will go to sea, given its lack of operable anchors.

Dolly's size comparison to the largest container ships in the world, which carry up to 24,000 TEUs.

The process of offloading Dolly's cargo onto other ships for transport to Asia and the potential for emergency repairs in Baltimore.

Use of five Moran and Mallister tugs to move Dolly dead stick, without the power of the ship's propeller.

Georgia setting a new record for the movement of roll-on/roll-off cargo with the Port of Brunswick becoming a key hub.

Portland's announcement to shut down its Container Terminal 6, countered by state funds allocated to maintain the port.

Geographical and demographical challenges for Portland's port, including the dangerous Columbia River bar and the Rockies barrier.

Cyber attack concerns after a software issue shut down the Port of South Carolina, emphasizing the vulnerability of open systems.

US imposing tariffs on Chinese-built ship-to-shore cranes from ZPMC due to security concerns.

Discussion on the impact of tariffs on shipping patterns and the potential for increased peaks and troughs in cargo shipments.

US Merchant Mariners facing risks off the coast of Gaza and in contested areas such as the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean.

Reduction of ships and tonnage passing through the Bab El-Mandeb strait due to threats from the Houthi.

American ships are diverting around Africa to avoid the Red Sea region, impacting US sea power and Merchant Marine.

National Maritime Day observance hosted by the US Maritime Administration and recognition of the role of tugboat operators.

Governor of Maryland recognizing the efforts of tugboat captains from Moran and Mallister in the salvage of Dolly.

Transcripts

on this May 22nd 2024 edition of what

the ship we discussed the Salvage of the

motor vessel Dolly and its National

Maritime Day in the United

States I'm your host salmer kagano

welcome to today's episode so a special

edition of what the ship we're not going

to do our traditional five stories

instead we're going to look at

happenings in and around the US Maritime

industry we got to talk about motor

vessel Dolly very significant move that

took place here over the past few days

but I do want to talk about the maritime

industry where it finds itself right now

in and among the news but also some

long-term issues if you're new to the

channel hey take a moment subscribe to

the channel and hit the Bell so you be

alerted about new videos as they come

out so the big news over the past days

has been the refloating of the motor

vessel Dolly and it was refloated I had

some comments about this the bow of

Dolly was in the mud so the vessel was

technically not fully floated grounded

but the dolly was refloated out and

moved across the channel back to

Baltimore a great effort done by five

tugs from mallister and Moran toe we're

going to talk about them in a few

minutes probably the big news for

everybody besides the movement of Dolly

we're going to come back to the Salvage

of Dolly in a second is the announcement

by the captain of the port that the

channel to and from Baltimore is now

open 247 it's a 400 foot wide Channel

and has 50 foot draft so really back to

the previous Draft before before the

accident took place this is amazing feat

that they've been able to clear the

bridge and the roadway and open up a

channel now they still have sections to

clear of the channel the entire width of

the channel is about 700 feet so they

still have some clearance to do Under

the new rules put out by the captain of

the port all vessels will need a

Maryland state pilot that was true

beforehand but you will need two

escorting tugs coming through the area

there's going to be tugs and barges

working on clearance issues so you'll

probably still see the speed limit in

place coming through you'll need to have

at least a 3-foot under clearance

requirement I want to jump over to this

site this is dead rise Marine

photography over on Instagram this is

Mark heran site now we've had dead rise

on here before but I want to show some

of the images that Mark has here on the

Salvage effort he's done a great job in

capturing the imagery of the Salvage and

what has been going on those are the

lowered containers on board Dolly those

are 40 foot feu containers crushed under

the weight of the bridge just a

significant amount of damage here you

see the roadside bridge that has fallen

upon the dolly along with part of that

pillar in which the bridge was resting

upon notice the severe gash in the bow

of the vessel so Dolly has been moved

back over to the seagar terminal and

they have brought in float cranes to

start removing this material off the bow

they have to get the four four lane road

off they've got to get the concrete off

they haven't started moving containers

yet and they may be holding off on

moving containers until they get this

weight off the bow this ship is under a

lot of stress up forward the bow is not

designed to support this much weight and

so they probably don't want to really

start removing weight from other parts

of the ship and cause some undue stress

on the vessel so Dolly a massive ship

this is the bridge stru strcture with

the bridge wi uh that everyone has seen

this is that same image from the

starboard side what you're looking at

here is the starboard anchor in the

pocket it's housed you can see the

anchor windless above it and the amount

of damage this vessel has suffered is

absolutely incredible a couple of people

have asked about whether the ship is

going to go to Sea well its bow

compartment is compromised it's open to

the sea but most importantly this ship

does not probably have any operable

anchors it does not look like that

starboard anchor can be dropped let

alone pulled back up we know the port

anchor has actually been cut or removed

from the vessel and so the ship is

without anchors and you cannot sail into

Harbors without

anchors notice how wide dolly is Dolly

is not the largest container ship in the

world dolly is a 10,000 teu vessel those

are 20 foot equivalent units what you

see there are feu's 40 foot equivalent

units they're equal to two teus but the

largest vessels in the world carry up to

24,000 teu and have about 24 Bays across

some great images here of Dolly back up

along the birth and preparing to get

work done you can see some of the ship

to shore cranes in the background damage

to the hle ship's drawing right now

about 13 M of water that about 42 fet of

water the ship is draw drawing and again

that exposed damage on the starboard we

saw equally horrific damage on the port

side one of the things that'll be done

is once they remove the roadway once

they get the containers off the ships

classification society which is enk out

of Japan will have to do a survey of the

vessel determine whether some of the

frames and longitudinal supports within

the vessel have been damaged uh more

than likely what we're going to see is

the ship will eventually have the

containers offloaded uh probably about

half to 2third of the containers have

Cargo in them heading over to Asia

obviously the shippers will want this

cargo sent on if it's still possible to

send it on so they will offload Dolly

put that cargo onto other ships that are

going across uh get the weight off Dolly

and then Dolly will undergo probably

emergency repairs in and around

Baltimore but she may sail through the

chesp Bay down to norfol for larger

extensive repairs and then eventually on

to Asia or Europe for a full dry docking

here you see Dolly coming into the birth

there you see one of the Moran tugs you

can identify a Moran tug by the large M

on it here you see the opposite side of

the vessel those are mallister tugs with

the white red white stripes on them so

there were five Moran and mallister tugs

that were used to remove to move doll

off the uh pier where it had hit against

the bridge back to the birth in seagert

and a little bit of the scale there you

get from the boat and the worker up

there on the Gant up there on the

platform so some images of Dolly being

moved on the day of the Salvage uh here

you see Linn Moran on the stern pulling

on the vessel there were a total of five

tugs uh Lin Moran on the stern and then

two tugs on each side assisting in the

movement here you see the Coast Guard

which were out patrolling that day they

ensured that there was no interference

as the vessel moved they actually moved

the vessel across the bay uh actually

not in this specified channel so the

Army Corps of Engineers went out

surveyed the area to determine that the

dolly could make it across that area and

the Coast Guard maintained the buffer

around the vessel as it was moving dolly

did this movement Dead stick without out

the power of the ship's propeller so a

threemile tow they did about a knot the

tugs moved Dolly without the assistance

of of the ship's engine so tugs provided

all the power necessary to move the ship

they moved at about a speed of about one

knot and they moved a total of three

miles so about a three-hour Transit from

where the dolly had hit the Francis

Scott Key bridge back to the terminal so

while a lot of attention has been

focused on the Port of Baltimore there

are other ports in around the United

States that just this week had gotten

great news concerning the movement of

car go in and out of them so if we head

down to Georgia Georgia set a new record

for the movement of roll on rolloff

cargo this month now the port of

Brunswick Georgia which was

unfortunately in the news for a very

long time when the motor vessel golden

ray came out of Brunswick Georgia and

rolled over our good buddy Captain Andy

the minorcan mullet who's been doing

Stellar work up in Baltimore really made

his name during the golden ray uh

Salvage operation but Brunswick Georgia

has become the go-to container excuse me

the go-to roll on rolloff port in the

Southeastern part of the United States

uh the head of Georgia ports really

wants to develop Brunswick into that

type of cargo whereas Savannah is going

to handle containers and of course

Georgia has an advantage here in that

they're getting some of the spill-off

cargo from Baltimore now one of the big

questions that every everyone has

including the Port of Baltimore is now

that the Port of Baltimore is back open

will the cargo return back or did that

cargo find new homes and Georgia would

love for it to be down in Brunswick we

had this story come out and I haven't

responded to it yet because I heard

through the grape vine that this was

coming so the port of Portland had

announced that come October it was going

to shut down its Container Terminal what

is known as terminal 6 well word just

came out that the state of Oregon is

going to put Oregon sorry I've never

Oregon or Oregon I apologize Oregon has

allocated State funds to maintain the

container port and this is good news for

terminal 6 now Portland is a tough port

to operate in for a variety of reasons

uh it is way up the Columbia River it

also doesn't have good Network outside

of the port so if you're coming across

the West Coast uh excuse me coming

across the Pacific to the West Coast

there are a couple of things you need to

be thinking about so I switched over to

marine traffic to give you an imagery

sorry Australia New Zealand I don't mean

to block you out but this image shows

you all the container ships that are

moving around the world currently and

you can see container Ships coming out

of Asia on this big great circle Arc

remember that the world is not a flat

map no matter what some people want want

you to think it is a huge round globe

and when you come across the Pacific you

Arc across in a straight line that's the

literally the straight line takes you

straight across there so they come

across near the Illusions and back down

and as you come here close to the West

Coast one of the things you should begin

to notice is that a lot of those

container ships are not heading up here

to Portland they're Sailing by either

heading down toward the Panama Canal or

they're diverting to other ports along

the west coast may be heading up to

Prince rubbert they may be coming over

here to Vancouver Seattle Dakota

down to Oakland in central California or

down to LA and Los Angeles now there's a

good reason for the vast majority of

them to come into LA and Long Beach and

it takes a little bit of topography to

put that in the context so that when you

come into LA and Long Beach about 2third

of those containers that come into LA

and Long Beach go out of LA and Long

Beach on the class one railroads and

they go across to the eastern half of

the United States from North Dakota down

to Texas and East that's where about 80%

of the US population is so 2third of

those containers coming in LA and Long

Beach get on class one Railways well why

can't you do that in Oakland why can't

you do that in Portland why don't you do

that in Seattle Tacoma well very easy

it's the Rockies the Rockies pose a

barrier to you you really don't want to

climb up mountains because of the fuel

inefficiency of the railroad it's much

better to go south of the Rockies

through the flat lands of Arizona New

Mexico and then hit the eastern half of

the United States so la and Long Beach

is the place of choice Portland has been

losing business they lost $30 million

over the past three years and we're on

track to lose about 14 million this year

but the reason Portland has their

problems is a little bit of geography

both ocean and on land on the ocean you

have the Columbia river that dumps out

into the Pacific right where the Pacific

current hits it this creates a massive

swell the Columbia bar which is the area

where you cross from the Pacific into

the Columbia river is notoriously

dangerous it is the reason the US Coast

Guard sends their Lifeboat Crews there

to train at Cape Disappointment you

don't get that name unless it's a really

nasty place to go to and that is one of

the big issues the other issue is you

have a long sea Voyage up the Columbia

River to the port of Po Portland so

that's several hours then when you're in

Portland and you offload most of the

cargo there is for people in and around

that area a lot of it isn't going over

the Rockies because of where you're at

and in truth you can get that same

delivery by going into Oakland or in the

Seattle Tacoma so Portland just is not

in an ideal situation and this is why

adding sea ports along the west coast

isn't always the most ideal situation

because of the geography of the coast

and the basically the demography of

where the population is

let's head over to South Carolina for a

story most of you did not hear software

issues caused the port of sth South

Carolina to close Charleston and the

Inland ports so while everything was

going on with Dolly a malware or some

sort of virus was uploaded into the

system of the South Carolina ports now

this could have been computer updates it

could have been a whole variety of

issues but effectively it shut down the

port of south of of Charleston and also

a batch of the Inland ports on the

Ashley and Cooper River now while it's

being rectified and it is back up and

running it demonstrates the real danger

of American ports and in particularly

ports around the world ports have to

operate with open systems and open

systems mean that they are susceptible

to cyber attacks now we're not sure this

is a Cyber attack this could have been

just a simple update that went wrong we

don't know yet it's being investigated

so we're not ruling anything out however

it does raise concern regarding this

issue matter of fact it led to a

decision being made in the United States

to begin to put tariffs on Chinese built

cranes the story from Mike Schuler over

gcap and Biden Administration to impose

tariffs on Chinese ship-to Shore cranes

amid security concerns so many US ports

have what are called zpmc cranes these

is from a company in China zpmc is the

major developer of ship the shore cranes

the big massive container cranes that

move the containers on and off zpmc is

cheap cranes you can buy them for very

little money down compared to other

container cranes they're still expensive

but they're cheaper than other competing

cranes out there but zpmc will deliver

them on a heavy lift ship get them

installed and up and running in almost

no time for you compared to other cranes

and so they netted a good share of the

marketplace in in the United States by

some estimates anywhere from 70 to 80%

of the cranes in major ports in the US

now one of the things that was found was

these zpmc cranes some of them were

fitted with modems that the operators

and owners did not know about meaning

they could Uplink to uh U the internet

and grab information now the

manufacturer said this is for software

updates and other reasons and many uh

container operator crane terminal Port

operators have gone in and airgap the

systems to make sure this doesn't happen

but it did raise concerns and more

importantly the fact if you rely almost

exclusively on one vendor one producer

for the vast majority of your cranes if

something happens to those cranes you

need a key part or an update of some

kind you're going to be out of luck and

let me be clear in a Us Port if just a

fraction of the of the ship toore cranes

go out of service you're talking about

impacting massively your ability to move

containers on and off a ship so so we

are relooking at where cranes come from

and the Biden Administration is deciding

to impose tariffs on this and tariffs is

another term we're hearing thrust about

quite a bit as we prepare for another

presidential election I know everybody's

so excited again there's nothing like

getting two Fresh Face young people to

run for president I'm kidding it's the

same people from last time and they're

older than the last time that's right

we're going to have the rematch here of

Biden versus Trump and one of the things

that's really interesting about my

channel is it started in 21 after the

everg given but if I had my channel up

and running the year or two before that

the topic we would have been talking

about more than anything would have been

the tariffs imposed by the B uh by the

Trump Administration uh my channel

really took off in September of 2021

when we started talking about the supply

chain crisis well prior to that the ups

and downs of ocean transport were really

being driven by tariffs being pushed by

the executive Administration let's be

clear the Biden Administration has been

very aggressive on tariffs also so this

doesn't matter what political party

you're with this is this is both

Republicans Democrats are doing this

what we see is when you start talking

about imposing tariffs and raising

tariffs shippers want to get their Cargo

in sooner before those tariffs kick in

and so you start getting Peaks and

troughs of of shipments coming in and

that was the norm in US ports back in

the 2018 2019 region and we may see a

repeat of that again as us ports prepare

for the onslaught of cargo to get in

before tariffs take

effect so the US Merchant Marine flag

has on peace and War and we've been

talking about operations in and around

us ports but there are Merchant Mariners

right now who find themselves In Harm's

Way and many of them are off the coast

of Gaza delivering Aid via the uh US

military Trident pier and the jots The

Joint Logistics over the the shore

operation now I have to say there was a

press conf a press release by sencom the

other day talking about the fact that

we've delivered just under 600 tons of

cargo over this system which sounds like

a lot but I have to tell you I could

have loaded up a ship brought a couple

of barges with me and I could have

gotten that cargo across in much faster

time than what they're doing now that's

not that's not being harsh on the

military they're doing there they're

doing a great job but I'm just talking

about how you want be productive in a

system and this system is geared for a

much higher rate of flow of cargo but we

just haven't seen it come in yet but the

danger here is that that Pier along with

the ships off the coast are exposed

because we get warnings about this the

US has raised issues that houthi weapons

can now reach the Mediterranean Sea and

that's expanding their reach and I want

to talk about this because Merchant

Mariners have come under Fire over the

past year since uh October of of 2023 we

have seen numerous vessels come under

Fire in an area that is greatly

contested from the Mediterranean over

here into the Indian Ocean down into U

the area of Somalia where there's piracy

and then in and around the coast of

Yemen and all these areas have seen

Merchant Mariners at risk want to come

over here to the IMF portat a great tool

for tracking cargo through the world

you'll see here they've been tracking

the issue in Baltimore they've been

tracking the issue with the Panama Canal

in low water and they've been tracking

the Red Sea and that's what we want to

look at here now if we're going to track

Cargo in the Red Sea we need to find a

specific point to look at and the IMF

Port watch allows us to do that uh we

could look at the Suez Canal for our

tracking but there is a place that is

very appropriate for the fans and

followers of what's going on with

shipping and that's right we're going to

look through the Bob Elman dab and if

you say Bob Elm Deb on what's going on

with shipping you need the drink and

today's cup I might add comes from a

follower of the channel who is not only

a merchant Mariner but an entrepreneur

who sells coffee that's right this comes

from seaf far's coffee company so sea

far's coffee company brings to you

today's toast to the region that we have

all come to know and not really love at

all but we will say it with those magic

words Bob El bandab

so this shows you the six months uh last

six months of ships traveling through

the Bob El man dab and what you see here

is the measurement for this this time

last year and then what's going through

it and you can see how that graph

separates toward the end of dece mid

December and where we find ourselves

today this is the date for May 2st we're

seeing 81 ships typically sail through

the Bob El MB on a daily basis however

here what we see is the number of cargo

ships going through the area an average

is 29 so this is a massive reduction if

we do the same thing for tonnage we see

a massive decrease in the amount of

tonnage from 5.8 million tons of cargo

we're down to

1.6 million tons of cargo so we're

talking about a reduction of about 2/3

of the ships sailing through the region

and about 34s of the total tonnage

sailing through the region this is the

houthi and their attacks which started

back in October of 2023 with a dramatic

helicopter assault onto Galaxy leader

and then attacks against commercial

shipping both foreign and the us there

were multiple attacks on us flagged

vessels and then the decision by most

ocean carriers to divert and go around

Africa and avoid this region entirely

including us flagged vessels so I'm

going bring you back over to marine

traffic and this depiction by marine

traffic is probably the best for the

impact the houthi are having you still

see ships sailing through the region but

at a very reduced number instead what we

see is this massive line of Ships coming

out of Asia the very Northern end of The

Straits of Mala and heading down to the

southern tip of South Africa the Cape of

Good Hope or heading up into the Persian

Gulf region or diverting back here along

the east coast of Africa and then coming

up and diverging into two or three lines

one up along the west coast of Africa

one along the northeast coast of South

America and one Westward to the east

coast of South America this is the best

depiction I can show you of the impact

the houthi have but let's take another

look at this let's look at just American

ships so marine traffic has some great

features I I'm not lying I could play

with this all day long the amount of

data and information you get from it

these are ships in the US registry

oceangoing commercial vessels that are

identified by the US Maritime

Administration as oceangoing involved in

both Coastal trade and international

trade so almost 190 vessels and a couple

of things should stand out for you

obviously the ships and I also put on

the tracks for the past seven days so

obviously a large number of them

operating in and around the United

States particularly around the Gulf

Coast with tankers you can see ships on

the Alaska run down here across to

Hawaii ships crossing the Pacific uh old

Ark honor right there heading toward uh

New Zealand for an exercise you've got

transpacific vessels so I zoomed in a

little bit here and I wanted to

highlight the fact that you can see that

the region in and around the houthi are

completely devoid there's Mar Yorktown

which has been subject to numerous

attacks now at least two that we know of

by the houthi uh the Americans have

adopted a new strategy of escorting that

vessel directly either the us or the

Royal Navy has been escorting them but

the other us vessels are heading around

Africa and and I think this is a stark

representation of what has happened to

us sea power and Merchant Marine the

fact that the US cannot run its own

ships through the Red Sea whereas other

ships are able to do it I think is is is

not great imagery especially on this

Maritime day now let me be clear I do

not want to put Merchant Mariners into

Harm's Way by any means that's not what

I want at all however I do think that

the US Navy whose role is protection of

Commerce it's one of the fundamental uh

constructs of the US Navy it's failing

in that mission and it's not the Navy's

fault in many ways they lack the

resources they have just Arley Burke

class destroyers because loral combat

ships are terrible they just can't

defend barely anything let alone

themselves uh there's no other assets

that are available for them and they

have a finite number of them but even

though they have a lot of them they do

about 70s something birk class

destroyers they have multiple missions

and taskings around the world and you

just can't allocate enough of them for

in and around that region the other

problem you have is that there are other

tools in the toolbox to use the reason

the chips are diverting around Africa is

not because the hothy are great at what

they do they're not they're terrible

they have hit very few ships I think I

can count on two hands the number of

ships they've hit in terms of serious

damage one hand uh they've sunk one ship

the Ruby M they've killed three crew

members on the true confidence and

inflicted damage on a few others that

are I would say moderate you know uh

Marlon leanda took some serious damage

some other vessels had some damage but

nothing significant what the issue here

is war risk and the fact that you have

an escalation in war risk if the US

would mitigate the war risk especially

for the US flag vessels and organized

convoys to sail through the regions

there there's not that many ships you

have to deal with here we're not talking

about daily convoys running two or three

a day we're talking a convoy every week

or so you would be able to get ships

through that region and offset it right

now the Marine National this is the uh

the French navy is running ships of CMA

CGM through that region why is the

French navy doing it and we're not doing

it with the us so I I have a bit of a

problem with that so I want to end on a

high note and that is uh one I think is

really appropriate to talk about so the

US Maritime Administration hosted a

national Maritime day observance at the

US Department of Transportation I

obviously misplaced my invitation I must

have had it somewhere here and it just

got lost in the

mail it was a good event I watched it it

was uh really it was well attended let

me be clear the Secretary of

Transportation was not there he did a

video for it but you had Senator Mark

Kelly from Arizona who was there mark

Kelly retired captain in the US Navy uh

he is also a former Merchant Mariner

actually attended the US Merchant Marine

Academy uh he has a twin brother Scott

who's the astronaut who went up into

space for a year Scott went to school

with me at State University of New York

Maritime College he was actually my

indoctrination officer so I know Scott

so was great to have Mark Kelly there

you had the secretary of the Navy uh

secretary Del Toro was there you had the

president of the Seaman's uh sea far's

International Union was there uh Dave

hell you had the commander of the US

Transportation command General van van

oist and you had the maritime

administrator there so it was a good

well attended event they commemorated

veterans it was it was a good Maritime

event it was really it was really well

done however the maritime event I want

to show you is just a few minutes long

and it wasn't up in uh Washington DC

instead it was over in the Port of

Baltimore every

day one of the things we've seen as I've

had the honor of continuing to meet

people every single day who prove what

it means to be Maryland tough and

Baltimore strong and today we're joined

by Captain John

shellenberger and

Captain Wesley Southworth or west

they're both Tugboat

captains Captain shellenberger is a

Maryland native and he has worked at the

tug and Company mallister for over 20

years Captain Southworth was born and

bred in Middle

River so this is personal and he served

with the US Coast Guard before joining

the tugging company

Moran and

yesterday Captain shellenberger

Captain Southworth were out on the water

at 7:00 a.m. to pull the

dolly out of this Channel and to pull it

back to the seagar marine

terminal this is their

work and they do it

well this is hard it's demanding it is

24/7 and when Marilyn

called they answered

they're joined in the work by the

extraordinary teams of mallister and

Moran who have Representatives here

today so I also want to give a huge huge

thank you also to our state pilots who

are led by Captain Eric

neelson and so to Captain

shellenberger to Captain

Southworth thank you for being Maryland

tough thank you for being Baltimore

strong we appreciate you more than you

know

that was governor West Moore of Maryland

taking the time to recognize two of the

tugbo captains one from Moran one from

mallister I've been critical of the

command structure for this incident from

the very beginning and I'm the first one

to note my mistake that I think they did

a great job I think there was a lot of

work that went on behind the scenes we

never saw but one of the things that I

think has been really good is the fact

that Governor Moore has been very out

forward in talking about this I'm not a

political person I do not talk about

political parties you will never know

what political party I belong to because

I don't want you to know because it

shouldn't matter uh I'm trying to bring

you the information regarding shipping

not my political beliefs and that's two

completely different things I'm a

college professor I believe in the idea

of educating not indoctrinating and I'm

the same way here I appreciate Governor

Moore taking the time to recognize those

Tugboat operators because they have been

doing a fantastic job they didn't just

work yesterday and pull the dolly off

those tugs have been out there every day

shuttling barges and cranes and

Equipment it has been non-stop for two

months they have been hit hard without

Ships coming in and out of the port so

it has been a big effort for them and in

many ways they represent a microcosm of

the entire Port of Baltimore and I think

that is a great way to recognize uh

Mariners on this National Maritime Day

first first done back in 1933 and now in

its latest iteration here in

2024 uh Tugboat operators are unique

people if you ever met Tugboat operators

you'll you'll know you will know they

lead a tug life it's it's not easy it's

a lot of hard work it's physical work

it's demanding work but it has a lot of

rewards and I just want to salute all

the Mariners out there who are sailing

not just in the Port of Baltimore but on

ships sailing through regions off the

port of Gaza sailing around Africa

everywhere around the planet where

American Merchant Mariners and any

Merchant Mariner is for that matter I

don't draw distinctions I think if you

decide to take a career in the maritime

industry whether a float or a Shore

you're doing a very unique job and most

people don't appreciate it hence the

reason for what the ship and this

channel what's going on with shipping I

hope you enjoyed today's episode if you

did hey take a moment subscribe to the

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miss the or sometimes people don't seem

to understand that so I want to clarify

that I appreciate you being here on

National Maritime day look forward to

the next one in 2025 where I'm sure my

invite to the maritime Administration

will will unveil itself at some point

till the next episode s sign off