Friday, December 30, 2016

Shipping: gCaptain's Top Maritime Stories 2016

From gCaptain:

modern express salvage
A helicopter drops a salvage team aboard the Modern Express, January 30, 2016. Photo credit: Marine National
Congratulations, you’ve (almost) made it to 2017! As 2016 comes to end, we’re taking a look back at some of the top maritime stories making headlines throughout the year, as chosen by our editors and presented in no particular order. Also if you’re interested, we have already taken a look back at the Top 10 Most Viewed Posts and Best Maritime Videos of 2016, so be sure to check those out.
Have anything to add? Definitely email us and we will update.
El Faro Investigation
el faro wreck
The investigation into the sinking of the American cargo ship El Faro with the loss 33 crew was in full-swing throughout the year. Highlights included when search crews located and later retrieved the ship’s Voyage Data Recorder, leading to the release of the tough-to-read bridge audio transcript earlier this month.
Panama Canal Expansion
https://i0.wp.com/gcaptain.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Cl6XVhtUkAAs-j4.jpg?resize=800%2C534
After two years of delays, the Panama Canal expansion opened to longer and wider ships on June 26, 2016 amid controversy over the design and safety of the new locks. Since their inauguration, more than 500 Neopanamax ships have successfully transited the larger locks, including the first LNG carriers to ever use waterway.
SEE: Panama Canal Welcomes Largest Ship to Date
...MUCH MORE