ARPA Target Tracking
ARPA tracking degrades precisely when the navigational situation demands the most from it. Understanding why is not optional.
AIS – Fundamentals and Limitations
AIS is a self-reporting system, not a sensor. Understanding what it cannot see is more important than understanding what it displays.
Hold the Champagne: Oil Recovery Faces Weeks of Delay as Supply Chain Shocks Deepen
Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Hold the Champagne: Oil Recovery Faces Weeks of Delay as Supply Chain Shocks Deepen
Lori Ann LaRocco
Total Views: 1
April 17, 2026
Hold off on popping the champagne. The oil recovery will take weeks to normalize, and supply chain shocks are already here.
By Lori Ann LaRocco – Don’t be fooled by the latest
declaration that the Strait of Hormuz is “open.”
Many things still need to be put in place for that to truly happen.
Radar Plotting and Collision Avoidance
Radar plotting remains the foundation of collision avoidance at sea. ARPA assists the process but does not replace the obligation to understand what the display is actually showing.
Greek Shipowner Sends Biggest Oil Tanker Yet Through Hormuz
Stock Photo: Anatoly Menzhiliy / Shutterstock
Greek Shipowner Sends Biggest Oil Tanker Yet Through Hormuz
Bloomberg
Total Views: 0
April 17, 2026
(Bloomberg) — A Greek shipowner whose vessels have repeatedly braved the
Strait of Hormuz
during the Iran war sent through its biggest oil supertanker since the start of the conflict.
The
Atokos
, a Very Large Crude Carrier with a transport capacity of about 2 million barrels, signaled its location in the Indian Ocean on Friday, data compiled by Bloomberg show. That would suggest it navigated Hormuz, with its digital transponder off, over the past several days.
The ship is managed by Dynacom Tankers Management Ltd., according to industry databases, and its transit means the firm has now moved about 6.5 million barrels through the strait, making it by far the biggest non-Iranian shipper via the waterway. Dynacom didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Transit via the strait, which handled about 20% of the world’s oil and a similar
ECDIS Fundamentals
ECDIS is a legal approval, not a guarantee of accuracy. Understanding its sensor dependencies, chart limitations, and failure modes is essential.
CMA CGM expands Vietnam terminal to 3m teu by 2027
CMA CGM has begun upgrade works at Gemalink’s Cai Mep terminal, set to nearly double capacity to 3 million teu by 2027.
Weak Demand and External Shocks Weigh on China Credit
Weak Demand and External Shocks Weigh on China Credit
in
World Economy News
17/04/2026
China’s credit outlook remains constrained by weak domestic demand, while the US-Iran war has added external pressure through weaker energy, trade and global demand, Fitch Ratings says. A ceasefire reduces the risk of a more severe disruption, but slower normalisation in oil flows and regional logistics would intensify credit pressure.
China’s main credit challenge remains persistent weak demand. Fitch’s base case is for 2026 real GDP growth of 4.3%, but an adverse scenario based on a sustained closure of the Strait of Hormuz through end-2Q26 would lower growth to 3.8%.
Middle East escalation pushes aluminium into a structural deficit
Middle East escalation pushes aluminium into a structural deficit
in
Commodity News
17/04/2026
Supply shock deepens as Gulf smelters cut output
The aluminium market has moved into a significant deficit following further escalation in the Middle East. What initially appeared as a disruption to shipping and logistics has now evolved into a material supply shock, with multiple Gulf smelters operating well below capacity.
Recent developments include the halt of operations at Emirates Global Aluminium’s Al Taweelah smelter, a sharp reduction in output at Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), and continued reduced operating rates at Qatalum.
While the Middle East accounts for roughly 9% of global aluminium production, it represents a much larger share of seaborne supply. As a result, disruptions in the region have a significant impact on market availability and pricing.
Disruptions have intensified significantly since our previous note.
MOL Signs 1st Long-Term LNG Carrier Charter Contract with INPEX- Naming Ceremony Held for Newbuilding LNG Carrier Harmonic Breeze
MOL Signs 1st Long-Term LNG Carrier Charter Contract with INPEX- Naming Ceremony Held for Newbuilding LNG Carrier Harmonic Breeze
in
International Shipping News
17/04/2026
Mitsui O.S.K. announced the signing of a long-term charter contract for a newbuilding LNG carrier with INPEX Shipping Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of INPEX Corporation (INPEX President: Takayuki Ueda; Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo), through its wholly owned subsidiary MOL Encean Pte. This is the first LNG carrier to sail under a long-term charter contract with the INPEX Group, equipped with technologies designed to reduce environmental impact.
The “Harmonic Breeze”
The naming ceremony was held at Hanwha Ocean Co., Ltd.’s Geoje Shipyard in South Korea.