U.S. Coast Guard Blogs

Maritime Training Practices Take a ‘Right’ Turn

Posted to Global Maritime Analysis with Joseph Keefe (by Joseph Keefe) on November 14, 2017

MarTID – the Maritime Training Insights Database – a historic initiative to study global maritime training practices, has officially been launched.Launched just last week, the Maritime Training Insights Database (MarTID) is an initiative of The World Maritime University…

An Inside Look at Ballast Water Testing

Posted to Global Maritime Analysis with Joseph Keefe (by Joseph Keefe) on June 21, 2017

Seattle, Washington: Last week’s visit to the Pacific Northwest and its impressive waterfront maritime cluster was highlighted by a visit to the Golden Bear, the training ship of the California Maritime Academy. Now on its annual training cruise…

Piloting Choppy Waters

Posted to Global Maritime Analysis with Joseph Keefe (by Joseph Keefe) on May 30, 2017

Uncharted hazards roil the waters for established pilot organizations across the fruited plain. These days, there is never a dull moment for this uniquely American system of piloting deep draft tonnage to and from the ports dotting our 95,000+ miles of coastline.The U.S.

Ballast Water Treatment: A ‘Sample’ of What to Expect Next

Posted to Global Maritime Analysis with Joseph Keefe (by Joseph Keefe) on March 18, 2017

Having just returned from the 4th Annual Ballast Water Management Summit held in Long Beach, CA, I’m completely up to speed (or so I kid myself) on the complex topic of ballast water management systems, treatment and the regulatory quagmire represented by the IMO, U.S.

Seafarer’s Shore Leave, Travel Bans … and the Big Picture

Posted to Global Maritime Analysis with Joseph Keefe (by Joseph Keefe) on February 13, 2017

It has been a wild ride, these past three weeks. I suppose that’s true no matter which side of the political equation that you reside. The flurry of executive orders on a wide variety of topics and issues has delighted some, and enraged a similar number of others.

Marad's 'Call to Action' Takes Shape

Posted to Global Maritime Analysis with Joseph Keefe (by Joseph Keefe) on June 23, 2016

Final Agenda for Marad’s Sexual Assault Summit Unveiled. The Maritime Administration’s ‘Call to Action’ will address Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment in the Maritime Industry.Obtained this morning from reliable industry sources, the final…

Driving Ballast Water Technology: right out of business …

Posted to Global Maritime Analysis with Joseph Keefe (by Joseph Keefe) on June 10, 2016

I must admit that I often struggle to understand where we are headed with the ballast water treatment quandary. But, every once in a while, someone puts things in perfect perspective, so even I – a former boat driver with no engineering skills whatsoever – can understand it.

Fitting a Square Peg into a Round Hole

Posted to Global Maritime Analysis with Joseph Keefe (by Joseph Keefe) on March 18, 2016

Brown Water operators join their Blue Water counterparts at the grownup’s table. With all that glory (and the gain) comes a little pain. Along the way, we also learn that one size does not fit all.In the summer of 1980, I joined my first ship as a young, inexperienced Third Mate.

Out of the Eye … and Staying There

Posted to Global Maritime Analysis with Joseph Keefe (by Joseph Keefe) on October 27, 2015

I have never been in a hurricane. That’s a fact. Actually, my wife likes to say that whenever there is any kind of natural disaster, I’m typically nowhere to be found. And, when I think about it, I realize that she is right. Whether by accident or by design…

Solving Tomorrow’s Workforce Crisis – Today

Posted to Global Maritime Analysis with Joseph Keefe (by Joseph Keefe) on October 8, 2015

This year’s North American World Maritime Day at the MITAGS facility in Linthicum Heights, MD notably featured the ‘big three’ of the domestic maritime policy, regulatory and legislative sectors – all on one day.Linthicum Heights, MD: On Tuesday, U.S.

Meaningful Cadet Training Means Funding Modern Ships

Posted to Global Maritime Analysis with Joseph Keefe (by Joseph Keefe) on August 3, 2015

State Maritime Academies scramble to replace aging training platforms.As the state maritime academies collectively plead for “new, modern training platforms for the mariners who guide the critical cargoes to our ports and to our servicemen and women overseas…

A License to Let Go

Posted to Global Maritime Analysis with Joseph Keefe (by Joseph Keefe) on April 29, 2015

Almost 35 years ago, I earned my first seagoing credentials, an original Third Mate’s license, courtesy of four years spent at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Earlier this month, I finally came to the conclusion that maintaining that ticket…