I have been writing these blogs for two years now, analyzing the future of the marine industry. My intent is to help decision-makers address and prepare for forecasted changes. Now, I would like to shift my focus to various topics concerning domestic coastal, harbor, and inland marine operations.
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WASP, or Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion, remains a hot topic in the maritime industry as key players contemplate their strategy towards lowering greenhouse emissions. This plays into the same conversation as alternative fuels.
Primary corporate entities behind wind power are COSCO, MOL, Cargill, and K Line. It is not surprising that three of these are large Asian shipping companies that have had several decades of experience in wind assist.
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I have written several blogs on the hottest subject in the green battle: the fuels of the future and how they are being received by ship owners and operators. LNG is still a shaky option because of its current high cost and nowhere near zero-emissions
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This 2-part blog looks at various ways to potentially reach mandated GHG emission levels aside from new construction, and what this new technology means to marine surveyors, appraisers, and lenders.
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As pointed out in past blogs, technology is advancing at a swift pace powered by ecological regulations and ESG investments; however, laws (particularly Admiralty laws) can’t advance at such a pace.
The state of maritime law as it pertains to these new areas of the marine industry is very important to lenders, lessors, and marine underwriters. What does the insurance policy cover and who is/are the beneficiaries? How can a lender protect their position? Here are some things to consider:
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In many previous articles, I have written about the marine industry reacting to the CO2 emission reduction standards required for 2030, 2040, and the final Zero Emissions of 2050. These articles have been about the competition among alternate lower emission fuels (such as LNG and ammonia), changes in hull designs (to include rudders and propellors), improvements in dual-fuel engines, wind assist, and how all of these changes will be funded.
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First, a look at the current leader, LNG. Even though the World Bank came out against LNG encouraging owners to skip LNG and concentrate on hydrogen-based fuels. We’ll get into hydrogen as a fuel later in this edition. The World Bank’s reasoning is that LNG is not that clean because of methane slip. Methane slip is not a term we hear too often
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With rapid technology changes and the endless flow of fascinating R&D press releases, some of the updates I wrote just three months ago are already old news. As one purpose of this blog is to help people not entirely in the maritime industry to keep up, here are some of the latest innovations (or proposed innovations) in maritime design and marketability
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I’ve been writing a lot about the ecological movement and the greening of merchant ships. DLS Marine is deeply involved in the appraisal side of the marine survey business and a good number of the readers of this blog are involved in maritime lending or insurance. The greening of the world’s fleet involves huge amounts of money.
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Petroleum is still here and will be prominent, although fading, for a few more decades. Due to an interesting combination of world events and reactions to these events, the oil industry has new life. Oil is closing in on $100 a barrel in some areas.
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Mondi Semsar joined the firm in 2024, bringing over a decade of expertise in bulk commodity management, operational efficiency, USDA grade standards for grain inspection, and quality control. Prior to this, he worked as a Surveyor and Bulk Commodity Supervisor at Russell Marine Group and served as a Manager and Instructor in the health and wellness industry. With specialized knowledge in large-scale grain operations and regulatory compliance, both domestically and internationally, Mondi applies a holistic, disciplined approach to every project, prioritizing precision, safety, and client engagement.
Matt began marine surveying in 2014 and has experience with damage causation, reviewing transit plans, new construction, cargo transfers, salvage operations, on/off charters, and general condition surveys. He joined the Hull & Machinery department at DLS in 2019.
Charles joined the firm in 2024, after managing an enterprise drone service provider based in New Orleans. He also teaches basic and advanced UAV class at Delgado Community College. Charles has extensive experience planning, flying complex missions in the Industrial, Chemical and Oil & Gas industries.
Mr. Boudreaux has 15 years experience with offshore supply vessels, crewboats, and anchor handling tugs. During this time, he served 8 years in vessel repair and new construction, 3 years in vessel operation and logistics, and 4 years as a vessel port captain.
Mr. Boudreaux served over 3 years as a marine surveyor performing numerous types of surveys in the marine industry prior to joining DLS.
Mr. Laskay joined Stickney, Dufour & Associates, Inc. in 1988 as a partner. He is now of Counsel. He became a Marine Surveyor in 1974, having gained prior experience in steamship agency, bulk cargo handling and vessel operations. He has been involved in many aspects of marine surveying including hull, machinery and cargo, both inland and ocean. Since becoming an Accredited Senior Appraiser of commercial marine equipment, he has been active with the American Society of Appraisers’ International Machinery and Technical Specialties Committee. He has written a comprehensive exam for the Commercial Marine Appraisal specialty and has written a 30-hour course for the American Society of Appraisers on appraising commercial marine vessels and yachts and is the lead instructor.
Email: nlaskay@dlsmarine.com
Harry Ward is the President of Dufour, Laskay & Strouse, Inc. Harry is a US Navy veteran and has spent much of the past decade in the maritime industry in sales, finance and general management. He has extensive experience in asset and business valuation and is working to maintain DLS leadership in marine appraisal and survey for another 50 years. Harry is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and served as a helicopter pilot and survival instructor through multiple tours of duty. He has an MBA from San Diego State University.