As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. Union dockworkers at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports began walking picket lines early Tuesday, halting the movement of billions of dollars’ worth of goods including furniture, paper, shoes, manufacturing components, farm machinery and much more.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. In a world where CEOs seemingly come and go like the wind, Cliff Pemble is a unicorn. He’s been leading Garmin as CEO since 2013 (and was president and COO from 2007 to 2013). More remarkable is that he started at the company way back in 1989, just after Gary Burrell and Min Kao founded Garmin in Olathe, Kan. In the marine world, Garmin is instantly recognizable. From chart plotters and radar to trolling motors and stereos, the company’s marine segment in 2023 drove $917 million in revenue toward its bottom line. But the company is as diverse as it is big. Garmin is made up of five segments — fitness, outdoor, aviation, marine and automotive OEM — all of which contain products that are well-respected in their fields. These segments drove consolidated revenue of $5.23 billion in 2023.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. Plunge into the world of maritime employment, exploring trends, regional differences, and the diverse workforce within this vital sector.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. Kitsap Transit has been awarded $13.5 million in federal funding to replace its aging fast ferry, the MV Finest, which serves the Kingston-Seattle route. The funding comes from the Federal Transit Administration’s Passenger Ferry Grant Program and was announced by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. In August 2024, the MV Finest broke down due to a water jet malfunction which caused a temporary halt in the Kingston-Seattle service. According to Kitsap Transit, the 25-year-old vessel is at the end of its operational life, and the cost to refurbish it would be 75% or more of the expense of a new vessel. 

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. With towering masts and impressive sails, the Adventuress resembles a pirate ship. However, it sails the sea not to pillage or plunder, but to teach. Last month, the 133-foot schooner once again hosted “Everett at Sea,” a free program aimed to give kids and teens from the historically disadvantaged Casino Road neighborhood an opportunity to spend six days sailing through Puget Sound. A state grant made “Everett at Sea” free for Casino Road families who couldn’t afford the expense. However, after this year, funding runs out.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. In 2021, the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) initially received funding from the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnerships Project for modeling and analysis of alternative propulsion systems. Based on that work, the original plan—developed in conjunction with the National Research Energy Laboratory—was to put a Transfluid clutch, electric motor, and batteries on Eric Jordan’s troller, the I Gotta, but Jordan has withdrawn his vessel from the project for personal reasons but continues to lend financial support. After receiving $700,000 in additional funding from the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technology Office and $500,000 from the Department of Energy, the new plan is to outfit Jeff Turner’s troller longliner, the Mirage.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. The U.S. Navy's growing manning gap is adding to its existing fleet maintenance issues, according to the Government Accountability Office. In a fleetwide survey, GAO found that most warship crews are having a hard time performing underway repairs and maintenance because they do not have enough people on board to do the work. As incomplete underway maintenance leads to more serious issues down the road, like increased rates of corrosion or mechanical wear, the challenges in getting the work done at sea are adding to the Navy's difficulty in completing timely repairs during drydock or pierside availabilities. Mission-limiting backlog counts rose measurably in 2023 rose from about 8,500 job items to about 9,000 job items, with most of the increase concentrated in the surface fleet.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. The U.S. Navy is going all-in on its partnership with a recently-founded non-profit, the BlueForge Alliance, handing the organization a contract worth nearly $1 billion to strengthen worker recruitment and resourcing for the U.S. submarine industrial base. The gaps in the nuclear submarine workforce are among the Navy's biggest procurement concerns, as worker shortages at the two prime contractors and their suppliers are causing production delays for the Columbia-class ballistic missile subs and the Virginia-class attack subs. 

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. Washington State Ferries (WSF), Seattle, has put the decommissioned vessels Elwha and Klahowya back on the market after terminating a sales agreement with buyer Nelson Armas. This decision follows a series of setbacks, including a failed attempt to tow the ferries to Ecuador in August. During the attempted tow, malfunctions in the towing equipment left the Elwha and Klahowya stranded in Puget Sound. As a result, the vessels were returned to WSF’s Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility on Bainbridge Island. WSF assistant secretary Steve Nevey emphasized the decision to end the contract was in the state's best interest, citing repeated failures to meet contractual deadlines.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. Today, All American Marine (AAM), Bellingham, Wash., announced the delivery of a 74’x27.5’ aluminum hydrofoil catamaran patrol boat to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). AAM states the vessel, Barracuda, was designed and built to enhance CDFW’s capabilities in coastal and marine enforcement, playing a crucial role in safeguarding California’s marine resources for its Law Enforcement Division. In a press release, AAM noted the vessel is equipped to handle a wide range of near coastal and offshore missions, including multi-day patrols, commercial gear inspection and recovery, fishery enforcement, and marine protected area patrols.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. Designed to protect U.S. shipyards and its workers while also serving as a key element of national security, the Jones Act is arguably the most significant piece of legislation in the maritime industry. These considerations are not unique to the United States, as the majority of the world’s shipping ports have some type of Jones Act equivalent to protect against foreign intrusion in a country’s domestic industries. Nonetheless, efforts to dismantle it have continued, led by certain lawmakers who would allow foreign mariners into domestic markets.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. The Coast Guard’s heavy icebreaker Polar Star and crew returned to their homeport in Seattle Aug. 24, after an annual deployment to Antarctica and service life extension shipyard work in California. The 138-day voyage supporting Operation Deep Freeze 2024 was followed by the 399’ Polar Star pulling into Mare Island Dry Dock (MIDD) LLC. in Vallejo, Calif., to start the fourth phase of a five-year Service Life Extension Project (SLEP).

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has allocated $26.5 million in capital improvement grants under the Port Electrification Program. This competitive grant initiative, funded through Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA), is aimed at assisting public port districts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through electrification projects.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. The Port of Seattle, one of the busiest ports in the U.S. and responsible for managing the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, experienced a cyberattack on Saturday. This incident forced the government agency to shut down its systems to mitigate the impact.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. Wind-assisted propulsion is “on the verge of a tipping point,” concludes Lloyd’s Register in a newly released analysis of the market. The presentation points to the growing familiarity with the technology and the pressure from regulations and customers driving owners and operators toward the technology while also highlighting challenges that remain ahead to realize the perceived potential for wind-assisted propulsion.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. With limited biofuel availability posing a significant challenge, ports are pivotal in advancing sustainable shipping practices. To gain insights from the perspective of a Port Authority, see interview with Rick Schiappacasse, Director Forest Products & Speciality Cargo, JAXPORT, Jacksonville Port Authority. Here, he shared how JAXPORT is leading the way in these efforts, particularly through the development and use of LNG as a cleaner fuel alternative.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. Governor Maura Healey recently signed the 2024/2025 Massachusetts state budget, which includes $150,000 in funding for workforce development and career technical education initiatives in the recreational boating industry. The funding will continue the initiatives and progress that the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association has made to help address workforce challenges within the industry.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. Issues that the Coast Guard faces with workforce recruitment and in maintaining mission readiness were among those in focus in a wide-ranging August 7 discussion with USCG Vice Commandant Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, held at the Brookings Institution’s Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology. Stressing that the Coast Guard plays a vital role in ensuring U.S. security, Admiral Lunday said that evolving cyber threats pose risks to maritime security and global commerce, while delays in shipbuilding projects and budget constraints further complicate the situation.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. Seafarers’ increasing dependence on digital technologies for both work and leisure highlights the need for onboard connectivity that is fast, reliable, and ‘always on’, says Inmarsat report ‘The Digital Wave’. Published by Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat business, The Digital Wave: Transforming vessels into floating offices and remote homes examines how crews and shore-based teams are using digital technologies today – and the connectivity they rely on during work and leisure time.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. Seattle-based Snow & Co. has delivered a 15m (49.7x15.9'x7.54') hybrid catamaran aluminum research vessel for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The vessel, R/V Resilliance, demonstrates Incat Crowther and Snow’s expertise in designing and building low emissions vessels that deliver practical solutions for their scientific mission requirements.