Yesterday,Aug. 22 2017, the Panama Canal welcomed the largest capacity vessel to ever transit the Expanded Locks, the CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt. The Neopanamax containership, which began its voyage from Asia, will be making stops along the U.S. East Coast. The CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt has a Total TEU Allowance (TTA) of 14,855 and measures 365.9 meters in length and 48.2 meters in beam. To put the scale of this enormous ship into perspective, its length is roughly the equivalent of laying end to end two Great Pyramids of Giza, four Big Bens, or eight Statues of Liberty. “Today’s transit not only represents the growing success and adoption of the Expanded Canal, but also its impact on reshaping world trade,” said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. The CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt is deployed on the new OCEAN Alliance’s weekly South Atlantic Express (SAX) service, which connects Asia and U.S. East Coast ports via the Panama Canal. The SAX service is composed of 11 vessels ranging in size from 11,000 to 14,000 TEUs, including vessels which also transited the Expanded Canal earlier in May becoming the largest capacity ships to do so at time.

As of 0500 UTC Aug 23, bulk carrier CHESHIRE was in vicinity 26 51N 017 54W, 54 nm south of southern tip of Hierro Island, under tow of one of four tugs deployed in salvage. Towage is confirmed by several sources, destination waters near Gran Canaria. Officials said, that CHESHIRE has to be taken close to land in order to supply materials, requested for tackling fire (if it’s fire), without interruptions and delays. No official news and statements either from Spanish CG and SAR, or from owner of the vessel, British Bibby Line, or from Resolve Marine Salvage, contracted for salvage. No photos, either.

Most major cruise ships scheduled to stop in Barcelona, Spain, over the next few days will continue with their schedule as planned despite the terror attack on Thursday which left 13 people dead and 100 injured in the touristic center of Las Ramblas. Barcelona calls scheduled for liners from Oceania Cruises, MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line will take place as normal on Friday and over the weekend, USA Today reports. A statement by Oceania Cruises, published by Cruise Critic, said the company was "monitoring the situation in Barcelona" and the "safety and security" of its guests and crew was its "top priority." A spokesperson from the parent company of Royal Caribbean told USA Today that its executives hadn't made a decision yet about its scheduled calls in the Spanish city's harbor. fortune.com/2017/...

HONOLULU — Responders searched throughout the night and are continuing the search Saturday for five missing Army aviators from a downed Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter approximately two miles west of Ka’ena Point. The search area is as much as 160 miles offshore from Ka’ena point having continued to expand since the incident due to the currents and swells in the area. Fixed-wing aviation assets and the Galveston Island are searching the leading edge southwest of Kauai while the helicopters and Walnut are concentrating efforts roughly 35 miles offshore of Ka’ena Point. Shoreline crews are active along the north shore of Ka’ena Point to Dillingham and along the southern shore of Kauai. coastguardnews.co...