News

Foss Maritime Joins FEMA’s Response and Relief Operations in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands    

October 4, 2017

SEATTLE – Foss Maritime Company announced today that it has contracted with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support the relief and rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands following the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria.

Three accommodation vessels are being utilized and will serve as floating hotels, providing safe housing and warm meals for responders. With these vessels, Foss will be able to help feed and temporarily house 729 people.

“We have the ability and the commitment to serve the wide range of needs of hurricane victims in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and are prepared to offer additional services, as needed, to FEMA and other federal agencies throughout all relief efforts,” said Will Roberts, Foss CCO.  

“For Foss, this type of project is at the heart of what we do. We are glad to do our part to help the families affected by this devastating disaster by enlisting the skills of our finest operators and providing needed equipment,” he said.

Foss has deployed a multiple disciplined team consisting of operations, fleet engineering, project management, safety, marine assurance, supply chain, legal and finance.

Foss sister companies, Tropical Shipping and Tote Maritime Puerto Rico, employ 42 employees in Puerto Rico and 115 in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

# # #

 

ABOUT FOSS MARITIME
Founded in 1889, Seattle-based Foss Maritime offers a complete range of maritime services and project management to customers across the Pacific Rim, Europe, South America and around the globe. Foss has one of the largest fleets of tugs and barges on the American West Coast. The company has harbor services and transportation operations in all major U.S. West Coast ports, including the Columbia and Snake River system, Hawaii and Alaska. Foss operates two shipyards and offers worldwide marine transportation, emphasizing safety, environmental responsibility and high-quality service. See www.foss.com for more information.

Tropical Shipping Announces Port Change in Canadian Service

November 22, 2016

Palm Beach, FL:  Tropical Shipping is committed to providing the highest quality, on-time shipping services to our customers. Please be advised of the following change to our port operations in Canada.

Effective January 9th, 2017, Tropical Shipping will move its port operations to Halterm Container Terminal in the Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia. This move will improve our long term commitment to our customers with improved intermodal connections and terminal capacity designed to meet market demands. Tropical Shipping’s Canadian service will continue to provide a weekly sailing every Monday from the Halterm Container Terminal, Halifax.

Tropical Shipping’s last sailing from the Port of Saint John will be December 27, 2016.

We want to thank the Port of Saint John and Logistec for their valued partnership and excellent service over the past 15 years. The Port of Saint John has been a supporter of Tropical Shipping and we appreciate the relationship.

Tropical Shipping has had a presence in Canada for over 30 years. It is our belief that this strategic move will better align Tropical Shipping now and in the future with the ability to service the Canadian market with the best shipping service to Florida, The Bahamas and the Caribbean. Tropical Shipping will maintain its local office in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Tropical Shipping values the close relationships we have built with our customers throughout our more than 50-year history. Thank you for choosing us as your carrier of choice. For further information, please contact your local sales representative or the Canadian Customer Service Team at 866-767-6576.

Complete contact listings, including telephone and fax numbers and email address information can be found 24/7/365 on our website on the Bookings and Customer Service page – found in the Contact area of our website, www.tropical.com.

Tropical Shipping to Update Fleet With Six New Vessels

July 5, 2016

Tropical signs order for six new vessels from Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard

Palm Beach, FL.—In early June, executives from Tropical Shipping traveled to Guangzhou, China to sign an order for six new vessels; the order represents close to $150 million dollars in fleet reinvestment and commitment to the Caribbean market. On order from Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard are two Carib class vessels, two Mini Express class vessels and two additional Carib class option vessels.

“The objective of Tropical’s new build program is to provide for continued future market leadership and profitability by having the right size ships with the right operating characteristics for our marketplace,” said Tropical Shipping’s Executive Chairman Rick Murrell. “Essential operating characteristics such as optimal refrigerated capacity will ensure that Tropical Shipping can meet future customer needs and changing market demands with its differentiated service.”

Carib class vessels are similar to Tropical’s Tropic Carib and Tropic Unity, which entered into service in 2002. The new1,100 TEU vessels feature a service speed of 20 knots and are equipped with, 2 cranes, 260 reefer plugs, hi-cubes below deck, and bow and stern thrusters that will minimize the need for tugs.

Two new Carib class vessels will replace two chartered vessels, greatly improving service time from Saint John, Canada and Palm Beach, Florida to San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Two additional vessels on option would replace the Tropic Sun and Tropic Tide currently deployed in the St. Thomas Leeward Trade, as they are operating at 100% capacity.  The Sun and Tide would then be redeployed to the Nassau and Cayman services.

Mini Express class vessels are similar to the Tropic Express, which entered service in 2011. The two 300 TEU vessels are equipped with 2 cranes, a ramp for roll-on roll-off cargo,  60 reefer plugs, and bow and stern thrusters. The Mini Express vessels are able to serve shallow draft ports such as Providenciales, and will replace two Night class vessels currently deployed in the Marsh Harbour–Turks and Caicos–Dominican Republic service.

“Tropical Shipping has been and continues to be the leader in ocean transportation to the Caribbean. Tropical develops and maintains outstanding relationships with our customers and provides them unmatched on time reliability and fast, purpose built, versatile ships.  Our vessels are first to market with our customers’ freight,” said Murrell.

The $150 million dollar investment includes all six ships, as well as $5 million for additional equipment such as containers, chassis and gensets to support the added capacity.

Foss Maritime Center provides 24/7 service, enhancing safety and shoreside services to Saltchuk companies’ maritime fleets

June 7, 2016

Foss expands services to Foss Maritime Center in Portland

Portland, OR. – Foss Maritime has expanded services offered at its Portland terminal and dispatch center, now called the Foss Maritime Center (FMC), to include a 24/7 call center with fleet monitoring and weather service capabilities.

On June 1, the FMC opened to support Foss’ international fleet of tugs and marine assets as well as the maritime fleets of sister companies TOTE Services and Tropical Shipping.

The expansion, the result of a collaboration of Saltchuk companies served by the FMC, included a renovation of Foss’ Portland offices located on the shores of the Columbia River and the addition of staff trained to enhance safety and situational awareness of maritime fleets operating around the globe.

While a vessels’ master remains the final authority on all operational decisions, the FMC Staff are specially trained to use multiple information sources to keep Mariners and those who support them well ahead of potential hazards and provide actionable information to support decision making. Emergency calls to the Call Center will be forwarded to designated points of contact within the companies’ shoreside operations.

“The Foss Maritime Center allows us to standardize and enhance support for the Saltchuk family of companies,” said Foss Maritime President & CEO Paul Stevens. “We’re taking state of the art technology and pairing it with our own experienced and dedicated staff – this is a natural extension on Foss’ promise of ‘Always Safe, Always Ready.’”

Features of the Foss Maritime Center include:

• 24/7 Watch Stander – Call Center staffed by professional mariners. The call center will have the ability to immediately see the vessels location, its route, and the prevailing weather conditions.
• Fleet Monitoring to collect information through automated situational alerting and Watch Stander observation.
• Weather Monitoring will be provided by enhanced weather tools for information, monitoring and rerouting support.

Tropical Shipping and CDEMA Sign MOU

December 8, 2015

Tropical Shipping and the Caribbean Disaster Management Agency, CDEMA, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance disaster response in the region. The signing took place at the 9th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management at Melia Nassau Beach Resort, November 30 to December 4, 2015.

CDEMA and Tropical Shipping established a mutual agreement to coordinate activities to enhance disaster preparedness and response in the region

NASSAU, The Bahamas – A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Tropical Shipping and the Caribbean Disaster Management Agency, CDEMA, to enhance disaster response in the region.

The first of such agreement was entered into at the 9^th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort, November 30 to December 4, 2015.

“Tropical for the last 25 years has been committed to assisting the communities in our service area recover from disasters. The signing of the MOU with CEDEMA confirms Tropical Shipping’s continued commitment to building community resilience to disasters throughout the Caribbean,” said Rick Murrell, Chief Executive Officer.

Tropical Shipping and CDEMA have collaborated informally in disaster response for ensuring the transportation of relief supplies to affected countries.

On December 3, through the signing of this MOU, CDEMA and Tropical Shipping established a mutual agreement to coordinate activities wherever possible, to enhance disaster preparedness and response in the region.

“I am pleased that we have with us today Mr. Rick Murrell, Chief Executive Officer of Tropical Shipping for the signing ceremony of the first Memorandum of Understanding between CDEMA and Tropical Shipping,” said Ronald Jackson, Executive Director of CDEMA.

Tropical Shipping considers itself to be a Caribbean company, as it has been providing freighting services throughout The Bahamas and the region for many years. This company has shown its commitment to disaster management through its support for disaster preparedness and response.

“As we know, the Caribbean countries are vulnerable to a wide range of hazards, particularly those of hydro meteorological origin,” Mr. Jackson said.

He noted that CDEMA, though mandate was officially expanded in 2009 from disaster response to promoting loss reduction in the region, and is responsible for providing an immediate and coordinated response by means of emergency relief to any affected Participating State that requests such assistance after being affected by an emergency.

Tropical Shipping and CDEMA have collaborated informally in disaster response for ensuring the transportation of relief supplies to affected countries.

“CDEMA is pleased to formalize this relationship with Tropical Shipping and we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership for the benefit of our region,” Mr. Jackson said.

By Lindsay Thompson

Bahamas Information Services

(BIS Photo/Lindsay Thompson)