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News from around the Caribbean
FLORIDA
Liebherr Container Cranes has delivered two new ship-to-shore (STS) cranes to Port Tampa Bay. These are the first cranes of their kind on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The cranes, manufactured in Killarney, Ireland, are a key part of the port's Vision 2030 expansion which aims to handle larger vessels and will deliver significant gains in berth productivity, vessel turnaround efficiency, and long-term operational reliability.
CURAÇAO
Damen Shiprepair Curaçao has achieved triple ISO certification, the first company in Curaçao to do so. The ISO 14001 covers quality, safety, and environmental management.
GUADELOUPE / MARTINIQUE
Two new passenger-only ferries, Tamour and Aubaïa, belonging to FRS Express des Îles have successfully completed their sea trials. This investment marks a major step forward and strengthens inter-island connectivity in the Caribbean with an updated passenger experience epitomizing comfort, safety, and performance. FRS Express des Îles serves Guadeloupe. Martinique, Dominica, Saint Lucia and on occasion Saint Kitts.
THE BAHAMAS
The Government of The Bahamas has agreed a public-private partnership to develop a new cruise port and cargo facility on Mayaguana – the nation’s eastern-most island.
The agreement involves the Bahamian government, the local Global Lead Consultant Group, and 77 Construction UK to create a major maritime and logistics hub. Mayaguana's location close to key Atlantic shipping routes would seem ideal for both cruise tourism and cargo transshipment. Development will take place in three phases, beginning with a make-shift off-loading facility and a deep-water port focusing on both bulk and containers, followed by a cruiseship terminal, and culminating in a deep-water transshipment port for larger with the necessary supporting cargo and landside infrastructure.
The project will be jointly owned by the government, the public-private Mayaguana Island Development Fund, and Global Lead Consultant Group Limited, with Mayaguana Port Group Ltd serving as the operating company.
The Bahamian government had already approved working with US investors MMC to turn Mayaguana into a free trade zone.
FLORIDA
New Liebherr crane are now operating at JAXPORT’s Talleyrand terminal – the third new crane to enter service at JAXPORT in the last few months — expanding cargo-handling capabilities at Florida’s largest container port.
“With support from our partners at the State of Florida, we continue to make strategic investments that create economic growth and support jobs,” said JAXPORT CEO Eric Green. “All three of the new cranes we’ve added over the last year ensure JAXPORT is well positioned to keep cargo moving efficiently for our customers and community.”
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
The Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter American Committee on Ports, in collaboration with the OAS Inter American Commission of Women, is delighted to announce that Michelle Scipio Hosang, Vice President, Port and Estate Management at the National Energy Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago, has been named the 2026 Outstanding Woman in the Maritime and Port Sectors.
After a highly-competitive process, Michelle Scipio-Hosang was selected as winner for her demonstrated dedication, leadership, and innovation, empowering other women across the sector, as well as her professional contributions over her 26-year career for the development of the maritime-port sector of Trinidad and Tobago and the Americas.
TOWT
After making a total of 36 Atlantic crossings (including port calls in Guadeloupe, Martinique and Colombia) and saving an estimated 5,000 tonnes in CO² omissions, pioneering French sail-powered operator TransOceanic Wind Transport (TOWT) has ceased operations.
Built at the Breton shipyard Chantiers Piriou TOWT had since 2023 operated two 80-meter length industrial-scale cargo sailboats, with a carrying capacity of 1,100 tonnes. (See CM issue 44). But despite the rising price of bunker fuel and freight contracts from several top brands, the business failed to turn a profit.
JAMAICA
Louisiana-based boatbuilder Metal Shark Boats recently delivered and commissioned the first eight of 22 high-speed interceptor vessels for the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard. The remaining 14 vessels are currently in production at Metal Shark’s production facility in Jeanerette, Louisiana, and are scheduled for phased delivery.
Henry Irizarry, Metal Shark Boats’ Senior Vice President of International Business Development, said that the new JDF Coast Guard interceptors will perform a range of missions including coastal patrols, counter-illicit trafficking enforcement, search and rescue, and border monitoring.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
The proposed restart of the 150,000 b/d capacity Pointe-à-Pierre refinery – which was closed in 2018 – in late 2026 is set to see tankers returning to South Trinidad.
Talks on the possible restart of the refinery have intensified in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has raised concerns about global energy supply.
Guyana is also seeking a nearby refining option for its growing crude oil exports and to shuttle output to Trinidad.
Nevertheless, re-opening the refinery would require significant investment.
SUM Shipping
Port Everglades’ Reheboth Terminal has awarded newcomers Florida-based SUM Shipping the management of its second Caribbean Container Loop.
It becomes Rehoboth Terminal’s fifth service from Port Everglades to the Caribbean, a combination of both container and RoRo vessels.
SUM (Strong Unity Maritime) Shipping is a shipping line that offers regular container services from Port Everglades to key destinations in the Caribbean.
THE BAHAMAS
MSC Group’s Cruise Division has announced that Sandy Cay – a new luxury private island destination located adjacent to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in The Bahamas – is due to open in 2028. Sandy Cay is designed for guests of both MSC Cruises and sister company Explora Journeys. Conceived to complement the existing Ocean Cay facility, Sandy Cay will offer a more secluded escape. Sandy Cay has been envisioned as a destination designed to offer a more intimate yet elevated and immersive experience.
Located within the same Bahamian waters as Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Sandy Cay will complement the company’s existing private island destination.
DUTCH CARIBBEAN
Damen has signed a contract with the Ministerie van Defensie (Dutch Ministry of Defence) to build three Stan Patrol 5009 cutters for the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard. These vessels will replace the current generation — Jaguar, Panter, and Poema — a Damen Stan Patrol 4100 design which have served reliably for over 25 years but are reaching the end of their operational life. The new cutters are larger than their predecessors and designed to handle the challenging local sea conditions, providing better crew comfort, thereby enhancing extended mission capabilities. The trio will be equipped with modern sensors, including an advanced surveillance radar and electro optical sensor, enabling effective surveillance day and night, in all weather conditions.
Alongside the cutters, Damen is also delivering four fast DI 1102 interceptor boats one on each vessel, including an additional unit for training and maintenance rotation. Expected to be operational by early 2029, these boats are designed to intercept fast smuggling vessels and support law enforcement operations across the region.
GUADELOUPE
The Caribbean is taking another step towards more sustainable ports with the launch of the CariPorts II pilot ports program.
From March 23 to 25, 2026, port stakeholders from the region gathered in Santo Domingo to mark the launch of the pilot ports program, a key milestone for Caribbean maritime and environmental cooperation.
Led by the Grand Port Maritime de la Guadeloupe (GPMG), in partnership with the Caribbean Shipping Association, and co-financed by the Interreg Caraïbes program, the CariPorts II project aims to deploy the first environmental label dedicated to Caribbean ports.
This label will make it possible to structure, harmonize and promote the initiatives undertaken by ports in their ecological transition.
The pilot ports participated in the first two methodological workshops related to the integration of the new label. This work is part of a particularly sensitive regional context. In a region particularly exposed to the effects of climate change – rising sea levels, intensification of hurricanes, coastal erosion – ports play a strategic role for trade, the local economy and tourism development. Strengthening their resilience and improving their environmental performance is more than ever a collective challenge.
The construction phase with the pilot ports will make it possible to concretely test the tools and methodology of the future label, before its deployment on a regional scale. Ultimately, the objective is to create a network of Caribbean ports committed to a common approach to environmental performance and climate.
CURAÇAO
Damen Shiprepair Curaçao has achieved triple ISO certification – the shipyard we now covers quality, safety, and environmental management.
The shipyard says this milestone belongs to our people. Their craftsmanship and commitment made it possible. Adding: “This is not an endpoint, but a strong foundation for continued growth as a leading shipyard in the Caribbean.”
COLOMBIA
In Barranquilla, AmaWaterways River Cruises has christened a second purpose-built 68-metre length river cruise vessel for the River Magdalena. The AmaMelodia is a 64-passenger sister ship of the AmaMagdalena (see CM issue 44) – the first such river cruise vessel to operate on Colombia’s longest and busiest waterway for more than 60 years.
THE BAHAMAS
Boskalis has carried out the float on of Lucayan, a new floating dry dock for Grand Bahama Shipyard, measuring 413 meters in length and 85 meters in width.
Thanks to clever engineering the floating dock was transported from Qingdao in China in four separate sections using two semi-submersible heavy transport vessels Blue Marlin and White Marlin. Each vessel now has carried a dry dock section measuring over 156 meters in length, with an additional smaller section placed on top of it.
Upon arrival in Freeport the four sections are being discharged and assembled into a single floating dry dock. Once operational, Lucayan will be one of the largest floating dry docks in the world, with a lifting capacity of 130,000 tonnes.
The Lucayan transport marks the second major transport that Boskalis has carried out for @Seabridge Marine and Grand Bahama Shipyard. Last year, the BOKA Vanguard transported the 357-meter-long East End dry dock to the Caribbean.
GEEST LINE
The UK’s Geest Line had a clever and original April Fool’s Day joke to play on an unsuspecting freight industry.
The company claimed to be trialling ten of the banana-shaped containers in its fleet specially designed to fit at the aft of a vessel – ensuring space is fully utilised. These boxes were be used to transport tropical produce from the Caribbean, ensuring cargo arrives safe and fresh. Geest Line announced: “a great initiative to maximise loadings on our vessels, they look great too”, Adding: “A lots of research has gone into these boxes and Geest is proud to be part of the project – the market is ripe for this kind of development.”
Not to be considered foolish by perpetuating the joke, Geest line said it was making the final decision whether to invest in these boxes and place an order for these containers by midday Wednesday 1st April.
LOUISIANA
The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA), Ports America, and Terminal Investment Ltd (TiL), a global container terminal investor and operator part of the Switzerland-headquartered MSC Group, have announced the formal incorporation of Louisiana International Terminal Holdings LLC, a joint venture between the two private partners that is now active and will serve as the operating group for the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) project.
The creation of Louisiana International Terminal Holdings, LLC marks an important milestone in the development of the Louisiana International Terminal, a next-generation container facility that will position the state as a premier gateway for global trade.
The joint venture company is intended to manage the operations of the terminal, working in close coordination with Port NOLA, which is responsible for designing and constructing the facility to meet global standards.
Strategically located to accommodate the largest container vessels calling the Gulf, the Louisiana International Terminal will enhance cargo capacity, improve supply chain efficiency and resiliency, and expand market access for US exporters.
JAMAICA
The Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ) was proud to see Honorary Member, The Hon. Charles Johnston OJ, CD, featured on the Titans of the Industry, airing on Television Jamaica (TVJ).
Mr Johnston's connection to Jamaican shipping spans generations. His grandfather was a founding father of the SAJ; his father served as its chairman. He rose to the presidency of the Association, was inducted into the SAJ Hall of Fame in 2022, and was conferred with the Order of Jamaica in 2023, among a distinguished list of national and regional honours.
As Executive Chairman of Jamaica Fruit & Shipping Company and Chairman of Jamaica Producers Group, Mr Johnston has spent six decades shaping the local maritime, agricultural, and logistics landscape.
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