What the Ship (Ep98) | Red Sea Attacks | Trade, Ships & Mariners | Australia Ports | Alliances

YouTube ^ | 1/23/2024 | Sal Mercogliano

[Paul R.]

In this episode, Sal Mercogliano - maritime historian @campbelledu - discusses the Top 5 Maritime Stories as of Jan 23, 2024.

[Paul R.]

Sal is a great source of info on, well, "What's Going on With Shipping". The most interesting "data" in this episode is, I think, the precipitous drop of LNG and LPG transiting through the Red Sea. This both delays deliveries to Europe and reduces transport capacity, the latter probably ~50% for any given carrier that ships around the southern tip if Africa instead. Demand for US gas will soar: Good for US gas companies, bad for US consumers...

[EEGator]

Does Sal have thoughts on why US companies fly Marshall Island flags?

[hanamizu]

Does Sal have thoughts on why US companies fly Marshall Island flags?

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Yes, he does as well as other ‘flags of convenience’. However there are U.S. flagged ships transiting the area. The Houthis claimed to have attacked one, but the U.S. denies the attack.

He also has mentioned that an Iranian ship (I don’t remember its name), which has not been to port for over a year has been loitering near the chokepoint, the implication being that it is relaying information of the passage of ships that might be of ‘interest’ to the Houthis. In the last couple of days it has moved into the Gulf of Aden where it is presumably doing the same service.

He is a very good source of info IMHO.

[EEGator]

Thanks, I will try Sal out.

I know the Yemenis stated ships with attachments to Israel would be targeted.
I don’t know if that means Jews in general as well.

The first “US” ship hit was supposedly out of CT. It flies a Marshall Islands flag, and the parent company is out of Haifa, Israel.

[Paul R.]

IIRC (Sal’s commentary a while back) as opposed to being US flagged I believe it’s cheaper. Overall there’s a favorable tax environment. There’s also more operational freedom (less restrictive regs).

[Paul R.]

Correct. But the Houthis started hitting ships with no connection to Israel or the US and the shipping companies demanded protection (though many are now diverting anyway*, which has its own major problems and implications.)

*A lot more good AD ships would be needed to provide really good protection for all the traffic that goes, well, used to go through there.

I don’t know if that means Jews in general as well.

Seems probable, eh?

[EEGator]

I assume they would specifically want Israeli Jewish shipping, but would settle for non Israeli Jewish owned/invested shipping.

I just want regional countries to protect their area.
Same goes for Europe and NATO.

On silentprofessionals, there’s maritime security positions that pay well.
Hot evac in Ukraine and Sudan too…