After only about a month on the job, the president and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association is parting ways with the organization.
Thomas Ostebo, who joined CLIA as President and CEO on July 6, has stepped down from the position, effective immediately, due to personal reasons, the cruise association revealed on Aug. 12.
"While it is unfortunate that Tom is departing CLIA, his desire to put his family first is a testament to his character, and we wish him the best in all his future endeavors," Global CLIA Chairman Adam Goldstein, President and COO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., said in a prepared statement announcing the surprise development.
Cindy D'Aoust, Executive Vice President of Membership and Operations, was named acting CEO and interim overseer of the management of global operations and the CLIA leadership teams until CLIA appoints a permanent CEO.
The new CEO will be the third in 2015 alone. Ostebo's appointment followed the January 2015 departure of former CLIA President and CEO Christine Duffy who took over as president of Carnival Cruise Line on Feb. 1.
Ostebo came to CLIA from the US Coast Guard, where he served as a Rear Admiral. Most recently, he was Director of Strategic Management for the USCG, where he supported strategy and budget policy. He also served as Commander for the Coast Guard 17th District.
British Columbia-based Kobelt Manufacturing has acquired Accu-Steer Inc., a Bellingham, Washington-based company that builds a range of hydraulic steering actuators for commercial vessels and pleasure craft.
Kobelt is expected to retain the Accu-Steer brand, but Accu-Steer will be physically relocated into the current Kobelt manufacturing facility in Surrey, Canada, Kobelt said Aug. 6.
The Accu-Steer dealer network will remain intact but direct factory support will be provided from the Kobelt facility in Surrey.
Accu-Steer branded products will be distributed and serviced through Kobelt's global network, which operates in 60 countries.
Kobelt CEO David Bockhold, says the acquisition of Accu-Steer and its product line will fill "some gaps in our current Kobelt product line" and that by packaging the hydraulic power steering unit into a complete steering package, Kobelt improves its ability to provide complete steering solutions for the commercial and pleasure markets.
"Kobelt's goal is to provide comprehensive systems to their customers and the Accu-Steer product line enables them to achieve this goal and better service the customer. We are very excited about the future for these combined product lines," he said.
The first seagoing electric powered passenger vessel in the US is set to launch in Juneau, Alaska by the summer of 2016, according to it's developer, a renewable energy and technology company.
The E/V Tongass Rain is a 50-foot, 47-passenger catamaran designed for eco-education and whale watching tours. Its primary fuel source, according to Juneau-based Tongass Rain Electric Cruise (TREC), will be "rain" delivered to the boat via a hydroelectric power grid and stored in a bank of lithium batteries.
The zero emission vessel is currently under review by the United States Coast Guard for approvals, and is scheduled for construction from November 2015 to April 2016, with operations planned to start in Juneau, Alaska next May.
TREC commissioned naval architect Scott Jutson of Vancouver-based Jutson Marine to design the E/V Tongass Rain, which would be the first of potentially five electric boats. The hull of the craft has been certified by the Coast Guard for 150 nautical miles "for safe harbor" in six-and-a-half-foot seas at 12 knots, according to TREC. Once the propulsion system gets the green light, construction is slated to take place at Armstrong Marine in Port Angeles, Wash.