The Past, Present and Future of Shipping in the United States | National Maritime Day 2026

Happy National Maritime Day 2026! In this special episode of What's Going On With Shipping, we take a deep dive into the significance of this day, exploring the storied history, the challenging present, and the potential future of the United States Merchant Marine. Since 1933, May 22nd has been designated as National Maritime Day to commemorate the 1819 sailing of the SS Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. While we celebrate this legacy, it is also a time to critically examine the current state of American shipping—from our global ranking in tonnage to the critical shortages in shipbuilding and crewing that face the industry today. In this episode, we cover: The History: Why we celebrate and the legacy of the SS Savannah.; The Numbers: A breakdown of the current U.S. flag fleet (190 vessels) and where we stand globally; Shipbuilding Realities: The massive gap between the U.S. and global leaders like China, South Korea, and Japan; National Security: The roles of the Maritime Security Program (MSP), Tanker Security Program (TSP), and the Ready Reserve Force (RRF) and The Future: How technology, including autonomous shipping and modular nuclear reactors, could lead to a U.S. maritime renaissance. Contact What's Going on With Shipping via: Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping Twitter: @mercoglianos Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social Facebook: @wgowshipping Email: [email protected] 00:00 - Introduction to National Maritime Day 2026 00:25 - The History of SS Savannah & Steam Coffin 01:22 - Sal's Essential Maritime History Reading List 07:04 - State of the U.S. Merchant Marine Today 08:40 - Global Shipping Footprint & Registry Analysis 11:42 - Breakdown of the 190 Vessel U.S. Flag Fleet 13:09 - MSP, TSP, and Cable Security Programs 16:03 - The Jones Act: Role and Current Challenges 18:00 - Infrastructure & Shipyard Crisis 19:30 - U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command (MSC) 20:45 - Ready Reserve Force (RRF) History & Evolution 23:19 - Maintenance, Crewing, and Readiness Issues 26:26 - A Call for a Maritime Renaissance 28:12 - Technology, Leadership, and the Future 29:36 - Closing & Weekend Preview Marine Traffic www.marinetraffic.com Maritime Administration www.marad.dot.gov Military Sealift Command msc.usff.navy.mil The American merchant marine; its history and romance, from 1620 to 1902, by Winthrop L. Marvin https://archive.org/details/americanm... The United States Merchant Marine at War https://www.maritime.dot.gov/history/... Returning from Ebb Tide: Renewing the United States Commercial Maritime Enterprise https://www.usmcu.edu/Outreach/Marine...