Bay Marine News

Bay Ship & Yacht founders Bill Elliott and Alan Cameron step back, name Joel Welter CEO, Gerona Goethe General ManagerBill Elliott, who during a 45-year career catapulted Bay Ship & Yacht (BS&Y) from operating out of a single, mobile shipping container known as the “Shipyard in a Box” to becoming a premiere ship repair conglomerate in San Francisco Bay, announced a new generation of leadership for the company.Joel Welter, currently Chief Naval Architect, was named Chief Executive Officer and Gerona Goethe, currently Assistant General Manager was tapped tas General Manager.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS) in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., recently installed a Marine Travelift HTC 150D Hydraulic Hatch Crane on the Michigan Trader self-unloading barge delivered to VanEnkevort Tug & Barge.The Michigan Trader features an overall length of 740 ft X 78 ft beam X 45 ft depth. Once in service, it will serve the Great Lakes region by hauling bulk commodities including iron ore, stone and more.“It was nice to partner with a local supplier, Marine Travelift, to provide the lifting solutions for the Michigan Trader…

India has sent technical equipment and a team of specialists to Mauritius to help local authorities deal with an environmental crisis after an oil spill from a Japanese ship, a government official said on Sunday.The Japanese bulk carrier Wakashio struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island nation on July 25, spilling about 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil and triggering a state of “environmental emergency”.The carrier split on Saturday, and the oil spill spread over a vast area of endangered corals…

A Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground on a reef in Mauritius last month threatening a marine ecological disaster around the Indian Ocean island has broken apart, authorities said on Saturday.The condition of the MV Wakashio was worsening early on Saturday and it split by the afternoon, the Mauritius National Crisis Committee said.“At around 4:30 p.m., a major detachment of the vessel’s forward section was observed,” it said in a statement. “On the basis of the experts’ advice…

Some corals have lived for centuries at the fringes of Mauritius. Now smothered for days in heavy fuel oil spilled from a wrecked Japanese ship nearby, parts of those reefs may be in trouble.The full impact of the toxic spill is still unfolding, scientists say. As the Indian Ocean island's residents scramble to mop up the oil slicks and clumps, they are seeing dead eels and fish floating in the water, as fuel-soaked seabirds limp onto shore.Satellite images also show the 1,000…

On the evening of Saturday July 25, the MV (Merchant Vessel) Wakashio grounded on coral reefs in the south-east of the Indian Ocean tropical island of Mauritius. The ship, a Japanese-owned but Panama-registered bulk carrier designed to transport unpackaged goods such as coal or grain, was empty of cargo but had an estimated 200 tons of diesel and 3,800 tons of heavy fuel oil onboard. The ship sat for over a week before cracks emerged in its hull.Fuel oil began to leak into the expansive turquoise blue lagoon outside the coastal village of Mahébourg.

A Japanese ship that ran aground on a reef off Mauritius two weeks ago has now stopped leaking oil into the Indian Ocean but the island nation must still prepare for "a worst case scenario", Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said late on Monday.Conservationists said they were starting to find dead fish as well as seabirds covered in oil, increasing fears of an ecological catastrophe despite a massive local cleanup operation that includes making floating booms from leaves and human hair.Jugnauth said the leak from a damaged oil tank on board the stricken vessel…

Mauritians are making floating booms of human hair and leaves in a round-the-clock scramble to mop up oil leaking from a grounded Japanese ship onto their pristine Indian Ocean beaches.The MV Wakashio, owned by the Nagashiki Shipping Company and operated by Mitsui OSK Line, began oozing fuel into turquoise sea waters last week after hitting a reef off the island.Mauritius has declared a state of emergency and former colonial ruler France has sent aid in what environmental group Greenpeace said could be a major ecological crisis.Romina Tello…

Napier Port’s resource consent applications to build an additional wharf on its container terminal and carry out further dredging have been approved.According to the New Zealand port operator, it is a vital regional asset which supports local business to employ an estimated 27,000 people in Hawke’s Bay.Building 6 Wharf will allow more ships to visit, larger ships to berth and alleviate the growing congestion caused by increasing cargo volumes coming out of our thriving region.Napier Port Chief Executive Todd Dawson says the Napier Port team are thrilled at the decision reached by three independent commissioners, engaged by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to review the applications.“Our team has worked extremely hard to ensure this project is the best it can be…

Newport, R.I. fire department orders emergency response vessel from California boat builder Moose Boats. Moose Boats, a boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, said it was awarded a contract from Newport Fire Department in Rhode Island for the construction of a M2-38 aluminum catamaran CBRNE emergency response and recovery vessel. The vessel will be powered by twin Cummins 425hp turbo diesel propulsion engines coupled to Hamilton water-jets.The M2 catamaran will be equipped two completely independent fire pump systems each flowing in excess of 1…

California Commercial Marine Operators Take Advantage of Grant Money to Repower with Eco-Friendly Engines. Capt. Joe Nazar recently repowered his whale watching excursion vessel in San Francisco with twin Volvo Penta Tier 3 diesels, and he couldn’t be happier with the results. Since the new engines were installed, he is seeing dramatic improvements in fuel efficiency, lower emissions, reduced noise levels and better performance. He has another good reason to be happy. A large percentage of the cost of repowering the boat came from a State of California grant. Nazar’s 64-ft. catamaran, Kitty Kat, was retrofitted with a pair of Volvo Penta D11 625 hp Tier 3 engines in April, replacing the previous 12-liter Tier 2 engines.

When it came time to replace the old engines in his whale-watching vessel, Capt. Joe Nazar chose Volvo Penta and has enjoyed the benefits of improved fuel efficiency, lower emissions, reduced noise levels and better performance ever since. Nazar’s 64-ft. catamaran, Kitty Kat, was retrofitted with a pair of Volvo Penta D11 625 diesel engines in April, replacing the existing 12-liter Tier 2 engines. The installation was performed at Bay Marine Boatworks in collaboration with Helmut’s Marine Service, an authorized Volvo Penta Power Center in San Francisco.

The Captain of the Port (COTP), Delaware Bay is notifying mariners that Ice Condition 3 has been set for the Port which includes the Delaware Bay and River, the C&D Canal, Cape May Harbor and Canal, and the ICW. This means that weather conditions are favorable for the formation of ice in navigable waters, but navigation is not impacted by ice. When ice is present, but less than 2 inches, vessels must have a propulsion system with adequate horsepower, and be able to maneuver un-assisted through the ice without needing to stop, back off and ram the ice. Vessel moorings should be checked frequently to ensure the vessel is adequately moored. Vessels at anchor should maintain their engines on standby at all times.

The Captain of the Port (COTP), Delaware Bay, has set a modified Port Condition WHISKEY due to the anticipated arrival of a severe winter storm that will impact the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware area in the next 72 hours. The COTP has determined the ports of Philadelphia, Camden, and Wilmington and surrounding areas will likely experience high winds, increased seas, and excessive tide variations. Members of the port community should take adequate precautions and review the Severe Weather Contingency Plan. * Vessels must have effective mooring and anchorage arrangements for anticipated storm surge and winds; vessel agents are asked to notify vessel masters of this requirement. * Facilities must minimize debris that could become missile hazards.

Military veterans will soon have another outlet to channel and share their experiences, on a restored wooden yacht in California, thanks in part to GAC worldwide. The GAC Group’s five regions have donated to support the Wooden Boats For Veterans foundation (WBFV) – an organization that helps veterans harness their power of past military experiences. The foundation currently has two boats in operation and is in the process of restoring a 1938 wooden yacht, ‘Clover’, itself a veteran having seen service in the English Channel during World War II. Once restored, the boat will be able to host up to 24 disabled veterans on trips around the San Francisco Bay and along the coast of California.

The Captain of the Port, Delaware Bay, is notifying mariners that vessel traffic transiting the Delaware River and Schuylkill River, in vicinity of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from September 25, 2015 to September 28, 2015 will likely experience delays. As a preventative measure, we ask maritime stakeholders in the region, ranging from large vessels to uninspected passenger vessels, to provide advanced notification and to engage with our Papal Visit Maritime Operations Center’s (MOC) and the Marine Transportation System Recovery Unit (MTSRU), well in advance of anticipated vessel transits between September 25th and 28th. The MTSRU can be reached at [email protected] or 267-515-7294 FREE.

The Captain of the Port, Delaware Bay, is setting Hurricane Seasonal Alert. Seasonal Alert is automatically set annually on June 1st and remains in effect through November 30th, unless otherwise dis-established. All vessels, facilities and marinas are asked to take adequate precautions and review the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay Port Hurricane Contingency Plan and their individual Heavy Weather Plans. For a copy of the latest Port Hurricane Contingency Plan, contact Sector Delaware Bay planning at 215-271-4908 or log onto the USCG's Homeport website at: homeport.uscg.mil. Facility managers and ship agents are requested to ensure…

The Captain of the Port (COTP) Delaware Bay is notifying mariners that Upper Delaware River lighted buoy 33 (LLNR 3875) and Upper Delaware River lighted buoy 36 (LLNR 3920) are in the center line of the channel. Buoy 33 is 550 yards north of the charted position and currently located in the center of Edgewater Channel. Buoy 36 is 150 yards north of charted position and currently located in the center of Edgewater Channel. Mariners are advised to exercise caution when transiting the area as these off station buoys could present a threat to navigation. (For information about operations in the USA contact GAC USA at [email protected]) Source: U.S. Coast Guard, Sector Delaware Bay, Marine Safety Information Bulletin # 12-15 dated 27 February 2015

The Captain of the Port (COTP) Delaware Bay is notifying mariners that Ice Condition II has been modified to expand STEEL HULL RESTRICTIONS in the Delaware River. There have been reports of ice formation that may impact navigation throughout the COTP zone. * Only steel hull vessels may operate in the Delaware River north of the Betsy Ross Bridge, in the Salem River, and within the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal. * Vessels should be able to maneuver unassisted through the ice without needing to stop, back off and ram the ice. * Vessel moorings should be checked frequently to ensure the vessel is adequately moored. * Vessels at anchor should maintain their engines on standby at all times when ice is present.

British solo rower, Daryl Farmer, who was taking part in the Great Pacific Race rowing from California to Hawaii, was forced to call for assistance four days after his start, having become dangerously dehydrated from sea sickness. Support boat OPA located Farmer and took him and his boat, ‘Bojangles’ (Bo), under tow on Saturday June 21 approximately 20nm off the coast of California. Heavy seas and high winds unfortunately snapped both ropes, leading to a man overboard situation for one of OPA’s crew.

NOAA and its partners released 3D sonar maps and images of an immigrant steamship lost more than 100 years ago in what many consider the worst maritime disaster in San Francisco history. On Feb. 22, 1901, in a dense morning fog, the SS City of Rio de Janeiro struck jagged rocks near the present site of the Golden Gate Bridge and sank almost immediately, killing 128 of the 210 passengers and crew aboard the ship. Fishermen in the area, hearing the ship’s distress calls, helped rescue 82 survivors, many plucked from makeshift rafts and floating wreckage.

NOAA and partners released three-dimensional sonar maps and images of an immigrant steamship lost more than 100 years ago in what many consider the worst maritime disaster in San Francisco history. On Feb. 22, 1901, in a dense morning fog, the SS City of Rio de Janeiro struck jagged rocks near the Golden Gate Bridge and sank almost immediately, killing 128 of the 210 passengers and crew aboard the ship. Fishermen in the area, hearing the ship's distress calls, helped rescue 82 survivors, many plucked from makeshift rafts and floating wreckage.

California’s blue economy is a +$50 billion industry. Today, marine science and the blue economy directly affect various business and government sectors such as offshore oil and gas production, national defense, seafloor exploration, communications, agriculture production, renewable energy, weather forecasting and fisheries to name a few. On April 25 at the Monterey College of Law in Seaside, Ca. Congressman Sam Farr will join more than 20 marine science and trade promotion service experts as presenters and panelists at The Monterey Bay - a Leader in the Blue Economy event as part of the Brand Monterey Bay program. This conference is designed as an introduction and brief glimpse of the world leading marine science community of the Monterey Bay region.