CASCO BAY ISLAND TRANSIT DISTRICT
Towline Aboard Stranded 'Kulluk' Rig
Aerial and onboard inspections confirm the vessel remains firmly aground & stable on Sitkalidak Island, Alaska, with no sign of leakage of pollutants. Naval architects on the survey team confirm the Kulluk is structurally sound and fit for towing to safe harbor in nearby Kiliuda Bay. The exact timing for potential towing activity is dependent on weather, tides and operational readiness. Once the Unified Command team managing the incident confirms it is safe and ready to move forward, the recovery operation will begin. The Unified Command report that the main tow line is attached, with the 'Kulluk' ready for transit. Tension will be maintained on the line overnight, with recovery expected to begin Jan. 7. However, the Salvage Master has the discretion to initiate the tow earlier should favorable conditions occur throughout the night. The proposed plan is that the Kulluk will be moved from its current grounded position in Ocean Bay to Kiliuda Bay, about 30 miles north. The tow will include several vessels, including the Aiviq, an anchor-handling vessel with ship towing capabilities. A U.S. Coast Guard marine inspector is aboard the Aiviq. The Salvage Master is aboard the Kulluk and will remain during transit to Kiliuda Bay. The tug Alert will also be connected to the Kulluk and assist in the tow. A 10-member salvage crew and one Shell representative are on board the Kulluk and will remain on the drilling unit throughout the tow.
Summary Judgment Sought Against Mass. 2009 Oil Spill Law
The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), the Chamber of Shipping of America, the International Chamber of Shipping, and the International Group of Protection & Indemnity Clubs filed a Motion for Summary Judgment on Friday, January 28 in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against a 2009 Massachusetts oil spill law. The plaintiffs also requested that the judge issue a Permanent Injunction to enjoin its
WETA Awarded Blue & Gold Fleet Five-Year Contract
Water Emergency Transportation Authority Awards Ferry Operating Contract to Blue & Gold Fleet. At its October 6 Board of Directors meeting, the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) awarded Blue & Gold Fleet ("B&GF") a five-year contract for the operation of WETA's San Francisco Bay Ferry services. San Francisco Bay Ferry, which recently assumed operation of the Alameda/Oakland and Harbor Bay Ferries
Cruise Ship Pollution Bills Introduced in Maine
Two bills have been introduced in Maine to address water pollution from cruise ships. State Senator Michael Brennan (D) introduced an 'Act to Protect Maines Coastal Waters
Wayward Rig 'Kulluk' Safely Arrives Kiliuda Bay
The 'Kulluk', towed by the 'AHTS Aiviq' has arrived in the safe harbor for assessment of any damage caused by its recent grounding. The Kulluk was refloated from its Ocean Bay position, off Sitkalidak Island, late Jan. 6, and will remain connected to its support vessels while it undergoes assessment in Kiliuda Bay, located about 30 miles north of Ocean Bay. The final location for assessment within the Bay will be determined by environmental conditions, including weather.
Overseas Reymar Cleared to Sail; Investigation Continues
Overseas Reymar cleared to sail; Coast Guard Calls on Harbor Safety Committee to review Critical Maneuvering Areas; investigation continues. The U.S. Coast Guard has completed interviews, evidence collection, and a thorough safety inspection onboard the oil tanker Overseas Reymar which has been anchored in San Francisco Bay’s Anchorage 7 since the vessel’s allision with a support tower of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Monday morning.
CSSC to Establish Yacht Building Facility
China State Shipbuilding Corporation and the government of the Fengxian District of the Municipality of Shanghai have signed an outline agreement to establish the country’s largest yacht building facility, in the southern part of the Fengxian District of Shanghai, on the bay of Hangzhou. The new facility will build yachts for both home and export markets, but it is the latter that will be the main focus.
Settlement Reached In R.I. Oil Spill Case
The owner, operator and insurer of the vessel North Cape have agreed to restock 1.24 million lobsters and pay $8 million to restore other natural resources injured by the 1996 oil spill off the southern coast of Rhode Island. The Governor and federal officials announced that they have reached a "settlement in principle" with West of England Ship Owners Mutual Insurance Association, the insurer of the companies responsible for the spill
Damaged Dredge New York Moved
The 200-foot dredge vessel, the New York, completed necessary minimum repairs to its damaged hull enabling it to be moved to the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Brooklyn, N.Y., on February 2. The hull was damaged following a collision with the 669-foot freight ship the Orange Sun, north of Shooters Island in Newark Bay, N.J., at about 1:50 p.m. Jan. 24, 2008. Workers from Randive Incorporated installed a steel framed box in the winch room reinforcing the hull and allowing for more stability
Spring Start for New Ferry Boat Construction
Shipyards submitted construction bids in October for the first two Bay Area Water Transit Authority (WTA) vessels. The contract will be awarded in the summer of 2006, with the first boat delivered by late 2007. The vessels will be used as spares until the South San Francisco to East Bay Service is ready for operation in 2008.
Final Section of Giant Aircraft Carrier Sets Sail
The final section of HMS Queen Elizabeth, the first of two new aircraft carriers being built for the U.K. Royal Navy, has left BAE Systems’ shipyard at Scotstoun today to embark on a 600 mile journey to Rosyth. The Aft Island, also known as Upper Block 14
Port of Houston Gets New Captain of the Port
A new commander of Coast Guard units in the Houston-Galveston area & Captain of the Port in those areas has relieved his predecessor during a change-of-command ceremony in Clear Lake. Capt. Brian Penoyer relieved Capt. James Whitehead, who is retiring from the Coast Guard after 26 years of
Concordia Baby to See Mother(ship) for the First Time
Concordia Baby, the latest vessel to be completed by specialist workboat builder Alnmaritec, is heading to the Falkland Islands to be installed onto the mother ship M/V Concordia Bay. Operated by Workboat Services Ltd., MV Concordia Bay provides service as a passenger and cargo ferry
Deep Ocean Trash Dump Located
Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) find that trash is not only cluttering beaches, but is accumulating deep sea, notably in the Monterey Canyon. Surprisingly large amounts of discarded trash end up in the ocean
GL Debuts C-Dragon Design Concept at Nor-Shipping
The importance of Intra-Asian trade routes continues to grow as the region's economies continue to expand. Asian container traffic, in particular, is projected to be the fastest growing sector in the world for the next several years. In response to this Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has developed a
Titan Refloats Grounded Vessel
Titan Salvage refloated the 262-foot containership M/V Danio from its stricken position on England’s Northumberland after the ship, which was carrying a load of timber and en route to Belgium from Scotland, ran aground at Farne Islands, an environmentally sensitive area, in early March
Panama Canal Boarding Facility Inspections
The Panama Canal Authority will hold its annual "Safe Boarding Week" from 8 to 12 July 2013. During the week it will highlight and encourage safe boarding practices on all vessels arriving in the waterway. Activities will involved inspections of boarding facilities by teams
Panama Canal Implements Just-in-Time Service Trial Period
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has implemented the just-in-time service (JIT) that they say will allow vessels to have a more efficient transit. The new service will allow the vessels to arrive at the Panama Canal much closer to their scheduled transit time
Tall Ships in Great Lakes Battle Bicentennial
18 Tall Ships from around the world to navigate into the Western Basin of Lake Erie for 'The Battle of Lake Erie Bicentennial,' Aug. 29, 2013. From Norway to Duluth, Minnesota, the tall ships of the past now call ports from all over the world home
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Transferred to Bangladesh Navy
Jarvis, a 378-foot High Endurance Cutter homeported in Alameda, decommissioned and transferred to the Bangladesh navy as the BNS Somudra Joy. The signing over ceremony took place on Coast Guard Island in Alameda. A 20-member team from the Bangladesh navy
Duma Looks Deep Down for Energy
US's Duma Energy Corp. says it has received new 3D seismic data in its search for deeper oil reserves in its Galveston Bay producing fields. This new data, which covers three of Duma's fields in Galveston Bay, is part of a broader effort by several other large independent oil companies to
Sailor Injured on HMAS Warramunga
A sailor onboard Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Warramunga sustained a non-life-threatening injury in a training exercise this morning, May 23, 2013. The ship’s medical staff provided initial treatment to the sailor, and the decision was made to divert the ship to Exmouth, WA
Coast Guard Initiates Arctic Shield 2013
The Coast Guard 17th District announced its Arctic Shield 2013 plans to protect the maritime community in the Arctic and to strengthen their partnerships with federal, state, local, tribal and community members Wednesday. “We are committed to having a sustained presence in the region
Kraken Completes U.S. Navy Sonar Trials
Kraken Sonar Systems Inc. announced that its Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Navy’s Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Newport, Rhode Island was successful. NUWC Division Newport is one of two divisions of the U.S
Escort Tugs in San Francisco Bay
Providing Tugs For the Intricate Escort Regulations Of SF Bay Responding to the oil spills of the Exxon Valdez in 1989 and the American Trader in 1990, California enacted the Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act (OPA 90)