Falmouth News

Massachusetts Maritime Academy conducted its annual regimental Change of Command Ceremony in conjunction with the celebration of National Maritime Day on Wednesday, May 24.The Change of Command Ceremony is both the symbolic and physical transfer of leadership responsibilities from the graduating senior class to members of the junior class. During the ceremony, held at the Clean Harbors Athletic Stadium on the Academy’s campus, the outgoing Regiment of Cadets Commander 1/C Abigail Pope of Falmouth, Mass., passed her responsibilities to 2/C Cole Francavilla of Stoneham, Mass.

Greater understanding of what goes on in the ocean is starting to become a reality – thanks to growing use of unmanned surface and underwater vehicles and developments in biological sensing. Elaine Maslin takes a look at what a team at MBARI has been doing.Gathering biological data from the oceans remains a significant challenge for oceanographers. Now, an increasing range of unmanned vehicles that are able to work together is becoming available, as is an ability to collect biological data using them.It sounds straight forward…

The global ship repair, conversion and fabrication specialist A&P Group is now using 100% renewable energy across all three of its facilities as it aims to improve its green credentials and meet Government targets.The UK-based A&P Group with three shipyards located in Hebburn, Middlesbrough and Falmouth said it is committed to improving the sustainability of its services and reducing carbon emissions to ensure it meets UK Government’s legal requirement of bringing all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.A&P Group’s decision to buy its energy from Haven Power, a company which only supplies energy from a renewable source, is the latest measure to help achieve this goal…

UK-based A&P Group its shipyard in Falmouth is refitting the Wightlink RO-RO ferry Wight Light. Wightlink is a passenger and vehicle  ferry company operating routes between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England.Wight Light visited A&P Falmouth for its two-yearly refit period. Vessels from the Wightlink fleet have been visiting A&P Falmouth since the early 2000s for dry-dockings and maintenance work.During Wight Light’s recent refit, a new engine was fitted and commissioned, leak and dye penetrant testing was carried out on its forward and aft Voith blades, along with deflection testing of its aft Voith propulsion unit.Additional works include replacing hydraulic pipework on the ship’s garage deck…

More than 30 vessels carrying over 14,000 passengers in total chose to call in at Falmouth Cruise Port, Australia as part of their 2019 programme and even more have already booked for next year.The cruise ship operations are managed by FDEC (Falmouth Docks and Engineering Company) which is part of the A&P Group. FDEC is a statutory harbour authority, responsible for the area of water immediately surrounding Falmouth Docks. FDEC offers a range of services including cruise ship operations, quayside storage, letting facilities, towage services and cargo handling services.Drystan Jones, Port Operations Director of FDEC, said: “We already have a 20 per cent increase in cruise ship visits booked in for 2020 with a number of the ships staying overnight…

Two fishermen whose boat caught fire off the coast of Land’s End, UK, successfully evacuated into a Survitec liferaft and from there were taken ashore by Falmouth Coastguard. The pair activated the Survitec Seasava liferaft and abandoned Ocean Harvest, when it caught fire.The coastguard received emergency calls at around 15.25 BST, and two lifeboats, one from Penleee and one from Sennen, were dispatched alongside a rescue helicopter, but not before the fire completely took hold and engulfed the fishing vessel.

Marine-i has made a grant award to a marine tech company Submarine Technology Ltd (STL) to focus on designing and building a futuristic robotic arm.The arm is a ship-based multi-axis robotic arm and will form an integral part of a new Autonomous Synchronised Stabilised Platform (ASSP) to enable intervention tasks to be carried from Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASV).Submarine Technology Ltd (STL) is based on the Isle of Wight but recently opened an office in Penryn to develop the device, which it hopes will transform autonomous marine operations. Marine-i is a European Regional Development Fund funded programme set up to boost marine innovation in Cornwall."Typical intervention tasks will include equipment transfer and payload management, survey and inspection, launch and recovery.

The HEVIMA Innovate UK co-funded project, led by REAPsystems, will be demonstrating its innovative modular hybrid propulsion at an event in Falmouth on Wednesday 22nd May 2019. This new system will potentially offer significant savings in fuel, engine power rating, weight and emissions, as well as reduced noise and vibration for commercial vessels up to 250kw.The HEVIMA system is designed to outperform the efficiency and emission levels of existing hybrid systems for the small…

Marine contractors, Keynvor Morlift (KML), played a significant role on Tuesday in saving the Russian ship, ‘Kuzma Minin’, which ran aground just off Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth.KML’s large all weather commercial Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB), was the 1st vessel alongside after the ship ran aground at around 0500 on Tuesday morning. The RIB was mobilized with team members from both KML and Seawide Services. KML’s multicat ‘Sarah Grey’, together with KML heavy anchors, ground tackle and salvage equipment…

Rescue vessels were heading to assist a Russian bulk cargo ship after it ran aground off beaches in southwest England, Britain's coastguard said on Tuesday.The 180 meter (590 ft) long ship, with 18 Russian crew on board and which the British media said was the Kuzma Minin, dragged its anchor in strong winds and grounded between the Swanpool and Gyllyngvase beaches near Falmouth in Cornwall."There is no cargo on board. She currently has a list of five degrees but there is no report of any pollution…

Rescue vessels were heading to assist a Russian bulk cargo ship after it ran aground off beaches in southwest England, Britain's coastguard said on Tuesday.The 180 metre (590 ft) long ship, with 18 Russian crew on board and which the British media said was the Kuzma Minin, dragged its anchor in strong winds and grounded between the Swanpool and Gyllyngvase beaches near Falmouth in Cornwall."There is no cargo on board. She currently has a list of five degrees but there is no report of any pollution," the coastguard said in a statement."Tugs are on their way to the vessel and a lifeboat is standing by at the scene. The Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team have cordoned off an area around the ship."The coastguard said the plan was to refloat the ship when the tide rose.Reporting by Michael Holden

British solo round-the-world yachtswoman Susie Goodall was rescued by a cargo ship on Friday after her boat capsized and lost its mast during a violent storm in the southern Pacific Ocean.The 29-year-old, the youngest entrant in the Golden Globe race, had waited two days for the Hong Kong-registered Tian Fu to arrive after sending a distress signal from 2,000 nautical miles west of Cape Horn.The signal was picked up by Falmouth Coastguard in southwest England, with the alert passed on to race control and the Chilean maritime search and rescue authorities."ON THE SHIP!!!," she said on her Twitter feed after the rescue.Race organisers had earlier reported plans to lift the sailor from the deck of her yacht DHL Starlight using one of the cranes on the 38,000 tonne ship, which was heading to A

A&P Falmouth has completed the dry docking of ABC Maritime’s double hull oil and chemical tanker, Troy. Beating competition from European shipyards, A&P Falmouth carried out a comprehensive 17-day refit package during the vessel’s dry-docking last month. Work included the class intermediate survey, renewal of the main deck cargo heating pipework, extensive deck cargo washing and line replacement, the overhaul of the main engine including turbo charger, fuel gear and associated pumps, a bow thruster seal change and overhaul and a number of small steel repairs.Stuart Bartle, Chief Operating Officer of ABC Maritime said: “ABC Maritime has had a long relationship with A&P having docked the Troy in Falmouth in 2008.

Four U.S. Coast Guard crew members were injured in a collision between two tactical boat crews during training off Falmouth, Mass. Wednesday.The Coast Guard said the injuries were non-life-threatening.Both 29-foot response boat small vessels were damaged when they collided at around 1:30 p.m. in Buzzards Bay. The boats returned to Station Woods Hole under their own power.The cause of the incident is under investigation.

Monjasa acquires the 3,600 DWT tanker, MT Fredericia for continued bunker operation in the English Channel. Leading up to the acquisition, the vessel has been on time charter by Monjasa for several years and the ceaseless high performance of the vessel now leads to definitive Monjasa ownership.In 2016, Monjasa established a niche market in the English Channel as an alternative for shipowners and operators taking bunkers in the ARA hub. In this setup, MT Fredericia plays a significant role and currently performs exclusive bunkering operations in the Portland, Tongue Anchorage and Falmouth areas.The MT Fredericia is a 2008 purpose-built…

At 4: 30 a.m. Falmouth Coastguard received a mayday call from sinking fishing vessel Nemo, 15 miles south of Salcombe, England.Falmouth Coastguard received all the relevant information from the radio operator on the fishing vessel who reported their location and that they had two people on board and were taking on water and listing. HM Coastguard sent the Coastguard helicopter from Newquay and the RNLI all weather lifeboat from Salcombe and made a broadcast to vessels in the area. Several large merchant vessels and two other fishing vessels called Manx Ranger and Celtic Dawn responded to the Coastguard broadcast and went to help; they were able to find and intercept the Nemo using AIS.

Marine Hub Cornwall are on a mission to showcase the UK’s southwest coast as a world class center for marine technology and innovation. Working alongside Invest in Cornwall, which manages inward investment into the region, Marine Hub’s Operations Director, Matt Hodson, explains why he believes Cornwall is best positioned to be a global hub for the marine renewable industry.To kick off, can you give the readers a brief overview of your experience and what led you to become the…

Monjasa acquires the 3,600 DWT tanker, MT Fredericia for continued bunker operation in the English Channel. Leading up to the acquisition, the vessel has been on time charter by Monjasa for several years and the ceaseless high performance of the vessel now leads to definitive Monjasa ownership. In 2016, Monjasa established a niche market in the English Channel as an alternative for shipowners and operators taking bunkers in the ARA hub. In this setup, MT Fredericia plays a significant role and currently performs exclusive bunkering operations in the Portland, Tongue Anchorage and Falmouth areas. The MT Fredericia is a 2008 purpose-built bunker tanker and from her current position she will continue fuelling vessels entering and exiting the SECA zone.

The director of a yacht management firm was cleared of manslaughter charges bought on by the death of four sailors in 2014.Four U.K. men – two in their twenties and two in their fifties – were killed when the 40-foot Cheeki Rafiki capsized in the Atlantic in May 2014 while returning across the Atlantic Ocean to Southampton from Antigua. The sailors’ bodies were never recovered.Yacht manager Doug Innes, who had been accused of failing to have the yacht properly checked ahead of its voyage and to ensure that its certification was in date for the intended trip, has been found not guilty on four charges of gross negligence manslaughter today at Winchester Crown Court.Innes along with his company Stormforce Coaching had denied all charges…

A new partnership between Cammell Laird and BAE Systems aims to position the companies to build five Type 31e Frigates for the U.K. Royal Navy. The Teaming Agreement has been formed in response to the U.K. Ministry of Defense Request for Information and will now be part of a competitive tender process. Under the agreement, Cammell Laird will act as Prime Contractor to build the Type 31e Frigates with BAE Systems providing warship design, engineering capability and combat systems expertise.

The Lake Pilots Association, District 2, in Port Huron, Mich., has accepted delivery of Huron Spirit, a new Chesapeake Class pilot boat from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation. With a length overall of 52.5’, a beam of 16.7’, and a draft of 4.8’, the all-aluminum pilot boat features the C. Raymond Hunt-designed Deep V hull. It is powered by twin Cummins QSM11 diesel engines, each delivering 602 Bhp at 2300 rpm and a top speed of 25 knots. A Humphree interceptor, with automatic trim optimization, is installed at the transom.

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, said it has delivered Circle Line Bronx, the first of three new sightseeing vessels for Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, Inc., in New York City. “The new vessels will offer guests an enhanced sightseeing experience on every level,” according to Costas Markou, president and chief operating officer of New York Cruise Lines. Gladding-Hearn previously delivery three sister ships to Circle Line in 2009. Like the earlier vessels, the new 600-passenger all-steel vessel Circle Line Bronx…

Sea trials have begun on two Falmouth based pilot vessels which will provide data for the Innovate UK funded MOVE (Monitoring for Operational Vessel Efficiency) project. Rising fuel costs, emissions regulation and concerns about carbon emissions are severe challenges for marine vessel operators and their supply chains. Under the ‘Managing Energy on Marine Vessels’ Competition, the MOVE project is developing a novel solution to all three, initially targeting the commercial workboat sector.