NARROWS

Port Valdez and Valdez Narrows – security zones

The U.S. Coast Guard issued a temporary rule extending through October 31 its security zone encompassing the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (TAPS) Valdez Terminal Complex and TAPS tank vessels and a second security zone in the Valdez Narrows. Comments on this action should be submitted by June 30. 69 Fed. Reg. 28827 (May 19, 2004). The U.S. Coast Guard also issued a proposal to make these security zones permanent. Comments on this proposal should be submitted by July 30. 69 Fed. Reg. 28871 (HK Law).

Supertankers Pose No Danger to Bay of Fundy

Proponents of a controversial liquefied natural gas plant in Maine say a study ordered by the Canadian government has found there is no reason to ban supertankers from the Bay of Fundy, as Ottawa has threatened to do if the U.S. approves the project. Downeast LNG said the environmental study found there were no immediate risks of having LNG supertankers go through the Bay of Fundy, part of which is split by the New Brunswick-Maine border, to the proposed plant.

San Antonio Makes Inaugural Transit Through Suez Canal

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW) Brian Goodwin, Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group Public Affairs The amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17) made its first transit through the Suez Canal as part of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group Sept. 23. 's first transit through the Suez Canal marked its entry into the 5th Fleet area of operations. relied on the skill and expertise of its Sailors to successfully maneuver the 's navigational challenges.

Laborde Provides Navy With Yanmar Training

Laborde Products, Inc., provided a two-day class to enable U.S. Navy's Special Boat Teams to maintain and repair the engines that power the Special Operations Craft—Riverine (SOC-R). Certified Yanmar Technician Randy Saacks and other Laborde engine professionals demonstrated disassembly, assembly and trouble-shooting.  "This training ensures that the members of the Navy's Special Boat Teams have the skills required to get the job done no matter where they're deployed and

UAE Says Japanese Oil Tanker Attacked by Terrorists

According to a report from the Christian Science Monitor, Japanese oil tanker M. Star was subject last month to a terrorist attack, UAE inspectors said on Friday, August 6, raising fears of a new campaign targeting global oil interests. The M. Star, a 1,082-ft supertanker, was shaken by what appeared to be an explosion shortly after midnight on July 28 as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel of water separating Iran and Oman

Alaskan Cruises a Success

American Cruise Lines’ first Alaskan cruises aboard 'American Spirit' applauded American Cruise Lines  announce that its inaugural season in Alaska aboard the American Spirit has begun, with its opening 11-night Seattle-to-Juneau cruise having just been successfully completed. Weekly roundtrip cruises from Juneau will now run through early September. Featuring a complimentary shore tour package and pre-cruise hotel stay

Sitka, Lynn Canal Receiving Increased Ferry Service

The Alaska Marine Highway System has begun a special schedule for the M/V Chenega/ providing service between Juneau and Sitka, and Juneau, Haines and Skagway, which will continue through mid-April. M/V Chenega is filling in for the M/V Fairweather on these routes, while Fairweather is in Ketchikan for maintenance on its engines. Chenega will make a round trip between Juneau and Sitka on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The trip from Juneau to Sitka is

Brisbane Marine Pilots Train at MSI-Newport

Stephen Cummings and David Harris of the Brisbane Marine Pilots attended an Emergency Shiphandling course conducted September 13-17, 2004, at MarineSafety International's simulator training complex in Newport, RI. Topics covered included ship maneuvering in narrow channels and docking operations in tight quarters under difficult circumstances of wind and current. The pilots were also able to practice procedures for employing escort tugs using a computer model of the port of Brisbane

Freighter Freed

A Panamanian registered freighter carrying potash that ran aground between Germany and Denmark was freed by tugboats on Sunday and will go to a Danish port for checks, coast guard officials said. The 32,935-ton Friendly Ocean ran aground on Saturday west of the northern German region of Darss, in a narrow shipping area between Denmark and Germany where ships have often struggled with shallow waters. A German and a Danish tugboat freed it on Sunday morning

Piracy Plague: "Flourishing" Piracy Up 57%

Cutlasses have been traded in for AK47s and galleons for high-powered speedboats, but pirates are still thriving and, according to a report released on Thursday, the international piracy business is flourishing. Piracy worldwide rose by 57 percent with 469 attacks recorded last year, a 10-year high, said the report from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). "There's been a sudden emergence of attacks in the Malacca Straits and the Red Sea