THE ANCHORAGE

Not Safe to Anchor After All

NOAA chart reveals underwater hazard for proposed anchorage area near Bayou Goula Crossing channel of Mississippi River. Cartographers from NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey recently flagged a potentially dangerous situation during their review of a proposed federal rule establishing new anchorage areas on the Mississippi River. The proposed anchorage areas were based on non-NOAA charts that did not depict the underwater pipelines. The pipelines, which carry benzene, posed a potential danger if ships dropped anchor on top of them. The pipeline areas are depicted on the NOAA nautical chart. That chart data and original source files led to the cancellation of the proposed anchorage area. The Office of Coast Survey is the nation's nautical chart maker, providing traditional paper charts as well as the charts used by commercial electronic navigational systems. The suite of nearly a thousand nautical charts covers 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline.  

Worker Strike Causes Brazilian Port Berthing Delays

Brazilian ports are facing problems in maintaining normal operations due to nationwide Health Authorities strike. Major Brazilian ports around the country are experiencing considerable delays. Vitoria in the south-east has reported a huge increase in the number of vessels at anchor awaiting their berthing turn. The number of vessels at anchorage increased almost ten-fold compared to customary port conditions. Local sources report that Santos Port has about 78 ships waiting at anchorage

Coast Guard Amends Anchorage Regulations for Lower Miss. River

The Coast Guard is amending anchorage regulations for the Lower Mississippi River, prohibiting vessels anchored in the Lower Kenner Bend Anchorage from using or exercising the ship’s hold cargo cranes. Vessels in this anchorage must keep the ship’s hold cargo gear in the down and hawsed position, as rigged for sea transits. Deck-mounted cranes, deck booms, and stiff legs may be used to take on ship’s stores and spare parts and may be used to move manifold hoses

USCG Orders Tanker to Anchorage

The US Coast Guard stated that it established a safety zone around a tanker docked in the Port of Los Angeles when it was determined that the inert gas system was inoperative. It was later stated that the tanker has been ordered to an anchorage outside the port while repairs are conducted. Source: HK Law

New York Anchorage Regulations Proposed

The US Coast Guard proposes to revise its regulations for certain deep draft vessel anchorage areas within the Port of New York and New Jersey (PONYNJ) so as to reduce the maximum duration of stay from 30 days to 96 hours. Requests for extensions beyond 96 hours would be sought from Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) New York. Comments on the proposal should be submitted by December 18. 71 Fed. Reg. 66708 Source: HK

Baltimore Harbor – anchorage project

The U.S. Coast Guard proposes to amend geographic coordinates and modify regulated use of anchorages in Baltimore Harbor. Among other things, the proposal would change requirements for visitors on board vessels carrying certain dangerous cargoes and reinstate time restrictions for vessels in designated anchorage grounds. Comments on the proposal should be submitted by December 13. 69 Fed. Reg. 60592 (HK Law).

Cougar Ace Crew Rescued

A Coast Guard HH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter and crew from Air Station Kodiak, worked with two Air National Guard Pavehawk helicopters and rescue crews from Kulis Air National Guard Base, to successfully hoist the 23 crewmembers of the Cougar Ace to safety. The operation began at 9:05 p.m, on July 24. By 9:30 p.m., the first seven crewmembers were hoisted from the vessel by a Pavehawk helicopter. At 9:43 p.m., the Coast Guard helicopter and crew had hoisted the next eight

Cement Carrier Refloated Offshore of Ft. Lauderdale

The crew of the Spar Orion was able to refloat the vessel under the ship's power after running aground just west of the designated anchorage off Fort Lauderdale Beach, Fla. The Spar Orion, a 623-foot cargo ship carrying more than 44,000 metric tons of cement had no noticeable damage to its hull and is currently anchored in a designated anchorage area one mile off Fort Lauderdale Beach. The vessel is not scheduled to enter Port Everglades until Monday

Port of Anchorage Receives $10m

The Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration announced the receipt of $10m from the Department of Defense, Office of Economic Adjustment, to continue Port of Anchorage, Alaska, with its infrastructure improvements.  The funding will allow the port to complete the next phase of its $700m renovation and expansion, which will add an additional 18 acres of new real estate to the port. The Port of Anchorage is undergoing a $700m major renovation and expansion to support

Future USS Anchorage (LPD 23) Launched

The future USS Anchorage (LPD 23) launched Feb. 12 from Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding's Avondale, La., shipyard, marking a key milestone in the ship's construction process.   Due to extensive pre-outfitting efforts, Anchorage will be the most complete ship in the class at the time of launch.     "We started construction on the first ship of the LPD 17 class 11 years ago." said Jay Stefany, LPD 17 program manager for the Navy's Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships