Commercial Vessel
Coast Guard Closes Portions of the Illinois River
The Coast Guard captain of the port at Sector Upper Mississippi has closed the portions of the Illinois River due to high water levels Tuesday, Sept., 23, 2008. The Illinois River is closed to recreational vessel traffic near Montezuma, Ill., from mile marker 50 to 199. The Illinois River is also closed to all recreational and commercial vessel traffic from mile marker 136 to 138 near Copperas Creek, Ill. The Mississippi River has reopened to all recreational traffic from Chester, Mo., from mile marker 109.9 to 185.4. Local and state law enforcement agencies are authorized to enforce all of the above zones that are restricted to recreational and commercial vessel traffic.
USCG Issues Guidance For Vessel Boarding Safety
The U.S. Coast Guard has issued guidance to its personnel regarding vessel boarding safety when conducting boardings of large commercial vessels as part of the homeland security mission. The guidance cautions Coast Guard personnel about the need for safety briefings prior to any such boarding, the risks of explosive vapors, and the risks inherent in confined space entry. It notes that many Coast Guard personnel may not have received specific training concerning the risks related to this new
Kuykendall Introduces Legislation To Increase Employment Of American Merchant Mariners
Congressman Steven T. Kuykendall, vice chairman of the Merchant Marine Panel for the House Armed Services Committee, has introduced legislation that would provide merchant mariners the same tax credits as other Americans working abroad. Kuykendall introduced this legislation to increase the employment of American merchant mariners aboard commercial vessels in the foreign and international trades. Currently, American citizens employed outside the United States may exclude up to $74
Seaway Corporations Open Waterway to Mandatory AIS
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) and the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) opened the binational waterway’s 45th navigation season. This season marks the beginning of mandatory Automatic Identification System (AIS) use on commercial vessels entering waterway in North America to employ this technology as a requirement for transit.
Errant Boater Endangers Commercial Traffic in Puget Sound
The US Coast Guard announced that an unidentified vessel operator forced five large commercial vessels to take evasive action in Puget Sound near Port Townsend. The incident occurred during a period of low visibility and the boater did not respond to radio calls. The professionalism of the commercial mariners involved, with assistance from the Puget Sound VTS, averted what could have been a potentially disastrous situation. [Source: HK Law]
USCG Issues NPRM
The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) relating to servicing intervals for inflatable liferafts and inflatable buoyant apparatus (IBA) on domestic commercial vessels not certificated under SOLAS. Under the proposal, the first servicing of such new devices on these vessels would be deferred to two years after initial packing. Comments on the proposal should be submitted by May 6, 2002. Source: HK Law
Raytheon And Samsung Collaborate On Bridge System
Raytheon Marine and Samsung Industries have entered into a cooperative agreement to meld key components of Raytheon's Integrated Bridge System into Samsung's Naru 2000, which is an ECDIS-based Integrated Navigation System. The agreement is designed to further additional business in Asian markets - a large chunk of the industry's shipbuilding. The joint-venture with Samsung is expected to bring in an additional $10 million per year in new sales revenue.
USCG Civil Penalty Appeal Decisions
The U.S. Coast Guard has begun posting redacted versions of its Civil Penalty Appeal Decisions on its Coast Guard Legal page on the Internet located at http://www.uscg.mil/legal . Clicking on "Civil Penalty Appeals" will they lead you to a menu of cases involving bridges, COLREGS, commercial vessel violations, marine casualties, negligence, pollution, recreational vessels, and uninspected passenger vessels. Source: HK Law
Derie Joins Davis Consulting
Joseph A. Derie, D.Sc. PE a civil engineer and naval engineer with military experience in the US Army Corps of Engineers and the USCG and civilian engineering experience totaling over 30 years joined Davis Consulting Group (DCG) marine engineers, a division of Davis & Company, Ltd., as a Consultant. His addition brings to nine professionals on the company's nationwide team of marine surveyors, engineers and naval architects that specialize in the areas of engineering and design and
DOJ – Ship Operator Fined for ORB Violation
The US Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said that a ship management company and a chief engineer pleaded guilty to a charge that they falsified the oil record book (ORB) on a commercial vessel. The company was sentenced to pay a $1m fine and a $200,000 community service payment. It will also serve a three year period of probation and institute an environmental compliance program. Source: HK Law
Order Book Opens on New Sailor Black Box
Launched at SMM 2012, Cobham SATCOM made its new standalone Sailor Class A AIS available to order in April 2013. The Sailor 6280/81 AIS System is a black box solution with flexible installation possibilities and features contemporary touch screen operation through the new Sailor 6004
Austal Forges Links with Thai, Vietnam Shipyards
Austal announce new strategic partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region to enhance its support to the US Navy & others in the region. Following on from the strategic partnership with Singapore’s Sembawang Shipyard Pte Ltd announced in January 2013
Conrad Shipyards Earn Two Safety Awards
Conrad Shipyard, L.L.C. has received the 2012 Award for Excellence in Safety as well as the Award for improvement in Safety by the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA). Conrad was one of only five member organizations to receive both awards
Rebuilding the Presumption of Preemption
I propose that the Legislative, Executive, Judicial Branches of the federal government should cooperatively work toward the rebuilding of the presumption in favor of federal preemption with respect to all matters related to maritime commerce
Portable Diver Detection Sonar Order for DSIT
DSIT, an Acorn Energy Company, secures order for its PointShield™ sonar that provides ship underwater security protection. Israel-based DSIT's PointShield™ PDDS is specifically designed to provide underwater protection for navy ships, private yachts and commercial vessels
Maritime Labor Convention 2006 and the U.S.
The Maritime Labor Convention 2006, sponsored by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and better known as MLC 2006, will enter into force on August 20, 2013. It has been ratified by 35 nations as of the date of the preparation of this article, including Australia, Canada, Denmark
Report Highlights Rise of Maritime Crime in Southeast Asia
U.K. maritime intelligence provider Dryad Maritime are to release a specialist report, ‘Special Advisory Southeast Asia: Disorganized theft to organized crime,’ which will focus on the rise of targeted hijackings in Southeast Asia.
BC Ferries Order WESMAR Thruster
WESMAR to supply BC Ferries, with a dual prop, counter-rotating, bow thruster for the T-Class Passenger/Car ferry 'M/V Tachek'. M/V Tachek transports cars and passengers among the popular Gulf Islands and the WESMAR Model V2-24, 150 HP AC system will enhance the 162-foot ferry’s
Next Generation OWSV
Essex-based CTruk boats began the build of a new wind farm support vessel. As offshore wind farms move further out to sea, demands made on support vessels are changing. CTruk Boats recently initiated the build of a 50-ton payload support vessel designed to meet the tougher requirements of the
EPA' Issue Final Draft Ballast Water VGP
The US EPA release the Final Draft of the Vessel General Permit (VGP) which comes in to force 19 December 2013. The aim of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System's (NPDES) 2013 Vessel General Permit (VGP) is to protect the nation's waters from ship-borne pollutants and reduce
Maltese Freighter Captain Pleads Guilty in U.S. Federal Court
The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon, announced that the Vessel Master of the Adfines East plead guilty to operating a commercial vessel under the influence of alcohol in the Port of Portland. Valeriy Sharykin, 62, a Russian citizen
U.K.'s Liverpool Bay Dredging Secret Discovered
New research tracking the movement of dredged sediment around Liverpool Bay could save millions of pounds in dredging costs. Each year, sediment must be dredged from the port and deposited elsewhere to maintain access for commercial vessels
GeoVS Installs Vessel Management System in Poole Harbor
GeoVS was awarded a contract to supply and install its system in Poole Harbor, Dorset. The system brings a step change in monitoring and managing ship movements in ports and restricted waterways. Dr. Rafal Goralski, Technical Director of GeoVS, a University of Glamorgan spin off company
Bulk Carrier Wind Project Concluded
Zodiac’s bulk carrier Cape Flamingo was the focus of a wind energy monitoring project, as the project partners investigated the potential to improve fuel efficiency. In 2012 Lloyd’s Register’s Strategic Research Group joined forces with Totempower Energy Systems to support
Raytheon IBNS for New Italian Coast Guard Ships
Germany-based Raytheon Anschuetz with Italian provider Seastema, to deliver Integrated Bridge & Navigation Systems (IBNS) for two Italian Coast Guard military patrol vessels. The vessels are currently being built at Fincantieri's Castellammare di Stabia (Naples) shipyard.