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Buzzards Bay News

22 Jan 2024

American Cruise Lines Christens New Coastal Cat American Glory

(Photo: American Cruise Lines)

American Glory, the second Coastal Cat in American Cruise Lines’ new series of 100-passenger ships, was christened in Key West, Fla. on Sunday. The ceremony took place at Mallory Square where the ship docks when visiting Key West along the company’s newest U.S. itinerary—Florida Gulf Coast & Keys cruises, operating roundtrip from St. Petersburg.Charles B. Robertson, President & CEO of American Cruise Lines, gave remarks and introduced American Glory’s Godmother, the Honorable Teri Johnston, Mayor of Key West.

28 Aug 2023

American Cruise Lines’ First New Coastal Cat Enters Service

(Photo: American Cruise Lines)

American Cruise Lines introduced its first new Coastal Cat, American Eagle, during a christening ceremony in at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy campus on Buzzards Bay last week.Carol Robertson, wife of American Cruise Lines’ founder the late Charles A. Robertson, served as godmother for the ship and christened the 100-passenger American Eagle with one of her handmade, ribbon-wrapped champagne bottles. The American Eagle is named after the first American Cruise Lines’ ship, which the couple launched in the 1970s.The ceremony began with remarks from Robertson…

21 Sep 2022

“A Captain’s Duty” - Captain Phillips To Speak At Mass Maritime

Captain Richard Phillips, author of A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, will discuss his encounter, his remarkable rescue and lessons learned, in an Ed Fouhy Speaker Series program presented by the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center on October 6. Photo courtesy Mass Maritime

On Thursday October 6, Captain Richard Phillips, author of A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, will discuss his encounter, his remarkable rescue and lessons learned, in an Ed Fouhy Speaker Series program presented by the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center. The program will begin at 7:00 PM at Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Admirals Hall, 101 Academy Drive, Buzzards Bay, MA.The now-famous hostage standoff began on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 when a small band of Somali pirates swung a ladder from their skiff onto the MV Maersk Alabama…

21 Oct 2021

Maritime Academies Work Toward Inclusion

U.S. Coast Guard Academy cadets aboard USCGC Eagle (WIX 327), "America's Tall Ship," during summer 2021. (Photo: Kristjan Petersson / U.S. Embassy Reykjavik)

Last May, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (CGA) announced that 240 new officers made up its 140th graduating class.The Academy’s announcement referenced additional, important highlights. Women made up 34% of the Class of 2021, and 34% of the graduates were from underrepresented minority groups. Even more focused was the statement that 22 African Americans “walked the stage,” the largest number in Academy history, and 2021 included the second highest number of Asian American and Pacific Islanders.To make the ceremony even more memorable, President Biden delivered the keynote address.

24 Aug 2021

Crowley, Massachusetts Maritime Academy Setting Up Offshore Wind Training

Credit: Crowley Maritime Corporation

Crowley Maritime Corporation and Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) said Tuesday they'd create a first-of-its-kind training and workforce development program dedicated specifically to the New England region’s offshore wind energy industry.The program will be certified by the Global Wind Organisation (GWO), a non-profit that sets international standards for safety training. The academy will coordinate with Relyon Nutec, the world’s largest provider of specialized instruction for energy and industrial sectors…

30 Mar 2020

Coast Guard Corrals Wayward Buoy in Long Island Sound

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Oak (WLB-211) sits at anchor. The Newport, Rhode Island-based buoy tender maintains 144 Aids to Navigation (ATON) that guide mariners into some of the oldest and busiest ports in the U.S., including Boston, Massachusetts; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and Portland, Maine. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Emily E. Torsney)

Built to guide mariners through safe waters, the Valiant Rock Lighted Whistle Buoy 11 was dangerously adrift in the Long Island Sound.When ferry operators traveling between Orient Point and Fishers Island, New York, first reported the buoy off station on Jan. 17, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Oak (WLB-211) was already underway but foul weather kept the cutter from removing it.This was the beginning of a two-week saga that would involve several Coast Guard units. Like the Loch Ness monster of the Long Island Sound, the 35-foot-tall green buoy was occasionally seen but hard to catch.

23 Jan 2020

Safely Navigating the Winds of Change

The first-in-the-nation offshore wind training facility will be located at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.In late October, with much fanfare, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Stephen Pike, CEO of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and many others joined officials from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) to launch the first-in-the-nation offshore wind crew transfer training facility. The group of state and college representatives also officially christened a new training vessel. The event underscored the efforts at MMA to both support, but also take full advantage of what stakeholders believe is the advent of offshore wind here in the United States.The training facility…

25 Jun 2019

Over 1,650 Cadets Graduate from American Maritime Academies

One of seven U.S. maritime academies, the Massachusetts Maritime Academy’s picturesque campus in Buzzards Bay has sent thousands of mariners into the global maritime workplace since its inception in 1891. CREDIT: MMA

The American Maritime Partnership (AMP) — the voice of the domestic maritime industry — congratulates the more than 1,650 young men and women who have graduated from the seven U.S. maritime academies this Spring. Applauding them for their dedication and commitment to pursuing a career that supports our nation  in times of both peace and war, AMP is proud to welcome a new generation to the workforce. Generations of retirement have created a shortage of mariners, making this and future classes of cadets all the more important.“A strong U.

10 Sep 2018

Disabled Cruise Ship Regains Power off US East Coast

The cruise ship Star Pride after it lost power in Buzzards Bay, Mass. on Friday, September 7, 2018. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

The cruise ship Star Pride has regained power after becoming disabled about two miles off the coast of Cuttyhunk, Mass. last week.The ship’s captain reported to U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector Southeastern New England at about 3:20 p.m., Friday that the vessel had lost power and was disabled.Coast Guard crews and the Buzzards Bay Task Force launched and surrounded the 440-foot, 9,975-grt cruise ship to ensure the safety of 191 passengers and 160 crewmembers on board the ship.

05 Sep 2018

Coast Guard Boats Collide, 4 Injured

Close up view of the damage of a 29-foot response boat small after it collided with another 29-foot response boat during training off Falmouth, Mass., Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

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.

16 Aug 2018

Shipbuilding: “We had shipyard for dinner …”

Brothers and co-presidents Peter Duclos (left) and John Duclos flank sister Carol Hegarty, CFO. Photo: Greg Trauthwein

The Duclos family is iconic in boatbuilding circles, as the Somerset, Mass.-based Gladding-Hearn, Duclos Corporation, has built a strong heritage in the pilot boat and fast ferry sectors, and in total more than 425 vessels have been delivered since it was founded in 1955. Today a trio of second-generation siblings run the yard, brothers and co-presidents John and Peter Duclos with sister Carol Hegarty serving as CFO. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News visited the yard recently…

16 Aug 2016

MN100: Massachusetts Maritime Academy

(Photo: Massachusetts Maritime Academy)

Massachusetts Maritime Academy offers seven undergraduate Bachelor of Science degrees and two graduate Masters of Science programs. The regiment of cadets is comprised of students from around the globe. The academy operates a training vessel used to acquire sea service for the cadets. Two tugs (Alert and Hercules) and a barge support the Mate of Towing program. The Academy has a vast array of simulators used for undergraduate and professional mariner training. The engineering…

21 Jun 2016

US Coast Guard Tows in Disabled Fishing Boat

The 86-foot fishing boat Buzzards Bay is pictured prior to being towed by Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane, Tuesday, June 21, 2016, 50 miles northeast of Cape Cod. Buzzards Bay became disabled due to a main engine failure. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

The 86-foot fishing vessel Buzzards Bay, which became disabled with five people aboard 50 miles northeast of Cape Cod, was towed in by U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane on Tueday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England were notified by the captain of the Buzzards Bay at around 3:30 a.m. that the boat was disabled due to a main diesel engine failure. Harriet Lane, a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Va., was diverted to assist and arrived on scene at around 8:30 a.m. The crew was able to safely put Buzzards Bay in tow at around 9:30 a.m.

18 Nov 2015

Moose Boats is Keeping Busy

New patrol boat for Placer County Sheriff’s Office (Photo: Moose Boats)

U.S. Moose Boats, a boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, announced two recent vessel deliveries: a M2-35 Catamaran Patrol Boat to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office in Carnelian Bay, Calif., and a M2-38’ 3,000GPM Fire Rescue Catamaran to the Bellingham Fire Department in Bellingham, Wash. The builder has received an additional order to build a M2-38 Catamaran CBRNE Emergency Response and Recovery Vessel for the New Bedford Fire Department in Massachusetts.

26 Aug 2015

USCG, Royal Canadian Navy Conduct Jt Exercise

U.S. Coast Guard crews from Southeastern New England conducted various evolutions with the Royal Canadian Navy to train and improve the inter-operability of the two nations’ militaries and surface search and rescue assets. Coast Guard Station Woods Hole, Station Provincetown, and Air Station Cape Cod and HMCS Summerside conducted homeland security, anti-terrorism, search and rescue, and medical evacuation operations. The training commenced in Buzzards Bay, Monday with a Coast Guard Station Woods Hole 29-foot Response Boat Small simulating a boat protesting against the Royal Canadian Navy. The attack vessel, represented by the Coast Guard small boat, approached HMCS Summerside prompting the ships crew to stand up their force protection measures to defend the ship.

19 May 2015

USCG Terminates Charters Boat Voyage In Buzzards Bay

The Coast Guard terminated the trip of a 23-foot charter vessel today in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, due to an expired operator's license and evidence of illegal fishing. During a random safety boarding, a crew from Coast Guard Station Woods Hole, Massachusetts, boarded the vessel and discovered the master's license had expired in 2008. Upon further inspection, the crew found black sea bass which were illegally caught during the off season. Black sea bass season does not open until May 23rd in the State of Massachusetts. The Station Woods Hole crew escorted the vessel and its five passengers back to the dock. Upon arrival at the dock, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection found more than 100 black sea bass aboard and seized the catch.

13 Sep 2014

USCG Confirm Jelly Fish Concentration in Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts

Coast Guard pollution responders, and the Fairhaven Harbormaster responded to a report of a large oil sheen in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts Friday morning. At 2:00 p.m. Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England was notified by a local, experienced mariner of a possible pollution sheen in Buzzard's Bay. Response crews with a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod, a 29-foot response boat from Station Woods Hole, and a 45-foot response boat medium from Station Menemsha responded along with Coast Guard personnel from Marine Safety Detachment New Bedford and the Fairhaven Harbormaster. After Coast Guard assets arrived on-scene, they did not find any pollution; rather they discovered a large area of jellyfish.

12 Sep 2014

MN 100: Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Massachusetts Maritime Academy is one of nine Massachusetts State Universities. Established in 1891, the academy now offers seven undergraduate and two master’s degrees. Approximately 50-60% of the undergraduates are enrolled in unlimited USCG Merchant Marine License preparatory programs. 1,350 students are members of the Regiment of Cadets residing on campus. The academy operates a training vessel (T.S. Kennedy) used to acquire sea service for the cadets. The academy also has an 87 ton auxiliary training vessel (Ranger) used during the academic semesters for coastal navigation.

08 Jun 2014

USCG Responded To Disabled Tug 18 Mi East Of Block Island

The U.S. Coast Guard responded to reports of a disabled tug 18 miles east of Block Island, Rhode Island, Sunday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, were notified at approximately 3:30 p.m., Sunday, of an engine fire aboard the 126-foot tug Viking. The vessel’s on board fixed fire-fighting system was able to extinguish the fire, leaving the vessel disabled with 10 people aboard. The owner of the tug dispatched two relief tugs to the scene. The Viking was able to restore their engines and are transiting to Buzzards Bay under escort by the tug Sebine. None of the ten people aboard the tug were injured, and no pollution was released as a result of the fire.

29 Jan 2014

New Tech & Tug Training

Mass. Maritime responds to industry demand, reloads with cutting edge Transas equipment, and moves to the head of the brown water training queue. It was a dark and stormy night with choppy seas. I didn’t hit anything, but I did run aground twice while at the helm of the tug boat simulator at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) in Buzzards Bay. But then that’s the point – to let students safely make mistakes and get the closest thing to the real-life experience they need – and would have a limited shot at otherwise on the equipment they’ll be handling where the jobs are today…

29 Aug 2013

Police and Dive Teams Rely on Underwater Search Equipment

Fairhaven's harbormaster and shellfish warden with ROV, Inset - Downe Twp with side scan sonar

Many government agencies and public safety dive teams are adding underwater search equipment to help make their operations easier, safer, and faster. Maricopa Sheriffs Department in Arizona, Downe Township Fire Rescue in New Jersey, the Fairhaven Massachusetts Harbor Master and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are a few of the diverse group of agencies using metal detectors, video cameras and sonars in their underwater search operations. Deputy Jeff Hanson, leader of the Maricopa County Sheriffs Department dive team…

14 Aug 2013

Tug and Barge Allision Near Cape Cod

The Coast Guard issued a news release stating that it responded to an allision between a tug and barge taking on water near the Cape Cod Canal Wednesday. At 11:28 p.m. Tuesday, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England were notified from the crew of the 112-foot tug Doris Morian, homeported in Wilmington, Del., that they had reportedly lost power while towing the 410-foot barge Alexander and the two allided. The Doris Morian crew was able to tow the Alexander outside of the Canal into Buzzards Bay to an anchorage approximately two miles east of West Island. The barge is taking on approximately five-feet of water and pumps are keeping up with the water. The barge is carrying cement and was en route to New York. There has been no reported impact to the environment.

27 Jun 2013

Grave Condern for Missing Historic American Schooner

Grave concerns are held for the crew of the historic American 21m (70ft) schooner Nina missing en route from Opua in the Bay of Islands to Newcastle, Australia. The vessel, built in 1928, left Opua on 29 May and has not been heard from since 4 June, 2013, when the vessel was about 370 nautical miles west-north-west of Cape Reinga. Uncrowned queen of the New York Yacht Club fleet, the incomparable 58-foot staysail schooner Niña was designed by Starling Burgess and built on Buzzards Bay at Monument Beach by Reuben Bigelow in 1928. There are seven people on board, six Americans (three men aged 17, 28 and 58, and three women aged 18, 60 and 73) and a British man aged 35.