The Coast Guard is scheduled to deploy its Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System Tuesday at 3 p.m. from the Coast Guard Cutter Maria Bray in the St. Johns River during a training exercise.
VOSS is designed to be transported to an oil spill site and convert any suitable ship available (commercial, private or government-owned vessel) into a single ship, oil-recovery platform. The Coast Guard has 19 of these systems pre-positioned nationwide for pollution response.
This VOSS deployment is part of Sector Jacksonville's three-day training program designed to better prepare Sector Jacksonville personnel for a hazardous materials spill on the First Coast. The training includes extensive classroom discussion and hands-on training for VOSS deployment.
The Maria Bray is a 175-ft. buoy tender homeported in, Mayport, Fla.