Sector Delaware Bay News

The fire on board the barge in the Delaware Bay that started burning on Monday, has been extinguished Tuesday, and Northstar Environmental and Marine Services has been contracted to assess the integrity of the vessel and manage salvage operations, U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.A Unified Command consisting of representatives from Eastern Metal Recycling, New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, Cumberland County Office of Emergency Management, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard has been established to oversee salvage operations.According to the U.S.

The U.S. Coast Guard said Monday it was, together with local fire agencies, responding to a barge fire approximately 9 miles south of Port Mahon.Watchstanders at the Sector Delaware Bay Command Center received a call at approximately 1 a.m. reporting a barge on fire in the Delaware River. The barge was reportedly carrying household appliances for scrap, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The Coast Guard launched a 29-foot Response Boat-Small boatcrew to assist and continue to monitor the situation. "There are six fireboats on scene from local fire agencies actively fighting the fire," the U.S.

Bollinger Shipyards joined U.S. Coast Guard officials at USCG Sector Delaware Bay in Philadelphia, Pa., for the commissioning of one of the newest Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters (“FRC”), USCGC Emlen Tunnell.Named in honor of Coast Guard hero and NFL great Emlen Tunnell, the cutter is the fourth of six FRCs to be home-ported in Manama, Bahrain, which will replace the aging 110-ft. Island Class Patrol Boats, built by Bollinger Shipyards 30 years ago, supporting the Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA), the U.S. Coast Guard’s largest overseas presence outside the United States.The U.S.

A recent marine casualty resulting in an injury of a crewmember on board a foreign freight vessel brought to light a potentially dangerous situation involving the turntable pin on accommodation ladders, the U.S. Coast Guard pointed out in a recent safety alert developed by the Investigators of Sector Delaware Bay and distributed by the Office of Investigations and Analysis. Currently, there are no established timelines or requirements to replace turntable pins. Without proper and periodic examination and replacement…

A fire broke out on board a refrigerated cargo ship at the Port of Wilmington, in Delaware, late Monday evening.The crew aboard the Dole containerized fruit carrier contacted U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay at approximately midnight, reporting that an engine fire erupted shortly after leaving port.The vessel quickly activated its firefighting system, energizing a carbon dioxide system to flood the engine room and rob the fire of oxygen, and safely moored back to the pier.

An ailing tugboat crewmember was medically evacuated approximately 10 miles north of Manasquan Inlet, N.J. on Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay Command Center in Philadelphia received an alert that the individual was suffering from abdominal pain while aboard the 33.5-meter tugboat Saint Emilion.A 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Coast Guard Station Manasquan Inlet launched to meet the tugboat after the Delaware Bay Command Center consulted with a Coast Guard flight surgeon who recommended medical evacuation for the individual.Once on scene, the MLB boatcrew removed the crewman from the vessel and transferred him to emergency medical services that were waiting on scene at the Station.

The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced the captain off of a cargo ship approximately 25 miles off the coast of Ocean City, Md., Tuesday.Crewmembers aboard the Panamanian flagged cargo ship Balsa 84, which was in route to the Delaware Bay area, contacted watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay's command center at approximately 10:20 a.m. and notified them that the 61-year-old Filipino man was exhibiting symptoms of a possible heart attack and needed medical assistance.Watchstanders launched an aircrew aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Atlantic City to assist.Once on scene…

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-led multi-agency examination of shipping containers at the Philadelphia seaport netted a historic load of cocaine, the largest cocaine seizure in the 230-year history of U.S. Customs and CBP, with an estimated weight of over 17.5 tons and a street value of about $1.1 billion.During a midstream joint boarding Sunday night, CBP, HSI, and U.S. Coast Guard authorities detected anomalies while examining seven shipping containers aboard the MSC Gayane…

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued four people from a life raft after a commercial fishing vessel caught fire about 16 miles southeast of Cape May, N.J., Saturday morning. No injuries were reported.Crew members aboard the 75-foot fishing vessel Ocean Pearl activated Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons and abandoned ship after an electrical fire ignited on board around 10:30 a.m.Once aboard their life raft, the Ocean Pearl’s crew used a handheld radio to contact watchstanders…

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is monitoring the salvage of a partially-sunken commercial fishing vessel in Manasquan Inlet, N.J.Watchstanders in the Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay command center received notification at 2 a.m. Saturday that the 44-foot fishing vessel Miss Kathleen allided with the northern Manasquan Inlet jetty and was taking on water with three people and a dog aboard.The Miss Kathleen’s captain intentionally grounded the vessel on Dog Beach, about 20 yards outside the channel.

The U.S. Coast Guard is known for saving lives at sea, but did you know the service plays a huge role in the economy, too?As a regulatory entity, the Coast Guard conducts marine inspections on vessels entering United States ports to make sure the vessels do not pose a safety, security, or environmental threat to the country. With 90 percent of U.S. imports and exports entering or exiting the country by ship, these inspections ensure there is fuel at the gas station, food in the store and presents at birthday parties.But even before a ship ever gets in the water…

The U.S. Coast Guard and partner agencies are responding Tuesday to an oil sheen in the Schuylkill River.   The Coast Guard received a report of a sheen on the river between Market Street and South Street in Philadelphia Monday, but crews were not able to locate its origin.   Agencies involved include Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay, Philadelphia Fire Department and Philadelphia Police Department.

The Mariners’ Advisory Committee for the Bay and River Delaware, the Pilots Association for the Bay and River Delaware, and the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay applaud the inclusion of a $4.6 million request for aids to navigation, or ATONs, in President Obama’s FY17 U.S. Coast Guard budget justification. "Thanks to efforts last year by Sens. Cory Booker, Robert Casey, Christopher Coons, and Robert Menendez, the president's FY17 budget includes a proposal for an additional $4.6 million for U.S. Coast Guard to improve safety and navigation aids on the Delaware River," said Jonathan Kemmerley, chairman of the Mariners’ Advisory Committee. "I was encouraged to see the president's budget request include $4.6 million to be used for improving navigation on the Delaware River.

The Coast Guard oversaw the refloating of a barge and tugboat Sunday near Absecon Inlet. The 77-foot Miss Katie experienced a loss of power Saturday and ran aground north of the Absecon Inlet, and the 135-foot barge drifted and ran aground on the south side of the north jetty. Personnel from Coast Guard Station Atlantic City arrived on scene Saturday, but due to weather conditions, salvage operations for the tug and barge were suspended. "Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay's Incident Management Division oversaw salvage and pollution prevention operations of the tug and barge today on Brigantine Beach, New Jersey," said Lt. j.g. Terry Plank, the federal on-scene coordinator representative. "Both the tug and barge were successfully removed from the beach and jetty respectively.

The Coast Guard medevaced a fisherman 75 miles southeast of Cape May, New Jersey, Thursday. The 43-year-old man was fishing with three other people aboard the 80-foot fishing boat Starbrite when he started experiencing difficulty breathing and numbness of his extremities. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay in Philadelphia received initial notification Thursday at approximately 8:30 a.m. A helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, New Jersey, arrived on scene at approximately 11 a.m. The helicopter crew hoisted the man and transferred him to Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, Maryland. A C-130 Hercules aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, also responded to the

The Captain of the Port (COTP), Delaware Bay, has set a modified Port Condition WHISKEY due to the anticipated arrival of a severe winter storm that will impact the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware area in the next 72 hours. The COTP has determined the ports of Philadelphia, Camden, and Wilmington and surrounding areas will likely experience high winds, increased seas, and excessive tide variations. Members of the port community should take adequate precautions and review the Severe Weather Contingency Plan. * Vessels must have effective mooring and anchorage arrangements for anticipated storm surge and winds; vessel agents are asked to notify vessel masters of this requirement. * Facilities must minimize debris that could become missile hazards.

The Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Odigitria grounded in Delaware river off Grows Terminal in Morrisiville, Pennsylvania.    The ship was loaded with scrap, when due to human mistake of the duty officer grounded in a mud shallow.    Crews were able to free the 622-foot vessel around 1pm, the U.S. Coast Guard saidofficials said, after nearly nine hours.   The cargo ship was inspected by US Coast Guard, which estimated that the ship had no damages and can resume the voyage to Fairless Hills, USA.   Lt. j.g. Jonas Miller, command duty officer at Sector Delaware Bay, said in a statement that no one was injured and the event caused no pollution.

Vessel speed restrictions have been set in hopes of helping to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales by reducing the likelihood of collisions between ships and marine life, GAC reports.   The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Delaware Bay has advised mariners of the speed restrictions which are regulated by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).   Specifically for vessels entering the Delaware Bay, the restriction applies from November 1, 2015 through April 30, 2016 in the following location: within a 20-NM (37 km) radius (as measured seaward from COLREGS lines) of the center point of the entrance to the Delaware Bay (Ports of Philadelphia and Wilmington): 38 deg. 52'27.4″ N–075°01'32.1″ W.

The Captain of the Port, Delaware Bay, is notifying mariners that vessel traffic transiting the Delaware River and Schuylkill River, in vicinity of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from September 25, 2015 to September 28, 2015 will likely experience delays. As a preventative measure, we ask maritime stakeholders in the region, ranging from large vessels to uninspected passenger vessels, to provide advanced notification and to engage with our Papal Visit Maritime Operations Center’s (MOC) and the Marine Transportation System Recovery Unit (MTSRU), well in advance of anticipated vessel transits between September 25th and 28th. The MTSRU can be reached at [email protected] or 267-515-7294 FREE.

The Coast Guard is overseeing salvage efforts Tuesday for a motor vessel aground on the Delaware River. The 328-foot Netherlands-flagged motor vessel, Bermuda Islander, lost power and propulsion Monday at approximately 9 p.m. before running aground near Salem, New Jersey. No injuries or pollution have been reported. There were 12 people aboard the ship when it ran aground. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay in Philadelphia are maintaining an hourly communications schedule with the Delaware River Pilots regarding the ship’s status. Donjon Marine has been identified as the contracted salvage company. "Our goal is to get the vessel safely back underway while mitigating pollution…

Valerii Georgiev, a Russian citizen and former chief mate of the ocean cargo vessel M/V Murcia Carrier, was sentenced to a term of three months prison for failing to maintain an accurate oil record book in violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), by the Honorable Joseph Rodriguez, the Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division and the U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced today. APPS requires vessels like the M/V Murcia Carrier to maintain a record known as an oil record book in which all transfers and disposals of oil-contaminated waste, including the discharge overboard of such waste, must be fully and accurately recorded.

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay is alerting mariners of a safety zone to mitigate the risks associated with the Tall Ships Philadelphia Camden 2015 Parade of Sail. The safety zone is effective 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on June 25, 2015. A safety zone will also be enforced for the Tall Ships Philadelphia Camden 2015 Fireworks, from 8:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. on June 27, 2015. The Captain of the Port representative will be on scene during these events and can be contacted on VHF channel 16. Entry into, transiting, or anchoring within the safety zone is prohibited unless authorized by the COTP Delaware Bay, or his on-scene representative. Once operations are concluded, an informational broadcast will inform mariners that the safety zone is no longer being enforced.

Norbulk Shipping UK Ltd, a company based in Glasgow, U.K., and operator of the reefer cargo ship M/V Murcia Carrier, pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an accurate oil record book in violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and providing false statements to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) concerning the vessel’s garbage record book. The company was sentenced to pay a criminal penalty of $750,000 and placed on three years of probation by the Honorable Joseph H. Rodriguez, the Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division and the U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced today. “Our oceans are life giving and life sustaining resources that our country and our world depend upon,” said Assistant Attorney General John C.