Johns River News

Shipyards across the U.S. are investing in new equipment to increase lift capacity, opening up the door for more projects and improved efficiency.Southern California-based Marine Group Boat Works, which performs a mix of yacht, commercial and government vessel repair work, in 2022 repowered its 665-ton Marine Travelift mobile boat hoist—the largest on the West Coast—with a Tier 4 John Deere engine. And earlier this year it was awarded a MARAD Small Shipyard Grant worth more than…

BAE Systems held a groundbreaking ceremony officially kicking off a program to upgrade its ship repair facility in Jacksonville, Fla.As part of the $200 million modernization, the company will add a Pearlson Shiplift and land-level repair complex that will boost flexibility and expand the shipyard’s docking capacity by 300%. Located two miles from the Atlantic Ocean, at the intersection of the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair provides repair…

BAE Systems announced it will spend $200 million for upgrades aimed at increasing capacity and flexibility at its Jacksonville, Fla. ship repair yard. The investment covers the preparation, construction, procurement and installation of a modern Pearlson shiplift and land-level ship repair facility, giving the yard the capability to service a greater number of vessels more efficiently.Located two miles from the Atlantic Ocean, at the intersection of the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway…

The project to deepen 11 miles of the federal shipping channel from the sea buoy to JAXPORT’s Blount Island Marine Terminal to a depth of 47 feet from its previous depth of 40 feet has been completed. Federal, state, and local leaders joined JAXPORT and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Jacksonville District to celebrate the project's completion.The 47-foot harbor provides the channel depth needed for larger ships to call Blount Island to and from destinations worldwide and allows existing ships calling Jacksonville to carry more cargo on board.

JAX LNG, a small-scale LNG facility located along the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Fla., recently completed the first fueling of a marine vessel in the United States with a blend of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and renewable LNG (RLNG).JAX LNG loaded the RLNG/LNG blend into the Clean Jacksonville bunker barge to fuel the Isla Bella. The Isla Bella is the world’s first LNG-powered container ship and was put into service by TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico in 2015. Element Markets supplied the renewable natural gas (RNG) used to produce the RLNG via renewable thermal certificates (RTCs).

Diverse and conveniently located, St. Johns Ship Building has quickly developed into a reliable partner for its many repeat customers. Today, and as a direct result, a lot more people know exactly where Palatka, Florida is located.On the St Johns River, just 60 miles south of Jacksonville, lies the sleepy town of Palatka, Florida. Founded as a trading post in 1821, its location on the highly navigable river made the area attractive to orange growers and timber men alike.In its heyday between 1875 and 1900…

The Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT), an international trade seaport on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, set a new port record today with the arrival of the ZIM vessel Kota Pekarang, the largest container ship to ever call Jacksonville.The 11,923-TEU (container) vessel is operated by ZIM on a service offered by the 2M Alliance, comprised of Maersk, MSC, Hamburg Süd and strategic partners HMM and ZIM.The Kota Pekarang, which transited the Panama Canal from Northeast Asia before reaching the U.S. East Coast, discharged and loaded cargo at JAXPORT’s Blount Island Marine Terminal.This port call comes a little more than one month after the previous largest ship to ever call JAXPORT – the 11,000 TEU ZIM vessel Cape Sounio – docked at Blount Island on March 18.

The first cargo of nearly 11,000 gallons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) was loaded at the new Eagle LNG Partners liquefaction facility located near Jacksonville, Fla. Crowley Maritime Corporation’s LNG group loaded the cargo into an ISO tank container and delivered it over the road to the Port of Jacksonville for ocean transport to support customers in Puerto Rico. “With the successful LNG tank container loading at the Eagle LNG Partners’ Maxville Facility, Crowley can offer even more flexible services and sourcing locations to supply customers with LNG as a cleaner, safer fuel source.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has signed an agreement with the City of Jacksonville, Fla., and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authorizing them to dredge nearly 1.4 million cubic yards of sand from federal waters for periodic renourishment of the Duval County shoreline. The shore protection project, using sand from the seafloor of the federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), will restore a 10-mile stretch of coast between the St. Johns River entrance and the Duval County/St. Johns County boundary along the Atlantic Ocean. Dredging is expected to begin in the summer of 2016. “BOEM is pleased to support the City of Jacksonville with this restoration project,” said BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper.

Crowley Puerto Rico Services, Inc. has selected Eagle LNG Partners as the liquefied natural gas (LNG)-supplier for the company’s new LNG-powered, Commitment Class ships, which will be delivered in 2017 for use in the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rico trade. To support Crowley’s LNG needs, Eagle LNG will build a natural gas liquefaction plant (LNG plant) offering a capacity of 200,000 gallons per day (87,000 gallons per day initially) in Jacksonville. The state-of-the-art facility is slated to be operational by early 2017.

Mariners do best when they avoid the edges of the sea – the shoals, rocks, and other hard spots. Coming into contact with the edges of the sea at other than a slow walking speed can ruin an otherwise pleasant voyage. Unfortunately, though, vessels have been making hard contact with the edges since Noah’s Ark grounded on Mount Ararat, rendering the Ark unseaworthy. For a while, it was thought that the leadline would reduce groundings, but one can’t be swinging the leadline constantly. Lighthouses were another early means of identifying hard spots by means other than direct contact.

Officials from NOAA, the Jacksonville Marine Transportation Exchange, and the Jacksonville Port Authority officially dedicated a new information system today which will increase safety for ships using the St. Johns River. The system, called Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS), provides real-time information on water levels, currents, meteorological conditions, and under-bridge clearance, giving users critical information when traveling through the river. The St. Johns River in Jacksonville will become the 23rd location to use the system and is the second largest PORTS ever established. “Our nation’s ports are critical cogs in our country’s economic engine,” said Kathryn D. Sullivan, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

Domestic Maritime Industry Worth More than $9.6 Billion to Florida Economy. Florida ranks second among all states in domestic maritime jobs, according to a new study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for the Transportation Institute and released by the American Maritime Partnership (AMP), the voice of the U.S. domestic maritime industry. Supported by the Jones Act, which ensures vessels operating in our domestic waterways are U.S.-built, U.S.-crewed and U.S.-owned, the state’s 52…

Coast Guard Station Mayport crewmembers responded to a report of a sailing vessel that allided with the Main Street Bridge Thursday in Jacksonville, Fla., in the St. Johns River. Watchstanders in the Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville command center were notified of the incident at approximately 12:06 p.m. Station Mayport crewmembers were launched to respond at approximately 12:20 p.m. Jacksonville Fire Rescue crews were also on scene and helped tow the sailing vessel, Celer, to the boat landing at the River City Brewing Co. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission crews were also on scene. The two mariners aboard the Celer did not report any injuries.

Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Diamondback are towing a 70-foot motor yacht Wednesday and are scheduled to arrive at the entrance to the St. Johns River at approximately 9 p.m. There, the tow will be transferred to a 45-foot Response Boat - Medium from Station Mayport, Fla., and the Belle Amie will be brought to St. Johns Boat Company. Five people aboard the Belle Amie were in distress approximately 50 miles east of Fernandina Beach, Fla., while the yacht was taking on water following a fire aboard Wednesday morning. Watchstanders in the Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville command center were notified of the situation at 8:47 a.m. Wednesday. At 9:40 a.m., the five adults aboard extinguished the fire but the vessel continued to take on water.

A U.S. Coast Guard aircrew from Savannah, Ga., medically evacuated a freighter crewman who was injured on the motor vessel New Pacific more than 200 miles east of Atlantic Beach Wednesday. The man was hoisted from the vessel, flown to Naval Station Mayport, Fla., and transferred by EMS to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, Fla., in stable condition. Watchstanders in the Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville command center were notified Tuesday night the man suffered a puncture wound to the neck and was in need of medical assistance. Wednesday morning a medic from a nearby U.S. Navy vessel, which was in the area at the time, was transferred to the freighter to assess the injured man’s condition and administer triage and medication.

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. announced that it has placed a purchase contract on property where it hopes to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel terminal in Jacksonville, Fla. This would be the first LNG facility on the Eastern seaboard to specifically supply LNG for the maritime, heavy-duty trucking and rail industries. The planned facility is the first project to be developed by Eagle LNG Partners, the recently-announced consortium of Clean Energy, GE Ventures, GE Energy Financial Services and Ferus Natural Gas Fuels, formed to jointly deliver the cleaner-burning, less-costly fuel in the United States. “Establishing LNG capacity in Jacksonville is a critical strategic effort to enable LNG fueling throughout the Southeast region for our various market segments…

The U.S. Coast Guard has closed a portion of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Fla., after the 'USNS 1st Lt. Harry L. The RoRo vessel was being towed from its home pier in Jacksonville to the North Florida Ship Yard for normal dock and maintenance work. There were no injuries reported. Boatcrews from Coast Guard Station Mayport and other law enforcement agencies are currently enforcing a 200-yard safety zone on both sides of the bridge. Florida Department of Transportation bridge inspectors are en route to determine the extent of damage.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter located the debris and a male body about 22 east of the entrance to the St. Johns River. A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission aircrew reported the debris, including two large pieces of a vessel; 10 life jackets; flares; and an oil sheen. It is unknown if additional people are in the water or otherwise in distress, but the Coast Guard is responding as though there are. Continuing to search the area surrounding the debris field are a…

Located along the historic St. Johns River just sixty miles south of Jacksonville, FL is where a true full service shipyard has emerged to accommodate the growing industry needs. In 2006 Steven Ganoe and business partner Michael Grandonico leased – and eventually bought – an existing shipbuilding and repair facility on the St. Johns River (mile marker 31), a facility which was renamed St. Johns Ship Building and today stands as one of the more progressive and technologically capable small shipyards on the U.S. East Coast.

St. Johns wins barge contract with one of world’s largest construction companies. St. Johns Ship Building of Palatka, Fla. won a contract to construct a custom crane spud barge for Skanska, one of the largest construction companies in the world. This is the first contract St. Johns has signed with Skanska USA, a leading national construction company with 7,000 employees in the U.S. and 2010 revenues of $4.8 billion. “In a highly competitive environment, Skanska chose St. Johns because they saw our previous work…

St. Johns Ship Building Launches 157’ OSV for Caribbean Market. St. Johns Ship Building of Palatka, Fla. launched the Sea Strength, a 157’ offshore service vessel (OSV) for A. R. Singh Contractors Ltd. The vessel will be the largest in the A. R. Singh Contractors Ltd. fleet and will expand the company’s reach into the Caribbean offshore market. The Sea Strength is expected to be delivered February 2012. The Sea Strength is a twin screw vessel powered by two Caterpillar C32 marine type engines rated at 850 horsepower each at 1,800 RPM with Twin Disc reverse-reduction gears.

BAE Systems continues to support the offshore energy market as it expands new construction efforts and maintenance, repair, overhaul and conversion operations at its shipyards in Mobile, Ala., and Jacksonville, Fla. Earlier this year, BAE Systems began construction on the first of two platform supply vessels for GulfMark Americas, Inc. The 300-Class DP2 vessels are designed by MMC Ship Design and Marine Consulting, Ltd. of Poland and will be based on similar platform supply vessels currently under construction for GulfMark abroad. The green vessels will be U.S.