Bonner News

A tugboat is partially sunk and leaking diesel after alliding with a bridge in North Carolina's Oregon Inlet, the U.S. Coast Guard said.All eight people aboard the tug Miss Bonnie reached shore safely without injury after the vessel struck the Old Bonner Bridge at 11:09 a.m. on Sunday.The Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received report from a local Coast Guard 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew at approximately 10:00 a.m. on Monday that a sheen was coming from the semi-submerged tug.The maximum potential for the discharge is 6…

A tugboat is semi-submerged after alliding with the Old Bonner Bridge in Oregon Inlet in North Carolina on Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.All eight people aboard the tug Miss Bonnie reached shore safely without injury. No pollution has been reported.The Coast Guard responded to the incident on Sunday afternoon after it received report of the allision from a good Samaritan at approximately 11:09 a.m..The semi-submerged tug is currently leaning up against the bridge.The cause of the incident is under investigation.

The State University of New York Maritime College, in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, National Academy of Sciences, academic institutions, industry partners, and federal, state and local agencies, will host the 10th Annual Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS 2019) Nov. 13-15, 2019, at New York Maritime College located in the Bronx, New York.MRS 2019 will bring together academics, government and commercial entities to discuss the threats, challenges and risks associated with the Marine Transportation System with a focus on current and future marine transportation challenges and threats.

Quark Expeditions, Polar Region expeditions company,  is celebrating its milestone 30th year with the launch of its new Antarctic 2020.21 season.The company specializing in expeditions to the Antarctic and the Arctic said that with voyages ranging from eight to 23 days, its Antarctic 20.21 season will feature seven distinct expeditions and 29 total departures, allowing guests of every type to discover the polar experiences perfectly suited to their needs and desires.“No one understands the possibilities, or the demands, of the polar environments better than we do,” says Ed Bonner, VP Production of Quark Expeditions. “For thirty years—longer than anyone in the industry—we have been focused exclusively on delivering the magic of the Polar Regions to passengers from across the globe.

The U.S. Navy officially welcomed its newest littoral combat ship into its fleet during a December 16 commissioning ceremony in Buffalo, N.Y. Constructed at Marinette Marine Corporation, Marinette, Wisc., USS Little Rock (LCS 9) is the Navy’s fifth freedom-variant LCS. The fast, shallow draft vessel has a modular design capable of implementing a variety of mission packages as an asset to the fleet in both the shallow coastal regions as well trans-Atlantic service. The ship was commissioned next to the first USS Little Rock, a Galveston-class guided missile cruiser (CLG 4).

The U.S. Navy will commission its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Little Rock (LCS 9), during a December 16 ceremony at the Canalside waterfront in Buffalo, N.Y. The future USS Little Rock is the 10th littoral combat ship to enter the fleet and the fifth of the Freedom-variant design. It is the second warship named for the Arkansas state capital and will be commissioned alongside the first USS Little Rock (CL 92), which serves as a museum at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park.

The Navy’s newest littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Little Rock (LCS 9), will be christened Saturday, July 18, during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony at Marinette Marine Corporation's shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin. The event will be webcast live at http://navylive.dodlive.mil under the webcast section. The Honorable Ray Mabus, secretary of the Navy will deliver the ceremony’s principal address. Janée L. Bonner, spouse of the Honorable Josiah “Jo” Bonner, former U.S. representative of Alabama, is the ship’s sponsor. Bonner will officially christen the ship Little Rock. "The christening of the future USS Little Rock is a celebration of our incredible shipbuilding industry and the men and women who worked so hard to build this great ship," said Mabus.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) informed it has lifted restrictions and enforcement of the regulated navigation area Thursday at Oregon Inlet between Bodie and Pea Islands. The captain of the port for Sector North Carolina lifted vessel draft restrictions and enforcement of the regulated navigation area at the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge in Oregon Inlet as outlined in 33 Code of Federal Regulations 165.520. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recently dredged an unmarked channel in the shoaled area of the navigation channel in the vicinity of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge. Mariners are encouraged to obtain the most recent USACE Wilmington District hydrographic survey information, centerline waypoints and controlling depth.

Members from the U.S. Coast Guard and National Park Service rescued a loggerhead sea turtle Sunday in Oregon Inlet. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina in Wilmington received word from a good Samaritan boater the turtle was tangled in a line and dragging a plastic bucket in the vicinity of Bonner Bridge. A 24-foot Special Purpose Craft crew from Station Oregon Inlet, along with a National Park Service agent with a degree in zoology, were sent to free the turtle and assess its condition. The crew arrived on scene, took the turtle aboard and freed it from the line. The NPS agent took measurements, collected data and determined the turtle to be in good health with minimal injuries. The loggerhead was then released.

The Coast Guard responded Monday to an allision between a 58-foot charter boat with nine people aboard and the Bonner Bridge in Oregon Inlet, N.C. A concerned boater aboard the vessel West Wind witnessed the allision and contacted Coast Guard Sector North Carolina watchstanders via VHF-FM marine radio channel 16 at approximately 5:45 a.m., stating that the charter boat, Sandra D, struck one of the support pilings of the bridge, resulting in a five-foot by 10-foot hole in the boat's bow and possible injuries to three of the passengers aboard.

May 15, 2013 was a very good day for the nation’s barge and towing operators, as well as shippers of grain, coal, chemicals, petroleum products, aggregate materials, and agri-input products. It was also a good day for our nation’s economy and for its consumers. The Senate passed, by a vote of 83-14, a long-overdue Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), last reauthorized in 2007. Six years may not seem like a long time to await action on Capitol Hill. But since 57% of the locks and dams on the nation’s inland waterways system have exceeded their economic design life expectancy of 50 years…

Discuss Future of Supporting the Program before Congress. Austal brought together representatives of over 50 suppliers from 25 states to build support for the future of the U.S. Navy’s LCS program. The representatives of the Independence-variant LCS industrial base gathered on May 16 and 17 for a conference and congressional outreach. Austal USA’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Joe Rella, was joined by Rear Admiral James A. Murdoch, Program Executive Officer, Littoral Combat Ships, and Congressman Jo Bonner (R-AL) in welcoming the attendees and briefing them on the U.S.

On May 3, 2012, Austal held a keel-laying ceremony for the third Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), one of nine Austal-designed 103-meter U.S. Navy Joint High Speed Vessels under contract with the U.S. Navy. Austal invited Representative Jo Bonner to authenticate the keel. He was assisted by Jeff Cellon who is an “A” Class welder that has been part of the Austal team since May of 2010. A traditional keel-laying ceremony marks the first significant milestone in the construction of the ship.

The UK’s largest independent marine safety equipment supplier, Ocean Safety, has opened a fourth depot in the UK, this one in Aberdeen, in the heart of the oil and fisheries industry on the east coast of Scotland. The depot will carry the full range of Ocean Safety stock. It will also be a lifejacket and survival station, and will be manufacturer-approved for that purpose. “Establishing the new depot reflects the growing business of Ocean Safety and the customer demand from the expanding offshore renewables market,” said Ocean Safety’s Sales Director, Mark Hart. The Aberdeen depot will be managed by Aidan Morrissey, who already has many years of experience with safety products in the commercial maritime industry.

Providing local support to Navy customer. Austal has announced the opening of Austal USA’s Washington DC Operations Office at 100 M Street, SE, Suite 310. The facility will allow Austal Government Programs and Business Development personnel to use the location as a base of Washington DC operations. The new Washington office director, Mr. Ronald Mahaffey, is a veteran of Huntington-Ingalls Shipbuilding, where he served as Director of Surface Combatant Operations. Prior to that assignment, Ron spent nearly 14 years in the post-delivery environment, working in the Ingalls Planning Yard on both the DD 963 and CG 47 programs. Ron retired from the Navy in 1989 as a Chief Warrant Officer (CWO4) with over 30 years of expertise in the electronics field.

Three Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV) currently under construction. On November 8, 2011, Austal held a keel-laying ceremony for its second Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), Choctaw County (JHSV 2), one of seven Austal-designed 103-meter U.S. Navy Joint High Speed Vessels under contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. Captain Henry W. Stevens, III (USN), Strategic and Theater Sealift Program Manager, PMS 385, served as the Authenticator for today’s ceremony. He was assisted by Brandon Mims. Brandon is an “A” Class welder that has been part of the Austal team since June of 2007.

Austal announces that Congressman Jo Bonner (R-AL) commemorated the official start of fabrication for the third Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV 3), one of seven Austal-designed 103-meter U.S. Navy Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV) under contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. “The race is on,” said Austal USA President and Chief Operating Officer, Joe Rella, “the world is about to learn just how much value Austal’s investments in modular ship fabrication offers our Navy and Military Sealift Command customers.

Austal USA held a combined groundbreaking ceremony today, to celebrate the start of work on three new facilities including Phase 2 of the Modular Manufacturing Facility (MMF); a new office complex; and an additional waterfront Assembly Bay. The ceremony was held at Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, where construction is underway on the U.S. Navy’s Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program and the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) program. This event was attended by several notable dignitaries, including Alabama Governor Robert Bentley; Rear Admiral Joseph F.

Austal hosted a visit by the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus on Friday, March 25. He was joined by U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, Congressman Jo Bonner, Austal USA President and Chief Operating Officer, Joe Rella, and Mobile Mayor Sam Jones in formally announcing the names that he has selected for the first two Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) of the recently awarded 10-ship contract to Austal. LCS 6 will be named USS Jackson and LCS 8 will be named USS Montgomery. Secretary Mabus announced the names during his meeting with approximately 600 Austal production employees…

conducted an oversight hearing regarding transportation security. task. Mr. Jeffrey Shane, Under Secretary of Transportation Policy, discussed the role of the Department of Transportation regarding security and its coordination with the Department of Homeland Security. Admiral Thomas Collins, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, discussed the agency's strategy to reduce maritime security risks through: (1) increasing maritime domain awareness, (2) implementing preventative measures, (3) securing borders and protecting infrastructure, and (4) preparing to respond quickly if necessary.

The General Dynamics Littoral Combat Ship Team (GD LCS Team) christened the LCS 2 Independence October 4, on the waters of the at the Austal USA shipyard. Present at the Christening Ceremony were over 1,000 guests and dignitaries. The Ship Sponsor was Doreen A. Scott, wife of the 10th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Terry D. Scott. She was joined by her daughter, Maid of Honor, Lauren A. Scott, but her daughter, Matron of Honor Ensign Lindsay Fatz, USN, was out of the country on orders.

Austal has officially opened its new Modular Manufacturing Facility (MMF), equipping its U.S. shipyard with the ability to build up to three 328-ft-plus vessels each year. Phase One of the new $88m facility boasts 35,000m2 of manufacturing space under one roof, including a 7900m2 warehouse, as well as paved parking for more than 2000 vehicles. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of Phase One was held at Austal’s Mobile, Ala. shipyard. The event was attended by more than 300 dignitaries, including Alabama Governor Bob Riley, U.S.

President Obama has appointed Alan Bersin Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Commissioner Bersin oversees the operations of CBP’s 57,000-employee work force and manages an operating budget of more than $11b. CBP’s mission is to protect the nation’s borders at and between the ports of entry from all threats while facilitating legitimate travel and trade. Commissioner Bersin is CBP’s third Commissioner following former Commissioner’s Robert C. Bonner and W. Ralph Basham. Former Commissioner Bonner was the first Commissioner at CBP’s inception March 1, 2003. CBP’s operational offices include the Office of Field Operations, the U.S. Border Patrol, the Office of Air and Marine and the Office of International Trade.