Avery News

U.S.-based boat builder Metal Shark is expanding its presence in its home state of Louisiana with the addition of a third manufacturing facility and a new recruitment effort.The expansion follows the recent divestiture of its Alabama-based ship refit and repair business, after the company sold its operations to Birdon America.With a new 40,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, Metal Shark is looking to boost its production capacity.Together with its nearby Jeanerette and Franklin production facilities…

The U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center (RDC) on Monday celebrated its 50th anniversary during an open house event at the center’s campus next to Fort Trumbull in New London, Conn.The event, designed to showcase RDC history and ongoing work, and provide an opportunity to speak with its researchers, focused on several key themes, such as the impact past and current researchers have had on the service as well as appreciation for Southeastern Connecticut, including the City of New London, for its support to the Coast Guard and its resident RDC.On Sept.

The U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center (RDC) in New London, Conn. is planning to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a multi-faceted community event.On September 1st, 1972, the Coast Guard Commandant established the RDC as an interim facility at the University of Connecticut’s Avery Point campus in Groton pending construction of a permanent facility. In 2009, the RDC moved to the “Coast Guard City” of New London near Fort Trumbull.For 50 years, the RDC has developed…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced that it has awarded more than $280 million in discretionary grant funding through the new Port Infrastructure Development Program. This funding is designed to improve port facilities at or near coastal seaports.The Port Infrastructure Development Program supports efforts by ports and industry stakeholders to improve facility and freight infrastructure to ensure our nation’s freight transportation needs, present and future, are met.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to designate a dredged material disposal site to serve the eastern Long Island Sound region. The Eastern Long Island Sound Disposal Site (ELDS) would be located offshore from New London, Conn., and would be available for the disposal of dredged material from harbors and navigation channels in eastern Long Island Sound in the states of Connecticut and New York. EPA is proposing the same restrictions on the use of this site as it proposed for the central and western Long Island Sound disposal sites…

Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited in its latest ship2shore Magazine takes a look at methods of weighing containers. Half a century after containerization first emerged to transform the world of shipping, a landmark new regulation is on the horizon. From 1 July 2016, an amendment to the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Convention will require every packed export container to have its weight verified before it is loaded on to a ship. The new regulation puts this responsibility firmly on the shipper – but how many shippers are actually ready for container weighing? The Freight Transport Association recently warned that shippers could fall foul of the new legislation after 1 July 2016 if they don’t put measures in place to verify the gross mass of their containers.

For domestic and international shippers, now is the time to satisfy GHS freight label compliance. The “Globally Harmonized System” (GHS) was established by the United Nations to create a unified system for identifying and communicating hazardous chemicals. In the U.S., OSHA set a June 2015 deadline for chemical manufacturers to use GHS compliant labels, followed by a December 2015 deadline for distributors, and June 2016 deadline for end users. Despite the harsh environments, extreme temperatures and rugged handling that freight is subjected to when shipped by land…

Crewmembers from the Coast Guard Cutter Gasconade rescued a woman from the Missouri River near the I-680 Bridge, Monday. While at homeport, a crewman working late to mow the grass heard screaming and saw the woman floating down the river. Chief Petty Officer Matthew Avery, the Executive Petty Officer, and Petty Officer 1st Class Austin West had the cutter’s small boat in the water to save the woman less than ten minutes after spotting her. The boat crew located the woman approximately 500 yards down river from the bridge, nearly submerged, unconscious. She began breathing after crewmembers lifted her head out of the water. The woman was transferred to the Omaha Fire Department’s boat and brought to Douglas County EMS waiting on shore.

Damen Shipyards Group, together with its website partner Evident,has won the ‘Benelux Sitecore Experience Award 2014’ in the category ‘Business Transformation’. This prize is awarded to the best Sitecoresolution, meaning a solution which generates measurable, effective business results and avery good user experience. It was Damen’s online product catalogue www.products.damen.com that was favoured by the jury. This commercially successful website is gradually transforming Damen’s sales processes. The online productcatalogue serves both existing and potential clients by being aimed at their inquiries and needs with a visually and powerful presentation of vessels and services. This happens at a detailed level – if the required vessel type is in Damen’s portfolio, you find what you seek.

SUNY Maritime College will inaugurate Rear Adm. Michael A. Alfultis, Ph.D. as its 11th president on Friday, November 7 at 11:30 a.m. in the campus’ newest facility, the Maritime Academic Center. On Thursday and Friday, the campus will celebrate the investiture of Dr. Alfultis with a variety of educational, celebratory and historical activities, which will embrace the time-honored traditions of learning and leadership. Festivities kick-off Thursday with an inauguration week luncheon for students only on the Mess Deck in Vander Clute Hall. Admiral Alfultis will be on hand to speak with students.

Dr. Michael A. Alfultis, a retired U.S. Coast Guard captain, and the director and chief administrative officer of the University of Connecticut’s Avery Point campus, has been named as the next president of the SUNY Maritime College. Dr. Alfultis’ appointment was affirmed today by the SUNY Board of Trustees who met in Buffalo. He will begin his Maritime presidential duties on Monday, July 14. With more than 20 years of undergraduate teaching experience and 13 years of progressive academic administrative responsibility at both military and civilian institutions of higher education…

On March 29, the Ocean Class Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) vessel hull number 27 started its official life as the R/V Neil Armstrong, the first research vessel named after a space explorer. Carol Armstrong, the widow of the famed astronaut, performed the christening duties during a brief sunbreak on a windy and rainy Pacific Northwest afternoon. The number of illustrious speakers highlighted the rich diversity of agencies involved in the design, construction and operation of the vessel.

Wood Group GTS has secured a $3.2 million contract from National Grid to provide gas turbine icon™ governor control system upgrades to nine Rolls-Royce Avon gas turbines, including an additional governor to act as a rotational spare. The upgrades will be fitted to gas turbines operating at compressor stations located in Cambridge, Diss, Chelmsford and Huntingdon in the United Kingdom. The icon governor control system regulates fuel flow into the gas turbine, providing stable operation across the turbine performance range from no load to full load conditions. This upgrade will address equipment obsolescence, enabling the continued operation of all four compressor stations and providing increased flexibility to ensure the essential flow of natural gas across the UK network.

Wood Group GTS and Apex Bethel Energy Center, LLC (“Apex”) have signed a three-year operations & maintenance (O&M) agreement for the Bethel Energy Center. Under the $12 million contract, Wood Group GTS will be responsible for care, custody and control of the facility when it begins commercial operation in 2017. Construction is soon to begin for the plant in East Texas, which will utilize compressed air energy storage (“CAES”) technology. “We needed an O&M partner willing to work with us during the development stage of the project. In Wood Group, we found a highly experienced O&M service provider with an excellent reputation in the industry and is well respected by investors,” said Jack Farley, CEO of Apex.

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering company Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. (GPA) announced that the christening ceremony for the Oceanographic Research Vessel AGOR 27, named in honor of the famed Neil Armstrong, was held at Dakota Creek Industries (DCI) in Anacortes, Wash., on March 29, 2014. Kali Armstrong, granddaughter of the late astronaut and the Maid of Honor, sang the National Anthem and Carol Knight Armstrong, Neil Armstrong’s wife, served as the ship’s sponsor, performing the honor of breaking the traditional bottle of champagne across the ship’s bow.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has appointed Christopher Land to be its General Counsel and Vice President for Legal Affairs. Land assumes his post on March 3. As general counsel, Land will provide advice, opinions and representation on all areas of law affecting the Institution. Among his duties will be engaging in Institution strategy and business development; providing counsel and advice concerning compliance with federal and state statutes and regulations affecting research and higher education organizations; and negotiating, drafting and reviewing contracts.

Triton Overseas Transport, an industry-leading Non Vessel Operating Common Carrier and provider of international freight services, announced the appointment of Lindsey Avery to the position of Sales Representative. Committed to offering competitive rates and unparalleled customer service, Avery will act on behalf of Triton’s unwavering mission to generate new business leads in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston regions, as well as expand the international shipping company’s reach throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. As a sales representative, Avery will utilize Triton’s strategic position near the Gulf of Mexico to offer competitive rate advantages, fast transit and enhanced service to the company’s international customer base.

The Explorer and filmmaker James Cameron partners with Woods Hole Oceanographic Intitution to accelerate  technology development. The partnership aims to stimulate advances in ocean science and technology and build on the historic breakthroughs of the 2012 Cameron-led Deepsea Challenge expedition exploring deep-ocean trenches. The announcement comes on the one-year anniversary of Cameron's unprecedented solo dive to 35,787 feet, almost 11,000 meters, to the deepest place on Earth - the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench - in the vertically-deployed vehicle he and his team engineered…

Maritime Technology Company Micanti BV has applied its patented non-toxic antifouling on a crew vessel Lady Rasha in Dubai. Thorn-D is an adhesive foil with fibers that creates a textured surface. Instead of killing marine growth the textured foil is preventing it from attaching itself to the hull of a ship. Thorn-D is set to replace the generally used chemical coatings on hulls of ships. Lady Rasha is owned by GGM in Dubai and mainly operates in the Gulf. Dr. Rick Breur, founder of Micanti: “Five years ago I developed this patented non toxic antifouling.

Ten HII shipbuilders recognized at 17th annual Women of Color STEM Conference for achievements in science, technology, engineering & math (STEM). Five award-winners represent the company's Ingalls Shipbuilding division, and five award winners represent HII's Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division. The recipients were honored during the conference held Oct. 11-13 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. The conference provides a national forum to celebrate the achievements of women in STEM…

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the nation’s newest research vessel will be named the R/V Neil Armstrong, after the renowned astronaut and the first man to set foot on the moon. The ship will be operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). “We are honored,” said WHOI President and Director Susan Avery. “Neil Armstrong is an American hero, whose ‘small step’ provided humanity with a new perspective on our planet. When he stood on the moon and looked back at the Earth, he saw mostly ocean – the last unexplored frontier on Earth. Armstrong was a Navy fighter pilot who flew 78 combat missions during the Korean War, before moving to NASA’s predecessor agency as an engineer and test pilot, and later an astronaut and administrator.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announces that the first Armstrong-class Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) ship will be named 'Neil Armstrong'. Mabus named the future R/V Neil Armstrong (AGOR 27) to honor the memory of Neil Armstrong, best known for being the first man to walk on the moon. Armstrong was an aeronautics pioneer and explorer for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) serving as an engineer, test pilot, astronaut and administrator. Armstrong also served as a naval aviator flying nearly 80 combat missions during the Korean War.

Steven E. Avery, 56, of Bohannon, VA, Billy J. Avery, 81, of Virginia Beach, VA, and the corporation Sea Solutions, Inc., all pleaded guilty yesterday in Norfolk federal court to various environmental crimes stemming from their activities in the ship scrapping business. Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement that the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen. The three will all be sentenced on July 12, 2012.