Barrier Islands News

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted a selection of the most notable American newbuilds delivered of 2023—from a first-of-its-kind green towboat, to the lead vessel in a series of game-changing ships to train U.S. mariners.Empire StateAs the lead vessel in a series of five new training ships being constructed to serve America's state maritime academies, Empire State is easily one of the most important U.S.-built vessels delivered in recent memory.Built by Philly Shipyard for the U.S.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) on Monday announced the delivery of R.B. Weeks, a 8,550 cubic yard capacity trailing suction hopper dredge constructed for Weeks Marine, Inc.“It’s our pleasure to once again deliver a quality vessel on time and on budget to our valued customers at Weeks Marine, Inc.,” said Joey D’Isernia, president of Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. “The R.B. Weeks joins an impressive fleet that works alongside the Army Corps of Engineers to preserve our treasured waterways.”Despite building the vessel through the height of the COVID pandemic…

Hubert, N.C. shipbuilder US Watercraft said it has been selected by New Hanover County to build a custom 30-foot aluminum fire/rescue vessel. Now under construction, the vessel will be delivered in early 2023.Located in southeastern North Carolina, the county has 31 miles of shoreline on the mainland and barrier islands, with communities facing both the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean.In addition to fire-fighting capacity, the aluminum catamaran will feature an hydraulic bow door for deploying a rescue ATV.

The Maryland Port Administration (MPA), Port of Baltimore, officially joined the Council for Dredging and Marine Construction Safety (CDMCS), a national unified safety voice for the dredging and marine construction industry.The Port of Baltimore is one of the busiest seaports in the United States, handling every type of cargo at its public and private terminals. Currently, Baltimore is in the execution phase of more than $200 million in marine construction, dredging and infrastructure upgrades at Seagirt, Dundalk and Locust Point Marine Terminals.

When leadership at the White House changes parties, you can expect a shift in priorities and policies. In one case, however, continuity is welcome, as President Biden has voiced his support for Buy American and the Jones Act, which are especially beneficial to the maritime and dredging industries.Read the March 2021 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, an edition dominated by dredging.While the benefits of these pro-American policies extend beyond maritime and dredging, they’re also a recognition of our essential, if underappreciated subtle role in the economy.

Conrad Shipyard hosted a Steel Cutting Ceremony for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) at its Deepwater South shipyard in Amelia earlier this month, signaling the start of construction of a 6,500 cu. yd. trailing suction hopper dredge. Delivery of the vessel is scheduled before the end of Q2 in 2023.“The steel cutting for this new hopper dredge is an important milestone for Great Lakes as we strategically invest in our fleet capacity to meet the nation’s maritime infrastructure needs,” said David Simonelli, COO, GLDD.

The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are marking a milestone of environmental stewardship this month on the landmark restoration of Poplar Island near Talbot County. Simultaneously, the agencies are advancing plans for their next partnership using dredged materials to preserve and protect Maryland’s waterways: the Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration.Since 1998, Poplar Island has…

The North Carolina Ferry System (NCFS) has been designated by the federal Maritime Administration as a Marine Highway Project, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced ThursdayThe designation, a first for the state, will allow the ferry system to apply to the Marine Highway Grant Program, which awards federal funding to modernize vessels and improve infrastructure at terminals. This year’s grant program awarded $9.7 million to marine highway projects across the…

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. announced Thursday it is moving its corporate headquarters to Houston, positioning the nation’s largest dredging services provider nearer to major regional projects and opportunities. The firm will also open regional offices in Jacksonville, Fla., and Staten Island, N.Y.The move to Houston from from Oak Brook, Ill., which stems in part from changing industry dynamics, places the company closer to key regional customers and new markets, especially along the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi River…

Dredging services provider Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation announced it has been awarded several dredging contracts worth a combined $71.6 million.The awarded work includes:Caminada Headland Back Barrier Marsh Creation Project (Coastal Protection, Louisiana, $30.1 million)The Caminada Headland Back Barrier Marsh Creation Project entails dredging suitable marsh fill material from designated offshore borrow areas to create an eight mile long stretch of marsh. This project will help reinforce Louisiana’s barrier islands and prevent coastal erosion.

The U.S. government's oceans and waterways agency will provide $30 million to improve coastal resilience, officials said, aiming to reduce the impacts of worsening storms, flooding and rising seas in nearly half of U.S. states.Grants through the program are designed to restore or expand coastal wetlands, dunes, reefs, mangroves and barrier islands that are key to coastal protection, said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in an announcement.Coastlines worldwide are being damaged or threatened by more extreme and destructive weather…

The first two American-made Voith Schneider Propeller (VSP) units have been delivered and installed in the Rodanthe ferry.Rodanthe is a ferry to be operated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and used in its service to the Outer Banks, a string of barrier islands between North Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean.“With the new VSP units installed, the Rodanthe will offer years of smooth, efficient service to the islands. By linking steering and propulsion together, the VSP allows for fast response and precision movement in even the roughest of waters. This helps the operators pilot their ferry better while also keeping passengers and cargo safe thanks to the VSP’s superior handling in comparison to other propulsion systems available on the market…

William P. Doyle is the new CEO & Executive Director of the Dredging Contractors of America (DCA). Twice a U.S. Senate confirmed Presidential appointee to the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), Doyle has, over the course of a long and celebrated career, worn many prestigious hats. Prior to his FMC appointment, Mr. Doyle served on cabinet and executive level boards and committees under both the Obama and George W. Bush Administrations. Before that, he served as an officer in the U.S. Merchant Marine as a U.S. Coast Guard licensed marine engineer aboard numerous classes of vessels.

The Dredging Contactors of America’s (DCA) has selected the Honorable William P. Doyle, Sr. as its new Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). William Doyle currently serves as a Commissioner with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission having been unanimously confirmed twice by the U.S. Senate as a Presidential Appointee, and remained onboard with the Administration of President Donald J. Trump. Mr. Doyle served over a decade as an officer in the U.S. Merchant Marine as an engineer aboard numerous classes of vessels. He is a licensed attorney and marine engineer. Combined, he has over 25 years of experience in transportation and maritime policy serving in senior level executive roles including Presidential appointee and previously chief-of-staff…

When maritime stakeholders think about dredging, they typically first conjure up visions of harbor deepening projects to accommodate those giant, post-Panamax boxships. Conversely, inland players hope for maintenance dredging in the heartland to keep the nation’s 31,000 cargo barges afloat as they head for the coast. But, there is much more to it than that. In Louisiana, dredging, of course, keeps Louisiana's waterways open for navigation, provides material for coastal restoration and helps industrial plants with drainage. The biggest projects are sponsored by the U.S.

As the oil industry awaits a much-needed rebound, Foss Maritime’s robust presence in the Arctic region underscores its commitment to the region, the environment, and a business plan that looks ahead to the next chapter. Reports of the death of commercial Arctic activities have been greatly exaggerated. While Arctic energy projects have, by and large, been put on the back burner – like most things related to energy in other places – there are still many projects ongoing; and still others being planned.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation announced today the successful launch of the Ellis Island, the barge component of its Articulated Tug & Barge (ATB) hopper dredge currently under construction. The launch occurred on September 30, 2016 at Eastern Shipbuilding’s shipyard in Allanton, Florida. After two years of construction and hundreds of thousands of man hours, the launch marks a significant milestone in the construction progress of the vessel. CEO Jonathan Berger commented, “This ATB hopper dredge is a state-of-the-art “Jones Act” vessel designed and constructed to meet the nation’s growing maritime infrastructure needs. This vessel will help to contribute to the U.S.

The U.S. Coast Guard has fully reopened the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) near Bolivar Peninsula, Texas Monday at 9:15 p.m. Monday, after closing it for a barge collision earlier in the day. At approximately 1:20 a.m. Monday, a collision occurred at ICW mile marker 349 involving two eastbound Kirby Inland Marine barges being pushed by the tug Capt. Shorty C and two westbound Enterprise Marine Services barges being pushed by the tug Jackie. The collision occurred when one tug pulling the barges reportedly lost power.

The first hurricane of the Atlantic season gained strength on Thursday is expected to attain Category 2 status as it reaches the North Carolina coast, where thousands of vacationers scrubbed their July Fourth holiday plans amid evacuation orders. Hurricane Arthur was about 110 miles (175 km) south-southwest of Cape Fear, North Carolina, with current maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour (145 km per hour), U.S. forecasters said. Moving faster at 10 mph (17 kph), the center…

A section of a key Gulf Coast waterway was shut after two barges collided Monday, setting one afire and possibly spilling a gasoline additive near the entrance to the Houston Ship Channel, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), which runs between barrier islands and the coast of the U.S. mainland in the Gulf of Mexico, was shut from where it intersects the Houston Ship Channel to Mile Market 350 on the ICW. The Houston Ship Channel itself, which supplies the nation's busiest petrochemical port, remained open after the collision shortly after 1 a.m. local time (0600 GMT). Early media reports erroneously said a channel section had been closed, but it was unaffected.

Early restoration efforts continue in the Gulf of Mexico: NRD Trustees release Phase lll draft Early Restoration Plan outlining 44 proposed projects estimated at US $627-million. Federal and state Natural Resource Damages (NRD) Trustees have released their Phase III Draft Early Restoration Plan for public review and comment. The plan outlines 44 proposed projects on which BP and the Trustees reached agreement in principle during the past year. BP explain that the projects, totaling an estimated $627 million, are part of BP's unprecedented commitment to provide up to $1 billion in early restoration funding to expedite recovery of natural resources injured as a result of the Deepwater Horizon accident.

The three amphibious ships supporting Hurricane Sandy relief efforts off the coast of New York & New Jersey return to their homeports in Virginia. Operations in support of relief have shifted into the recovery phase and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are fully operational and providing sustained assistance as requested by state and local authorities. Navy and Marine Corps forces aboard the ships systematically transitioned the services…

Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) (SIX: RIGN) announced that it has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve certain outstanding civil and potential criminal claims against the company arising from the April 20, 2010, accident involving the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. As part of this resolution, a Transocean subsidiary has agreed to plead guilty to one misdemeanor violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) for negligent discharge of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and pay $1.4 billion in fines, recoveries and penalties, excluding interest. This resolution will result in the Department of Justice concluding its criminal investigation of Transocean and settling its claims for civil penalties against the company relating to the spill from BP's Macondo well.