El Morro News

An upcoming world speed record attempt by Nigel Hook and the crew of SilverHook will be a two-for-one as they set out to achieve the fastest crossing from the U.S. to Cuba, and then back. Captain Hook has chosen August 17 to try to set two speed records in what is considered the most technically-advanced offshore monohull race boat in the world. The first objective is a one-way speed record from a point just off the Florida Keys to Havana. If that record is established, then part two will be an equally-fast or faster return trip and a two-way record.

While in transit from Jacksonville, Florida to San Juan, Puerto Rico, the crew of Sea Star Line’s El Morro vessel received distress calls from a small fishing vessel in the Atlantic Ocean. The fishing vessel was attempting to hail the U.S. Coast Guard’s Jacksonville Sector with no success due to a weak transmission signal. The crew of El Morro intercepted the communications from the fishing vessel and began relaying information to the U.S Coast Guard in Jacksonville. The U.S.

The U.S. maritime industry publicly recognized the women and men responsible for safe ship operations at the Annual Safety Awards Luncheon held at the Loews New Orleans Hotel on June 2, 2011. Over 180 people, representing over 70 companies, attended the annual industry-sponsored event. The Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) announced the results of the 2010 Jones F. Devlin Awards. Those awards were given to vessels that have operated for at least two years without a seafarer involved in a lost-time injury.

A member of the American Salvage Association (ASA) recently responded to the grounding of the Thor III, a 250’ x 72’ x 16.5’ deck barge carrying 4,000 tons of gravel and sand in a national sanctuary in the Turks and Caicos Island, BWI.  The ASA member lightered approximately 3,500 tons of cargo and then proceeded to patch, pump, and blow down the necessary compartments to float the barge from its grounded position, avoiding substantial damage to the sanctuary using the 2,000 HP tug El Morro.   “Professional salvors are available to respond to a variety of events and to help protect sensitive marine environments such as was done in this incident,” said ASA President John A. Witte, Jr.   “We are proud of this ASA member to be there with the right approach when called upon,” he continued.

Matson Navigation Company, Inc. has completed the sale of two combination Ro/Ro /lift-on, lift-off containerships to Sea Star Line, LLC (Sea Star) in Jacksonville, Fla. The vessels, which have been bareboat chartered to Sea Star since the company was formed in 1998, will continue to be deployed in the Puerto Rico trade. The sale to Sea Star, which is owned jointly by SaltChuk Resources, Inc., Matson and Taino Star Investment, Inc., underscores the investors' long term commitment to the line's Puerto Rico service. Matson is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. of Honolulu (Nasdaq:ALEX). The two ships, the SSs El Yunque and El Morro, were both built by Sun Ship Building and Dry Dock Company and initially placed in the U.S. Atlantic Coast-Puerto Rico trade.