Fort Pierce News

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced nearly $10 million for seven projects that will accelerate development and testing of marine energy technologies. These investments advance research on wave-powered technology for use in seawater desalination and support a feasibility study for a potential ocean current test facility. “Marine energy technologies have incredible potential to provide clean electricity as well as clean water,” said Alejandro Moreno, Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

As yachts continue to increase in size, so does Derecktor Shipyards’ commitment to servicing them, the company said.It was in 2021 when Derecktor again unveiled the world’s largest mobile boat hoist, but this time at its brand-new shipyard at the Port of Fort Pierce. With a 1,500-ton capacity, the massive lift can safely haul boats up to 75 meters in length out of the water for service or refit.Most recently, the 1,500-ton machine at Derecktor Ft. Pierce hauled Coral Ocean, a 73-meter superyacht launched in 1994 by Lürssen.

Derecktor Shipyards announced on Thursday that Richard Steady will be joining the U.S. shipbuilding and repair company as chief operating officer.Steady has held many executive maritime positions prior to joining Derecktor. He began his career at Maritrans, the global shipping and transportation company, where he rose to the position of director of government and regulatory affairs. He also held key roles at marine construction and dredging operator Weeks Marine, where he was director of marine services…

Plans to convert the century-old Port of Fort Pierce into a repair and refit facility for the global fleet of megayachts and large sailing yachts are moving full speed ahead.After a lengthy permitting and review process, Derecktor Shipyards has been granted approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners and the City of Fort Pierce to begin construction of its newest shipyard – Derecktor Ft.

Plans to convert the nearly 100-year-old Port of Fort Pierce into a full-service repair and refit facility for the global fleet of megayachts cleared a significant hurdle, Derecktor Shipyards announced.After 11 months of review, the engineering and plans for Derecktor Ft. Pierce’s new haul-out basin have been officially approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, paving way for construction to commence once the City of Fort Pierce Building Department gives its final approval.“Securing a permit from the U.S.

A U.S. Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce 33-foot Special Purpose Craft—Law Enforcement boat and a 23-foot pleasure craft with five people aboard were involved in a collision Saturday near Manatee Pocket, in Florida.As a result of the collision, the pleasure craft began taking on water and became submerged in the channel.The people aboard the pleasure craft were embarked by the Coast Guard boat crew and taken to Sandsprit Park.One person from the pleasure craft was reported to be injured and was transported to Martin County Memorial Hospital for treatment. No other injuries were reported.

Coast Guard Hurricane Dorian response operations are underway in support of the Bahamas.As of Wednesday at 1000 hours:Coast Guard crews from across the Coast Guard have rescued 61 people and rescued four pets in the Bahamas since Hurricane Dorian began.The Coast Guard is currently conducting air operations based out of Andros Island, Bahamas. Other aspects f the USCG response are as follows:Port Condition Zulu is set for the Port of Palm BeachPort Condition Four for the Ports of Fort Pierce…

Dorian weakened on Tuesday but was heading north-westward and growing in size, moving "dangerously close" to the Florida east coast late Tuesday through Wednesday evening, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.Dorian, now a Category 2 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, is located about 105 miles (170 kilometers) east of Fort Pierce, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour (175 km per hour).Separately, and from Portsmouth, VA, the Captain of the Port set Port Condition X-ray for the Port of Virginia at 9 a.m.

St. Lucie County Commissioners approved a 30-year contract with Derecktor Shipyards of Dania Beach to lease land from the county and operate a mega-yacht repair center and refit facility at the Port of Fort Pierce.After a nearly year-long process, the County and Derecktor Shipyards signed a long-term agreement for the development and operation of a megayacht maintenance, repair and refit facility at the Port."The new shipyard will be unique in the U.S. – the first facility designed and built specifically to accommodate power and sailing yachts in the 200 ft. plus range. Until now, these large yachts, particularly sailing vessels which require extreme overhead clearance and considerable water depth, have had few or no shipyard options in this country," said a press release.Derecktor Ft.

Congress enacted the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) a mere 17 months after the disastrous oil spill following the grounding of the tanker Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound. Among the many provisions in the voluminous bill was a detailed planning requirement. For the first time, tank vessels and facilities handling oil in bulk were required to develop extensive plans for responding to a worst case discharge of oil into waters of the United States. As regards vessels and marine-transportation-related facilities, the U.S.

The Coast Guard rescued three people aboard a disabled boat approximately 12 miles east of Port of St. Lucie, Sunday. At approximately, 5 a.m., the crew of the tug McAllister Sister notified Coast Guard Sector Miami watchstanders of a red meteor flare from a 23-foot center console. The watchstanders directed the launch of a Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce 45-foot Response Boat—Medium crew to assist The Coast Guard boatcrew arrived on scene and towed the center console to the Smithsonian Marine Station.

Salvage and marine firefighting are complex response efforts often undertaken in adverse weather and sea conditions. While no two oil spill responses are the same, the diversity of variation between any two oil spill responses is not near as great as the diversity of any two salvage and marine firefighting responses. As a result, salvage and marine firefighting response providers must plan for and anticipate a wide range of variation in what will be required to address their portion of a marine casualty. The U.S.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans repatriated 15 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Thursday. This repatriation is a result of two separate migrant interdictions at sea. "Coast Guard missions and operations in the Southeast remain unchanged. The Coast Guard strongly discourages attempts to illegally enter the country by taking to the sea," said Capt. Mark Gordon, Coast Guard 7th District chief of response enforcement. The Raymond Evans along with numerous other Coast Guard patrol boats and aircraft aggressively patrol the Florida Straits to detect and deter illegal and unsafe maritime migration. Safety of life at sea is always the Coast Guard's top priority. The Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans, a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in Key West, Florida.

The Coast Guard has made a change in the Fort Pierce Inlet safety zone Thursday afternoon. Recreational vessels with less than six-foot draft are now allowed to transit through the Fort Pierce Inlet safety zone upon receiving clearance from the on-scene representative. All other persons and vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within any of the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Miami or a designated representative. The safety zone is located at the entrance of Fort Pierce Inlet and was established Wednesday to protect the public from hazards associated with a sunken barge. "We thank all affected for their patience while we work alongside partner agencies to get the sunken barge removed as soon as possible," said Capt.

Two stranded men are safe after the Coast Guard rescued them off an Island in the Bahamas Tuesday afternoon. Coast Guard 7th District watchstanders received a request for assistance from the Royal Bahamian Defense Force to rescue two U.S. citizens from a remote island. The men were ferrying the motor vessel Bye-Luv Ya-Sea Ya from Turks and Caicos to Fort Pierce, Florida, when the vessel began taking on water and eventually ran aground on Lady Slipper Key, just north of Crooked Island, Bahamas. A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter crew forward deployed in the Bahamas arrived on scene, landed, and took the two men safely aboard. Once aboard the Jayhawk helicopter, the men were transported to Great Inagua, Bahamas. No medical concerns were reported.

2015 will mark the 300th anniversary of the sinking of a dozen Spanish ships known as the 1715 Plate Fleet; plata being the Spanish world for silver. On the 30th of July 1715 twelve galleons, overloaded with Mexican gold and silver, left Cuba and sailed north carried by the Gulf Stream. Just off the coast of Florida between present day Sebastian and Fort Pierce they were struck by a ferocious hurricane. Some of the ships sank in deep water, some broke up in shallower water, and others ran aground near shore.

At a presentation earlier today the Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families presented a $10,000 gift to Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce, Fort Pierce, Florida. The funds will be used to provide kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and camping and fishing gear for the 45 active duty members and 15 reservists, and their families based at this Coast Guard station. Foundation staff member Brian Overcast and Foundation board member VADM Sally Brice-O’Hara, USCG (Ret.) thanked Dyer Chevrolet and the Dyer family, who made the gift possible through a donation to the Coast Guard Foundation. Mr.

U.S. Coast Guard crews have suspended their air and sea search for a 30-year-old man who reportedly jumped over the railing of the Bahamas Cruise Ship Celebration early Sunday morning, 27-miles east of Delray Beach, Florida. James Miller of Charleston, South Carolina reportedly jumped overboard early Sunday and Coast Guard crews have been searching for him since. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Bluefin, an 87-foot patrol boat, homeported in Fort Pierce, Florida. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Diamondback, an 87-foot patrol boat, homeported in Miami. A Coast Guard Station Lake Worth Inlet 45-foot Response Boat—Medium crew. An MH-65 rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Miami. A HC-144 Ocean Sentry maritime patrol aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Miami.

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) crews are searching by sea and air for a 30-year-old man who reportedly jumped over the railing of the Bahamas Cruise Ship Celebration early Sunday morning, 27-miles east of Delray Beach, Florida. James Miller of Charleston, South Carlina, a passenger aboard the vessel, reportedly went overboard early Sunday, the USCG said. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Seventh District in Miami received notification from the Celebration at approximately 2 a.m. Sunday.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) receives funding for various Florida dredging projects to restore pre-Sandy condition. As a follow-up to a recent announcement regarding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarding funding to restore Fort Pierce Beach and the Martin County shore to their pre-Hurricane Sandy conditions, Congressman Patrick E. Murphy (FL-18) has further informed that the Army Corps has also allocated funds to begin engineering and design activities to prepare for dredging the Fort Pierce Inlet and the St. Lucie Inlet to respond to shoaling impacts from Hurricane Sandy. "... I am pleased to announce that the Army Corps has slated funding to begin dredging projects for the Fort Pierce and St. Lucie inlets.

The National Marine Representatives Association (NMRA) has elected its 2011-2012 officers and board members. One new officer and three new board members are joining the association's leadership group. Chris Kelly of Waters & David Co., New Orleans, Louisiana, is now president. Kathy Munzinger of Munzinger & Co., Springfield, Missouri, has been elected vice president and Ken Smaga of ComMar Sales LLC, Land O' Lakes, Florida, is now treasurer. Brandon Flack of Atlantic Marketing Co., Stonington, Connecticut, joins the officers as NMRA's new secretary.

Miami Man Convicted for Obstruction of Justice and False Statements for Certifying Ships Safe for Sea. A federal jury in Miami yesterday convicted a Miami-based ship surveyor for lying to the Coast Guard and for falsely certifying the safety of ships at sea, announced Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the Department of Justice; Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Rear Admiral William D. Baumgartner, Commander, 7th Coast Guard District; and Jonathan Sall, Special Agent in Charge, U.S.

According to shipping company Atlantic Caribbean Line (ACL) a bad economy has hit their Port of Fort Pierce cargo business hard. In July, the Port of Fort Pierce's only tenant, ACL, announced it laid off 34 of its 45 crew members. Now, with the Christopher Dean ship docked again, the company says it can't afford its remaining workers until more business comes, reports WPTV NewsChannel 5. Atlantic Caribbean Line trades from the east coast of Florida to the Bahama Islands and the Caribbean region…