US Great Lakes Shipping Companies Spend $120 Million on Winter Repairs
American shipping companies are spending more than $120 million to repair and maintain their fleets of Great Lakes bulk carriers this winter.The fleet of U.S.-flagged ships, known as "lakers", can move more than 90 million tons of cargos annually, including iron ore, stone, coal, grain, salt and sand. Each year after the shipping season draws to a close, these vessels enter shipyards and repair facilities around the Great Lakes for a period of winter maintenance and repair. ThisâŚ
NPS Research on Coast Guard Icebreaker to Enhance Arctic Readiness
During a seven-week Arctic transit aboard the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Healy (WAGB 20), researchers from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) will study the impact of the extreme environment on crew performance and potential mitigations, as well as advanced Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies in adverse sea conditions.The studies, which commenced with Healyâs departure from Kodiak, Alaska on Aug. 26, will be led by principal investigator Dr. Nita Shattuck, a professor in the NPS Operations Research (OR) department.
Hornbeck Offshore Eyes U.S. Offshore Wind Work with OSV-to-SOV Conversion Project
U.S. offshore vessel owner Hornbeck Offshore Services, best known for its offshore oil and gas support vessel services, is looking at business opportunities in the growing U.S. offshore wind sector as well as in offshore accommodation services in the oil and gas area.For that, Covington, La. based Hornbeck Offshore said Wednesday it had contracted Eastern Shipbuilding Group to convert one of its recently acquired 280-foot offshore supply vessels (OSV) to a service operation vessel (SOV) to meet the growing demand of the U.S.
US Coast Guard Cutter Maurice Jester Commissioned
The U.S. Coast Guardâs newest cutter, the Coast Guard Cutter Maurice Jester (WPC-1152), was commissioned on Friday at Fort Adams State Park, R.I.Lt. Terry Netusil, assumed command of the cutter during a ceremony presided over by Vice Adm. Kevin Lunday, the Coast Guard Atlantic Area commander. The Maurice Jester is the third of six Fast Response Cutters that will be homeported in Boston, serving along the 1st Coast Guard District.Built by Bollinger Shipyards, the Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC) is designed for multiple missionsâŚ
US Coast Guard Cutter Warren Deyampert Commissioned
The U.S. Coast Guardâs newest cutter, the Coast Guard Cutter Warren Deyampert (WPC-1151), was commissioned at Coast Guard Base Boston, March 30.Chief Warrant Officer Lance DeFoggi, assumed command of the cutter during a ceremony presided over by Vice Admiral Kevin Lunday, the Coast Guard Atlantic Area commander. The Warren Deyampert is the second of six Fast Response Cutters that will be homeported in Boston, serving along the 1st Coast Guard District.Built by Louisiana-based Bollinger ShipyardsâŚ
The More âEyes On The Waterâ, The Better
Manama, Bahrain -- Advancing maritime domain awareness in the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. Fifth Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) is a challenging task. Yet keeping the sea lanes open is critical for the region, for the U.S. and the world.U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), U.S. Fifth Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) are all headquartered here in Bahrain, under the command of Vice Admiral Brad Cooper. U.S. Fifth Fleet oversees the operations for all U.S. naval forces in the Middle East.
US Coast Guard Cutter William Chadwick Commissioned
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter William Chadwick (WPC-1150) was commissioned Thursday at Coast Guard Base Boston, as the first of six Fast Response Cutters to be stationed in the city.Admiral Steven Poulin, Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard, and Rear Adm. John Mauger, commander, 1st Coast Guard District, oversaw the ceremony, as Lt. Cmdr. Tyler Kelley assumed command of the 154-foot cutter and its crew. Under Kellyâs command, the 24-person crew will now conduct missions offshore of the Northeast United States.Built by Bollinger ShipyardsâŚ
Birdon Wins Coast Guard River Buoy, Inland Construction Deal
The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded Denver-based Birdon America, Inc. a contract for the detail design and construction of its new river buoy and inland construction tenders.The deal is part of the Coast Guard's Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program to replace its aging fleet of 35 inland tenders that support the serviceâs aids to navigation (ATON) mission in federal inland waterways. The WCC fleet is approaching obsolescence, with an average vessel age of over 57 years and with ships still in service at 78 years old.
Shipyards Adapt to help Navy, Coast Guard Recapitalize Fleets
U.S. shipyards are making improvements to building ships for the Navy and Coast Guard today and in the future. In some cases, it means phasing out one class of ship and getting ready for the next. Or, it can be a drastic make-over.The yards include mid-tier yards all the way up to very large facilities devoted exclusively to warships. The ships range from the 353-ton Fast Response Cutter to the 100,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Fincantieri Marinette Marine in WisconsinâŚ
US Coast Guard Cutter Pablo Valent Commissioned
The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned the 48th Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC) Pablo Valent (WPC 1148) into service at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Fla., Wednesday.Rear Adm. Brendan McPherson, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Seventh District, presided over the ceremony. Cecilia Guillot, Valentâs great-niece, is the ship's sponsor.The cutterâs namesake Pablo Valent was originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, and joined the United States Life-Saving Service in 1912.
Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg Gets 154-foot Fast Response Cutter
Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg is getting its first 154-foot fast response cutter "Pablo Valent", a Sentinel-class vessel, where the crew will begin training to become certified in law enforcement and rescue operations.Pablo Valent is scheduled to be officially commissioned on May 11, 2022. It will operate throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Keys. There are 12 other FRCs in Florida, which operate throughout the Caribbean Sea.Fast response cutters are multi-mission ships designed to conduct: drug and migrant interdictionsâŚ
The Ship that Found Antarcticaâs Endurance Wreck is Vital for Climate Science
It was 1914 when the English explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton set sail on his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition aboard a ship called Endurance. It was an ill-fated journey: the ship got trapped in the ice and eventually crushed by pack ice in 1915. It sank to the bottom of Antarcticaâs Weddell Sea. (Shackleton and his entire crew survived the ordeal by escaping in smaller boats.)It was difficult to believe that the Endurance might ever be found. The icy Weddell Sea is inhospitable and the wreck lay in more than 3000 metres of water.
Marine News' Top Boats of 2021
Sea Change - Americaâs first hydrogen powered ferrySWITCH Maritimeâs new 70-foot passenger ferry Sea Change is navigating uncharted waters as the United Statesâ first zero-emissions, hydrogen fuel cell-powered, electric-drive ferry.The pioneering aluminum newbuild, constructed by Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine, Inc. (AAM), has been completed and was launched this summer, though permitting of hydrogen fuel systems for maritime vessels is still being worked out with the U.S. Coast Guard.âLegislation and laws for passenger safety did not exist yet for this type of vessel.
Eye on the Navy: Navy extends Life for Research Ships, but Says Farewell to FLIP
The U.S. Navyâs three Global class oceanographic research ships (AGORs) have received a new lease on life. The ships-- R/V Thomas G. Thompson (AGOR 23), R/V Roger Revelle (AGOR 24) and R/V Atlantis (AGOR 25)-- which entered service between 1991 and 1998--were built with 30-year expected service lives. Thanks to extensive overhauls on all three they have been returned to service with another 15 years of useful service.AGOR 23 is operated by the University of Washington; AGOR 24 is operated by Scripps Institution of OceanographyâŚ
Waterways Commerce Cutter: It's Time for an Upgrade
In the last week of April, with little fanfare, the U.S. Coast Guard released a much-anticipated opportunity to build up to 27 Waterways Commerce Cutters. After the detailed design and construction contract is awarded in Spring of 2022, a lucky shipbuilder will begin replacing the Coast Guardâs eclectic fleet of 18 venerable river buoy tenders (WLR) and 13 inland construction tenders (WLIC).The Coast Guardâs inland waterways maintenance fleet has been ignored for far too long.
US Coast Guard Issues RFP for New Waterways Commerce Cutters
The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking proposals from shipyards to design and construct its new river buoy and inland construction tenders as part of the waterways commerce cutter (WCC) program.In total, the Coast Guard plans to acquire 16 river buoy tenders, 11 inland construction tenders and three inland buoy tenders to replace its aging inland tender fleet, which has an average vessel age of over 55 years.The request for proposal (RFP) released on April 30 encompasses designing the river buoy tender and inland construction tender (designs which share 95% commonality)âŚ
Modernizing a Fishing Vessel for Optimal Performance
Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) is supporting O'Hara Corporation as they modernize their 204' factory trawler, Alaska Spirit. The vessel has been successfully fishing Alaska's Bering Sea since 1989 when it was converted from an offshore supply vessel to a head and gut factory trawler. O'Hara has committed to a complete vessel overhaul to improve habitability, efficiency and optimize vessel performance.The multi-year project kicked off in 2017, shortly after O'Hara acquired the vessel and selected EBDG as their designated engineering partner.
BAE Systems Wins Modernization Contract for USS Carney, USS Winston S. Churchill
BAE Systems received a $83.5 million contract from the U.S. Navy to modernize the guided-missile destroyers USS Carney (DDG 64) and USS Winston S Churchill (DDG 81). The modernization work will be performed sequentially by the companyâs shipyard in Jacksonville, Fla. The contract include options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $211.6 million.The USS Carney will be first in the shipyard, arriving in September 2020. The 23-year-old ship just returned from a six year operational period in RotaâŚ
Dongara Delivers Fremantle Pilot Boat
Western Australian boatbuilder Dongara Marine has delivered a second Berkeley Class pilot boat to the port of Fremantle. âGenesisâ will join âBerkeleyâ, which has been operating in the port since 2015.Whereas Berkeley is owned by Fremantle Pilots, the 19.4-meter new vessel has been acquired by Harbour Services Australia (HSA) as part of the companyâs fleet of 18 workboats ranging from six-meter punts, mooring/lines boats to 21-meter cargo vessels, a crew transfer and dive/survey vesselâŚ
USCG Commissions FRC in Honolulu
The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned the newest Hawaii-based 154-foot Fast Response Cutter in Honolulu, Thursday.âThere is no greater reflection of the commandantâs strategic vision and commitment than the fact that as we commission the William Hart today, it will be the fifth Coast Guard cutter commissioned in the last two years here at Base Honolulu that will operate in the heart of Oceania,â said Rear Adm. Kevin Lunday, commander Coast Guard 14th District. âThere is no question that by our actions and not our words aloneâŚ
Vigor Wins $30 Mln Ship Maintenance Contract
U.S. West Coast shipbuilder and repair provider Vigor Marine has been awarded a $30,269,098 firm-fixed-price contract for a 120-calendar day post shakedown shipyard availability of the expeditionary sea base ship Miguel Keith (T-ESB 5), owned and operated by the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command.Work will be performed in Portland, Ore. and is expected to be complete by December 2020.Work will include the furnishing of general services, shipboard access, clean and gas free tank voids and cofferdamsâŚ
USCG Names Cutters After 9/11 Heroes
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced that two new Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) will be named in honor of Coast Guard reservists who served in the New York City Police Department and New York City Fire Department and lost their lives responding on 9/11.Adm. Karl Schultz, Coast Guard Commandant, is scheduled to announce that the new Sentinel Class Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) will be named in honor of Port Security Specialist 2nd Class Vincent Danz and Machinery Technician 1st Class Jeffrey Palazzo.Danz served as a Coast Guard Reservist, as well as an NYPD officer at the Emergency Services Unit in the Bronx. He responded on 9/11 to aidâŚ
Aircraft Carrier John F. Kennedy Launched
The U.S. Navyâs newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was launched Monday at Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding yard in Virginia.Following the launch, the Ford Class aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), was guided with help from six tugboats down the James River about a mile from Newport News Shipbuildingâs Dry Dock 12, where it has been under construction, to the shipyardâs Pier 3. There, the ship will undergo additional outfitting and beginâŚ