Blount to Build Icebreaking Buoy Tender for Maryland
Warren, R.I. shipbuilder Blount Boats said it has been awarded a contract to build a 90-foot icebreaking buoy tender vessel for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The vessel will be designed by BMT Designers and Planners, Inc. of Arlington, Va.The new vessel will replace the 100-foot, 167-ton M/V J. Millard Tawes commissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1942 and in service for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources since 1972. Delivery of the new vessel is scheduled for June 2022.The J. Millard Tawes serves as the primary icebreaking asset for Crisfield Harbor and Smith Island.
Dredging at the Forefront of Corps' 2020 Work Plan
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' FY2020 Work Plan release on Monday places dredging at the forefront.“We welcome the FY 2020 Work Plan released by the Army Corps,” said William P. Doyle, CEO of the Dredging Contractors of America. “We’re ready – our dredging companies are hard at work on projects and continue to build new dredging ships for America’s ports, waterways and beaches.”The Work Plan is based on the FY2020 Energy and Water Development appropriations bills signed into law by President Trump in December 2019.In December 2019…
The Fleet Week: Shipdocking Extravaganza
When was the last time 15 ocean ships docked almost all at once in New York, and undocked again, and sometimes redocked in-between, all in a week? In the near-400 years since the Dutch first arrived, there have been events even larger. But not many of them lately. Lately, large get-togethers of harbor craft in the most visible parts of the port - upper bay and lower North River - usually surround festive celebrations like the Tug Races and their accompanying games, great entertainment for young and old. But more stirring to watch than tugs at play are tugs at work. Barges go up and down the rivers regularly, but shipdocking, the lively part of tugboating, is concealed from the public eye off the remote corners of Staten Island and the containerports of Newark Bay.
East Coast: Delaware Bay: A Private Vessel Traffic & Information Service
The Pilots' Association for the Bay and River Delaware operates one of the few private vessel traffic and information services (VTIS) in the world. The approach to the Delaware Bay consists of three traffic separation schemes (TSS), and an unofficial offshore anchorage. The bottom's natural contours allow vessels with drafts up to 55 ft. to enter the Bay. The dredged channel leading to the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia can handle ships with drafts up to 40 ft. Overall, the navigable channels continue upriver for over 100 miles. The port ranks seventh in the nation in terms of ship arrivals, and is the number one tanker port on the East Coast. Oil refineries, heavy industry, recreational interests, and wildlife sanctuaries share the coastline.
