Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Merrimack News

25 Jun 2019

Lowell Police Takes Delivery of new RIBCRAFT

Photo courtesy of  RIBCRAFT

Located on the Merrimack River in Massachusetts, the Lowell Police Department recently took delivery of a new RIBCRAFT 5.85 for patrol and enforcement duties as well as search and rescue operations. The new RIBCRAFT increases the departments on-water presence and visibility and greatly expands their response capabilities on an increasingly busy stretch of water with good public access, a large beach, collegiate rowing clubs and boathouses, and growing weekend recreational boating activity.RIBCRAFT worked with the department to build a boat that meets their diverse operational requirements.

23 Jun 2016

This Day In Naval History: June 23

1812 - During the War of 1812, Commodore John Rodgers leads a squadron onboard USS President off New York until she battles HMS Belvidera. The first shot of the War of 1812 is fired by USS President during this engagement. 1861 - During the Civil War, the Confederate Navy begins reconstruction of ex-USS Merrimack as the ironclad CSS Virginia at Gosport (Norfolk) Navy Yard, Va. 1898 - During the Spanish-American War, USS Dixie fires on two Spanish gunboats at Maria Aguilar Point, Cuba. 1933 - USS Macon (ZRS 5) is commissioned. Less than two years later, Macon crashes during a storm off Point Sur, Calif., ending the Navy's program of rigid airship operations. 1942 - While on a routine search, a PBY rescues most of the crew of S 27 (SS 132) at Constantine Harbor, Amchitka, Aleutian Islands.

20 Apr 2016

This Day In Naval History: April 20

Official U.S. Navy file photo of of the amphibious assault ship USS Saipan (LHA 2)

1861 - Union forces burn screw frigate Merrimack and Gosport Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va., to prevent Yard facilities and ships from falling into Confederate hands during the Civil War. 1914 - The first call-to-action of naval aviators is given, creating an aviation detachment of three pilots, 12 enlisted men, and three aircraft to join the Atlantic Fleet forces operating off Tampico during the Mexican crisis. 1942 - USS Wasp (CV 7) launches 47 British aircraft to reinforce Malta, repeating the exercise May 9.

06 Nov 2015

Lobster Boat Catches Fire off Massachusetts

Lobster boat Dawn Breaker ablaze near Ipswich, Mass. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

Emergency personnel are responding to a 28-foot lobster boat ablaze near Ipswich, Mass., Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard reported. The lobster boat’s operator hailed Coast Guard watchstanders at about 9:30 a.m. stating his boat Dawn Breaker was on fire and he was abandoning ship after attempting to put out the fire with a portable fire extinguisher. The man donned his immersion suit, gave his exact location from his portable VHF radio and jumped from the burning boat into the water, taking with him his personal locator beacon. He was picked up by a nearby vessel in less than 15 minutes. U.S.

02 May 2015

USCG Warns Mariners of Shoaling in Merrimack River

The Coast Guard is urging mariners to use extreme caution while transiting the Merrimack River entrance due to significant shifting and shoaling between the #2 red and #3 green buoys. Several recent accidents and near misses on the narrow, heavily congested portion of the Merrimack River have created a major safety concern. To help ensure the public has a safe and pleasurable boating experience, the Coast Guard, Massachusetts Environmental Police, Newburyport Harbormaster, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary will be conducting safety patrols on the Merrimack River bar, focusing on the river mouth. "Our first priority is the safety of the boating public," said Senior Chief Petty Officer Mark Dilenge, officer in charge of Coast Guard Station Merrimack River in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

26 Dec 2013

The Navy’s Battlewagon of the 21st Century

(Photo credit: GD-BIW, M. Nutter)

It is the newest and most transformational warship ever built, and yet it has also had the longest gestation period. Whether you call it new or old, you have to call it different. The pedigree for DDG 1000 is not from the Spruance or Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers, but rather it comes from the SC-21 (Surface Combatant for the 21st century) concept from 1994. Like DDG 1000, SC-21 was not about anti-air warfare. It was all about strike. SC-21, along with the Maritime Fire Support Demonstrator (MFSD) “arsenal ship” concept…

02 Jan 2014

ZUMWALT: Maritime Reporter's 'Great Ship' of 2013

It is the newest and most transformational warship ever built, and yet it has also had the longest gestation period. Whether you call it new or old, you have to call it different. The pedigree for DDG 1000 is not from the Spruance or Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers, but rather it comes from the SC-21 (Surface Combatant for the 21st century) concept from 1994. Like DDG 1000, SC-21 was not about anti-air warfare. It was all about strike. SC-21, along with the Maritime Fire Support Demonstrator (MFSD) “arsenal ship” concept…

28 Jun 2011

NOAA, Navy Survey of Civil War Shipwrecks

NOAA and the U.S. Navy embarked today on a two-day research expedition to survey the condition of two sunken Civil War vessels that have rested on the seafloor of the James River in Hampton Roads, Va., for nearly 150 years. Using state-of-the-art sonar technology to acquire data, researchers will create three-dimensional maps of the two shipwrecks, USS Cumberland and CSS Florida, to  analysis on their current conditions and better understand the technological innovations of the time. “The remains of the USS Cumberland and CSS Florida, preserved in the waters of Hampton Roads, remind us of the sacrifices made during the Civil War and give us a unique and rare opportunity to explore a pivotal chapter in our nation’s history…

20 Sep 2009

Galinis Commands NAVSEA's SUPSHIP Gulf Coast

Capt. William J. Galinis relieved Capt. Mary E. Dexter as commanding officer of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) field activity, Supervisor of Shipbuilding (SUPSHIP), Conversion and Repair, Gulf Coast, Sept. 18 in a ceremony in Pascagoula, Miss. Retired Rear Adm. Mark Hugel gave the ceremony's keynote address. NAVSEA Commander, Vice Adm. Kevin McCoy spoke about how SUPSHIP Gulf Coast has made an invaluable impact on the Navy's ability to build the Fleet. "(Dexter) led this team of more than 350 military and civilian employees in providing the engineering, quality assurance, contract management, and financial services in partnership with industry to build our 21st century Navy," said McCoy.

17 Nov 2008

Barge Collides with Bridge

The Coast Guard is investigating what caused a 250-foot barge to strike the Amesbury Swing Bridge in the Merrimack River around 12 p.m. on Nov. 13. Coast Guard Sector Boston received a call at approximately 11: 50 a.m., reporting the barge William Breckenridge hit the Swing Bridge, which connects Newburyport to Amesbury, as it transited through the channel near Deer Island. No injuries or pollution have been reported. The Massachusetts State Highway Department is inspecting the extent of the damage to the bridge. The bridge is currently in the open position and is closed to automobile traffic. Marine traffic is being redirected south to the Chain/Hines Bridge. "We take these reports seriously and investigate them quickly," said Lt.

23 Apr 2001

MMA Students to Attend Symposium

Two students from Maine Maritime Academy’s Corning School of Ocean Studies will travel to Japan this spring to take part in a conference on the ocean environment. Heather Blankenstein, a junior from Merrimack, N.H., and Robert Watts, a junior from Boothbay Harbor, Maine, will represent MMA at the April 5-30 International Marine Environment Symposium in Kobe, Japan. They will attend lectures, participate in discussion groups, and engage in field study aboard the training ship Fukae Maru, which operates in the Seto Inland Sea. Blankenstein and Watts were selected by Prof. Barry Kilch and other members of the Maine Maritime Academy’s ocean studies department. Alternates are Renee Dunton, a senior from Hampden, Maine; and Carl Rhodes, a junior from Bayfield, Colo.

06 Aug 2002

NOAA, Navy Raise Turret of USS Monitor

NOAA and the U.S. Navy have succeeded in raising the world’s first armored revolving gun turret from the wreck of the famous Civil War ironclad USS Monitor, which rests below 240 feet of water 16 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., in the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” Also recovered today were the vessel’s two large Dahlgren cannons. Yesterday’s retrieval of the turret and cannons marks the end of a multi-year effort by NOAA, the Navy and The Mariners’ Museum to preserve key components of the revolutionary ship before sea water corrodes the vessel beyond recognition. The turret, with the cannons inside, was hoisted from the sea floor by a 500-ton crane aboard the Derrick Barge Wotan, owned and operated by Manson Gulf Industries.

11 Apr 2005

Raymarine to Relocate U.S. Headquarters

Raymarine is relocating its U.S. headquarters. Raymarine will be moving from its Nashua, New Hampshire location to new offices at 21 Manchester Street in Merrimack, New Hampshire. The company will be fully situated at the new location on April 11th. "We had a number of goals in mind when selecting the location of our new U.S. headquarters," said Terry Carlson, president, Raymarine. "We wanted a building that was more reflective of the caliber of our products and the Raymarine corporate image, as well as one that would offer us greater efficiencies. It was also very important that we remain in the New Hampshire area for our employees and our customers.

17 Aug 1999

New Contract for Preservation Shipyard

Preservation Shipyard in Newburyport, Mass., has been awarded a contract by Shannon Development of Naples, Fla. for construction of Keewaydin, a 40-ft. USCG-certified yacht capable of carrying up to 25 passengers. The design for Keewaydin was a collaboration between Thomas Cavanaugh, president of the shipyard, Shannon's marine manager, Nick Lile, and Karl Stambaugh of Chesapeake Marine Design. The yacht will be constructed over the next 12 months at the company's facility on the Merrimack River in Newburyport Harbor. Vessel Specifications Length, o.a.: 39.9 ft. Beam: 14 ft. Draft: 2.8 ft. Displacement: 29,000 lbs. Power: Cummins 6B5.9-M, 115 hp; Clutch, Twin Disc MG5011, 2.44:1 Gen set: Northern Lights, 8 kW, sound-shielded Drive system: Aqua-Drive

10 Oct 2002

NOAA, Navy Raise Turret of USS Monitor

NOAA and the U.S. Navy have succeeded in raising the world's first armored revolving gun turret from the wreck of the famous Civil War ironclad USS Monitor, which rests below 240 ft. of water 16 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., in the "Graveyard of the Atlantic." Also recovered were the vessel's two large Dahlgren cannons. Yesterday's retrieval of the turret and cannons marks the end of a multi-year effort by NOAA, the Navy and The Mariners' Museum to preserve key components of the revolutionary ship before sea water corrodes the vessel beyond recognition. The turret, with the cannons inside, was hoisted from the sea floor by a 500-ton crane aboard the Derrick Barge Wotan, owned and operated by Manson Gulf Industries.