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Northern New England News

09 Apr 2021

Port of Gulfport Names Nass CEO

Jon Nass (Photo: Port of Gulfport)

The Mississippi State Port Authority (MSPA) Board of Commissioners has named Jon Nass the new CEO and executive director of the Port of Gulfport, following a national search led by Tim McNamara, head of Odgers Berndtson’s Transportation and Infrastructure Practice in Washington, D.C. His tentative start date is June 1.“After nearly an eight-month process, the MSPA Commission is very pleased to announce we have selected a new executive director to lead the Port of Gulfport team,” said MSPA President E.J. Roberts.

21 Feb 2019

New Coast Guard Command Center in Maine

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Zachary Hupp

Coast Guard Sector Northern New England officially opened a new 24-hour command center Wednesday in South Portland, Maine.Sen. Susan Collins, Atlantic Area Commander Vice Adm. Scott Buschman, and First District Commander Rear Adm. Andrew Tiongson were all on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony. The command center is the hub for all Coast Guard operations across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and parts of New York. Located at Coast Guard Base South Portland, the command center's exterior remained the same, but the interior is completely new.

05 Nov 2018

U.S. DOJ Announces Environmental Crimes Conviction

File Image / Adobestock © renaschild

German Shipping Operator Sentenced to Pay $3.2 Million for Obstruction of Justice and Falsifying Official Logs to Hide Deliberate Oil Pollution. The previously Convicted Company Committed Environmental Crimes While on Probation.A German shipping company, MST Mineralien Schiffahrt Spedition und Transport GmbH (MST), pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in Portland, Maine, for obstruction of justice and for maintaining false official records to conceal deliberate pollution from one of its ships, the M/V Marguerita, announced Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey B.

06 Feb 2017

Oil Spill in Fore River, Maine

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is responding to an oil spill in the Fore River in Maine along with Maine Department of Environmental Protection and local fire departments.   According to initial reports, the cause of the spill was a car accident involving an overturned tank truck carrying diesel fuel on Interstate I-295.   Pollution responders from Coast Guard Station South Portland and Coast Guard Sector Northern New England are on scene.

14 Jan 2017

Two saved from Sinking Boat off Coast of Maine

The Coast Guard rescued two people off their sinking vessel Friday, about 17 miles off shore from York, Maine. At around 3:15 p.m., Coast Guard Sector Northern New England received a MAYDAY call on VHF-CH. 16 from a crew member reporting their 45-foot lobster boat, Miss Mae & Son, was hit with a rogue wave and the pumps could not keep up with the water. A boat crew from Station Portsmouth Harbor launched their 47-foot response boat and arrived on the scene to find the fishermen standing on the pilot house in full survival gear. Due to safety concerns, the fishermen jumped into the water and the boat crew pulled alongside to bring them on board. The water temperature was 42 degrees and the air temperature was 37 degrees.

08 Sep 2016

Fishing Vessel Burns up in Maine

Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Cory Langston fights the boat fire from the Coast Guard 29-foot response boat in Hopkins Point Marina in Jonesport, Maine on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016. The was no one aboard at the time of the fire. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Stephanie Horvat)

A boat fire was extinguished Thursday off the coast of Jonesport, Maine. The was no one aboard at the time of the fire. At about 6:12 a.m., watchstanders at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England received a call from the owner, who was on shore, that his 32-foot fishing vessel Bigger Dirls was on fire in Hopkins Point Marina. Station Jonesport launched a 29-foot response boat crew. They arrived on scene where the vessel was tied to a mooring ball and used their dewatering pump to begin fighting the fire. Jonesport Fire Department also arrived on scene and assisted in dousing the flames.

28 Apr 2016

Disabled Fishing Vessel Towed to Maine

Coast Guard Cutter Moray tows the fishing boat Paulo Marc after it became disabled east of Portland, Maine (USCG photo)

The 60-foot fishing boat Paulo Marc was towed by the crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Moray after the fishing vessel became disabled Wednesday about 90 miles east of Portland, Maine. Watchstanders at Sector Northern New England’s command center received notification at approximately 1 p.m. Wednesday that the Paulo Marc, homeported in Gloucester, was disabled with four people aboard. The Moray crew launched and arrived on scene to establish the tow at approximately 8 p.m. Wednesday.

27 Aug 2015

Fishing Boat Catches Fire off Maine

U.S. Coast Guard photo

U.S. Coast Guard crews from Station South Portland, Maine, and Air Station Cape Cod responded to a report of a fishing boat fire Wednesday, about six miles from Jeffreys Ledge, a fishing area which stretches from the coast of Rockport to just southeast of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. A crewmember aboard the 40-foot fishing boat Gretchen Marie contacted watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Northern New England at about 7:40 p.m. Wednesday reporting a fire onboard and heavy smoke in Gretchen Marie's pilothouse. Two men were aboard the vessel.

27 Jan 2015

Northeast Winter Storm Disrupts Shipping

Winter Storm Juno, which has brought snow and gale force winds to the North East Coast of the United States, is causing severe disruption to shipping across the entire coastline. Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) advises that with snow accumulation likely to exceed two feet, closures are now in place at the Port of New York & New Jersey and Long Island Sound Point Judith Pilot Station. The severity of the storm has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Winter Storm Warning and Coastal Flood Warning for Southeastern New England. Current predictions estimate sustained north-northeast winds as high as 40 knots, with gusts up to 65 knots along the coast. In Northern New England, the U.S. Coast Guard has set port conditions to X-Ray for coastal Maine and New Hampshire.

11 Oct 2014

USCG & Fishermen save Sinking Boat

A Coast Guard search and rescue team and a local fishing crew worked together Saturday to save a fishing boat from sinking near Great Wass Island, Maine. Watchstanders at the Sector Northern New England Command Center in Portland, Maine received notification that the 34-foot Lady Annette was flooding with one person aboard. Rescue crews from Station Jonesport launched aboard a 47-foot motor life-boat, and the Ashley N, rushed to the scene to assist. The Coast Guard crew arrived on scene and passed a dewatering pump which helped to control the flooding coming from near the propeller shaft. With the flooding controlled, the Ashley N towed Lady Annette back to Jonesport.

10 Mar 2014

Tanker Vessel Hits Memorial Bridge

The U.S. Coast Guard reported that it is responding after a 600-foot tanker vessel, Sea Pride, allided with the Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth, N.H., at approximately 5:30 a.m. Friday. The Malta-flagged vessel was outbound from a Piscataqua River facility when it allided with the bridge on its port side, damaging a fender on the bridge. There was no leak on the ship's double hull, no injuries to the crew, and they continued their journey to Portland, Maine, after contacting the Coast Guard.

27 Sep 2013

Kirby Corp. CEO Joe Pyne is "No Ordinary Joe"

“Companies are successful because you have a bunch of people pulling their oars at the same time. They do the little things more right.  That requires everybody working to make it successful.”

When Joseph H. Pyne joined Dixie Carriers in 1978, little did he know the maritime juggernaut he would help to create. When he took over as president in 1984, the company owned about 20 boats and 50 barges, with a value of about $35m. Today, after nearly 30 years, 50 acquisitions, it has a market cap well in excess of $4B, and its fleet hovers around 350 boats and 950 barges, commanding approximately 35% of the U.S. market. Joseph H. Pyne, 65, recently spent some time with Maritime…

01 Apr 2013

Disabled Motor Tankship Towed Off Bridge

The tankship 'Harbour Feature' towed free of the Sarah Long Bridge, on the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth, N.H. after drifting alongside the bridge. Tug boats were able to safely tow the 473-foot, Portuguese-flagged, motor vessel Harbour Feature from the bridge to the state pier during slack tide. Earlier, Monday, US Coast Guard watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Northern New England received a report from the Harbour Feature that it had become disabled and allided with the bridge. There have been no reports of injury or pollution, but a six-to-twelve inch rupture above the waterline of the vessel near the port ballast tank has been observed. The incident is under investigation.

24 Jan 2013

Distress Call Hoaxer Sentenced

The U.S. Coast Guard & U.S. Attorney Office announce sentencing in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Former Coast Guard man Shane Coxon, 24, was sentenced for knowingly making a false distress call to the Coast Guard in July 2010, and was sentenced to time-served of approximately three and a half months imprisonment to be followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay the U.S. Coast Guard more than $4,500 in restitution. Prior to the incident, Coxon was a petty officer second class in the Coast Guard, stationed at Sector Northern New England. On July 18, 2010, Coxon called the Coast Guard Sector Northern New England Command Center, provided a false name and reported a flare sighting off the coast of Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

05 Apr 2012

Search & Rescue System Accepted by US Coastguard

Rescue 21 System: Image courtesy General Dynamics

The U.S. Coast Guard has formally accepted the General Dynamics C4 Systems-built Rescue 21 Search and Rescue communications system now serving Sector Northern New England. With the command center located in South Portland, Maine, Sector Northern New England comprises more than 5,000 coastal miles from the New Hampshire/Massachusetts state line to the Canadian border, including Lake Champlain. Using advanced direction-finding technologies, digital communications and related enabling technologies…

06 Mar 2012

Coast Guard to Conduct Kennebec River Ice-Breaking Operations

BOSTON – U.S. Coast Guard units in Maine are scheduled to begin ice-breaking operations on the Kennebec River during the week of March 12, 2012. The public is being advised to remove their fish shacks as soon as possible, if safe to do so, in advance of Coast Guard ice-breaking operations. "Anyone who still has ice fishing shacks or gear on the Kennebec River should remove them as soon as possible and should proceed with extreme caution in areas where the Coast Guard will break ice," said Chief Warrant Officer Bob Albert, the ice operations mission manager for Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. During the Kennebec River Spring Break-out…

27 Jun 2011

USCG Sector N. New England Change of Command

Sector Northern New England color guard members conclude the change of command ceremony for Capt. James McPherson and Capt. Christopher Roberge at Cape Elizabeth Middle School Friday, June 24, 2011. Rear Adm. Daniel Neptun, commander of the 1st Coast Guard District, presided over the ceremony. The change of command is a time-honored tradition that ensures the continuity of command. The ceremony marks the transfer of total responsibility, authority, and accountability for the unit and the accomplishment of its assigned mission. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ayla Kelley.

21 Jun 2011

USCG Sector Northern New England Change of Command

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England’s crew will receive a new commander during a change of command ceremony at 11:00 a.m., June 24, 2011 at the Portland Head Light in Fort Williams Park. Rear Adm. Daniel Neptun, commander of the 1st Coast Guard District, will preside over the ceremony. Sector Northern New England's current commander, Capt. James McPherson of Bradley Beach, N.J., will be assigned as chief of staff for the First Coast Guard District in Boston. Capt. Christopher Roberge will assume command of Sector Northern New England. Roberge previously served as chief of prevention for Coast Guard Atlantic Area in Portsmouth, Va.

27 Sep 2010

USCG Requires Calais LNG to Have Canadian Cooperation

The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port for Northern New England submitted his Waterway Suitability Analysis and Letter of Recommendation to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). "The development, by the applicant, of standard operating parameters approved by the U.S. Coast Guard and coordinated with the Government of Canada to enable the safe and secure movement of LNG tankers through Canadian and U.S. ...and... "The most probable security regime should consist of a mix of U.S. and Canadian federal, state/provincial, and local law enforcement, which may require cost-sharing arrangements, as outlined in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. As mentioned previously, a major portion of the vessels’ route is initially through Canadian waters.

23 Sep 2010

Coast Guard Recommends Maine LNG Facility

The Coast Guard recommended to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that the waterways associated with the Calais LNG, LLC proposal to construct an LNG facility in Calais, Maine, are suitable for LNG vessel transits provided certain safety and security actions are taken as part of the permit. The Coast Guard's role in the process was to assess the safety and security issues associated with LNG tankers transiting the Passamaquoddy Bay and the St. Croix River. As part of the Coast Guard's contribution to the FERC review process, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port for Northern New England, along with key stakeholders, reviewed and validated the navigation safety and maritime security aspects of the Calais LNG, LLC proposal.

03 Sep 2010

U.S. Coast Guard Warns of Hurricane Earl

A crew from Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay, Md., trailers a 25-foot Response Boat-Small from the water to ensure its safety until the effects of Hurricane Earl are over in the upper Chesapeake Bay, Sept. 2, 2010. Prior to the hurricane impact, Coast Guard crews conducted harbor patrols to notify mariners of the possible danger and how to best prepare for it. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Brandyn Hill.

As Hurricane Earl approaches New England, the Coast Guard is actively tracking the storm’s progress and urging caution and preparedness for mariners and storm watchers. Hurricane force winds, heavy surf, strong storm surges, rogue waves, rip currents and coastal flooding are predicted. Rogue waves near break walls and jetties are particularly hazardous to beach-goers during hurricane conditions. Sudden large waves can easily sweep storm watchers into the water or drag vessels off moorings or piers.

24 Aug 2010

Coast Guard, ORPC Tidal Energy Program

Coast Guard Sector Northern New England’s commander, Capt. James McPherson (3rd from left), poses with members of the Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) in front of the barge Energy Tide 2 March 2, 2010. The Energy Tide 2 will be used to generate green, renewable energy to be used at Coast Guard Station Eastport during a testing phase for ORPC. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Rich Cherkauer.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England (SNNE) crews partner with Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) members to demonstrate the nation's most robust tidal energy program on, Aug. 24, 2010. Gov. John Baldacci, Congressman Mike Michaud and Capt. James McPherson, SNNE’s commander, will unite at Coast Guard Station Eastport to celebrate the first-ever successful implementation of tidal energy at a federal facility. Massive tidal ranges in the ocean waters surrounding Eastport represent some of the largest in the country, rising and falling over 20 feet.

04 Jun 2010

CG Investigates Maine Ferry Grounding

Coast Guard investigators are working with the Maine State Ferry Service to determine why the ferry Everett Liberty ran aground with 30 people on board shortly after leaving the terminal in Vinalhaven, Maine, on the way to Rockland, Maine, Thursday, June 3, 2010. None of the 26 passengers or four crew members were injured during the accident and there are no reports of pollution. The ferry terminal manager called the Coast Guard around 9:25 a.m., reporting the ferry grounded in The Reach, Maine, near Norton's Point, Maine. “We worked quickly with the Maine State Ferry Service to ensure the vessel was safe to transit to Rockland and to minimize interruptions to ferry service,” said Lt. Lisa Ceraolo of the Sector Northern New England command center.