Port Of Honolulu News

Ocean Voyages Institute’s marine plastic recovery vessel, S/V KWAI, docked at the port of Honolulu at the end of June after a 48-day expedition successfully removing 103 tons (206,000 lbs.) of fishing nets and consumer plastics from the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone (more commonly known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or Gyre).The Pacific Gyre, located halfway between Hawaii and California, is the largest area with the most plastic, of the five major open ocean plastic accumulation regions…

United States District Court Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi accepted the guilty plea of Doorae Shipping Co., LTD, a South Korean maritime operations company, and sentenced the company to pay a fine of $275,000, and a term of three years of probation for the failure to maintain an accurate oil record book, in violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. According to the Information to which Doorae pled guilty, the operation of a marine vessel, such as the B. Pacific, a petroleum oil tank ship registered under the flag administration of the Marshall Islands, and operated by Doorae, generates large quantities of waste oil and oil-contaminated waste water. International and U.S. law requires that these vessels use pollution prevention equipment to preclude the discharge of these materials.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) today celebrated the launch of field trials for the first prototype hydrogen fuel cell unit to power onboard refrigerated containers. MARAD, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy, provided $815,000 to fund the clean energy powered container unit that could pave the way to dramatically reduced harmful emissions at the Port of Honolulu. "President Obama has consistently challenged us to find new ways to protect our environment while supporting our economy,” said Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx. Built into a standard 20 ft. shipping container…

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and partner agencies participated in the Alternate Port Concept Full Scale Exercise at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Friday. The purpose of the exercise was to prepare the State, Navy, Coast Guard and industry response partners for their roles during a major catastrophic event that closes the Port of Honolulu and requires the activation of the Alternate Port in Pearl Harbor. The Port of Honolulu serves as the hub in the “hub and spoke” model for cargo…

The fishing vessel Pacifica moored safely in Honolulu Harbor Monday after taking on water when insufficient shaft packing in the stern tube allowed water to flood the vessel approximately 144 miles north northeast of Oahu, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) reported. USCG watchstanders at the Honolulu Command Center received a distress call from the commercial fishing vessel Pacifica at 8:58 a.m., Sunday, reporting that the vessel was taking on water at 10 gallons per minute and was continuing to make way toward Oahu at seven miles per hour. An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew launched from Air Station Barbers Point at 9:29 a.m., arrived on scene at 10:05 a.m., dropped dewatering equipment to the fishing vessel and remained on scene until the Coast Guard Cutter Kittiwake arrived at 4:30 p.m.

The fishing vessel Pacifica moored safely in Honolulu Harbor Monday after taking on water approximately 144 miles north northeast of Oahu. The cause of the flooding was determined to be insufficient shaft packing in the stern tube, which allowed water to enter the vessel. The Coast Guard Cutter Kittiwake, an 87-foot patrol boat homeported here, escorted the vessel back to the Port of Honolulu. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Command Center received a distress call from the commercial fishing vessel Pacifica at 8:58 a.m., Sunday. The crew reported the vessel was taking on water at ten gallons per minute and was continuing to make way toward Oahu at 7 miles per hour. An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew launched from Air Station Barbers Point at 9:29 a.m.

Construction will be completed Friday of a new sign informing mariners of the 24/7 security zone in the Honolulu Harbor and whom to contact for permission to enter, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) said in a press announcement. The sign, measuring 12 x 24 feet, is worded with large letters created using highly reflective tape, will be lit at night and is oriented so that mariners will be able to read the sign while still offshore, outside the security zone. Located on the Diamond Head side of the Honolulu Harbor entrance…

Foss Maritime and one of America's most prestigious national research laboratories are joining in a project aimed at producing cleaner air, less costly fuel and a healthier environment. Seattle-based Foss and its Hawaiian subsidiary, Young Brothers Ltd., are partnering with hydrogen researchers at Sandia National Laboratory. They are building a portable, self-contained hydrogen fuel cell for testing at the Port of Honolulu beginning in 2015 for six months. The prototype can be installed on barges…

From Fast Lane, official blog of the U.S. The U.S. maritime industry continues to become greener each day as federal agencies, research centers, and ports work to reduce the industry's impact on our environment. Industry stakeholders understand how green business practices can significantly improve their bottom line while also helping ensure healthier waterways and port communities as well as a healthier workplace for maritime workers. That’s why the Maritime Administration is…

“Old sailors never die, they just drop the anchor,” Robert J. “Bobby” Pfeiffer said over a decade ago as he was contemplating retirement. Pfeiffer, one of Hawaii’s most renowned sailors and captains of industry, dropped the anchor on Friday, September 26, 2003, at age 83, at his home in Orinda, Calif., after a lengthy illness. During his 12 1/2 years at the helm of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., Pfeiffer became practically synonymous with business leadership in Hawaii. He charted a course of modernization and diversification, and led A&B through one of its strongest periods of growth and prosperity. At the same time he earned a reputation for leadership –– personal as well as corporate –– in support of charitable and other community causes.

U.S. Coast Guard personnel are investigating the cargo onboard an Antigua Barbudan flagged vessel that requested to moor in Honolulu on last week. The 400-ft. freight vessel, BBC China, was reportedly behind schedule for its delivery to Portland, Ore. when it requested to enter the port without the required 96-hour advance notice. The vessel plans to ship the cargo by air. The vessel was granted permission to enter the port by the CG Captain of the Port, but standard procedures for failing to give advance notice then required the ship to be boarded and escorted. Subsequently, fellow Department of Homeland Security officials from the Bureau of Immigration & Customs Enforcement interviewed the crew.

The Coast Guard Captain of the Port responded this morning to a report that explosive-detecting dogs had alerted security officials at pier 2 of a suspicious pallet of boxes. Two different dogs had singled out a particular pallet for potentially containing explosive devices or residue. The pallet contained loosely packaged Fed-EX boxes from a shipment originating in Las Vegas, NV. The pallet was due to be on loaded on the cruise ship Crystal Harmony this morning. In response to the reports, the Captain of the Port closed the Port of Honolulu at 8:00 this morning to incoming and outgoing marine traffic. This measure was enacted as a precaution until the pallet can be further inspected by officials from the Honolulu Police Department Bomb Squad, Customs, Harbor Police, and the FBI.

By Jeanne M. Charles T. Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2004 (the Act), signed into law on December 3, 2004, contains a provision that reverses a final rule, issued by the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in 2001 (Final Rule; 66 Fed. Reg. 16392 (March 26, 2001)), that subjected repairs made to U.S.-flag vessels while on the high seas to declaration, entry, and duty requirements. Simply put, the Act expands the list of items that are exempt from the 50 percent ad valorem duty requirement contained in the Vessel Repair Statute (19 U.S.C. § 1466) and, as a result, could possibly save owners and operators of U.S.-flag vessels large sums of money.

Port workers, longshoremen, truckers and others at the Port of Tacoma, will soon become the first in the region to enroll in the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program. The program's goal is to ensure that any individual who has unescorted access to secure areas of port facilities and vessels has received a thorough background check and is not a security threat. Thousands of workers are expected to enroll over the coming months at the Port of Tacoma and Port of Seattle which begins enrollment mid-December. Nationwide, more than 1 million workers with unescorted access to secure areas will apply during the rest of 2007 and 2008.

Horizon Lines reported that the earthquake measuring magnitude 6.6, and several strong aftershocks including one measuring magnitude 5.8, that struck the Big Island of Hawaii on Sunday morning has not significantly impacted its operations. Inspections conducted Sunday found all cranes fully operational and minimal impacts to the Port of Honolulu. Power was restored late Sunday and a Horizon Lines vessel, the Horizon Pacific, made its normally scheduled port call and was successfully worked last night.