St Lucie News

Plans to convert the century-old Port of Fort Pierce into a repair and refit facility for the global fleet of megayachts and large sailing yachts are moving full speed ahead.After a lengthy permitting and review process, Derecktor Shipyards has been granted approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners and the City of Fort Pierce to begin construction of its newest shipyard – Derecktor Ft.

Earlier this week, after a nearly year-long process, the Ft. Pierce and St. Lucie County and Derecktor Shipyards signed a long-term agreement for the development and operation of a megayacht maintenance, repair and refit facility at the Port.According to Derecktor the new shipyard will be unique in the U.S. as it is reportedly the first facility designed and built specifically toaccommodate power and sailing yachts in the 200 ft. plus range.Derecktor Ft. Pierce (DFP), as the new yard will be known, changes that. It provides direct access from the Atlantic through Ft.

St. Lucie County Commissioners approved a 30-year contract with Derecktor Shipyards of Dania Beach to lease land from the county and operate a mega-yacht repair center and refit facility at the Port of Fort Pierce.After a nearly year-long process, the County and Derecktor Shipyards signed a long-term agreement for the development and operation of a megayacht maintenance, repair and refit facility at the Port."The new shipyard will be unique in the U.S. – the first facility designed and built specifically to accommodate power and sailing yachts in the 200 ft. plus range. Until now, these large yachts, particularly sailing vessels which require extreme overhead clearance and considerable water depth, have had few or no shipyard options in this country," said a press release.Derecktor Ft.

John Canada founded Ocean 5 Naval Architects in 2007, arguably the worst time in history to start a maritime company as the industry was just entering the worst downturn in a generation. But more than 10 years later, and with the industry still in recover mode, Canada and his company are still standing. Ocean5 has become synonymous with sportfish, luxury, performance and composite high speed small craft naval architecture, and the company’s international presence is founded on patrol craft…

The Coast Guard rescued three people aboard a disabled boat approximately 12 miles east of Port of St. Lucie, Sunday. At approximately, 5 a.m., the crew of the tug McAllister Sister notified Coast Guard Sector Miami watchstanders of a red meteor flare from a 23-foot center console. The watchstanders directed the launch of a Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce 45-foot Response Boat—Medium crew to assist The Coast Guard boatcrew arrived on scene and towed the center console to the Smithsonian Marine Station.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) receives funding for various Florida dredging projects to restore pre-Sandy condition. As a follow-up to a recent announcement regarding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarding funding to restore Fort Pierce Beach and the Martin County shore to their pre-Hurricane Sandy conditions, Congressman Patrick E. Murphy (FL-18) has further informed that the Army Corps has also allocated funds to begin engineering and design activities to prepare for dredging the Fort Pierce Inlet and the St. Lucie Inlet to respond to shoaling impacts from Hurricane Sandy. "... I am pleased to announce that the Army Corps has slated funding to begin dredging projects for the Fort Pierce and St. Lucie inlets.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum’s Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP), Director, Chuck Meide, made some key discoveries recently in London, England. Meide spent January 14-17, 2013 examining documents in the United Kingdom’s National Archives (formerly the Public Records Office), in an attempt to learn as much as possible about a shipwreck believed to be a British Loyalist Ship that was fleeing Charleston, South Carolina in 1782, currently referred to as Storm Wreck, which St. Augustine Lighthouse Archaeologists have been excavating offshore. “Once entrenched in the Archives, I was hard at work each day,” said Meide.

Participants at a workshop exploring the use of titanium structure for ships found that it is not only possible to construct a ship hull from titanium—or Ti, it could be cost effective. The workshop was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research and hosted by the University of New Orleans, where an ONR research program on titanium ship structures is being conducted. Representatives of the shipbuilding industry, titanium suppliers, Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force labs, and academia discussed and examined materials, processes and applications. Most ships today are primarily made from steel.

This and recent agreements with Port of Miami and Port of Palm Beach solidify Florida Inland Port’s position as the premier inland port / integrated logistics center serving the southeastern U.S. Florida Inland Port today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that creates a strategic alliance with the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT). The alliance between one of Florida’s largest seaports and the state’s first rail-oriented, integrated logistics center helps to pave the way for improved flow of goods throughout Florida and the Southeast United States. Similar to the recent agreements with the Port of Miami and the Port of Palm Beach…