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Staten Island News

13 Dec 2023

‘America’s Fireboat’ Heads to Quonset Point for Renovation Work

(Photo courtesy Fireboat Fire Fighter Museum)

Preservation efforts are underway to renovate an 85-year old vessel known as “America’s Fireboat”.Designed by noted naval architect William Francis Gibbs and built in 1938 at United Shipyards on Staten Island, the vessel Fire Fighter would go on to serve a long and storied career before being decommissioned and eventually transferred to The Fireboat Fire Fighter Museum in 2013.The iconic fireboat is undergoing extensive renovations to return the vessel to her original glory, the museum announced this week. Escorted by the U.S.

09 Dec 2023

Oil Sample Lab Results Help ID Responsible Party

In 2019 crew conduct a shore cleanup at Jacob Riis Park Beach in New York, cleaning up tar balls reported on the beach. (U.S Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Dickinson)

The unified command consisting of the Coast Guard, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, New York City Office of Emergency Management, and Monmouth County Department of Health, received oil sample lab results from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Laboratory Friday, linking together oil spill cleanup efforts in both New York and New Jersey.Vane Brothers Company, as represented by Gallagher Marine Systems, has been identified as the responsible party.

30 Nov 2023

Maintenance Error Led to Chemical Tanker Engine Room Fire

Tank vessel Endo Breeze underway after the fire. (Source: Martine Klingsick, Shipspotting.com - via NTSB)

A maintenance error caused an engine room fire aboard the Endo Breeze last year, resulting in $1.2 million in damages, a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) analysis has shown.On April 29, 2022, the Endo Breeze was transiting outbound through the Raritan Bay West Reach channel near Staten Island, New York, when oil spray from a fuel injector pump on the starboard main engine ignited off nearby hot surfaces, causing a fire. The crew of the Endo Breeze contained the spread of the fire by removing fuel and oxygen sources…

31 Mar 2023

NY Waterway's New Ferry Franklin Delano Roosevelt Enters Service

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Photo: NY Waterway)

A new passenger vessel entered service for operator NY Waterway, serving as both a commuter ferry and for scenic tours of the harbor with Big City Tourism.Built locally by New Jersey-based Yank Marine in Tuckahoe, N.J., the 599-passenger Franklin Delano Roosevelt was christened Thursday during a ceremony at Pier 79 in Midtown Manhattan.The FDR is powered by low-emission 2,000-horsepower twin EPA Tier 3 compliant engines and has a service speed of 21 knots. The FDR is 109 feet long and 32 feet wide and draws just six feet of water depth.The new vessel has already seen a lot of action.

23 Feb 2023

Help Wanted: Build a New Industry

(Photo: Atlantic Wind Transfers)

When Atlantic offshore wind (OSW) projects move into high gear they will kick-start a series of impacts affecting almost the entire East Coast economy, from logistics to transportation to utility projects and, of course, just about every aspect of port and maritime activities.The related topics of workforce development and employment are among the fundamental issues being pushed and pulled by OSW. How workforce development and education and training proceed – and succeed – will be critical for the U.S.

16 Feb 2023

2023 Shipbuilding Report: US Passenger Vessels

Casco Bay Line selected the Senesco to build a double ended hybrid electric ferry to replace an existing diesel boat. (Image: EBDG)

With travel and tourism nearing pre-2020 levels, and transit systems benefiting from a return to work, passenger vessels have seen renewed activity. In its year-end review, John Groundwater, Executive Director of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA), which advocates for the sector in Washington, D.C. wrote: “As we are nearing the end of the calendar year, we are delighted to report that our industry, and our members, are reporting far and wide that they have experienced very…

06 Feb 2023

Ports & Logistics: Building A New Energy Industry

Sorting out infrastructure, ports and logistics issues will be key as the offshore wind industry scales up to meet the United States’ ambitious targets. (© Solosupremoira / Adobe Stock)

2022 closed with significant developments to advance offshore wind (OSW) and the necessary, related work required at U.S. ports – on the east and west coasts and the Great Lakes. Some of these developments included:Funding – MARAD’s Port Improvement Development Project (PIDP) grants provided over $100 million for wind at four ports.Corporate leadership – Marine giants Foss and Crowley stepped up to lead development projects in California and Massachusetts.New industry focus – The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) started a program called POWERS – “Port Opportunities With Energy…

25 Jan 2023

Onshore Funding for US Offshore Wind

© Ian Dyball / Adobe Stock

Most of the media coverage of offshore wind development in the United States focuses on the leases of the offshore areas where the wind turbines will be located. However, equally important is the landside dimension of these projects, including the manufacture, installation, maintenance and operation of the turbines. Several awards made in the last two rounds of funding under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) show how offshore wind now offers an additional direction of port development for which funding is available.

06 Jan 2023

What’s Next for Eastern Shipbuilding?

(Credit: Eastern Shipbuilding Group)

When Hurricane Michael slammed the Florida Panhandle in October 2018, the deadly category 5 storm inflicted billions in damages to the region, tearing apart homes and businesses in its path. Among those severely impacted was Eastern Shipbuilding Group, which suffered a nearly direct hit at its Allanton shipyard, located about 15 miles east of the company’s headquarters and main yard in Panama City.Eastern, which had been scheduled to begin building the first of up to 11 Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC) for the U.S.

27 Dec 2022

Hundreds Evacuated from Staten Island Ferry After Engine Room Fire

(Photo courtesy NYPD)

Five people were injured and hundreds more evacuated after a fire broke out aboard a ferry traveling from Manhattan to Staten Island on Thursday evening, officials said.The Sandy Ground, one of the Staten Island Ferry's newly commissioned Ollis-class vessels, was carrying 868 passengers and 16 crew members when the engine room fire started shortly after 5 p.m., FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Frank Leeb said during a press conference.First responders from the FDNY and NYPD, as well as commercial tugs and other passenger vessels…

23 Dec 2022

Founded in 1806, SSH Continues Serving Retired Merchant Mariners

Stained glass at SSH’s former facility in Staten Island. Credit SSH.

The Sailors’ Snug Harbor (SSH) is a charity based out of New York that provides assistance to retired merchant mariners. In 2022, SSH helped more than 400 mariners in 33 states and Puerto Rico. SSH helps mariners live more comfortably by assisting them with their living expenses such as rent, mortgages, and utilities. SSH also helps them find other assistance and local services. In recent years, SSH has expanded its eligibility criteria to include inland mariners as well as deep sea mariners.SSH was incorporated in 1806 as the result of a bequest made by Captain Robert Richard Randall.

13 Dec 2022

Bayonne Dry Dock Christens New Mobile Boat Hoist

The new mobile boat hoist at Bayonne Dry Dock & Repair is said to be the largest in the U.S. Northeast, opening up a new stream of sales for the Bayonne, N.J. refit and repair yard. (Photo: Eric Haun)

Bayonne Dry Dock & Repair Corp held a christening ceremony on December 9 for its new mobile boat hauler, dedicated in honor of Christopher Edward Cranston, a NYPD Detective who died of a 9/11-related illness in July 2019.The late Staten Island native—a first-responder during and in the aftermath of the September 11 World Trade Center attacks—was the brother of the Bayonne, N.J. ship repair yard’s president, Mike Cranston, who said the new lift is a fitting tribute to someone who always prioritized family and service.

08 Dec 2022

CMA CGM to Buy New York, New Jersey Terminals from Canada's GCT

CMA CGM, one of the world's largest container shipping lines, said on Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire two container terminals at the port of New York and New Jersey from Global Container Terminals (GCT), which will extend its presence in a crucial hub for trade.The deal comes after French-based CMA CGM last month said it expects a pullback in shipping markets to accelerate in the fourth quarter due to high energy prices and flagging consumer spending, resulting a drop in its profitability following an earnings surge in the past year.Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

24 Nov 2022

Sail Freight: Fair Winds or Grassroot Sustainability?

(Photo: Hudson River Maritime Museum)

Climate change advocates and seafarers recently gathered for a small conference at the Hudson Valley Maritime Museum in Kingston, N.Y., to discuss the shipping industry’s struggle to achieve sustainability and environmental compliance.The setting, the hamlet of Rondout, N.Y. (within Kingston), holds significance as it was, ironically, a Hudson River port once considered the largest coal port in the world (yes, the world). In 1828, the opening of the Delaware and Hudson Canal enabled coal to be delivered from Pennsylvania to New York City.

31 Oct 2022

DOT Announces $703M in Port Funding; 41 Projects in 22 States

Copyright bannafarsai/AdobeStock

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced more than $703 million to fund 41 projects in 22 states and one territory that designed to help improve port facilities through the Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program. Following is the full list of FY 2022 Port Infrastructure Development Grant Awards:ALASKANorth Extension Stabilization Step 1 Project ($68,700,000), Anchorage, AlaskaThe Project will reconfigure and realign the shoreline within the “North Extension” (the area north of the existing general cargo terminals) at the Port of Alaska in Anchorage, Alaska.

02 Sep 2022

Eastern Delivers Third Ollis Class Staten Island Ferry

(Photo: Eastern Shipbuilding Group)

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) announced the completion of the third and final Ollis Class Staten Island Ferry for the City of New York Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) Staten Island Ferry Division. Yesterday, the Dorothy Day, Hull 221, departed ESG’s Port St. Joe Shipyard passenger ready with the U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection and the ABS Class Certificates in hand.“It has been an honor for our company to build the three Ollis Class Staten Island Ferries…

22 Jul 2022

MARAD Awards $19.6 Million in Small Shipyard Grants

(File photo: Gladding Hearn)

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced $19.6 million in grant awards to 24 small shipyards in 19 states through the Small Shipyard Grant Program.The funds will help awardees—many of which being family-run businesses—modernize, increase productivity and expand local employment opportunities while competing in the global marketplace, MARAD said.“Small businesses are the lifeblood of the American economy, and small shipyards play a critical role in America’s maritime industry, helping us get the goods we depend on every day,” said U.S.

10 May 2022

Fuel Tax Repeal Victory in New York State

Copyright MishaelPervak/AdobeStock

The New York State Petroleum Business Tax (PBT), Article 13-A levies a tax on fuel consumption of commercial vessels operating on the waters of New York State. The PBT has long been a source of contention for operators of tug boats and towing vessels transiting New York State waters because of the difficulty to accurately calculate the tax due the state. This led to many long drawn out audits of vessel operators by the state, resulting in unacceptable additional taxes, interest and fines.Over the years, multiple efforts were made by industry groups to repeal the PBT legally without success.

03 May 2022

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock's 1Q Profit, Revenue Rise

File Photo - Credit:Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation reported a first-quarter net income of 11.1 million in the first quarter of 2022 an increase compared to first-quarter 2021 income of $8.8 million.Revenue for the quarter was $194.3 million, an increase of $16.7 million from the first quarter of 2021. The higher revenue in the first quarter of 2022 was due to higher domestic capital and coastal protection revenue, offset partially by a decrease in revenue from maintenance dredging, rivers and lakes…

02 May 2022

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, Van Oord Win Empire Wind Rock Installation Project

(Image: Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation)

Houston-based Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation on Monday announced it has been selected with Dutch offshore services firm Van Oord to perform the subsea rock installation work for Equinor and bp's Empire Wind I and II wind farms off the U.S. East Coast.Great Lakes will use the first Jones Act compliant subsea rock installation vessel, currently under construction at the Philly Shipyard in the U.S., to install rocks to protect and stabilize monopile foundations, electrical substructures and export cables, starting with Empire Wind I in the mid-2020s and continuing with Empire Wind II.

13 Apr 2022

The New 'New York'

(Photo: Sandy Hook Pilots Association)

When it came time to replace their 50-year-old station vessel New York, the Sandy Hook Pilots Association thought long and hard, weighing their options to determine the best possible solution. They traveled the country, to Houston, San Francisco and up to the Columbia River, and even to Europe—the Elbe River in Germany and Rotterdam in the Netherlands—to ride with other pilots in search of an answer.“We looked at everything from SWATH (small-waterplane-area twin hull) boats to helicopters to big boats in Europe…

29 Mar 2022

Offshore Wind: Empire Wind Taps Maersk to Build Wind Turbine Installation Vessel (VIDEO)

Image Courtesy Maersk Supply Service

Empire Offshore Wind, a joint venture between Equinor and bp, awarded a contract to Maersk Supply Service for charter of its newbuild wind installation vessel (WIV). This vessel, together with US constructed barges and tugs built and operated by Kirby Offshore Wind, will be used for the installation of the project’s Vestas V236-15MW turbines.The newbuild offshore wind turbine installation vessel is planned to be ready for operation for Empire Wind I and II in the mid-2020s. Maersk…

17 Mar 2022

Converted OSRV Added to Sandy Hook Pilots Fleet

Photo courtesy Sandy Hook Pilots

Sandy Hook Pilots Association welcomed its new Pilot Station Boat New York, a converted Oil Spill Response Vessel (OSRV), which, at 208 feet long, is the largest in the Sandy Hook Pilots fleet.While welcoming the its new addition, Sandy Hook Pilots retired its predecessor, also named New York, which has been a familiar sight in the Port of New York and New Jersey harbor for nearly 50 years.On February 3, the new P/B New York sailed to its new home, the Sandy Hook Pilot base in Staten Island…

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