Vessel Alliance News

A U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) midshipman who shook the maritime industry last year when, under the moniker "Midshipman-X," publicly described how she was raped by her superior officer while serving as an engine cadet aboard a Maersk cargo ship, has been revealed as Hope Hicks.Hicks is one of two USMMA students being represented by Sanford Heisler Sharp and Maritime Legal Solutions, who said Tuesday they filed two related complaints in New York state court against Maersk Line, Limited alleging that company, a subsidiary of Danish shipping giant A.P.

At CMRE, it’s not just about the science. It’s about building trust and confidence in resilient systems. An interview with Dr. Catherine Warner, Director, NATO Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation, La Spezia, ItalyTell us a little about yourself and CMRE. What does CMRE do, and how do you see your mission evolving?I came here from the Pentagon, where I was the science advisor for the director of operational test and evaluation. My experience has been working with operators on systems that they’re getting ready to field.

Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) and its family of companies has reached a 30-month alliance agreement with BP, the largest energy investor in deepwater Gulf of Mexico over the past decade. Chouest and BP have enjoyed a business alliance for over eight years, and the new alliance will continue to include Chouest affiliates ECO (vessel services), C-Port (multi-service terminal facilities in Louisiana’s Port Fourchon) and C-Logistics (logistics coordination, expediting and tracking cargo movement). Items in the alliance agreement include a three-year extension for utilization of BP’s Gulf of Mexico Preservation and Maintenance facility, designed and built by Chouest, and located at the intersection of Hwy. 90 and LA 311, just northwest of Houma, La.

Californian Port of Los Angeles has seen its volumes increase by 10 percent in the first quarter of 2017 as it handled a total of 2.23 million TEUs in the three-month period, compared to 2 million TEU seen in the same quarter a year earlier. “We are pleased to end the first quarter of 2017 with strong volumes and continually efficient cargo handling operations,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. Gene adde: “We continue to earn the confidence of shippers and are encouraged by the strength of our supply chain partners. March cargo volumes jumped 29 percent at the Port of Los Angeles compared to the previous year. The robust numbers came through a combination of strong export volumes (up 20 percent), a post Lunar New Year surge of cargo from Asia, and U.S.

The Coast Guard and good Samaritans are responding to the report of a vessel on fire approximately 150 miles south of Southwest Pass, Louisiana, Monday. Watchstanders at the Eighth Coast Guard District command center received a report at 3:28 a.m. from the National Command Center of an electrical fire in the engine room of the motor vessel Alliance St Louis. Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile launched an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew who conducted an over flight of the vessel and confirmed that the fire had been extinguished by the crewmembers. No injuries or pollution has been reported. The Alliance St. Louis is currently on emergency power and drifting approximately 135 miles southwest of Southwest Pass with 20 crewmembers aboard and safely accounted for.

The larger of CMRE’s ships is now operated by an Italian military crew under an Italian Navy Flag. On 9 April 2016, at the Italian Naval Base in La Spezia (Italy), the Raising of the Italian Flag Ceremony was held in the presence of Italian and NATO civilian and military authorities, including Vice Admiral Ignacio J. Horcada Rubio, SACT Representative in Europe, Vice Admiral Filippo Maria Foffi, Commander in Chief of the Italian Naval Fleet, Major General Albert Husniaux, NATO STO (Science and Technology Organization) Chief Scientist, and Rear Admiral (Ret.) Hank Ort, STO CMRE Director. The NATO Research Vessel Alliance is one of the only two NATO-owned research vessels…

From September 22 to October 13, 2014, the NATO Research Vessel Alliance is conducting the Multinational AutoNomy Experiment (MANEX ‘14) along the Ligurian coast to demonstrate the advantages of mapping the seabed using autonomous vehicles. Throughout the experiment, multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) equipped with modern sensors relevant to NATO minehunting missions are being employed in the Ligurian Sea along the Italian coast between Framura and Bonassola to collect data that will allow NATO researchers to advance the area of seabed mapping using autonomous vehicles…

An energy-efficient robotic vehicle debuts as a communications gateway of an experimental network developed by CMRE within the Proud Manta ‘13 framework. The Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW) Exercise Proud Manta ‘13 (POMA ‘13), which includes participating ships and aircraft from ten NATO nations, will be held from 23 February to 6 March off the coast of Sicily. As in 2012, the 2013 POMA includes again major scientific tests during the exercise: scientists from the NATO Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) are testing technologies and software that they have been developed for detection and tracking of submarines in the marine environment.

The NATO Centre for Maritime Research & Experimentation participates for the first time in the Science Festival 2012 in Genoa, Italy. How can science help fight piracy? How are intelligent robots and cooperative networks  taking over the underwater world? What’s next in ocean exploration? Three scientists from the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (STO-CMRE) will share these concept and more at Science Festival in Genoa. Based in La Spezia, the Centre will participate in the event aiming at increasing general public awareness on cutting-edge research and technology in the maritime domain. About CMRE. Formerly NATO Undersea Research Centre (NURC)…

The American Salvage Association (ASA) presented The American Waterways Operators’ (AWO) Chairman Peter Stephaich and President Tom Allegretti with a Chelsea brass ship’s striking clock as a way to recognize AWO’s support during the eight years that ASA was a valued member of the Vessel Alliance, the umbrella of marine organizations that reside within AWO’s office suite. ASA President Mauricio Garrido, who presented the award during AWO’s Executive Committee meeting on August 3 in Arlington…

The American Salvage Association (ASA) has relocated its offices from Arlington, Virginia, to Alexandria, Virginia. The new address is 103 Oronoco Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314 USA. The telephone and fax numbers remain the same, Tel: 1-703-373-2267; Fax: 1-703-373-2036, as does the website (www.americansalvage.org). Previously at offices co-located with the American Waterways Operators (AWO), ASA now resides in office facilities maintained by the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA). “ASA’s leadership team is grateful to AWO for the experience and support ASA received while a member of the Vessel Alliance program for the last eight years.

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) announced the dates of its 2011 Washington Meetings, February 15-17, 2011, which include the Waterways Seminar and the Leadership Service Award Dinner. All events will take place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 1330 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC. Tuesday, Feb. Wednesday, Feb. Thursday, Feb. For questions contact Medina Moran, 703-373-2261 ([email protected]).

Waterways Council’s Inc. (WCI) and its more than 200 members were surprised and disappointed with President Obama’s announcement on September 6 that he intends to ask Congress for at least $50 billion in funding for infrastructure but made no mention of waterways infrastructure projects. Roads, rails and runways — why not Rivers? WCI issued a press statement reacting to the Obama announcement: “While the nation celebrated Labor Day and all that the workforce has done to make America great…

The Coast Guard has expanded the scope of the Notice of Violation (NOV) program, building upon the success of the existing program in place since 1995. The NOV program is an expedited civil penalty assessment process that allows parties to pay the proposed penalty without further administrative process. The Coast Guard has also recently announced that it will be adjusting its fines and other civil monetary penalties for inflation. The changes to the monetary civil penalties for inflation are mandated by Congress at least once every four years. The changes to the NOV program took effect on January 5. Since its implementation, the NOV program has been used as the civil penalty process for small oil spills and minor pollution prevention regulation violations.

PVA has developed a free new crew training program that will assist them in meeting the training requirements of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA). Entitled “Security Training for the Passenger Vessel Industry,” this program is a computer-based training tool designed to assist in establishing a basic security training program on board your vessel and in your facility. It is ideal for deckhands, reservation agents, ticket agents and others. The CD also contains a short examination to use in measuring crew and employee comprehension. This program was created to meet widespread demand from PVA members for a simple, yet comprehensive training tool that can be used internally to satisfy regulatory requirements for security crew training.

AWO estimates that as of July 2004 the domestic U.S. tank barge fleet consisted of 3,876 vessels. As the chart shows, double-hulled barges numbered 2,847, or 73.5% of the fleet. The rest of the fleet is divided nearly evenly between 479 single-hull barges and 550 other hull types (double-side, double-bottom, and other reinforced hull designs). Compared to the previous estimate in October 2003, the tank barge fleet increased by only six vessels, but the percent double-hulled increased from 68.3% to 73.5%. Analysis of the individual vessels deleted from and entering the fleet shows that in recent years companies have been removing older tank barges of all hull types and replacing them with modern double-hull tank barges.

The House-Senate Conference Committee on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 Coast Guard Authorization Act completed negotiations and approved a conference report on July 14. The measure was fast-tracked to the House and Senate floors for consideration and won quick passage before the chambers adjourned for an extended summer recess. The final bill accomplishes two top-priority AWO objectives. First, it contains language that closes the lease financing loophole of the Jones Act. Second, it contains language to bring towing vessels under Coast Guard inspection. Both of these items are on AWO’s 2004 list of Major Issue Priorities. Their enactment by the Congress is very meaningful to the long-term health and viability of the industry.

The Passenger Vessel Association announced that it is time again to apply for Federal Ferry Boat Discretionary Grants The program helps with the capital costs of new ferry vessels and terminals. The Federal Highway Administration has announced that it is accepting funding proposals for the current round of grants. The deadline is July 15, 2001, but since the application must first be funneled through state transportation officials, an applicant needs to get to work right away. A private operator working in partnership with a public entity is eligible to apply, as is a publicly funded operator. For a copy of the full announcement with additional information on how to apply, go to PVA's web page (www.passengervessel.com ) and click on the "Ferry Grants 2001" icon.