Vessel Boarding News

Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Agency's new Lynx Catamaran recently went on sea trials off the coast of Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.Designed by Chartwell Marine and built by Goodchild Marine Services, the newbuild, Protector, has an overall length of 16.2 meters and a beam of 6.5 meters. Powered by Volvo Penta D8 IMO Tier III compliant engines, the vessel delivers a top speed of 22 knots and a service speed of 18 knots.The vessel will protect inshore fisheries from Haile Sand Fort in the north to Felixstowe in the south…

San Francisco Bay Area boatbuilder Moose Boats said it has recently delivered an M1 – 46 to the State of California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife. The vessel is to be named, Chinook and will be based out of Fort Bragg, Calif. to serve as an offshore patrol boat.Twin Volvo Penta D11-625hp turbo diesel propulsion engines, Twin Disc transmissions and Hamilton water-jets with Blue Arrow and Jet Anchor station-keeping controls power the 46-foot aluminum catamaran. Accommodations…

RIBCRAFT USA, a manufacturer of rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) for law enforcement, safety professionals and military agencies, announced that it recently entered the production phase on its five-year IDIQ contract with the U.S. Navy to build the standard 7- Meter RIB.Under the multi-year contract, RIBCRAFT will build up to 278 of the 7-Meter rigid inflatable boats worth approximately $80 million. This is purported to be the largest single contract based on number of boats ever awarded by the U.S.

The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned its 47th Sentinel-class cutter, USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr. (WPC 1147), into service on ThursdayBuilt by Bollinger Shipyards and officially delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard on January 6 in Key West, Fla., Clarence Sutphin Jr. is Patrol Forces Southwest Asia's (PATFORSWA) sixth 154-foot Sentinel-class cutter.Vice Adm. Steven Poulin, U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area commander, presided over the commissioning ceremony at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City.

Is neo-colonialism in the Gulf of Guinea the answer to West Africa’s maritime crime crisis?In October 2020, China’s transport ministry established an ad hoc workgroup to lay down precautionary measures for ships and seafarers passing through high piracy risk West African waters.The move came as China told its vessels to up vigilance and implement a series of precautionary measures to ensure the security of ocea-going vessels and seafarers amid rising attacks and a surge in kidnaps in the Gulf of Guinea.Plans outlined by Wu Chungeng…

For the Design issue Greg Trauthwein asked me to write about a favorite ship design. I have no favorite ship design, or should say there are simply too many that are truly worthy of mention. But when considering favorite designs, ship designers (and builders) do carry a strange curse. Unique among engineers (and artists, architects, and industrial designers) their creations only live for about 30 years. With very few exceptions, in their own life time, ship designers get to see the disassembly of most of their creations. I am not aware of any other creations that are so readily tossed aside.

Moose Boats, a boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, was awarded a contract from the State of California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife for the construction of an M1-46 catamaran to serve as an offshore Game Warden boat.Twin Volvo Penta D11-625hp turbo diesel propulsion engines, Twin Disc transmissions and Hamilton water-jets with Blue Arrow and Jet Anchor station-keeping controls will power the 46 foot aluminum catamaran. Accommodations are designed…

Seastreak’s newest vessel, Seastreak Commodore, has been developed in response to significant passenger volume growth and brings the operator’s fleet of Incat Crowther-designed vessels to a total of eight.The 45m-long, 600-passenger ferry built at the Gulf Craft shipyard in Louisiana is the highest capacity UCSG k-Class fast ferry ever built. Incat Crowther said it worked closely with Seastreak to develop the vessel’s layout and styling to allow 600 people to safely and comfortably undertake their daily commute.

As the maritime industry embraces the digital revolution, companies like GateHouse are poised to prosper. GateHouse in developing software solutions to support optimization, flexibility and mission critical operations for vehicle and vessel tracking, monitoring and satellite communications. We caught up with Michael Bondo Andersen, CEO and founder of GateHouse, for insights on his strategy moving the company forward. Looking at your maritime unit, Big Data is having a transformational impact on global maritime. Please detail your offering.

In response to significant growth in passenger volume, New York ferry operator Seastreak has contracted Incat Crowther to design a 45-meter catamaran passenger vessel for its fleet, thus increasing its number of Incat Crowther designed vessels to eight. Incat Crowther has worked with Seastreak to provide an operational advantage in a competitive market. The new vessel will continue this approach and be based on the fleet’s largest ferries, Seastreak Wall Street, Seastreak Manhattan, Seastreak Highlands and Seastreak New York. Passenger capacity is increased to 600.

St Brides, the first of three 19-meter pilot boats built by Mainstay Marine for the Port of Milford Haven, has recently been launched. Shipbuilder Mainstay Marine Solutions called the £3.6 million contract a flagship project, with delivery for the second and third vessels due in April and July, respectively. A naming ceremony will be held for all three vessels late July this year. The new pilot boats are an upgraded version of the Picton Pilot Boat built by the company in 2006.

Eliminating the slack line required for conventional tie-ups, PSI Marine's TideSlide Mooring System reduces inertial loading usually generated by a moored vessel. TideSlide's strength and safety are ideal for commercial docks where cargo or passengers are loaded. Maintaining the vessel's boarding proximity allows safer movement of freight and passengers. TideSlide's vertical movement absorbs any built-up energy, enabling a vessel to be safely and securely held even in the presence of wind, waves and tides.

SAFE Boats International has been selected by the Colombian Navy/Coast Guard to build its new Type-F Riverine Interceptor Vessel. The contract will provide the Colombian Navy/Coast Guard with a state-of-the-art, shallow draft, aluminum high speed intercept vessel designed to provide tactical mobility and support in opposed riverine and littoral environments. The vessel will perform missions of offensive patrolling, combat drug trafficking, piracy, arms and explosives smuggling and can conduct vessel-to-vessel boarding operations to guarantee the security of commercial shipping lines within Colombia. The proven SAFE Boats International design has twin Yamaha outboard engines…

Combat, Patrol and Law Enforcement Vessels Meet Multiple Missions with varied business plans. U.S. firms building patrol, combat and law enforcement craft are weathering government budget cuts by strengthening ties with clients and public agencies. These unique boats remain in demand because of terrorism, crime, wars, piracy and fire, and most serve multiple missions. As maritime nations beef up their defense capabilities, U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) programs help builders do business overseas.

This alert raises awareness as to the importance of not modifying equipment or components from their intended design or operation. Recently, a State Pilot suffered a concussion as he was boarding a vessel via its pilot ladder. The primary cause of the accident was an improperly modified embarkation ladder hull magnet that disconnected from the ship's hull and struck the Pilot on the head. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. Additional incidents with injuries have occurred on other vessels at several different ports.

In a dangerous world, even the largest ship in the world depends on the smallest maritime security and special mission platform. And when it comes to small boat security operations, innovation is the name of the game. With 90% of world trade transported by sea then passing through ports and waterways, no amount of technology will replace the requirement for multiple small fast craft and skilled operators. Finding new ways to share knowledge and best practice has never been more important in the maritime world.

SEEMP can make a fleet more competitive in a difficult business environment while reducing its impact on the environment. In January 2013, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) put into force new regulations intended to improve the energy efficiency of ships over 400 gross tonnes (gt) on international voyages, including a requirement to keep on board a ship-specific Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP). This initiative is intended to reduce ship greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by encouraging ship operators to reduce energy consumption. Since that time, there has been much discussion within the shipping industry about the potential domestic enforcement of the SEEMP. Recently, the U.S.

Members from various Coast Guard units throughout the United States joined together Sunday in support of the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington Monday. Members of the Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team from Coast Guard Regional Dive Locker East, located in Portsmouth, Va., and Coast Guard Regional Dive Locker West, located in San Diego, Calif., patroled areas of the Potomac River for possible security threats. Members of a Vessel Boarding Security Team from Coast Guard Sector Baltimore conducted initial safety inspections aboard the cruise ship Odyssey III.

The Coast Guard has since Sunday taken action in three unrelated marine safety cases, which has protected the environment, protected mariners and protected the maritime transportation system in the port of Portland, Oregon. Sector Columbia River’s recent activity began around 11 a.m. Sunday with notification from the 648-foot car carrier Morning Spruce of the vessel’s loss of engine power while 12 miles southwest of the Columbia River bar, leaving the vessel adrift in 12-foot seas. The Coast Guard Captain of the Port issued an order directing the owner of the Morning Spruce to immediately contract for tow vessels to hold the ship offshore. In addition to its cargo, the Morning Spruce was reportedly carrying a combined 543,000 gallons of heavy oil, diesel and lube oil.

Incat Crowther announce the launch of a 24m Catamaran Ferry constructed by Marine Engineering Consultants. Based on the successful Fantasea Sunrise (launched in 2011), Riverside Avalon is the first of three vessels contracted by Riverside Marine to ferry construction workers to the QCLNG project on Curtis Island. As delivered, Riverside Avalon carries 246 passengers over two decks, with seats are arranged in forward facing rows. Vessel boarding is via folding ramps midships and aft on both sides.

Incat Crowther has announced the launch of a 24m Catamaran Ferry constructed by Marine. Engineering Consultants. Based on the successful Fantasea Sunrise (launched in 2011), Riverside Avalon is the first of three vessels contracted by Riverside Marine to ferry construction workers to the QCLNG project on Curtis Island. As delivered, Riverside Avalon carries 246 passengers over two decks, with seats are arranged in forward facing rows. Three toilets, including one handicap toilet, are located on the main deck. An additional toilet is located on the upper deck.

Incat Crowther announced the launch of a 24m Catamaran Ferr,y constructed by Marine Engineering Consultants. Based on the successful Fantasea Sunrise (launched in 2011), Riverside Avalon is the first of three vessels contracted by Riverside Marine to ferry construction workers to the QCLNG project on Curtis Island. Riverside Avalon carries 246 passengers over two decks with seats arranged in forward facing rows. Three toilets, including one handicap toilet, are located on the main deck. An additional toilet is located on the upper deck.

Metal Shark Boats this week delivered the first new Response Boat-Small (RB-S) II to the U.S. Coast Guard's Special Missions Training Center at Camp LeJune, North Carolina. Designed to gradually replace the Defender-class RB-S as it reaches the end of its service life, the vessel is the first of 38 boats scheduled for delivery to the Coast Guard by April 2013. RB-S II's flexibility as a multi-function platform makes it ideal for use across the Coast Guard's full mission spectrum, including search and rescue, vessel boarding-team deployment, law enforcement, drug interdiction, and environmental response operations. Future deliveries will be assigned to various units including Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSST)…