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Waterways Management News

27 Jan 2022

Sea Machines Forms Strategic Advisory Board

Rear Admiral Mark Buzby (top left), Kathleen Haines (top right), Denise Kurtulus (bottom left) and Rear Admiral Mary E. Landry (bottom right). (Courtesy Sea Machines)

Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics, developer of autonomous command and control systems for commercial vessels, announced Thursday it has formed a strategic advisory board made up of industry experts to help steer strategic vision and growth.The Boston-based company said it has been growing rapidly and will rely on its new board as it develops new products and creates partnerships.Sea Machines’ advisory board is made up of Rear Admiral Mark Buzby, administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) and retired rear admiral U.S.

20 Sep 2021

Fitzgerald Honored as he Retires from the US Coast Guard Reserve

Freehill Hogan & Mahar LLP Partner Daniel Fitzgerald retired from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve in a ceremony at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington D.C. Photo courtesy Freehill Hogan & Mahar LLP.

Freehill Hogan & Mahar LLP Partner Daniel Fitzgerald retired from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve in a ceremony at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington D.C., this summer.Rear Admiral Melissa Bert presided over the ceremony, which was attended by family, friends and Coast Guard colleagues who worked with Fitzgerald over the past 28 years. Fitzgerald retired from his last duty assignment in Washington D.C. where he served as the Senior Reserve Judge Advocate (RJAG) for the entire Coast Guard Reserve.

29 Dec 2020

Historic Dredging Unlocks the Might of the Mississippi

(Photo provided by the Big River Coalition as captured by P.J. Hahn of Pelican Coast Consulting)

Humanity will forever remember 2020 as the “Year of COVID-19” fraught with the pains of a pandemic and its impacts on our physical and mental health. Yet, as a navigation representative along the Mississippi River Ship Channel (MRSC), I will always be able to see the bright side. In this case, that is life outside of COVID. The Mississippi River Ship Channel Deepening began in 2020, oddly enough on another date tied forever to a tragic time in our history. As a major focus for the Big River Coalition…

08 Dec 2020

US Coast Guard Upgrades First Lighthouse to LED

The Coast Guard lit a first of its kind LED-based rotating beacon at Oak Island
Lighthouse on Caswell Beach, N.C., December 7, 2020. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard said it lit a first-of-its-kind LED-based rotating beacon at Oak Island Lighthouse on Caswell Beach, N.C., Monday.This upgrade is the Coast Guard’s first LED-based rotating beacon for an active aid to navigation and will provide a permanent, cost-effective and energy-efficient solution for the lighthouse. Necessary renovations of the lighthouse to prepare for the new beacon began in October."Lighthouses have navigational and historic significance here in North Carolina," said Lt. Brittany Akers, chief of waterways management at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina.

23 Aug 2020

Passenger Vessel Grounds in the Saint Lawrence River

(Photo: USCG Great Lakes)

All passengers have safely debarked a passenger vessel that ran aground and began taking on water in the Saint Lawrence River near Alexandria Bay, N.Y., Thursday afternoon.The U.S. Coast Guard said it received a report at 1:17 p.m. that the tour boat Island Duchess, operated by Uncle Sam Boat Tours, had run aground with 134 passengers on board for a day cruise. All passengers were transferred via responding assets from multiple assisting agencies to another USBT-operated vessel…

20 Aug 2019

Ed LeBlanc Joins Ørsted

Ørsted US Offshore Wind has hired former U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) officer Ed LeBlanc as Manager of Marine Affairs.The company operates Block Island Wind Farm, America’s first offshore wind farm said that  LeBlanc has over 40 years of experience in the USCG, most recently serving as the Chief of Waterways Management Division, Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England since 2003.“We are thrilled to add such an accomplished veteran of the USCG to our team. Ed’s breadth of experience will be a significant addition to the Marine Affairs department,” said John O’Keeffe Head of Marine Affairs U.S. for Ørsted.In addition to his experience with waterway management, Mr.

30 Apr 2019

USCG VADM Fagan Weighs in on Arctic Plans

 U.S. Coast Guard photograph by Senior Chief Petty Officer NyxoLyno Cangemi

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Pacific Area commander discussed the service’s new Arctic Strategic Outlook, Polar Security Cutters and innovation efforts to improve maritime domain awareness in the high latitudes April 26, 2019, during the Arctic Encounter Symposium in Seattle.During her keynote speech at the symposium, Vice Adm. Linda Fagan said, “The tyranny of distance and the harsh Arctic climate pose significant challenges to agencies charged with providing maritime safety and security to all Americans, including the hundreds of villages and thousands of seasonal workers in the U.S.

29 Apr 2019

Coast Guard Discusses Developing Arctic Role

U.S. Coast Guard photograph by Senior Chief Petty Officer NyxoLyno Cangemi

The U.S. Coast Guard's Pacific Area commander discussed the service's new Arctic Strategic Outlook, Polar Security Cutters and innovation efforts to improve maritime domain awareness in the high latitudes Friday during the Arctic Encounter Symposium in Seattle.During her keynote speech at the symposium, Vice Adm. Linda Fagan said, “The tyranny of distance and the harsh Arctic climate pose significant challenges to agencies charged with providing maritime safety and security to all Americans, including the hundreds of villages and thousands of seasonal workers in the U.S.

28 Mar 2019

USCG: Have a Regime When the Current’s Abeam

File Image: CREDIT AWO

Ensure adequate maneuvering space!Recently there were three marine casualties that resulted in the sinking of towing vessels on the Lower Mississippi River. One of the casualties resulted in a fatality. These cases are all under investigation by the Coast Guard, but the preliminary fact finding indicates there are some similarities between the three incidents. In all three cases towing vessels became pinned against another object in an aspect that exposed the vessel broadside to very strong currents.

30 Jan 2019

INSIGHTS: Admiral Karl Schultz, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard

Admiral Karl L. Schultz, the 26th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard.

Admiral Karl L. Schultz assumed the duties as the 26th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard on June 1, 2018. He previously served from August 2016 to May 2018 as Commander, Atlantic Area where he was the operational commander for all Coast Guard missions spanning five Coast Guard Districts and 40 states. Previous operational assignments include Sector Commander in Miami, Florida, as well as command tours aboard Cutters VENTUROUS, ACACIA and FARALLON. His senior staff assignments include Chief of the Office of Congressional and Governmental Affairs; Congressional Liaison to the U.S.

17 Oct 2018

The USCG RDC & Electronic Aids To Navigation

© Rob Bouwman/Adobe Stock

To recreational boaters, Aids to Navigation (ATON) are the familiar red and green buoys (and day markers) that line our inland waterways. What they might not be aware of is that buoys have been around since the days of the Roman and Egyptian empires. In the decades following the creation of our country, buoys in every shape and color began appearing in our waterways. It wasn’t until 1850 that Congress harmonized their deployment, thereby encouraging the familiar “Red, Right, Returning” mantra.

17 May 2018

An Unlikely and Remarkable Safety Journey

(Credit: Gregory Thorp)

Late last year, the Transportation Research Board released a major study that was undertaken “in response to the rapid development of domestic sources of energy and questions about the safest ways to move these products.” The Study Committee examined the operational responses of the three primary modes impacted by the fracking revolution – rail, pipeline and maritime. A primary observation of this work was that that the “Marine Transportation System Offers a Model for Robust Safety…

27 Feb 2018

Op/Ed: Safeguarding Our Marine Transportation System

ATON outage position shown

The U.S. Coast Guard has the enduring responsibility to safeguard the MTS and enable the uninterrupted flow of maritime commerce. Our great Nation’s vast network of navigable waterways, deepwater ports and protected harbors are natural economic assets and provide unfettered access to the world’s two largest oceans. This powerful maritime capability sustains America’s national security and fuels economic prosperity through the 25,000 mile Marine Transportation System (MTS). The MTS supports thousands of ships and 250…

20 Oct 2017

Rob Nakama: From USCG to Foss Maritime

Rob Nakama (Photo: Saltchuk)

Just two weeks after accepting the U.S. Coast Guard’s congratulations on a military career spanning almost three decades, Rob Nakama drove from Washington D.C. to Seattle to join Foss Maritime as the company’s Manager of Contingency Planning and Emergency Response. “I’ve been in the military for the majority of my life; the transition has been surreal,” he said. Nakama was born in Hawaii, growing up on the island of Maui as the son of a taro farmer who worked for the Aloha Poi Factory.

08 Mar 2017

Interview: Rear Admiral Paul Thomas, USCG

Rear Admiral Paul Thomas develops and maintains policy, standards and program alignment for waterways management, navigation safety, boating, commercial vessels, ports and facilities, merchant mariner credentialing, vessel documentation, marine casualty investigation, inspection and port state control activities. He serves as the Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy overseeing three Coast Guard directorates: Inspections and Compliance, Marine Transportation Systems, and Commercial Regulations and Standards. A specialist in Marine Safety, Security and Environmental Protection, he has served at the Marine Safety Center in Washington, DC and many others before that. His other tours include, among others, service as Commanding Officer of USCGC CAPE ROMAIN.

24 Mar 2016

US, Canadian Coast Guards Leaders Discuss Partnership

Julie Gascon, Assistant Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard’s Central and Arctic Region and Rear Adm. June Ryan, the commander of the USCG 9th District met with their employees aboard Coast Guard ships and a CCG helicopter in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario and Sault Ste. Marie Michigan March 21 2016. (Photo credit: USCG)

Rear Adm. June E. Ryan, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Ninth District, was welcomed aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Samuel Risley by Assistant Commissioner Julie Gascon and Captain Signe Gotfredsen of the Canadian Coast Guard, Central and Arctic Region Monday. After a relatively mild winter on the Great Lakes escorting ships through ice and preventing ice jams, the Samuel Risley was upbound through the Soo Locks and the St. Marys River to Lake Superior for further icebreaking at the Port of Thunder Bay and buoy-tending duties.

26 Jan 2016

Interview: Dave Anderson, President, Passenger Vessel Association

Dave Anderson

Dave Anderson is the President of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA). He also serves as General Manager/Director of Operations of Fire Island Ferries, Inc., Bay Shore, N.Y. on Long Island. The company has provided passenger service, freight service and water taxi service to Fire Island communities since 1948. The firm operates 23 subchapter T and K vessels ranging from six to 400 passengers. Anderson, an honors graduate from CW Post Long Island University where he earned his BA in Communication Arts in 1984, also holds a 100 ton Masters license which he earned in 1983.

01 Oct 2015

SubM Debut Now Set for February 2016

ABS and ABS Group are conducting seminars for industry stakeholders seeking to learn more about Subchapter M and compliance options. Pictured here are attendees and speakers at a recent event in Paducah, KY.

The perennial “Year of Subchapter M” has been kicked forward again, this time to February 2016. That means that the clock is now ticking loudly for those towing operations that have yet to climb onboard the safety train. Quality operators see standardized safety practices as a way of leveling the playing field, integral to maintaining the health and profitability of their fleets, and key to winning business from quality customers. Subchapter M will be a phased-in over a period of years. It’s not as much time as you think.

12 May 2015

Vandalism to Lights & Bouys Endangers Mariners in Pacific Northwest

The Coast Guard is asking for the public's help to put a stop to the vandalism of aids to navigation throughout the Pacific Northwest. Several navigational lights in the region have been vandalized rendering them inoperable or limiting their visibility. Recently the batteries were deliberately and illegally removed from a light marking a red and black dayboard on a tower at Reach Range H Rear Light and other aids near Gray’s Harbor. Graffiti applied to the Elk Rock Island Light 13 near Portland, Ore., obscured the green dayboards making them harder to see at a distance and more difficult to read in general. "The loss of this equipment costs taxpayers and the Coast Guard in many ways: first is the obvious financial burden of replacing the damaged or stolen equipment…

18 Feb 2015

Insights: Rear Admiral Paul F. Thomas

Rear Admiral Paul Thomas is the Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy overseeing three Coast Guard directorates: Inspections and Compliance, Marine Transportation Systems, and Commercial Regulations and Standards. The programs include waterways management, navigation and boating safety, ports and facilities, merchant mariner credentialing, vessel documentation, marine casualty investigation, commercial vessel inspections, and port state control. A longtime specialist in Marine Safety…

19 Jun 2014

US Coast Guard Outlines Arctic Priorities

USCG Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. Jodie Knox)

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger, the USCG’s Vice Commandant, presented the service’s 2014 Arctic priorities in support of the Coast Guard’s Arctic Strategy at an Arctic-shipping event sponsored by the Norwegian Embassy. The USCG’s Arctic Strategy is built around three strategic objectives: improve awareness, modernize governance and broaden partnerships in the Arctic region. “Where there are humans on the water, there is a demand for us to keep them safe and secure and ensure environmental responsibility,” said Neffenger.

06 Oct 2014

LNG America Taps Paitl for VP Marine Ops

Captain George “Joe” Paitl

LNG America welcomes Captain George “Joe” Paitl to position of VP Marine Operations and HSSE Compliance. Capt. Paitl is a retired US Coast Guard senior officer who most recently held the position of Commanding Officer and Captain of the Port, Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, where he oversaw safety, security, law enforcement, and environmental regulatory compliance across a 39,000 square mile area spanning Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana; the Port Arthur unit includes the nation's busiest commercial military cargo port…

21 Oct 2014

Sunken Barge Salvage Stops Traffic on Chicago River

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is restricting vessel traffic on the Chicago River to allow for salvage of a sunken barge. All cargo has been removed from the sunken barge in the Chicago River between the Lake and Randolph Street bridges and divers are currently in the water to conduct a survey of the barge's hull. The barge has been secured so that a 50-foot clearance can allow for vessel traffic to transit. Once the divers complete their survey, the company intends to formulate a salvage plan to either move the barge to another location or lift it out of the water. Coast Guard assets are on scene to monitor vessel traffic while divers are in the water.