Whitman News

Glosten is growing its PelaStar partner network to prepare for Phase 2 of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Floating Offshore Wind ReadINess (FLOWIN) Prize. The expanded team will focus on identifying facilities and the requisite investment to enable U.S.-based platform fabrication and marine logistics capabilities; creating workforce development plans focused on local manufacturing in underserved communities; advancing engineering readiness for ultra-deepwater sites in the U.S.

Foss Maritime has reached a deal to bareboat charter the tug Earl W Redd from Tug Construction, LLC for use in the U.S. offshore wind industry.The Earl W Redd will sail from Portland, Ore. to Massachusetts later this month to begin work on Foss 's offshore wind projects, including Vineyard Wind, the first large-scale offshore wind installation in the U.S. "The Earl W Redd is a great addition to the Foss fleet and will allow our skilled mariners to safely accomplish complex projects," said Joel Whitman, President of Business Development Foss Offshore Wind.

It’s amazing to consider that a commercial vessel in the Pacific Ocean, approaching the mouth of the Columbia River, can continue its eastward journey to finally tie up at the Port of Lewiston, in Lewiston, Idaho, America’s most inland West Coast port, 465 miles from the Pacific Ocean.The Columbia and Snake Rivers form that critical east-west waterway, an economic powerhouse regionally, nationally and internationally. According to the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA)…

BMT Designers & Planners, a subsidiary of BMT Group, an international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, is leading the effort to repower the historic U.S. Coast Guard training barque, EAGLE. The $1.5M (approx.) project involves engineering, design, supply and logistics support to install a new MTU 8V4000 engine, ZF gearbox, propeller, automation system and other related components. While the vessel is frequently operated under sail by U.S. Coast Guard Academy cadets…

For the first time in roughly 2 million years, melting Arctic sea ice is connecting the north Pacific and north Atlantic oceans. The newly opened passages leave both coasts and Arctic waters vulnerable to a large wave of invasive species, biologists from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center assert in a commentary published in 'Nature Climate Change' and excerpted here. Two new shipping routes have opened in the Arctic: the Northwest Passage through Canada, and the Northern Sea Route, a 3000-mile stretch along the coasts of Russia and Norway connecting the Barents and Bering seas. While new opportunities for tapping Arctic natural resources and interoceanic trade are high, commercial ships often inadvertently carry invasive species.

Berthing a fast attack or fleet ballistic missile (Trident) submarine requires skilled vessel handling, knowledge and practice. The larger Trident subs are 560 ft. long with a beam of 42 ft. and displace almost 17,000 tons. When maneuvering them into port a deep draft camel is a crucial aide to optimizing berthing and mooring procedures. The camel creates and maintains separation between a sub and a waterfront facility. Deflecting or compressing with vessel movement, the camel prevents damage to the hull…

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett announces signature of third Delaware River dredging contract. Governor Tom Corbett was joined by the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority and other dignitaries to announce signature of the third Delaware River dredging contract needed to continue deepening the channel from just south of the Philadelphia International Airport to the Walt Whitman Bridge. "This continuation will allow the Port of Philadelphia to compete with deep-water ports up and down the East Coast," said Corbett. The third contract was awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for $14.55 million and was signed on July 31. Approximately $1 million of commonwealth funds along with $13.55 million of federal funds were used to make this award.

Invasive species have hitchhiked to the U.S. on cargo ships for centuries, but the method U.S. regulators most rely on to keep them out is not equally effective across coasts. Ecologists from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center have found that ports on the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico are significantly less protected than ports on the West Coast. Invaders are frequently introduced across oceans and along coastlines through the ballast water in ship hulls, water that often includes plankton and larval stages of marine and estuarine species.

Crews of the Coast Guard, Philadelphia fire and police, New Jersey police and others are searching for two people after a collision between a duck boat and a barge near Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. Ten of the passengers were taken to Hahnemann University Hospital. At 2:39 p.m. a collision occurred between a duck boat, with 35 passengers and two crewmen, and the 250-foot tug and barge Caribbean Sea on the Delaware River in about 10 feet of water. The Coast Guard launched boat crews from Station Philadelphia and Aids to Navigation Team Philadelphia and an MH-65C Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., to rescue those in distress.

Five Chinese vessels shadowed and maneuvered close to the USNS Impeccable in the March 8, a senior Pentagon official said March 9. The oceanographic ship was 70 miles south of conducting routine operations in international waters when the ships approached, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. "We view these as unprofessional maneuvers by the Chinese vessels and violations under international law to operate with due regard for the rights and safety of other lawful users of the ocean," Whitman said.

On Nov. 19, 2008, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell today defended the military effort to deter piracy in the Gulf of Aden and called on commercial ships to do more against this scourge of the sea. The U.S. 5th Fleet forms the core of the American effort in the Maritime Security Patrol Area, but other nations are involved. “Any number of countries are out there now, patrolling and having a deterrent effect in a huge body of water,” Morrell said. The Gulf of Aden – where recent attacks have occurred – has about 1.1 million square miles of open water. More than 20 nations – under command of a Danish flag officer – are coordinating their efforts in the region. The increasing level of piracy is having an impact on commercial shipping.

Vice Admiral John W. Craine Jr. will be proposed as interim president of the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College next week. Craine recently retired as the Chief of Naval Education and Training for the Navy where he was responsible for all training and education programs across the Navy, including technical and flight training, and Naval ROTC programs. Trustees will vote on this formal appointment Oct. 23, and Craine will take office Oct. 24. Once approved, he will serve through June 2002. SUNY Maritime College is a four-year institution located at historic Fort Schuyler in Throggs Neck, N.Y. of special projects, including international programs and distance learning.

Appropriate, isn’t it, that a man name Flood made his mark on the world painting nautical scenes. Born on the fourth of July in Philadelphia, James Flood has been sketching and painting from the time he was four. His early years embody the stereotypical mold of the artist type — restless and distracted at school, doggedly pursuing his craft and developing his talent, often to the dismay of family. His dedication to the subject was instilled in him at a young age, and was a passion that had outlets beyond the paintbrush and canvas. Flood recalls with joy memories of a young boy who would meticulously create and "sail" his very own fleet of motorized ship models. "I've had a lifelong fascination and attraction to water," he said.

Pennslyvania Governor Edward G. Rendell announced his appointment of John J. Dougherty to the Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey (DRPA). term. serves southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. Ross bridges. the City of Philadelphia. Council and Philadelphia Council of the AFL-CIO. Governor Rendell said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that they are taking action to better coordinate federal programs affecting protection of wetlands and streams. Completing a regulation proposed by the Clinton Administration in 2000, the Army Corps of Engineers is adopting EPA's approach to the Clean Water Act's definition of "fill material," which has been in place since 1977. The regulation will not only remove ambiguity from Clean Water Act's regulations, but also enhance environmental protection of our wetlands and streams by prohibiting the dumping of trash or garbage in them. In addition, the agencies will apply new conditions to permits issued to regulate the placement of dirt and rock from mountaintop mining in streams.

New York and New Jersey are close to reaching an agreement that would break a 17-month deadlock over a port lease that has paralyzed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, according to press reports. Neither New York Gov. George Pataki nor New Jersey Gov. Christie Whitman had signed off on the deal as of early Wednesday evening, but both sides expressed hope that the feud might be near an end. According to those with knowledge of the discussions, some of the major terms of the tentative agreement include: Pataki's signing of a 30-year lease for Maersk Sealand's cargo hub at Port Newark-Elizabeth in New Jersey; Whitman's agreement to let the Port Authority spend $250 million on New York transportation projects.…

New York State Comptroller H. Carl McCall has urged Gov. George Pataki to attend the May 25 board meeting of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in order to help break a 17-month impasse. "It's time for Governor Pataki to step forward, exert some leadership, and get the Port Authority moving again," McCall is reported to have said in a prepared remark. The logjam has stalled major projects, including approval of a new lease for Maersk Sealand, privatization of the World Trade Center and the lease of air rights over the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Also placed on hold was a $3.9 billion capital and operating budget, which was expected to be voted on at last month's board meeting.

Captain Marine Services, Inc. of Dana Beach, Fla. has been servicing the yachting and sport diving industries for the last nine years for all of their need above and below the waterline as well as, providing immediate procurement consolidation and delivery of marine parts, supplies, and diving equipment. President Capt. Thomas J. Dunzelman recently announced the opening of a new shipping, receiving and agents office in Turtle Cove Marina, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, BWI. With many years of experience in the Turks & Caicos Islands, they can advise your clients as well as your crew on what to do and see while visiting Providenciales. Captain Marine Services provides an office where a captain can talk to another captain/engineer about their equipment needs.

The Port Authority Board of Commissioners has authorized a study harbor dredging in the Port of New York and New Jersey to identify, develop and explore innovative and cost-effective ways to remove and dispose of sediment from the port's channels and berths. The goal of the $4 million study is to find the most environmentally sensitive and the most effective way to deepen the port's channels to 45-ft. and then to 50-ft. The deeper channels are needed to accommodate a new generation of cargo megaships that can handle over 6,000 truck-size containers and require deep water to operate. The study will be done in two phases. The first, which will take approximately two years…

A plan is underway to develop the Port of Philadelphia into a major best-in-class East Coast container facility with the potential of employing some 175,000 people and handling more than 3.5 million containers annually. Two major American terminal operators and an investment firm have already expressed interest in developing and operating container handling facilities under the new port development plan. However, the entire development is being jeopardized by the proposed relocation of a 1,100-employee Food Distribution Center (FDC) on prime waterfront real estate. Maritime and port interests are lobbying politicians and the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority to relocate the FDC away from the area.

Navy divers will aid in recovery efforts at the site of the Aug. 1 bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Defense Department officials said Aug. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates approved a request from Transportation Secretary Mary Peters over the weekend. The westbound Interstate 35 bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed during the evening rush hour. Five people are known dead, with 98 injured. Minneapolis officials said 24 of those injured remain in critical condition. Officials said eight more people remain unaccounted for in the collapse. Navy divers will help state and local divers examine wreckage and clear debris. The divers will come from Mobile Dive and Salvage Unit 2, based in Little Creek, Va.

Air Force Reserve C-130 Hercules aircraft are rushing equipment needed to rescue six miners trapped in a cave-in in Huntington, Utah, and Navy divers are ready to begin work at the site of the collapsed bridge in Minneapolis. The Department of Labor asked for the aircraft to move a seismic vehicle, a shelter, an auxiliary truck and a small number of people to Utah. In Minneapolis, about 30 Defense Department personnel are working in support of state and local authorities. "The Navy diving detachment is on site and the salvage team consists of 18 personnel and six-man support team," said Bryan Whitman, Pentagon spokesman. The divers, part of Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2 in Little Creek…

Governor Chris Gregoire announced the designation of 11 Innovation Partnership Zones in Washington, geographic areas that will promote and develop the state’s regional economies. Innovation Partnership Zones build on the success around the world of “research parks,” such as the Research Triangle in North Carolina and Torrey Pines in California and bring together research and higher education opportunities, innovation and economic activity to be a strong engine for regional economies. “Washington is home to some of the greatest innovations in the world and I am excited to support the continued success of our state’s world-class companies,” said Governor Gregoire.