Yukon News

Two new routes have been designated under the U.S. Marine Highway Program (MHP), U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced this week during a visit to Alaska.The newly designated M-11 in Alaska will add over 6,500 miles to the marine highway system, and the M-79 route extends the reach of the Ohio River system by nearly 250 miles in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. These designations allow any eligible applicant on these routes to apply for future U.S. Marine Highway Program grants…

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.

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.

The U.S. Coast Guard’s mission of keeping the seas safe will soon get an additional boost from space with two polar satellites. The two satellites, called “cube satellites” or “cubesats” for their small size of about 60 square centimeters, or a little under 2 feet, will be part of a payload on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California Nov. 28. Although the Coast Guard has used satellite technology for years, these two are the first to be entirely dedicated to a Coast Guard mission. The initiative is part of the U.S.

A subsidiary of Carnival Corporation has reached a deal to purchase port, railroad and retail operations that form a gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush region, in a major push into the Alaskan tourism industry.Carnival, the world’s largest cruise and leisure travel company, announced Thursday it has entered a purchase and sale agreement through its subsidiary Holland America Princess Alaska Tours to acquire TWC Enterprises Limited’s White Pass & Yukon Route (WP&YR) division, which includes port, railroad and retail operations in Skagway, Alaska.

At the completion of its 1,000 km drive along the highway from Edmonton to Hay River and the 850 km sail down the Mackenzie River to Norman Wells, the Aurora Yukon was delivered to its owner by the builder Waiward Steel LP of Edmonton, AB. The Aurora Yukon will operate with an existing tug, to carry vehicles and passengers across the Mackenzie River at Norman Wells. The Aurora Yukon replaces an existing barge which was originally built in 1969. The barge was designed by Robert Allan Ltd.

The U.S. Navy has a balanced fleet, but it wants to grow bigger and better. Will the budget allow both? Maritime Reporter's March 2017 cover story on the U.S. Navy was all about the numbers. There exists several plans to grow the fleet beyond the current number of 308 ships, the Mitre recommendation of 414 ships, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment 340-ship proposal, and the Navy’s decision to grow the fleet to 355 ships, and the Trump administration’s 350. With so many numbers being bandied about, there are even more suggestions on how to get there.

“If it works well, then why change it?” might have been the idea of the owner of a new Yukon River salmon tender building at WCT Marine’s shipyard at Tongue Point on the Columbia River near Astoria, Oregon. Owner R. Bodey had Tullio Celano draw up a set of plans from a vessel that he had owned some year before. He took these to Willie Toristoja and his crew at WCT Marine Construction, Inc in Astoria, Oregon where the steel hull and aluminum superstructure were well along by the end of November, 2016. The boat is designed to serve as a tender for salmon on the Yukon River.

As the oil industry awaits a much-needed rebound, Foss Maritime’s robust presence in the Arctic region underscores its commitment to the region, the environment, and a business plan that looks ahead to the next chapter. Reports of the death of commercial Arctic activities have been greatly exaggerated. While Arctic energy projects have, by and large, been put on the back burner – like most things related to energy in other places – there are still many projects ongoing; and still others being planned.

Gate terminal and its shareholders Gasunie and Vopak are proud to announce that the LNG terminal at the Maasvlakte in Rotterdam has been expanded to include a third berth and special infrastructure for the loading of small LNG vessels. In conjunction with LNG bunker vessels, the new berth will in future also make it easier for ocean-going vessels to fill up with LNG in Rotterdam. As with other kinds of maritime fuel LNG can be pumped on board large ocean-going vessels using bunker vessels. These can now be loaded at Gate terminal which receives LNG from large LNG tankers arriving from several global origins. The use of LNG as a maritime fuel is being encouraged by the European Union, the Dutch government and the Port of Rotterdam because of its more environmentally-friendly properties.

The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today that they will honor the men and women who serve on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sycamorefor outstanding service to the 17th District and our nation. The Alaska Awards Dinner will be held at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorageon Wednesday, August 10, 2016. Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, commandant of the Coast Guard will deliver keynote remarks and RADM Michael McAllister, commander of the 17th Coast Guard District will also address attendees. Alaska's Senator Lisa Murkoswki and Congressman Donald Young will also be in attendance. Special guest will be the renowned Iditarod Musher, AliyZirkle.

Saam Smit Towage Canada will support the Heart and Stroke Foundation during the month of February by donating a portion of its revenue from each vessel it assists in British Columbia. The company also plans to have various internal employee participation fundraising initiatives. Saam Smit Towage (SST), a joint venture between SAAM and Royal Boskalis, and operating in various locations in the Americas, announced its support to the Heart and Stroke Foundation during the month of February.

After nine years of operation in the harsh, abrasive waters of Alaska’s Yukon River, aboard Inland Barge Service’s push boat Ramona, Thordon Bearings’ RiverTough water-lubricated tail-shaft bearing system has emerged completely free of wear and tear, according tot the manufacturer. The performance of the RiverTough bearings in waters renowned for their high content of gritty glacial silt came to light when the 16-meter workboat’s cracked struts underwent repair in dry-dock. Charles Hnilicka…

Coast Survey has issued provisional charts for barge operators and others traversing Alaska's challenging Yukon River, relying solely on satellite images to create the electronic navigational charts that only display shoreline and shoals (shallow areas). The ENCs, which display no depth soundings, will give the mariners annually updated information to help their navigation along the changeable river. "The Yukon was literally uncharted," Kampia told the group. "After some analysis and brainstorming, we decided to create a prototype ENC using only satellite data.

Fednav Limited, a Canadian operator of international ships in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system, announced an order for 12 ballast water treatment systems to equip its ships currently under construction. According to the shipper, this makes Fednav the first shipping company in Canada and the Great Lakes to announce the installation of ballast water treatment systems, well before the regulatory requirement. "Our company is committed to stimulating trade and enhancing Canada's economy while protecting the Great Lakes against the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species…

Holland America Line is planning special promotions for National Cruise Vacation Week (NCVW), which runs Oct. 6-13, 2014. Organized by Cruise Lines International Association, the weeklong event features promotions and online opportunities to give consumers a perfect opportunity to book a cruise vacation while taking advantage of special savings. “Each year National Cruise Vacation Week highlights cruising as a vacation choice, and we are celebrating by offering special promotions to entice travelers to book their dream vacation,” said Richard Meadows, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs for Holland America Line.

Holland America Line knows the trend for savvy travelers is to book vacations well in advance. To encourage those early bookings the line is returning with its popular “Explore 4” savings program that is better than before with four exceptional offers on select 2015 and 2016 sailings. The “Explore 4” benefits include a free Signature Beverage Package and free Pinnacle Grill dinner for guests booking an ocean-view and higher category stateroom, free or reduced cruise fares for third and fourth guests in the same stateroom on select sailings and 50 percent reduced deposits. Suite bookings also receive a $300 onboard spending credit per stateroom ($150 per person) and a free Canaletto dinner in addition to the other four offers.

Oil from a spill or oil well blowout in the Arctic waters of Canada's Beaufort Sea could easily become trapped in sea ice and potentially spread more than 1,000 kilometres to the west coast of Alaska, a World Wildlife Fund study showed on Friday. The WWF contracted RPS Applied Science Associates to model 22 different oil spill scenarios and map the spread of the oil, potential impact on the water and shoreline, and interaction with sea ice, wildlife and the surrounding ecology. Types of oil spills analyzed included shipping spills, shallow-water blowouts and deep-water blowouts. The BP Plc Macondo oil well rupture in 2010 that unleashed more than four million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico was a deep-water blowout.

For Canada and the United States, the Beaufort basin offers unique opportunities for Alaska and Canada’s Arctic territories, says a research paper from Canada's Centre for International Government Innovation (CIGI). The Arctic is facing remarkable climatic and oceanic change that is triggering unprecedented opportunities and challenges for Arctic nations, as well as for countries that do not have Arctic territory but are eager to engage and invest in the region. The Northwest Territories’ (NWT’s) privileged resource endowment and geographic position on the Beaufort basin provide exceptional opportunities for the territory over the longer term in maritime resource development and destination and transpolar shipping as the Arctic ice cap melts.

The crew of the Crowley Maritime Corp. tug 'Siku', operating in Western Alaska, recently rescued six men adrift in the Bering Sea. Shortly before the incident, the men’s 21-foot, aluminum skiff ran out of gas in Hooper Bay and was being quickly blown out of the bay and into increasingly heavy seas. Responding to a request by the Coast Guard, the crew of Siku, which was in the area holding for weather, located the skiff, which was drifting about a mile offshore of Hooper Bay despite having dropped its anchor.

Crowley Maritime Corporation's group recently completed the sale of 2.836 acres of unimproved land to Nenana Tortella Council on Aging for a mere $500. The lot, which has a market value of $25,000 upon recent appraisal in 2013, will be used by the council as a community match which is required to secure additional funds for a desperately needed, new Senior Center. Crowley’s Nenana terminal serves as a loading port for barges making fuel and freight deliveries to communities on the upper Yukon River, including company owned tank farms in Fort Yukon and Galena.

Crowley Maritime Corporation recently awarded four Thomas B. Crowley, Sr., Memorial Scholarships to University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) students Alexandra Bateman, Gabrielle Bragg, Diloola Erickson and Kimberly Greenway. These students were chosen for their outstanding academic records and having met other scholarship criteria. They each received $2,500 toward tuition. Preferences for Crowley-funded UAF scholarships are given to Alaska natives from Crowley-served communities throughout the state…

Listed among the latest Department of Defense, Navy, contracts, Detyens Shipyards, Inc., is to overhaul and drydock the 'USNS Leroy Grumman' and Vigor Marine LLC is to carry out the same on the 'USNS Yukon'. 1. Detyens Shipyards, Inc., North Charleston, S.C. is being awarded a $9,654,055 firm-fixed-price contract for a 55-calendar day regular overhaul and dry docking of fleet replenishment oiler USNS Leroy Grumman (T-AO 195). Work will include port main engine clutch and coupling overhaul…