Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Cmdr News

13 Dec 2023

Twelve Rescued After Cargo Vessel Capsizes

(Photo: Carnival Corp)

Twelve mariners were rescued after a small cargo vessel capsized near the Dominican Republic.Carnival Corp said the crew aboard its cruise ship Carnival Vista rescued six from the water early Wednesday morning after the cargo vessel Two Brothers capsized about 30 miles north of Puerto Plata overnight.Carnival Vista’s officers under the direction of Captain Paolo Severini immediately altered the ship’s course, in coordination with Carnival’s Fleet Operations Center in Miami, when…

31 Oct 2023

Grounded Cargo Ship Refloated in the Caribbean

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A cargo ship that ran aground off St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands earlier this month has been refloated and towed to a safe mooring location at the Crown Bay Sandfill dock, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Vessel owners and salvors will now coordinate further operations to remove the damaged cargo, remaining oil and conduct further salvage or repair operations for the Bonnie G.The Vanuatu-flagged vessel began taking on water and ran aground on October 4, leading the 12 people on board to be rescued after abandoning ship. No injuries were reported.To refloat the Bonnie G, DonJon-SMIT, Inc.

11 Sep 2023

Littoral Combat Ship USS Milwaukee Decommissioned

USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) (Photo: U.S. Navy)

The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) has been decommissioned after less than eight years of naval service.The U.S. Navy has been scrapping its fleet of littoral combat ships—including both its Freedom and Independence variants. The latest to get the axe, USS Milwaukee, was decommissioned in Mayport, Fla. on September 8.During the ceremony guest speaker, Vice Adm. Dirk Debbink (USN, Ret), former chairman of Milwaukee’s commissioning committee wished…

31 Aug 2023

NPS Research on Coast Guard Icebreaker to Enhance Arctic Readiness

During a seven-week Arctic transit aboard the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Healy (WAGB 20), Dr. Nita Shattuck from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) will study the impact of the extreme environment on crew performance and potential mitigations. Additional research includes assessment of an Amos01 3D printer installed by David Dausen from NPS’ Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE), and specially instrumented to measure the impact of adverse Arctic sea conditi

During a seven-week Arctic transit aboard the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Healy (WAGB 20), researchers from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) will study the impact of the extreme environment on crew performance and potential mitigations, as well as advanced Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies in adverse sea conditions.The studies, which commenced with Healy’s departure from Kodiak, Alaska on Aug. 26, will be led by principal investigator Dr. Nita Shattuck, a professor in the NPS Operations Research (OR) department.

28 Aug 2023

14th Annual Maritime Risk Symposium to be Held Nov. 14-16 at SUNY Maritime

The 2023 Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS) will be held Nov. 14-16, 2023, as an in-person event, hosted by Maritime College, State University of New York (SUNY) at the Maritime Academic Center. The theme of the 14th annual event is â€śManaging Impacts of Supply Chain Disruptors, Renewable Energy, Emerging Technology on the Maritime Transportation System (MTS)” with a focus on offshore infrastructure risk and disruptors. Founded in 1874, Maritime College is the oldest maritime college in the United States, providing mariner training for 150 years.

07 Aug 2023

Newport News Authenticates Keel of Virginia-class Attack Submarine Oklahoma

(Photo: HII)

HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division authenticated the keel today for Virginia-class attack submarine Oklahoma (SSN 802).“We enjoy participating in Navy traditions like this one because they remind us of the important role we play in our nation’s defense,” NNS President Jennifer Boykin said. “The nuclear submarines we build help ensure our peace and freedoms, and we take great pride in being a nuclear shipyard.”The ship’s sponsor is Mary “Molly” Slavonic, an Oklahoma native. Slavonic has long supported both the state of Oklahoma and the Navy.

05 Jul 2023

Five Rescued After Boat Strikes a Barge Near Galveston

(Screenshot from U.S. Coast Guard video, courtesy Air Station Houston)

Five people were rescued from the water Tuesday after their boat struck a barge near Galveston, Texas, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Houston-Galveston received a call at 9:41 p.m. on VHF-FM channel 16 from the captain of the Blessey Marine Services towboat Richard Tolar that an 18-foot pleasure craft had collided with a barge and capsized east of the Galveston Causeway. All five boaters were in the water, had sustained injuries and…

21 Jun 2023

USS Nimitz Records 350,000th Arrested Landing

U.S. Navy Capt. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), front seat, and Cmdr. Luke Edwards, commanding officer of the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22, make an arrested landing in an F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-22 marking the 350,000th time the carrier has landed a fixed-wing aircraft on its flight deck. (Source: US Navy)

USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the oldest-serving U.S commissioned aircraft carrier in the world, successfully completed its 350,000th arrested aircraft landing recently while sailing in the South China Sea, a milestone nearly 48 years in the making.Nimitz’s first arrested landing was conducted in 1975, the same year of the ship’s commissioning. Since commissioning, Nimitz has sailed 30 deployments and served in countless operations and missions. It serves as the flagship of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (NIMCSG) which is currently on a regularly-scheduled deployment in the U.S.

21 Jun 2023

USCG Relieves Commanding Officer of Sector North Carolina

© Jenny Thompson / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Coast Guard said it has temporarily relieved Capt. Matthew Baer from command of Coast Guard Sector North Carolina, Tuesday, June 20, 2023.Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath, Fifth Coast Guard District commander, temporarily relieved Baer due to a loss of confidence in his ability to effectively command the sector, pending an administrative investigation and final determination.The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to MarineLink's request for comment.Cmdr. Courtney Sergent…

06 Jun 2023

US Coast Guard Cutter Maurice Jester Commissioned

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Maurice Jester (WPC 1152) in Newport, R.I., June 2, 2023. (Photo: Lyric Jackson / U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard’s newest cutter, the Coast Guard Cutter Maurice Jester (WPC-1152), was commissioned on Friday at Fort Adams State Park, R.I.Lt. Terry Netusil, assumed command of the cutter during a ceremony presided over by Vice Adm. Kevin Lunday, the Coast Guard Atlantic Area commander. The Maurice Jester is the third of six Fast Response Cutters that will be homeported in Boston, serving along the 1st Coast Guard District.Built by Bollinger Shipyards, the Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC) is designed for multiple missions…

01 Jun 2023

U.S. Coast Guard Calls Off Search for 35-Year-Old Who Fell from Carnival Magic Cruise Ship

The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday suspended the search for a missing 35-year-old man who went overboard from a cruise ship 186 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida.Coast Guard crews searched more than 5,171 square miles and 60 hours. Missing is Ronnie Peale.Carnival Cruise Lines personnel contacted Coast Guard watchstanders at 6:36 p.m., Monday, reporting that a passenger fell off the cruise ship Carnival Magic and entered the water.Coast Guard watchstanders launched air crews and diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba (WMEC 907) to conduct search and rescue efforts from the air and on the water. U.S. Navy ships and aircraft in the…

19 Apr 2023

US Navy Sends a USV Through the Strait of Hormuz

An L3Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel transits the Strait of Hormuz accompanied by USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC 1141) and USCGC John Scheuerman (WPC 1146) on April 19, 2023. (Photo: Vincent Aguirre / U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Navy on Wednesday sent an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) through the Strait of Hormuz as it ramps up its use of high-tech unmanned assets for patrols and monitoring at sea.The transit was reportedly the Navy's fist for a USV through the busy and strategically important strait, demonstrating the continued operational integration of unmanned and artificial intelligence systems by U.S. maritime forces in the Middle East.The L3 Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13 USV was accompanied by a pair of Sentinel-class Coast Guard cutters…

31 Mar 2023

Blowtorch Used to Free Mariners from Sinking Tug in Sabine Pass

Four crewmen aboard the Sea Cypress, a 71-foot tugboat, prepare to disembark the sinking vessel and climb aboard a Sabine Pilot boat at the mouth of the Sabine Pass Ship Channel in Texas, March 31, 2023. Two of the tugboat’s crew used a handheld torch to cut a hole in the partially submerged vessel’s bulkhead and free the two crewmen trapped in the galley. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

Four mariners were rescued in dramatic fashion from a tugboat that was sinking in Sabine Pass, Texas, on Friday.The U.S. Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Houston-Galveston command center were notified at 5:38 a.m. that the crew of the 71-foot tug Sea Cypress hailed mayday on VHF-FM channel 13 and reported they were capsizing while moored near the mouth of the Sabine Pass channel.Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and directed the launch of…

21 Feb 2023

Hawaii Regional Maintenance Center Completes Emergent Repair on USS Makin Island (LHD 8)

Left to right: PSI PM Kevin Collins, C250 Shanon Arnold, C103 CTL Juan Carlos “Harry” Herrera, C103 APM Shane Konno, C132 QA Jamie Francis, C410 CS Jay Masatsugu, C103 APM Cheryl Yamanaka, 132 QA Michael Halsey, C242 A-CHENG Patrick Driscoll, C410 Sohee “Kelly” Wun, C103 WFO Lt. Cmdr. Kristopher DeVisser, C103 SBS Tony Castro. (Photo: Justice Vannatta / U.S. Navy)

The Hawaii Regional Maintenance Center (HRMC) team at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility is the Navy’s first responders when it comes to an emergent repair availability (ERAV) on surface ships in the Indo-Pacific Region.Pearl Harbor sits in a strategic location and is a hub for many emergent repairs for ships transiting through the Pacific Ocean. One successful ERAV took place last fall when the USS Makin Island (LHD 8) departed San Diego on its…

20 Feb 2023

US Coast Guard Cutter Commanding Officer Relieved Following Fatal Collision

USCGC Winslow Griesser (WPC 1116) (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

The commanding officer of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter has been relieved of duties following a fatal collision with a fishing vessel in August 2022.Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Williamsz, former commanding officer of the USCGC Winslow Griesser (WPC 1116), was relieved of duties due to a loss of confidence in his ability to effectively command the cutter, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Rear Adm. Brendan C. McPherson, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District, effected the relief on Friday.Williamsz…

09 Feb 2023

US Coast Guard Enforces Safety Zone for Historic Crane Import

The U.S. Coast Guard will enforce a temporary safety zone in the Savannah River on Thursday for the import of the largest gauge ship-to-shore cranes in U.S. history.The Coast Guard said its captain of the Port Savannah would establish a safety zone during the import of the cranes to ensure the safety and security of the public and all vessels in the channel. The safety zone is expected to take place from 12:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., Feb. 9.No Vessel Permitted in Safety Zone"Vessels are not permitted to enter into, transit through, moor, or anchor within 1,500 feet of the motor vessel Biglift Baffin. No vessels will be permitted in the safety zone 30 minutes prior to…

07 Feb 2023

US Coast Guard Calls Off Search for Missing Tug Crewman

(File photo: Paul Cook / U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday said it has suspended its search for a missing tugboat crew member near Sabine, Texas.Emergency response crews had been searching for the mariner since watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center received a notification at 6:10 a.m. Monday stating that a 35-year-old male had gone missing from the tugboat Smith Invader.The crew member was last seen at 10 p.m. Sunday and was noticed missing after a crew boat was supposed to…

06 Feb 2023

Tanker Assists Sailor in Distress in the Caribbean Sea

Coast Guard crews and the chemical tank ship Silver Dover assisted an 80-year-old man in distress aboard the sailing vessel Tao Feb. 4, 2023, approximately 57 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Rico. The boater, who was the sole passenger aboard the sailing vessel Tao, is safely aboard the tank ship Silver Dover and will be transiting to the ship’s destination in Houston, Texas. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A Marshall Islands registered chemical tanker came to the aid of a sailor in distress Saturday morning in the Caribbean Sea, approximately 57 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Rico.U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a VHF-Channel 16 communication from the sailing vessel Tao at 1:45 a.m. Saturday reporting the vessel lost steering and the sole boater on board, an 80-year-old man, had lost the ability to simultaneously access the vessel’s compass and emergency…

02 Feb 2023

'Spirit of Norfolk' Fire Hearing Concludes

Capt. Ryan Nadeau, master of the Spirit of Norfolk, delivers his testimony during a formal hearing regarding the events of the Spirit of Norfolk vessel fire Jan. 27, 2023 in Virginia Beach, Va. (Photo: Edward Wargo / U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board concluded the formal public hearing proceedings into the fire and total constructive loss of the passenger vessel Spirit of Norfolk Feb. 2, 2023.The joint investigation team reviewed and considered evidence related to the fire and total constructive loss of the passenger vessel, which occurred on June 7, 2022.The investigation team heard from 23 witnesses who provided testimony into pre-accident historical events, regulatory compliance…

30 Jan 2023

Fishing Vessel Facing $41,000 Fine for AIS Violation

© thepoeticimage / Adobe Stock

A commercial fishing vessel is facing a potential $41,093 fine after allegedly violating automated identification system (AIS) regulations near the mouth of the Columbia River Dec. 3, 202, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The U.S. Coast Guard said it is pursuing a civil penalty against a commercial fishing vessel after its Sector Columbia River detected the vessel deactivate its AIS while underway near the mouth of the Columbia River in violation of 33 Code of Federal Regulations 164.46(d)(2).The captain declined to accept the Notice of Violation, issued for $5,000.

19 Jan 2023

US Navy Relieves Two Commanding Officers

File photo: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) departs Naval Station Rota, Spain, in June 2020. (Photo: Peter Lewis / U.S. Navy)

The U.S. Navy on Thursday announced it has relieved the commanding officers of two of its U.S. East Coast warships, USS Carney (DDG 64) and USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19).In separate statements, the Navy said it relieved Cmdr. Alexa Jenkins and Capt. Michael D. Nordeen, citing loss of confidence in their ability to command.Jenkins, who served as commanding officer of the USS Carney (DDG 64) since June 2022, was relieved by Capt. Jennifer Blakeslee, commodore, Naval Surface Squadron 14 (CNSS 14).Jenkins will be temporarily reassigned to the staff of Commander, Naval Surface Squadron 14, and Capt.

19 Jan 2023

US Monitoring Russian 'Intelligence Gathering Ship' Near Hawaii

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

The United States in recent weeks has been tracking what is believed to be a Russian military spy ship off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands.The U.S. Coast Guard said in an update on Thursday that it has been keeping tabs on the vessel, a suspected "intelligence gathering ship", for several weeks. Video footage released by the agency showed the ship in waters off the Hawaiian coast on January 11.The ship has been identified as the Kareliya (SSV-535), a Vishnya-class intelligence ship used by the Russian Navy for signals intelligence gathering.

13 Jan 2023

Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley Repairs Completed

The Coast Guard Alex Haley sits dry docked for repairs and maintenance in Seattle, Washington, Dec. 13, 2022. While in dry dock, the crew and contractors successfully completed more than $6 million worth of repairs. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley returned to homeport at Coast Guard Base Kodiak, Alaska, on Thursday, following an extended seven-month dry dock maintenance period in Seattle.While in dry dock, the crew and contractors successfully completed more than $6 million worth of repairs.The engineering department oversaw 76 work items including major overhauls on the cutter’s controllable pitch propeller system, speed reducers, rudders, and boilers, along with inspections of fuel, sewage, and water tanks.