Wicomico River News

American Cruise Lines says its next new ship is already being readied for launch, just two months after the U.S.-flag operator accepted delivery of its latest newbuild, American Jazz. The forward hull section of American Melody was moved from a hull fabrication building to the launch ways last week, where it will be joined to the aft section and launched into the Wicomico River.The hull section utilizes a heavy-lift ground-transfer system that distributes and levels the load as it moves.

Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp. announced it has signed contracts with Vane Brothers to build three more ocean going tugs, marking the 18th, 19th and 20th tugboats built by Chesapeake Shipbuilding for Vane Brothers since 2008. The new contract will continue Chesapeake’s steady output of Vane tugs as the shipyard currently has three tugboats under construction for Vane Brothers. The design of the three new tugboats will be nearly identical to previous tugboats built for Vane Brothers.

Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp. of Salisbury, MD announced it has successfully delivered another ocean going tugboat to Vane Brothers of Baltimore, MD. The boat, named Fort McHenry, marks the 12th tugboat that Chesapeake Shipbuilding has built for the maritime transportation company. Chesapeake Shipbuilding has 5 additional tugboats under construction for Vane Brothers. The Fort McHenry is equipped with twin Caterpillar 3512 main engines producing a combined 3,000 horsepower, and a single drum hydraulic winch from JonRie of New Jersey. The tug measures 94’ long with a 32’ beam, and a 13’ depth. All Chesapeake Shipbuilding tugs are built in a controlled indoor environment prior to being moved and launched into Maryland’s Wicomico River.

American Cruise Lines announced the name of its new Mississippi paddlewheeler – America – currently under construction at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md.   The America is American built, flagged and crewed, which is symbolic of the true all-American experience provided by American Cruise Lines.   America is being prepared to launch into the Wicomico River early next week, and will be moved to Chesapeake Shipbuilding’s East Outfitting Basin where the upper decks and outfitting will be completed. The America will be American Cruise Lines’ eighth ship and its second brand-new vessel this year, scheduled to begin sailing the Mississippi River in early 2016.

Chesapeake Shipbuilding has launched another tugboat for Vane Brothers, the builder announced today. The tugboat, named Fort Schuyler, represents the 11th tugboat that Chesapeake Shipbuilding has built for Vane Brothers of the 14 contracted. The new tugboat is nearly identical to the previous 10 tugboats built for Vane Brothers - equipped with twin Caterpillar 3512 main engines producing a combined 3,000 horsepower, and a single drum hydraulic towing winch. Each Chesapeake Shipbuilding tugboat is built in a controlled indoor environment…

Chesapeake Shipbuilding has signed a contract with Vane Brothers to build two new tugs, marking the 13th and 14th tugs that Chesapeake will have built for Vane Brothers in the last several years. The two new tugs will fit into Chesapeake’s existing order book, which currently consists of a number of tug boats and commercial vessels, the shipyard noted. Designated Hull 123 and Hull 124, the new tugboats will be nearly identical to the previous 12 built for Vane Brothers, equipped with twin Caterpillar 3512 main engines producing a combined 3,000 horsepower, and a single drum hydraulic winch.

American Cruise Lines announced today that it launched the new paddlewheeler being built for the Mississippi River at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Maryland. Immediately after being launched Sunday into the Wicomico River, tugboats nudged the new riverboat into Chesapeake Shipbuilding’s East Outfitting Basin where the upper decks and outfitting will be completed. “This is a significant milestone in the construction process and also for American Cruise Lines,” said Timothy Beebe, Vice President of American Cruise Lines.

Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp of Salisbury, MD announced today that it has signed a contract with Vane Brothers of Baltimore, MD to build another new ocean going tug. The new contract represents the 7th tug that Chesapeake Shipbuilding will have built for Vane Brothers in just over five years. Construction has already begun. The new tugboat, designated Hull 105, will be nearly identical to the previous six tugboats built for Vane Brothers. It will be equipped with twin Caterpillar 3512 main engines producing a combined 3…

The brand new American Cruise Lines ship, Independence, being built at Chesapeake Shipbuilding, was taken on its first underway trials yesterday. This important milestone trial occurred three months ahead of schedule. Maneuvering and equipment tests were performed successfully while the ship was underway in the Wicomico River. American Cruise Lines will run the Independence on 7-14 night cruises beginning on June 12, 2009 with 102 passengers on the East Coast. The ship has a number of important differences from other ships that Chesapeake has built for American Cruise Lines…

According to a report from WTOP.com, Salisbury, Md. based Chesapeake Shipbuilding is planning to build its third new prefabrication facility on its property on the Wicomico River. Company spokesman Charlie Robertson said an old building on the property was torn down August 19 and construction will begin on the new building in a month or two. (Source: WTOP.com)

Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp of Salisbury, MD delivered the second of six new tugboats to Vane Brothers of Baltimore, Md. this week. Elk River will join Sassafras, the first tug that Chesapeake built for Vane Brothers, in hauling 30,000 barrel tank barges on near coastal routes. Construction is already well underway on the remaining four tugs, each of which will be delivered over the next year and a half. Elk River produces 3,000 hp with twin Caterpillar 3512 main engines through 6:1 reverse reduction gears to conventional shafts.

Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp in Salisbury, Maryland has delivered the “Woodside” Car Ferry to the State of Delaware. It is the third ferry that Chesapeake Shipbuilding has designed and built at its Salisbury facility. The Ferry is the only car ferry operated by the Delaware Department of Transportation and has operated at the Woodside site for over 200 years. •    Length o.a. Chesapeake Shipbuilding has over 30 years of industry experience and designs and builds commercial ships up to 300 feet in length, with specialization in the design and construction of passenger vessels, tugboats, ferry boats, etc. Chesapeake Shipbuilding’s construction yard is located on 13 acres of level land, with nearly 2000 feet of deepwater bulkhead, along the protected waters of Maryland’s Wicomico River.

A sport fishing yacht sank in the Wicomico River about five miles west of Salisbury, Md., after a diesel barge knocked a piling into it early this morning. The Coast Guard received a report from the master of the Tug Merrimac that his diesel barge had hit the piling about half a mile from the Quantico Wharf and struck the port bow of the 46-foot sport fisher Snoopy II. No one was hurt, and the diesel barge did not rupture. About two gallons of the Snoopy II's fuel have leaked out, and absorbent boom has been placed around the area. All but the flying bridge of the boat is underwater. The Coast Guard is investigating the incident with the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office.

Coast Guard Cutters are busy all over the Northern Chesapeake and Delaware Bay areas breaking through the ice that Jack Frost left behind on the area waterways. Large patches of ice at least one to two inches have been reported as far south as the area around Tangier Island, Md., in the Chesapeake Bay. Several tributaries to the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay are frozen over with ice as well. One of the tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay that is being heavily monitored is the Wicomico River that leads to Salisbury, Md., which was last reported to be 10 percent covered with a one-inch thick sheet of ice. Salisbury is a leading supplier of home heating oil to the Del Marva Peninsula. The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is completely covered with four to six inches of ice.

Dolbey Marine Inc., of Salisbury, Md., was sentenced in the Federal District Court of Baltimore to a felony charge of failure to notify the U.S. Coast Guard of an oil spill. The sentence included a fine of $7500 and 3 years probation. Charles Dolbey Jr., owner of Dolbey Marine Inc., was also sentenced to 6 months home detention with work release and fined $3000 for a misdemeanor charge of negligent discharge of oil into U.S. waters. The sentencing was a result of two plea agreements between the U.S. Attorney, Dolbey Marine Inc., and Dolbey from an oil spill that occurred in Salisbury on October 19, 1999. Coast Guard Activities Baltimore Pollution Investigators responded to a reported oil spill on the Wicomico River in Salisbury.