Twilight News

As naval architects and marine engineers we are familiar with the design spiral. While design is not truly a spiral, we use the concept to remind ourselves that all pieces of a ship design interact. The design spiral is not a standard figure and can be simplistic or overcomplicated.A Google search image summary provides dozens of interpretations, all investigating different variables, with the only commonality that all spirals start with the “mission” variable.Figure 1 is an old…

Highlighted in Marine Technology Reporter's MTR100 is the work and technology ongoing in the halls of academia. The most recent report released by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasized our warming planet, an expected announcement for many in the scientific community. Faced with the confirmation that human activities have caused an increase in global temperatures, research has turned to seeking answers in the planet’s natural systems. How does each part of the global carbon cycle work and how may it be impacted by the changing climate?

The Navy's 2014 Sailors of the Year (SOY) were meritoriously advanced to chief petty officer during a ceremony held at the Navy Memorial, May 14. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert served as guest speaker at the pinning ceremony hosted by Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Mike Stevens. The four Sailors of the Year honored at the ceremony are: Construction Mechanic 1st Class Jimie Bartholomew, representing U.S. Navy Reserve; Steel Worker 1st Class Brenton Heisserer, representing U.S. Navy Shore; Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Joe Mendoza representing U.S. Fleet Forces; and Logistics Specialist 1st Class Blanca Sanchez, representing U.S. Pacific Fleet.

A gala reception Saturday, Oct. 4, will kick off a month-long art exhibition showcasing the Port of Long Beach in images captured by professional and amateur photographers. The show, “Port of Long Beach PHOTOGALLERY,” will be held at the Liberty Gallery and Event Space, 6-10 p.m., at 435 Alamitos Ave., in conjunction with Long Beach Arts Month. The evening reception and exhibit are free and are the culmination of a photographic arts program offered by the Port in partnership with the Arts Council for Long Beach. “This show invites the public to enjoy spectacular views of the Port captured by 76 photographers from throughout Southern California,” said Doug Drummond, President of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. The sequence began with a workshop taught by Port photographers.

DeepFlight announced it will introduce a new type of personal submarine at the 2014 Monaco Yacht Show. The company said its new product, the DeepFlight Dragon, is the most compact, lightweight personal submarine on the market, and is so intuitive to use that clients self-pilot the craft with minimal instruction. The all-electric (zero emissions) DeepFlight Dragon was designed specifically for easy use from yacht or shore to explore the twilight zone down to 400 feet (120 meters).

Claxton Engineering Services Ltd, an Acteon company, launched the latest version for its ATEX and safe-area crane boom cameras to improve operational safety through substantial upgrades in camera performance and its user interface. Enhancements to the camera, which according to Claxton is one in a range of best-in-class subsea and surface cameras, include state-of-the-art charge-coupled device (CCD) modules; a best-in-class 324-1 digital zoom (compared with 312-1 digital zoom on previous systems); and a 28× optical zoom lens (compared with a 26× on previous systems).

Charity Launches New, Online Resource for Former Mariners Who Suffer in Silence. As the country comes together to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Atlantic this month - the longest continuous military campaign of the second world war - a Surrey care home which specializes in the care of former mariners has said too many veterans of both the Royal and Merchant Navy are prone to suffer in isolation during their twilight years, rather than seeking the specialist support often available to them.

At the 2010 Passenger Vessel Association Convention at MariTrends in Tampa, Fla., the members of the PVA elected their new officers and board members. Captain Kevin Stier, River Cruises, Scales Mound, Ill. Captain Jay Spence, Massachusetts Bay Lines, Boston, Mass. Paul Belforti, Entertainment Cruises, Chicago, Ill. Captain Kevin Stier is the owner and operator of River Cruises. River Cruises offers two day overnight cruises on the Upper Mississippi River aboard the vessel Twilight. Captain Stier’s career started with him working on the Julia Belle Swain for the late Captain Dennis Trone, one of the original members of the PVA, throughout the span of his career Captain Stier has piloted the Julia Belle Swain, the Talisman and Twilight, of which he was instrumental in the construction.

PVA members, during the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2010 in Tampa, Fla., elected Kevin Stier as President. Captain Stier is owner of River Cruises, Scales Mound, Ill.. River Cruises operates the 149 passenger Riverboat Twilight that offers two-day overnight cruises on the Upper Mississippi River. A longtime member of the PVA Regulatory Committee, Captain Stier has been a member of the PVA Board of Directors since 2003 and has served as PVA Vice-President and PVA Secretary-Treasurer. Captain Jay Spence was elected PVA Vice President. Captain Spence is General Manager of Massachusetts Bay Lines in Boston, Mass. This second-generation, family-owned business has operated since 1963 and is the oldest operating year-round commuter service in Boston.

General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), today launched the U.S. Navy’s newest resupply ship, USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2). The ship is named in honor of the Native American woman who helped guide and interpret for Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their legendary exploration of the American West. The ceremony took place here at the NASSCO shipyard. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, was the principal speaker for the ceremony.Two of Sacagawea’s descendents, Mrs. Lucy Diaz and Ms. Idaho , are the ship’s sponsors and christened the ship during the twilight ceremony. USNS Sacagawea is the second ship in an expected class of 11 dry cargo-ammunition ships for the Navy.

Stv is reporting that the number of applications for companies applying to drill for oil in the north sea is at a 30 year high. Government ministers say fields are clearly not in their twilight years and so far it seems that oil companies have not been put off by recent tax rises. The north sea rigs and platforms are supplied by vessels which leave from Aberdeen's harbour, so this boom certainly seems to be good news for the industry and the local economy. The government licence companies to explore and drill certain blocks in the sea and applications for those licences are at a 30 year high - 147 applications from 121 companies. Technology developed in Aberdeen has developed innovative new ways of extracting oil and the energy minister has praised local firms and staff.

The U.S. Navy commissioned the Aegis guided missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) in a twilight ceremony on Saturday, July 26, at Naval Air Station North Island. Systems sector in Pascagoula, Miss. Adm. principal commissioning address. slip," Clark said. American diplomacy. tradition spans four generations and nearly a century of service. co-namesake retired Navy Vice Adm. Henry C. Mustin, wife of ship's co-namesake retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Thomas M. Mustin; Mrs. Douglas Mustin St. Denis, sister of Henry C. and Thomas M. Mustin. in attendance. Dr. Philip A. projection, in support of national military strategy. Marine Corps amphibious forces, combat logistics ships and convoys. Vice Adm. Tim LaFleur, commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. building such a magnificent ship.

In rough waters and heavy snow, a crew of budding professional mariners at the helm of the 565-ft., 17,000-ton Empire State VI prepared for docking at the Alfred A. Olivet Pier on the campus of the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College in Throggs Neck, NY. Meanwhile, seasoned mariners monitor high-tech radar display systems that enhance safety and navigation in inclement weather and other conditions that reduce visibility. Some of them coordinate their tasks with partners who are busy operating electronic charting systems and evaluating the precise, up-to-the-minute data they generate. While the description above has the flavor and feel of a ship at sea, don’t be fooled.

In the distance, storm clouds drop their torrent upon the sea as the ship breaks through heavy seas. The number on her bow — 85 — disappears and reappears with each crest of the waves. Suddenly above the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, as if it had traveled through a time portal, screams a Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat — a World War II fighter. Painted on her fuselage are the words "Minsi III" and 34 Japanese flags. An episode from "The Twilight Zone" perhaps? No, simply the latest pencil drawing by naval architect and artist Peter K. Hsu. A marine engineer and self-taught artist, Hsu recently presented a copy of his architectural portrait of Pre Commissioning Unit (PCU) McCampbell (DDG 85) to Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig.

Discussing the marine business with Captain Brian McAllister is much like sitting in a "Maritime History 101" course, in that his accumulated knowledge, experience and stories tell the tale of not only the evolution of one company, but an entire industry operating in one of the world's most dynamic ports. During his more than a quarter of a century at the helm of the family business, Captain Brian McAllister and his company — McAllister Towing and Transportation (MT&T) — have had more than their fair share of wins and losses. However, on the event of the christening of the company's new tugboat Janet M. McAllister — named for McAllister's two-year-old granddaughter…