New York Police News

Sandy Hook Pilots Association welcomed its new Pilot Station Boat New York, a converted Oil Spill Response Vessel (OSRV), which, at 208 feet long, is the largest in the Sandy Hook Pilots fleet.While welcoming the its new addition, Sandy Hook Pilots retired its predecessor, also named New York, which has been a familiar sight in the Port of New York and New Jersey harbor for nearly 50 years.On February 3, the new P/B New York sailed to its new home, the Sandy Hook Pilot base in Staten Island…

Coast Guard responds to deadly New York harbor pilot accident.On December 30, 2019 at approximately 0430, Sandy Hook Pilot Captain Dennis R. Sherwood was involved in an incident while boarding a container vessel inbound to the Port of New York & New Jersey. He sustained injuries after falling from an accommodation ladder and was evacuated to a local hospital where his injuries proved to be fatal. Prior to the incident, Captain Sherwood had been piloting vessels in and out of the Port of New York & New Jersey for over 35 years.The incident is being investigated by the United States Coast Guard.

A containership has reportedly leaked fuel oil into the Arthur Kill waterway near Staten Island, N.Y., the U.S. Coast Guard said.The Coast Guard said it is working alongside partner agencies to respond to the spill, which occurred while the vessel was moored at the Global Marine New York Container Terminal on Thursday afternoon. The amount of fuel spilled is currently unknown, and the cause of the spill is under investigation, the Coast Guard said.A Unified Command has been established on scene to coordinate cleanup efforts. Containment boom has been placed around the vessel and there are multiple oil spill response vessels actively…

Diverse Newbuild & Repair Business Buoys 2018The year 2018 is off to good start at Vigor. The Harbor Island facility welcomed a new drydock christened the Evolution. The $20 million Evolution is the third drydock at Vigor’s Seattle facility and largest in the Puget Sound region, measuring 640 x 115.5 ft. with a lift capacity of 22,000 LT.Other investments in Seattle include a buildout of a dedicated aluminum production facility which greatly expands Vigor’s fabrication capabilities and capacity for workboats…

The newest New York Police Department (NYPD) response boat currently under construction will be powered by Volvo Penta diesel inboard engines from Pacific Power Group, a first for the NYPD fleet. The fifth Response Boat - Medium C (RB-M C) built by Vigor will join the fleet of RB-M C’s currently providing maritime security and law enforcement in the New York metro area. The vessel, which is under construction at Vigor Ballard, is being built based on an all-aluminum design utilized on more than 174 Coast Guard response boats.

U.S. shipbuilder Vigor said it has begun constructing a fifth 45’ Response Boat - Medium C (RB-M C) for its long-time customer, the New York Police Department (NYPD) Harbor Unit. The vessel will be fabricated at Vigor Ballard (formerly Kvichak Marine) in the Seattle metro area with delivery expected in November. It will be the seventh RB-M C built for three different police departments. The RB-M C is the commercial variant of the Response Boat - Medium (RB-M) designed by Vigor in partnership with Camarc Design for high speed and high performance…

A New York Waterways ferry struck a group of kayakers on the Hudson River Tuesday afternoon, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Five of the 11 kayakers were transported to Bellevue Hospital and Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital for additional medical attention, and two were listed in critical condition. Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector New York received a call from the master aboard the ferry Jersey City at approximately 5:50 p.m. Tuesday, reporting a collision between the ferry and the group of kayakers near Pier 79 in Manhattan. A Coast Guard Station New York smallboat crew was launched and arrived on scene to assist New York Police Department, New York Fire Department and Jersey City Fire Department officials with rescuing the 11 kayakers from the water.

Private partnerships, executed perfectly – that’s West Coast boatbuilding in today’s challenging business climates. P3 Partnerships: no, we’re not talking about infrastructure funding. But, in our P3 version, boatbuilding in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska is alive and well, because of it. Long-standing enterprises and relative newcomers are all experiencing an uptick in projects. Here, as part of our annual MN100 top company profiles, we take a look at how three organizations have either merged and/or partnered with complementary companies to expand skills…

Kvichak, a Vigor company, delivered a fourth, 45-foot Response Boat - Medium C (RB-M C) to its longtime customer, the New York Police Department Harbor Unit. The Kvichak RB-M C is the commercial variant of the Response Boat - Medium (RB-M), purpose built for the U.S. Coast Guard. To date, 174 RB-Ms have been delivered to the Coast Guard. The vessel was designed by Kvichak in partnership with Camarc Design for high speed and high performance, including tactical handling and specialized mission capabilities, the shipbuilder said.

Without sacrificing utility or features, the Metal Shark 75’ Endurance and the Moose M3 models both provide multi-missioned platforms for the cash-strapped municipal sector. A crowded field for today’s domestic boatbuilders and a highly competitive marketplace finds builders trying to position their output and designs to a place that separates them from the pack. One place to do just that is in the market for maritime security workboats, particularly when it comes to local, state and municipal buyers. Municipal and state buyers want a great deal for their declining budget dollars. In response, builders are sharpening their pencils and putting together vessels that offer not only bang for the buck…

Export hulls – through the FMS Program, as well as Direct Sales – are a key piece of the business model. Even as the crash in energy prices feeds the oversupply of offshore support vessels – a key staple of U.S. boatbuilding diets – and the dwindling backlogs of some so-called ‘second tier’ yards,  a number of U.S. boat builders are still seeing robust demand for security vessels. Separately, tightening federal, state, municipal and overseas budgets are being trumped by the increased need for security craft that can perform more than one function.

Kvichak Marine Industries, a Vigor Company, is currently constructing the fourth 44.5-foot Response Boat Medium – C (RB-M C) for the New York Police Department (NYPD) Harbor Unit. The first three vessels were delivered in April 2010, August 2012 and April 2013. The RB-M C’s have been providing maritime security and law enforcement along with search and rescue in the New York metropolitan area. “The RB-M C has proven itself in the most challenging missions,” said Art Parker, Vigor sales manager. These all-aluminum vessels are designed by Camarc Design, U.K.

U.S. Navy ships and U.S. Coast Guard cutters, Station New York and Maritime Safety and Security Team New York, along with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York Police Harbor units and Fire Department of New York’s fireboat participated in the 2014 Fleet Week New York Parade of Ships, which took place in New York Harbor, today. Participating military ships included the Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51), Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Cole (DDG 67 and USS McFaul (DDG 74), and U.S. Coast Guard cutters Campbell (WMEC 909), Katherine Walker (WLM 552), Thunder Bay (WTGB 108), and Sailfish (WPB 87356). Fleet Week New York, now in its 26th year, is the city’s time-honored celebration of the sea services.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, a 26-foot tugboat lost control of the barge it was towing off Atlantic Beach, N.Y., Monday evening. Coast Guard and state officials are responding to mitigate any hazards to the waterways and beaches nearby. The Coast Guard was notified at 7:35 p.m. on Monday night that the towing vessel “PUSHY” had lost control of the 125-foot deck barge it was towing following an interaction with a large swell off of Atlantic Beach, N.Y. After the towing vessel and deck barge separated…

The U.S. Coast Guard received a report of a barge taking on water in the vicinity of New York Harbor, today. At approximately 12:17 p.m., a communication watchstander at Coast Guard Sector New York received notification from the commercial tug Patricia that the barge it’s pushing was taking on water. A rescue boatcrew from Coast Guard Station New York, Cutter Hawser and New York Police Department’s Harbor unit conducted dewatering operations and escorted the vessel to Claremont, N.J. The barge is carrying 400 tons of recycled plastic. There are no reports of pollution from the barge.

Kvichak Marine Industries, of Seattle, Wash., recently delivered a Response Boat Medium – C to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD). The 45’ x 14’ 7” RBM-C is the sistership of the highly successful USCG RB-M and has been adapted to meet the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) detection mission requirements of the L.A. County Sheriff’s department. A roof mounted RS-700 Gamma/Neutron Radiation Detection System from RSI enables the vessel to quickly and accurately measure and locate natural and man-made radioactive elements.

Kvichak Marine Industries, of Seattle, WA, recently delivered a third 44.5’ Response Boat Medium to the New York Police Department Harbor Unit. The first two RB-M C’s were delivered in April 2010 and August 2012. Both have been providing maritime security and law enforcement along with search and rescue in the New York metropolitan area. These all-aluminum vessels are designed by Camarc Design, UK and powered by tier II compliant twin Detroit Diesel 60 series engines rated for 825 BHP each coupled to Twin Disc MG5114SC marine gears.

Kvichak Marine Industries, of Seattle, WA, has recently been awarded a contract for a 44.5’ X 13.7’ Response Boat Medium – C for operation by the Seattle Police Department Harbor Patrol Unit. The RBM-C is the sistership of the highly successful USCG RB-M and has been adapted to meet the mission requirements of the SPD Harbor Patrol Unit. The vessel to be named “Patrol 1” is currently under construction at Kvichak’s Seattle yard and is the 500th hull built by Kvichak Marine over the past 30 years.

1831-Secretary of Treasury John McLane ordered Revenue cutters to conduct "winter cruises."  The USRC Gallatin became the first cutter "directly authorized by the government to assist mariners in distress." 1960- A United Airlines DC-8 with 83 passengers on board collided with a TWA Super Constellation carrying 42 in the New York City area.  Coast Guard helicopters, working with the aircraft of the Army, Navy and New York Police Department, transported the injured passengers from the Constellation's wreck on Staten Island to a nearby hospital.  Coast Guard vessels also searched the New York harbor area.  The debris they picked up was used by the Civil Aeronautics Board in its determination of the cause of the mishap. (Source: USCG Historian’s Office)

The United Seamen’s Service (USS) 2009 40th Annual Admiral of the Ocean Sea Awards (AOTOS) were presented to Donald Kurz, President and CEO of Keystone Shipping Co., headquartered in Philadelphia, and to Ronald Widdows, Group President and CEO of Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) of Singapore, parent company of American President Lines (APL). A Special AOTOS Award was also presented to The United States Coast Guard. The maritime industry’s most prestigious honors were awarded at a gala industry dinner and dance held at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers, New York City, on November 13, 2009.

A clear, sunny Saturday afternoon of November 10, set the stage for the arrival of the first passenger ship into New York Harbor following the September 11 terrorist attacks. The vessel, Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas, sailed into New York for a two-day tribute cruise for the families of the fallen firemen and police officers who were victim to the devastation at the World Trade Center. Royal Caribbean also plans to donate $50,000 to the Twin Towers Relief Fund. The 142,000-ton Adventure of the Seas - sister ship to Voyager and Explorer of the Seas - was christened at Pier 88 and named by representatives of the New York Police Department and New York Fire Department.

The Seamen’s Church Institute of New York and New Jersey held the 25th Annual Silver Bell Awards Dinner on June 11 at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. It drew a record crowd of more than 900 people and raised over $600,000 for the Institute. "We are thankful for the support of the maritime industry and our friends," said the Rev. Canon Peter Larom, SCI's Executive Director. Richard T. du Moulin, President of Intrepid Shipping and Silver Bell Dinner Chairman since 1996, reported that 15 new companies joined SCI's loyal supporters. "The Institute's service to seafarers and port communities is unequaled among freestanding maritime agencies," said Mr. du Moulin.

The cruise ship Norwegian Dawn arrives to New York on April 18, 2005, after making an unscheduled stop in Charleston, SC, due to a large wave that battered the ship Saturday. The U.S. Coast Guard and New York Police Department escorted the ship into the harbor. The Miami, FL and Portsmouth , VA Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Centers were in frequent contact with the ship during their voyage. On April 16, NCL's Norwegian Dawn experienced extremely rough weather and was hit by a freak wave, causing two windows to break in two different cabins. There was flooding in 62 cabins and four passengers were hurt with cuts and bruises. According to NCL, the safety and integrity of the ship was in no way compromised by this incident.