Us Virgin Islands News

The Great Lakes Towing Company (GLT) has hired Salvadore Menoyo for its business development team.Sal has been named Vice President-Special Projects, reporting to Joe Starck, President of GLT. He will be based in Jacksonville, Fla. and use his extensive experience and expertise to identify, develop and manage new business opportunities on the East Coast, including the Gulf and Puerto Rico. In this new role, Menoyo will work with internal and external customers and build relationships with partners and other prospects to bring value and growth to the company.Menoyo…

Franklin, La. shipbuilder Gulf Craft LLC in November kicked off construction on new Incat Crowther-designed passenger ferry for the U.S Virgin Islands.The new USCG Subchapter-K approved, 104-foot (32-metre) vessel will service the busy tourist and commuter route between Red Hook on the island of St. Thomas, and Cruz Bay on the island of St. John. Currently, two other Incat Crowther-designed 28-metre vessels service this route.The simple yet stylish new ferry will be designed with…

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.

A U.S. Coast Guard boat crew rescued 12 people, Wednesday morning, after they were forced to abandon the Bonnie G vessel that was taking on water and ran aground just south of the airport in St. Thomas.All 12 people aboard the Bonnie G, a 195-foot Vanuatu-flagged “ro-ro” cargo vessel, are safe, and no injuries have been reported to the Coast Guard. Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received VHF marine radio communication from the Bonnie G at 3:41 a.m., Wednesday, reporting…

Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine (AAM) announced it has appointed Daniel Zech as the organization’s business development manager.Zech, originally a Bellingham local, sailed on vessels from French Polynesia to the Caribbean for over a decade. His maritime career took him to the Charter House Yacht Club in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he managed day-to-day operations for a charter fleet of 28 catamarans and monohulls for multiple years. In addition, his experience…

Much has changed since Marine News’ 2022 shipbuilding report published in March last year, and business opportunities in certain market segments continue to grow. But the shipyards that are looking to cash in are still facing many of the same challenges.For example, many American shipyards and their partners throughout the shipbuilding supply chain are still finding it difficult to attract and retain the workers they need. If you’re a skilled craftsperson looking for a job in shipbuilding, you’re in luck, because there are plenty of openings at shipyards across the country.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced $384.4 million in federal funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for expanding and improving the nation’s ferry service in communities across the country, as well as accelerate the transition to zero emission transportation.In total, FTA is awarding 23 grants across 11 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Grants will fund projects including replacement of old vessels, expand fleets, and build new terminals and docks.

Equipment corrosion at an oil refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands presents a risk of fire, explosion or other "catastrophic" releases of hazardous substances, U.S. environmental regulators said on Tuesday, after performing an inspection last month.The idled St. Croix refinery, formerly called Limetree Bay, was shut down by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in May 2021 after a series of chemical releases into the environment sickened neighboring residents. The refinery was sold in December 2021 for $62 million to West Indies Petroleum and Port Hamilton Refining and Transportation…

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded $45.3 million in grant funding to help buy, repair, and modernize ferry boats and terminals.The fiscal year 2021 grants have been awarded to projects in 11 states and territories, providing funds for capital projects that support existing passenger ferry service, establish new ferry service, and upgrade ferry boats, terminals and related facilities and equipment. The grants also help transit agencies and ferry companies offset the considerable cost of introducing new…

The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port San Juan has set Port Condition FOUR in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands reopening the area's maritime ports, following the passing of Tropical Storm Grace near the islands.Now a tropical depression, Grace continues its path just off the southern coast of the Dominican Republic. The ports of San Juan, Puerto Rico and the ports in the U.S. Virgin Islands were reopened Sunday afternoon, while all other remaining ports in Puerto Rico reopened at 5:45 a.m. Monday.

The United States' private shipyards support $42.4 billion in gross domestic product (GDP), a new report finds.The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) report, The Economic Importance of the U.S. Private Shipbuilding and Repairing Industry, measures the economic importance of the shipbuilding and repair industry at the national and state levels for calendar year 2019.In 2019, the nation’s 154 private shipyards directly provided more than 107,000 jobs and contributed $9.9 billion in labor income to the national economy, according to the report.

Port Everglades received approval from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) for “Marine Highway” designation for a new route connecting Port Everglades with Port Houston, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). National Shipping of America (NSA) will be the first company to offer service on this new route. Port Everglades is the first port to receive this designation in South Florida and is among only 45 others nationwide.“We are honored to be part of MARAD’s Marine Highway program,” said Jonathan Daniels, Port Everglades Chief Executive and Port Director.

An abandoned, partially sunken tugboat is actively discharging oil within Krause Lagoon in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday.The amount of oil discharged from the tug Cape Lookout remains unknown, while the maximum potential discharge based on the size of the vessel fuel and lube oil tanks is approximately 48,000 gallons of fuel and 2,000 gallons of lube oil, the Coast Guard said, adding it is unknown how full both tanks are at this time.“Due to the immediate pollution threat this vessel represents to the environment and surrounding area…

More than $220 million in discretionary grant funding has been awarded to improve U.S. port facilities in 16 states and territories through the Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Port Infrastructure Development Program, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced Thursday.“This $220 million in federal grants will improve America’s ports with nearly half the projects are located in Opportunity Zones, which were established to revitalize economically distressed communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L.

U.S. authorities in San Juan, Puerto Rico seized $27 million of undeclared currency found inside boxes aboard a cargo ship bound for St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized the vacuum-sealed cash packs on board the vessel Norma H II during a joint investigation between CBP, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico on Saturday, officials said.CBP said one of its K-9 units discovered the cash in unmanifested palleted home moving boxes while inspecting outbound cargo on board the Togo-flagged vessel at Pier 10 in San Juan. A total of 34 cargo boxes containing $27 million was seized under failure to declare and bulk cash smuggling laws.

America’s port authorities are advocating for relief to manage the “extremely negative impacts” on the seaport industry brought on by the coronavirus pandemic as U.S. policymakers begin negotiations on the next COVID-19 aid package.Among the port leaders’ advocacy efforts are letters sent Friday to U.S. House, Senate and Administration leaders, urging them to provide $1.5 billion for seaports to cover business-critical expenses that ports have incurred due to COVID-19. The letters…

Singapore-based shipowner BW LPG announced Wednesday it has concluded the sale and delivery of the 78,489 cbm capacity liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier Berge Summit to an unnamed buyer for continued trading.The sale is expected to generate approximately $9 million in liquidity and an expected net book gain of $4 million, BW LPG said.BW LPG acquired the 1990-built vessel for $8 million in 2015, and for the last five years it has been used as LPG floating storage for Vitol's gas-to-power project in the U.S.

On June 30, 2020 the Coast Guard switched off the last Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) signals after more than 25 years of service.With the improved accuracy and integrity of un-augmented GPS over the last several years, and with the introduction of the U.S. operated satellite-based augmentation system known as Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the maritime community no longer has a mission requirement for DGPS. GPS now provides sufficient positional accuracy…

The U.S. Coast Guard medically evacuated the Captain of the 734-foot Singapore-flagged containership M/V Maersk Batam, approximately 100 nautical miles south of Puerto Rico, Monday night.The containership captain, a U.K. citizen, was experiencing life threatening symptoms of a possible stroke during the ship’s transit from St. Marta, Colombia to their next scheduled port call in Southhampton, England.Coast Guard Sector San Juan watchstanders received the medevac request at 9:55 a.m. Monday from the M/V Maersk Batam, as the ship was transiting 175 nautical miles southwest of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders launched a Coast Guard MH-65D helicopter crew from Air Station Borinquen to conduct the medevac…

The Coast Guard is responding to a 6.5 magnitude earthquake and seismic activity off the south and southwest coasts of Puerto Rico.All the ports in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands remain open until further notice. Currently, there is no ongoing maritime search and rescue as a result of the registered seismic activity.Coast Guard Sector San Juan and Air Station Borinquen have activated their Incident Management Teams, which remain in close communication with local and federal…

The Coast Guard Captain of the Port San Juan anticipates setting Port Condition Zulu at 8 p.m. Monday in the U.S. Virgins Islands due to the possibility of gale force winds from Tropical Storm Karen arriving to the area within 12 hours.Ports in Puerto Rico will remain in Port Condition X-Ray until further notice.During Port Condition ZULU the port is closed to all vessel traffic with the exception of vessel traffic specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port.Ports in Port Condition X-RAY will remain open to all commercial traffic and all cargo transfer operations at Coast Guard regulated facilities may continue while X-RAY remains…

Hurricane Dorian took aim at the Bahamas and the Florida coast on Thursday, spurred on by warm Atlantic waters as it threatens to strengthen into a dangerous Category 3 storm.Dorian earlier sideswiped the Caribbean without doing major damage but is expected to strengthen and slam the Bahamas and the southeastern United States with rain, strong winds and life-threatening surf over the next few days, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in an advisory.U.S. President Donald Trump urged Floridians to heed official warnings.

The owner and operator will pay a total criminal fine of $3,000,000.00.U.S. Attorney Gretchen Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced that IONIAN SHIPPING & TRADING CORP., LILY SHIPPING LTD., STAMATIOS ALEKIDIS, ATHANASIOS PITTAS and REY ESPULGAR have been convicted and sentenced for various pollution, recordkeeping, and obstruction of justice crimes on the Motor Tanker (“M/T”) Ocean Princess in St. Croix, U.S.V.I. The defendants’ conduct included using fuel that exceeded the maximum allowable sulfur concentration in the U.S. Caribbean Emission Control Area (“U.S.