Central Coast News

Thailand's military mobilised helicopters, warships and unmanned drones off its central coast on Tuesday as rescue teams raced against time to find survivors after a navy corvette sank at the weekend in choppy waters.One marine was rescued alive on Tuesday from the waters of the Gulf of Thailand, the navy said, among dozens who were forced to abandon the HTMS Sukhothai late on Sunday after it was knocked over by four-metre (13 ft) waves and strong winds. Five were found dead.There were 24 marines still unaccounted for by Tuesday evening.

California on Wednesday set ambitious new targets for offshore wind development, saying turbines along its storied coastline would power some 25 million homes by 2050.In a unanimous vote, the five-member California Energy Commission (CEC) adopted a goal of 3,000 to 5,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind by 2030 and 25,000 MW by 2045, the agency said in a statement.California has among the most aggressive climate change goals in the country, but its foray into offshore wind has lagged that of East Coast states like New York…

At least 13 tourists were found dead and four remained missing after a boat capsized off Vietnam's central coast of Hoi An on Saturday, a city official said."We are searching for the missing," Nguyen Sinh, party chief of Cua Dai Ward in Hoi An City told Reuters.The accident happened when the boat was carrying 36 tourists and three sailors from Cu Lao Cham Island to Hoi An, the government said in a statement.Vietnam is seeing an increase in tourism activities after the country recently lifted most of its coronavirus curbs.

The Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana was bracing on Monday for the arrival of Tropical Storm Nicholas, which was expected to batter the region with life-threatening storm surge, flash flooding and gusty winds.The storm, carrying winds of 60 mph (97 kph), was moving erratically as it headed northward about 140 miles (225 km) south of the southern coast of Texas, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in a Monday morning bulletin. It was forecast to move ashore along the southern or central coast of Texas late on Monday afternoon or evening.The National Weather Service issued storm surge…

The Biden administration will seek to approve more than a dozen offshore wind projects in the next four years and open new areas for leasing off the coast of California as it seeks to supercharge development of the nascent U.S. industry, an Interior Department official said on Tuesday.The effort is part of the administration’s broader plan to fight climate change by decarbonizing the U.S. power sector by 2035 and the entire economy by 2050.Amanda Lefton, director of Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, told the Reuters U.S.

In Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare coined the phrase “salad days” to mean a youthful time filled with unbridled enthusiasm and idealism. Indeed, youth, much like salad, is often raw, flavorful and most of all… green. Therefore, it is fitting to think of our present time as the salad days of offshore energy in the United States. Let’s dig in.Executive Order appetizersOn January 27, President Biden took early steps to implement his campaign promise to transition the United States away from fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy…

The new ferry between Bella Coola and Port Hardy will be starting up on Saturday, said the British Columbia Ferry Services Inc (BC Ferries)According to a news release , the Northern Sea Wolf will begin service on the Central Coast route on May 18, after finishing sea trials and dock fits during April and May.Built in 2000, the vessel was bought in Greece in 2017 after the province announced it was reviving the route that had been cancelled in 2013.The corporation says the Northern Sea Wolf has finished sea trials and dock fits successfully in April and May in Port Hardy, Bella Bella, Bella Coola, Shearwater and Ocean Falls.On May 3, the Northern Sea Wolf left BC Ferries’ refit facility in Richmond and headed north to conduct dock trials at the ports it will serve (Port Hardy…

California Dreamin': In CA, offshore wind has unlimited potentialWhen it comes to States promoting renewable, non-fossil electricity generation, California surely leads the list, from utility-scale regional grids to individual rooftop solar panels.In fact, a December 2018 update from the California Energy Commission (CEC) estimates the state may already have exceeded an initial renewable generation goal of 33% by 2020. CEC estimates that in 2018 that generation number was already 34%.

Remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) will be deployed to investigate containers lost from a cargo ship in heavy seas off Australia.The YM Efficiency, operated by Taiwan shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation, was sailing from Taiwan to Sydney in early June when it lost dozens of containers overboard amid five-meter swells in the Tasman Sea, about 30 kilometers off Australia's east coast.The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), citing serious potential impacts to local fishing and the environment…

EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG is continuing its strategy of capturing growth in new international markets in the renewable energy sector. Following its recent entry into Taiwan, EnBW has now expanded its activities to the United States of America by establishing a regional subsidiary, EnBW North America, and forming a joint venture with Trident Winds Inc. to develop an offshore wind project off the coast of in Central California. This represents the EnBW Groups first step toward tapping into the high potential of the American market. Several of the United States have set ambitious goals for the expansion of offshore wind. "EnBW will have a direct presence in this promising market to capture opportunities and to further build up  EnBW's offshore project portfolio…

APL announced that APL Chu Lai, a 1,200-TEU vessel, has made her maiden direct call at the Chu Lai Tam Hiep Port on 24 March. This officially commences APL’s new weekly Chu Lai Haiphong Express (CHX) service that is delivering its first inbound shipment of automobile components from Japan trans-shipped via Shekou. The cargo has duly arrived for the newly-opened Truong Hai Automobile Joint-Stock company (THACO) – Mazda owned plant situated in the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone. Speaking at an event graced by Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, APL Global Commercial Head, Indika Dassanayake said, “We are excited to be opening a direct sea route to Chu Lai in Central Vietnam via the APL Chu Lai Haiphong Express service.

Residents fleeing most powerful storm on U.S. mainland since 2005. Businesses closed and lines of cars streamed out of coastal Texas as officials called for residents to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Harvey, expected to arrive about midnight as the most powerful storm to hit the U.S. mainland in more than a decade. The hurricane is forecast to slam first near Corpus Christi, Texas, drop flooding rains along the central Texas coast and potentially loop back over the Gulf of Mexico before hitting Houston, some models showed. "My urgent message to my fellow Texans is that if you live in a region where evacuation has been ordered, you need to heed that advice and get out of harm's way while you can," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a televised address.

Mary Anne Rooney, Harbor Commissioner at California’s Port of Hueneme, has been named President of the Association of Pacific Ports (APP), a trade and information association promoting increased efficiency and effectiveness of Pacific ports. Rooney, who previously served as APP’s Second Vice President, was selected at the group’s 102nd Annual Conference held in August in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. As a result, the Port of Hueneme will host APP’s Annual Conference in 2016. “I am very honored to be selected by my peers and have the opportunity to leverage the port and industry needs of our region…

For 70 years, Beier Radio has provided engineering, sales, and service for marine electronics around the globe. As the corporation marks its 70th anniversary, it also unveils a new name for the operating company known for its advanced vessel control and navigation systems. Beier Radio is now Beier Integrated Systems. The company’s new website address is www.BeierIS.com. “While the name is new, the Beier commitment to providing quality systems  and expert services has not changed. Beier Integrated Systems will continue to sell the integrated DP  systems that we have built our reputation on around the world, as well as to offer the expert engineering, installation, commissioning, and the after-sales service and support that our customers depend on,” says owner Karl Beier.

Port of Hueneme Board President Mary Anne Rooney reported to the World Affairs Council (WAC) of the Central Coast on the national leadership mission to Taiwan ROC she attended with 9 other WAC representatives representing New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Washington, DC. “It was an honor and privilege to represent the United States on this leadership mission and I developed valuable insights about Taiwan,” Rooney said. The…

COSCO Corporation (Singapore) Limited's Zhoushan Shipyard subsidiary has won a contract from an Asian buyer to construct two 64,000 dwt bulk carriers. The two bulk carriers are scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2014. COSCO Corporation (COSCO) offers advanced capabilities in ship building, ship repair and conversion, offshore marine engineering supported by seven major shipyards strategically located along China's coastline. Owned by COSCO Shipyard Group, a subsidiary of COSCO Corporation…

California Central Coast Chapter Board Member Mary Anne Rooney has been invited to join a Leadership Mission to Taipei from September 7-14, 2013. Ms. Rooney also serves as vice President of the Board of Port Commissioners for the Port of Hueneme. Leadership Missions give participants the opportunity to meet with senior government officials as well as discuss global political and economic issues. The invitation was extended by Dr. Lori Murray, President and CEO of the World Affairs Councils of America in Washington, D.C. and The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office. “These leadership missions provide access to senior officials and allow a two way dialog into a depth untouched by most mediums,” said Ms. Rooney.

The American Association of Port Authorities has given an award of excellence to the Port of Hueneme Oxnard Harbor District for its extraordinary cooperative project to clean sediment from the harbor floor. Crafted through a partnership between the Oxnard Harbor District, U.S. Navy and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Port of Hueneme Confined Aquatic Disposal (CAD) Facility project is an example of a harbor-wide contaminated sediment management strategy that provided a complete solution to the needs of all three project proponents. Located approximately 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles, the Port of Hueneme is the only deep-water port between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area and is the United States Port of Entry for California's central coast region.

U.S. and German navy ships have cornered Somali pirates who seized a Japanese-owned chemical tanker more than a month ago and are demanding a ransom, an official said. The Panama-registered Golden Nori was carrying benzene from Singapore to Israel when it was hijacked on Oct. 28, just off Somalia, one of the world's most dangerous shipping lanes. At the time, U.S. Navy said coalition naval forces had pursued the pirates, opening fire and destroying speedboats the hijacked vessel had in tow. The U.S. Navy, which has had a long presence in the region, is concentrating its anti-piracy efforts along the central coast of Somalia after several ships were hijacked there in recent months.

Congressman Sam Farr (CA-17) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced legislation in both houses of Congress to help protect the oceans from damage caused in the event of cruise ship pollution. "Every week a typical 3,000 passenger cruise ship generates over a million gallons of raw sewage, gray water and oily bilge water and at the moment it is legal for them to dump this waste almost anywhere in the ocean," said Farr during a press conference to announce the bill. The legislation, known in the House as H.R. 4101, the Clean Cruise Ship Act, closes existing loopholes in federal law by creating a 12 mile-wide coastal zone in which cruise ships are prohibited from dumping.

The U.S. Interior Department's Minerals Management Service (MMS) announced it will delay its decision on whether oil companies can drill for oil and natural gas off California's coast, until August 16, 1999. The MMS was scheduled to decide by June 30 if drilling would be allowed on 40 undeveloped leases off the central coast of California, but said it needs more time to review the oil company requests.

The U.S. Interior Department's Minerals Management Service (MMS) announced it will delay its decision on whether oil companies can drill for oil and natural gas off California's coast, until August 16, 1999. The MMS was scheduled to decide by June 30 if drilling would be allowed on 40 undeveloped leases off the central coast of California, but said it needs more time to review the oil company requests. The plans to drilling offshore California are receiving opposition from California Gov. Gray Davis, who opposes any expanded offshore drilling, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who asked the Interior Department this week to deny the oil company requests.