Elk River News

In the early days of subsea technology, there were a number of pioneers: men and women who stepped over the edge of what we knew about the underwater world. These individuals left the comfort of solid ground to explore beneath the waves and report back to the rest of us what they had seen. They pushed boundaries, raised the stakes and in some instances opened our minds to the possibilities. They were subsea visionaries. Today, those boundaries continue to be pushed, and undersea technology, now more than ever, is reaching new heights.

In a fact sheet released by the U.S. Coast Guard, it was reported that the tsunami from the earthquake in Japan resulted in the sinking of 16 vessels in the Port of Crescent City, Calif. In addition, 47 vessels incurred some damage and there was significant damage to moorings and docks. •       Harbor closed to all personnel at night, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. until further notice.

1799- President Adams authorized by Congress to place revenue cutters in the naval establishment.   1825- Congress empowered the Revenue Marine to enforce state quarantine laws.   1942- Wartime port security delegated to Coast Guard by Executive Order 9074.   2001- The tugboat Swift sank after colliding with the freighter A.V. Kastner on the Elk River in the upper Chesapeake Bay.  Coast Guard units from New Jersey and Philadelphia worked with state police and local rescue agencies to rescue three survivors.  Two crewmen perished.  The Coast Guard also conducted the marine casualty investigation.   (Source: USCG Historian’s Office)

A crewmember aboard the Coast Guard Cutter William Tate, homeported in Philadelphia, services the light on top of a buoy during seasonal buoy replacement operations along the Elk River in Maryland, Dec. 16, 2010. The crew of the William Tate conducts seasonal buoy maintenance every winter and spring. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

1799- President Adams authorized by Congress to place revenue cutters in the naval establishment. 1825- Congress empowered the Revenue Marine to enforce state quarantine laws. 1942- Wartime port security delegated to Coast Guard by Executive Order 9074. 2001- The tugboat Swift sank after colliding with the freighter A.V. Kastner on the Elk River in the upper Chesapeake Bay.  Coast Guard units from New Jersey and Philadelphia worked with state police and local rescue agencies to rescue three survivors.  Two crewmen perished.  The Coast Guard also conducted the marine casualty investigation. (Source: USCG Historian’s Office)

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.

The Coast Guard, in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers and the Navy's Supervisor of Salvage, is reviewing a plan submitted by the owners and contracted salvors of a sunken tug and a barge impeding vessel traffic in the Elk River in the Upper Chesapeake Bay. The tug and barge, which sank in the shipping channel following a collision with a freighter, have caused the adjacent C&D Canal to remain closed to all vessel traffic pending their safe removal. Four men remain missing following the incident. The salvage plan, submitted by Norfolk Dredging Marine, the sunken tug Swift's owners, and Ellsworth Salvage, the contractor, must adequately address a number of safety, environmental, and navigational considerations in order to receive the agencies' authorization to begin operations.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office and Hampton Roads Maritime Association are sponsoring a safety seminar for crewmembers on commercial tugs. This year's seminar will be held at the Coast Guard Integrated Support Command in Portsmouth, Virginia, on Thursday, May 30 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Recent major accidents involving towing vessels highlight the importance of this unique effort to prevent accidents. The Seminar includes lessons learned from significant accidents. The agenda is modified each year to address new or developing trends. This year's seminar includes a session on navigation in reduced visibility as a result of two collisions last year that occurred in fog.

The Coast Guard, along with state and local rescue teams, is searching for survivors after an apparent collision involving three vessels that occurred in the Elk River, off the Chesapeake Bay in northern Maryland, early this morning. The vessels A/V Kastner, Buchanan 14, and Swift, were involved in an apparent collision on Monday morning. The tugboat Swift apparently sank while the A/V Kastner and tug Buchanan reportedly went aground. Rescue crews transported two injured crewmembers to Union Hospital in Cecil County, Md., and one injured crewmember was flown to the Shock and Trauma Center in Baltimore. The extent of the injuries is unknown. Two others apparently made it to shore in good condition.