Empire State News

Philly Shipyard on Friday held a keel laying ceremony for the fifth and final vessel in a series of new purpose built, state-of-the-art training ships for America’s state maritime academies.The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) new vessel program – known as National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMVs) – was designed to provide world-class training for America’s future mariners and to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions…

Philly Shipyard this week held a keel laying ceremony for the fourth of five new purpose built, state-of-the-art training vessels for America’s state maritime academies.The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) new vessel program – known as National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMVs) – was designed to provide world-class training for America’s future mariners and to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions in times of need.

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted a selection of the most notable American newbuilds delivered of 2023—from a first-of-its-kind green towboat, to the lead vessel in a series of game-changing ships to train U.S. mariners.Empire StateAs the lead vessel in a series of five new training ships being constructed to serve America's state maritime academies, Empire State is easily one of the most important U.S.-built vessels delivered in recent memory.Built by Philly Shipyard for the U.S.

When asked about the top issues facing shipbuilders, executives at the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) listed a number of topics and concerns. SCA is the only national trade association representing U.S. shipyards engaged in the building and repairing of military and other government and commercial vessels, and companies providing goods and services to the shipbuilding industry.Shutdowns have consequencesMatthew Paxton and Paula Zorensky are, respectively, SCA President and Vice President. Their top federal concern at the end of September? A U.S.

Captain Morgan McManus will serve as the Ship’s Master on the Empire State VII, the first in a series of five National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV), which at press time was getting its post-sea trial finishing touches at Philly Shipyard. The project to design, build and deliver the NSMV series is one of the most exciting shipbuilding programs in the U.S. – a government shipbuilding project leveraging commercial shipbuilding efficiencies. For insights, we visited with Captain McManus to discuss the ship, it’s technology suite and its role in helping to educate a new generation of U.S.

Philly Shipyard on Friday delivered Empire State, the lead vessel in a series of five new training ships being built to serve America's state maritime academies. Delivered to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) under its National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program, Empire State will serve SUNY Maritime College.Scheduled to be delivered through 2026, each of the five purpose-built NSMVs will feature instructional spaces, a full training bridge and space for up to 600 cadets.

RADM Michael Alfultis announced he will retire in 2024 after nearly a decade as president of SUNY Maritime College and more than 30 years in higher education.When RADM Alfultis was appointed Maritime College president in 2014, he immediately focused on two priorities for the college: the replacement of the training ship Empire State and the formal reconciliation with the Fort Schuyler Maritime Alumni Association. Within three years, a formal SUNY-approved Memorandum of Agreement was signed between Maritime College and the Maritime College Alumni Association.

Kinder Morgan's shipping arm, American Petroleum Tankers, has been awarded a $28,548,000 charter contract option for one of its MR tankers, Empire State.The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) announced the deal earlier this week, stating the option is the third of the current contract, which includes a 12-month base period with three 12-month options and one 11-month option. If all options are exercised, work would run through July 23, 2025, and the cumulative value the deal would be $136,560,500. The 600-foot Empire State is being used in support of the U.S.

At the time of publication, the first National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV), the Empire State VII, is steadily advancing towards its final delivery to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and SUNY Maritime College. Let’s be clear—this is a huge win, not only for MARAD, its vessel construction manager TOTE Services, the shipbuilder Philly Shipyard, and SUNY Maritime, but for the future of government shipbuilding.To put this milestone in its appropriate context, it is worth reviewing how we got here.

U.S.-based shipping company Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG) announced its support for women at SUNY Maritime College with a three-year pledge totaling nearly $90,000, in an effort to make strides in reducing the gender gap in the maritime industry and create equal opportunities for all. The funding will go towards scholarships for women and a student government organization at the college, Women of Maritime, which cadets launched to build community and bring more awareness to…

Philly Shipyard has launched Patriot State, the second in a series of five state-class National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV) it is building for the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD).MARAD's NSMV provides purpose-built training platforms for state maritime academies in New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Texas and California, respectively. In addition, the five NSMVs will be available to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions when required.Patriot State will be used by the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.In 2019…

Philly Shipyard on Wednesday hosted a ceremony for the first state-class National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV), the Empire State.Empire State is the first of five new NSMVs being built under a program for the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD), which owns and operates training ships for the nation's state maritime academies. The newbuild will be delivered this summer to the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College, replacing the school's current training ship built in 1962.Captain Elizabeth Christman…

We have a national and economic security crisis on our hands. It is time for Washington policymakers to stop dancing around the facts and looking for small fixes. The U.S. mariner shortage is real and it poses an unescapable threat not only to our ability to establish lines of communication to the U.S. warfighter, but also to our nation’s ability to project power through international trade.Two Congressional hearings held on March 28 illustrate the challenge. First, General Van Ovost…

Philly Shipyard held a keel laying ceremony on Monday for the third vessel in a series of new purpose-built, state-of-the-art training ships for America’s state maritime academies.The newbuild is the third of five new National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV) being built under a program for the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD), which owns and operates training ships for the nation's state maritime academies. The third NSMV is scheduled to be delivered to Maine Maritime Academy in 2024.MARAD's NSMV program is designed to provide a purpose-built…

Philly Shipyard held a keel laying ceremony on Thursday for the second vessel in a series of new purpose built, state-of-the-art training ships for America’s state maritime academies.The newbuild, to be named Patriot State, is the second of five new National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV) being built under a program for the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD), which owns and operates training ships for the nation's state maritime academies.

The first in a series of new training ships being built for the United States' state maritime academies was launched at Philly Shipyard on Saturday.The newbuild, Empire State VII, is the first of five new National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV) being built under a program for the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD), which owns and operates training ships for the nation's state maritime academies.The newly launched vessel is slated to undergo final outfitting, testing, commissioning and trials prior to delivery to SUNY Maritime College in 2023.

SUNY Maritime College on Monday announced three major construction projects totaling $24.8 million that will enhance and build on the campus’s state-of-the-art facilities for students pursuing the global marine transportation industry. Ground-breaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies today with state and local leaders celebrated Maritime College’s new Student Learning Center and its fully renovated Marine Engineering Systems Laboratory, made possible through significant New York…

The Suez Canal stepped up efforts on Friday to free a giant container ship blocking the vital trade waterway that has sent shipping rates for oil product tankers soaring and disrupted the global supply chains for everything from grains to baby clothes.Shipping rates for oil product tankers have nearly doubled after the 400 meter long Ever Given, almost as long as the Empire State Building is high, ran aground in the canal on Tuesday.Efforts to free the vessel may take weeks and be complicated by unstable weather conditions…

A containership blocking the Suez Canal like a "beached whale" may take weeks to free, the salvage company said, as officials stopped all ships entering the channel on Thursday in a new setback for global trade.The 400-meter Ever Given, almost as long as the Empire State Building is high, is blocking transit in both directions through one of the world's busiest shipping channels for oil and grain and other trade linking Asia and Europe.The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said eight tugs were working to move the vessel…

The Suez Canal temporarily suspended traffic on Thursday as efforts to dislodge a 400 m (430 yard) long container vessel that has blocked the waterway continued for a third day, with eight tugs working to straighten the ship.The Ever Given vessel, almost as long as the Empire State Building is high, ran aground diagonally across the single-lane stretch of the southern canal on Tuesday morning after losing the ability to steer amid high winds and a dust storm.It is now blocking transit in both directions through one of the world's busiest shipping channels for goods…

For professional maritime training, the 2020 holiday season was bright indeed. In a world clutching for optimism, officials from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) made a series of announcements that will strengthen, expand and intensify America’s maritime academic programs—really the maritime industry—for at least the next decade, likely much longer. Consider this string of news:On December 15, MARAD announced cutting steel for the first new National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) at Philly Shipyard Inc.…

SUNY Maritime College has appointed Captain Morgan McManus as the Master of the T/S Empire State VI. An alumnus of SUNY Maritime College, Captain McManus graduated in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in Marine Transportation.Captain McManus has over 12 years’ experience sailing as Master including on the SS Cape Jacob, the sister ship to T/S Empire State VI. His sailing career has taken him on various types of commercial ships including steam, motor, breakbulk, container, car carriers, tankers, and cutting-edge dynamic positioned drill ships.

More than 400 SUNY Maritime College students and others this summer will spend three days assisting ongoing hurricane recovery efforts in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during the college’s annual summer sea term onboard Training Ship Empire State VI. The ship will leave the college campus, bound for San Juan, on May 7.The voyage to Puerto Rico is the first stop on the college’s annual summer sea term, which gives students the hands-on education and training they need to sail onboard commercial vessels after graduation.