Lax SMFF Enforcement a ‘Disaster Waiting to Happen’ -ROR
A top U.S. Coast Guard official said at a recent congressional oversight hearing that the Coast Guard “has not been aggressively enforcing the compliance” of vessel response plans filed under federal Salvage and Marine Firefighting (SMFF) regulations. The rules, derived from the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, are meant to prevent a worst-case discharge resulting from fire or explosion aboard a vessel. “The shocking admission by the Coast Guard that it cannot, and is not, enforcing its own marine firefighting rules should be a warning to all ship owners…
Volvo Penta IPS for New Tampa Bay Pilot Boat
The new Chesapeake-class MKII launch delivered this month by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding to the Tampa Bay Pilots Association features integrated engine and drive from Volvo Penta. The new 52.7-ft. 28-knot pilot boat, designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates, is powered by twin Volvo Penta D11 six-cylinder 503 hp diesel engines with IPS2 drives and Volvo Penta EVC electronic steering and control system. Each of the IPS pods has two counter-rotating forward-facing props that pull the boat through the water rather than pushing it.
Fort Ripley: Multi-Missioned & Fully Capable
On a beautiful Autumn afternoon in Charleston, SC last month, MarineNews Editor Joseph Keefe had the good fortune to attend the christening on the nation’s first dual purpose, rapid response vessel and pilot launch. As the first vessel to be designed for offshore salvage and firefighting requirements, it was also notably the first commercial application of Volvo Penta’s IPS drive propulsion. The vessel also represents an interesting twist in the Charleston Branch Pilots’ business model. The pilot game is already a pretty good paying gig, but clearly, this group is thinking outside the box.
Fast Repsonse Boat Sports Innovative Volvo Penta Power
Fort Ripley, a new offshore emergency response craft now entering service in Charleston, S.C., is reported to be the first commercial vessel in North America to be powered by triple Volvo Penta IPS drives. Designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates, built by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, and owned by Southeast Ocean Response Services Inc., the USCG-certificated 64-ft. aluminum boat, was commissioned today (October 7, 2014) in a ceremony in Charleston. Fort Ripley’s primary mission is to allow ships to meet federal requirements for rapid offshore firefighting…
