Nc News

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.

Bellingham, Wash. boatbuilder All American Marine (AAM) has launched the newly built research vessel Gannet for NOAA Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS).The newbuild is a 52- by 19-foot semi-displacement aluminum catamaran hull that was developed by Nic de Waal of Teknicraft Design in Auckland, New Zealand. The vessel is based on the proven design elements found in the recently commissioned research vessel Storm Petrel, built for NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine…

Bosch Rexroth has appointed Erwin Wieckowski, P.Eng. as the new President and CEO of Bosch Rexroth North and Central America based in Charlotte, NC, effective October 1, 2023.The role has been performed on an interim basis by Reinhard Schaefer in addition to his role as a member of the Divisional Board of Management with responsibility for Manufacturing. Schaefer will remain in the region to support the transition.“We are thrilled to have Erwin join our organization,” said Schaefer.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced nearly $10 million for seven projects that will accelerate development and testing of marine energy technologies. These investments advance research on wave-powered technology for use in seawater desalination and support a feasibility study for a potential ocean current test facility. “Marine energy technologies have incredible potential to provide clean electricity as well as clean water,” said Alejandro Moreno, Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

The prosperity of port cities, throughout history, has been closely tied to the ports’ ability to adapt to economic and technological change. As ships got bigger, ports had to keep up. This has often seen the port proper grow apart from the city whose name it bears because the old harbor could no longer accommodate the needs of modernized shipping.In those European cities located by rivers, port activities have often migrated towards the estuary. The ships headed for the port of Liverpool now berth in docks stretching north of the original Royal Albert dock…

An injured crewmember was medevaced Wednesday from a Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier approximately 173 miles east of Morehead City, N.C., the U.S. Coast Guard said.Watchstanders with Coast Guard 5th District Command Center received a notification from the the 200-foot-long vessel PRT Ace, that a 29-year-old crewman on board had suffered burns while using the ship’s incinerator.The watchstanders launched a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) on Wednesday announced $20.8 million in grant awards to 27 small shipyards in 20 states through the Small Shipyard Grant Program. The funds will help shipyards modernize, increase productivity, and expand local job opportunities while competing in the global marketplace.“Small shipyards strengthen America’s commercial fleet, bolster our economic security, and generate good jobs,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We are proud to support these shipyards reinforce their vital role in the U.S.

Seven people were rescued from a tug that went adrift off the U.S. East Coast.A crew member aboard the tug Legacy notified watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region at about 3:30 a.m. Saturday that while towing a 290-foot barge from New Jersey, to Guyana, a 1,000-foot towing line became entangled and fouled their starboard propeller about 30 miles offshore from Ocean City, Md.The vessel continued to make way on one engine when the tow line snapped. The…

The Sailors’ Snug Harbor (SSH) is a charity based out of New York that provides assistance to retired merchant mariners. In 2022, SSH helped more than 400 mariners in 33 states and Puerto Rico. SSH helps mariners live more comfortably by assisting them with their living expenses such as rent, mortgages, and utilities. SSH also helps them find other assistance and local services. In recent years, SSH has expanded its eligibility criteria to include inland mariners as well as deep sea mariners.SSH was incorporated in 1806 as the result of a bequest made by Captain Robert Richard Randall.

A Hong Kong registered tanker assisted in the rescue of two men adrift in a sailboat off the U.S. East Coast.On Sunday, watchstanders at the U.S. Coast Guard Fifth District command center were notified of an overdue sailing vessel, Atrevida II, which was sailing from Cape May, N.J. to Marathon, Fla. The two men aboard, 65-year-old Kevin Hyde and 76-year-old Joe Ditomasso, were last in contact with family and friends on December 3, when they departed Oregon Inlet, N.C. The Coast Guard began urgent marine information broadcasts and direct communication with commercial vessels in the area in an attempt to locate the Atrevida II. A search effort was launched, involving multiple Coast Guard aircraft and cutters, vessels from the U.S.

Washington-baed shipbuilder All American Marine (AAM) has won a contract to build a research vessel for the NOAA Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS). GRNMS is located 19 miles off Sapelo Island, Georgia, and is one of 14 marine sanctuaries and monuments that make up the U.S. National Marine Sanctuary System. AAM will build the research vessel at its Bellingham Bay facility. The vessel is a 52’ x 19’ semi-displacement aluminum catamaran hull that was developed by Nic de Waal of Teknicraft Design in Auckland, New Zealand.

Hubert, N.C. shipbuilder US Watercraft said it has been selected by New Hanover County to build a custom 30-foot aluminum fire/rescue vessel. Now under construction, the vessel will be delivered in early 2023.Located in southeastern North Carolina, the county has 31 miles of shoreline on the mainland and barrier islands, with communities facing both the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean.In addition to fire-fighting capacity, the aluminum catamaran will feature an hydraulic bow door for deploying a rescue ATV.

The recent delivery of a Marine Travelift 820CII (820 metric ton/1,804,000 lbs. capacity) Mobile Boat Hoist to the Stevens Towing Company, Inc. shipyard located on Yonges Island in South Carolina will transform marine services by alleviating overwhelmed dry dock schedules in the region.Founded in the late 1800s as Stevens Brothers with a single boat, Joseph Stanyarne Stevens and William Yates Stevens transported produce and supplies from Edisto Island to Charleston and many points in between.

Electrical systems integrator Alewijnse has delivered its newest dredge control solutions to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co, the largest provider of dredging services in the U.S.The systems were installed on board the Liberty Island, a large trailing suction hopper dredger, which was deployed immediately after completion for a beach replenishment project in Buxton, N.C."Our proven systems for suction tube monitoring and hopper loading deliver maximum added value to our customers," said Johan van Rikxoort, solutions manager at Alewijnse.

With shipowners pressed to upgrade machinery to meet strict new emission targets, there’s much confusion with chatter surrounding ‘decarbonization’ and ‘future fuels’, solutions that don’t exist today – and may not exist in mass for another generation – cluttering the conversation. Enter Wabtec, formerly GE Transportation, which today offers a Tier 4 compliant engine with no need for urea. Is it the cheapest propulsion solution on the market? No. But the Pennsylvania-based engine builder mounts a compelling case for its 250MDC diesel engine based on performance…

US Watercraft, the commercial boatbuilding division of Waterline Systems, said it is building a new oyster farm support vessel for Matheson Oyster Co., a sustainable oyster farm located in Virginia.Matheson Oyster came to the Hubert, N.C. boatbuilder with a specific request: build a low-freeboard vessel that can hold position safely and travel quickly in the choppy waters of Chesapeake Bay.US Watercraft’s 26-foot aquaculture support vessel design is the result of a series of conversations with the Matheson Oyster crew, where the builder learned about Matheson's innovative farming methods.

A fully-electric ferry in Denmark has set a new world record for the longest voyage on a single battery charge.The vessel, Ellen, which usually connects the islands of Ærø and Als in Southern Denmark, broke the distance record on June 9 in Sønderborg, Denmark, where leaders from industry, government, and civil society joined the International Energy Agency (IEA) for the 7th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency. On her return from the conference, where participants explored how international ambition on energy efficiency can be translated into faster and stronger real-world progress…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) today announced the immediate designation of four new Marine Highway Projects as part of the America’s Marine Highway Program (AMHP). Projects in North Carolina, Alaska, and Puerto Rico will receive these designations. They can now apply for record levels of funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help address supply chain challenges.A Marine Highway Project is a planned service, or expansion of an existing service, on a designated Marine Highway Route.

These titles and headlines reference new contract opportunities listed on the SAM.gov contracting website which needs to be accessed directly to check for full details and instructions regarding follow up.•Locks 27 Miter Gate Anchorages Replacement on the Chain of Rocks Canal located in Granite City, Ill.•Olmsted Crane Barge Maintenance: Drydocking and Dockside Services.•FY22 USACE Environmental Services for Evaluation of Dredged Material, Galveston.•Excavator Barge Invitation for Bid…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) awarded $12.6 million in grants to nine marine highway projects across the Nation under the America’s Marine Highway Program (AMHP). The funding will help address supply chain disruptions, enhance the movement of goods along our navigable waterways, and expand existing waterborne freight services in Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.“These investments through the America’s Marine Highway Program will help us move more goods…

U.S. terminal and logistics company Enstructure announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Patriot Port Holdings LLC. Patriot Ports, the ports division of Patriot Rail & Ports and a sister company of Patriot Rail Company LLC, works in breakbulk, specialty cargo and cold storage, operating six terminals in Jacksonville, Fla.; Savannah, Ga.; Mobile, Ala.; and Sunny Point, N.C. with approximately 1.2 million square feet of industrial warehouse capacity, including 10.2 million cubic feet of cold storage.Following the acquisition…

After more than 30 years of active service, U.S. Coast Guard Island-class patrol boats USCGC Aquidneck (WPB 1309) and USCGC Adak (WPB 1333) were decommissioned in a ceremony aboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Tuesday.Vice Adm. Steven Poulin, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, was in attendance to honor the years of service Aquidneck, Adak, and their crews, provided to the Coast Guard.“Thank you to every single crew member who has ever served aboard Aquidneck and Adak, from the plank owners to the final crew and all the crews in between,” Poulin said.

There is an old adage that states that a repair yard can economically build new ships, but a new construction yard should never touch ship repair jobs. In my experience there is a lot of truth to that statement, and it does not mean that new construction yards are run by less capable people; it simply means that ship construction and ship repair and conversion are fundamentally different business models. Ship construction uses a script, while ship repair and conversion is improvisation. I will not drive the theater comparison completely home, but it has some validity.