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Penobscot Bay News

27 Jan 2023

US Announces More Grant Funding for Ferry Upgrades

(Photo: Eric Kilby - CC BY-SA 2.0)

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced $384.4 million in federal funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for expanding and improving the nation’s ferry service in communities across the country, as well as accelerate the transition to zero emission transportation.In total, FTA is awarding 23 grants across 11 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Grants will fund projects including replacement of old vessels, expand fleets, and build new terminals and docks.

28 Jan 2019

Coast Guard, Partners Respond to Adrift Vessels in Hudson River

The Coast Guard and partner agencies are responding to reports of several barges and vessels breaking away from their moorings on the Hudson River near Troy, New York, Friday morning.Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New York received the initial report of the situation from Rensselaer emergency dispatch.New York State Marine notified the Coast Guard that an additional six vessels were noticed adrift in the ice flows shortly before sunrise.One of the vessels is a 300-foot cruise boat, currently stuck at the Livingston Avenue railroad bridge. Two adrift barges have been secured.Coast Guard Cutter Penobscot Bay, a 140-foot ice breaker…

03 Jan 2018

Coast Guard Frees Vessels Frozen on the Hudson

Coast Guard Cutter Penobscot Bay helps break free tug Brooklyn from the ice on the Hudson River near Saugerties, N.Y. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Steven Strohmaier, courtesy of Coast Guard Cutter Penobscot Bay)

The U.S. Coast Guard helped free two vessels beset by ice in the Hudson River this week as frigid temperatures in the U.S. Northeast continue to hamper the region’s commercial shipping. A Coast Guard icebreaker vessel freed tug Stephanie Dann near Kingston, N.Y. on Tuesday, as well as the tug Brooklyn stuck in ice near Saugerties, N.Y. on Sunday. The 140-foot icebreaking tug Coast Guard Cutter Penobscot Bay was able to clear an area for Stephanie Dann to continue its transit after the tug had been beset by ice for a full night.

21 Nov 2016

US Boat Yard Fined for Dumping Wastewater

Photo: Billings Diesel and Marine

Billings Diesel and Marine Services, Inc. has reached a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after the boat yard allegedly violated the Clean Water Act by discharging wastewater without authorization. According to the EPA’s allegations, the company dumped wastewater from boat-washing operations into the Deer Isle Thorofare, a major shipping channel connecting Penobscot Bay to the waters around Mount Desert Island and the open Atlantic Ocean to the east.

10 Sep 2015

Penobscot Bay Dredging Called Off, for Now

The Army Corps of Engineers withdrew on Tuesday its state permitting application for a Penobscot Bay dredging project opposed by lobstermen, tourism business owners and environmentalists. The Portland Press Herald reports Corps project manager Barbara Blumeris sent a letter to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection on Tuesday saying that the federal agency was withdrawing its application for requisite state permits. Opponents of the controversial $12 million dredging project for the local harbor hailed news Wednesday that state and federal officials had withdrawn their permit application from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

25 Jul 2014

Today in U.S. Naval History: July 25

USS Harmon (DE-72). U.S. Navy Photograph, National Archives and Records Administration

Today in U.S. 1863 - U.S. Squadron bombards Fort Wagner, N.C. 1866 - Rank of Admiral created. David G. Farragut is appointed the first Admiral in the U.S. 1898 - Landing party from armed yacht Gloucester occupies Guanica, Puerto Rico. 1912 - First specifications for naval aircraft published. 1934 - First President to visit Hawaii, Franklin D. 1941 - Bureau of Ordnance issues first Navy "E"certificates (for excellence) for industry. 1943 - Launching of USS Harmon (DE-72), first ship named for African-American. 1990 - USS Cimarron rescues 25 refugees adrift southeast of Subic Bay, Philippines.

04 Feb 2014

Securing Super Bowl XLVIII

A Coast Guard maritime safety and security team patrols the Hudson River. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Himes.

New York-based Coast Guard units are no strangers when it comes to assisting with large-scale events in the area, but for the first time in history, area crews put in a team effort alongside local New York and New Jersey authorities to safeguard a Super Bowl event. Having provided security for the United Nations General Assembly, Macy’s Fourth of July Firework display, Fleet Week and the NYC Marathon in previous years, the opportunity for the Coast Guard’s assets to assist with Super Bowl XLVIII was also a success. “We’re here to protect our citizens,” said Lt. Cmdr. Luis E.

25 Jul 2013

Today in U.S. Naval History: July 25

USS Houston with President Franklin D. Roosevelt on board (U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.)

Today in U.S. 1863 - U.S. Squadron bombards Fort Wagner, N.C. 1866 - Rank of Admiral created. David G. Farragut is appointed the first Admiral in the U.S. 1898 - Landing party from armed yacht Gloucester occupies Guanica, Puerto Rico. 1912 - First specifications for naval aircraft published. 1934 - First President to visit Hawaii, Franklin D. 1941 - Bureau of Ordnance issues first Navy "E"certificates (for excellence) for industry. 1943 - Launching of USS Harmon (DE-72), first ship named for African-American. 1990 - USS Cimarron rescues 25 refugees adrift southeast of Subic Bay, Philippines.

25 Jul 2012

This Day in Naval History - July 25

1779 - Amphibious expedition against British in Penobscot Bay, Me. 1863 - U.S. Squadron bombards Fort Wagner, N.C. 1866 - Rank of Admiral created. David G. Farragut is appointed the first Admiral in the U.S. Navy. 1898 - Landing party from armed yacht Gloucester occupies Guanica, Puerto Rico. 1912 - First specifications for naval aircraft published. 1934 - First President to visit Hawaii, Franklin D. Roosevelt, reaches Hilo on board USS Houston (CA 30). 1941 - Bureau of Ordnance issues first Navy "E"certificates (for excellence) for industry. 1943 - Launching of USS Harmon (DE 72), first ship named for an African-American. 1990 - USS Cimarron (AO 177) rescues 25 refugees adrift southeast of Subic Bay, Philippines.

25 Jul 2011

This Day in Naval History - July 25

1779 - Amphibious expedition against British in Penobscot Bay, Me. 1863 - U.S. Squadron bombards Fort Wagner, N.C. 1866 - Rank of Admiral created. David G. Farragut is appointed the first Admiral in the U.S. Navy. 1898 - Landing party from armed yacht Gloucester occupies Guanica, Puerto Rico. 1912 - First specifications for naval aircraft published. 1934 - First President to visit Hawaii, Franklin D. Roosevelt, reaches Hilo on board USS Houston (CA 30). 1941 - Bureau of Ordnance issues first Navy "E"certificates (for excellence) for industry. 1943 - Launching of USS Harmon (DE 72), first ship named for an African-American. 1990 - USS Cimarron (AO 177) rescues 25 refugees adrift southeast of Subic Bay, Philippines.

29 Nov 2010

Connecticut-based CG Cutter to Deploy to Great Lakes

Photo courtesy USCG

A Connecticut-based Coast Guard cutter is scheduled to deploy to the Great Lakes Nov. 29, 2010, to assist in the service's icebreaking mission there throughout the winter months. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Morro Bay, a 140-ft icebreaking tug, will arrive in the Great Lakes region a few weeks after it departs its homeport of New London, Conn. While there, the crew will assist those of other Coast Guard icebreakers during Operations Coal Shovel and Taconite, the largest domestic ice breaking operations in the country.

08 Jul 2010

Avtron Upgrades Icebreakers

The U.S. Coast Guard recently awarded Avtron Industrial Automation a contract to upgrade the main propulsion system on its fleet of 9 WTGB Ice Breaking Tugs with the Avtron ADD-32 DMG Drive System. To date, Avtron has upgraded the electrical propulsion system for the Neah Bay in Cleveland, OH, the Bristol Bay in Detroit, MI, and now the Penobscot Bay in Bayonne, NJ. The WTGBs are 140’ diesel-electric vessels which operate on the Great Lakes and the Northeastern United States. The ice breaking mission of the vessels requires them to be operational at all times.

14 Apr 2010

U.S.-Flag Cargos on Lakes Quadruple in March

With America’s steel industry on the mend, U.S.-flag lakers charged back to work in March. The fleet hauled 2,551,166 tons of cargo, more than four times the volume moved a year ago when the nation’s economic pulse was weak. Coal loadings showed a marked improvement over a year ago, increasing almost six-fold. Another factor in the March upturn was the sterling performance of the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking resources. All eight vessels stationed on the Great Lakes aided in the resumption of navigation. The U.S. Coast Guard also transferred an East Coast icebreaker, the Penobscot Bay, to the Lakes for the ice season, and that vessel was actively engaged in facilitating commerce in March. Canada’s two icebreakers also made significant contributions to the flow of vital cargos in March.

12 Mar 2010

Theriault & Son Custom Fire/Rescue Vessel

Photo courtesy Martin Flory Group

When Portland, Maine needed an aluminum fire/rescue boat, the city brought on builder A.F. Theriault & Son. The resulting 65-ft City of Portland features a medical bay identical to land-based ambulances, multiple water cannons and a complete Delta T ventilation system. "We offer Delta T Systems as optional equipment, but they have such a great reputation that many architects will incorporate them into their designs," said Theriault & Son VP of production Graham Oakley. The new Portland Fire Department fire/rescue boat will serve the city…

28 Aug 2008

ESRI to Offer Consulting Services Through SeaPort-e

The Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren has named ESRI an approved prime contractor on the SeaPort Enhanced (SeaPort-e) online portal. By being listed on SeaPort-e, ESRI can make available a broad range of engineering, technical, and programmatic services related to geographic information system (GIS) and information technology. ESRI can provide these services to the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). SeaPort-e offers these defense organizations a fast, cost-effective, electronic procurement procedure for providing tasking orders for professional support services from commercial firms. The contracting office for SeaPort-e is NSWC Dahlgren.

05 Mar 2004

MMA Tug Crew Honored

The master and crew of Maine Maritime Academy's tug boat, Pentagoet, were recently cited for outstanding service to fellow mariners in peril in a letter of appreciation from USCG Captain Harry E. Haynes, Commander, Group Southwest Harbor. The letter recognized Captain Tim Leach, master of the vessel; Harry Stevens, mate engineer; and Zander Parker, MMA student crew member, for their assistance to the Coast Guard in voluntarily responding to the aid of the disabled tug and barge, Mackenzie Ryan. Maine Maritime Academy President Leonard Tyler presented the letter to the master and crew in a special ceremony held last week during the college's daily morning formation.

28 Aug 2007

Fairbanks Morse Engine Secures Funding

Fairbanks Morse Engine, an EnPro Industries company, will install low load upgrade kits on the LSD - 41/49 class of U.S. Navy ships following a $4 million federal spending plan secured by Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin. The decision to upgrade the engines is based on a successful proof-of-concept trial of low load upgrade kits on the U.S.S. Oak Hill (LSD-51) for its Fairbanks Morse Opposed Piston (OP) engines that provide ship electrical service. Bay (WTGB 107). The upgrade kit extends the service life of the engines, while at the same time reducing emissions and lowering lube oil and fuel consumption rates. This technology will result in substantial cost savings and increased reliability for the U.S. Navy.

13 Jul 2007

Lightering Ops Commence on Grounded Tanker Off NYC

Crews were expected to begin lightering 110,000 barrels of low sulfur fuel oil from the grounded tank ship White Sea to Bouchard Barge B-230 last night (July 12) at 10:00 p.m. Officials anticipate refloating the 800-foot Liberian-flagged tank ship about 8:00 p.m. Friday (July 13) during high tide. Capt. Robert R. O'Brien, Coast Guard Captain of the Port of New York and New Jersey approved the salvage plan which calls for additional barges should more product need to be lightered from the White Sea to refloat it. A dive survey is scheduled for first light to assess the condition of the ship's hull. The Bayonne, N.J.-based Coast Guard Cutter Penobscot Bay relieved the cutter Katherine Walker, another Bayonne-based cutter, in enforcing a 500 yard security zone around the tanker.