Port New Orleans News

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a number of river closures, restrictions and advisories in response to floods in the Midwest and South. Illinois River is open to traffic. The Coast Guard recommends that mariners transit the river in daylight hours only. The Missouri River is open to vessel traffic. The Coast Guard urges mariners to monitor VHF-FM channels 16 and 22 for any changes to the river. For more details on the closures set in place by Sector Upper Mississippi River call the command center at 314-269-2610. The Paducah-Louisville railroad bridge at mile marker 94.8 on Green River requires one-hour notice for opening. The Louisville-Nashville Swing Bridge at mile marker 190.4 on Cumberland River is closed. A safety advisory is in place from mile marker 110 to mile marker 0.

The Coast Guard has issued a number of river closures, restrictions and advisories in response to floods in the midwest. To keep the public and professional mariners apprised of changes to river traffic, the 8th District will continue to issue press releases capturing all closures and restrictions throughout this period of high water and flooding. * The Coast Guard Captain of the Port has re-opened the Mississippi River surrounding the St. Louis Harbor from mile marker 179 to mile marker 185. Vessels operating in this area must be in compliance with horsepower and barge restrictions in accordance with the Western Rivers Waterways Action Plan. * Illinois River is open to traffic. The Coast Guard recommends that mariners transit the river in daylight hours only.

Coast Guard Captain of the Port, New Orleans, informs that the Mississippi River has been re-opened to all traffic transiting around the International Matex Tank Terminals (IMTT) between mile marker 96 and mile marker 98. The disabled vessel, Flag Gangos, is no longer impeding traffic. The slow-bell requirement is still in effect in the vicinity of the IMTT facility. Late Tuesday watchstanders with Coast Guard Sector New Orleans command center received a report that the Maltese-flagged vessel Flag Gangos lost power and steering near mile marker 97.4 on the Lower Mississippi River and collided with the Liberian-flagged vessel Pamisos and the barge Web 235, both moored at the International Matex Tank Terminals conducting transfer operations.

The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port New Orleans, under the authority of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act, will establish a safety zone on the Lower Mississippi River, Above Head of Passes, from MM 215.0 to MM 217.0, in the vicinity of the L'Auberge Casino, Baton Rouge, LA. This safety zone is needed to protect persons and vessels from the potential safety hazards associated with a fireworks display for the L'Auberge 4th of July Celebration. This safety zone is effective from 8:45 p.m. July 4, 2014 until 09:45 p.m. on July 4, 2014. All vessels are prohibited from entering this safety zone unless they have been granted permission by the Captain of the Port New Orleans or designated representative.

1,066-Foot Ship Ties Record for Longest Container Ship to Berth at Port. At 1,066 feet long, Mediterranean Shipping Company’s MSC Judith arrived at the Port of New Orleans’ Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal Saturday tying the Port’s record for the longest container ship to berth in New Orleans. New Orleans Terminal worked the Panamanian-flagged container ship, which has a capacity of more than 8,000 twenty-foot-equivalent-units. While the Port has hosted ships with more TEU capacity, the ship is the longest container ship to berth at the Port by about 60 feet.

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans unveiled a new modern, streamlined logo today to kick-off the 6th annual Critical Commodities Conference. The rebranding effort represents the culmination of work of an internal committee consisting of staff from a variety of port departments and two members representing the Board of Commissioners. Port officials advertised nationally for a design firm and ultimately selected Edelman – the world’s largest public relations firm – to design the new brand.

Platform supply vessel Cindy Brown Tide was delivered to offshore-service giant Tidewater on Oct. 24, and chartered to oil company BP in the Gulf of Mexico. The boat's namesake is someone missed by many. "The vessel was named for Cynthia Niklaus Brown, a wonderful woman who passed away in late 2009 in Houston after being diagnosed with cancer," said Joseph Badeaux, general manager and vice president at Houma, La.-based Quality Shipyards, a subsidiary of Tidewater. Brown, a New Orleans native…

The was joined by two of its rail partners in dedicating the Napoleon Intermodal Rail Yard, a new facility permitting efficient ship to rail transfer of cargo containers at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal. The rail yard provides a new link for NAFTA commerce. Its dedication was announced as U.S. President George Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon meet in for the annual North American Leadership Summit. CN, with a rail network spanning the U.S. Midwest and , is the first Class 1 railroad to serve the new rail yard via its switching agent, the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad. CN is currently hauling about 350 to 400 containers per week using the facility…

The Greek master of a commercial ship pleaded guilty and was charged Thursday with operating his vessel while intoxicated. Nikolaos Zografos was charged before a U.S. magistrate judge with being drunk while aboard the 580-foot freight ship Winner at St. John's Buoys, near Reserve, La. Zografos pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to one-year probation, restriction from being a master or licensed officer on any vessel in U.S. waters for the duration of his probation and received a $5,500 fine. On Oct. 28, contract workers cleaning cargo holds aboard Winner informed the Coast Guard that the master appeared intoxicated. Lt. Boris…

According to reports, the Port of New Orleans is in dire need of federal and state aid to save some of its most damaged operations and businesses, the port's president and chief executive told the maritime industry in his annual state of the port address. Gary LaGrange said the port is in a battle to retain the nine maritime businesses that operate along the Industrial Canal, a 1,000-acre tract of port property that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Together the businesses generated about 9,000 indirect jobs, LaGrange said. At least one of them probably will have to relocate soon, he said. The port does have several things to celebrate, he said.

Coast Guard investigators, a law enforcement boarding team, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service are investigating the cruise ship, Holiday, after three separate breaches of security occurred Monday during the passenger embarkation process. The Coast Guard Captain of the Port New Orleans, Capt. Ron Branch, has ordered the Holiday to remain at the Julia Street Terminal until all passengers and luggage are screened again. Approximately 3 p.m. Monday, Coast Guard personnel aboard Holiday received a report from a passenger, also a policeman, that he left his handgun in his luggage. After locating and searching the luggage, the weapon, a .38-caliber handgun, was found and placed in a secure location. About an hour later, Holiday crewmembers discovered four bullets on a passageway floor.