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Rivera News

05 May 2024

Unified Command Prepares for Removal of Bridge Piece on Top of Dali

(Key Bridge Unified Command Photo by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Visual Information Specialist Christopher Rosario)

Key Bridge Unified command salvors have begun preparing for the removal of bridge section four, which lies across the bow of the M/V Dali.The operation requires careful handling of roadbed material, crushed containers and bridge fragments currently resting on the M/V Dali’s bow.The salvage teams are preparing for the refloat of the Dali, ensuring all aspects of the wreckage impacts are thoroughly evaluated and addressed. "The complexities of this next phase of operations require thorough preparation, strategic planning, and specialized expertise," said Capt.

17 Aug 2022

Seven Charged with Labor Racketeering in the Port of San Juan

Š soultkd / Adobe Stock

On August 11, 2022, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging seven defendants with running a criminal enterprise dedicated to extorting and misleading shipping companies into paying fees for the loading and unloading of cargo at the Port of San Juan—Piers 9, 10, and 11—under the threat of strikes and blockades on the part of union members of the ILA-1740 of the International Longshoremen’s Association, AFL-CIO (ILA) and under false representations…

25 May 2022

KOTUG and SCI Kick Off Mariner Training Partnership

(Photo: KOTUG)

The Training & Consultancy division of KOTUG International (KOTUG) and U.S. maritime education and maritime training provider the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) entered into a strategic partnership to offer exclusive training of tug masters, ships’ crews, river barge shippers, and pilots by certified KOTUG trainers at SCI training facilities across the United States. The partnership was officially kicked-off by hosting Moran Towing Corporation for a week of ASD operator training assisted by Riven Marine founder Captain Jay Rivera.Since 2019…

03 Dec 2018

Moose to the Rescue

This West Coast boat builder stays busy creating high quality fireboats for a diverse set of demanding, multi-missioned first responders. For Moose customer satisfaction is the name of the game. This year, they’ve got that box checked.Vallejo,CA-based Moose Boats builds aluminum catamaran and monohull vessels designed to meet a variety of mission-specific applications for military, law enforcement, emergency response, firefighting and security patrol purposes. It’s been a busy year for Moose, who also recently laid the keel for a 75’ catamaran crew boat for Westar Marine Services in San Francisco. But, it is fireboats that this builder is known for. And, at present, it would not be an exaggeration to say that fireboats are ‘hot’ for Moose Boats.

18 May 2016

Maritime Leaders Convene in the Caribbean

Representatives from all aspects of the maritime shipping industry met in Cocoa Beach, Fla., May 16-18 for the Caribbean Shipping Associations’ (CSA) Shipping Executives Conference. Attendees include shippers, ship owners, port authorities and terminal operators, and non-vessel owners, such as brokers. A major theme of the conference was the close relationship between Florida ports and the Caribbean markets. “Florida ports have had a long relationship of trade with the Caribbean nations, and are proud to count them as some of our most valuable partners,” said Doug Wheeler, president and CEO of the Florida Ports Council. The CSA conference focused on the emerging market opportunities represented by the opening of Cuba to commerce, as well as the widening of the Panama Canal.

27 Apr 2016

Fugitives Rescued by Disney Cruise Ship in Waters near Cuba

The Disney Fantasy, a cruise ship owned and operated by Disney Cruise Line, part of The Walt Disney Company,  rescued three people clinging to a capsized boat near Cuba late last week who turned out to be fugitives. The three were rescued by the Disney cruise liner and turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard, who discovered upon fingerprint analysis that two of the individuals had outstanding arrest warrants in New Orleans, according to U.S. Marshal Amos Rojas Jr. of the Southern District of Florida. "Only 25 miles from their homeland, the three were later turned over to authorities in Florida after the Coast Guard discovered they were wanted fugitives," say local news and media.

28 Mar 2015

Puerto Rico Readies for Largest Cruise Ships

Thanks to a pier expansion and enhancement, Puerto Rico will welcome the two largest cruise ships in the world, Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, in 2016. This announcement is part of the commitment made under the administration of Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla to attract mega-cruise ships to the island, once the renovation of the Pier 3 is completed. About 60,000 more cruise passengers are expected to visit Old San Juan in 2016 on Royal Caribbean's Oasis and Allure of the Seas. Puerto Rico Tourism Company’s Executive Director, Ingrid Rivera Rocafort said that the ships will visit the U.S. territory a collective total of 10 times next year. Each ship can carry nearly 6,300 passengers.

07 Aug 2014

USCG Foundation to Honor Fellowmen in Alaska

The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today that it will honor the men and women who serve in Alaska at its biennial Alaska Awards Dinner at The Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage on Wednesday August 13th. Geraldo Rivera, world-class sailor and Fox News senior correspondent, and Sig Hansen, captain of the F/V Northwestern and star of the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch," will join the Coast Guard Foundation to pay tribute to those who serve in this region – an area known for challenging weather and sea conditions. Admiral Paul F.

27 Aug 2013

The Commissioning of Paul Clark

The crew aboard Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark make their way to Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, Fla. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Barney.

It was 1942 during the allied assault on French Morocco. Fireman 1st Class Paul Leaman Clark was a landing boat engineer attached to the USS Joseph T. Dickman supervising the unloading of soldiers and supplies from the transports on the beach. Early into the assault, Clark was unloading a transport when his boat was battered with machinegun fire; the bowman was mortally wounded and the coxswain was severely injured. Despite the perilous conditions, Clark took control of the boat and withdrew from the beach with the injured crewmember aboard.

04 Jun 2013

Crowley's New LCL Service: Puerto Rico/Central America

Crowley's Michelle Pacheco Rivera: Photo credit Crowley Maritime Corp.

Crowley Maritime Corporation’s Caribbean logistics group is now offering regularly scheduled, weekly less-than-containerload (LCL) services to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico, & select countries within Central America. The new service utilizes Crowley vessels and allows for added accountability by giving customers a single point of contact within Crowley, ensuring that their cargo movement is managed and monitored effectively and reliably. This new service moves freight from San Juan…

06 Apr 2011

Coast Guard Foundation Hosts Guardian of the Heartlands Awards

Donald T. Bollinger, a member of the Coast Guard Foundation board of trustees, speaks at the Guardian of the Heartland Dinner here, April 9, 2010. The Foundation Dinner was attended by close to 600 people, some of whom included Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen, Atlantic Area Commander Vice Adm. Robert Papp and Master Chief Petty of the Coast Guard Charles ÒSkipÓ Bowen. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Casey J. Ranel.

The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization, announced that its Annual Tribute to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Eighth District, The Guardian of the Heartland Dinner, will take place on Friday, April 15, 2011. The event will honor several aircrews from Air Station New Orleans, and Aviation Training Center Mobile for their actions during the explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon on April 20, 2010. Coast Guard efforts included evacuating the most critically injured rig workers from the Damon Bankston…

08 Mar 2011

Funding Plan for Port of Miami Dredging Project

Governor Rick Scott announced plans to fully fund the $77m shortfall for the port dredging project so that larger ships can enter the port. “Today I directed the Florida Department of Transportation to amend their work plan to include $77 million so that Florida can take another leap forward in international trade,” Scott said. Flanked by Senator Marco Rubio, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, Congressman David Rivera, and Colombian Ambassador Gabriel Silva, the Governor unveiled his intention to invest in the types of infrastructure projects that have long-term, permanent payoffs. The Port of Miami dredge project is projected to result in 30,000 new jobs for the region in the coming years.

13 May 2009

NSWCCD Presents 2009 Patent Awards

Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD) was host to the 2009 Patent Awards Ceremony on May 7, 2009. From October 2007 to December 2008, the Carderock Division had 24 U.S. Patents issued and 31 applications filed. Forty-seven Carderock inventors were presented awards in seven core equity categories: Ship Integration and Design; Hull Forms and Propulsors; Machinery Research and Engineering; Structures and Materials; Environment Quality Systems; Vulnerability and Survivability Systems; and Signatures, Silencing Systems, and Susceptibility. The following are the 2009 patent award recipients that were named in the U.S. Patents and Statutory Invention Registrations (SIR) from Oct. 1, 2007 to Dec. •    Frank A. Leban and Joseph P.

22 Oct 2008

Mariner Pleads Guilty-Illegal License

The maximum statutory penalty Millien faces is five (5) years incarceration, a $250,000 fine, not more than three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. Millien was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 28, 2008 and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 21, 2009. This case was investigated by Special Agents of the United States Coast Guard Criminal Investigative Service. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Rivera and Dorothy Manning Taylor. (Source: Attorney’s Office-Eastern District of Louisiana)

17 Sep 2008

Pathfinder Identifies Sunken Vessels During At-Sea Demonstration

Merchant Marine Seaman Derrick Moore and Kyle Gibson prepare to launch a side-scan sonar during the joint-at-sea capabilities demonstration aboard the Military Sealift Command oceanographic survey ship USNS Pathfinder (T-AGS 60). During the demonstration, Pathfinder will be searching for the Soviet-flagged hospital ship SS Armenia, which sank during WWII. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jenniffer Rivera

Military Sealift Command (MSC) oceanographic survey ship USNS Pathfinder (T-AGS 60) identified two sunken vessels during a joint, at-sea capabilities demonstration in Ukrainian territorial waters. German coastal submarine U-18 was the first target the oceanographers identified using underwater video capabilities with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The second ship is believed to be RUS Prut, a Russian minelayer that sank during World War I in 1914. "The sea floor is a resting place for brave sailors, regardless of the country they come from," said Dr. Serge A.

24 Sep 2003

Vessel Grounded Outside San Juan Harbor

The Coast Guard approved the salvage and oil removal plans earlier this week for the M/V Kent Reliant which has been grounded outside San Juan harbor since September 18. The salvage operation will begin with the removal of all the vessel’s oil products which is expected to last two days then the partial removal of cargo is expected to begin. A Protective boom has been deployed and staged in environmentally sensitive areas around Isla de Cabras and Isla de Esperanza. The salvage company, Titan Marine, was forced to delay the start of offloading procedures for the heavy fuel oil today due to poor weather conditions. The primary considerations of the response coordinators, Federal On-Scene Commander, Coast Guard Capt.

08 Jul 2004

Seafarer U.S. Pipeline System – Environmental Statement

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a Notice stating that it plans to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) relating to the proposed Seafarer U.S. Pipeline System project. It will also hold a public scoping meeting in Rivera Beach, Florida on July 22, 2004. Comments on the project should be submitted by August 16. The project involves construction of an undersea natural gas pipeline from Grand Bahama Island, The Bahamas to Palm Beach County, Florida. 69 Fed. Reg. 41248 (HK Law).

10 Jan 2001

Mariners Learn Get LNG Handling Experience At MSI

Maneuvering trials and Shiphandling training for Guayanilla, Puerto Rico Masters, Pilots and tug Masters were conducted at MarineSafety International's Newport Simulator Center April 17 - 20 and July 5 - 7, 2000. The port of Guayanilla was modeled, including a new LNG terminal to accommodate large, deep draft ships entering the port for the first time. The objectives of the trials were to give the mariners an opportunity to gain experience handling large LNG ships in their restricted harbor. Docking operations were conducted as well at the new LNG facility. Safety margins were assessed under challenging wind conditions and with different tug configurations.

24 Jan 2001

Mariners Get LNG Handling Experience At MSI

Maneuvering trials and Shiphandling training for Guayanilla, Puerto Rico Masters, Pilots and tug Masters were conducted at MarineSafety International's Newport Simulator Center April 17 - 20 and July 5 - 7, 2000. The port of Guayanilla was modeled, including a new LNG terminal to accommodate large, deep draft ships entering the port for the first time. The objectives of the trials were to give the mariners an opportunity to gain experience handling large LNG ships in their restricted harbor. Docking operations were conducted as well at the new LNG facility. Safety margins were assessed under challenging wind conditions and with different tug configurations.

20 Jan 2006

Bid Solicitation for 60,000 bbls DH Oil Barge

An invitation to bid on the construction of a new 60,000 BBLS Double Hull Oil Barge for Harbor Bunkering Corporation of San Juan, Puerto Rico is expected this quarter. Bristol Harbor Marine Design (BHMD) is currently designing the vessel for the San Juan based bunkering company, while the 30,000 BBLS Double Hull Oil Barge that BHMD designed for the company last year is being completed at Orange Shipbuilding, Orange, Texas. BHMD is also working on a tug design for the client, which will go out to bid later this year. Harbor Bunkering Corporation’s Operations Manager, Eric Rivera, is excited about the new tug and barge. “Although not an Articulated Tug and Barge (ATB), we are specifically designing the two vessels to work together hand in glove,” said Mr. Rivera.

04 Dec 2006

New Barge Builder Opens in Texas

SeaBuilders, LLC said it is accepting orders for the first quarter of 2008 to construct 30,000 barrel and 60,000 barrel oil barges. The company also announced that it has received an initial $3 million round of funding from Harbor Bunkering Corporation of Puerto Rico. SeaBuilders shipyard opened to provide capacity, as well as a new, more efficient approach to barge building, according to the company. SeaBuilders is expecting to leverage its Lean Manufacturing Process to build barges faster, more efficiently and more cost effectively. "We are delighted to offer the industry a solution — SeaBuilders is available to now take orders and by leveraging the Lean Manufacturing Process…

25 Jan 2007

ESG 5 Comes Together for Integrated Exercise

USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) brought its Navy and Marine Corps team back together Jan. 22 to participate in a pre-deployment integrated training exercise, one of the final preparations for the ship's upcoming deployment. Ships assigned to Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 5, including USS Denver (LPD 9), USS Rushmore (LSD 47), USS Milius (DDG 69), USS Chosin (CG 65) and USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) got underway to kick off the pre-deployment training evolution. ESG Integration Training (ESGINT) is one of three pre-deployment, at-sea training exercises that give ESG 5 the opportunity to work together as a team and test out plans for the first time, according to Operations Department leading chief petty officer Master Chief Operations Specialist Gerard Sprewell.

13 Jun 2007

Coast Guardsmen Train BHR Sailors

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Woody Paschall, Commander, U.S. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) Middle East Training Team (METT) embarked USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) (BHR) and BHR Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) ships June 8-11 to enhance the ESG’s humanitarian assistance and search and rescue (SAR) capabilities through training and cooperation. During the embark, they trained BHR’s Operations Department to use streamlined search procedures and additional search patterns based on weather conditions, including current, visibility and wave height. “Judging by the responses from the crew, they seemed confident and appreciative of the training we could give,” said USCG Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Scott Titilah, a METT member.