US Court Revives Lawsuit Against Royal Caribbean Over Toddler's Death
A federal appeals court on Tuesday revived a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean Cruises by the parents of an 18-month-old girl who died after slipping through her grandfatherâs hands and falling through an open cruise ship window.The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta restored two negligence claims over the July 2019 death of Chloe Wiegand, who had been in a childrenâs play area aboard the ship Freedom of the Seas, which was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico.Her grandfather Salvatore Anello testified that he picked Chloe up and put her feet on the windowsillâŠ
President Biden Instates Admiral Fagan in Historic USCG Change of Command
Adm. Karl L. Schultz was relieved as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard by Adm. Linda L. Fagan during a military change-of-command ceremony presided over by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Wednesday, June 1, 2022, at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC. Fagan makes history not only as the first woman to lead the Coast Guard, but also as the first woman Service Chief of any U.S. military service.Immediately following the change-of-command, Schultz retired from the Coast Guard after 39 years of service to the nation.
Nina Østergaard Borris takes the helm at USTC
Nina Østergaard Borris, co-owner and current COO of United Shipping and Trading Company (USTC), takes on new responsibilities in the family-owned business as CEO, succeeding her father Torben Østergaard-Nielsen who will take over as Chairman of the Board of Directors for USTC. Mia Østergaard Rechnitzer, current Head of Corporate Governance, will assume the position of Chief Governance Officer, stepping into USTC Executive Management.Family-owned United Shipping and Trading Company (USTC)âŠ
Linda Fagan Confirmed as First Woman USCG Commandant
Adm. Linda L. Fagan has been confirmed as the 27th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, clearing way for her to be the first woman top officer in one of the military services. The Senate on Wednesday approved Faganâs promotion, along with those of five other senior Coast Guard officers, by unanimous consent.Nominated for the role by President Joe Biden in April, Fagan will succeed Adm. Karl Schultz as head of the Coast Guard. Schultz, who has been Coast Guard Commandant since 2018, will retire at the end of this month.
Adm. Fagan Nominated as First Female USCG Commandant
President Joe Biden nominated Adm. Linda L. Fagan to serve as the 27th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. Upon confirmation, Adm. Fagan will be the first woman to serve as Commandant of the Coast Guard.Adm. Fagan currently serves as the 32nd Vice Commandant, having assumed the duties on June 18, 2021. The Vice Commandant is the Vice Service Chief and Chief Operating Officer, responsible for executing the Commandantâs Strategic Intent, managing internal organizational governance, and serving as the Component Acquisition Executive.Previously, Adm.
USCG's First Polar Security Cutter to be Named Polar Sentinel
The first ship in the U.S. Coast Guard's Polar Security Cutter program will be named Polar Sentinel, Commandant Admiral Karl Schultz revealed in his 2022 State of the Coast Guard Address, delivered Thursday in Clearwater, Fla.The Polar Security Cutter program is planned to replace the Coast Guard's aging fleet of icebreakers, including the 46-year old heavy icebreaker USCGC Polar Star and 23-year-old medium icebreaker USCGC Healy.Pascagoula, Miss. shipbuilder Halter Marine has been awarded contracts to build the first two Polar Security Cutters, and the U.S.
Crowley Hires Jadotte as SVP of Government Relations
Marcus Jadotte has joined Crowley as senior vice president of government relations, leading the companyâs advocacy activities across all its businesses.Jadotte will spearhead the companyâs continuing advocacy for laws and regulations that support the domestic maritime industry, while expanding awareness of Crowleyâs growing defense and civilian government services among federal, state and local officials. He will be based in Washington, D.C.Jadotte comes to Crowley after his tenure as vice president of federal government relations at Raytheon Technologies.
Bollinger Delivers Final Bahrain-bound Fast Response Cutter
Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the USCGC Clarence Sutphin to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Florida. This is the 170th vessel Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 47th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) delivered under the current program.The USCGC Clarence Sutphin is the final of six FRCs to be home-ported in Manama, Bahrain, which will replace the aging 110â Island Class Patrol Boats, built by Bollinger Shipyards 30 years ago, supporting the Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA), the U.S.
Bollinger Delivers USCGC John Scheuerman
Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the newest Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter (FRC), the USCGC John Scheuerman, to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Fla. nearly one week ahead of schedule despite a three week shutdown due to the significant damage sustained to Bollingerâs facilities during Hurricane Ida. The storm made landfall in late August near Port Fourchon, La. as a Category 4 storm. Bollingerâs facilities in Port Fourchon, Lockport, Houma and Larose suffered significant damage as a result of Hurricane IdaâŠ
Expect the Unexpected on the Inland Waterways
Among transportation planners, âresilienceâ, describing the ability to bounce back from adversities, both economic and other, has become a top consideration as we increasingly must âexpect the unexpected.â The U.S. waterway system, covering the network of inland rivers and coastwise waterways, has seen a mix of good and not so good. As the 2020-2021 pandemic moves toward winding down, a recovery from the dismal 2020 is underway, but activity on the rivers is uneven. Ken EriksenâŠ
PHOTO: U.S. Coast Guard Commissions Three New Cutters in Guam
The U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday commissioned three new Fast Response Cutters at a ceremony presided over by Adm. Karl Schultz, the Coast Guardâs commandant.The Coast Guard Cutters Myrtle Hazard (WPC 1139), Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) and Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143) were commissioned during what the USCG said was a rare triple-commissioning ceremony at the new homeport at Coast Guard Forces Micronesia Sector Guam. Guam is an unincorporated territory of the United States in the North Pacific Ocean.Named after Coast Guard enlisted heroesâŠ
Shipbuilding and The Navy Of Tomorrow
In the United States, it is a frustrating time to be in the government shipbuilding business. Even though America depends upon maritime commerce and faces growing security risks at sea, shipbuilding is just not a major national focus.Up to now, shipbuilders have had it pretty good. For the past several years, big naval shipbuilders have enjoyed steady growth and strong performance. In 2020, Huntington Ingalls Industries enjoyed record revenue of $9.4 billion, an 8.5% margin and gave a quarter billion back to shareholders in dividends and stock buybacks.
U.S. Coast Guard Welcomes New Vice Commandant
Adm. Linda L. Fagan has taken over as vice commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, relieving Adm. Charles W. Ray during a military change-of-command ceremony held Friday at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters.Adm. Fagan most recently served as the commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area, overseeing all Coast Guard operations in the Pacific, covering more than 74 million square miles of ocean, from the U.S. Western States to Asia, and from the Arctic to Antarctica.âAdm. Fagan, it is an honor to welcome you as the first woman to serve as a four-star admiral in the U.S.
Waterways Commerce Cutter: It's Time for an Upgrade
In the last week of April, with little fanfare, the U.S. Coast Guard released a much-anticipated opportunity to build up to 27 Waterways Commerce Cutters. After the detailed design and construction contract is awarded in Spring of 2022, a lucky shipbuilder will begin replacing the Coast Guardâs eclectic fleet of 18 venerable river buoy tenders (WLR) and 13 inland construction tenders (WLIC).The Coast Guardâs inland waterways maintenance fleet has been ignored for far too long.
Eastern Lays Keel for Second Offshore Patrol Cutter
Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) on Monday held a keel authentication ceremony for the U.S. Coast Guardâs future Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), USCGC Chase (WMSM-916), at its Nelson Street facility in Panama City, Fla.The 360-foot vessel is the second of the Heritage-class OPC being built by Eastern to replace the Coast Guard's 210-foot and 270-foot Medium Endurance Cutters. The series' first vessel, USCGC Argus, is scheduled to be delivered in 2022.âHere at Eastern we startâŠ
Invenergy, BW LNG Secure Financing for FSRU Project in El Salvador
Sustainable energy developer Invenergy and LNG solutions provider BW LNG have secured a $128.3 million loan from IDB Invest to fund the construction of a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), a key part of the Energía del Pacífico (EDP) LNG-to-power project in El Salvador.The financial package has a 15-year contractual term granted to FSRU Ltda. de CV in El Salvador. Invernergy said the loan provided valuable resources for the purchase and conversion of the BW Tatiana LNG carrier to an FSRU.
US Coast Guard Rolls Out New Mentoring Program
The U.S. Coast Guard launched an innovative and modernized approach to mentorship Saturday, to offer expanded leadership opportunities to the Coast Guard active duty, reserve and civilian workforce. The program goes beyond traditional mentoring and provides four types of mentoring tracks or connections tailored specifically to individual needs and scheduling preferences. Additionally, program participants will have the opportunity to network with people who work in a wide variety of fields across the organization.
Bollinger Delivers USCGC Glen Harris
Louisiana shipbuilder Bollinger Shipyards said it has delivered the USCGC Glen Harris to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Fla. The vessel is the 167th Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 44th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) delivered under the current program.The USCGC Glen Harris is the third of six FRCs to be home-ported in Manama, Bahrain, which will replace the aging 110â Island Class Patrol Boats, built by Bollinger Shipyards 30 years ago, supporting the Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA), the U.S.
Bollinger Delivers USCGC Oliver Henry
Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the USCGC Oliver Henry to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Fla. This is the 163rd vessel Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 40th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) delivered under the current program.The new cutter is the second of three FRCs to be homeported in Apra Harbor, Guam, increasing the presence for the U.S. Coast Guard in the Indo-Pacific Theater. Additionally, later in 2020, Bollinger will deliver the first of six FRCs that will be home-ported in ManamaâŠ
Fagan Nominated as USCG Vice Commandant
Vice Adm. Linda L. Fagan has been nominated by the White House to be the next Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. She would become the first Coast Guard female four-star admiral and the third woman to serve as Vice Commandant.Pending confirmation, Fagan is expected to relieve current Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard Adm. Charles W. Ray on June 18.âVice Adm. Fagan is an outstanding leader with 36 years of Coast Guard operations, policy-making, joint service, and interagency experience,â said Adm. Karl L. Schultz, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Bollinger Delivers USCGC Myrtle Hazard
Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the USCGC Myrtle Hazard to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Fla. This is the 162nd vessel Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 39th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) delivered under the current program.The USCGC Myrtle Hazard is the first of three FRCs to be home-ported in Apra Harbor, Guam, increasing the presence for the U.S. Coast Guard in the Indo-Pacific Theater. Additionally, later in 2020, Bollinger will deliver the first of six FRCs that will be home-ported in ManamaâŠ
US Coast Guard Commissions National Security Cutter Stone
The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday commissioned its newest national security cutter, USCGC Stone (WMSL 758), during a ceremony at Coast Guard Base Charleston, in South Carolina. Adm. Karl Schultz, the commandant U.S. Coast Guard, presided over the ceremony.Built by Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss., Stone is the ninth legend-class national security cutter in the Coast Guard's fleet.Legend-class national security cutters are 418 feet in length, 54 feet in beam and 4,600 long tons in displacement.
Bollinger Delivers Fast Response Cutter USCGC Frederick Hatch
Bollinger Shipyards delivered the USCGC Frederick Hatch, the 166th vessel the Louisiana shipbuilder has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 43rd Fast Response Cutter (FRC) delivered under the current program.The USCGC Frederick Hatch is the final of three FRCs to be home-ported in Apra Harbor, Guam, increasing the presence for the U.S. Coast Guard in the Indo-Pacific Theater. Additionally, in 2020, Bollinger delivered two of six FRCs that will be home-ported in ManamaâŠ