The US Coast Guard Captain of the Port reopened all commercial ports in the Hawaiian Islands as of 5 p.m. Wednesday. All vessel and cargo operations have resumed in Hawaii, Honolulu and Maui counties. Hurricane Hector is expected to continue to move west and degrade as it continues in its current direction.
The US Coast Guard in cooperation with commercial salvage, rescued 10 people on board a disabled and adrift vessel Monday 9 miles west of Bimini, Bahamas. The cutter ‘Paul Clark’ arrived on the scene of the incident and embarked eight people with no injuries. The US Coast Guard Cutter ‘William Flores’ also embarked two more people.
The US Coast Guard’s current fleet of polar icebreakers has two heavy icebreakers and one medium icebreaker. The current program acquisition strategy is approved to construct up to three heavy polar icebreakers and may expand to include up to three medium icebreakers.
To keep US waterways open and safe, the US Coast Guard encourages shippers, whether professional mariners or recreational boaters, to self-report hazards to navigation, such as discrepant buoys and beacons, or debris, when sailing in inland waterways.
The US Coast Guard released the Certificate of Inspection for the ‘Stretch Duck 07’, the amphibious tour boat that sunk in Table Rock Lake, Missouri on July 19, killing 17. The COI reports operational limitations which may have been exceeded while the voyage took place.
Following the tragic loss of the amphibious passenger vessel ‘Stretch Duck 07’, USCG has issued related guidance, recommending all operators to always teview the routes and conditions listed on the vessel’s Certificate of Inspection and ensure crews are familiar with vessel’s operational limitations.
The US Congressional Research Service issued an updated report on the Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Program, foreseeing acquisition of up to three new heavy polar icebreakers, as well as plans to acquire up to three new medium polar icebreakers. Construction of the first icebreaker is scheduled to begin in 2019.
Eight containers fell off of the cargo ship APL Antwerp while conducting offload operations, on July 29, at the Norfolk International Terminal in Norfolk, Virginia. As the US Coast Guard informed, three of the containers have sunk and all other containers have been brought back to NIT.
The US House of Representatives approved the legislation to address maritime transportation safety issues raised by the El Faro sinking, promote the US Coast Guard’s awareness of technologies that could help improve Service mission performance, and reduce marine debris.
The US Coast Guard Marine Safety Center received its 16th application for type approval for the inTank Ballast Water Management System, manufactured by Envirocleanse, LLC. So far, Techcross, Optimarin, Alfa Laval, TeamTec Ocean Saver, Sunrui, Ecochlor and Erma First have won the USCG type approval.
