USCG Releases Top 11 Rescue Videos of 2009

Every year, the Unite States Coast Guard releases a video compilation of the most compelling rescues of the year and today the USCG released its 2009 compilation.  The video (shown above) highlights 11 rescues, each representing one the service’s 11 statutory missions.

The top 11 video compilation includes (in no particular order):

• The rescue of a paraglider pilot who crashed on the shoreline of Cape Lookout near Tillamook, Ore., by an aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.
• The capture of suspected pirates from a response to a vessel distress signal from Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment Team 409 while operating under Combined Task Force 151.
• A medical evacuation of a crewmember from a U.S. Navy submarine off the coast of Wash., by an aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.
• The simultaneous pursuit and interdiction off two drug smuggling boats 80 miles of the coast of Guatemala by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf.
• The rescue of two crewmembers from a fishing vessel on fire 10 miles off the coast of Long Beach, Wash., by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Active and aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.
• The rescue of two people from a burning boat near Corpus Christi, Texas, from an aircrew from Sector Corpus Christi, Texas.
• The rescue of six people from their capsized vessel two miles from the Columbia River, Wash., by a boatcrew from Cape Disappointment, Wash., and an aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.
• The response to US Airways flight 1549 emergency landing in the Hudson River near Manhattan, N.Y., by boatcrews from Sector New York.
• The rescue of a man whose canoe flipped in heavy surf in the Necanicum River near Gearheart, Ore., by an aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.
• The dewatering of the fishing vessel Blue Diamond 90 miles east of Atlantic City, N.J., from the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Sailfish.
• The rescue of three people, their cat and dog during the Red River Valley floods from an aircrew from Air Station Traverse City, Mich.

  CONTINUE READING →→

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• Oasis of the Seas Video – Propelling The Giant

UAF chooses shipyard to build Alaska Region Research Vessel

More than three decades ago, marine scientists in the United States first identified the need for a research vessel capable of bringing scientists to Alaska’s icy northern waters.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks has announced its intent to award a $123 million contract that will meet that need. The university has selected Marinette Marine Corporation of Marinette, Wis. to build the 254-foot Alaska Region Research Vessel. When complete, the vessel will be one of the most advanced university research vessels in the world and will be capable of breaking ice up to 2.5 feet thick. According to project leaders, the ARRV’s home port will be in Alaska, most likely at UAF’s Seward Marine Center.

The $123 million for the ship construction contract is funded entirely by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The total cost for the project is $200 million.

The vessel will be owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by UAF as part of the U.S. academic research fleet. It will be used by scientists in the U.S. and international oceanographic community through the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System. The vessel was designed by The Glosten Associates, a marine architecture firm in Seattle.

After the ship has been completed, the crew will take the vessel from the shipyard through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway transit system and the Panama Canal to Alaska in 2013. While in transit, scientists and crewmembers will test the scientific components of the ship in preparation for unrestricted science operations beginning in 2014.

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Maritime Monday 192

Welcome to this 192nd edition of Maritime Monday.

You can find last week’s edition here »

 Gloucester, Mass: Herring Net, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

NY, NY: The mighty Dorothy J, all 65 feet and 2,000 hp of her, hauls the Weeks 533 past the towers of Jersey City, southbound in the North (Hudson) River.  Posted by Towmasters »

Capt. Thomas W. Vilas, a San Francisco bar pilot, guides the CMA CGM Vivaldi container ship into the Port of Oakland. Bar pilots guide cargo freighters, container ships and tankers in and out of SF Bay and through the Delta to Stockton and West Sacramento’s deep-water ports. (Story below)

Portland, Maine: Tug Rodeo. Photo by grhound from Eyefetch

NY, NY: Scrapped vessels, now disintegrated, await a rise in scrap ferrous metal prices. More news & views from the Sixth Borough on Tugster »

R/V and Icebreaker Laurence M. Gould »

Join us as we journey to Palmer Station, Antarctica, host to the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project.  This year we have expanded our blog to include posts from two teams; those conducting research at Palmer Station and those aboard the Laurence M Gould ice breaker which departs later in December. You can track the ship, explore the environment with Google Earth, view more photographs and enjoy videos.

Research Vessel Laurence M . Gould – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia »

AUSTRALIA: First of Largest Tunnel Boring Machines arrived in Brisbane for Airport Link »

German manufacturer Herrenknecht, a world leader in tunnelling technology, spent nearly twelve months building the two Tunnel Boring Machines that will excavate the Airport Link road tunnel.

The TBM will continuously install a full circle of concrete segments during the excavation process to provide lining and strong support for the tunnel. They are highly versatile and  extremely safe to use when excavating softer ground but also have the ability to cut through rock that is 6-8 times harder than concrete.

Bahrain opens $362 million Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP) »

The port on Muharraq island has berths where the water is 15 metres (50 feet) deep, meaning it can handle large container ships and cruise liners. The new container port will have a throughput of 1.1 million containers per year, but this figure is capable of expansion to 2.5m containers as required.

Recognising the impact that such a large expansion will undoubtedly have on Bahrain’s maritime industry, the GOP also launched several initiatives to strengthen the industry’s capabilities in the long-term. These include a complete review of Bahrain’s maritime legislation in order to enhance its regulatory framework and enable its Ship Registry become an open registry.

Bangladesh: Ship Breaking Sector being brought under law: 1000-bed hospital planned at Chittagong Port »

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan yesterday disclosed the plan as part of comprehensive measures for the shipping sector, including legal cover for the growing ship-breaking industry and streamlining the waterway communications.

About the findings on the disastrous launch accident in Bhola, Shajahan Khan said they would not conceal the findings like in the past. All will be published through the media. He said the investigation time for the ferry accident has been extended by three days.

Bar Pilots Play Crucial Role in S.F. Bay »

Piloting a freighter or an oil tanker across San Francisco Bay isn’t easy. First, there are the shallow waters, strong currents and shifting shoals. Then there are the underwater wrecks, cables and other obstructions capable of peeling back a ship’s hull.

The maritime industry considers the bay one of the most challenging places to work, and piloting there is not for the faint of heart. It takes years of technical training followed by even more years as an apprentice.

BBC Northern Ireland: Eco-friendly Cargo Ship Firm Invited to Downing Street »

A delegation from a Larne-based company developing eco-friendly cargo ships is to meet Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

"Our transition to a low-carbon economy will be a key driver of our future economic prosperity – B9 Shipping is at the forefront of this transformation."

B9 Shipping designs and manufactures cargo ships which are not dependent on fossil fuels. The first such vessel will be launched in 2012. It was one of 100 companies invited to Downing Street on Thursday evening for "embracing the low-carbon economy".

Carnival and other lines buck bad economy and order new ships to be built »

Carnival signed an agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri to build another sister ship to the newly-released Carnival Dream. The ship will also be built at 130,000 tons, same as the Dream, which gives indication that times when shipbuilding was on hold are now over for the major cruise lines. This order is Carnival’s first in over two years.

CNN: Can Shipping Go Green? »

London, England – In a city where one can hardly see the horizon because of an almost constant cloud of filth and pollution, many Hong Kong residents have long given up on the idea of a clean, green life.

But one Australian company is trying to counter that, with the introduction in the city’s harbor, the second busiest in the world, of eco-friendly ferries that run on solar and wind power.

Cruise News: Disastrous Debut Means Uniworld’s River Tosca Will Return To Dry Dock »

Uniworld, the river cruise company that specializes primarily in Europe river voyages, is to pull its brand new Nile cruiser, River Tosca, from service after a string of passenger complaints about the ship’s poor finish.

Uniworld president Guy Young admitted to Cruise Critic that the Egyptian shipbuilder was responsible for the poor finish. "These problems are primarily the damage done to the beautiful wood and mosaic floors (in the staterooms, corridors and restaurant) during the final construction period, because the builder did not properly cover and protect these floors before the ship was turned over to Uniworld," he said.

EagleSpeak: If the "’Sea [is] too large to prevent all piracy,’ admiral says"–then you have to make the sea smaller… »

International naval forces will never be able to completely secure the vast area of ocean where Somali pirates are hijacking ships off East Africa, the commander of the EU Naval Force’s counter-piracy efforts said Tuesday.

"The news of a few days ago of a 300,000-ton tanker being seized is illustrative of the problems in protecting and policing an area of the world’s oceans that amounts to an area of about 1 million square miles," said Hudson, the commander of the EU Naval Force’s counter-piracy operations.

Economy:  Europe Faces Wave of Moth-Balled Ports Projects »

North Western Europe is now awash with container port capacity.

Prior to the recession it was perceived that these facilities were needed both to cope with the huge annual increases in container volume and to handle the new deep-draft vessels carrying these containers. Indeed the situation in Rotterdam was so bad that in 2008 the port had to restrict the movement of empty containers through the port as there was nowhere to store them.

gCaptain’s Professional Mariners Forum has keyboards glowing red as contributors tally up their favorite Sea Songs »

I can’t believe no one’s mentioned THIS ONE  or THIS ONE yet.   –MonkeyFist

• seamarshals wonders about Choosing a Maritime Protection Company »
• dougpine waves bye-bye to Loran »
• cmjeff asks if anyone is attending Kongsberg in New Orleans on the 18th? »

History: What happened to the Marquette & Bessemer No.2? A 100 year old Mystery »

One hundred years ago this week the car ferry Marquette & Bessemer No.2 left Conneaut, OH for Port Stanley, Ontario loaded with railroad cars full of coal, steel and iron. Within hours after the ship sailed  a massive storm hit  Lake Erie.  Temperatures fell  from 40°F to 10° F in less than 24 hours.  Seventy knot winds and blizzard conditions were reported.

On December 12th lifeboat #4 from the ship was found containing the frozen bodies of 9 crew members. Other bodies were found months later…

Houston Eyes Asia Trade as Panama Canal Expands »

Warehouses holding everything from beer kegs to frozen chickens crowd the roadside along Highway 146 south of Houston, and a ferocious building boom is adding acres more, thanks to an even bigger project 1,800 miles away in Panama.

A $5.25 billion plan to triple the Panama Canal’s capacity finishes in 2014, opening the way to Houston for mega-sized cargo vessels that can’t squeeze through the canal’s current locks and don’t want to steam around South America.

IMO publishes new edition of SOLAS »

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has published a new consolidated edition of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the most important of all the international conventions dealing with maritime safety.

The SOLAS Consolidated Edition 2009 provides a consolidated text of the SOLAS Convention, its Protocols of 1978 and 1988 and all amendments in effect from 1 July 2009.

In the Boat Shed has More of Matt Atkin’s photos of the boats and ships of Hong Kong’s harbours »

Here’s some more of my brother Matt Atkin’s striking photos from Hong Kong. Once again, I don’t think either of us can say much about what the boats are, but it’s fascinating to see shots of a working and dwelling boat-using culture so very different from the one we know here in cold, rainy winter-bound Kent.

Kennebec Captain opines on "It’s Your Ship" by Capt Abrashoff »

I was surprised by Capt Adrashoff assertion that the Navy teaches it officers not to listen to the enlisted personnel, that was the case when I was in the Coast Guard thirty years ago, but I thought modern navy leadership might be a little more progressive, evidently that is not the case…

KOREA:  Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Wins Order for Offshore Wind Farm Planter »

Prof. Fritz Vahrenholt, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RWE Innogy GmbH, says: "The building of our own construction ships will overcome one of the most important supply bottlenecks we face in the construction of wind farms at sea. These ships will give us a decisive time and cost advantage in the North Sea and further afield in implementing our ambitious plans to expand wind energy."

LA Times: Doomsday looming for many truckers at Los Angeles and Long Beach ports »

Clean-air guidelines banning older rigs and those without diesel particulate filters take effect Jan. 1. Many drivers says the changes are just too costly.

The bans are part of the much-acclaimed "clean trucks" initiative that authorities say has already cut toxic emissions about 70% since its introduction in October 2008 at the nation’s busiest harbor complex. Parallel state clean-air regulations also go into effect Jan. 1.

See Also: Coalition for Healthy Ports releases report claiming Ports of  NY and NJ will have the same pollution problems as Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, and Port of Oakland »

Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics: Analysis of Global Air, Sea, Road, and Rail Freight Transport Trends to 2014 »

The Handy Shipping Guide has been taking a look at anticipated future prospects for several countries in different continents and seeing what the economic crystal ball gazers see in the future. Study of predictions made for the past five years have, in most cases been largely well clear of the mark.

Many of the countries surveyed had ambitious plans for transport infrastructure development which have now been reduced, postponed or even cancelled. The price of fuel is, needless to say, a crucial factor in determining the cost of moving cargo nationally and internationally.

Logistics Management reports that The Ocean Liner Industry is Mounting a Major Campaign to State its Economic Impact, Timed to Coincide with a Collective Strategy to Raise Rates »

SAN FRANCISCO – Top tier carriers are hiking rates in all major trade lanes in 2010, in anticipation of the promised global economic recovery. A recent study commissioned by the World Shipping Council — using 2007 as its base year — argues that what is good for shipping is good for both workers and consumers.

According to WTS, the shipping industry handled $4.6 trillion in goods in 2007, generating , $436.6 billion in direct and indirect benefits to the world economy. Consequently, it provided 13.5 million jobs.

Maritime Journal: Hamburg port alliance plans for growth »

The Port of Hamburg is lowering its fees in an effort to secure future growth. In intensive talks with the port and shipping industry and upon the initiative of Senator Axel Gedaschko at the State Ministry of Economic and Labour Affairs, incentives have been developed to route additional shipping traffic through the Port.

At the same time, the public port infrastructure will be further expanded and improved to cater for future trade needs and growth.

NY-NJ Port Authority Limit Privatizing to New Projects »

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey might pay for brand new ventures by signing long-term leases with private partners so that it can keep growing during the recession, Executive Director Chris Ward said on Thursday.  Limiting privatizing to new projects would mark a break with the authority’s past practice.

Credit analysts have said privatizing is better-suited to new projects because they are more risky than ones that are already built. Some of the early deals that were done, in Chicago and Texas, for example, have been criticized for enriching developers at the taxpayers’ expense.

Opinion: US Short-Sea Shipping; Barry Parker asks if it’s finally being taken seriously in the states »

In the United States, short sea shipping – or coastal freighting services for hauling non-bulk cargoes paralleling existing truck networks – is not a new idea: a few container feeder roll on-roll off (ro-ro) services have already carved out small niches.

However, that ‘niche’ will soon turn to a wedge, if upcoming legislation delivers all it promises.

Pollution Control: The Future Consumption of Shipping Fuels »

Over the last few months, during the build up the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen, global fossil fuel emissions have been more intensely scrutinized across all industry sectors, writes Del Redvers, Head of Sustainability at BMT.

International shipping is the most carbon efficient mode of commercial transport per ton of cargo carried but with 80% of worldwide cargo transported by ship, total emissions are equivalent to those of a major national economy.

President Names California Attorney to Head Maritime Agency »

President Obama has said he intends to nominate California attorney David T. Matsuda as administrator of the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration.

Obama on Monday announced his intention to nominate Matsuda—who has served as deputy and acting administrator since July—to lead the agency within the Department of Transportation that deals with waterborne transportation and maintains the National Defense Reserve Fleet as a ready source of ships for use during national emergencies.

Any nomination to the position is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

San Francisco: Foes Fail to Sink Berkeley’s Ferry Plans »

Berkeley is moving full-steam ahead with plans for a new ferry terminal, despite howls from windsurfers and environmentalists that the ferries will bring the marina more harm than good.

The terminal will be built, operated and paid for by the Water Emergency Transportation Authority, which also runs ferry terminals in Oakland, Alameda and Vallejo. The money comes from bridge tolls, federal funds and state bonds.

Shipbreaking: Former USS Saipan amphibious assault ship to be scrapped in Texas »

BROWNSVILLE — The USS Saipan, a 27,000-ton, Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship launched in 1974, arrived at its final destination Wednesday afternoon at the Port of Brownsville as it was nursed into a slip at International Shipbreaking Ltd.

Tugboats towed the 820-foot aircraft carrier, also known as a gator freighter, from its mothball berth in Philadelphia Oct. 28 to begin the long journey down the East Coast, around Florida and across the Gulf of Mexico. The Navy decommissioned the ship in 2007.

Somalia: Reuters reports Somali Pirate Gangs Lure Investors »

In Somalia’s main pirate lair of Haradheere, the sea gangs have set up a cooperative to fund their hijackings offshore, a sort of stock exchange meets criminal syndicate.

The gangs have made tens of millions of dollars from ransoms and a deployment by foreign navies in the area has only appeared to drive the attackers to hunt further from shore.

It is a lucrative business that has drawn financiers from the Somali diaspora and other nations — and now the gangs in Haradheere have set up an exchange to manage their investments.

St. Petersburg Times has The High Cost of Bringing the Biggest Boats to Port »

A trade group dominated by cruise lines argues that Florida pilots charge too much. Rates, the trade group says, are kept artificially high because pilots hold a monopoly over an essential maritime service.

State harbor pilots earn average annual compensation of $369,000, according to a study sponsored by the Florida Alliance of Maritime Organizations. That’s far more than professions with similar responsibilities, such as ship captains ($230,000) and airline captains (up to $225,000), the group says.

Maritime Christmas: Foss Waterway Seaport Event Organizers take some liberties with historical accuracy »

TACOMA, WASHINGTON: A swashbuckling version of jolly old Saint Nick is making his way to Tacoma again this year, putting a local maritime heritage spin on the global Christmas icon.

Captain Claus is a perfect blend of a traditional Santa and a 19th century-era tall ships captain. He wears a long, oversized cuffed red and white coat, tricorn hat and sword.

Times of India: Chorao Locals Paralyze Ferry Services »

PANAJI: Demanding better ferry services and a fourth ferry boat on the busy route linking Ribandar to the island, Chorao islanders paralyzed the ferry services on Chorao-Ribandar and Chorao-Pomburpa routes on Wednesday till just after noon.

The strike began at 7am with the shouting of slogans at Maddel jetty and the ramp opposite Pomburpa. The agitated villagers, who were continuing Tuesday’s peaceful day-long protest by resorting to more direct action on Wednesday, called off their strike just after noon following an assurance by river navigation department minister Ramkrishna Dhavlikar that a fourth ferry craft would be pressed into service later.

UK: Lloyd’s Register explores reintroduction of nuclear propulsion for merchant ships »

Early in 2007, Lloyd’s Register began research into the implications of nuclear propulsion to tankers, bulk carriers, container ships and cruise ships. The initiative was built on Lloyd’s extensive experience in the traditional nuclear industries and from studies which led to the formation of its Rules for the Nuclear Propulsion of Ships.

Over the years, there has been a steady, slow development of nuclear propulsion for merchant ships — principally with ice breakers — but also extending to a lash barge carrier and a containership.

US Army shuts Chicago Canal to kill carp, killing barge trade too »

Federal authorities, responding to one state’s environmental concerns in another has ordered the US Army Corp of Engineers to shut down the Chicago Canal, and with it, the barge trade moving needed household fuel and road salt.

The US Army Corps of Engineers want 10 days to kill the Asia carp, a fish considered too big and dangerous for the Great Lakes.

Wall Street Journal: Shippers Brace for New Tax on Fuel »

BRUSSELS – Shipping companies, already crimped by a global trade slump, fear that the Copenhagen climate summit will deliver another hit: a tax on bunker fuel, the thick, sulfuric low-grade oil that powers ships.

In anticipation of a levy, the industry has developed a flurry of new technologies ranging from a giant kite that functions as a sail to aerodynamic paint, and are making simpler adjustments such as sailing more slowly.

Wish You Were Here: Maritime Photography Competition 2009 »

The Sunday Express has teamed up with Old Pulteney Single Malt Whisky for our fifth annual contest open to amateur photographers. The winner will receive £2,500 and a trip to the Pulteney Distillery in Scotland.

We are looking for striking images that epitomize Britain’s coastal landscape and our nation’s relationship with the sea. Every picture must have a maritime theme.  From a classic photograph of a yacht sailing into the sunset, or a surfer catching the perfect wave, to a rugged image of fishermen coming into shore, they must be high quality, creative images that have a story to tell. 

Last year’s winner: Laurence Cartwright’s “Sunstar over West Pier” picture »

World Shipping Council launches redesigned website in effort to increase awareness about the liner shipping industry »

The liner shipping industry has announced the launch of a redesigned website aiming to provide the public with a more comprehensive overview of the industry, its contribution to trading nations’ economic health, and the status of current policy issues, including the environment and security.

The project was undertaken by the World Shipping Council (WSC) as a continuation of the public awareness campaign started at the end of 2007 with the creation of the Container Shipping Information Service (CSIS).

“I demand snacks!”

At the very eastern part of Russia, where lands of the USA and the Russian Federation are nearly adjoining, and only a small neck splits these two spacious countries, there is the Chukotka peninsula and the Chukotka autonomous district. The place isn’t so populated, and we cannot say for sure what kind of inhabitants it has more, people or white bears.

English Russia Socializes with Bears »

Historic Ship of the Week: The Southern Pacific Ferry “Solano”

The Solano was a large railroad ferryboat which operated across the Carquinez Strait between Benicia and Port Costa in California.

It was constructed and operated by the Central Pacific Railroad to ferry entire trains on the Central Pacific transcontinental line to and from the San Francisco Bay Area. Before its sister ship, the Contra Costa, was constructed, the Solano was the largest ferryboat ever built.

It was 424 feet long and 116 feet wide (129 by 35 m) and was capable of carrying entire passenger trains or a 48-car freight train and locomotive. It was in service from 1879 to 1930.

By 1927, the two ferries reached their maximum capacity. On May 31, 1928 the Southern Pacific, successor to the Central Pacific in operations of the ferries, authorized construction of a railroad bridge from Benicia to Martinez just east of Port Costa. The railroad bridge opened in November 1930. It continues to serve the Union Pacific and Amtrak railroads.

Following the opening of the railroad bridge, the Solano and Contra Costa were dismantled and sold for scrap. However, what remains of the Solano can still be seen where it was scuttled to create a breakwater near Antioch, California.

[1] 38°01′01″N 121°48′18″W  (wikipedia)

See also: The Railroad Ferry Solano »

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Submissions for future editions:

Please submit articles for inclusion in next week’s edition using the following submit form at Blog Carnival. You are also welcome to email stories and photos for inclusion in future editions as well as suggest areas of coverage.

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Related Posts:

• Maritime Monday 205

Maritime Disasters Infographic

Check out this cool infographic on some of the worst maritime disasters on record.  This was sent into gCaptain via the good folks at the Boat Insurance Blog (click image for higher resolution).

Related Posts:

Jumbo Crane Collapse – Incident Photo Of The Week

Our good friend Captian Koos sent us this photo of the May 30th 2008 Jumbo Crane Collapse at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in Pudong China.

Lloyds List Reports:

Sources said columns on the cranes buckled and collapsed at about 0025 hours on today. Two security guards were injured, one critically, and both were taken to a local hospital.

While the accident prompted concern that one of the dry docks at the yard could be out of action for up to six months, industry insiders have already suggested that the shipbuilder would try to spread work among its other facilities to mitigate delays.

The Hudong-Zhonghua group has four shipbuilding facilities including Shanghai Edward Shipbuilding, at Pudong, Punan and Fuxing.

They include a dry dock capable of building very large crude carriers, a 120,000 dwt floating dry dock and five shipbuilding berths for vessels up to 20,000 dwt, 70,000 dwt and 120,000 dwt. The shipbuilder has eight 100 tonnes capacity cranes working at its shipbuilding facilities.

One source said: “The accident is potentially crippling for the shipbuilder. But until a proper assessment can be carried out and executives can review how much work can be carried out by other facilities it is difficult to comment on how much impact the accident will have on production.”

UPDATE

The AP is now reporting 36 confirmed casualties:

Rescuers have found more bodies in the wreckage of a 600-ton crane that collapsed at a Shanghai shipyard, raising the death toll to 36, the official Xinhua News Agency said Wednesday.
The crane collapsed Tuesday as it was being raised at the Shanghai Hudong Shipyard, causing a column to fall on a group of 30 laborers. Three people are hospitalized with injuries and two others were treated and released, according to Xinhua.

The shipyard says the cause of the accident is under investigation.

Shanghai, China’s biggest port, is a major center for shipbuilding and repairs. The Hudong yard, opened in 1928, is one of the city’s biggest

Here is the PDF with details and photos:

CONTINUE READING →→

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• First Lift – World’s Largest Crane In Action
• Incident Photo of The Week – JAXPORT Crane Collapse
• Largest Crane In The World – Amazing Photos
• Oleg Strashnov Heavy Lift – Interesting Ship Of The Week
• Incident Photo – Southampton Crane Collapse

Rolls-Royce Thrusters for Ultra-Deepwater Ships

Since the upsurge in ordering of drillships, Rolls Royce has been successful in capturing nearly 90 per cent of contracts for thrusters for these high-specification vessels, which will use dynamic positioning to keep position while drilling in ultra deep waters.  An example is the Stena Forth.

Many of the owners of this new generation of drillships have chosen Rolls-Royce again to meet their propulsion requirements because they have found the UUC series azimuth thrusters on their existing vessels to be efficient and reliable.

CONTINUE READING →→

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Stenas’s DrillMAX Ice

The Stena DrillMAX unit is designed for high efficiency & safety, providing the optimum layout for exploration, appraisal & development drilling; and will be winterized up to Polar Class 5.

“DrillMAX ICE IV brings our total fleet to eight units. Our existing Stena fleet consists of four semi-submersibles, which are active offshore Norway, UK, Angola and Australia,” explains Tom Welo, CEO of Stena Drilling.

CONTINUE READING →→

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Underwater Glider Scarlet Knight Opens Up New World of Ocean Technology

The first-ever 7,300-mile Atlantic Ocean crossing by an unmanned underwater glider is opening up a new world of ocean technology. A ceremony on Dec. 9 in Baiona, Spain, will celebrate the partnership effort among the U.S. interagency Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) through Rutgers University, NOAA, Puertos Del Estado (Spanish Port Authority), the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, and other European partners.

The glider, launched off the coast of New Jersey last April, repeatedly dove to depths of up to 200 meters to collect data including temperature, salinity and density. Scientists correlate these data with those from satellite imagery and altimetry, radar systems and seafloor and buoy-mounted sensors to get a more detailed view of a particular patch of ocean in near real time. The glider’s constant motion offers a more comprehensive view of ocean conditions in time and space than the static measurements usually taken from the deck of a ship.

The glider was built with custom upgrades that allowed it to dive deeper, track battery life and minimize fouling of instruments due to marine growth. Oceanography undergraduates at Rutgers University were significantly involved in this mission as part of their education program.

Nicknamed the Scarlet Knight, the 7 foot-long, 135-pound glider traversed the ocean over 221 days. A similar attempt was made last year, but that glider was lost around the Azores.

Source: NOAA

Related Posts: Travel in Luxury – The Best Underwater Hotels

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Transporting Wind Turbines by Ship

One hundred and forty turbines, destined for the Greater Gabbard Wind Turbine Park off the east coast of England, are being transported in 36 shipments onboard the BBC Chartering and Logistic ship M/V BBC Konan.

What’s unique about this method of transportation is that Fluor, the EPC contractor responsible for the development of the wind park, requested that the nacelles be mounted with hubs, and the bottom tower sections be shipped with the electronics installed prior to the shipment. This meant that the tower sections could not be shipped lying down, but had to be transported upright on custom-made transport foundations that until this project was only possible when shipped by barge.

Each bottom tower section, which is on deck in an upright position, weighs 90 tons and is 25 m high. The forward position of the BBC Konan’s bridge means that the upright towers do not obstruct the crew’s view. The wind turbine blades measure 52 m in length, and the nacelles with the pre-mounted hubs are the heaviest pieces, weighing 177 tons each.

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CBP Launches the New Predator B Guardian UAS

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) took delivery Monday of the first maritime variant of the Predator B unmanned aircraft system (UAS). At a ceremony in Palmdale, California, CBP, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and General Atomics Aeronatuical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) unveiled the prototype maritime variant Predator B, known as Guardian.

To support future mission requirements, CBP in partnership with the Coast Guard in a joint program office, is exploring this maritime variant of its Predator B UAS to increase reconnaissance, surveillance, and targeting acquisition capabilities in maritime operating environments.  For this purpose, GA-ASI, the manufacturer of the Predator B UAS, modified a CBP Predator B aircraft to become the Guardian.

The Guardian has been modified from a standard Predator B with structural, avionics, and communications enhancements, as well as the addition of a Raytheon SeaVue Marine Search Radar and an Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Sensor that is optimized for maritime operations.

The Guardian is expected to be ready for Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) in early 2010.   This OT&E will be conducted jointly by CBP and USCG from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.  After the Guardian completes operational testing this spring, it will be deployed to the drug source and transit zones to support joint counter-narcotics operations.

In 2008, CBP and the USCG formed a UAS Joint Program Office to identify and address common maritime UAS requirements, including sensors, command and control, data exploitation, logistics and training, and basing.

Built by General Atomics Aeronautical Aviation, CBP Air & Marine’s new MQ-9 Predator B Unmanned Aircraft System will support air and marine crews and Border Patrol agents charged with securing the border.

For more information, visit http://www.uscg.mil/

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