01 Nov

Captain accused of drugging, assaulting cadets surrenders license

Casey ConleyUncategorized
By Casey Conley The captain of an oceangoing ship accused of drugging two female cadets in his stateroom while underway in the Atlantic Ocean and then raping one of them has surrendered his license. John C. Merrone, 50, is accused of drugging the two female U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) cadets several years ago. Documents released by the U.S. Coast…
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27 Oct

Eastern Shipbuilding changes tactics in OPC contract challenge

Casey ConleyUncategorized
Eastern Shipbuilding has withdrawn its formal protest of the U.S. Coast Guard’s offshore patrol cutter contract (OPC) award and has instead filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. In a statement, the Florida shipbuilder said it was forced to change tactics because the Coast Guard refused to participate in the protest process before the U.S. Government Accountability…
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19 Oct

NTSB finds SEACOR Power crew did not face pressure to sail

Casey ConleyUncategorized
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found that crew aboard the liftboat SEACOR Power did not face pressure from the home office to get underway. Thirteen people died when the 233-foot SEACOR Power capsized on April 13, 2021 at about 1537 with 19 people on board during a severe storm that brought heavy rain and winds exceeding 80 mph.…
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15 Jun

Seven tugs aid boxship after Savannah River grounding

Rich MillerUncategorized
(SAVANNAH, Ga.) — The U.S. Coast Guard established a safety zone around the containership Maersk Surabaya after it ran aground in the Savannah River near Fort Jackson on Tuesday. A Coast Guard Station Tybee Island 45-foot response boat-medium (RBM) crew enforced a 509-foot safety zone while seven tugboats repositioned the 1,091-foot vessel to the center of the shipping channel. No…
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13 Jun

Salvage crews complete tow of Spirit of Norfolk

Rich MillerUncategorized
(NORFOLK, Va.) — Spirit of Norfolk salvage crews completed the tow of the vessel to Colonna's Shipyard on Sunday morning, where the joint U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board investigation team will continue to work toward determining the cause of the fire that gutted the excursion boat on June 7. The unified command overseeing the response has stood…
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08 Jun

Excursion boat with 106 aboard evacuated after fire off Norfolk

Rich MillerUncategorized
(PORTSMOUTH, Va.) — A unified command was established Tuesday evening in response to the fire aboard the excursion boat Spirit of Norfolk and continued with firefighting and salvage operations Wednesday. Spirit of Norfolk caught fire at about noon Tuesday near Naval Station Norfolk. Tugboats pushed the vessel to a mooring at the naval station to continue firefighting efforts and keep…
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02 Jun

Fagan sworn in as first female leader of Coast Guard

Rich MillerUncategorized
(WASHINGTON) — Adm. Karl Schultz was relieved as commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard by Adm. Linda Fagan during a change-of-command ceremony presided over by President Joe Biden on Wednesday at Coast Guard headquarters. Immediately following the ceremony, Schultz retired from the Coast Guard after 39 years of service to the nation. He was awarded the Homeland Security Distinguished Service…
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02 Jun

Two crew suffer chemical burns aboard cruise ship off Virginia

Rich MillerUncategorized
(PORTSMOUTH, Va.) — A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew medevaced two crewmembers from a cruise ship approximately 69 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach on Wednesday. The cruise ship Celebrity Summit contacted the Coast Guard 5th District Command Center to get assistance for the crewmembers who were suffering from chemical burns and were in need of further medical care.…
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01 Jun

Vane Brothers fleet completes Subchapter M compliance

Rich MillerUncategorized
(BALTIMORE) — Demonstrating the company’s commitment to safety, Vane Brothers has announced that 100 percent of its tugboats have earned a valid certificate of inspection (COI) as part of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Subchapter M program. Subchapter M refers to federally regulated safety standards for “inspected towing vessels.” All applicable vessels are required to earn a valid COI by July.…
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