U.S. Coast Guard – Page 45 – Professional Mariner

09 Feb

Safety alert: Dangerous gateway handhold arrangements

Rich MillerMaritime Newssafety, shipping, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — This U.S. Coast Guard safety alert addresses the importance of verifying the correct arrangement of handholds in embarkation gate arrangements aboard merchant vessels. The Coast Guard is currently investigating a casualty involving a fall from a pilot ladder where the handholds in the gate arrangement aboard the vessel terminated without being rigidly secured to the vessel’s structure. This…

08 Feb

Safety zone set in Savannah to import giant cranes

Rich MillerMaritime Newsshipping, U.S. Coast Guard

(SAVANNAH, Ga.) — The U.S. Coast Guard will enforce a temporary safety zone in the Savannah River on Thursday for the import of the largest gauge ship-to-shore cranes in U.S. history. The Coast Guard captain of the port will establish a safety zone during the import of the cranes to ensure the safety and security of the public and all…

08 Feb

Responders to raise partially submerged tug at Alaska dock

Rich MillerCasualty NewsTugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(JUNEAU, Alaska) — Removal operations for a tugboat partially submerged at the National Guard Dock in Gastineau Channel, Alaska, are scheduled, weather pending, to be conducted later this week and into the weekend. Melino’s Marine Services, the contracted salvage company, plans to remove the vessel utilizing a barge and crane system that are currently en route from Bellingham, Wash. The…

06 Feb

Coast Guard suspends search for tug crewman near Sabine

Rich MillerCasualty Newsbrownwater, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(HOUSTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Tuesday for a missing tugboat crewmember near Sabine, Texas. Coast Guard crews searched approximately 206 square miles for a combined 23 search hours. “The tough decision of suspending a search is vetted through many channels and is never taken lightly,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Schwind, search and rescue mission coordinator, Sector…

06 Feb

Vessel General Permit and VIDA: What’s next for operators?

Rich MillerMaritime NewsRegulation, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON and LONDON) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has indicated that new federal discharge standards for vessels will be published in autumn 2024, some four years after its original deadline, according to a new report from Gard. In the meantime, the agency has seemingly strengthened its inspection and enforcement efforts to ensure compliance with the extended Vessel General…

06 Feb

Tanker diverts to rescue sailor in distress in Caribbean

Rich MillerMaritime NewsU.S. Coast Guard

(SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico) — U.S. Coast Guard crews and the crew of the chemical tanker Silver Dover assisted a boater in distress Saturday morning in the Caribbean Sea, approximately 57 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Rico. The 80-year-old man was the sole passenger aboard the 44-foot sailing vessel Tao when the vessel lost steering and the boater lost the…

03 Feb

Safety alert: Saltwater-damaged EVs pose vessel hazard

Rich MillerMaritime NewsSafety alert, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Recently, Hurricane Ian caused significant damage and flooding throughout Florida and the southeastern United States. During the response and reconstitution after the hurricane, first responders encountered numerous vehicle fires involving electric vehicles (EVs) that are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Subsequent investigations have revealed that the vehicle fires resulted from exposure of the lithium-ion batteries to salt water. Many…

02 Feb

Coast Guard, NTSB investigating U.S. casualties in Antarctic waters

Rich MillerCasualty NewsNTSB, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Coast Guard Activities Europe, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and international flag administrations are investigating marine casualties involving the death or injury of U.S. citizens on foreign-flagged passenger vessels in Antarctic waters between Nov. 15 and Dec. 1, 2022. Among the investigations: • Two U.S. citizens died when an inflatable boat from the Portuguese-flagged passenger vessel…

01 Feb

Bulk carrier’s accommodations ‘uninhabitable’ after Portland fire

Rich MillerCasualty NewsU.S. Coast Guard

(PORTLAND, Ore.) — The U.S. Coast Guard is supporting Portland Fire & Rescue and other responding agencies after the 623-foot bulk carrier Breeze caught fire Tuesday while moored at the Temco LLC facility on the Willamette River. The Coast Guard was notified of the fire at 3:10 p.m. and contacted Portland 911 dispatchers, who were already aware and had begun…

30 Jan

Coast Guard pursues maximum fine for AIS deactivation

Rich MillerMaritime NewsSecurity, U.S. Coast Guard

(ASTORIA, Ore.) — The U.S. Coast Guard is pursuing a civil penalty against a commercial fishing vessel for violating automatic identification system (AIS) regulations near the mouth of the Columbia River on Dec. 3. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River detected a commercial fishing vessel deactivating its AIS while underway near the mouth of the river in violation of 33 Code…