CG rescues three boaters

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard medevaced a 56 year-old man running a high temperature and having difficulty moving from a fishing vessel near Terrebonne Bay, La., on Sunday April 30. The man was reported to be in stable condition at Ochsner West Bank Hospital. In a separate incident Sunday, a CG MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans rescued a pair of boaters from a disabled pleasure boat some 17 nautical miles northwest of Venice, La. The aircrew transported the duo o CG Air Station New Orleans in good condition. (Source: Coast Guard 04/30/17)

LCS 6 destroys drone in trials

SAN DIEGO – The Gulf Coast-built Littoral Combat Ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) successfully fired a SeaRAM missile and destroyed an aerial drone in a Combat System Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) test April 22 off the California coast. The drone was simulating an anti-ship missile as part of a CSSQT event to demonstrate self-defense capabilities of the ship. The CSSQT also included firing exercises using the 57mm gun against a fast attack craft. Jackson's crew completed each scenario successfully and exercised the ship’s combat systems suite. LCS 6 was constructed by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. The Independence class LCS is the third trimaran designed ship to reach the fleet. Jackson was commissioned Dec. 5, 2015, at Gulfport, Miss. (Source: USS Jackson 04/27/17)

Picayune-NYT partner on climate

The Times-Picayune of New Orleans and The New York Times has begun a partnership to explore the causes and potential effects of coastal erosion and sea levels along the Louisiana Gulf Coast. The collaboration will combine the resources of two environmental reporting initiatives: The Times-Picayune's coastal reporting team, made possible in part by a grant from the Fund for Environmental Journalism of the Society of Environmental Journalists, and the NYT’s climate team, which focuses visual, explanatory and investigative journalism on the calamities caused by climate. Content produced by the partnership will appear in both companies' newspapers and digital platforms. In addition, the partnership plans to produce a documentary film and host a conference to bring international leaders in climate change and coastal erosion to New Orleans during its tri-centennial in 2018. (Source: Times-Picayune 04/30/17)

CG conducts pair of rescues

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard medically evacuated a man from a fishing camp in Terrebonne Parish, La., on April 28. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report of a boating incident involving an adult male and a child, both with head injuries. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from CG Air Station New Orleans transported the adult to LSU Hospital in New Orleans. Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office took custody of the child, who was reported in good condition and transferred to family. On April 29, the CG rescued a man from a sinking sailboat about 100 nautical miles southeast of Apalachicola, Fla. (Source: Coast Guard 04/28-29/17)

Chasing lionfish in fed waters

Northwest Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz is drafting legislation to expand a state program which will allow spear fishermen to collect invasive lionfish into federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. A state program rewards people who collect large numbers of lionfish with tags, thereby allowing them to catch more red grouper or cobia beyond mandated limits. Lionfish can’t be caught with rod-and-reel. The way to remove them is through spearfishing, which is expensive and labor intensive. Lionfish have 18 venomous spines. They are not native to Florida; and have no natural predator. They feed off native fish like grouper, snapper and shrimp. A statewide lionfish removal and awareness challenge will run from May 20 through Sept. 4. Pensacola will hold its annual lionfish tournament May 20-21. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 04/26/17)

Gulf refineries bet big on Mex-SA

U.S. refiners are betting that big exports to Mexico and South America will help alleviate high product inventories and boost margins as summer nears. The first wave of earnings results from several large independent refineries show they are not chasing gasoline profits, but taking advantage of demand from Mexico and South America, where refineries can’t keep up with customer demands. Marathon Petroleum Corp., which has completed its largest-ever quarter of turnaround projects at its three Gulf Coast refineries, expects to process more crude than ever in the second quarter. "The export book continues to be strong," CEO Gary Heminger said, and expects exports to grow from an additional 100K bpd (to 300K) in the second quarter. U.S. refiners, particularly on the Gulf Coast, have cashed in on soaring demand for refined products from Mexico, even as margins have languished at the lowest levels in seven years. (Source: Marine Link 04/28/17) Gulf Coast Note: Marathon has a refinery on about 3,500 acres along the Mississippi River at Garyville, La. - located between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Contract: General Dynamics, $47.1M

General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Fairfax, Va., is being awarded a $47,102,597 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, resulting from solicitation N00189-17-R-0007, that will include terms and conditions for the placement of firm-fixed-price and firm-fixed-price level-of-effort task orders to provide program management, information technology architecture and engineering, meteorology and oceanography information technology subject matter expertise, geospatial information system subject matter expertise, cybersecurity, and information technology portfolio management for the Naval Information Forces Command, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, and other subordinate commands. The contract will include a five-year base ordering period and six-month option period which if exercised, the total value of this contract will be $52,000,000. Work will be performed in Fairfax, Va. (61 percent); Stennis Space Center, Miss. (22 percent); and Monterey, Calif. (17 percent), and is expected to be completed by April 2022. If the option is exercised, work will continue through October 2022. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk Contracting Department, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N00189-17-D-0008). (Source: DoD, 04/27/17)

Contract: Multiple, $260.1M

International Marine and Industrial Applicators LLC, Spanish Fort, Ala. (N4523A-17-D-0003); and QED Systems Inc., Virginia Beach, Va. (N4523A-17-D-0004), are being awarded a $260,100,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for the accomplishment of preservation of critical and non-critical surfaces and installation of new coatings on Naval ships/vessels. Typical work under the scope of the program include: single and multiple coat systems, ultra-high solids, epoxy, solvent based, anti-fouling, and associated structural repair requirements necessary to support the preservation process for aircraft carriers, submarines and other vessels. Under the terms of the contracts, multiple award contract holders will compete for individual delivery orders over a five-year period. Work will be performed in Bremerton, Wash. (85 percent); Banger, Wash. (10 percent); and Everett, Wash. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by May 2022. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Bremerton, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/27/17)

CG suspends search off P’cola

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard was searching for a person in the water about 157 nautical miles south of Pensacola, Fla., on Thursday, April 27. Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala., received a report from the cruise ship Carnival Fantasy at 5:35 p.m. April 26 of a man with dark hair, wearing a red shirt, and seen face down in the water. A passenger aboard the cruise ship initially spotted the man and alerted crew members. The cruise ship conducted searches in the area for some two hours. An HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft and crew was diverted at 11:42 a.m. on Thursday to assist in the search. Anyone with information is requested to contact Sector Mobile at (251) 441-6211. (Source: Coast Guard 04/27/17)
UPDATE: The Coast Guard has suspended its search for the person in the water some 157 nautical miles off of Pensacola. The search was suspended at 7:16 p.m. after searching a total of 434 square nautical miles.

Manatee network pushes Ala. plates

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. - The Dauphin Island Sea Lab's Manatee Sighting Network is making a final push to secure a specialized license plate for motorized vehicles in Alabama. The effort is about 150 commitments away from the specialized plate becoming reality. Revenue from the specialized plates will be used to support the Manatee Sighting Network's outreach and education, research, tagged manatee program and data sharing. One of the more interesting things the network has learned, since tagging manatees in 2009, is that the “same manatees come back to Alabama waters each year," said Elizabeth Hieb, Manatee Sighting Network manager. This is the time of year manatees migrate to the northern Gulf of Mexico, and Hieb encourages boaters to keep an eye out, and report sightings to the network 24/7. (Source: Dauphin Island Sea Lab 04/27/16).

Comms network for GoM grows

Speedcast International Limited, a Houston-based provider of fully managed remote communication and IT solutions, has signed a reseller agreement with Tampnet for 4G/LTE for services in the Gulf of Mexico. Speedcast has become the first service provider to partner with Tampnet for its high capacity offshore network in the region. In March, Tampnet announced it had reached 25 percent of its planned coverage for the GoM. Upon completion at the end of 2018, Tampnet will have a low latency, high capacity fiber and microwave network made up of more than 60 base stations estimated to cover 98 percent of all manned GoM offshore assets. Tampnet has U.S. offices in Houston and Scott, La. (Source: Marine Link 04/26/17)

Horizon delivers towboat to NOLA

Horizon Shipbuilding of Bayou La Batre, Ala., has delivered the M/V Victoria Pasentine, a 120-foot towboat with retractable pilot house, to its homeport in New Orleans. The vessel is the 20th built by Horizon for Florida Marine Transporters (FMT) over the past nine years. Gulf Coast Air & Hydraulics supplied the lift system and associated components for the pilot house. EMI Marine of St. Rose, La., handled the steering and machinery alarm systems. Kern Martin Services of Coden, Ala., does all the interior packages for all of Horizon’s FMT builds. (Source: Marine Link 04/26/17)

Budget plan may aid Port St. Joe

On April 25, the Florida Legislature was intending to move ahead on a budget that may give the Port of Port St. Joe (PPSJ) a significant economic boost, according to Deputy County Administrator Michael Hammond. The budget bill currently includes economic funds for Gulf County - if it survives final approval. A $6M appropriation would fuel the creation of a dry-dock area in the turning basin of the port’s shipping channel. The dry dock would be used for Eastern Shipbuilding’s planned expansion. The appropriation includes $1M for dredging the channel, which would assist opening PPSJ for development. The turning basin is currently not within the scope of an estimated $44M shipping channel dredge project. The legislation is crafted around Triumph Gulf Coast, which would bring nearly $15M to Gulf County for future economic development projects. TGC is the entity charged with disbursing about $1.5B in BP fines to eight NW Florida counties that were most impacted by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (Source: Port St. Joe Star 04/27/17) Gulf Coast Note: U.S. Coast Guard has awarded the largest vessel procurement contract in service history to Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City. Eastern was selected to finalize its design and construct of the first series of nine Offshore Patrol Cutters with an option for two more.

Ingalls VP: Distinguished alum

Five people are going to be inducted into Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame during graduation ceremonies May 5-6 on the Weatherford, Okla., campus. Among the five is Lori Wallace-Harper of Pascagoula, Miss. Harper is vice president of Supply Chain Management at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula. Harper joined Ingalls in 2002. She received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from SWOSU in 1993; and an MBA from William Carey College in Mississippi. Harper has also held leadership positions with multiple Fortune 500 companies in the aerospace and defense, petrochemical, and services industries. In 2015, Harper was named one of Mississippi’s Top 10 Business Women by Mississippi Business Journal. (Source: Frederick Post-Leader 04/25/17)

Bollinger delivers 23rd FRC

LOCKPORT, La. - Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the 23rd Fast Response Cutter (FRC) to the Coast Guard, USCGC Benjamin Dailey. The CG took delivery April 20 in Key West, Fla. The cutter’s commissioning is slated for July 4 in Pascagoula, Miss., and will become the first FRC stationed across the CG’s Eighth District that includes the Gulf of Mexico coastlines from Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida panhandle. Bollinger has 10 shipyards strategically located throughout Louisiana. (Source: Bollinger 04/20/17)

Swiftships earns $27M pact

Swiftships LLC of Morgan City, La., was awarded a $27,402,593 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-14-C-4217) for the accomplishment of continuous lifecycle support for the Iraqi Navy. The contractor will provide technical expertise in preventative and planned maintenance, emergent repairs and platform overhaul support services for Iraqi patrol boats, offshore vessels, and defender boats. Work will be performed on Umm Qasr Naval Base in Iraq and is expected to be completed by March 2018. Foreign military financing funding in the amount of $27,402,593 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 04/24/17)

Navy accepts EPF 8 from Austal

MOBILE, Ala. - The Navy accepted delivery of its eighth Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessel, USNS Yuma (EPF 8), in a ceremony April 21 at Alabama shipbuilder Austal USA. EPFs are shallow draft, all aluminum, commercial-based catamarans capable of intra-theater personnel and cargo transport, which provide combatant commanders high-speed sealift mobility. USNS Yuma was constructed by Austal USA, which is currently under contract for the construction of four additional EPFs. A christening ceremony is scheduled for the City of Bismarck (EPF 9) in May with a keel laying ceremony planned for Burlington (EPF 10) this summer. EPFs 11 and 12 were awarded in September 2016, and are currently in the early stages of production. (Source: US Navy 04/21/17)

Update: CG suspends search

NEW ORLEANS - On Saturday April 22 around noon, the Coast Guard began responding to a report of a capsized outboard vessel some 160 miles south of Southwest Pass, La. An HC-144 Ocean Sentry and aircrew from Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala., was sent to search for the possibility of people in the water. (Source: Coast Guard 04/22/17)
UPDATE: The Coast Guard suspended the search April 23. The HC-144 located the vessel and searched a total of about 625-square-nautical miles over 6-and-a-half hours with no signs of people in distress in the water.

Future ferries for Pensacola

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Double-decker ferries, designed to provide service to Pensacola Beach and Fort Pickens, arrived downtown April 22, but won't start services until the spring of 2018. Docks, support facilities, and an operation contract still have to be realized, says National Park Superintendent Dan Brown. The Fort Pickens dock is done, but downtown and Pensacola Beach is a work in progress. It's going to be a “unique experience,” says beach business owner Robert Rinke. Each ferry’s cost is $2.6 million and will be run by private business. (Source: WEAR 04/22/17)

APC earns $17M La. pact

APC Construction of New Orleans was awarded a $17,283,825 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of New Orleans-to-Venice, La., Hurricane Protection System; and New Orleans-to-Venice non-federal West Bank 06B.1 Woodpark floodwalls, in Plaquemines Parish, La. Work will be performed in Port Sulphur, La., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 30, 2019. FY 2014 other funds in the amount of $17,283,825 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 04/21/17)

CG helo locates stranded trio

NEW ORLEANS – Coast Guard New Orleans launched a special purpose shallow water craft and MH-65 Dolphin helicopter to assist the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in response to a vessel taking on water, with three people aboard, near Bayou Bienvenue, La., on April 20. The helicopter crew located the three people standing in a marshy area of Third Island Bayou near Lake Borgne. Members of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries rescued the three survivors. They were transported to the Eddie Pinto boat launch in New Orleans in stable condition. (Source: Coast Guard 04/20/17)

LCS 8 launches first MQ-8C

In early April, an MQ-8C Fire Scout autonomous helicopter made its first ever launch from the Independence-Class USS Montgomery (LCS 8) during a two-week series of tests off California. The flight marked a milestone in proving the reliability and safety of the small drone. A Fire Scout had previously conducted an at-sea launch from USS Jason Dunham in December 2015. MQ-8C is the next-generation of the MQ-8B Fire Scout. It is designed to work with manned MH-60 Seahawk Romeo and Sierra helicopters, and fill the LCS' surface warfare package. LCS have three mission packages, including mine countermeasures and anti-submarine warfare. The LCS using the SW package are designed to carry two MQ-8Bs. Those deploying with either other package carry one. But, the MQ-8C, which enters operational test and evaluation in the fall, sets the stage for the MQ-8B being key to operate with all three warfare packages. (Source: DOD Buzz 04/18/17) Gulf Coast Note: USS Montgomery is among the LCS built at Austal USA shipyards in Mobile, Ala. Fire Scouts are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.

Maritime bargaining moves ahead

Leaders of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) representing labor at West Coast ports, and the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), which represents workers on the East and Gulf Coast ports, have signaled readiness to start bargaining discussions some two years ahead of the scheduled June 2019 and 2018 expiration dates respectively of current contracts. The early discussions are attempts to avoid the labor strife affecting East and Gulf Coast ports in 2012-13 and West Coast ports in 2014-15, maritime industry consultant Anthony Scioscia told the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade’s 21st annual conference. ILWU and the Pacific Maritime Association, representing management, are scheduled to meet April 21. If approved, and an ILWU caucus being scheduled April 24, the proposal may be sent to workers for a vote, which generally takes about 90 days. ILA and Unites States Maritime Alliance Ltd., a management group of container carriers, terminal operators, and port associations on the East and Gulf coasts, met in February for informal discussions about negotiations. Once the ILA forms a "wage-scale committee," discussions will move forward, Scioscia says. The current East-Gulf Coast six-year contract expires Sept. 30, 2018. (Source: DC Velocity 04/19/17)

GAO: Delay LCS-to-frigate plan

Government auditors are recommending Congress may want to consider delaying an anticipated $9B Navy request for start-up work of 12 up-armed frigate successors to one of the two Littoral Combat Ship variants. Delaying beyond FY 2018 may be warranted since there are many unanswered questions about the new frigate’s cost and capabilities, the Government Accountability Office announced in an April 18 released report. In mid-2018, the Navy has plans to select between competing LCS variants from Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., and Lockheed Martin Corp. of Wisconsin. The Navy’s impending FY-18 budget request presents a “key opportunity for Congress to affect” the future frigate program by giving the Navy more time to develop information about costs, design, and capability “before authorizing” an investment, the GAO report read. However, if Congress authorizes a 12-block buy of frigates, it will be difficult “to reduce or delay the program,” according to the analysis. There have been a total of 28 LCS delivered to the Navy. (Source: Bloomberg News 04/18/17)

OII-Panama City to build umbilical

Oceaneering International Inc., with a corporate HQ in Houston, has secured a contract from Anadarko Petroleum Corp. of Woodlands, Texas, to supply an umbilical for APC’s Constellation subsea tieback in the Gulf of Mexico. The contract is for an electro-hydraulic steel tube control umbilical and hardware. The umbilical is expected to be used to transmit hydraulic control fluid and chemicals; provide electrical power and fiber optics and subsea wells monitoring requirements in some 4,500 feet of water within Green Canyon Block 627. OII plans to design and manufacture the umbilical at its facility in Panama City, Fla. (Source: Marine Link 04/17/17) Gulf Coast Note: OII also has Louisiana operations in Bayou Vita, Houma, Lafayette, Morgan City, New Iberia, and New Orleans.

CG medevacs barge worker

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard medically evacuated a 60-year-old man having stroke-like symptoms April 18 from the barge Pacific Shore, located about four nautical miles south of Atchafalaya Bay, La. A Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and crew was dispatched to the scene; and transferred the man, who was reported in stable condition, to West Jefferson Medical Hospital. (Source: Coast Guard 04/18/17)

NOLA and OSVDPA accreditation

The Offshore Service Vessel Dynamic Positioning Authority (OSVDPA) announcement that Kongsberg Maritime's Houston, Texas, training center had been accredited to conduct OSVDPA dynamic positioning operator (DPO) training courses and assessments even though Kongsberg has been offering DP training for years. It won’t be Kongsberg’s last DP training accreditation. But, Kongsberg is the first Houston-area center to be accredited by the OSVDPA, which means mariners and employers have more choices when it comes to where and how mariners can train and eventually become credentialed. Kongsberg’s New Orleans training center is next in line for accreditation. Kongsberg operates DP training centers in Norway, Aberdeen, Houston, New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro and Singapore. (Source: Maritime Global News 04/17/17)

Gaetz: Separate Navarre issues

NAVARRE, Fla. - Navarre Pass is no closer to being reopened after an April 17 non-public meeting with U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and regional leaders. The new lawmaker says he now wants legislation to allow Santa Rosa County to take ownership of Navarre Beach, but wants to separate that issue with the re-opening of the pass because of Eglin Air Force Base concerns over potential encroachment into its Gulf of Mexico aerial testing range and training missions within Santa Rosa Sound. The proposed new-idea bill would remain neutral on Navarre Pass. “(A)fter meeting with the military, I see we’re on different timetables,” Gaetz was reported saying. Eglin AFB owns adjacent properties to the pass, which has been closed to the GoM for decades. Gaetz insists the re-opening of the pass would make Santa Rosa County “one of the wealthiest counties in Florida” due to sport-fishing and economic development. The Santa Rosa County Commission will first have to give a thumbs-up to officially taking back the barrier island. Commission Chairman Rob Williamson expects to get that done during meetings set for the week of April 24. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News 04/18/17)

WWII museum's 10th conference

NEW ORLEANS - The National WWII Museum is scheduled to host the 10th International Conference on World War II on Nov. 16-18. The conference will feature the world’s foremost WWII historians in discussions concerning the Anglo-American Alliance, Wehrmacht’s Last Stand, Dunkirk, MacArthur, and Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich and other pivotal moments of that war. A new feature of the conference will be a nighttime open house and reception at the museum during which the entire campus will be available for after-hours tours. For more information or to register visit the www.ww2conference.com website. (Source: WWII Museum 04/17/17)

LCS 4 crew returns to SD port

SAN DIEGO - Littoral Combat Ship Crew 204, which had been deployed aboard USS Coronado (LCS 4) since last June, returned to its homeport of San Diego on April 16 following the ship's maiden overseas deployment. Crew 204 turned the ship over to Crew 203 on April 15, which marked the midway point of Coronado's deployment into the Asia-Pacific region, and was the halfway point of the first Independence variant's LCS deployment. (Source: LCS Squadron 1 04/17/17) Gulf Coast Note: USS Coronado is among the Independence class LCS built by Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala.

Signature silence work in MS

Leidos Inc. of Reston, Va., was awarded a $12,416,137 sole-source bridge contract to provide continuity of logistics, operations, and maintenance services in support of Navy and Marine signature silencing programs for ships and undersea systems; engineering and support for the Southeast Alaska Acoustic Measurement Facility array repair; and the array health assessment and validation trials for the final installation and certification report. Twenty-four percent of the work will be conducted in Long Beach, Miss, and is expected to complete by January 2018. Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock in West Bethesda, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 04/17/17)

Coast Guard emergency medevac

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard medevaced a man experiencing difficulty breathing near Southwest Pass, La., on March 16. Coast Guard Station Venice launched a response boat and crew at 1 p.m. The crew safely transferred the 28-year-old to local emergency services waiting at CG Station Gulfport, Miss., at 4:07 p.m. The man was taken to Plaquemines Medical Center in Port Sulphur, La., and was reported in stable condition. (Source: Coast Guard 04/16/17)

America’s Amazon endangered

The Mobile (Ala.) River System, which flows into Mobile Bay from the Cahaba, Tombigbee, Alabama, and rivers of the Delta, has been named one of the 10 most endangered river systems in America by the group American Rivers. AR produced a report that cites the system's claim to fame as "America's Amazon" highlighting the diversity of the system and rivers. Alabama ranks No. 1 in the nation for the number of aquatic species, including fish, turtles, mussels, crawfish and snails. In the report, "America's Most Endangered Rivers, 2017," the system, called "The Mobile Bay Basin," and four states from which it drains account for 14 percent of all freshwater flowing in the U.S. The system is considered endangered because Alabama lacks a water management plan, something most states have. (Source: AL.com 04/11/17)

CG assists Okaloosa in rescue

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard assisted Okaloosa Sheriff’s Department in the rescue of four people in the water near East Pass Fla., after their vessel began taking on water early morning April 15. Coast Guard Station Destin launched a Response Boat and crew, as was a Mobile, Ala.-based MH-65 Dolphin helicopter. An Okaloosa County Sheriff’s boat crew also arrived on scene and put the damaged vessel in tow. The CGS Destin boat crew shadowed the tow for safety purposes. Two passengers were taken to Harbor Walk Marina by a Good Samaritan while the other two stayed with the sheriff’s boat crew into the Destin (Fla.) Marina around 11 a.m. There were no reported injuries. (Source: Coast Guard 04/15/17)

Ingalls lands LHA-7 support pact

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Miss., was awarded a $7,016,664 cost-plus-fixed fee contract for post-delivery planning yard services in support of the LHA-7 amphibious assault ship. Services are to include post-delivery planning, material procurement and support services; and post shakedown availability and emergent work. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $90M. Work will be performed in Pascagoula; and is expected to be completed by August 2020. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 04/14/17)

 

CG medevacs man near Ship Island

NEW ORLEANS – Coast Guard Station Gulfport, Miss., medically evacuated a man from a pleasure craft near Ship Island, Miss., on April 14. CGSG launched a Response Boat crew with three Biloxi Fire paramedics to the scene and was assisted by a Good Samaritan boater who transferred the man to the boat crew in shallow water. The man was transferred to CGSG, and later taken by ambulance to Keesler (AFB) Medical Center in Biloxi. He was reported in stable condition. (Source: Coast Guard 04/14/17)

Panama City gets 20% ship work

Prism Maritime LLC of Chesapeake, Va., was awarded a $49,551,799 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of shipboard installation and associated services, including installation of electro-optic systems for Navy and Coast Guard ships. Ships include the Military Sealift Command T-AO, T-AOE, and T-AKE class ships, Navy aircraft carriers, and Coast Guard cutters. Electro-optic systems to be installed include the Situational Awareness System and Maritime Forward Looking Infrared II. Work will be performed in Norfolk (20%); Panama City, Fla. (20); San Diego (20); Charleston, S.C. (20); Crane, Ind. (10), and outside the continental U.S. (10). The work is expected to be complete by April 2022. FY 2017 Coast Guard funding in the amount of $20,000 will be obligated at time of award. Naval Surface Warfare Center of Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 04/13/17)

Frigate may not just include Austal, LM

The Navy is considering evaluating more than the two Littoral Combat Ship designs for its future, up-gunned frigates. The two LCS builders include Austal USA of Mobile, Ala.'s Independence and Lockheed Martin's Freedom hulls. A study is set to be completed within the spring. (Source: U.S. Naval Institute News 04/12/17)

Prez lifts federal hiring freeze

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump lifted his two-month-old hiring freeze on federal employees April 12, but will take several months before billets at the Defense Department and Veterans Affairs are filled. Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said he expects many government positions left open during the hiring freeze will never be filled in efforts to streamline federal operations and cut waste. In January, President Trump ordered a halt to all civilian hiring across the executive branch “regardless of the sources of their operational and programmatic funding.” The freeze didn't include military and exempted some key Pentagon intelligence and VA medical jobs. Federal agencies will have two months to examine their workforce and suggest ways to reduce staffing without compromising services. The Associated Press reported that despite the hiring freeze, the federal government added some 2,000 workers in February. (Source: Military Times 04/12/17)

ESO’s new alliance with BP

The Louisiana-based Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) and its family of companies have announced a 30-month alliance agreement with BP, the largest energy investor in deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico over the past decade. Chouest and BP have had an alliance fore more than eight years. The new venture will continue to include Chouest affiliates’ vessel services, multi-service terminal facilities at Port Fourchon, La., and logistics coordination for expediting and tracking cargo movement. The agreement includes a three-year extension for utilization of BP’s GoM Preservation and Maintenance facility, designed and built by Chouest, and located northwest of Houma, La. Additionally, the vessel alliance includes a new generation, 312-foot supply vessel designed for delivery of supplies to BP’s GoM platforms. The vessel is currently under construction at Chouest’s LaShip shipyard in Houma, and is scheduled for delivery in the next few months. (Source: Edison Chouset Offshore 04/10/17)

MS port exec among Portland finalists

Gulfport, Miss., port director and CEO of the Mississippi State Port Authority Jonathan Daniels is among three finalists for executive director for the Port of Portland, Ore. Current exec Bill Wyatt retires June 30. A Portland advisory panel selected the final list, which also includes Stephanie Dawson, acting COO of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey; and Curtis Robinhold, deputy executive of the Port of Portland. Daniels oversees the Port of Gulfport, which is the third-busiest container port on the Gulf Coast. He previously worked at the Port of Oswego, N.Y., and the Port of Baton Rouge, La. (Source: Maritime Executive 04/12/17)

CNO surveys new oceanographic ship

MOSS POINT, Miss. – Adm. John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), came to South Mississippi on April 8 to tour the Navy's newest oceanographic survey ship USNS Maury (T-AGS 66) to get an understanding about the information the ship could provides to the Pentagon and the newly-established Task Force Ocean task force. TFO was established in March is part of an effort to further assess the state of ocean science in the Navy, which encompasses its oceanographic infrastructure, technologies, technical workforce and how they are applied to naval operations. "Naval forces require information about the physical environment to operate safely and effectively," said Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet, oceanographer of the Navy and commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. The Oceanographer of the Navy is CNO's resource, requirements and policy adviser for the Navy's oceanography program, and senior adviser on issues related to national ocean policy, governance and interagency ocean activities. (Source: Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command 04/12/17)

Scouts, Tyndall environ team

TYNDALL AFB, Fla. - The Tyndall Air Force-based 325th Civil Engineer Squadron Natural Resources teamed with local Boy Scout Troop 302 of St. John’s Catholic Church to install a base-wide monofilament fishing line collection system to help maintain wildlife areas. Most fishing line is not biodegradable. Improperly discarded fishing line could kill marine mammals and birds that often can become entangled in or ingest the line. Base visitors can now dispose of unwanted and used fishing line in one of 15 recycling bins around Tyndall that are dedicated to that cause. (Source: Tyndall AFB 04/11/17)

No charges in Navy trainees death

The Navy will not file criminal charges in the drowning of Seaman James Derek Lovelace during SEAL training in Coronado, Calif., nearly one year ago. The San Diego County medical examiner ruled the 21-year-old Crestview, Fla., sailor’s death on May 6, 2016, in a swim tank, as a homicide, saying in an autopsy report that the “actions, or inactions, of the instructors and other individuals involved were excessive and directly contributed to the death.” But Navy Cmdr. Liam Hulin, director of Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command, reviewed the findings of an NCIS probe and determined Lovelace’s drowning “was not the result of a crime and will not pursue criminal charges against any personnel in connection with the death.” The autopsy revealed that a SEAL instructor repeatedly dunked Lovelace and that his drowning was exacerbated by an anomalous coronary artery that may have contributed to sudden cardiac death. A safety review on the training will now begin. Navy officials said they briefed Lovelace’s father in Florida on April 8 about Hulin’s conclusions. (Source: San Diego Times Union 04/10/17)

TSHD launched from NW Fla.

The Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD) Magdalen was launched March 31 from Eastern Shipbuilding Group's (ESG) facility in Panama City, Fla. The dredger is being constructed for the U.S.' second largest dredging contractor, Weeks Marine Inc. that has offices in Covington and Bourg, La. Magdalen has been earmarked for a project at the end of 2017. The THSD has been specifically designed for beach nourishment and capital dredging works. Magdalen was christened by Helen McLaughlin, niece of Magdalen Weeks, the mother of Rich Weeks, founder and CEO of Weeks Marine. (Source: Maritime Global News 04/10/17)

CG towing boat to Orange Beach

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard was towing a vessel taking on water with three people aboard some 30 miles south of Gulf Shores, Ala., on April 10. Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala., received a report about the vessel at 8:34 p.m. on April 9, and directed the launch of 45-foot Response Boat from CG stations Dauphin Island, Ala., and Pensacola, Fla., and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter CG Air Station New Orleans. The response boat crew from Pensacola arrived on scene at 10:20 p.m., and began towing the vessel to Sportsman Marina in Orange Beach, Ala. (Source: Coast Guard 04/10/17)

Navy considers badder FFG design

WASHINGTON – The Navy is considering adding anti-aviation threat features to the future design and development plans of its new frigates via existing Littoral Combat Ship variants. The future frigate plans had already called for anti-submarine and anti-surface threat features. A draft report of the Requirement Evaluation Team (RET), a study group formed to examine how to add a air defense capabilities to the frigates to protect supply and support ships, is to double the load of Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (to 16) or incorporate a Mark 41 vertical launch system with eight Standard SM-2 missiles. The SM-2 is carried by Aegis destroyers and cruises. The enhanced anti-aviation capabilities would change the Navy designation for the ships from frigate (FF) to guided missile frigate (FFG). The two LCS builders, Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., and Lockheed Martin of Wisconsin, have developed frigate variants from their designs in anticipation of the Navy issuing a formal Request For Proposal (RFP), which was expected in this fall. The switch to an FFG design would likely involve a redesign of each builder’s frigate proposal, which could push back the RFP. (Source: Defense News 04/10/17)

Ingalls christens DDG 117

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding christened its 31st Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) on April 8. DDG 117 is named in honor of Paul Ignatius, who served as the 59th Secretary of the Navy from 1967-69. His wife, Nancy W. Ignatius, the ship’s sponsor, officially christened the ship with a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. The couple, who have been married almost 70 years, escorted to the platform by Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. Ingalls has delivered 29 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the Navy. “(W)hen the United States fired missiles on Syria, the two ships that fired those missiles were made right here at Ingalls in Pascagoula,” said Philip Gunn, speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives. Since WWII, the Ingalls shipyard has been an “integral part of providing freedom.” (Source: Ingalls Shipbuilding 04/08/17)

Eastern lands NYC ferries pact

Panama City, Fla.’s Eastern Shipbuilding has a nearly $300 million contract with the New York City Department of Transportation for three new ferries for the city’s Staten Island route. The Ollis Class ferries will be double-ended, 320 feet long and 70 feet wide. Elliott Bay Design Group, which has an office in New Orleans, designed the ferry. The contract comes to about $100 million per ferry. The first is to be delivered in 2019. The ferries will be built at Eastern’s shipyard alongside the firm’s new Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutters. (Source: Maritime Executive 04/04/17)

NW Fla. fish hatchery moving forward

An estimated $19 million fish hatchery may be ready for public consumption by late 2018 in downtown Pensacola, Fla. The Florida Gulf Coast Marine Fisheries Hatchery Enhancement Center is being designed for a research and education center, which is also expected to produce an estimated five million saltwater sport fish each year for release along the Gulf Coast. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 04/06/17)

Gulf Coast to up LNG supply

Some skeptics have written off LNG bunkering, but it’s likely going to be a key solution to comply with the International Maritime Organization’s upcoming 2020 global sulfur cap. There likely won’t be enough gas-oil and scrubbers to meet demand for 0.5 percent sulfur-compliant marine fuels, according to industry sources at the 10th International Fujairah Bunkering and Fuel Oil Forum. A growing number of organizations are joining industry coalitions to accelerate LNG bunkering in the shipping industry. “2020 creates a new reality, creating potential threats, but also an opportunity that can help reposition shipping,” Lauran Wetemans, general manager of the LNG fuel division at Shell. “We believe that 10-to-20 percent of all bunker fuel oil could switch to LNG by 2030,” Wetemans said. Spot LNG prices are expected to come down as supply grows, says Fereidun Fesharaki, charmain of Facts Global Energy. By 2020, LNG supply additions in Australia and the U.S. Gulf Coast will increase the current global supply by more than 40 percent. This could spell good news for ship-operators promoting them to switch to its use, sources said. Commoditizing LNG and expelling myths around its safety aspect would also spur it use, they said. (Source: Hellenic Shipping News 04/03/17)

Ingalls-built Munro commissioned

SEATTLE, Wash. - The Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755), the military service’s newest National Security Cutter (NSC), was commissioned into service here on April 1. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft presided over the ceremony, and accepting the sixth NSC into the fleet. The Munro was named in honor the CG’s only Medal of Honor recipient, Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro (1919-42). NCCs are “state of the art platforms” that can “push our maritime borders thousands of miles beyond the homeland in order to ensure our national security and prosperity,” said Zukunft. Known as the Legend class, NSCs are designed to be the flagships of the CG fleet, and capable of executing the most challenging national security missions, including support to U.S. combatant commanders. Munro will routinely conduct operations from South America to the Bering Sea. (Source: Coast Guard 04/02/17) Gulf Coast Note: Huntington Ingalls Industries’ subsidiary Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., was awarded the $487.1 million construction contract for Munro on April 30, 2013. Construction officially began on Oct. 7, 2013, with a ceremony marking the cutting of the first 100 tons of steel. Munro was launched Sept. 12, 2015.

APM Terminals to boost WalMart hub

The sixth WalMart international distribution center, to be located in Irvington, Ala., will handle the firm’s import cargoes destined for its Regional Distribution Centers in the South. The recently completed Panama Canal widening project will permit vessels of up to 13,000 TEU capacity to bring new ventures to APM Terminals Mobile’s deep-water terminal strategically located on the Gulf Coast. The APM Terminals Mobile opened in 2008, but it’s adding two new super-Post Panamax STS cranes that are expected for delivery in June. It is also expanding the container yard by 20 acres as part of a $40 million infrastructure investment, which will increase the terminal’s annual throughput capacity to 500,000 TEUs. WalMart has 4,488 retail locations in the U.S.; and selected the Port City of Mobile, Ala., location with these new cargo handling and intermodal capabilities in mind. Mobile is also the point of entry for Airbus passenger plane components that represent another major business making site selections close to the port. The $135 million Irvington distribution center is scheduled to open in mid-2018, representing new annual container traffic of an estimated 50,000 TEUs per year via the Port of Mobile. (Source: Maritime Professional 04/01/17)

FL manatees no longer ‘endangered’

Manatees, whose gentle, lumbering ways have made them susceptible to boating threats that nearly killed off a species, are no longer on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s endangered list. USF&WS announced March 30 that it was going to downgrade the West Indian manatee from “endangered” to “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. The reclassification marked a major rebound for the mammals, which hovered on the brink of extinction since 1973 - only a few hundred remained. Today, there are an estimated 6,620 Florida manatees, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, according to USF&WS. “(M)anatee numbers are increasing and we are actively working with partners to address threats,” said Jim Kurth, the agency’s acting director. However, some animal groups and activists are protested the federal agency’s decision, saying the manatee’s down-grade from the endangered list could lead to greater threats to the species. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) called it “Hugely disappointing” and promised to contact Interior Secretary Ruam Zinke. Buchanan said the move would be detrimental for Florida, where the manatee is beloved, protected, and even has its own specialty vehicular license plate. (Source: Washington Post 03/31/17)