(PORT ST. JOE, Fla.) — Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) on Wednesday announced the completion of Sandy Ground, the second Ollis-class ferry, for the Staten Island Ferry Division of the New York City Department of Transportation. Sandy Ground, Hull 220, departed ESG’s Port St. Joe shipyard passenger-ready, with its U.S. Coast Guard certificate of inspection and the ABS class certificates in hand. “I am pleased to announce the newest Staten Island ferry, Sandy Ground, is being delivered to New York City. This vessel honors our nation’s African-American heritage and will tell the story of the landmark Sandy Ground community,” said Joey D’Isernia, president of ESG. “These incredible vessels are receiving international recognition for their superior design and capabilities. We thank our partners for their dedication and exceptional quality in the production…
(FAIRFAX, Va.) — The International Propeller Club of the United States announced its 2021 International Awards at its 95th Annual Convention held virtually from Oct. 12-14. The club's Port of the Year award was presented to the Propeller Club of Piraeus, Greece. This award recognizes the most outstanding port, or chapter, among the International Propeller Club's 70 ports worldwide. In August, the Port of Piraeus completed a 15-month interactive online program of psychological support and empowerment for seafarers. This was a program funded by the club, and it provided counseling to crewmembers on ships under Greek ownership. The Propeller Club of Piraeus also signed the Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Well-being and Crew Change. This initiative aims to alleviate the seafarer crisis by facilitating crew changes and repatriation. Despite the significant…
(NEW YORK) — Today, Eastern Shipbuilding Grou (ESG) celebrated the commissioning of SSG Michael H. Ollis, the new state-of-the art 320-foot, 4,500-passenger ferry. The ceremony was hosted by the Mayor’s Office and New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) and attended by city officials and dignitaries, including members of the Ollis family at New York Harbor. New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, sponsor of Dorothy Day, delivered remarks on behalf of ESG. “This is a very special day for our company and the City of New York,” said Joey D’Isernia, president of Eastern Shipbuilding Group. “The Staten Island Ferry is an iconic transportation vessel recognized around the globe. For it to honor one of our fallen heroes makes it even more special. We are proud to deliver this extraordinary vessel despite…
(PORT ST. JOE, Fla.) — Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) on Friday announced the completion of the first of three new Ollis-class ferries for the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) Staten Island Ferry Division. M/V SSG Michael H. Ollis, hull 219, departed ESG’s Port St. Joe Facility fully certified and passenger-ready. Dann Ocean Towing’s Colonel is towing the ferry from Port St. Joe to New York City. The trip will take approximately 12 days. Upon arrival in New York, the ferry will be staged at Caddell Dry Dock for cleaning and another round of trials and training. It is scheduled to begin transporting passengers in the fall. The new ferry series is named after Army Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis. Ollis, a Staten Island native, was killed shielding fellow…
The Sandy Hook Pilots Association is in the final months of an unusual conversion project, transforming a deactivated 28-year-old oil spill response vessel (OSRV) to replace the pilot boat New York, the largest and oldest vessel operated by the group. For close to a decade, the association had been considering possibilities for replacing New York, an Ambrose-class station boat that is nearly a half-century old. Then, when Capt. John DeCruz was in Portland, Maine, for an American Pilots’ Association meeting in 2018, he heard about Maine Responder, an OSRV that had been in layup at the Union Wharf since 2016. “Although Maine Responder was well maintained and in excellent condition, the decline in tanker activity in Portland led the vessel owner, Marine Spill Response Corp. (MSRC), to deactivate the vessel,”…
(WASHINGTON) — American Maritime Partnership (AMP) has announced it is honoring Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks with the American Maritime Hero Award. The award recognizes individuals or groups of individuals who have added to the rich heritage of the United States as a maritime nation through their professional contributions, courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Hanks has drawn global attention to the bravery of maritime heroes by starring in the film “Captain Phillips,” narrating the documentary short “Boatlift – An Untold Tale of 9/11 Resilience,” and starring in and writing the screenplay in “Greyhound,” released on AppleTV+ on July 10. “Greyhound” tells the story of U.S. Navy Cmdr. Ernest Krause. Hanks portrays Krause on his first naval command mission, leading a convoy of 37 merchant marine ships across the chaotic North…
The following is text of a news release from the American Maritime Partnership (AMP): (WASHINGTON) — The American Maritime Partnership, the voice of the domestic maritime industry, joins military and defense leaders, administration officials, bipartisan members of Congress from every state, and 650,000 men and women that work across the domestic maritime industry in celebrating and commemorating the importance of the American maritime industry on the centennial of the U.S. Merchant Marine Act. Over the past 100 years, the men and women of American maritime have always answered the call to duty, providing vital services and manpower in times of crisis. To celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the U.S. Merchant Marine Act occurring on Friday, the American Maritime Partnership released this commemorative video to bring greater attention and awareness to…
Security vessels for civilian operators have been getting a lot more attention in recent years, and that has been driving a wave of purchases. What’s causing the growth is a combination of factors, starting with recognizing the need for stronger security assets. That, in turn, highlighted the inadequacy of many older vessels, a need to support longer missions, pressure to move to cleaner power plants, and the opportunity to employ more sophisticated security, navigation and communication technology. “U.S. ports have been expanding at the greatest rate in the country’s history due to economic success. As a result, the value of the patrol boat resource is greater than ever before,” said Richard Scher, director of communications at the Maryland Port Administration. Port patrol boat units are rapidly developing and expanding throughout…
The following is text of a news release from the American Maritime Partnership (AMP): (WASHINGTON) — The American Maritime Partnership, the voice of the domestic maritime industry, applauds the American maritime operators and mariners that once again came together in time of crisis to serve our nation, supporting the swift arrival of USNS Mercy in Los Angeles and USNS Comfort in New York City. As our nation focuses on providing the needed medical attention and resources to our communities, the American maritime community is proud to help enable this delivery of care. Speaking at USNS Comfort in Norfolk, Va.,, before its departure for New York City, President Trump stated: "This great ship behind me is a 70,000-ton message of hope and solidarity to the incredible people of New York.” USNS…
The following is text of a news release from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): (WASHINGTON) — NOAA is initiating a five-year process to end all traditional paper nautical chart production and is seeking the public’s feedback via a Federal Register notice published on Nov. 15. Chart users, companies that provide products and services based on NOAA raster and electronic navigational chart (NOAA ENC) products, and other stakeholders can help shape the manner and timing in which the product sunsetting process will proceed. Comments may be submitted through NOAA’s online ASSIST feedback tool. A long tradition in transition For nearly 200 years, NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey has produced traditional paper nautical chart products. Originally, this took the singular form of hard copy paper charts; today, there are several…
