Austal USA, Mobile, Ala., has been awarded a $113,906,029 NAVSEA contract for the detail design and construction of the lead T-AGOS 25 Class Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance Ship.

The contract includes options for detail design and construction of up to seven T-AGOS 25 class ships, taking its potential value of $3.195 billion.

The 110 meter steel small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH) T-AGOS 25 ships, operated by United States Military Sealift Command (MSC), are larger and faster than the current T-AGOS vessels that support the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission of the commanders of the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets by providing a platform capable of passive and active anti-submarine acoustic surveillance. T-AGOS vessels support the Navy’s Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS) by gathering underwater acoustical data using Surveillance Towed-Array Sensor System (SURTASS) equipment.

As prime contractor for the contract, Austal USA is teaming with L3Harris Technologies, Noise Control Engineering, TAI Engineering, and Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors to deliver the TAGOS-25 program, from the company’s new steel shipbuilding facility in Mobile, Alabama.

“The Austal USA team is excited

The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) and Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) reports that its Gemini Class Clean Air Conversion Project has been completed, resulting in a substantial decrease in air pollution emissions from four of WETA’s San Francisco Bay Ferry vessels serving Oakland, Alameda, and Richmond.

WETA already operates the cleanest ferry fleet in the country and, in September 2021, the Board of Directors continued that progress by approving a $5.5 million project to upgrade the engines and reduce emissions on the agency’s four Gemini-class vessels. The conversion to cleaner engines was completed over the course of 2022 and early 2023 at the JT Marine shipyard in Vancouver, Wash.

Funding for the Gemini-class ferry clean air conversion project came from the Air District’s Carl Moyer grant program and proceeds from the Alameda County Transportation Commission’s (Alameda CTC) sales tax Measure BB.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, WETA Board of Directors Chair Jim Wunderman, and Emeryville Mayor John J. Bauters, who serves as the Chair of both the Air

The Jacksonville, Fla., Port Authority (JAXPORT) recently facilitated the movement of nearly 2,500 pieces of U.S. military cargo, including almost 100 aircraft. The move took place during two shipments over the past month at the port’s Blount Island Marine Terminal.

The U.S. Army’s South Carolina-based 841st Transportation Battalion managed logistics in support of the Georgia-based 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), 3rd Infantry Division. Terminal operator SSA Atlantic provided stevedoring services by loading a first vessel bound for Europe to support the United States’ commitment to NATO allies and partners. Additionally, a second vessel transported cargo to the Middle East to support Department of Defense initiatives in that region.

“The Jacksonville Detachment of the 841st Transportation Battalion just loaded out the ARC Endurance, a commercial vehicle carrier, in Jacksonville, Florida for the final loading of this significant move,” said Lt. William Tucker, executive officer, 841st Transportation Battalion. “The detachment worked hard over the Easter weekend and completed the last leg of the mission in four days in support of global strategic tasking. We appreciate JAXPORT’s efficiencies

In a ceremony held at its Mobile, Ala., shipyard, Saturday, Austal USA celebrated the christening of the future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship.

Ship sponsor Katherine L. Kline performed the ceremonial bottle break over the bow of Kingsville, the 18th LCS designed and constructed by Austal USA.

Kline is a member of the sixth generation of the King Ranch family, descendants of Captain Richard King who founded the King Ranch located in Kingsville, Texas, in 1853. Her father, Lieutenant Commander Richard Sugden, was a Navy flight surgeon.

LCS 36 is the first U.S. Navy ship named for Kingsville. The town, born from the need for an efficient railroad service connecting Brownsville, Texas to St. Louis, Mo., was founded in 1904, after Captain King’s wife, Henrietta, deeded 40,000 acres from the King Ranch to be available for the development of the Kingsville townsite. The Kingsville community remains vital to the agribusiness of south Texas and maintains a special relationship with Naval Air Station Kingsville.

“It is an honor and privilege to serve as

The unified command created in response to the fire aboard the fishing vessel Kodiak Enterprise was stood down Friday, April 21.

The fire broke out aboard the catcher processor around 3.20 a.m. on the morning of Saturday, April 8, while the 276 foot vessel was moored at owner Trident Seafoods’ facility on the Hylebos Waterway in Tacoma, Wash.

Although the fire was reported as extinguished by April 18, in the following days responders alternated between removing fuel and pockets of water, to maintain vessel stability. All of the diesel remaining aboard the vessel was successfully removed with no fuel spilled or sheening observed during defueling operations. Now that the pollution threat has been mitigated, the Unified Command has stood down.

“This was a dangerous operation that could have resulted in loss of life, harm to the marine environment from the fuel onboard, or capsizing of the vessel,” said Cmdr. Kira Moody, the Coast Guard incident commander. “On behalf of the Unified Command, I share immense gratitude and appreciation for the responders from Tacoma Fire and

The Coast Guard presented Public Service Commendations and Certificates of Merit March 9 at the Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan to the New York City Police and Fire Departments, and to the ferry and tug operators and crew who helped evacuate hundreds of passengers off the Sandy Ground, a Staten Island ferry, due to a fire aboard the ship on December 22, 2022.

Rear Adm. John Mauger, the First Coast Guard District commander, and Capt. Zeita Merchant, the Coast Guard Sector New York commander and Captain of the Port of New York, recognized first responders, tug and ferry operators and crew for their heroic actions that ensured passenger safety on the water and accountability of personnel transferred ashore at the St. George ferry terminal.

Fire and rescue
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, an emergency mass passenger evacuation was ordered after the Sandy Ground suffered an engine room fire, which disabled the ferry in the New York Harbor during rush hour. Five towing vessels responded to the Sandy Ground’s distress call, where they surrounded the disabled

When we last reported on Houston-headquartered Bleutec Industries Offshore Wind Services LLC back on March 2, it was to note that the company had received Approval in Principle (AiP) from ABS for the designs of its Jones Act compliant Binary Marine Installation Solution (BMIS) for offshore wind farm installation.

That solution consists of a spread of vessels designed to operate simultaneously or independently in offshore wind developments. It comprises a pile installation vessel (PIV), a wind turbine installation vessel light (WTIVL), and service operations vessels (SOVs), all specifically tailored for the U.S. Jones Act market.

Though Bleutec made no mention of it in announcing the AiP, MARAD’s most recent (February 23,2023) listing of pending Title XI financing applications shows Bleutec has filed an an application for Title XI guarantees for construction of four vessels: the piling vessel, the WTIV light and two SOVs. The MARAD listing doesn’t show how much is requested for each vessel, but lists the actual cost to the applicant for all four as $809,709,000. Bleutec is seeking Title XI loan guarantees

With its eyes on the offshore wind industry, SAFE Boats International has gained exclusive rights to build an advanced autonomous hydrographic survey vessel at its Tacoma, Wash., large-craft production facility. The innovative, 23-meter semi-displacement monohull design, called Merlin, has been developed in collaboration with Mythos AI, Echo 81, and World Marine Design.

The Jones Act compliant Merlin will have an all-aluminum hull powered by a twin Volvo Penta D13 hybrid-ready system with IPS. For a zero-emission power solution, the Merlin can accommodate hydrogen technology supplied by Zero Emission Industries (ZEI). Both power options offer lower emissions and extended range to perform site assessment surveys at offshore wind energy areas.

The Merlin’s three deck levels offer crew and technicians sleeping berths, full bathroom, galley, survey workstation, and a marine mammal observer post on the flybridge. The vessel’s generous aft working deck is equipped with an A-Frame, dual winches, moonpool, and outboard seismic booms.

Merlin has three deck levels, including a marine mammal observer post on the flybridge
The hull of the autonomous hydrographic survey vessel was

(Marine Log) A New Jersey congressman who is no fan of what he calls “windmills” has been named Vice Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and has made it clear that he will use the position to press for a moratorium on offshore wind development.

“Through this role, I will investigate the impacts offshore wind industrialization may have on our environment, maritime safety, and energy prosperity,” declared Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R.-N.J.) on being named to the vice chairmanship on February 2.

That same day, Van Drew and Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) made calls for the immediate halt of all offshore wind activity until proper investigations are held.

“It must be discovered if windmill construction is a contributing factor to the fourteen whales that have washed ashore along the east coast since December 1,” they said a statement

“From the beginning, I have expressed my concerns and opposition with offshore windfarms moving forward without substantial evidence to show how it will affect our environment, our industries, and marine life,” said Van Drew. “And