Professional Mariner

Three vessels charged with violating Right Whale ship strike reduction rule pay penalties

(NOAA) Three large commercial vessels who were assessed civil penalties this fall for violating seasonal speed limits designed to protect one of the most endangered whale species in the world have paid their penalties in full. Cases against six other vessels for the same offense are still open.  READ MORE

Electric Boat expanding in Rhode Island

(BusinessWeek) North Kingstown, RI - Electric Boat, the U.S. Navy's primary contractor for submarines, is opening a new production facility at Rhode Island's Quonset Point.  READ MORE

Coast Guard Announces TWIC Exemptions

(Security Info Watch) Last month, the United States Coast Guard announced that it would be exempting a number of mariners from having to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) when renewing or obtaining a USCG-issued merchant mariner credential (MMC).  READ MORE

Coast Guard reopens Houston, but fog halts ships

(The Sun Daily) HOUSTON (Dec 13, 2011): A tanker collided with a cargo vessel in the Houston Ship Channel early Tuesday, officially shutting it for several hours, and fog kept ships halted even after the Coast

Coast Guard searching for missing boat driver

(USCG) BOSTON — U.S. Coast Guard crews are searching for a person in the water after receiving a report of 17-foot boat driving in circles with no one on board near Popponesset Island, Mass., June 21, 2011.

The Coast Guard received notification from a Good Samaritan around 12:35 p.m.

A Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Cape Cod was nearby and responded first, verifying the report.

NOAA hurricane outlook indicates an above-normal Atlantic season

(USCG)

The Atlantic basin is expected to see an above-normal hurricane season this year, according to the seasonal outlook issued by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center – a division of the National Weather Service.

Across the entire Atlantic Basin for the six-month season, which begins June 1, NOAA is predicting the following ranges this year:

Study: ports could create 1000 new jobs

(WPRI) - Development opportunities at Rhode Island's three major ports could create new jobs and bring in millions of dollars more in revenue, according to a study released Thursday.

The study was commissioned by the RI Bays, Rivers and Watersheds Coordination Team . It assessed the Port of Providence, Port of Davisville, and Newport Harbor.

It found there are growth opportunities in the import and export of cars, fruit imports, and short-sea shipping operations.

Washington becomes first state to ban copper paint for recreational boats

(Three sheets, NW) Washington is now the first state in the nation to ban copper-based bottom paint on recreational boats. Gov. Chris Gregoire yesterday signed into a law a bill prohibiting the use of the paints on most recreational boats. Under the law, no new boats with copper-based bottom paint can be sold in Washington state after Jan. 1, 2018, and no paint with more than 0.5 percent copper can be used on recreation boats as of 2020. The law applies only to recreational boats 65 feet and under. READ MORE

Conn., RI marine industry say taxes will sink them

(Forbes) STONINGTON, Conn. -- Boating season hasn't begun yet and Mason's Island Marina owner Eileen Morehouse has already felt the ill effects of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's proposed increases to marine-related taxes - a move that industry veterans claim will repeat mistakes that proved economically devastating. A customer recently told Morehouse she was moving her sailboat and Boston Whaler from the Mystic marina to neighboring Rhode Island, about 15 minutes away. READ MORE

John Fulweiler opens a maritime law practice in Quonset Point, R.I.

(Trade Only) "I've been with a larger firm for more than 10 years," Fulweiler said in a statement. "That experience has been great, but the timing is right to offer a level of service and economy that's tough to achieve in that setting." Fulweiler also has satellite offices in New York City and Fort Lauderdale. The firm will specialize in admiralty and maritime claims. Fulweiler said he plans to continue to represent business owners, vessel operators, shipyards and marinas, as well as individuals. He graduated from the marine affairs program at the University of Rhode Island and attended law school in Arkansas. He began practicing admiralty law in New York in 1998.

Syndicate content