Search Scaled Back For Missing British Sailor

The search for a 65-year-old British man who went missing from a yacht near Culatra Island, off Olhão between Christmas and the New year, has been scaled back after a week of fruitless scouring. The Briton, identified as Robin Warde, went missing from a customised catamaran on the Ria Formosa lagoon, on 28 December 2017. Fears are he may have fallen overboard while sailing alone. The vessel, the Kleen Breeze, was found empty, anchored in the Ria Formosa, near Culatra Island. The alarm is said to have been raised by the man’s wife; the couple is also believed to own a property in the Western Algarve.

The Kleen Breeze The Kleen Breeze is understood to be an electrically-powered custom sailing proa, run entirely on solar power and lithium batteries. It is said to have been anchored in the Ria Formosa for around one year prior to Mr. Warde’s disappearance. Since 28 December, Olhão Maritime Police and the local life-guard have carried out numerous searches to locate the missing Briton, but without success. Quad-bikes were deployed on land, while boats and divers scoured the Ria’s waters. On 2 January, 2018, the search for the missing man was downsized, although authorities have said they will continue to look for the Briton during routine excursions and other operations. Commandant Ferreira Nunes, head of the Olhão Maritime Police branch, told The Portugal News on Thursday (4 January) “the search hasn’t been suspended but it has been scaled down as all the terrain has now been scoured and for more than seven days. We have also alerted the local fishing community and leisure boats to let us know if they see anything that could be related to the case.”

Ship Breaks Up, Authorities Amend Pollution Plan

After the grounded container ship Kea Trader broke in two, relevant authorities have amended the pollution control plan to address each section separately. Necessary measures to prevent further pollution from the vessel were undertaken and evaluation works were conducted. The new pollution control plan has seen the salvage teams fully recover the unpumpable ballast water from the cargo hold number two at the front part of the vessel. Skimming operations are being conducted on the starboard sides, while the debris cleaning in the cargo hold number three is expected to be finished by the end of the week, according to New Caledonia's government. Salvage teams are also pumping out oily waters from the machine room in the rear part of the ship. Although the wreck is still being affected by the sea, overflights have found no traces of pollution.

Kea Trader
The 2017-built Kea Trader, which ran aground on the Durand Reef in July 2017, developed a crack and split four months later on November 12 because of heavy seas. The boxship's owner, Lomar Shipping, earlier said the constant, heavy movement of the sea, even in good weather, affected Kea Trader causing further damage, weakening the ship's hull, and frustrating the salvage operations on site. In late November a marine pollution alert was issued after globules of oil washed ashore along some of the beaches of Lifou Island, New Caledonia, including Lifou, Ouvea and both Yate and Houailou.

Fuel Removed From Stranded Ship Near New Caledonia

The pumping of fuel off a large stranded container ship near New Caledonia has been completed. The French High Commission in Noumea said 540,000 litres of fuel had been pumped out of the almost 200-metre-long Kea Trader which ran onto a reef near the island of Mare a month ago. The High Commissioner Thierry Lataste said the risk of any major pollution had now been averted.

Depending on the weather, cranes on salvage vessels will be able to remove containers off the ship. Otherwise helicopters will be used to remove them to help facilitate the refloating of the vessel. The Kea Trader, which is a new Chinese-built ship registered in Malta, ran onto the Durand Reef a month ago for yet reasons while travelling from French Polynesia to Noumea. The stranding caused disruption to business activities in New Caledonia.

Remains of Minnesota Navy Sailor Killed at Pearl Harbor Return Home

A Minnesota sailor killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor has now been laid to rest more than 76-years after his death. Navy Fireman First Class Elmer Kerestes was buried Saturday near Holdingford in Stearns County. Family members of this man say this gives them complete closure. "He gave his life for our country," Janet Kerestes Klug, Elmer Kerestes' niece, said. Kerestes was just 22 when he was killed on board the USS Oklahoma on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor. He was among the first Minnesotans to be killed during World War II. "Many people had to lose their lives so we have freedom," Rosie Harren, who attended the procession Saturday morning, said. "It's always nice to come home no matter where you are." For years, his remains went unidentified until a recent DNA test by the military confirmed his identity. Kerestes' family said this discovery still brings tears to their eyes. "I'm at a loss for words almost," Kerestes Klug said. "Now he's here with us where it's really nice and peaceful." Saturday morning friends, family members, veterans and even complete strangers showed up at the Highland Cemetery. They say it's a chance to honor this man for his service and welcome him home. "What a tribute to someone who gave the ultimate sacrifice," said Shirley Konsor, who attended Saturday's procession. "It's historical and yet it's very spiritual." One of of the last survivors of Pearl Harbor still alive today also attended the ceremony. Richard Thill said while it's horrible what happened that day, he's proud of Kerestes' service. More than 400 Marines and Sailors died on the same battleship as Kerestes. Today, officials are still working to positively identify all the victims.

A Chinese Military Ship Has Been Spying On War Games Off The Australian Coast

A Chinese spy ship has been observing Australian and US forces during war games off the Queensland coast this month. The ABC has revealed that the high-tech intelligence ship from the People’s Liberation Army was spotted in international waters, but within Australia’s special economic zone, by Defence as the joint military exercise, Talisman Sabre, was underway.

An unnamed senior Australian military source told the ABC the monitoring by the Chinese “unfriendly” and “provocative” “The Chinese vessel has remained outside Australian territorial waters but inside the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone in the Coral Sea,” the Defence Department said. “The vessel’s presence has not detracted from the exercise objectives.”

The U.S. Navy's Super Simple Plan To Grow To A 355-Ship Fleet

In a world where resources are constrained but where the U.S. Navy has to upgrade and grow its fleet quickly, the service will have to refurbish older warships while also developing new vessels that are designed from the outset to last longer than their predecessors. No longer can the Navy afford to design and build cruisers and destroyers that have a 25-year lifespan. Future surface combatants will likely have to be designed with the space, weight and power allowances—and a robust enough hull—to last as long as 50 years, just like the Navy’s fleet of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. That’s the view of the Navy’s top leadership. As Vice Adm. Thomas Moore, commander of Naval Sea Systems Command, pointed out during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on June 1, in previous years, the Navy typically retired cruisers and destroyers not because their hulls had worn out, but rather, because their combat systems were obsolete. “The reality of it is that we really got rid of a lot of those ships, because from a combat systems standpoint, they had become obsolete,” Moore said. Today, the situation is different, Moore said. With ships like the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers—which are equipped with the SPY-1D radar and Mk-41 vertical launch system—the problem is not that the combat systems are obsolete, rather the Navy needs to extend the life of those hulls with investments in maintenance. “Now, if you want to get more service life out of the hull, you’ve got to do more maintenance on it,” Moore said. In the aftermath of the Cold War, the Navy neglected ship maintenance for the sake of operational availability.

However, the price, Moore said, was that the Navy consumed the service life of its surface combatant fleet. “Eventually, it caught up to us,” Moore said. “We spent the better part of the last probably eight to nine years digging ourselves out of that hole.” Building the fleet out to 355 ships over the coming years will require the Navy to draw upon its experiences in those years. As Moore explained, the fleet will have to grow—at least in part—by extending the service lives of existing cruisers, destroyers and amphibious assault ships. “We’re taking a pretty close look at what would it take to get them out another five, another 10 years,” Moore said. “The reality is that for a steel hull—if you do the maintenance—you can get the service life out much longer.” The Navy will look at extending the lives of its entire Arleigh Burke-class destroyer fleet and those Ticonderoga-class cruisers that have the vertical launch system installed, Moore said. Though in the case of the cruisers, a complicating factor is that those vessels have aluminum rather than steel superstructures—which might limit what is possible in terms of life extensions for those ships. And while the Navy has never extended the life of a surface combatant out so far, the service has experience in maintaining ships in service for far longer. “We routinely take aircraft carriers out to 50 years,” Moore said. “We know how to do this.” Keeping older Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in service for an additional ten years could take a decade off the time needed to create a 355-ship Navy. “We can probably accelerate that to get to 355 by about 10 to 15 years with a relatively small investment over about a 30 years period,” Moore said. “So we’re going to take a very close look at that.” For future surface combatants, Moore said that the Navy can no longer afford to build ships with a planned service life of 25 years— instead ships should be designed with a planned lifespan of at least 40 years. Those future ships would have to be designed and built with the space, weight and power allowances to grow over the course of four plus decades. “I think that’s going to be part of our strategy going forward,” Moore said.

Russia's New Arctic Ice Breaker Has One Very Special Feature: Anti-Ship Missiles And Naval Guns

Russia has by far the largest icebreaker fleet in the world with a total of more than 40 publicly and privately owned, including six nuclear-powered icebreakers all capable of punching through Arctic sea ice. It’s also building new ones after a delay of more than four decades, launching the 33,500-ton Arktika in June 2016 and preparing to introduce the 6,000-ton Ilya Muromets into service in fall 2017. After that, Russia will introduce the 7,000-ton Ivan Papanin, or Project 23550. Except one important addition will be two Kalibr-type anti-ship cruise missiles and a 76-millimeter AK-176MA naval gun in a turret designed to provide a low radar cross-section. While it’s simple enough to give sailors a shoulder-fired anti-air missile or small arms, an icebreaker with dedicated weapon—more akin to a destroyer—is a little unusual. It’s not unheard of. The Norwegian Coast Guard’s 6,375-ton icebreaker Svalbard, while small compared to the largest icebreakers, is Norway’s biggest military ship and carries a 57-millimeter Bofors cannon. Concept art of Ivan Papanin bears a close resemblance to Svalbard, and could very well be inspired by it. Canada’s upcoming Harry DeWolf-class icebreakers are close facsimiles of the Norwegian ship. Russia’s enormous nuclear-powered icebreaker Sibir, which served from 1978 to 1992, was also once photographed with a deck gun.

Icebreakers have taken on strategic importance as declining sea ice promises to open up vast reserves of oil in an area with a jumble of maritime boundaries and competing claims. Icebreakers are primarily peacetime vessels designed to carve passageways for civilian shipping, but the vessels with their strengthened hulls and ice-smashing bows and sterns could similarly clear a path for warships in the event of a conflict. Armed icebreakers could patrol those claims, and just as importantly, enforce them … in theory. The United States by comparison has only two operational icebreakers, and is funding a third. But most of the Arctic’s resources are already apportioned, as Andreas Kuersten recently pointed out, and icebreakers are less militarily useful than as popular media accounts make them out to be. For one, Russia is starting at a disadvantage because it requires a large number of icebreakers to clear approaches to and from its northern shipyards. And while these ships open up further paths in the Arctic for follow-on warships to maneuver, those vessels must follow the icebreakers in a predictable fashion—which makes them vulnerable to attack from submarines, far more useful in the Arctic than surface ships. Submarine warfare is where the U.S. Navy—which possesses 41 submarines capable of punching up through the ice from below—has an stark advantage compared to Russia, which has 25 suitable subs which also sail far less frequently. A new Russian icebreaker with a few cruise missiles and a 76-millimeter gun won’t change that.

Containers End Up In Fijian Harbour After Ship Sinks

Up to a dozen large shipping containers are floating in Suva Harbour, Fiji, after the ship they were being loaded on to started to tilt. Authorities in the island nation's capital were called to the site in the early hours of this morning, according to local media. Police told the Fiji Village news website trouble started as the containers were being loaded on to the ship.

It is understood the ship became "unbalanced'' and started to tilt to one side. Photos and video footage at the scene show up to a dozen large blue and red containers bobbing up and down in the water. The ship - which still has another load of containers on board - is half-submerged and sinking.

Royal Navy’s Type 45 Destroyers So Noisy Russians Can Hear Them 100 Miles Away

The Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers are so noisy they can be heard by Russian submarines 100 miles away, a former senior naval officer has claimed. Rear Admiral Chris Parry, a former director of operational capability at the Ministry of Defence, said the ships sounded like a "box of spanners" underwater. Admiral Parry, who wrote the original concept paper for the vessel, told The Sunday Times that the noise meant their movements could be picked up at long range by Russian submarines. He said the MoD appeared to have ploughed all its resources into the ship's air defences "without thinking about the anti-submarine element" as it believed the threat had diminished since the end of the Cold War. However, the Russians have since developed the new Kilo-class hunter-killer submarine, known as the "black hole" because it is so quiet. "During the Cold War, I would say the ships I was in were the equivalent of a whisper.

Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan "These ships now are the equivalent of shouting at somebody," Admiral Parry said. "It's crazy. Noise suppression has probably been the biggest dirty secret since the end of the Cold War that people have been cheerfully ignoring." The MoD however said the Type 45 was primarily designed for air defence and that "stealth" was not a "premium requirement". The noise issue with the Type 45 was one of a number of claimed flaws with major military equipment programmes identified by The Sunday Times. They include the Army's new Ajax light armoured vehicles, which were said to be too big to fit inside the RAF's main A400m transport aircraft without being partly dismantled. The vehicles are intended for rapid deployment but the paper said experts believed they would have to be accompanied by a crane if they were moved by air. However, the MoD said that, as was common with armoured vehicles, Ajax was designed to be "modular" and that parts could easily be removed and refitted. An MoD spokesman said: "Britain's defence budget is the biggest in Europe and it is growing every year. "We are focused on maintaining an affordable programme and getting the best value for the taxpayer to deliver the cutting-edge kit our armed forces need to keep Britain safe."

Latvia Announced Approaching Of Russian Military Ship To Its Neutral Waters

The armed forces of Latvia on Saturday reported about the passage of the Russian military auxiliary ship of class Bira in a few kilometers from the country's territorial waters, informs Interfax. The military said that the ship was about ten miles from the Latvian border, in the exclusive economic zone of the Republic. Vesti.lv. also reports that on 25 January, NATO patrol planes noticed over the Baltic Sea near the outer limits of the territorial waters of Latvia, two fighters of the armed forces of the Russian Federation - Su-24 and AN-26. According to the publication, in 2016 the Russian military planes and ships were approaching the borders of Latvia 209 times. Earlier Trump and Merkel during the telephone conversation stressed crucial NATO importance.

Annalise Murphy Named Irish Sailor Of The Year

Rio silver medallist Annalise Murphy has won the Sailor of the Year prize at the Volvo Irish Sailing Awards. The Dubliner made up for her heartbreaking fourth place at London 2012 in style by finishing second in the Laser Radial Class in Brazil. The award drew from a shortlist of nominees who each won an Afloat Magazine Sailor of the Month award, including Vendée Globe competitor Enda O’Coineen, Olympic sailors Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern, and Conor Clarke and the crew of Embarr (winners of the Melges 24 World Championship in Miami). Ewan MacMahon of Howth Yacht Club took home the Volvo Youth Sailor of the year for his silver medal at the KBC Radial Youth Worlds in Dun Laoghaire. Other nominees included Sophie Crosbie, Girls Topper World Champion, Nicole Hemeryck who finished in the top ten at the Youth Worlds in New Zealand, and Conor O’Beirne who captained Team Ireland at the KBC Radial Youth Worlds.

Co Limerick’s Foynes Yacht Club took home the Volvo ISA Training Centre of the Year award, having been nominated as winners of the South Region. The two other nominees on the shortlist were Mullaghmore Sailing Club (West & North Region winners) and Dublin’s Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club (winner of the East Region). This year, there were two ISA President’s Awards, given to those who have shown exceptional dedication and success in their sailing fields. Rory Fitzpatrick of the ISA received an award for his coaching of Annalise Murphy, and Colin Morehead received his president’s award for his success with the “Try Sailing” programme in Royal Cork Yacht Club, with over one hundred adults trying sailing for the first time.

US, South Korea, Japan Stage Missile-Defense Drills

The United States, South Korea and Japan kicked off naval missile-defense drills Friday, joining forces to counter the growing threat from North Korea. The three-day exercise began amid fears that the North may test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile or stage another provocation in connection with Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on Friday. The Yokosuka, Japan-based guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem, Japan's JDS Kirishima and South Korea's Sejong the Great participated in missile detection and tracking drills in the waters off the divided peninsula and Japan. No missiles were fired as the Aegis-equipped ships faced simulated targets in waters within the 7th Fleet area of operations, said Lt. Josh Kelsey, a U.S. Naval Forces Korea spokesman. "The U.S. Navy continually seeks every occasion to strengthen relationships and interoperability with participating allies and partners, while further developing maritime capabilities and capacity," he said in a statement. Relations between South Korea and Japan have been soured by longtime disputes, including a spat over a statue put up in front of the Japanese consulate in the port city of Busan that commemorates wartime sex slaves called "comfort women." But the three countries have agreed to boost diplomatic and military cooperation against North Korea, which has shown alarming progress in its nuclear weapons program.

The USS Stethem arrives in Shanghai, China on Nov. 16, 2015. The destroyer is conducting joint exercises with Japanese and South Korean warships. Pyongyang conducted two underground nuclear tests and tried to fire some two dozen ballistic missiles into the sea last year. The increased pace occurred despite U.N. Security Council resolutions banning the use of ballistic missile technology and two rounds of tightened economic sanctions to punish the violations. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently said his country is in the "final stages" of developing an ICBM. That would be a key step toward its stated goal of targeting the U.S. mainland with a nuclear-tipped missile. Trump, who has yet to announce his policies regarding North Korea, responded to Kim's declaration on Twitter saying, "It won't happen!" North Korea's Foreign Ministry retorted that "the ICBM will be launched anytime and anywhere" as ordered by the country's leadership. Experts are divided over how close the North is to developing an ICBM and miniaturizing nuclear warheads that would fit on one. Some say one could be ready as early as 2020. Unidentified South Korean military officials also told the Yonhap news agency that the North probably has built two new ICBMs and placed them on mobile launchers to prepare for a test, although the defense ministry said it couldn't confirm that report. This weekend's missile-defense exercise is the third of its kind, following similar drills in June and November last year, according to Yonhap.

Korean Ship Captain Kidnapped By Abu Sayyaf Returns Home

A South Korean skipper who was held in captivity by the militant Abu Sayyaf group for nearly three months returned to Korea on Sunday (Jan 15), a day after his release from the southern Philippine island of Jolo. Mr Park Chul Hong arrived at Incheon International Airport at around 4:30 am. "We understand that the captain's health is not bad, but he would be hospitalised for thorough medical check-up, said a foreign ministry official on condition of anonymity.

Park Chul Hong (centre), skipper of the South Korea-registered carrier DongBang Giant 2, is greeted by former Sulu governor Abdusakur Tan at Jolo airport in Sulu, southern Philippines on Jan 14, 2017. Mr Park and Filipino crew Glenn Alindajao were released on Saturday morning by the Abu Sayyaf, under an arrangement negotiated with the help of rebels belonging to the Moro National Liberation Front, a Philippine army spokesman said. The two were then flown out of the island by a presidential adviser on peace efforts.

DongBang Giant 2 Their cargo vessel, DongBang Giant 2, was sailing to Australia from South Korea when 10 Abu Sayyaf militants boarded it in October and abducted Park and Alindajao. Presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza told reporters the government had not paid a ransom, though some media reported that some sort of payment was believed to have been made. The ship's owner negotiated with the terrorist group who allegedly threatened to kill the hostages unless it received the ransom. The Korean Foreign Ministry also supported the release effort alongside its Filipino counterpart. Abu Sayyaf is a terrorist group based in and around Jolo and Basilan islands in the southwestern part of the Philippines. Since its inception in 1991, the group has carried out bombings and kidnappings in what they describe as their fight for an independent Islamic province in the Philippines. In 2004, the group bombed Superferry 14, one of the Philippines' deadliest terror attacks, which killed 116 people including children. In November, a Korean man was found dead nine months after being kidnapped by the group.

Taiwan Boat Collides With Liberian-Flagged Ship, Crew Rescued

All 10 crewmembers on a Taiwan fishing boat were safe after a Liberian merchant ship ran into it from behind in the South Pacific early Saturday, opening up a leak in fishing vessel, the Fisheries Agency said. The agency said it had contacted the fishing boat, the Hsiang Yung No. 6 (祥湧6號) which is registered in Pingtung County, and learned that the leak had not worsened and no one had been hurt. Although the fishing boat can sail, its crew has been advised to wait for rescue by another Taiwanese fishing vessel in the area that was sailing toward them and was expected to reach them later in the evening, the agency said.

Fisheries Agency Deputy Director General Huang Hung-yen said there were two Taiwanese and eight Indonesian crewmembers aboard the fishing boat at the time of the collision, which occurred at 3:45 a.m. in the South Pacific. The fishing boat and the Liberian merchant vessel were about 530 nautical miles southeast of Eluanbi, the southernmost tip of Taiwan, at the time, Huang said. He said his agency had alerted Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration and had also spoken with the captain to get an update of the situation onboard the boat. The Liberian ship was to remain near the fishing vessel and wait until rescue boats arrived, Huang said, adding that the two vessels would discuss compensation later.

Sailor Rescued After 2-Deck Fall On Dry-Docked Ship

San Diego firefighters rigged a pulley system to rescue an injured sailor who fell down a 20-foot hatch on the USS Paul Hamilton (DDG-60) in drydock Thursday. A medic was lowered into the narrow hatch to tend to the injured man, who was then hauled up with ropes, a fire spokesman said. The sailor was taken to a trauma center with head and possible leg injuries, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Capt. Joe Amador said.

A special Fire Department rescue squad was sent to BAE Systems ship repair docks on Belt Street in Barrio Logan about 9 a.m. The crew carries technical rescue gear, including an A-frame that can span a hole and secure ropes in a pulley directly above it, Amador said. He said the sailor had fallen into a hole two decks deep. It wasn’t clear if he fell the entire distance from the top or was part-way down before slipping. The rescue took about 50 minutes, Amador said.

Woman’s Body Found In Ship’s Ventilation Shaft Four Months After She Vanished

The body of a woman who went missing on a cruise four months ago has been found in a ventilation shaft on the vessel. Imelda Bechstein was on her way home from holiday in Sardinia when she apparently walked into an engine room and fell into the shaft. Her husband, Ernst, said that she could sometimes become disorientated and now believes the crew could have done more to help find the 74-year-old when she went missing. The couple had been sunbathing on the boat’s lounges as they headed back to Munich when Ernst fell asleep. Mr Bechstein said: ‘We rested in sleeping-chairs. When I woke up later, my wife had disappeared.’ The pensioner looked all over the ‘Sharden’ ferry, which can carry up to 2,908 passengers and 850 cars, but could not find his wife.

The captain ordered for the ship to be searched from top to bottom leading to the belief that Mrs Bechstein had fallen overboard. But now it has been reported that her body has been found on board the vessel in the crew’s maintenance shaft. Mr Bechstein said: ‘She should not have been able to enter the engine room area, it should have been curtained off.’ And he said if the crew had searched properly ‘she might still have been alive.’ Recent autopsy results showed that Imelda had died the night after she vanished and no other signs of violence were found on the body other than injuries from falling down the shaft. The body of the woman is still held in Genoa as the public prosecutor has not given a green light yet to release it. According to local media, investigations are currently being carried out against the captain and some others for negligent killing. Mr Bechstein said he just wants to see the body of his wife return home as soon as possible. He said: ‘I want to be able to at least bury my wife. She should finally find her last resting place.’

23 Dead, 17 Missing After Boat Catches Fire In Jakarta River

At least 23 people were killed and dozens injured on Sunday (Jan 1) after a fire ripped through a boat carrying nearly 250 people to islands north of the Indonesian capital Jakarta, the city's search and rescue agency said. The Zahro Express caught fire shortly after leaving Muara Angke port in North Jakarta. The cause of the fire was thought to be a short circuit on a power generator, said police. "Thick smoke suddenly emerged, blanketing the cabin," said survivor Ardi who was being treated in a Jakarta hospital. "All passengers panicked and ran up to the deck to throw floats into the water. In a split second, the fire becomes bigger coming from where fuel is stored," said Ardi, who was on the boat with his son. The boat was towed back to port where a Reuters witness saw victims in body bags being removed from the badly charred ship. According to the head of Jakarta's search and rescue agency, Hendra Sudirman, 248 people were on board, more than double the previous estimate of 100, and out of more than 200 people rescued, 32 were being treated at hospitals in Jakarta. Sea accidents are frequent in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago, with vessels often overloaded and having too few life jackets on boat. Firefighters were alerted to the incident at about 8.45 am.

The Zahro Express which caught fire en route to Tidung Island (Photo: North Jakarta fire brigade)

Mayport Set To Welcome Two More 'Ships Of The Future'

Excitement is in the air as Naval Station Mayport officially welcomes USS Milwaukee (LCS-5) and USS Detroit (LCS-7). Mayport is going to become home for all of the Navy's Freedom variant LCS's. Milwaukee and Detroit lead the way for Littoral Combat Ship Squadron (LCSRON) Two. "Not only great for our national security, which shows you the importance of Northeast Florida, but also a tremendous impact on our local economy with all the ships and planes and people", said retiring US Representative Ander Crenshaw. "The Littoral Combat Ship, the so-called ship of the future, all of those on the east coast are going to be headquartered right here in Mayport", Crenshaw said. The Navy says Mayport will be home to 12 LCS, meaning more Sailors and families coming to the First Coast.

USS Detroit (LCS-7) This comes at an important time for the base, which has seen ship levels drop with the decommissioning of Navy frigates. LCS vessels were designed to be high-speed, shallow draft multi-mission ships capable of operating independently or with a strike group. They are designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in coastal waters. A fast, maneuverable and networked surface-combatant, LCS's provide the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute focused missions such as surface warfare, mine warfare and anti-submarine warfare. USS Milwaukee was commissioned Nov. 21, 2015 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Since arriving in Mayport last February, the ship's crew has successfully completed full-ship shock trials and is currently undergoing planned maintenance availability at BAE Shipyard. USS Detroit was commissioned Oct. 22, 2016 in Detroit, Michigan. On Nov. 23, the ship arrived at Mayport and has been conducting combat system ship qualification testing (CSSQT). Over the next year three more ships, which have yet to be commissioned, will call Naval Station Mayport home: USS Little Rock (LCS-9), USS Sioux City (LCS-11) and USS Wichita (LCS-13).

Duluth's Ship Canal Lighthouses Dubbed Historic By National Register

Two of Duluth’s signature lighthouses have been added to the National Register of Historic Places, the latest landmarks to join city staples such as the Aerial Lift Bridge, Armory and Union Depot in earning the distinction. The Duluth Harbor North Pier Light and the Duluth Entry South Breakwater Outer Light — beacons that illuminate either side of Duluth Harbor’s ship canal — were added to the registry in June. The North Pier Light, built in 1910, can shine up to 16 miles and is still used for navigation.

The black and white structure is 37 feet tall and accessible on foot via the ship canal’s north pier. Few changes were made to the lighthouse in the last century outside of routine maintenance, including repainting to limit corrosion. “[North Pier Light] evokes feelings that recall the dedication to duty characteristic of lighthouse keepers throughout the course of United States history ... and serves as a lasting reminder of the importance of maritime commerce in Great Lakes history,” according to the U.S. Coast Guard application for the National Register listing. “It embodies and exemplifies distinctive aspects of architectural design and engineering that were characteristic of early twentieth century lighthouses built on piers and breakwaters in the Great Lakes.”

South Breakwater Outer Light, the third lighthouse to stand at the end of the pier, can cast its green light up to 17 miles. The beacon, constructed in 1901, is connected to the red-roofed fog signal building. “It is widely recognized as a prominent landmark in St. Louis County,” according to its application. The lighthouses, which work together to mark a range for vessels entering the canal from Lake Superior, had their beams replaced with LED lights in 2014. In 2000, Congress established a lighthouse preservation program that allowed federal agencies, local governments and nonprofits to obtain historic lighthouses at no cost if they agree to preserve the light’s historic features and make them accessible to the public. A spot on the National Register allows the U.S. Coast Guard to donate or sell the structures, potentially transferring the high administrative costs of maintenance to another owner.

Cargo Ship Crew Airlifted After Stone Barge Collision

A major incident was declared when a cargo ship lost power and steering and began taking on water after colliding with a rock barge, off the coast of Dover. Challenging weather conditions meant the Saga Sky cargo vessel then drifted onto the Varne Bank.

The collision occurred near Samphire Hoe and was reported to the UK Coastguard around 7.20am yesterday morning, 20 November. Two Coastguard helicopters from Lydd and Lee-on-Solent were sent to evacuate crew members from the 200m-cargo vessel, which had 23 people on board. Dover and Dungeness all-weather lifeboats, and Deal and Dover Coastguard Rescue Teams were put on standby to help receive crew members rescued from the vessel. Eleven of the 23 people on board were winched off and taken to Dover.

The other 12 remained on board as the Saga Sky and worked to get the vessel moving with the aid of a tug. Duty commander Steve Carson described the weather conditions as ‘particularly challenging’. He said yesterday: ‘We have declared this a major incident.’ Saga Sky is now in a safe anchorage at Dungeness. Inspectors, including one from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency were sent to the Saga Sky to assess the damage before the vessel was moved. The Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s counter-pollution officer and duty surveyor, as well as the Secretary of State’s Representative Maritime and Salvage liaised with the UK Coastguard and the crew on the ship. There is no indication of pollution.

RNLI Dover, deputy second coxswain Robert Bendhiaf, said yesterday: ‘Facing Force 11-12 weather conditions today was one of the biggest jobs for myself as one of the youngest coxswains Dover lifeboat station has historically had. ‘I’m very proud of all the RNLI volunteer crew members I had on board with me for maintaining a calm and professional manner in such rough seas during today’s operation. ‘It’s not often we work alongside multi agencies but today showed how well our RNLI lifeboat stations can operate with each other and other SAR units.’

15 Nigerians Arrested On US Bound Ship

Sixteen stowaways, 15 of them Nigerians and one a Liberian, have been arrested by the Search and Rescue personnel of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). The stowaways were apprehended, in conjunction with officers and men of the Nigerian Navy. on a United States bound cargo vessel, MV Columbia River. The arrest which was effected on Friday November 4, at the Lagos fairway buoy was sequel to a distress signal sent to the Regional Search and Rescue Coordination Centre based in NIMASA which in turn alerted the Nigerian Navy. The Navy immediately sent its vessel NNS Karaduwa to the location of MV Columbia River where 16 stowaways were apprehended and one of them sustained an injury on the shoulder while attempting to escape arrest.

MV Columbia River The injured stowaway was immediately taken away by the NIMASA Search and Rescue team on its vessel NIMASA Benue to the Agency’s Search and Rescue Base Clinic for treatment while the others were taken away by the Navy for profiling and subsequent hand over to the Security Agencies for further investigation. The crew of the Hong Kong flagged vessel had originally thought that they were under attack by armed pirates but preliminary investigation showed that the persons on board the vessel were only intruders who hid in the vessel to leave the shores of Nigeria in search of greener pastures in the US. The stowaways who included one Liberian national are in custody and will be handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service for further action. Piracy and related activities have drastically reduced in Nigerian waters as a result of the combined efforts of the Nigerian Navy, NIMASA and other stakeholders with Lagos accounting for zero incident in the last six months.

NNS Karaduwa (P102)

Empty Boat In Keyport Harbor Prompts Coast Guard Search

The U.S. Coast Guard carried out an air and water search after an unoccupied 14-foot boat was found in Keyport Harbor Monday, the Coast Guard said in a statement. A Coast Guard vessel searched the waters for five hours while a helicopter searched from above. No signs of any boaters were found and the Coast Guard did not receive any reports of missing persons.

A search of the boat itself turned up no evidence of who the boat belonged to, a spokesman also said. Anyone with information is being asked to contact Coast Guard Sector New York at 718-354-4353. The Coast Guard also urged boaters to file a "float plan" before taking to the water. A float plan can involve merely informing someone of the area where the boater plans to go and when the boater expects to return.

Abu Sayyaf Attack South Korean Ship, Seize Captain, Crewman

Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants hijacked a South Korean cargo ship and seized the captain and its crew off Bongao, Tawi-Tawi on Thursday. Western Mindanao Command spokesman Maj. Filemon Tan said some 10 gunmen boarded the MV Dong Bang Giant 2 using ropes from a speedboat and snatched the captain Park Jul Hong and Filipino crewman Glenn Alindajao. The cargo ship was on its way to South Korea from Australia when they were intercepted by the gunmen in the Sulu Sea. Initial reports said the captain was able to make a distress call before he was taken by the bandits, suspected to be the faction of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Idang Susukan based in Sulu. The Joint Task Force-Tawi-Tawi (JTFT) under Col. Custodio Parcon has been alerted and dispatched all its units to intercept the bandits and rescue the captives once spotted in Tawi-Tawi. Tan said troops in the nearby province of Sulu have also conducted intercept operations as the area has been used by the Abu Sayyaf in hiding hostages taken near the border with Sabah.

MV Dong Bang Giant 2 “As of press time, validation and intelligence monitoring are currently being conducted by the military in coordination with local chief executives and the locals to track down the perpetrators and safely rescue the victims,” Tan said. Initial reports said the gunmen spared the other crewmembers, one of whom managed to call his family to alert the authorities. Naval patrols off Tawi-Tawi and nearby Sulu, where Abu Sayyaf militants take most of their kidnapping victims, have been strengthened in recent months due to a spate of abductions at sea of crewmembers from Malaysia and Indonesia, Tan said. “We do our best to secure that area but it’s a wide body of water,” Tan said. Similar sea attacks by the Abu Sayyaf in southern Philippines have sparked a regional security alarm. The rise of sea hijackings prompted Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia to agree on coordinated patrols to secure the region’s busy waterways. However, the coordinated patrols are yet to get underway. Abu Sayyaf, known for amassing tens of millions of dollars from kidnappings, has beheaded two Canadian nationals in recent months after ransom deadlines passed.