The Maritime Minute
News from The American Maritime Partnership, April 26, 2011
COAST GUARD SALUTES WORK BOAT CREW FOR RESCUING 115 AFTER BP OIL SPILL:
The U.S. Coast Guard honored the crew of the Damon B. Bankston for their heroic and immediate response to the Deepwater Horizon explosion and fire. Crew members of the American-flag offshore supply vessel received citations for assisting Coast Guard helicopter crews with the rescue of 115 individuals following the explosion last April 20. Eleven oil rig workers died as a result of the disaster. Click here to read more.
NAVY LEAGUE SAYS SKILLED MERCHANT MARINE CRITICAL TO U.S. SECURITY:
The Navy League’s 2011-12 Policy Statement says maintaining a skilled Merchant Marine is needed in today’s irregular warfare environment. “The shipping capabilities of the Maritime Administration‘s Ready Reserve Force and the Department of Defense’s Military Sealift Command are sized to support routine and some surge logistics and specialized mission requirements. This critical capability must be maintained by ensuring an active commercial U.S.-flag Merchant Marine to support efficient and cost-effective movement of Department of Defense cargo.” Click here to read more.
LARGEST AMERICAN DOMESTIC OCEAN SHIPPING COMPANY GETS TOP HONOR FROM MAJOR RETAILER:
Horizon Lines, Inc., the nation’s largest domestic ocean shipping company, has been awarded the 2010 Platinum Carrier Award by home improvement retailer Lowe’s Companies Inc. The award recognizes Horizon Lines’ exemplary on-time service and reliability. It is the fifth consecutive Platinum Carrier Award, and the 10th consecutive year in which Horizon Lines has been honored by Lowe’s. Based in Charlotte, N.C., Horizon Lines has also earned Lowe‘s Outstanding Ocean Service Provider Award or the Platinum Carrier Award for consistently providing superior service in the U.S. domestic ocean trades to Alaska and Hawaii each year since 2001.
U.S. COAST GUARD LOOSENS WINTER’S GRIP ON LAKES
Each winter the ice that formed the Great Lakes eons ago tries to reclaim its domain, but shipping on the Fourth Sea Coast is key to America’s industrial well-being, so the U.S. Coast Guard maintains a fleet of icebreakers. Between Dec. 6, 2010 and April 7, 2011, eight U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers assisted 578 U.S. and Canadian “lakers” carrying cargos of iron ore, coal, limestone, cement, and other commodities. The Coast Guard estimates those raw materials had a value of more than $300 million. In a strong economy, more than 200 million tons of cargo moves annually on the lakes, 20 million of which can move during periods of ice cover.
DID YOU KNOW?
The self-unloading vessel was invented and perfected to serve the domestic trades on the Great Lakes and the process revolutionized the movement of dry-bulk cargos such as iron ore, coal and limestone. As the name implies, the vessel is designed to discharge its cargo without requiring shoreside equipment or personnel. This means any waterfront property can become a working dock at literally a moment’s notice.
