U.S. Coast Guard News – Page 5

Coast Guard Cutter Munro Arrives in Juneau

The Coast Guard cutter Munro arrived in Juneau, Alaska, for a scheduled port visit on Feb. 27. The port call marks Munro’s final stop before returning to its homeport in Alameda, Calif., following 11,500 miles and 105 days away. During the patrol, Munro served as the primary search and rescue (SAR) asset in the Bering Sea, performing 452 flight evolutions with five separate aircraft from Air Station Kodiak, qualifying seven pilots and ensuring SAR readiness. Munro also partnered with the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement to conduct 24 boardings of commercial fishing vessels with the goal of enforcing sustainable fishing practices and ensuring compliance with federal regulations. The cutter was on scene for the opening of the Pacific Cod Pot derby and the Alaska Pollock trawl season, two ...

Coast Guard Cutter Juniper Returns to Honolulu After 43-Day Patrol

The Coast Guard cutter Juniper returned to its Honolulu homeport in late February following a mission in the Pacific to deter illegal fishing, among other goals, as part of Operation Blue Pacific. Blue Pacific is an overarching multi-mission Coast Guard endeavor, promoting security, safety, sovereignty and economic prosperity in Oceania while strengthening relationships between partner nations in the Pacific. The Juniper departed Honolulu in mid-January and covered about 8,200 nautical miles in the effort to assist Pacific Island partners in protecting maritime governance and international order. “Combining efforts to deter illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing throughout Oceania is more important than ever,” the Juniper’s commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Timothy Bonner, said. Th...

Hawaii Coast Guard Cutter Returns from Oceana Operation

The crew of the Coast Guard cutter William Hart returned to Honolulu Feb. 27 after completing a 42-day patrol in Oceania in support of Operation Aiga. Operation “Aiga,” the Samoan word for family, is designed to integrate Coast Guard capabilities and operations with America’s Pacific Island country partners in order to protect shared national interests, combat IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) fishing and strengthen maritime governance on the high seas. “During the 8,616 nautical-mile patrol, the cutter’s crew conducted operations to counter IUU and strengthened relations with foreign allies,” the Coast Guard said in a statement. On the first port call of the patrol at Kiritimati Island, Kiribati, the William Hart’s crew delivered COVID-19 personal protective equipment donated...

Coast Guard Sector Juneau, Contractors Recover Submerged Tugboat

A partly submerged tugboat at the National Guard Dock in Gastineau Channel, Alaska has been recovered, the U.S. Coast Guard revealed on Feb. 28. The Coast Guard contracted salvage firm Melino’s Marine Services to remove the tug by using a barge-and-crane system from Bellingham, Wash. After recovery of the tugboat Tagish, the vessel was secured on the beach at the guard’s dock in Gastineau Channel on Feb. 19, according to the Coast Guard. Contractors then dewatered and defueled the 107-foot tugboat prior to it being dismantled and placed on a barge for final disposal out-of-state. “The Coast Guard’s mission during this recovery was to maximize maritime environmental protection where the tugboat was submerged,” the Guard said in a statement. The tug had been partly submerged with an oi...

Coast Guard, Good Samaritans Rescue Crew of Sinking Fishing Vessel

The Coast Guard and good Samaritans aboard two commercial fishing vessels located and rescued the crew of the 52-foot commercial fishing vessel Sea Smile 545 miles southwest of Hawaii on March 3. Following the rescue, the six crewmembers were reportedly in good condition and made their way to Honolulu aboard the commercial fishing vessel Captain Minh. At 6:46 p.m. on March 2, Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu (JRCC) watchstanders received a report from the owner of the Sea Smile stating that the vessel was disabled and taking on water. The crew reported that there was five to seven feet of rapidly rising water in the engine room and fish holds and that they could not use dewatering pumps or systems due to a loss of power. JRCC instructed the captain to activate the vessel’s emer...

USCG Cutter Kimball Completes Training Exercises with Japan Coast Guard

The Honolulu-homeported U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball has left Kagoshima, Japan after participating in a days-long joint training session with the Japan Coast Guard, U.S. officials said Feb. 16. Members from both agencies engaged in several search-and-rescue exercises and other activities in Kagoshima Bay, including “collaborative mission planning, boat handling and helicopter operations and demonstrated techniques for locating, recovering and hoisting a simulated distressed swimmer.” The U.S. Coast Guard command also visited the Japan Coast Guard’s 10th Regional Headquarters and gave tours of the cutter to several Japan Coast Guard members and the community. The events are meant to nurture the memorandum of cooperation between the two agencies, signed last May, that included a shar...

Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley Returns to Alaska

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Alex Haley returned to its homeport at Kodiak, Alaska on Jan. 13 following an extended seven-month dry dock maintenance period in Seattle. While in dry dock, the crew and contractors successfully completed more than $6 million worth of repairs, according to the Coast Guard. The engineering department oversaw 76 work items including major overhauls on the cutter’s controllable pitch propeller system, speed reducers, rudders and boilers, along with inspections of fuel, sewage and water tanks. The operations department supervised a renewal of the cutter’s flight deck, navigation systems and electronics while maintaining critical law enforcement currencies. Additionally, the deck department completed painting and topside preservation, according to the Coast Gua...

Coast Guard Pursues Civil Penalty for Columbia River AIS Violation

The Coast Guard in late January stated that it’s pursuing a civil penalty with a maximum punishment of $41,000 against a commercial fishing vessel for violating Automated Identification System (AIS) regulations near the mouth of the Columbia River. AIS is a maritime navigation safety communications system adopted by the international community to help save lives and facilitate safe transit of navigable waterways. It automatically transmits vessel information to shore stations, other ships and aircraft. That includes vessel identity, type, position, course, speed, navigational status and safety-related information. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River has said that on Dec. 3, a commercial fishing vessel deactivated its AIS while underway near the mouth of the Columbia River in violation of ...

Coast Guard, Partners Respond to Mysterious Oil Sheen Off Calif. Coast

U.S Coast Guard pollution responders and partners responded to an oil sheen off Summerland Beach in Santa Barbara County, Calif. on Jan. 6. The estimated 1.5-mile to 2-mile-long sheen was reported to be five nautical miles off Santa Barbara. The sheen’s cause was unknown at the time, but on Jan. 17, the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response said the sheen was likely natural seepage. Just after 2 p.m. on Jan. 6, watchstanders from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Santa Barbara were notified by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services of the possible oil sheen. The partner agencies informed the National Response Center of the incident and planned further actions. A Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco MH-65 Dolphin heli...

Coast Guard Expands National JROTC Program

The U.S. Coast Guard on Jan. 25 announced that it is establishing four new Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units for the coming school year including, for the first time, one on the West Coast. The four new units will increase the national total from six to 10. The new units are to be located at: Mission Bay High School in San Diego Aspira Business and Finance High School in Chicago Saraland High School in Saraland, Ala. Clinton High School in Clinton, Miss. According to the Coast Guard, the addition of the four JROTC units is the largest expansion in the program’s history, and the first time the Coast Guard will establish more than two of the units in a single year. The Coast Guard established the JROTC program in 1989 at the MAST Academy in Miami. The program...