View allAll Photos Tagged Ndrf
The port side hull of the decommissioned U.S.S. Holland AS-32 of the Mothball Fleet at Suisun Bay.
Read the historical essay about the USS Holland here
The machine shop aboard USS Holland, submarine tender.
Read the historical essay about the USS Holland here
U.S.N.S. General John Pope, which was recently sold for scrap, sits alongside a newer ship, U.S.S. Meteor, of the National Defense Reserve Fleet, demonstrating the difference between various states of decay of the fleet's ships.
Inside the machine shop of the decommissioned U.S.S. Holland AS-32 of the Mothball Fleet.
Read the historical essay about the USS Holland here
Gem State was laid down on 30 May 1965, as a combination breakbulk-container ship, SS President Monroe, ON 501712, IMO 6520911, a Maritime Administration type (C6-S-1qa) hull, under MARAD contract (MA 165). Built by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, CA, hull no. 340, she was launched on 10 February 1965 and delivered to MARAD on 25 April 1966, for service with American President Lines. She was converted to a MARAD type (C6-S-1qc) container ship, in 1973, and continued to be operated by APL until delivered to the Maritime Administration in 1982 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF). In 1984–1985 she was converted to a type (C6-S-MA1qd) Crane Ship by Continental Marine, San Francisco, CA. She was placed in service as SS Gem State (ACS-2) 7 May 1984, assigned to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) Ready Reserve Force, (RRF).[1] Gem State is one of 10 Crane Ships in the Surge Force and is berthed at Ready Reserve Fleet Alameda, assigned to Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Three and is maintained in a five-day readiness status.
"The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is an Indian specialized force constituted "for the purpose of special response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster" under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The "Apex Body for Disaster Management" in India is the National Disaster Management Authority."
View Large USS HOGA (Sioux Indian word for 'fish'), YT-146
All are welcome to share my photo (non-commercial, not-for-profit), if you credit each use with "Greg Bishop, photographer", or something similar.
This amazing Tugboat is a veteran of the Pearl Harbor attack, 7 December 1941. She served valiantly during the attack, operating without stopping, from that Sunday morning until Wednesday, fighting fires, rescuing sailors, saving the USS Oglala by pushing her away from the doomed Arizona, and helping the battleship Nevada to ground herself to avoid sinking in the Pearl Harbor entrance channel. She fought the fires on the burning Battleships USS Arizona www.navsource.org/archives/01/013940b.jpg and USS Nevada upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/USS_Nevada_2n....
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HOGA and her crew received a special citation from Admiral Chester Nimitz for her heroic work in those dark days. In the following link she is shown with the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5) at Pearl Harbor after the Battle of Coral Sea, 27 May 1942. After repairs, Yorktown departed on 30 May to take part in the Battle of Midway. The tug Hoga (YT-146) is in the center foreground. The mainmast of the sunken USS Arizona (BB-39) is visible in the distance, just right of Yorktown's stern www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g20000/g21931.jpg .
She later went on to serve the City of Oakland as a fireboat from 1948 to 1994! She is currently awaiting movement to Little Rock Arkansas to serve her days out as a museum ship, befitting her 60 years of continuous service. The ship was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989.
NDRF -- The National Defense Reserve Fleet In Suisun Bay, California. More commonly known as The Mothball Fleet, of which there are many others throughout the country (and the world). Managed by the Dept. of Transportation.
Many old ships -- even WWII-era "Liberty Ship" cargo ships -- simply lull Now gone, scrapped in the brackish water awaiting scrapping..... or maybe someone will intervene and restore a after no one intervened to turn another 'has-been' into a revered floating museum, such as the nearby.....
[SAVED from the ship breakers]
~ Aircraft Carrier "Hornet" (Alameda/Oakland),
~ Victory Ship "Red Oak Victory" (Richmond),
~ Liberty Ship "Jeremiah O'Brien" (San Francisco).
~ WWII Submarine Pampanito (San Francisco) (.... and many more!)
For an interactive MAP of The Fleet and MORE INFO From The Mothball Fleet Pool, click on this link: NOTE: Last viewed 11/29/2019, so it could have changed or 'disappeared' since then. It is a fact that the majority of ships are gone; maybe 3 (?) remain.
maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&m...
As of April 2014, The Hoga was moved out of the mothball fleet to the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard (Vallejo, California) for hull repairs and painting. The Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum shows her on their website, but I couldn't see her on a Google map. As far as I know she's still at Mare Island. It all comes down to money.
Happy UPDATE Post Decommissioning! On July 28, 2005, the United States Navy officially transferred USS Hoga to the City of North Little Rock. On November 23, 2015, Hoga arrived at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum in North Little Rock, Arkansas. aimmuseum.org/uss-hoga/
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www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1C1r2i5HhG59FQ_ZhGNVMOnC...
I had the unexpected adventure of entering this structure, and walking beneath this amazing -- and expensive -- vessel. It has been cut-up for scrap after failing to find a new home. Credit USNI.org
Since 1950, NDRF vessels have supported emergency shipping operations during war and national emergencies. During the Korean War, 540 vessels were activated to support the military forces. During the Vietnam War, 172 vessels were activated to support military operations in southeast Asia. More than seventy-five percent of the RRF ships provided support to the U.S. effort’s in the Persian Gulf between August 1990 and April 1991.
In 2005, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) used five RRF and four NDRF ships for relief operations in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The ships provided messing and berthing functions for refinery workers, oil spill response teams, and longshoremen, providing about 83,000 berthing nights and serving roughly 270,000 meals.
MARAD activated six vessels in response to the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in January of 2010. Three of the six vessels played a direct role in the relief efforts, with two providing logistical support from Port au Prince’s harbor. Another operated as a high speed freight and passenger shuttle between the continental U.S. and Port au Prince.
~*Photography Originally Taken By: www.CrossTrips.Com Under God*~
The United States Merchant Marine refers to the fleet of US civilian-owned merchant ships—operated by either the government or the private sector, that are engaged in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine is responsible for transporting cargo and passengers during peace time. In time of war, the Merchant Marine[1] is an auxiliary to the Navy, and can be called upon to deliver troops and supplies for the military.
The people of the Merchant Marine are called merchant mariners, and officers are commissioned into the United States Maritime Service. The Merchant Marine is a civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Navy, but not a uniformed service, except in times of war when, in accordance with the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, mariners are considered military personnel. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law making veterans of merchant mariners who serve in war.
As of 2006, the United States merchant fleet numbered 465 ships[2] and approximately 69,000 people. Seven hundred ships owned by American interests but registered, or flagged, in other countries are not included in this number.
The federal government maintains fleets of merchant ships via organizations such as Military Sealift Command and the National Defense Reserve Fleet. In 2004, the Federal government employed approximately 5% of all American water transportation workers.[3]
In the 19th and 20th centuries, a number of laws were enacted that fundamentally changed the course of American merchant shipping. These laws put an end to practices such as flogging and shanghaiing, and increased shipboard safety and the standard of living. The United States Merchant Marine is also governed by several international conventions to promote safety and prevent pollution.
Background
Merchant mariners move cargo and passengers between nations and within the United States, operate and maintain deep-sea merchant ships, tugboats, towboats, ferries, dredges, excursion vessels, and other waterborne craft on the oceans, the Great Lakes, rivers, canals, harbors, and other waterways.
Captains, mates, and pilots supervise ship operations on domestic waterways and the high seas. A captain is in overall command of a vessel, and supervises the work of all other officers and crew. The captain orders the ship's course and speed, maneuvers to avoid hazards, and continuously monitors the ship's position. Captains oversee crew members who steer the vessel, determine its location, operate engines, communicate with other vessels, perform maintenance, handle lines, and operate the ship's equipment. Captains and their department heads[4] ensure that proper procedures and safety practices are followed, ensure that machinery is in good working order, and oversee the loading and discharging of cargo and passengers. They also maintain logs and other records tracking the ships' movements, efforts at controlling pollution, and cargo and passengers carried.
The mates direct a ship's routine operation for the captain during the shifts, which are called watches. Mates stand watch for specified periods, usually 4 hours on and 8 hours off.[5] When more than one mate is necessary aboard a ship, they typically are designated chief mate or first mate, second mate, third mate, and so forth. Mates also supervise the ship's crew. They monitor cargo loading and unloading to ensure proper stowage, and supervise crew members engaged in maintenance and the vessel's upkeep.
Pilots guide ships in and out of confined waterways, such as harbors, where a familiarity with local conditions is of prime importance.[6] Harbor pilots are generally independent contractors who accompany vessels while they enter or leave port, and may pilot many ships in a single day.
Ship's engineers operate, maintain, and repair propulsion engines, boilers, generators, pumps, and other machinery. Merchant marine vessels usually have four engineering officers: A chief engineer and a first, second, and third assistant engineer. Assistant engineers stand periodic watches, overseeing the safe operation of engines and machinery.
Deck officers and ship's engineers are usually trained at maritime academies.[7] However, women were barred from entry to U.S. maritime academies until 1974, when the California Maritime Academy admitted women as cadets.[8] It is becoming increasingly difficult for unlicensed mariners to earn a merchant marine license[9] due to increased requirements for formal training. To do so, a mariner must have sufficient sea time in a qualified rating and complete specified testing and training, such as that required by STCW.
Able seamen and ordinary seamen operate the vessel and its deck equipment under the officers' supervision and keep their assigned areas in good condition.[10] They stand watch, looking out for other vessels and obstructions in the ship's path, as well as for navigational aids such as buoys and lighthouses. They also steer the ship, measure water depth in shallow water, and maintain and operate deck equipment such as lifeboats, anchors, and cargo-handling gear. On tankers, mariners designated as pumpmen hook up hoses, operate pumps, and clean tanks. When arriving at or leaving a dock, they handle the mooring lines. Seamen also perform routine maintenance chores, such as repairing lines, chipping rust, and painting and cleaning decks. On larger vessels, a boatswain, or head seaman will supervise the work.
Marine oilers and more experienced qualified members of the engine department, or QMEDs, maintain the vessel in proper running order in the engine spaces below decks, under the direction of the ship's engineering officers. These workers lubricate gears, shafts, bearings, and other moving parts of engines and motors; read pressure and temperature gauges; record data; and sometimes assist with repairs and adjust machinery. Wipers are the entry-level workers in the engine room, holding a position similar to that of ordinary seamen of the deck crew. They clean and paint the engine room and its equipment and assist the others in maintenance and repair work. With more experience they become oilers and firemen.
A typical deep-sea merchant ship has a captain, three mates, a chief engineer and three assistant engineers, plus six or more unlicensed seamen, such as able seamen, oilers, QMEDs, and cooks or food handlers.[11] Other unlicensed positions on a large ship may include electricians and machinery mechanics.
History
The history of ships and shipping in North America goes back at least as far as when Leif Erikson established a short-lived settlement called Vinland in present day Newfoundland. An actual shipping industry gradually came into being as colonies grew and trade with Europe increased. As early as the 15th century, Europeans were shipping horses, cattle and hogs to the Americas.
Spanish colonies began to form as early as 1565 in places like St. Augustine, Florida, and later in Santa Fe, New Mexico, San Antonio, Tucson, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. English colonies like Jamestown began to form as early as 1607. The connection between the American colonies and Europe, with shipping as its only conduit, would continue to grow unhindered for almost two hundred years.
The first wartime role of an identifiable United States merchant marine first took place on June 12, 1775 in and around Machias, Maine. A group of citizens, hearing the news from Concord and Lexington, captured the British schooner HMS Margaretta. The citizens, in need of critical supplies, were given an ultimatum: either load the ships with lumber to build British barracks in Boston, or go hungry. They chose to fight.[13]
Word of this revolt reached Boston, where the Continental Congress and the various colonies issued Letters of Marque to privateers.[14] The privateers interrupted the British supply chain all along the eastern seaboard of the United States and across the Atlantic Ocean. These actions by the privateers predates both the United States Coast Guard and the United States Navy, which were formed in 1790 and 1797, respectively.
Some civilian mariners have earned the Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal in the Iraq War.
Some civilian mariners have earned the Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal in the Iraq War.
The Merchant marine was active in subsequent wars, from the Confederate commerce raiders of the American Civil War, to the First and Second Battle of the Atlantic in World War I and World War II. 3.1 million tons of merchant ships were lost in World War II, mariners dying at a rate of 1 in 24. All told, 733 American cargo ships were lost[15] and 8,651 of the 215,000 who served perished on troubled waters and off enemy shores.
Merchant shipping also played its role in the wars in Vietnam and Korea. From just six ships under charter when the Korean war began, this total peaked at 255. In September 1950, when the U.S. Marine Corps went ashore at Inchon, 13 USNS cargo ships, 26 chartered American, and 34 Japanese-manned merchant ships, under the operational control of Military Sea Transportation Service participated in the invasion.
During the Vietnam War, ships crewed by civilian seamen carried 95% of the supplies used by the American Armed Forces. Many of these ships sailed into combat zones under fire. In fact, the SS Mayaguez incident involved the capture of mariners from the American merchant ship SS Mayaguez.[16]
During the first Gulf War, the merchant ships of the Military Sealift Command (MSC) delivered more than 11 million metric tons of vehicles, helicopters, ammunition, fuel and other supplies and equipment during the war. At one point during the war, more than 230 government-owned and chartered ships were involved in the sealift.
Government-owned merchant vessels from the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) have supported emergency shipping requirements in seven wars and crises. During the Korean War, 540 vessels were activated to support military forces. A worldwide tonnage shortfall from 1951 to 1953 required over 600 ship activations to lift coal to Northern Europe and grain to India. From 1955 through 1964, another 600 ships were used to store grain for the Department of Agriculture. Another tonnage shortfall following the Suez Canal closing in 1956 caused 223 cargo ship and 29 tanker activations from the NDRF. During the Berlin crisis of 1961, 18 vessels were activated, which remained in service until 1970. The Vietnam conflict required the activation of 172 vessels.[17]
Since 1977, the Ready Reserve Fleet has taken over the brunt of the work previously handled by the National Defense Reserve Fleet. The RRF made a major contribution to the success of Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm from August 1990 through June 1992, when 79 vessels were activated to meet military sealift requirements by carrying 25% of the unit equipment and 45% of the ammunition needed.[17]
Two RRF tankers, two RO/RO ships and a troop transport ship were needed in Somalia for Operation Restore Hope in 1993 and 1994. During the Haitian crisis in 1994, 15 ships were activated for Operation Uphold Democracy operations. In 1995 and 1996, four RO/RO ships were used to deliver military cargo as part of U.S. and U.K. support to NATO peace-keeping missions.[17]
Four RRF ships were activated to provide humanitarian assistance for Central America following Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Three RRF ships currently support the Afloat Prepositioning Force with two specialized tankers and one dry cargo vessel capable of underway replenishment for the Navy’s Combat Logistics Force.[17]
In 2003, 40 RRF ships were used in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. This RRF contribution was significant and included sealifting equipment and supplies into the theatre of combat operations, which included combat support equipment for the Army, Navy Combat Logistics Force, and USMC Aviation Support equipment. By the beginning of May 2005, RRF cumulative support included 85 ship activations that logged almost 12,000 ship operating days, moving almost 25% of the equipment needed to support the U.S. Armed Forces liberation of Iraq.[17]
MSC is also involved in the current Iraq War, having delivered 61 million square feet (5.7 km²) of cargo and 1.1 billion US gallons (4,200,000 m³) of fuel by the end of the first year alone. Merchant mariners are being recognized for their contributions in Iraq. For example, in late 2003, Vice Adm. David Brewer III, commander of Military Sealift Command, awarded the officers and crewmembers of the Motor Vessel Bennett the Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal.[18]
The RRF was called upon to provide humanitarian assistance to gulf coast areas following Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita landfalls in September 2006. The Federal Emergency Management Agency requested a total of eight vessels to support relief efforts. Messing and berthing was provided for refinery workers, oils spill response teams, longshoremen. One of the vessels provided electrical power.
Today's merchant fleet
The commercial fleet
As of 2006, the United States merchant fleet had 465 privately-owned ships of 1,000 gross register tons or over. Two hundred ninety-one (291) of these were dry cargo ships, 97 were tankers, and 77 passenger ships. Of those American-flagged ships, 51 were foreign owned. Seven hundred American-owned ships are flagged in other nations.[19][20]
2005 statistics from the United States Maritime Administration focus on the larger segment of the fleet: ships of 10,000 metric tons of deadweight (DWT) and over. 245 privately owned American-flagged ships are of this size, and 153 of those meet the Jones Act criteria.[21]
U.S. sealift capability viewed over time shows a steep drop in the number of ships in the merchant marine fleet. Observers point to the World War II era as the peak for the U.S. fleet. During the post-war year of 1950, for example, U.S. carriers represented about 43 percent of the world's shipping trade. By 1995, the American market share had plunged to 4 percent, according to a 1997 report by the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO).[22] CBO further notes in the report that "the number of U.S.-flag vessels has dropped precipitously--from more than 2,000 in the 1940s and 850 in 1970 to about 320 in 1996."
A diminishing U.S. fleet comes in the face of surge in international sea trade. For instance, worldwide demand for natural gas and the subsequent spike in related international trade presents a job growth opportunity for today's U.S. mariners aboard liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers. A 2007 agreement signed by the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) sets uniform LNG training standards at U.S. maritime training facilities. Uniform training standards will help U.S. mariners compete for jobs aboard LNG tankers, estimated to number more than 370 worldwide at the close of 2007, according to MARAD.[23]
However, despite projection of an eight-fold increase in U.S. imported LNG by 2025, the worldwide LNG fleet does not include a single U.S. flagged vessel.[24] Moreover, only five U.S. deepwater LNG ports were operational in 2007, although permits have been issued for four additional ports, according to MARAD.[24]
Further limiting potential job growth in the U.S. fleet is the fact that ranks of qualified seamen to serve on ships continue to shrink. Recruitment efforts to attract younger mariners to replace retiring crews have failed to stem the shortage.[25] MARAD describes the gap between sealift crewing needs and available unlicensed personnel as "reaching critical proportions, and the long term outlook for sufficient personnel is also of serious concern."[26]
Seagoing jobs of the future for U.S. mariners may not necessarily be on U.S.-flagged ships. American-trained mariners are being sought after by international companies to operate foreign-flagged vessels, according to Julie A. Nelson, deputy maritime administrator of the U.S. Department of Commerce.[27]. For example, Shell International and Shipping Company Ltd. has announced that it will be recruiting U.S. seafarers to crew its growing fleet of tankers.[28] Further signs of the globalization of the mariner profession is evidenced by an agreement signed in 2007 between Overseas Shipholding Group and the Maritime Administration that will allow American maritime academy cadets to train aboard OSG's international flag vessels.
The federal fleet
Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an arm of the Navy that serves the entire Department of Defense as the ocean carrier of materiel during peacetime and war. It transports equipment, fuel, ammunition, and other goods essential to the smooth function of United States armed forces worldwide. Up to 95% of all supplies needed to sustain the U.S. military can be moved by Military Sealift Command.[30] MSC operates approximately 120 ships with 100 more in reserve. All ships are manned by civil service or contract merchant mariners, estimated to number more than 8,000.[31] MSC tankers and freighters have a long history of also serving as re-supply vessels in support of civilian research at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and at other polar operations, including Greenland.
Civilian-crewed MSC ships annually re-supply McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Here the USNS Southern Cross (T-AK-285) is seen during cargo operations alongside a floating ice pier.
Civilian-crewed MSC ships annually re-supply McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Here the USNS Southern Cross (T-AK-285) is seen during cargo operations alongside a floating ice pier.
The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF)[32] acts as a reserve of cargo ships for national emergencies and defense. Consisting of 2,277 ships at its peak in 1950, the NDRF fleet now numbers only 251 ships.[33]
NDRF vessels are now staged[34] at the James River, Beaumont and Suisun Bay fleet sites and other designated locations. A Ready Reserve Force[35] component of NDRF was established in 1976 to provide rapid deployment of military equipment. This force currently has 58 vessels, down from a peak of 102 in 1994.[17]
In 2004, the Federal government employed approximately 5% of all water transportation workers, most of whom worked on Military Sealift Command supply ships.
Important laws
A few laws have shaped the development of the U.S. merchant marine. Chief among them are the "Seamen's Act of 1915," the "Merchant Marine Act of 1920" (commonly referred to as the "Jones Act"), and the "Merchant Marine Act of 1936".
The Seamen's Act of 1915
The Seaman's Act[36] significantly improved working conditions for American seamen.[37] The brainchild of International Seamen's Union president Andrew Furuseth, the Act was sponsored in the Senate by Robert Marion La Follette and received significant support from Secretary of Labor, William B. Wilson.
Among other things, the Act:
1. abolished the practice of imprisonment for seamen who deserted their ship
2. reduced the penalties for disobedience
3. regulated a seaman's working hours both at sea and in port
4. established a minimum quality for ship's food
5. regulated the payment of seamen's wages
6. required specific levels of safety, particularly the provision of lifeboats
7. required a minimum percentage of the seamen aboard a vessel to be qualified Able Seamen
8. required a minimum of 75% of the seamen aboard a vessel to understand the language spoken by the officers
The Act's passage was attributed to union lobbying, increased tensions immediately before World War I, and raised public consciousness of safety at sea due to the sinking of the RMS Titanic three years prior.
The Jones Act
The "Merchant Marine Act of 1920," often called The "Jones Act," requires U.S.-flagged vessels be built in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and documented under the laws of the United States.[39] It also requires that all officers and 75% of the crew must be U.S. citizens. Vessels satisfying these requirements comprise the "Jones Act Fleet," and only these vessels may engage in "cabotage," or carrying passengers or cargo between two U.S. ports.[40]
Another important aspect of the Act is that it allows injured sailors to obtain damages from their employers for the negligence of the shipowner, the captain, or fellow members of the crew.
The Merchant Marine Act
The Merchant Marine Act of 1936 was enacted "to further the development and maintenance of an adequate and well-balanced American merchant marine, to promote the commerce of the United States, to aid in the national defense, to repeal certain former legislation, and for other purposes."
Specifically, the Act established the United States Maritime Commission and required a United States Merchant Marine that consists of U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed and U.S.-owned vessels capable of carrying all domestic and a substantial portion of foreign water-borne commerce which can serve as a naval auxiliary in time of war or national emergency.
The act also established federal subsidies for the construction and operation of merchant ships. Two years after the Act was passed, the U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps, the forerunner to the United States Merchant Marine Academy, was established.
International regulations
Federal law requires the merchant marine to adhere to a number of international conventions. The International Maritime Organization has been either the source or a conduit for a number of these regulations.
The principal International Conventions are:
* SOLAS 74: International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.
* MARPOL 73/78: International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978.
* ICLL 66: International Convention on Load Lines, as revised in 1966
* 72 COLREGS: International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
* STCW 95: International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).
* SAR 79: International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue.[41]
A list of IMO conventions adopted in the United States is available at the U.S. Coast Guard's Maritime Safety Center website
www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/imo/msc_resolutions/default.htm
Noted U.S. Merchant Mariners
Merchant seamen have gone on to make their mark on the world in a number of interesting ways, for example, Douglass North went from seaman to navigator to winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Economics.
American merchant seamen have earned the Medal of Honor in the Korean War, George H. O'Brien, Jr. and Vietnam War, Lawrence Joel; and one went on to become the "Father of the American Navy", John Paul Jones.
Since World War II, a number of merchant seamen have become notorious criminals. William Colepaugh was convicted as a Nazi spy in World War II. George Hennard was a mass murderer who claimed twenty-four victims on a rampage at Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas. Perry Smith's own murderous rampage was made famous in Truman Capote's non-fiction novel In Cold Blood.
Mariners are well represented in the visual arts. Seaman Haskell Wexler would later win two Academy Awards, the latter for a biography of his shipmate Woody Guthrie. Merchant seaman Johnny Craig was already a working comic book artist before he joined up, but Ernie Schroeder would not start drawing comics until after returning home from World War II.
Merchant sailors have also made a splash in the world of sport. In football, with the likes of Dan Devine and Heisman Trophy winner Frank Sinkwich. In track and field, seamen Cornelius Cooper Johnson and Jim Thorpe both won Olympic medals, though Thorpe did not get his until thirty years after his death. Seamen Jim Bagby, Jr. and Charlie Keller went on to Major League Baseball. Drew Bundini Brown was Muhammad Ali's assistant trainer and cornerman, and Joe Gold went on to make his fortune as the bodybuilding and fitness guru of Gold's Gym.
Writer Ralph Ellison was a merchant mariner as were prominent members of the Beat movement Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Bob Kaufman, Dave Van Ronk and Herbert Huncke. Perhaps it is not surprising that the writers of Moby Dick, The American Practical Navigator, and Two Years Before the Mast were merchant mariners. It might be surprising that the writer of Cool Hand Luke and co-writer of Borat were.
A number of merchant mariners from World War II ended up playing well-known television characters. The list includes Raymond Bailey, who played Milburn Drysdale on The Beverly Hillbillies, Archie Bunker on All in the Family, Columbo on Columbo, Jim Rockford on The Rockford Files, Steve McGarret on Hawaii Five-O, Uncle Jesse Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard, and Cheyenne Bodie on Cheyenne.
Songwriter and lyricist Jack Lawrence was a mariner during World War II, and wrote the official United States Merchant Marine song "Heave Ho! My Lads, Heave Ho!" while a young lieutenant stationed at Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, in 1943.
Robert Kiyosaki lays claim of being a mariner. Paul Teutul, Sr., the founder of Orange County Ironworks and Orange County Choppers is a Vietnam War veteran of the United States merchant marine.
Fictional accounts
The United States merchant marine has been featured in a number of movies. Action in the North Atlantic is a 1943 film featuring Humphrey Bogart, Raymond Massey, and Alan Hale as merchant mariners fighting the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. Other WWII fare includes The Long Voyage Home starring John Wayne, and the television documentary The Men Who Sailed the Liberty Ships.
Other movies set in the United States merchant marine include Lifeboat, Wake of the Red Witch, The Sea Chase, The Last Voyage, Morituri, and The Wreck of the Mary Deare.
The characters Bo Brady and Steve "Patch" Johnson were merchant mariners on the soap opera Days of Our Lives.
The character Tom Wingfield leaves his family to join the merchant marine in the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.
James Edward Dougherty was Marilyn Monroe's first husband.
Popeye was a merchant mariner before joining first the U.S. Coast Guard, and then the U.S.Navy.
The portside hull of the Sea Shadow, an experimental stealth ship built in Redwood City by Lockheed in 1985 (and made public in 1993) to test the stealth technology of Navy vessels.
The ship has 2 twin hulls, each with propeller and stabilizer.
It contains only 12 bunks, a microwave oven, small fridge and a single table. It was never commissioned by the Navy and was moved to the Mothball Fleet in 2006 after spending a short time at the San Diego Naval Station.
A couple of shots one of the Bendigo line Regional Fast Rail sleeper laying trains now, with X49 and H4 on the front of a CFRX and a rake of NDRF's, plus the 'Pony' (TM014) on the back at Golden Square on the 30/3/05. The Pony was used up until it failed at Kangaroo Flat, only a few kilometres out of Bendigo. The concrete sleepers further on were then laid with more mundane implements such as front end loaders and diggers.
Antares (SS ANTARES) T-AKR 294 Algol, SL-7 Type Fast Sealift Ship, in Bayonne New Jersey, USA. November 2009. Formerly USNS ANTARES, but now SS ANTARES - To be a part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF). Copyright Tom Turner.
Inside a lounge adjacent to a high-ranking seaman's cabin on the SS Export Bay in Row J of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet.
Laid down in the early 1960's as a type C3-S-46a breakbulk cargo carrier, this ship would have entered service with American Export Lines around 1961 with their US Gulf-Western Europe route.
Serving in the commercial trades for her entire life, the Export Bay was turned over to MARAD in 1983 with her four sisterships but was never activated with the Military Sealift Command as her sisters were.
Retained at Suisun Bay under the name 'Bay' as a parts hulk for her Ready Reserve Fleet sisterships, the Bay was sold for scrapping at Bay Bridge Enterprises of Chesapeake, VA in March 2011 after her three sisters were disposed of in 2010.
Learn more about this photo: Adventures in the Abandoned Ships
Three 16"/50 caliber Mark 7 guns aboard U.S.S. Iowa. The turrets were called "three-gun" (rather than "triple") because each gun could be angled and fired independently of the others. These guns were 66 feet long and fired projectiles weighing anywhere from 1,900 to 2,700lbs at a max speed of 2,690 feet per second for up to 24 miles.
This world class battleship currently sits in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet awaiting her fate. Currently there is a batte between San Pedro (LA), CA and Mare Island as to where the ship will be docked and turned into a museum. The Navy seems to have chosen Mare Island as the ship's home, but San Pedro seems to have more funding and monetary support.
This infographic is related to a U.S. GAO report:
www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-797
Federal Disaster Assistance: Federal Departments and Agencies Obligated at Least $277.6 Billion during Fiscal Years 2005 through 2014
USS General M. M. Patrick (AP-150)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
USNS General M.M. Patrick (T-AP-150).jpg
Career (U.S.)
Namesake: Mason Mathews Patrick
Builder: Kaiser Co., Inc.
Richmond, California
Laid down: date unknown
Launched: 21 June 1944
Acquired: 4 September 1944
Commissioned: 4 September 1944
Decommissioned: 8 March 1946
In service: after 11 March 1946 (Army)
1 March 1950 (MSTS)
Out of service: 1 March 1950 (Army)
17 October 1958 (MSTS)
Reclassified: T-AP-150, 1 March 1950
Identification: Code letters NJIK
ICS November.svg ICS Juliet.svg ICS India.svg ICS Kilo.svg
Fate: possibly scrapped 1975[1]
possibly awaiting disposal as of 2007[update][2]
General characteristics
Class and type: General G. O. Squier-class transport ship
Displacement: 9,950 tons (light), 17,250 tons (full)
Length: 522 ft 10 in (159.36 m)
Beam: 71 ft 6 in (21.79 m)
Draft: 26 ft 6 in (8.10 m)
Propulsion: single-screw steam turbine with 9,900 shp (7,400 kW)
Speed: 17 knots (31.5 km/h)
Capacity: 3,343 troops
Complement: 425 (officers and enlisted)
Armament: 4 × 5"/38 caliber guns
8 × 1.1"/75 AA guns
16 × 20 mm AA guns
USS General M. M. Patrick (AP-150) was a General G. O. Squier-class transport ship for the U.S. Navy in World War II. She was named in honor of U.S. Army general Mason Mathews Patrick. She was transferred to the U.S. Army as USAT General M. M. Patrick in 1946. On 1 March 1950 she was transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) as USNS General M. M. Patrick (T-AP-150). She was later sold for commercial operation and rebuilt as a container ship.[2]
[edit] Operational history
General M. M. Patrick (AP-150) was launched 21 June 1944 under Maritime Commission contract (MC #702)[2] by Kaiser Co., Inc., Yard 3, Richmond, California; sponsored by Mrs. William E. Lynd; acquired by the Navy 4 September 1944; and commissioned at San Francisco the same day, Captain George W. Stott in command.
After shakedown, General M. M. Patrick departed San Francisco 14 October and transported nearly 3,000 troops to Pearl Harbor and Guam before returning to San Francisco 18 January 1945 with military passengers. Between 19 February and 6 March she carried more troops from Seattle to Hawaii and returned sailors to San Francisco. With a full load of troops embarked, she then sailed 16 March for the Southwest Pacific, where she arrived San Pedro Bay, Philippines, 18 April. After shuttling troops from Allied bases along the northern coast of New Guinea to Luzon, she departed Manila 16 May and brought home returning veterans, arriving San Francisco 12 June. Once again departing San Francisco 28 June, she transported 3,000 troops and passengers to Fremantle, Australia; steamed to Calcutta, India, to embark passengers; then sailed via the Suez Canal to New York, where she arrived 3 September.
On the 22d General M. M. Patrick departed on another "Magic-Carpet" voyage to Calcutta and back to New York, arriving 16 November. Departing New York 9 days later, she embarked still more troops at Calcutta, Karachi, and Tuticorin, India; steamed via Ceylon and Singapore for the West Coast; and arrived San Pedro 28 January 1946. She decommissioned 8 March and was returned to WSA 11 March for use as an Army transport under the Army Transportation Service.
General M. M. Patrick was reacquired by the Navy 1 March 1950 and assigned to duty as an overseas transport under MSTS. Manned by a civilian crew, during the Korean War she operated between Seattle and the Far East and carried tens of thousands of combat troops to Korea. After the armistice, she continued steaming from Seattle to Yokohama, Japan, and back, returning veterans of the Korean fighting to the United States and deploying troops to the Far East.
On 29 November 1952 USNS General M. M. Patrick steamed from Yokohama to Seattle with some 118 paintings, sculptures, and examples of applied arts destined for the 1953 exhibition Japanese Painting and Sculpture.[3] This exhibition was a pivotal exhibition of Japanese art in America[3] and was seen at the National Gallery of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Seattle Art Museum.[3] Secretary of Defense Charles Erwin Wilson — a member of the Honorary Committee for the exhibition — arranged for the use of the General M. M. Patrick for the exhibit, the only international art exhibition ever to receive such support by the Defense Department.[3]
The transport was returned to the Maritime Administration 17 October 1958 and entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) at Olympia, Washington.
The ship was sold for commercial use in 1967[2] or 1968,[1] and converted by Todd Shipyard, Galveston to a container ship.[2] She may have been scrapped in 1975,[1] or as of 2007[update], be awaiting disposal from the NDRF at Suisun Bay.[2] April 15th 2010 ship headed to San Francisco for preparation to go through the Panama Canal to Texas for Scrappage. She left San Francisco Bay in early May, destined for the Texas scrapyard.
General M. M. Patrick received two battle stars for Korean conflict service.
Ready Reserve Force barge carrier departing Portland, Oregon after maintenance at Vigor Industrial.
Captured here in the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, making a port side turn for Astoria, Oregon and on to the Pacific.
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United States Merchant Marine
The United States Merchant Marine refers to the fleet of US civilian-owned merchant ships — operated by either the government or the private sector — that are engaged in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The merchant marine is responsible for transporting cargo and passengers during peace time. In time of war, the merchant marine[1] is an auxiliary to the Navy, and can be called upon to deliver troops and supplies for the military.
The people of the merchant marine are called merchant mariners. The merchant marine is not a uniformed service, except in times of war when, in accordance with the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, mariners are considered military personnel. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law making veterans of merchant mariners who serve in war.
As of 2006, the United States merchant fleet numbered 465 ships[2] and approximately 69,000 people. Seven hundred ships owned by American interests but registered, or flagged, in other countries are not included in this number.
The federal government maintains fleets of merchant ships via organizations such as Military Sealift Command and the National Defense Reserve Fleet. In 2004, the Federal government employed approximately 5% of all American water transportation workers.[3]
In the 19th and 20th centuries, a number of laws were enacted that fundamentally changed the course of American merchant shipping. These laws put an end to practices such as flogging and shanghaiing, and increased shipboard safety and the standard of living. The United States Merchant Marine is also governed by several international conventions to promote safety and prevent pollution.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Background
* 2 History
* 3 Today's merchant fleet
o 3.1 The commercial fleet
o 3.2 The federal fleet
* 4 Important laws
o 4.1 The Seamen's Act of 1915
o 4.2 The Jones Act
o 4.3 The Merchant Marine Act
o 4.4 International regulations
o 4.5 Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2007
* 5 Noted U.S. Merchant Mariners
* 6 Fictional accounts
* 7 Notes
* 8 References
* 9 See also
* 10 External links
[edit] Background
Merchant mariners move cargo and passengers between nations and within the United States. They operate and maintain deep-sea merchant ships, tugboats, towboats, ferries, dredges, excursion vessels, and other waterborne craft on the oceans, the Great Lakes, rivers, canals, harbors, and other waterways.
Captains, mates, and pilots supervise ship operations on domestic waterways and the high seas. A captain is in overall command of a vessel, and supervises the work of all other officers and crew. The captain orders the ship's course and speed, maneuvers to avoid hazards, and continuously monitors the ship's position. Captains oversee crew members who steer the vessel, determine its location, operate engines, communicate with other vessels, perform maintenance, handle lines, and operate the ship's equipment. Captains and their department heads[4] ensure that proper procedures and safety practices are followed, ensure that machinery is in good working order, and oversee the loading and discharging of cargo and passengers. They also maintain logs and other records tracking the ships' movements, efforts at controlling pollution, and cargo and passengers carried.
The mates direct a ship's routine operation for the captain during the shifts, which are called watches. Mates stand watch for specified periods, usually 4 hours on and 8 hours off.[5] When more than one mate is necessary aboard a ship, they typically are designated chief mate or first mate, second mate, third mate, and so forth. Mates also supervise the ship's crew. They monitor cargo loading and unloading to ensure proper stowage, and supervise crew members engaged in maintenance and the vessel's upkeep.
Pilots guide ships in and out of confined waterways, such as harbors, where a familiarity with local conditions is of prime importance.[6] Harbor pilots are generally independent contractors who accompany vessels while they enter or leave port, and may pilot many ships in a single day.
Ship's engineers operate, maintain, and repair propulsion engines, boilers, generators, pumps, and other machinery. Merchant marine vessels usually have four engineering officers: A chief engineer and a first, second, and third assistant engineer. Assistant engineers stand periodic watches, overseeing the safe operation of engines and machinery.
Deck officers and ship's engineers are usually trained at maritime academies.[7] However, women were barred from entry to U.S. maritime academies until 1974, when the California Maritime Academy admitted women as cadets.[8] It is becoming increasingly difficult for unlicensed mariners to earn a merchant marine license[9] due to increased requirements for formal training. To do so, a mariner must have sufficient sea time in a qualified rating and complete specified testing and training, such as that required by STCW.
Able seamen and ordinary seamen operate the vessel and its deck equipment under the officers' supervision and keep their assigned areas in good condition.[10] They stand watch, looking out for other vessels and obstructions in the ship's path, as well as for navigational aids such as buoys and lighthouses. They also steer the ship, measure water depth in shallow water, and maintain and operate deck equipment such as lifeboats, anchors, and cargo-handling gear. On tankers, mariners designated as pumpmen hook up hoses, operate pumps, and clean tanks. When arriving at or leaving a dock, they handle the mooring lines. Seamen also perform routine maintenance chores, such as repairing lines, chipping rust, and painting and cleaning decks. On larger vessels, a boatswain, or head seaman will supervise the work.
Marine oilers and more experienced qualified members of the engine department, or QMEDs, maintain the vessel in proper running order in the engine spaces below decks, under the direction of the ship's engineering officers. These workers lubricate gears, shafts, bearings, and other moving parts of engines and motors; read pressure and temperature gauges; record data; and sometimes assist with repairs and adjust machinery. Wipers are the entry-level workers in the engine room, holding a position similar to that of ordinary seamen of the deck crew. They clean and paint the engine room and its equipment and assist the others in maintenance and repair work. With more experience they become oilers and firemen.
A typical deep-sea merchant ship has a captain, three mates, a chief engineer and three assistant engineers, plus six or more unlicensed seamen, such as able seamen, oilers, QMEDs, and cooks or food handlers.[11] Other unlicensed positions on a large ship may include electricians and machinery mechanics.[12]
[edit] History
For more details on this topic, see Maritime history of the United States.
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo explored the coast of California in 1542. This chart of the "Island of California" dates to 1640.
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo explored the coast of California in 1542. This chart of the "Island of California" dates to 1640.
The history of ships and shipping in North America goes back at least as far as when Leif Erikson established a short-lived settlement called Vinland in present day Newfoundland. An actual shipping industry gradually came into being as colonies grew and trade with Europe increased. As early as the 15th century, Europeans were shipping horses, cattle and hogs to the Americas.
Spanish colonies began to form as early as 1565 in places like St. Augustine, Florida, and later in Santa Fe, New Mexico, San Antonio, Tucson, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. English colonies like Jamestown began to form as early as 1607. The connection between the American colonies and Europe, with shipping as its only conduit, would continue to grow unhindered for almost two hundred years.
The first wartime role of an identifiable United States Merchant Marine first took place on June 12, 1775 in and around Machias, Maine. A group of citizens, hearing the news from Concord and Lexington, captured the British schooner HMS Margaretta. The citizens, in need of critical supplies, were given an ultimatum: either load the ships with lumber to build British barracks in Boston, or go hungry. They chose to fight.[13]
Word of this revolt reached Boston, where the Continental Congress and the various colonies issued Letters of Marque to privateers.[14] The privateers interrupted the British supply chain all along the eastern seaboard of the United States and across the Atlantic Ocean. These actions by the privateers predates both the United States Coast Guard and the United States Navy, which were formed in 1790 and 1797, respectively.
Some civilian mariners have earned the Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal in the Iraq War.
Some civilian mariners have earned the Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal in the Iraq War.
The Merchant Marine was active in subsequent wars, from the Confederate commerce raiders of the American Civil War, to the First and Second Battle of the Atlantic in World War I and World War II. 3.1 million tons of merchant ships were lost in World War II, mariners dying at a rate of 1 in 24. All told, 733 American cargo ships were lost[15] and 8,651 of the 215,000 who served perished on troubled waters and off enemy shores.
Merchant shipping also played its role in the wars in Vietnam and Korea. From just six ships under charter when the Korean war began, this total peaked at 255. In September 1950, when the U.S. Marine Corps went ashore at Inchon, 13 USNS cargo ships, 26 chartered American, and 34 Japanese-manned merchant ships, under the operational control of Military Sea Transportation Service participated in the invasion.
During the Vietnam War, ships crewed by civilian seamen carried 95% of the supplies used by the American Armed Forces. Many of these ships sailed into combat zones under fire. In fact, the SS Mayaguez incident involved the capture of mariners from the American merchant ship SS Mayaguez.[16]
During the first Gulf War, the merchant ships of the Military Sealift Command (MSC) delivered more than 11 million metric tons of vehicles, helicopters, ammunition, fuel and other supplies and equipment during the war. At one point during the war, more than 230 government-owned and chartered ships were involved in the sealift.
Government owned merchant vessels from the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) have supported emergency shipping requirements in seven wars and crises. During the Korean War, 540 vessels were activated to support military forces. A worldwide tonnage shortfall from 1951 to 1953 required over 600 ship activations to lift coal to Northern Europe and grain to India. From 1955 through 1964, another 600 ships were used to store grain for the Department of Agriculture. Another tonnage shortfall following the Suez Canal closing in 1956 caused 223 cargo ship and 29 tanker activations from the NDRF. During the Berlin crisis of 1961, 18 vessels were activated, which remained in service until 1970. The Vietnam conflict required the activation of 172 vessels.[17]
Since 1977, the Ready Reserve Fleet has taken over the brunt of the work previously handled by the National Defense Reserve Fleet. The RRF made a major contribution to the success of Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm from August 1990 through June 1992, when 79 vessels were activated to meet military sealift requirements by carrying 25% of the unit equipment and 45% of the ammunition needed.[17]
Two RRF tankers, two RO/RO ships and a troop transport ship were needed in Somalia for Operation Restore Hope in 1993 and 1994. During the Haitian crisis in 1994, 15 ships were activated for Operation Uphold Democracy operations. In 1995 and 1996, four RO/RO ships were used to deliver military cargo as part of U.S. and U.K. support to NATO peace-keeping missions.[17]
Four RRF ships were activated to provide humanitarian assistance for Central America following Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Three RRF ships currently support the Afloat Prepositioning Force with two specialized tankers and one dry cargo vessel capable of underway replenishment for the Navy’s Combat Logistics Force.[17]
In 2003, 40 RRF ships were used in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. This RRF contribution was significant and included sealifting equipment and supplies into the theatre of combat operations, which included combat support equipment for the Army, Navy Combat Logistics Force, and USMC Aviation Support equipment. By the beginning of May 2005, RRF cumulative support included 85 ship activations that logged almost 12,000 ship operating days, moving almost 25% of the equipment needed to support the U.S. Armed Forces liberation of Iraq.[17]
MSC is also involved in the current Iraq War, having delivered 61 million square feet (5.7 km²) of cargo and 1.1 billion US gallons (4,200,000 m³) of fuel by the end of the first year alone. Merchant mariners are being recognized for their contributions in Iraq. For example, in late 2003, Vice Adm. David Brewer III, commander of Military Sealift Command, awarded the officers and crewmembers of the Motor Vessel Bennett the Merchant Marine Expeditionary Medal.[18]
The RRF was called upon to provide humanitarian assistance to gulf coast areas following Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita landfalls in September 2006. The Federal Emergency Management Agency requested a total of eight vessels to support relief efforts. Messing and berthing was provided for refinery workers, oils spill response teams, longshoremen. One of the vessels provided electrical power.[17]
[edit] Today's merchant fleet
[edit] The commercial fleet
As of 2006, the United States merchant fleet had 465 privately-owned ships of 1,000 gross register tons or over. Two hundred ninety-one (291) of these were dry cargo ships, 97 were tankers, and 77 passenger ships. Of those American-flagged ships, 51 were foreign owned. Seven hundred American-owned ships are flagged in other nations.[19][20]
2005 statistics from the United States Maritime Administration focus on the larger segment of the fleet: ships of 10,000 metric tons of deadweight (DWT) and over. 245 privately owned American-flagged ships are of this size, and 153 of those meet the Jones Act criteria.[21]
U.S. sealift capability viewed over time shows a steep drop in the number of ships in the merchant marine fleet. Observers point to the World War II era as the peak for the U.S. fleet. During the post-war year of 1950, for example, U.S. carriers represented about 43 percent of the world's shipping trade. By 1995, the American market share had plunged to 4 percent, according to a 1997 report by the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO).[22] CBO further notes in the report that "the number of U.S.-flag vessels has dropped precipitously--from more than 2,000 in the 1940s and 850 in 1970 to about 320 in 1996."
A diminishing U.S. fleet comes in the face of surge in international sea trade. For instance, worldwide demand for natural gas and the subsequent spike in related international trade presents a job growth opportunity for today's U.S. mariners aboard liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers. A 2007 agreement signed by the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) sets uniform LNG training standards at U.S. maritime training facilities. Uniform training standards will help U.S. mariners compete for jobs aboard LNG tankers, estimated to number more than 370 worldwide at the close of 2007, according to MARAD.[23]
However, despite projection of an eight-fold increase in U.S. imported LNG by 2025, the worldwide LNG fleet does not include a single U.S. flagged vessel.[24] Moreover, only five U.S. deepwater LNG ports were operational in 2007, although permits have been issued for four additional ports, according to MARAD.[24]
Further limiting potential job growth in the U.S. fleet is the fact that ranks of qualified seamen to serve on ships continue to shrink. Recruitment efforts to attract younger mariners to replace retiring crews have failed to stem the shortage.[25] MARAD describes the gap between sealift crewing needs and available unlicensed personnel as "reaching critical proportions, and the long term outlook for sufficient personnel is also of serious concern."[26]
Seagoing jobs of the future for U.S. mariners may not necessarily be on U.S.-flagged ships. American-trained mariners are being sought after by international companies to operate foreign-flagged vessels, according to Julie A. Nelson, deputy maritime administrator of the U.S. Department of Commerce.[27]. For example, Shell International and Shipping Company Ltd. has announced that it will be recruiting U.S. seafarers to crew its growing fleet of tankers.[28] Further signs of the globalization of the mariner profession is evidenced by an agreement signed in 2007 between Overseas Shipholding Group and the Maritime Administration that will allow American maritime academy cadets to train aboard OSG's international flag vessels.[29]
[edit] The federal fleet
Further information: Military Sealift Command and National Defense Reserve Fleet
The USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) is a converted oil tanker now operated as a 1,000-bed hospital ship by the MSC.
The USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) is a converted oil tanker now operated as a 1,000-bed hospital ship by the MSC.
Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an arm of the Navy that serves the entire Department of Defense as the ocean carrier of materiel during peacetime and war. It transports equipment, fuel, ammunition, and other goods essential to the smooth function of United States armed forces worldwide. Up to 95% of all supplies needed to sustain the U.S. military can be moved by Military Sealift Command.[30] MSC operates approximately 120 ships with 100 more in reserve. All ships are manned by civil service or contract merchant mariners, estimated to number more than 8,000.[31] MSC tankers and freighters have a long history of also serving as re-supply vessels in support of civilian research at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and at other polar operations, including Greenland.
Civilian-crewed MSC ships annually re-supply McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Here the USNS Southern Cross (T-AK-285) is seen during cargo operations alongside a floating ice pier.
Civilian-crewed MSC ships annually re-supply McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Here the USNS Southern Cross (T-AK-285) is seen during cargo operations alongside a floating ice pier.
The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF)[32] acts as a reserve of cargo ships for national emergencies and defense. Consisting of 2,277 ships at its peak in 1950, the NDRF fleet now numbers only 251 ships.[33]
NDRF vessels are now staged[34] at the James River, Beaumont and Suisun Bay fleet sites and other designated locations. A Ready Reserve Force[35] component of NDRF was established in 1976 to provide rapid deployment of military equipment. This force currently has 58 vessels, down from a peak of 102 in 1994.[17]
In 2004, the Federal government employed approximately 5% of all water transportation workers, most of whom worked on Military Sealift Command supply ships.[3]
[edit] Important laws
A few laws have shaped the development of the U.S. Merchant Marine. Chief among them are the "Seamen's Act of 1915," the "Merchant Marine Act of 1920" (commonly referred to as the "Jones Act"), and the "Merchant Marine Act of 1936".
[edit] The Seamen's Act of 1915
For more details on this topic, see Seamen's Act.
Senator La Follette (center), with maritime labor leader Andrew Furuseth (left) and muckraker Lincoln Steffens, circa 1915.
Senator La Follette (center), with maritime labor leader Andrew Furuseth (left) and muckraker Lincoln Steffens, circa 1915.
The Seaman's Act[36] significantly improved working conditions for American seamen.[37] The brainchild of International Seamen's Union president Andrew Furuseth, the Act was sponsored in the Senate by Robert Marion La Follette and received significant support from Secretary of Labor, William B. Wilson.
Among other things, the Act:
1. abolished the practice of imprisonment for seamen who deserted their ship
2. reduced the penalties for disobedience
3. regulated a seaman's working hours both at sea and in port
4. established a minimum quality for ship's food
5. regulated the payment of seamen's wages
6. required specific levels of safety, particularly the provision of lifeboats
7. required a minimum percentage of the seamen aboard a vessel to be qualified Able Seamen
8. required a minimum of 75% of the seamen aboard a vessel to understand the language spoken by the officers
The Act's passage was attributed to union lobbying, increased tensions immediately before World War I, and raised public consciousness of safety at sea due to the sinking of the RMS Titanic three years prior.[38]
[edit] The Jones Act
For more details on this topic, see Merchant Marine Act of 1920.
The Jones Act was sponsored by Senator Wesley Livsey Jones of Washington.
The Jones Act was sponsored by Senator Wesley Livsey Jones of Washington.
The "Merchant Marine Act of 1920," often called The "Jones Act," requires U.S.-flagged vessels be built in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and documented under the laws of the United States.[39] It also requires that all officers and 75% of the crew must be U.S. citizens. Vessels satisfying these requirements comprise the "Jones Act Fleet," and only these vessels may engage in "cabotage," or carrying passengers or cargo between two U.S. ports.[40]
Another important aspect of the Act is that it allows injured sailors to obtain damages from their employers for the negligence of the shipowner, the captain, or fellow members of the crew.
[edit] The Merchant Marine Act
For more details on this topic, see Merchant Marine Act of 1936.
The Merchant Marine Act of 1936 was enacted "to further the development and maintenance of an adequate and well-balanced American merchant marine, to promote the commerce of the United States, to aid in the national defense, to repeal certain former legislation, and for other purposes."
Specifically, the Act established the United States Maritime Commission and required a United States Merchant Marine that consists of U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed and U.S.-owned vessels capable of carrying all domestic and a substantial portion of foreign water-borne commerce which can serve as a naval auxiliary in time of war or national emergency.
The act also established federal subsidies for the construction and operation of merchant ships. Two years after the Act was passed, the U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps, the forerunner to the United States Merchant Marine Academy, was established.
[edit] International regulations
Federal law requires the merchant marine to adhere to a number of international conventions. The International Maritime Organization has been either the source or a conduit for a number of these regulations.
The principal International Conventions are:
* SOLAS 74: International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.
* MARPOL 73/78: International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978.
* ICLL 66: International Convention on Load Lines, as revised in 1966
* 72 COLREGS: International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
* STCW 95: International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).
* SAR 79: International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue.[41]
A list of IMO conventions adopted in the United States is available at the U.S. Coast Guard's Maritime Safety Center website.
[edit] Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2007
The "Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2007" would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay a tax-exempt monthly benefit of $1,000 to certain honorably-discharged veterans of the U.S. Merchant Marine who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946 (or to their survivors). This would include service in the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service.
The Act passed in the House of Representatives on July 30, 2007 as H.R. 23 and was referred to the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee on March 22, 2007 as S. 961.[2]
[edit] Noted U.S. Merchant Mariners
Further information: List of notable American mariners and List of notable mariners
Merchant seamen have gone on to make their mark on the world in a number of interesting ways, for example, Douglass North went from seaman to navigator to winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Economics.
American merchant seamen have won the Medal of Honor in the Korean War and Vietnam War, and one went on to become the "Father of the American Navy."
Since World War II, a number of merchant seamen have become notorious criminals. William Colepaugh was convicted as a Nazi spy in World War II. George Hennard was a mass murderer who claimed twenty-four victims on a rampage at Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas. Perry Smith's own murderous rampage was made famous in Truman Capote's non-fiction novel In Cold Blood.
Mariners are well represented in the visual arts. Seaman Haskell Wexler would later win two Academy Awards, the latter for a biography of his shipmate Woody Guthrie. Merchant seaman Johnny Craig was already a working comic book artist before he joined up, but Ernie Schroeder would not start drawing comics until after returning home from World War II.
Merchant sailors have also made a splash in the world of sport. In football, with the likes of Dan Devine and Heisman Trophy winner Frank Sinkwich. In track and field, seamen Cornelius Cooper Johnson and Jim Thorpe both won Olympic medals, though Thorpe did not get his until thirty years after his death. Seamen Jim Bagby, Jr. and Charlie Keller went on to Major League Baseball. Drew Bundini Brown was Muhammad Ali's assistant trainer and cornerman, and Joe Gold went on to make his fortune as the bodybuilding and fitness guru of Gold's Gym.
Writer Ralph Ellison was a merchant mariner as were prominent members of the Beat movement Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Bob Kaufman,Dave Van Ronk and Herbert Huncke. Perhaps it is not surprising that the writers of Moby Dick, The American Practical Navigator, and Two Years Before the Mast were merchant mariners. It might be surprising that the writer of Cool Hand Luke and co-writer of Borat were.
A number of merchant mariners from World War II ended up playing well-known television characters. The list includes Raymond Bailey, who played Milburn Drysdale on The Beverly Hillbillies, Archie Bunker on All in the Family, Columbo on Columbo, Jim Rockford on The Rockford Files, Steve McGarret on Hawaii Five-O, Uncle Jesse Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard, and Cheyenne Bodie on Cheyenne.
Songwriter and lyricist Jack Lawrence was a mariner during World War II, and wrote the official United States Merchant Marine song "Heave Ho! My Lads, Heave Ho!" while a young lieutenant stationed at Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, in 1943.
Robert Kiyosaki lays claim of being a mariner. Paul Teutul, Sr., the founder of Orange County Ironworks and Orange County Choppers is a Vietnam War veteran of the United States Merchant Marine.
[edit] Fictional accounts
The United States Merchant Marine has been featured in a number of movies. Action in the North Atlantic is a 1943 film featuring Humphrey Bogart, Raymond Massey, and Alan Hale as merchant mariners fighting the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. Other WWII fare includes The Long Voyage Home starring John Wayne, and the television documentary The Men Who Sailed the Liberty Ships.
Other movies set in the United States Merchant Marine include Lifeboat, Wake of the Red Witch, The Sea Chase, The Last Voyage, Morituri, and The Wreck of the Mary Deare.
The characters Bo Brady and Steve "Patch" Johnson were merchant mariners on the soap opera [[Days of our Lives].
The character Tom Wingfield leaves his family to join the merchant marine in the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.
Popeye was a merchant mariner before joining first the U.S. Coast Guard, and then the U.S.Navy.
A beam of light hits the desk in this stateroom aboard U.S.S. Tulare, a assault transport ship sitting in Suisun Bay.
Local tug keeping a line on their side of the Willamette River as the NAVY transport Cape Mohican makes their way to the Columbia River and the Pacific.
Starting at upper-left, please click on the notes (boxes) on the photo.
The rows of ships at the upper-left are the "mothball fleet" at Suisun Bay. The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the U.S., such as commercial shipping crises. The NDRF is managed by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD). It is a different entity from the United States Navy reserve fleets, which consist largely of warships.
The oldest, most decrepit hulls at Suisun Bay will be stripped of toxic materials, then broken up in Texas, California or Asia. Twenty of the most polluting mothball ships are slated for recycling by 2012, as are 32 more by 2017. Unaffected will be the battleship USS Iowa which has been moved to Richmond to prepare for relocation to the Port of Los Angeles to become a museum ship.
At its peak in 1950, the NDRF had 2,277 ships in lay-up. In 2003, it had 274. In July 2007, it held 230 ships, primarily dry cargo ships with some tankers, military auxiliaries and other types.
On 30 September 2015, SSR operated a train for ARTC in the north-west of NSW with CRL's BRM002 and 4911, and Sydney Trains' railset number 8 (consisting of NDRF wagons).
The consist gets underway on the up after the cross with the down Xplorer.
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The Suisun Bay Mothball Fleet
Following info from Wikipedia:
The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States of America during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises.The Suisun Bay location contained 324 ships in 1959. Forty years later, the number was down by about 250, but pollutants had begun to accumulate in the area. Paint containing toxins such as lead, copper, zinc and barium had been flaking off of many of the ships' hulls and superstructures. By June 2007, some 21 tons of toxic paint debris was estimated to have been shed from the ships, to settle in the bay sediment. A further 65 tons of paint was estimated to be in danger of flaking off.
David Matsuda, acting administrator of MARAD, said in March 2010 "We are moving expeditiously to remove the worst-polluting ships first and diligently moving to clean the rest." Some 52 ships were identified as problematic, and were scheduled for removal and recycling by September 2017. The 20 that were in the most advanced state of decay were to be eliminated by September 2012, that process beginning in November 2009. One such vessel, the SS Winthrop, the last Victory ship of the California mothball fleet, was towed in March 2010 to BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair dock to be cleaned of barnacles and plant matter before its final journey to ship breakers in Brownsville, Texas. The hull cleaning was prescribed by the U.S. Coast Guard to prevent the spread of California species to other locations. Some of the recycling work may be completed in the San Francisco Bay Area, specifically at the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard—an application for such work is under permit review. Some $38 million in federal funds will be used to complete the dismantling project.
Through the 2010s, the oldest, most decrepit hulls at Suisun Bay will be stripped of toxic materials, then broken up in Texas, California or Asia. Twenty of the most polluting mothball ships are slated for recycling by 2012, as are 32 more by 2017. Unaffected will be the battleship USS Iowa which has been moved to Richmond to prepare for relocation to the Port of Los Angeles to become a museum ship.
The Suisun Bay Mothball Fleet
Following info from Wikipedia:
The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States of America during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises.The Suisun Bay location contained 324 ships in 1959. Forty years later, the number was down by about 250, but pollutants had begun to accumulate in the area. Paint containing toxins such as lead, copper, zinc and barium had been flaking off of many of the ships' hulls and superstructures. By June 2007, some 21 tons of toxic paint debris was estimated to have been shed from the ships, to settle in the bay sediment. A further 65 tons of paint was estimated to be in danger of flaking off.
David Matsuda, acting administrator of MARAD, said in March 2010 "We are moving expeditiously to remove the worst-polluting ships first and diligently moving to clean the rest." Some 52 ships were identified as problematic, and were scheduled for removal and recycling by September 2017. The 20 that were in the most advanced state of decay were to be eliminated by September 2012, that process beginning in November 2009. One such vessel, the SS Winthrop, the last Victory ship of the California mothball fleet, was towed in March 2010 to BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair dock to be cleaned of barnacles and plant matter before its final journey to ship breakers in Brownsville, Texas. The hull cleaning was prescribed by the U.S. Coast Guard to prevent the spread of California species to other locations. Some of the recycling work may be completed in the San Francisco Bay Area, specifically at the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard—an application for such work is under permit review. Some $38 million in federal funds will be used to complete the dismantling project.
Through the 2010s, the oldest, most decrepit hulls at Suisun Bay will be stripped of toxic materials, then broken up in Texas, California or Asia. Twenty of the most polluting mothball ships are slated for recycling by 2012, as are 32 more by 2017. Unaffected will be the battleship USS Iowa which has been moved to Richmond to prepare for relocation to the Port of Los Angeles to become a museum ship.
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KEDARNATH PHOTO MADE BY KAILASH MANSAROVAR FOUNDATION, SWAMI BIKASH GIRI , www.sumeruparvat.com , www.naturalitem.com
Kedarnath is a town located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and has gained importance because of Kedarnath Temple. It is a nagar panchayat inRudraprayag district. The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas, about 3,583 m (11,755 ft) above sea level near Chorabari Glacier, the head of river Mandakini, and is flanked by snow-capped peaks. The nearest road head is at Gaurikund, at a distance of 14 k.m.
The town suffered extensive destruction during June 2013 from flash floods caused by torrential rains in Uttarakhand state.
On June 16, 2013 at approximately 7:30 p.m., a landslide occurred near Kedarnath Temple with loud thunder followed by gushing of huge amount of waters from Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Tal down Mandakini River at about 8:30 p.m. which washed away everything in its path. On June 17, 2013 at approximately 6:40 a.m., waters rushed down River Saraswati and from Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Sarovar bringing along with its flow huge amount of silt, rocks and boulders. A huge boulder got stuck behind Baba Kedarnath Temple, protecting it from the ravages of the flood's fury. The flood water gushed on both sides of the temple destroying everything in its path.[4][5] Thus in the middle of pilgrimage season, torrential rains, cloud bursts and resulting flash floods nearly destroyed the town of Kedarnath. The town was the worst affected area by the floods.[6] Thousands of people were killed and thousands of others (mostly pilgrims) were reported missing or stranded due to landslides around Kedarnath. Although the surrounding area and compound of the Kedarnath temple were destroyed, the temple itself survived.[7][8] The Uttarakhand Chief Minister said that pilgrimage to Kedarnath would not be possible for next two to five years. The rescue operation resulted in more than 100,000 people being airlifted with the help of the Indian Army, Air force, NDRF and Indo-Tibet border police force. A helicopter (Mi 17) crashed during this exercise killing all 20 people on board (all of them were soldiers involved in relief and rescue work). The Air Force dropped logs to build pyres for mass cremations of the victims.[6] It was reported that previously uncollected bodies were still being found one year after the tragedy
One of MARAD's ready reserve fleet anchored at Alameda, California. It is named after Admiral William M. Callaghan who captained the battleship USS Missouri and was Launched on 17 October 1967.
www.maritime.dot.gov/national-defense-reserve-fleet/ndrf/...
B-17G 'Nine O Nine' flight. We took off from Concord (Buchanan Field) and headed west. We flew over the Carquinez Straight, Mare Island, and then turned around over San Pablo Bay. We did a pass over the Mothball Fleet in Suisun Bay (NDRF). Shot with a D7100 using a Nikkor 18-200mm and a Tokina 12-24mm.
KEDARNATH PHOTO MADE BY KAILASH MANSAROVAR FOUNDATION, SWAMI BIKASH GIRI , www.sumeruparvat.com , www.naturalitem.com
Kedarnath is a town located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and has gained importance because of Kedarnath Temple. It is a nagar panchayat inRudraprayag district. The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas, about 3,583 m (11,755 ft) above sea level near Chorabari Glacier, the head of river Mandakini, and is flanked by snow-capped peaks. The nearest road head is at Gaurikund, at a distance of 14 k.m.
The town suffered extensive destruction during June 2013 from flash floods caused by torrential rains in Uttarakhand state.
On June 16, 2013 at approximately 7:30 p.m., a landslide occurred near Kedarnath Temple with loud thunder followed by gushing of huge amount of waters from Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Tal down Mandakini River at about 8:30 p.m. which washed away everything in its path. On June 17, 2013 at approximately 6:40 a.m., waters rushed down River Saraswati and from Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Sarovar bringing along with its flow huge amount of silt, rocks and boulders. A huge boulder got stuck behind Baba Kedarnath Temple, protecting it from the ravages of the flood's fury. The flood water gushed on both sides of the temple destroying everything in its path.[4][5] Thus in the middle of pilgrimage season, torrential rains, cloud bursts and resulting flash floods nearly destroyed the town of Kedarnath. The town was the worst affected area by the floods.[6] Thousands of people were killed and thousands of others (mostly pilgrims) were reported missing or stranded due to landslides around Kedarnath. Although the surrounding area and compound of the Kedarnath temple were destroyed, the temple itself survived.[7][8] The Uttarakhand Chief Minister said that pilgrimage to Kedarnath would not be possible for next two to five years. The rescue operation resulted in more than 100,000 people being airlifted with the help of the Indian Army, Air force, NDRF and Indo-Tibet border police force. A helicopter (Mi 17) crashed during this exercise killing all 20 people on board (all of them were soldiers involved in relief and rescue work). The Air Force dropped logs to build pyres for mass cremations of the victims.[6] It was reported that previously uncollected bodies were still being found one year after the tragedy
KEDARNATH PHOTO MADE BY KAILASH MANSAROVAR FOUNDATION, SWAMI BIKASH GIRI , www.sumeruparvat.com , www.naturalitem.com
Kedarnath is a town located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and has gained importance because of Kedarnath Temple. It is a nagar panchayat inRudraprayag district. The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas, about 3,583 m (11,755 ft) above sea level near Chorabari Glacier, the head of river Mandakini, and is flanked by snow-capped peaks. The nearest road head is at Gaurikund, at a distance of 14 k.m.
The town suffered extensive destruction during June 2013 from flash floods caused by torrential rains in Uttarakhand state.
On June 16, 2013 at approximately 7:30 p.m., a landslide occurred near Kedarnath Temple with loud thunder followed by gushing of huge amount of waters from Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Tal down Mandakini River at about 8:30 p.m. which washed away everything in its path. On June 17, 2013 at approximately 6:40 a.m., waters rushed down River Saraswati and from Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Sarovar bringing along with its flow huge amount of silt, rocks and boulders. A huge boulder got stuck behind Baba Kedarnath Temple, protecting it from the ravages of the flood's fury. The flood water gushed on both sides of the temple destroying everything in its path.[4][5] Thus in the middle of pilgrimage season, torrential rains, cloud bursts and resulting flash floods nearly destroyed the town of Kedarnath. The town was the worst affected area by the floods.[6] Thousands of people were killed and thousands of others (mostly pilgrims) were reported missing or stranded due to landslides around Kedarnath. Although the surrounding area and compound of the Kedarnath temple were destroyed, the temple itself survived.[7][8] The Uttarakhand Chief Minister said that pilgrimage to Kedarnath would not be possible for next two to five years. The rescue operation resulted in more than 100,000 people being airlifted with the help of the Indian Army, Air force, NDRF and Indo-Tibet border police force. A helicopter (Mi 17) crashed during this exercise killing all 20 people on board (all of them were soldiers involved in relief and rescue work). The Air Force dropped logs to build pyres for mass cremations of the victims.[6] It was reported that previously uncollected bodies were still being found one year after the tragedy
"Fire. Know how to fight it!"
"What will you do? What will you say? / We marvel at your gall, / Who dare to risk your neck and speak / Alone against us all!" - The Acharnians, Aristophanes
Learn more about this photo: Adventures in the Abandoned Ships
On 30 September 2015, SSR operated a train for ARTC in the north-west of NSW with CRL's BRM002 and 4911, and Sydney Trains' railset number 8 (consisting of NDRF wagons).
The consist waited in the loop at Turrawan for the down Xplorer to clear the line.
The T.S. Enterprise has been named in honor of the Academy's first training ship, the U.S.S. Enterprise. Massachusetts Maritime Academy (then called the Boston Nautical School) used her as a floating classroom and dormitory in Boston from 1893 until 1909.
The new Enterprise was built as the Velma Lykes in Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans, Louisiana for Lykes Brothers Steamship Company in 1967. She served Lykes until 1986 when she was placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) under the ownership of the US Department of Transportation Maritime Administration. She was renamed Cape Bon, and saw service in Operation Dessert Storm in the Arabian Gulf in 1991. She was converted to a "public nautical Schoolship" at Bender Ship Repair in Mobile, Alabama under the direction of Interocean Ugland Management. Enterprise was delivered to the Academy on 16 April 2003, was commissioned to Academy service on 22 May 2003
Owner United States of America, Maritime Administration Operator Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Builder, 1967 Avondale Shipyards New Orleans, Louisiana Converted, 2002 Bender Ship Repair Mobile, Alabama
Length Overall 540'00" Beam, Molded 76'00"
Height, from Baseline 119'00" Draft, Design 27'06"
Light Ship, Tons 12,892 Loaded Displ. 18,549
Gross Registered, Tons 13,886 GT-ITC 13,886
Total Persons 601 GMDSS Areas I, II, III
Fuel Oil, Tons 2,503 Water, Potable, Tons 850
Shaft Horsepower 15,500 Speed, Knots 20
Boilers 2-D-type Propeller, 4 blades 21'09"
Propelling Machinery Steam, GE Geared Turbine Generators 2-GE Turbo
1-Wartsila Diesel
1-Caterpillar (Emer.)
Lifeboats 6-(76 person) Total Enclosed, Gravity Davits Liferafts 8-(25 person) Davit launched
Laboratories 1-Navigation Classrooms 1-Naviation
2-Engineering 4-Engineering
1-MSEP 1-MSEP
5-General Purpose
Messdecks 1-Cadet (240) Lounges 1-Cadet
1-Officers (46) 1-Officer
1-Crew (32) 1-Crew
Academic Support 7-Cadet Study Areas Offices 4-Training
1-Library 2-Comcad
1-Computer Room 6-Ship's Staff
1-Commissary
2-Cadet
Hospital Suite 1-Office Support 1-Barbership
1-Examination Room 1-Ship's Store
1-Treatment Room 1-Gymnasium
2-(4) person wards 1-Ship's Laundry
1-Medical Head 1-Cadet Laundry
KEDARNATH PHOTO MADE BY KAILASH MANSAROVAR FOUNDATION, SWAMI BIKASH GIRI , www.sumeruparvat.com , www.naturalitem.com
Kedarnath is a town located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and has gained importance because of Kedarnath Temple. It is a nagar panchayat inRudraprayag district. The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas, about 3,583 m (11,755 ft) above sea level near Chorabari Glacier, the head of river Mandakini, and is flanked by snow-capped peaks. The nearest road head is at Gaurikund, at a distance of 14 k.m.
The town suffered extensive destruction during June 2013 from flash floods caused by torrential rains in Uttarakhand state.
On June 16, 2013 at approximately 7:30 p.m., a landslide occurred near Kedarnath Temple with loud thunder followed by gushing of huge amount of waters from Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Tal down Mandakini River at about 8:30 p.m. which washed away everything in its path. On June 17, 2013 at approximately 6:40 a.m., waters rushed down River Saraswati and from Chorabari Tal or Gandhi Sarovar bringing along with its flow huge amount of silt, rocks and boulders. A huge boulder got stuck behind Baba Kedarnath Temple, protecting it from the ravages of the flood's fury. The flood water gushed on both sides of the temple destroying everything in its path.[4][5] Thus in the middle of pilgrimage season, torrential rains, cloud bursts and resulting flash floods nearly destroyed the town of Kedarnath. The town was the worst affected area by the floods.[6] Thousands of people were killed and thousands of others (mostly pilgrims) were reported missing or stranded due to landslides around Kedarnath. Although the surrounding area and compound of the Kedarnath temple were destroyed, the temple itself survived.[7][8] The Uttarakhand Chief Minister said that pilgrimage to Kedarnath would not be possible for next two to five years. The rescue operation resulted in more than 100,000 people being airlifted with the help of the Indian Army, Air force, NDRF and Indo-Tibet border police force. A helicopter (Mi 17) crashed during this exercise killing all 20 people on board (all of them were soldiers involved in relief and rescue work). The Air Force dropped logs to build pyres for mass cremations of the victims.[6] It was reported that previously uncollected bodies were still being found one year after the tragedy