My employer, the U.S. Coast Guard announced today that it expects to make difficult reductions in operational capacity in the next fiscal year. This follows the submission of the President’s Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Request to congress, which includes the Coast Guard’s request for $10.08 billion dollars. The FY11 request is down from the FY10 $10.42 billion appropriation.

It’s a mess for the folks down in Port Arthur Texas this weekend, as crews work to clean up the estimated 11,000 barrels of crude oil that spilled from the Singapore flagged crude tanker Eagle Otome after it collided with a barge being pushed by the towing vessel Dixie Vengeance in the Sabine Neches Waterway near Port Arthur.

Good news for the time being for the Indian flagged cargo ship, the APJ Suryavir that was previously reported disabled and adrift in the North Pacific, South of the Aleutian chain. The crew reported in to the Coast Guard that they had been able to make repairs to what appears to be the fuel pump and are continuing their voyage to Portland, OR.

The empty Indian flagged cargo ship APJ Suryavir has reported itself disabled and adrift in the North Pacific, approximately 544 NM south of Adak in heavy seas. It will be a busy 48 hours as the crew of 28 is preparing to abandon ship to seek shelter on another passing cargo ship. Abandoning ship in heavy seas will no doubt be a dangerous evolution, and our prayers and thoughts go out to the mariners on board this ship.

Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circulars (NVIC), usually pronounced “Nav-iks” may be able to help you or your ship in the constant quest to stay in compliance within the maze of regulations and policies.  Here is the Coast Guard’s own description of NVICs – A Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) provides detailed guidance about the [...]