Author Archives: Chuck Hill

Navy Gets New Flame Proof Coveralls for U/W

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Navy Times is reporting the Navy is issuing new “flame proof” coveralls for use underway. Now will the Coast Guard follow suite?

“For the fleet’s top boss, this is personal. Gortney remembers being a lieutenant junior grade aboard the aircraft carrier Nimitz on the night in 1981 when a Prowler crashed into the flight deck, unleashing a fuel fire that cooked off bombs in a terrifying maelstrom. By the time it was extinguished two hours later, 14 people were dead, including the aircrew and first responders.

“’It kind of shapes you for the rest of your life: 50 sailors injured and we lost 14,’ Gortney recalled. ‘Discovered that night that if you’re going to have a major conflag[ration], there’s three things that occur: You’re either running to fight the fire, you’re trying to evade the fire or you’re trying to aid a shipmate in need. And you do that wearing what you got on.’

“’And so we have about one and a half major conflags a year, believe it or not, for the last 30 years,’ Gortney continued, defining this as a fire that exceeds the capability of the initial responders. ‘So it’s important that we put our sailors in outfits that they’re able to be the first person on the scene to deal with the fire that’s there.’

“Gortney said that’s what the new coveralls are designed to do. Their fabric is 100 percent cotton treated with flame-resistant coating, a combination that self-extinguishes and can protect its wearer’s skin from a blaze.”

Unfortunately, it seems the need for flame resistant clothing is a lesson that needs to be learned over and over again.

A Bigger Motor Lifeboat

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gCaptain is reporting Dutch Naval Architects (including some from Damen), “have teamed up to design and build the next-generation of all-weather fast rescue lifeboats for the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM).” It features an “Axe-bow” which is claimed to reduce pitching and allow higher speeds in a seaway. They also expect the boat to be much quieter. If you look at the stern, there is what appears to be, an innovative scoop for picking up people in the water.
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The full post, includes lots of pictures and data. At 19.3 meters (63 feet), the boat is a lot bigger than either the 47 foot MLB or the 45 foot RB-M. It is also considerably larger in displacement. It is a bit faster than the MLB, but slower than the RB-M.

New World’s Largest Icebreaker–also Nuc Powered

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Just a note from the German Navy’s Marine Forum without attribution from their “Upcoming/Planned Events” section. Measurements reported in metric translate to 568.4 ft long, 111.5 ft or beam, 34.4 ft draft.

“RUSSIA (05 Nov)
Baltic Shipyard (St. Petersburg) on 05 Nov will formally start construction of “next.generation” nuclear powered Project 22220 ice breaker LK-60 … to become world’s largest ice breaker (173.3 x 34 x 10.5m; two-reactor power plants)”

MARAD Seeks Input for Maritime Policy Formation

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The Federal Register has recently published a request for agenda topics leading to development of a national maritime strategy.

“The Maritime Administration (MARAD) invites the public and other Marine Transportation System stakeholders to participate in a discussion intended to develop a robust national maritime strategy. The purpose of this public meeting is to gather ideas for improving the Nation’s cargo opportunities and sealift capacity while ensuring future sustainability. Speaker and topic proposals for the public meeting’s agenda are requested and may be submitted to the docket referenced above. The meeting agenda will be published in the docket and on the MARAD Web site at a later date, after consideration of responses received in the docket.”

Thanks to Maritime Memos for bringing this to my attention.

World’s Largest Floating Structure

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gCaptain reports on progress on Shell’s Floating Liquified Natural Gas Facility being built in South Korea, “a 488 meter (1600 feet long–Chuck), 600,000 dwt vessel that will eventually be moored offshore Australia to produce, liquefy, store, and offload natural gas.” (includes video)

With the US producing and exporting natural gas perhaps we will be seeing one of these off the US coast. If we do, it may represent a whole new set of challenges for the Coast Guard.

DHS Secretary Nominated, Leadership in Disarray

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Fiercehomelandsecurity is reporting the President has nominated Jeh Johnson, formerly the Defense Department’s general counsel, to serve as the next homeland security secretary. Undoubtedly the department needs leadership. Currently the Department has an acting Secretary, acting Deputy Secretary, and acting Inspector General.

Alejandro Mayorkas, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and nominee for DHS Deputy Secretary is already under fire, reportedly being investigated by the department Inspector General for helping a prominent politician secure investor visas.

Fiercehomelandsecurity also reports that the Deputy Inspector General Charles Edwards was questioned by letter from Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.)–the chairwoman and ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee on financial and contracting oversight, regarding accusations of abuse of power and nepotism. Edwards currently heads the IG staff, as the IG position has long been vacant.

I have to say I am disappointed the President did not choose someone with a more operationally oriented background.