2009 World Maritime Day Parallel Event

Ship Tours

Please note: Some of the Web sites listed below are not federal government Web sites, and may not necessarily operate under the same laws, regulations and policies as federal Web sites.

The commercial and government vessels listed below were available for ship tours throughout the World Maritime Day Parallel Event (October 16-18). Public tours were conducted to describe the vessel’s mission and in particular to showcase the vessel’s green aspects.

Coast Guard Buoy Tender

The JAMES RANKIN (WLB 555) is a 175-foot Keeper class Coastal Buoy Tender. She uses its advanced navigational capabilities to maintain the ship’s position while servicing aids to navigation and performing other missions to protect the marine environment. The JAMES RANKIN has embraced a “Green” path forward while conducting its missions. JAMES RANKIN is equipped with two Azimuth thrusters (Z-drive propulsion units) instead of the standard propeller and rudder configuration. The Azimuth thrusters significantly increase the maneuverability of the ship and help to reduce the fuel consumption. To reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, the JAMES RANKIN uses ultra low sulfur diesel fuel. In addition, the cutter normally switches to electrical shore ties rather than utilizing its generators while in port. Its crane and buoy deck also provide an ideal platform for the Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System (VOSS), which is a deployable oil spill recovery system. The JAMES RANIKIN leads the scrap metal recycling program for the Coast Guard in the Baltimore area, which has recycled 45 tons of buoy chain and buoy hulls annually for the past ten years. She also participated in a ship-wide recycling program that has reduced 60% of the ship’s garbage output.

Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry Alice Austen is one of several vessels used to provide Staten Island ferry service between Staten Island and Manhattan. This ferry system is operated by the New York City Department of Transportation, and this project was undertaken in cooperation with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The Staten Island Ferry is currently cooperating with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Alice Austen program involved the analysis, specification, installation, regulatory approvals and emission performance assessment of emissions control technology. The Alice Austen is retrofitted with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) in combination with the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC). The project activities took place from early 2003 to early 2006. It is expected to result in a reduction of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 16.5 tons per year. After installation, emissions testing showed that NOx emissions were reduced by 70%, carbon dioxide emissions were reduced by 90%, and particulate matter emissions are estimated to be reduced by 25%.

Statue Cruises Small Passenger Vessel

The Statue Cruises ferry, Miss Freedom, is a passenger vessel that runs between New York, New Jersey, Liberty Island, and Ellis Island. Millions of people ride on the Statue Cruises’ ferries to visit the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island each year. Statue Cruises and all of the Hornblower affiliates are dedicated to providing the greenest fleet, which include replacement of old engines with brand new, ultra efficient engines that comply with the EPA’s Tier II clean air standard and the implementation of biodiesel and a carbon offset program for select cruises. A second hybrid ferry is currently in the design phase. Statue Cruises also participates in the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority program to promote energy efficiency and minimizing the ecological impact. Miss Freedom is equipped with Tier II engines, practices fuel efficient throttle protocols, and uses ultra low sulfur diesel fuel to reduce acid-producing sulfur. These efforts will result in reduced fuel burn and emissions by 20% to 30%compared to EPA standards.

Coast Guard Patrol Boat

The 110-foot Island Class Patrol Boat (WPB) is a coastal patrol vessel used for a multitude of Coast Guard missions in areas as wide ranging from the Persian Gulf to the Caribbean and Alaska. Recently, the Coast Guard has retrofitted these vessels with stern flaps to improve their efficiency. The stern flaps allow the vessels a greater maximum speed and over 10% fuel cost savings. The patrol boats have also recently transitioned to the FM200 fire suppression system, which is a versatile and tested clean agent with zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP).

NOAA Hydrographic Ship

The NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson is one of 20 in the fleet of hydrographic, oceanographic and fisheries research vessels operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Thomas Jefferson’s primary mission is hydrographic survey for updating NOAA’s nautical charts. The Thomas Jefferson uses several conservation measures to help lower its environmental footprint. Some of these include: biodegradable grease used on deck equipment, fluorescent light bulbs throughout the ship, low sulfur diesel fuel, 15ppm oily-water separators, Halon 1301 aboard the ship and FM-200 aboard the launches for firefighting capabilities. In addition, the Thomas Jefferson has also been modified to provide increased sewage and gray-water holding capacity to improve zero-discharge capabilities, as well as the use of new EPA Tier II generators on the ship and the engines on both of the ship’s launches. Future plans for the Thomas Jefferson include partaking in fleet-wide, comprehensive energy audits intended to reduce air emissions and the fleet’s overall carbon footprint. Finally, the Thomas Jefferson also actively participates in a ship wide recycling program which includes bottles, cans, cardboard, metal, and batteries.

K-Sea Transportation Tug Boat

The K-Sea Transportation DAVIS SEA is a tug boat engaged in the delivery of bunker fuel to ships in New York harbor. To reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, the DAVIS SEA has “Energy Star” rated appliances such as washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and light bulbs, which reduce the electrical consumption from the generator. The DAVIS SEA also uses ultra low sulfur diesel fuel, which will significantly reduce its sulfur dioxide emissions and she is scheduled to repower with Tier II engines in her next dry dock period. To reduce the boat’s environmental footprint, new shaft seals are installed to prevent bilge oil leaks in the water and bio-degradable greases are used in the JAK coupling system. The DAVIS SEA is also actively involved in a ship-wide recycling program which includes used batteries, oil, oily wastes, paints, solvents, and other hazardous materials.

Coast Guard Medium Response Boat

The 45' Response Boat-Medium (RB-M) is the third initiative in the Response Boats 2010 strategic vision and transition plan aimed at standardizing and revitalizing the Coast Guard’s shore-based response. The RB-M will re-capitalize capabilities of the existing multi-mission 41’ utility boats and multiple non-standard boats to meet the needs of the Coast Guard Office of Boat Forces. The RB-M is installed with state-of-the-art marine technology such as waterjet propulsion, advanced electrical systems, and integrated electronics that allow greater control from the pilot house. The waterjet propulsion will allow higher efficiency and lower vessel resistance due to the absence of underwater appendage like shafts, rudders, and shaft struts during high speed. Technological and design features will improve search object tracking, water recovery efforts, crew comfort, and maneuvering/ intercept capabilities for defense operations. With the latest developments in integrated navigation and radiotelephony, command and control will be greatly enhanced, as will crew safety.

The ship tours were open to the general public and free of charge. For more information on the ship tours, please contact our Ship Tours Coordinator. LT Harrison Liang
(202) 475-3448

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Last Modified 10/20/2009

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2009 World Maritime Day Parallel Event

Ship Tours