Experience is our way of setting the bar higher
Seaward Marine Services Divers took some time Friday evening on May 29th to prepare the Naval Air sea plane ramp for the 24th annual Breezy Point Triathlon at Naval Station Norfolk. The event is the only triathlon in the area and is a popular race for first time and beginner triathletes because of the manageable distances. Seaward Divers arrived Friday prior to start of the race to clean the sea plane ramp of any marine growth and debris that has accumulated on the ramp giving the athletes a safe area to enter and exit the swimming portion of the event.
Seaward employees wish all Triathletes good luck in completing the 2015 Breezy Point Triathlon.
Posted on: 29/May/2015
Cecil C. Achord
Seaward Marine divers completed hull cleaning on three JHSV class ships in Norfolk, VA, Cape Canaveral, FL, and Honolulu, HI. Divers completed full hull cleanings on the FALL RIVER and CHOCTAW Co while completing cleaning of the water jet assembly, impellers, and sea chests on the MILLINOCKET. All three USNS ships were completed within the contracted time estimate, which also included additional Hycote work on MILLINOCKET’s leading edges of the keel and ride control surfaces, which were mechanically prepped and the underwater paint Hycote 461 was applied to these high abrasion surfaces.
Posted on: 20/May/2015
Cecil C. Achord
As of April 2015, the Seaward Marine Services, Inc. NDT Division has now completed more than 100 hull surveys using the Lamp Ray® ROV, recently including three LPD class ships and two USNS ships in Norfolk, and a CG in San Diego.
LAMP RAY® is a robotic scanning system that gives a complete picture of the ships underwater hull condition including hull plate thickness, paint dry film thickness, cathodic hull potential, and visual inspection. This is accomplished using accepted and approved techniques and practices by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and classification societies. The ROV “is a underwater NDT laboratory” whose location is tracked using a high precision acoustic tracking system that records this data in ships coordinates with high precision (±15cm = ±6in),.all data is time stamped which permits post-survey verification and validation of data. All of this allows NDT technicians to process and review this data and generate a survey report in an html format which uses standard internet browser to view the report. This allows for an easy to read report thus giving the ships manager the ability to identify potential problems that can be planned for and addressed.
Seaward Marine Services, Inc. Lamp Ray® ROV from Seaward Marine Services, Inc. on Vimeo.
Can't view the video on Vimeo? Click here for the youtube version.
Lamp Ray® ROV Underwater HD Video from Seaward Marine Services, Inc. on Vimeo.
Can't view the video on Vimeo? Click here for the youtube version.
Posted on: 13/May/2015
Cecil C. Achord
Patriot Contract Services awarded Seaward Marine Services the contract to complete the hull inspection, hull cleaning, and propeller cleaning for USNS WATSON (T-AKR-310). Seaward divers, using the Diving Vessel "Coastal Pride", completed the 950-foot roll-on/roll-off ship in an 8-day period, of which included approximately 18 hours of multi-brush hull cleaning. The overall tasking included the cleaning and polishing of the propellers and two bow thrusters, the cleaning of the rudders and underwater hull, and the performing of an internal underwater inspection and cleaning of all sea chests according to the requirements specified in the U.S. Navy Ships' Husbandry Manual Chapter 17 and Chapter 28, and the U.S. Navy Technical Manual Chapter 81. Pre and post cleaning video documentation of all sections of the hull was also completed as required by PCS contract.
Posted on: 12/May/2015
Cecil C. Achord
Marine Transport Lines Inc. requested Divers to support the TURBO activation of USNS CAPE EDMONT (AKR-5069). The CAPE EDMONT is part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet in Charleston, SC and must periodically “reactivate” to access the crew and ship's readiness. Seaward Divers mobilized to Charleston, SC and completed hull cleaning utilizing Seawards SCAMP multi-brush cleaning platform. The Divers also completed the propeller polish, cleaning of the shaft, rudder, sea-chests, bilge keels, and the bow and stern thrusters on the 682’ ship within 24 hours of diving. For all the hard work and long days, a job well done for the Divers and Crew of Seaward Mobile Unit One.
Posted on: 23/Apr/2015
Cecil C. Achord
Seaward Marine Services completed underwater hull cleaning and inspection on the USS CONSTITUTION (IX-21) on April 7, 2015 in support of an upcoming Dry-Dock period in May 2015. USS CONSTITUTION is one of six Frigates authorized for construction in 1794, was named by President George Washington after our U.S. Constitution and is the oldest fully commissioned U.S. Navy ship. Seaward Marine Divers completed a pre-clean assessment, the hull cleaning and post-clean documentation report within sixteen working hours. The Divers Hull Inspection Data report with photos was delivered to the Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment and the NAVSEA Director of Ocean Engineering Supervisor of Salvage and Diving on site Representative.
As recognition to Seaward’s involvement in the preparation of the dry-docking Seaward’s Divers were given the opportunity to sign a sheet of the copper cladding that will be used to replace sheeting installed during the CONSTITUTION’s previous docking in 1992.
Click here for the SUPSALV.org writeup for more on our cleaning of the USS CONSTITUTION.
USS Constitution Hand-Held Cleaning Demo from Seaward Marine Services, Inc. on Vimeo.
Can't view the video on Vimeo? Click here for the youtube version.
Posted on: 10/Apr/2015
Cecil C. Achord
Keystone Services awarded Seaward Marine Services the contract to complete the propeller and bow thruster cleaning and polish, sea chest cleaning, and forward hull cleaning for USNS Maj STEPHEN W. PLESS (T-AK-3007). Seaward divers using the Diving Vessel "Coastal Pride" completed all work within a 3-day period including 4 hours of multi-brush hull cleaning of the ship’s forward hull sections (an area approximately 25,000 sqft). The contract, based on best value and price, completed within the estimated time and was performed according to the requirements specified in the U.S. Navy Ships' Husbandry Manual Chapter 17 and Chapter 28, and the U.S. Navy Technical Manual Chapter 81.
Posted on: 28/Mar/2015
Cecil C. Achord
Bath Iron Works has awarded Seaward Marine Services a 10 year Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) for services to help support Post Delivery planned, corrective and emergent work on board LCS class vessels. This is an acknowledgement that Seaward Marine Services has special skill knowledge and abilities in the work performed under this agreement. Seaward Marine will use such skills, specific knowledge, ability, best efforts, ingenuity and due diligence in performance of work and services agreed upon in this BOA.
Posted on: 28/Jan/2015
Cecil C. Achord
In September, Seaward Marine NDT Division completed its eleventh Lamp Ray hull survey within a five-month period ending an intense but rewarding effort by the division’s staff. A few of these surveys can take as long as two weeks depending on the size of the unit being gauged, but all hulls were completed on time and on approved budget including a four ship run in August that began with the USNS CAPE RACE in Portsmouth VA and ended with three ships in San Diego CA. The list included seven U.S. Navy warships, two Naval Reserve ships and the Display Ship BARRY.
After finishing three ships in May and early June Crowley Maritime requested a underwater hull cleaning, ABS inspection and hull survey services for the Ready Reserve Ship S.S. WRIGHT home ported in Baltimore M.D. The Lamp Ray Crew transited back to Norfolk to complete a U.S. Navy asset then traveled to Washington D.C. to complete the Display Ship BARRY at the Washington Navy Yard (see July 8 posting).
The NDT Division is scheduled to complete two more Lamp Ray hull surveys before the end of this year.
Posted on: 31/Oct/2014
Cecil C. Achord
Seaward Marine Services Mobile Unit 4 got the call for an immediate need to clean the underwater hull of MV Frisia Bonn for Independent Container Lines of Wilmington, NC. Our customer said the ship was experiencing 20% “slippage” referring to efficiency lost in the thrust of the propeller. In the case of MV Frisia Bonn this was due to moderate marine growth on the hull and propeller causing more shaft turns required to make desired speed which dramatically increases the fuel consumption rate.
Independent Container Lines authorized the work on Wednesday 10/1 in the afternoon, the crew mobilized out of Norfolk VA on Thursday, and met the ship at the terminal 0700 on Friday 10/3 to begin dive operations. Despite diving in a hostile environment with a very swift non-stop current Seaward Mobile 4 crew pushed through continuously for 20 hours to get the hull cleaning complete and the ship underway as soon as possible. “Thanks very much for your quick response and hard work; I understand the conditions, at times, were less than favorable” said Rob Frazier Sr. Director US Ports & Warehouse Operations Independent Container Line.
Posted on: 22/Oct/2014
Cecil C. Achord
