Experience is our way of setting the bar higher
Seaward Marine Services, LLC, a Titan company
The Seaward logo contains the distinctive signal flags inquiring, "DO YOU NEED ASSISTANCE?" flown from a ship at sea.
This theme has been consistent throughout our evolution as a corporation, from our founding in 1972 with Search and Recovery of aircraft, ordnance, and other items, often at significant depths; through offloading thousands of tons of fuel oil from vessels in distress, minimizing damage to the environment and the vessel itself; to presently with underwater hull cleaning, inspection, and repairs including underwater welding and painting. Our most recent initiative has been the successful application of state-of-the-art hardware/software/sensor technology to field multi-sensor ROVs to test the underwater condition of various marine structures, including ships, floating petroleum production/storage vessels in fixed positions, and other structures at sea. In sum, our logo projects our goal to provide valuable assistance, anytime, anywhere, underwater.
Ed Wardwell graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served at-sea in three nuclear submarines. He participated in the search for USS THRESHER (SSN-593) and was a member of the Deep Submergence Systems Review Group. Upon leaving the Navy he joined the joint National Geographic Society/Smithsonian “Man in the Sea Program” and managed a record-setting deep saturation dive at 432 feet for 48 hours. This led to formation of Ocean Systems, Inc., with Ed as a founding member/Chief Engineer, enjoying many successes, e.g., a successful search and recovery of an H-bomb off Palomares, Spain.
Ed founded Seaward in 1972 as a deep-sea search and recovery (S&R) company and was quickly involved in many pioneering S&R operations, many associated with the Vietnam war effort. He proceeded to diversify the company to add manufacturing of large marine fendering and pollution control equipment and systems, as well as an ordnance clearance division, and eventually underwater ship husbandry/hull cleaning services. Ed’s words of advice to new managers was, “Tell the truth and have fun!”
Following 1962 graduation from Harvard University, Gene completed Diving and Explosive Ordnance (EOD) Schools, served as an EOD Officer in Vietnam and as the Research Division Officer for the EOD facility in Washington, DC. He was responsible for managing and funding of over 20 EOD projects developing tools, procedures, and manuals, in addition to a number of aircraft search and recovery jobs as the Washington Naval District EOD Officer. Upon leaving naval service he served in a series of operational and administrative capacities in companies dealing with ship salvage and search and recovery of aircraft (e.g., a C-2A in the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam and a B-52 in Thule, Greenland).
As a co-founder of Seaward, Inc. in 1972 Gene was the Vice-President responsible for all product manufacturing, oil pollution control systems and projects, and development of new diving services capabilities. He subsequently served as the President of Seaward Marine Services, Inc. in the early 80s.
Bob Kutzleb served 24 years in the Navy, including commanding an ocean-going salvage and diving ship and an ocean-going submarine rescue ship. Upon leaving the Navy, he was responsible for non-nuclear aspects of submarine work for a major shipbuilder, as well as at-sea trials at the completion of submarine construction/overhauls. For the next six years, he was responsible for search and recovery projects, in addition to managing the delivery and certification of the Navy’s Mark I Deep Dive System. Examples of the multitude of underwater search and recovery projects for which Bob was responsible include recovery of the ALVIN from a depth of 5,100 feet, recovery of a B-52 from Lake Michigan, and of a large helicopter off Florida from approximately 500 foot depth.
As a co-founder of Seaward, Inc. he was responsible for all operational aspects of its aircraft search and recovery, ocean surveys, and specialized research ship operations. Serving as the on-scene manager for the more complex operations, he averaged over one per month for a multi-year period.
Bill Searle graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy, the Navy School of Diving and Salvage, and obtained a graduate degree in naval architecture from MIT. Operational duties included clearing hundreds of World War II wrecks from various harbors in the South Pacific, serving at the Experimental Diving Unit and then as the Pacific Fleet Salvage Officer. In 1964, he was assigned as the Navy Supervisor of Diving and Salvage. In this capacity he was responsible for recovery of a lost H-bomb off Palomares, Spain; locating the lost submarine SCORPION; and several other still-classified diving and salvage projects. Appointed as a Special Consultant for the UN Relief Operation in Bangladesh, he held the rank of Ambassador while clearing their harbors after its war of independence. His status as a world-class ocean engineer was recognized when he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. He was a co-founder of Seaward, Inc. in 1972.
