Author: cecilachord

 

In conjunction with the Underwater Inspection in Lieu of Drydocking (UWILD) there was also a Visual Technical inspection (VTI) performed on the propellers. This inspection serves as a means of getting exact locations of any damage or defects on the edges and surfaces of all blades along with verifying proper hub data and potential damage or defects to it as well. 

Each of these inspections require the use of highly skilled and trained divers. Seaward Marine Services, LLC’s Norfolk, VA based dive crew Mobile 2 took on the task and performed with flawless results well within the given timeline and budget. 

Fairlead Boat Works https://fairleadint.com/
American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) https://ww2.eagle.org/en.html
Underwater Inspection In-Lieu of Dry Docking (UWILD)  https://ww2.eagle.org/content/dam/eagle/rules-and-guides/current/survey_and_inspection/156_himp/HIMP_Guide_e-July17.pdf
Visual Technical inspection (VTI)  https://www.dcma.mil/NPP/training/
 

The city of Norfolk, National Maritime Center, Nauticus, https://nauticus.org/ contracted Seaward Marine Services to provide diving services in support of ongoing Battleship Wisconsin Underwater Ship Husbandry multi-year maintenance contract.  This year Seaward performed multiple tasks including hull cleaning to facilitate underwater painting and a comprehensive underwater hull condition survey. The dive vessel Coastal Pride provided divers the platform to complete the hull cleaning. Hull cleaning was completed to prepare the hull for an extensive ROV based condition assessment. The “Lamp ray” ROV is a hull crawling robot that measures metal and coating thickness. http://www.seaward-marine.com/lamp-ray
 

 

U.S. Marine Management Inc http://www.maersklinelimited.com/services/u-s-marine-management-inc-usmmi/ contracted Seaward Marine Services to provide diving services in support of USNS Mendonca short fuse activation. 
 

 

Mid Atlantic Engineering Technical Services (MAETS) contracted Seaward Marine Services to provide diving services in support of USNS Apache T-ATF 172 at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story VA. Work was completed September 16-17, 2019 on budget and under the allotted timeline.

https://www.maets.com/

The no-notice exercise started for Seaward Marine Services in Norfolk VA at 1615 hours on Monday September 16, 2019 with a phone call from a Keystone Shipping Company Port Engineer. “We were just notified four of our Charleston assets have been turbo activated. Can Seaward support all four hull cleanings in a two-day availability?” During the Keystone call another one is received from the Ready Reserve Force Program Manager for Pacific-Gulf Marine. His voicemail stated “we have two Newport News assets that have been turbo activated, can Seaward provide support?” The scramble begins. Seaward Operations Manager David Spruill immediately calls Navy Reps in Mayport FL and Norfolk VA. “Can we put a few USN scheduled ships on standby for a couple days this week to support an emergent MARAD event?” “We will make up the lost time over the weekend.” Then a call goes out to Diving Supervisor Mander (Butch) Adkins Seaward Mobile Unit 1 in Mayport FL. “We need your team to mobilize to Charleston tomorrow morning in support of MV Cape Douglas and MV Cape Decision turbo activation. Another call to Diving Supervisor Vernon “Dean” Womack Seaward Mobile Unit 4. “Change of plans, we need your team to mobilize to Charleston tomorrow in support of MV Cape Edmont and MV Cape Ducato turbo activations.” Finally, a call to Diving Supervisor William “Bill” Greenwood Seaward Dive Vessel Coastal Pride. “We need you to defer your team to Newport News Terminal in support of SS Cornhusker State and SS Gopher State turbo activations.” Supervisors start making calls to dive team members, reservations for lodging, load out and logistic plans are finalized. By the time Tuesday morning news reported “Pentagon Orders Large Scale Test of U.S. Sealift Fleet”, Seaward Marine Services Norfolk Operations is moving eight dive team members with 30 tons of equipment north to Charleston from Mayport. Another eight-member dive team with 30 tons of equipment are heading south to Charleston from Norfolk and the 59 ft long by 20 ft wide 96-ton Dive Vessel Coastal Pride with their eight-member team is rumbling across the James River heading to Newport News from Norfolk Naval Station. 

https://maritime-executive.com/article/pentagon-orders-large-scale-test-of-u-s-sealift-fleet

https://maritime-executive.com/article/msc-sealift-activation-drill-showed-merchant-marine-s-strength
 
https://seapowermagazine.org/most-sealift-vessels-measured-up-in-32-ship-pressure-test-army-general-says/

Then the real work began. Seaward Marine Services dive teams worked up to 16-hour days to make sure the U.S Sealift fleet and Ready Reserve Force ships underwater hulls, propellers, rudders, sea chest gratings, thrusters, and appendages are cleaned and inspected in two-day availabilities prior to accelerated dock and sea trials. It was a massive undertaking. As it turns out, turbo activations that are designed to test the readiness of Military Sealift Command and Maritime Administration Ready Reserve Force is also one heck of an exercise for Seaward Marine Services dive teams. Nothing tests our capabilities, equipment, management, supervisory, and diver personnel commitment and dedication to task better than a good turbo activation. This Pentagon ordered exercise was a 28-ship turbo activation. There are no other dive companies in the world capable of managing and executing accelerated multi tasked high-quality diving operations at several locations simultaneously like Seaward Marine Services. That’s why Seaward Marine Services has become the undisputed Turbo King of diving for civilian managed U.S Military Sealift Command and Maritime Administration Ready Reserve Forces. Bravo Zulu Seaward Divers! Well done indeed. Thank you for the outstanding representation. You are truly the best diving organization in the world!

http://www.keyship.com/

 

Seaward Marine Services would like to thank the Historic Naval Ships Association for having us at their annual conference which was held this year in Manitowoc, WI and the Wisconsin Maritime Museum for hosting the event.  We'd like to thank all those who came by our booth this year, and hope that more museum ships will begin to utilize and count on our services the way our current museum ship customers have. Thanks again, and always looking forward to doing what we can to help you preserve naval history.
 

 

Manning the booth in Manitowoc – From Left to Right:  Kevin Morero, West Coast Operations Manager – Cecil C. Achord, Director of IT & Marketing

 

 

Seaward Marine Services would like to thank the American Society of Naval Engineers for putting on the Fleet Maintenance and Modernization Symposium in San Diego, CA and the San Diego Convention Center for hosting the event.  Most of all, we'd like to thank all those who came by our booth this year.  A big thank you to the port engineers for all the kind words in appreciation of what we do. Looking forward to the next show.
 

In January 2010, Seaward Marine Services, LLC was contracted by the USS MIDWAY Museum in San Diego, CA to participate in an ongoing multi-year underwater hull preservation program for EX-USS MIDWAY (CV-41).  The latest tasking, as part of this program, was performed from April 8 – July 11, 2019, included a full hull cleaning, and partial hull potential survey.  A Cygnus 1 underwater digital thickness gauge was utilized to measure the hull plate thickness at selected areas of the underwater hull for future planned maintenance. All four stern tubes and shafts were sealed using rope, Splash Zone, and Hycote applications. This was accomplished to seal the interior spaces from water and mud intrusion. Work was accomplished by Seaward’s Dive Boat, Jaqueline II, and crew, with Diving Supervisor Micah Penman.
 

 

Keystone Shipping Company contracted Seaward Marine Services to provide diving services in support of two separate MARAD USNS Turbo-Activations is Charleston, SC. Turbo- Activations are no-notice readiness exercises for the prepositioned ships to get the vessels tested and underway within 96 hours.
 

http://www.keyship.com/

Walashek Industrial awarded Seaward Marine Services, LLC a firm fixed Purchase Order to accomplish a cleaning of the propeller, rudder, bow thruster, seachest gratings, transducers, appendages, and provide an underwater video inspection of the USNS Robert E. Perry, in Norfolk, VA. Period of performance was June 3-5, 2019. Work was accomplished by Seaward’s Dive Boat Coastal Pride Crew, with Dive Supervisor Bill Greenwood.
 

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Seaward Marine Services was tasked with the restoration of the Sea Chest Box Attachments("Box Blanks") on the Battleship Wisconsin.  The Wisconsin's box blanks were cleaned, inspected, and 62 were repaired using Hycote 151 underwater epoxy coating application.  Work was performed April 8-22 by Seaward's dive boat Coastal Pride and crew, Dive Supervisor Bill Greenwood, and Project Manager Mike Charles.
 

 
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Keystone Shipping Company contracted Seaward Marine Services to provide diving services in support of two separate MARAD USNS Turbo-Activations is Charleston, SC. Turbo- Activations are no-notice readiness exercises for the prepositioned ships to get the vessels tested and underway within 96 hours.
 

http://www.keyship.com/

Crowley Government Services has awarded Seaward Marine Services Norfolk a USNS Multi-Ship contract to provide diving services on USNS Obregon, USNS Pless, and USNS Kocak in Newport News VA. Work to be completed by Seaward Marine Services Dive Vessel Coastal Pride crew includes cleaning and inspecting the propellers, rudders, depth sounder fathometers, and Doppler speed logs.
 

http://www.crowley.com/industries-we-serve/government-and-military/overview/
 

Seaward was featured on Manufacturing Marvels, a 2 minute promotional video, which aired on the Fox Business Channel, February 11, 2019.   
 

Mid Atlantic Engineering and Technical Services has awarded Seaward Marine Services, LLC a firm fixed Purchase Order to provide Diving Services on the USNS Megar Evers (T-AKE-13).

The scope of work included main propeller and hub propeller cleaning and polishing, weardown readings, and inspection of the Underwater Hull, Propeller, Bow Thruster, Bilge Keels, Sea Chests, and Tail Shaft.  Diving Operations were carried out Feb 4-8 by Seaward's Mobile Two.
 

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Walashek Industrial awarded Seaward Marine Services, LLC Norfolk, a firm fixed Purchase Order to accomplish a Full Clean and DataScan Hull Survey, of the Navy Barge IX-516 at the Nuclear Propulsion Training Unit Goose Creek Charleston, SC. Period of performance was January 14-21, 2019. Work was accomplished by Seaward MOB-1 out of Mayport, FL, and the Datascan/Lampray team out of Norfolk.
 

 

Anglo-Eastern Ship Management Ltd has awarded Seaward Marine Services, LLC firm a fixed Purchase Order an ABS underwater hull inspection in lieu of dry-docking (UWILD) for the bulk carrier AM Ghent.

Work was performed October 3rd at DTA Terminal Newport News, VA by Seaward Marine Dive Vessel Coastal Pride and Crew.
 

 

Seaward Marine Services would like to thank the Historic Naval Ships Association for having us at their annual conference which was held this year in Bremerton, WA and the Kitsap Conference Center for hosting the event.  We'd like to thank all those who came by our booth this year, and hope that more museum ships will begin to utilize and count on our services the way our current museum ship customers have. Thanks again, and always looking forward to doing what we can to help you preserve naval history.

Seaward Marine Services San Diego put together this great video while cleaning the Museum Ship USS Midway, kudos to all involved:

HNSA 2018 Sponsors:

 

Keystone Shipping Services has awarded Seaward Marine Services, LLC firm a fixed Purchase Order to provide cleaning and inspection of the MV Cape Rise(T-AKR-9678) in support of a turbo activation.
 
The scope of work included cleaning and inspection of underwater hull, rope guard, rudder, bilge keels, gratings, propeller, rudder, bow and stern thrusters.  Work was performed September 27-28 by Seaward Marine Services Dive Vessel Coastal Pride and Crew.
 

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US Marine Management, Inc.(USMMI) has awarded Seaward Marine Services, LLC firm a fixed Purchase Order to provide cleaning and inspection of the USNS Brittin (T-AKR 305) and USNS Mendonca (T-AKR 303), with the USNS Brittin cleaning being in support of a turbo activation.

The scope of work included cleaning of propellers, rudders, sea chest gratings, bow thruster units, and inspection of the underwater hulls and appendages.  Work was performed September 20-26 by Seaward Marine Dive Vessel Coastal Pride and Crew.

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