Come Aboard
Come Aboard

Tag: Coast Guard

America’s Inland Waterways Drive American Agricultural Dominance

The last tow of the 2025 Upper Mississippi River navigation season departed St. Paul, Minnesota, Tuesday, Nov. 25. The Motor Vessel Sierra Dawn departed late afternoon enroute to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, Minnesota, with 12 barges. (Image Credit: USACE)

By VOICES Staff. America’s barges quietly sustain farmers’ ability to compete, and dominate, in global markets — a reality underscored by a new 2026 federal study on the economic importance of inland waterways to U.S. agriculture. The report, prepared for the U.S. Department of Agriculture by the Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center, finds that the […]

Hackathon Delivers Next-Gen Ice Forecasting for the U.S. Coast Guard

Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw (WLBB 30), a Great Lakes District ice-breaking cutter, arrives on scene to assist the motor vessel Wilfred Sykes, a lake freighter, beset by ice on Lake Huron Jan. 21, 2026. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. j.g. William Erekson).

By VOICES Staff.  Winter on the Great Lakes is not simply a seasonal challenge. It is an operational test for one of the most economically vital corridors in the United States. Each year, ice cover threatens the flow of commerce across a multibillion-dollar shipping system that moves roughly 130 million tons of cargo — including […]

The Tugboat, Towboat and Barge Industry’s Importance to National and Homeland Security

ACBL Mariner - AWO National Security Video

By American Waterways Operators. The American Waterways Operators, the trade association of the American tugboat,  towboat and barge industry, has released a new video on the industry’s contributions to  U.S. national and homeland security.   The two-minute video, The Tugboat, Towboat and Barge Industry: Supplying America,  Securing America, notes that while the mariners who transport cargo […]

Alabama Port Authority celebrates completion of Mobile Harbor Modernization Project

By Alabama Political Reporter Staff. The Alabama Port Authority on Monday celebrated the completion of the Mobile Harbor Modernization Project, marking the achievement of a 50-foot channel depth that officially makes the Port of Mobile the deepest container terminal in the Gulf of America. The event, held at APM Terminals Mobile, drew hundreds of customers […]

Great Lakes Icebreaker Gap Threatens American Maritime Dominance

By James Weakley, Lake Carriers’ Association. When Americans think of our coastlines, most picture the beaches of the Atlantic, the Pacific, or the Gulf. But the Great Lakes are America’s fourth coast — a 2,300-mile expanse reaching deep into the nation’s industrial heartland. Each year, this system moves more than 135 million tons of cargo worth over […]

The Trump Opportunity: Shipbuilders Discuss America’s Maritime Moment

Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Mike Roberts (Left) hosts the discussion at the Institute's DC offices (Credit: American Maritime VOICES).

By VOICES Staff. For the first time in decades, the men and women of American Maritime are in the spotlight, receiving Presidential and Congressional support, attention that industry veterans say was “really unimaginable until really just two or three years ago.” At a recent Hudson Institute panel discussion, leading voices in American shipbuilding came together […]

U.S. Representative Lisa McClain Recognized as a Great Lakes Champion

U.S. Congresswoman Lisa McClain of Michigan was honored as Legislator of the Year by the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force for her advocacy on behalf of the Great Lakes maritime industry. Her efforts, which include securing funding for the Soo Locks and a new heavy icebreaker, directly support the jobs and livelihoods of Jones Act mariners who operate the U.S.-flagged vessels on the Great Lakes.

By Great Lakes Maritime Task Force. Port Huron, MI (August 18, 2025) – On Monday, August 18, 2025, the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) recognized Michigan Congresswoman Lisa McClain for her efforts advocating for the Great Lakes Navigation System and those who live and work on or near the Fourth Sea Coast. “It is […]

‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ bolsters Coast Guard shipbuilding programs

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Argus becomes the first Offshore Patrol Cutter to be launched at a christening ceremony Panama City, Florida, Oct. 27, 2023. Petty Officer 1st Class Ronald Hodges, U.S. Coast Guard photo | DVIDS

By Steve Wilson. (The Center Square) — Passage of the “Big, Beautiful Bill” this summer has provided a jolt to the U.S. Coast Guard’s shipbuilding program as it seeks to replace most of its aging fleet. The service’s most important shipbuilding program, the Heritage class Offshore Patrol Cutter, is years behind schedule and its cost […]

The Impact of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” on the Jones Act and U.S. Maritime Growth

By VOICES Staff. On July 4th, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBB), a massive reconciliation package that includes significant provisions for the maritime industry. The bill delivers critical funding to enhance U.S. maritime security, shipbuilding, and defense capabilities, while fostering economic growth and job creation in maritime-related sectors. The […]