NEW YORK - With Hurricane Earl expected to affect the northeast Atlantic coast, the Coast Guard is stressing the importance of safety for recreational and commercial mariners and swimmers.

Coast Guard search and rescue capabilities may be severely degraded during a hurricane.

The Coast Guard urges the boating public to stay informed by monitoring storm progress via local television, radio and internet news programs. Boaters can monitor storm progress on VHF channel 16, which provides small craft advisories and warnings to boaters.

Be sure to secure your belongings; boat owners are urged to double-check their mooring lines and secure life rings, life jackets and other loose items, preventing their boat or equipment from breaking free and causing damage.

As Hurricane Earl approaches it may create dangers in the water, such as large waves, rip currents and undertows capable of dragging swimmers away from the beach.

Whenever possible, swim at a lifeguard-protected beach. If caught in a rip current, remain calm. Don't fight the current. Instead, swim in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim toward shore or a boat. If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself by facing the shore or boat, waving your arms, and yelling for help.

Be cautious with hazardous materials; if you have hazardous materials on or near the water, you are responsible for any spills that may occur. Take the necessary precautions to secure them prior to any heavy weather.

Mariners are reminded that drawbridges along the coast may deviate from normal operating procedures prior to a storm. They are generally authorized to remain closed up to eight hours prior to the approach of gale-force winds of 34 knots or greater, and whenever an evacuation is ordered.

Port conditions, vessel restrictions and waterfront facility guidance can be found at: http://homeport.uscg.mil/newyork for New York and New Jersey and http://homeport.uscg.mil/lis for the Long Island Sound area.

NEW YORK - With Hurricane Earl expected to pass along the Atlantic Coast this weekend, the Coast Guard is stressing the importance of safety for boaters and swimmers.

Coast Guard search and rescue capabilities may be severely degraded during a hurricane.

The Coast Guard urges the boating public to stay informed by monitoring storm progress via local television, radio and internet news programs. Boaters can monitor storm progress on VHF channel 16, which provides small craft advisories and warnings to boaters.

Be sure to secure your belongings; boat owners are urged to double-check their mooring lines and secure life rings, life jackets and other loose items, preventing their boat or equipment from breaking free and causing damage.

As Hurricane Earl approaches it may create dangers in the water, such as large waves, rip currents and undertows capable of dragging swimmers away from the beach.

Whenever possible, swim at a lifeguard-protected beach. If caught in a rip current, remain calm. Don't fight the current. Instead, swim in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim toward shore or a boat. If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself by facing the shore or boat, waving your arms, and yelling for help.

Be cautious with hazardous materials; if you have hazardous materials on or near the water, you are responsible for any spills that may occur. Take the necessary precautions to secure them prior to any heavy weather.

Mariners are reminded that drawbridges along the coast may deviate from normal operating procedures prior to a storm. They are generally authorized to remain closed up to eight hours prior to the approach of gale-force winds of 34 knots or greater, and whenever an evacuation is ordered.

NEW YORK– A Captain of the Port Order requiring suspension of operations was issued and delivered Friday, Aug. 20, 2010, to the owner/operator of the New York Sailing School in New Rochelle, NY.

The basis of the suspension is the failure of the owner/operator of the sailing school to comply with the federally mandated Drug and Alcohol Program (DAPI). The owner/operator has not enrolled his business in a DAPI program and has no recollection or records to prove any drug or alcohol tests have ever been conducted upon himself or any of his employees.

The discovery of this apparent violation was the result of an investigation carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard, Sector New York, following the death of Irish native and Brooklyn resident Eoin Curran on July 25 when he was swept overboard in a severe squall from a New York Sailing School sailboat. Curran was a student at the school and was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.

Coast Guard personnel conducted investigations at the New Rochelle school several times after Curran’s death, most recently on Wednesday of this week.

Under the Captain of the Port Order, the school cannot resume operations until such time as it is not only enrolled in a drug and alcohol testing program but is in active compliance with testing and record keeping requirements.  The Coast Guard must specifically rescind the Captain of the Port order for the school to resume operations.

In addition, the Coast Guard condemned and terminated the operation of a 30-foot wooden hulled launch used by the school to ferry students from shore to the school’s sailboats, moored in Echo Bay off of New Rochelle. This termination was based upon numerous structural deficiencies.

For more information please contact Charles Rowe at (718) 354-2359.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. -- Lt. Commander K. Moore, Coast Guard Atlantic Area, was presented the NAACP’s Roy Wilkins Renown Service Award for 2010 on July 13 at the Department of Defense 36th Annual Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Awards dinner in Kansas City, Mo.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People cited Moore for superior performance while assigned to Coast Guard Sector New York, as the Chair of the Human Relations Council.

“I was shocked and honored to be recognized for all the great things that we accomplished at Sector New York,” said Moore. “It was great to serve and do all of these great things in my hometown of New York City.  I would have never been able to accomplish this without the great support of the command, and the men and women of Sector New York.”

Moore reignited the Council’s purpose by improving the local Partnership in Education program and tripling Council membership. His efforts resulted in garnering support for the program from more than 20 schools and universities. An outstanding ambassador for the Coast Guard, he served as a panelist for the 2009 Thurgood Marshall College Fund Leadership Institute, guest speaker at the Public School 184 graduation ceremony, and presenter on the Junior Officer Hero’s Panel for Eclipse Week at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

In addition, he re-established two nationally recognized, professional mentoring groups in the New York area; the National Naval Officers Association Big Apple Chapter, and the Association for Naval Service Officers Admiral David Farragut New York Chapter.

“While Lt.  Moore may have been shocked to receive this award, it didn't surprise me,” said Vice Adm. Robert C. Parker, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area. “The very same qualities he brought to the interview to work on my personal staff are the ones that served him so well in his assignment at Sector New York and especially during the crisis on the Hudson.  I’m very happy to see this recognition bestowed upon him.”

The Roy Wilkins Renown Service Award was instituted in 1975 in commemoration of the distinguished service of Roy Wilkins, who established the NAACP Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Department in 1969.

For more information, please contact Ms. Lorraine C. Brooks at (757) 398-6436.

NEW YORK, NY – The U.S. Coast Guard celebrates 220 years of service to America Wednesday, and the service will commerorate this event at Federal Hall here, courtesy of the U.S. Park Service, custodian of this historic building.

“Coast Guardsmen are agile, adaptable and multi-missioned,” said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Robert J. Papp, Jr.  “Born as revenue cuttermen, lighthouse keepers, steamboat inspectors and surfmen, we have expanded to meet the maritime needs of our nation.  As Coast Guard men and women, we share a bond of pride in our rich heritage and a common purpose to uphold our honorable traditions.

The connection between the Coast Guard and New York City is as old as the Coast Guard itself. The service’s founding father is Alexander Hamilton, one of the nation’s founding fathers and an influential figure in the creation of the U.S. Constitution and our system of government. 

From its genesis as the Revenue Marine, the Coast Guard has evolved to become the world’s premiere multi-mission, maritime service, conducting operations around the globe to execute its 11 missions.  

"We are still keepers of the lights," said Papp. "But we also now patrol far more distant waters. We readily go wherever there are important, difficult and dangerous maritime duties to be performed.”

New York City continues to hold an important place in Coast Guard history, just as the Coast Guard has played a role in New York City history. Together with fellow first responders in federal, state and city law enforcement, the Coast Guard shares the responsibility of keeping New York City safe from all enemies foreign and domestic. There is no more important mission for the Coast Guard than the security of our nation’s ports and waterways.

The Coast Guard began its service to America in 1790 within the Treasury Department as the Revenue Marine, later renamed the Revenue Cutter Service.  The Revenue Cutter Service joined with the U.S. Lifesaving Service in 1915 to create the Coast Guard.  The U.S. Lighthouse Service was added to the U.S. Coast Guard in 1939, followed by the Steamboat Inspection Service in 1946.  The Coast Guard transferred from the Treasury Department to the Department of Transportation in 1967 and to the Department of Homeland Security in 2003.The ceremony at Federal Hall includes an art exhibition of 41 original works by noted artists, including several from New York.

The public is invited to attend.

The ceremonial events will be as follows:

1130 a.m. – The Brass Quintet from the U.S. Coast Guard Band will commence a short concert on the steps of Federal hall.

1200 p.m. – Art program docent Karen Loew, a noted New York City artist, will open the program.

1215 p.m. – Chief Warrant Officer Raymond Pagan, US Coast Guard, will give a presentation on the link between the Coast Guard and Alexander Hamilton

1230 p.m. – Captain Linda Fagan, Captain of the Port of New York and Commanding Officer of US Coast Guard forces in New York and northern New Jersey, will give a presentation on the historic and current ties between New York City and the Coast Guard and the role that the unique Coast Guard Art Program plays in the service.

1245 p.m. – Karen Loew will conclude the ceremony, invite all to view the exhibition and answer any questions about the Coast Guard’s Art Program.

1250 p.m. – The Brass Quintet will perform a second concert.

All participants are available for interviews after the ceremonial events.

The media is invited to attend. Please contact Mr. Charles Rowe (718) 354-2359 for further details

The Coast Guard has suspended their search for Eoin Curran, the 30-year-old boater who went missing near Larchmont, N.Y.

The search was suspended at approximately 1 p.m. today, pending further developments.

Twelve searches were conducted over 21 hours, covering a 101-square nautical mile area, which included two first-light searches by a Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City helicopter and rescue crew.  Additional searches were conducted by West Chester County Sherrif and Police aircraft.

Curran reportedly went overboard when the sailboat he was on was affected by a squall on Sunday, July 25.

He was training on a 23-foot sailboat, along with an instructor and two other individuals, when it reportedly listed 90 degrees due to heavy winds from the squall.  Both Curran and the instructor fell overboard; the instructor was able to get aboard the sailboat and a personal flotation device was thrown to Curran, according to reports.

Curran was reportedly not wearing a life jacket. The flotation device thrown to him has since been recovered.

The Coast Guard urges all boaters to take the appropriate safety precautions before and while underway.  Weather changes faster than many boaters anticipate at sea - if it looks as if a storm is approaching, boaters should monitor marine band radio for safety advisories and head to the nearest safe haven if necessary.  Boaters should always wear life jackets and bring the necessary safety gear for a boating trip: a radio, cellular phone, sound-producing device and flares drastically increase the safety level of a boating trip. Filing a float plan with friends or family that details where you are going and when you plan to be back will allow agencies to respond quickly if you do not return during the expected time.

NEW YORK-The Coast Guard continues to search for a boater who fell from a sailboat Sunday, off Larchmont, N.Y.

The man reportedly went overboard when the sailboat he was on was affected by a squall.

The 30-year-old man was training on the 23-foot sailboat, along with an instructor and two other individuals, when it reportedly listed 90 degrees due to heavy winds from the squall.  The missing man and the instructor fell overboard, the instructor was able to get aboard the sailboat and a personal flotation device was thrown to the man in the water, according to reports.

The man in the water was reportedly not wearing a life jacket.  The flotation device thrown to him has since been recovered.

A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Kings Point searched throughout the night, and another crew is on-scene searching today.  At first light a rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City also searched and the Westchester County Sheriff’s Office also joined the search today.

The search area spans from City Island, N.Y., to Matinecock Point, N.Y.

The Coast Guard urges all boaters to take the appropriate safety precautions before and while underway.  Weather changes faster than many boaters anticipate at sea - if it looks as if a storm is approaching, boaters should monitor marine band radio for safety advisories and head to the nearest safe haven if necessary.  Boaters should always wear life jackets and bring the necessary safety gear for a boating trip: a radio, cellular phone, sound-producing device and flares drastically increase the safety level of a boating trip. Filing a float plan with friends or family that details where you are going and when you plan to be back will allow agencies to respond quickly if you do not return during the expected time.

NEW YORK-The Coast Guard is searching for a man who disappeared from sight when he reportedly fell off his sailboat near Larchmont, New York, around 3:30 p.m., today.

The 20-year old man was training on a sailboat when a squall quickly overtook the area, according to eyewitnesses.  An instructor reportedly saw the man fall into the water and threw a floatation device to him, but he disappeared from sight.

The missing boater was reported to have not been wearing a life jacket.

A Coast Guard Station Kings Point, N.Y., rescue boat crew was diverted to the scene, arrived shortly after notification and are actively searching alongside Larchmont Police Department, Mamaroneck Police Department and New Rochelle Police Department assets.

A Coast Guard rescue helicopter was also deployed, from Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., to aid in the search.

Winds at the time of the incident fluctuated in the range of 20-35 mph.

The Coast Guard urges all boaters to take the appropriate safety precautions before and while underway.  Weather changes faster than many boaters anticipate at sea - if it looks as if a storm is approaching, boaters should monitor marine band radio for safety advisories and head to the nearest safe haven if necessary.  Boaters should always wear life jackets and bring the necessary safety gear for a boating trip: a radio, cellular phone, sound-producing device and flares drastically increases the safety level of a boating trip. Filing a float plan with friends or family that details where you are going and when you plan to be back will allow agencies to respond quickly if you do not return during the expected time.

NEW YORK - Coast Guard Sector New York received a report at approximately 2 a.m. Sunday from the operator of a pleasure craft with five persons aboard stating that they’d been struck by a yellow Seadoo in the vicinity of Ward’s Point.  Another vessel, the Cornucopia Princess, also witnessed a yellow Seadoo operating erratically and nearly striking their vessel. Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook diverted a 25-foot response boat and crew to investigate. The Seadoo departed the scene before the response unit arrived.  

Once on scene, the Coast Guard crew confirmed there were no injuries associated with the pleasure craft. After providing a statement to the Coast Guard boarding officer, the operator of the pleasure craft returned to the Sewaren boat ramp.

During the Coast Guard response, the Seadoo returned to the area. The Sandy Hook response boat and crew came alongside, and reported that the operator appeared intoxicated.  The Seadoo was taken in tow to the Perth Amboy Marina, where the operator failed a field sobriety test.

The Coast Guard was joined by the Perth Amboy Police Department, who did not have alcohol testing equipment available, but offered to take the operator to the hospital for testing.  The Station Sandy Hook boarding officer accompanied them to the hospital.

Perth Amboy PD is pursuing the case with Coast Guard assistance.

NEW YORK - The Coast Guard received a report at approximately 10 a.m. from FDNY of an oil sheen at Valentino Pier in Brooklyn, New York.  FDNY, seeking to establish the amount and type, responded with FDNY assets Marine 6 and Hazmat 1.

A Coast Guard 45-foot response vessel and crew from Station New York was deployed to the spill. Once on scene, the response crew reported a sheen in the water surrounding the Valentino Pier, measuring approximately 150 feet by 30 feet.  FDNY and the Coast Guard both reported the substance to be petroleum based, and red in color.

In the interest of safety, the Coast Guard issued a notice to mariners over VHF channel 16, advising mariners to stay clear of the area, and transit at a reduced speed until the cleanup is completed.

Coast Guard pollution investigators were sent to investigate the spill, joined shortly after by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, who determined there were approximately 20 gallons of diesel oil in the water.

The Coast Guard is investigating this incident in correlation to an earlier report from the tug Timothy Reinauer, in which a 1-foot by 1-foot emulsified oil pocket was reported near their tug.  The Timothy Reinauer has since transited to the Reinauer yard, where they boomed off the tug and ordered divers to investigate.  A local dive company found a crack in the hull adjacent to the fuel tank, located just below the water line.  Miller's Environmental responded and boomed off the tug.  Coast Guard pollution investigators reported that there is no recoverable product in the Erie Basin.

The tug’s operator has since emptied the fuel tank, and is effecting permanent repairs.  Reinhauer Tugs have contracted Miller’s Environmental, who are currently on scene cleaning up the spill.

Mariners both recreational and commercial are reminded to avoid transiting the area surrounding the Valentino Pier until the cleanup has been completed.