DVC Gelberman proudly flies the flag because it leads the Fleet Week parade
Fleet Week in New York City is a cherished custom, a week-long celebration that yearly invitations a number of U.S. Navy ships, Coast Guard cutters, U.Okay. Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy vessels to dock within the metropolis and provides the general public a glimpse into the world of maritime protection and naval operations. This yr, although, the parade was not led by a warship, however by a Corps of Engineers workhorse, the drift assortment vessel DCV Gelberman.
For a long time, the DCV Gelberman has performed a vital position within the upkeep and security of New York’s waterways, making certain they continue to be navigable by eradicating obstructive objects. This yr, nonetheless, it was given a brand new process and a brand new degree of visibility. On a stupendous sunny morning, as crowds lined the City’s waterways, the DCV Gelberman made its grand entrance into the brand new York Harbor, main an impressive procession of naval ships.
“This was an unexpected but fitting role for a vessel that is typically unsung despite its critical function,” says the New York Engineer District. “As it led the procession, the DCV Gelberman was emblematic of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ mission to deliver vital public and military engineering services, and of the essential work done behind the scenes to keep our ports and waterways functional. It was a testament to the diligent, dedicated efforts of the Army Corps team at Caven Point, embodied in this one industrious ship.”
Delivered in 1980, the 46 foot lengthy DVC Gelberman is considered one of three New York Engineer District drift assortment vessels, however not the oldest. That title is held by the 1948-built DVC Driftmaster, which is about to get replaced by a brand new diesel electrical hybrid vessel at present below development at Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors LLC, Lockport, La.
The three drift assortment vessels are used each day (one vessel works on every weekend day) to gather giant floating drift that could be a risk to all vessels’ hulls, rudders and propellers.t
The undertaking effort consists of finding, accumulating, eradicating and disposing of as much as 530,000 cubic ft or drift and floatables per yr, which equates to about 450 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) of inter-modal cargo containers, or 225 forty-foot freeway tractor-trailers. Drift is a really severe risk to all vessels’ hulls, rudders and propellers.
