An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

News from around the Fleet

The Barrier Boats of NSA Souda Bay Port Operations

03 February 2023

From Nicholas S. Tenorio

Sailors in Port Operations at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay welcome two new, 30-foot Modutech work boats to the team.
Work boat? Barrier boat? Push tug? Mini tractor tug? Marine bulldozer?

Call it what you want, but the Sailors in Port Operations at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay call the two new, 30-foot Modutech work boats welcome additions to the team.

Crane operators load an old barrier boat onto a truck for disposition near the NATO Marathi Pier Complex in Souda Bay, Crete, Greece.
Crane operators load an old barrier boat onto a truck for disposition near the NATO Marathi Pier Complex in Souda Bay, Crete, Greece.
Crane operators load an old barrier boat onto a truck for disposition near the NATO Marathi Pier Complex in Souda Bay, Crete, Greece.
230119-N-YD328-0125
Crane operators load an old barrier boat onto a truck for disposition near the NATO Marathi Pier Complex in Souda Bay, Crete, Greece.
Photo By: Nicholas Tenorio
VIRIN: 230119-N-YD328-0125

“These work boats are very important to our work in Port Operations,” said Chief Boatswain’s Mate Andre Edwards. “They are needed for our day-to-day mission.”

The new work boats are versatile pieces of marine equipment that can push, tow or otherwise provide assistance to ships in port.

“For example, if a destroyer pulls into port, the work boats will go out and open up the security barriers to allow the ships to access the pier and moor up,” said Edwards. “The work boat will close the barrier behind the ship and then place an oil boom around the ship. The oil boom is there to prevent oil from getting out into the bay in case of a spill.”

In order to pilot the new 30-foot vessels, Sailors must first be Coxswain qualified, which requires the completion of a personnel qualification standard for Coxswains. A specialized PQS for the work boat must then be completed.

“It’s about learning how to manipulate these boats,” said Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Sebastian Sanchez. “It makes everything more efficient and makes the mission a lot easier when all of our Sailors are qualified to operate the equipment.”

The Port Operations Team of Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay is pictured in front of one of their Port Ops boats. The team supports U.S., Allied, Coalition, and Partner nation forces operating in the U.S. Sixth Fleet through port services and oil spill prevention and response for visiting assets.
The Naval Support Activity Souda Bay Port Operations Team supports U.S., Allied, Coalition, and Partner nation forces operating in the U.S. Sixth Fleet through port services and oil spill prevention and response for visiting assets.
The Port Operations Team of Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay is pictured in front of one of their Port Ops boats. The team supports U.S., Allied, Coalition, and Partner nation forces operating in the U.S. Sixth Fleet through port services and oil spill prevention and response for visiting assets.
230119-N-YD328-0131
The Naval Support Activity Souda Bay Port Operations Team supports U.S., Allied, Coalition, and Partner nation forces operating in the U.S. Sixth Fleet through port services and oil spill prevention and response for visiting assets.
Photo By: Nicholas Tenorio
VIRIN: 230119-N-YD328-0131

The Port Operations team at NSA Souda Bay works at the NATO Marathi Pier Complex, which sits on Souda Bay near the city of Chania. Port Operations supports U.S., Allied, Coalition, and Partner nation forces operating in the U.S. Sixth Fleet through port services and oil spill prevention and response for visiting assets. The NATO Marathi Pier Complex is the only deep-water pier in the Mediterranean Sea with berthing capability for aircraft carriers.

“The goal is to get these ships and submarines in and out in a timely manner,” said Sanchez. “We need to be able to do our part so that they continue to support the Fleet.”
 

Google Translation Disclaimer

  • Google Translate, a third party service provided by Google, performs all translations directly and dynamically.
  • Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil has no control over the features, functions, or performance of the Google Translate service.
  • The automated translations should not be considered exact and should be used only as an approximation of the original English language content.
  • This service is meant solely for the assistance of limited English-speaking users of the website.
  • Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil does not warrant the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information translated.
  • Some items cannot be translated, including but not limited to image buttons, drop down menus, graphics, photos, or portable document formats (pdfs).
  • Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil does not directly endorse Google Translate or imply that it is the only language translation solution available to users.
  • All site visitors may choose to use similar tools for their translation needs. Any individuals or parties that use Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil content in translated form, whether by Google Translate or by any other translation services, do so at their own risk.
  • IE users: Please note that Google Translate may not render correctly when using Internet Explorer. Users are advised to use MS Edge, Safari, Chrome, or Firefox browser to take full advantage of the Google Translate feature.
  • The official text of content on this site is the English version found on this website. If any questions arise related to the accuracy of the information contained in translated text, refer to the English version on this website, it is the official version.

Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea   |   PSC 478 Box 1   |   FPO AP, 96212-0001
Official U.S. Navy Website