NEW YORK-The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Drift Collection Vessel DCV DRIFTMASTER isn’t the largest vessel compared to U.S. Navy combatants, but its mission is just as important as any warship that participated in Fleet Week’s 2016 Parade of Ships. The flotilla arriving in the New York Harbor May 25 was able to electrify onlookers along the shores of Brooklyn, Staten Island and along the promenade of the Hudson River in Manhattan due to the hard work of DCV DRIFTMASTER.
USACE crews on board the DCV DRIFTMASTER work tirelessly each day to ensure the Hudson River up to the Tappen Zee Bridge remains navigable.
The DCV DRIFTMASTER Removes debris and obstructions from high use navigation channels to provide clear and safe channels for general navigation and to ensure that life and property is protected. The vessel lifts wreckage, sections of piers and sunken derelict vessels and barges which are hazards to navigation. The unique catamaran hull design enables the vessel to effectively trap floating debris between its hulls where it is collected in nets.
Pieces too large for the nets are towed alongside.
The USACE "fleet" of debris collection vessels not only keep the Hudson River clear and navigable, they keep the entire New York Harbor and all of its federal navigation channels clear of debris and hazardous material. They facilitate clear passage for vessels, and help bolster an economy that injects billions of dollars into the local economies annually.
In lower Manhattan crowds lined the Hudson River and cheered on the ships as the parade of ships traveled northward between New Jersey and New York for what will be their home away from home for an entire week, through the Memorial Day weekend in the heart of New York City.
Every year scores of Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, and Marines descend on New York City to participate in Fleet Week festivities, as well as New York City’s Memorial Day Parades. The largest and oldest of the Memorial Day Parades will take place in Brooklyn. For 149 years Veterans and others have marched through the streets of Brooklyn to pay homage to and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.
The DCV DRIFTMASTER and its crew got a well-deserved moment of admiration during this year’s Fleet Week Parade of Ships, but as soon as the festivities were concluded, DCV DRIFTMASTER got right back to work, ensuring that commerce and free movement of all vessels remain uninhibited throughout the New York Harbor.