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New York District Drift Collection Vessel HAYWARD leads Parade of Ships

Public Affairs
Published May 23, 2019
New York

DCV HAYWARD leads the Parade of Ships to kick off Fleet Week 2019.

New York

USS New York (LPD-21) moves down the Hudson with the Freedom Tower in the background. The USS New York was constructed with steel from Ground Zero where the World Trade Center fell on September 11th 2001.

New York

The DCV HAYWARD and the DCV DRIFTMASTER pass the Statue of Liberty in the Parade of Ships 2019.

New York

DCV HAYWARD passes the Freedom Tower in Lower Manhattan during the Parade of Ships 2019.

NEW YORK-The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Drift Collection Vessel HAYWARD sailed alongside the wedge of U.S. Navy and Canadian surface combatants, Military Sealift ships,  and U.S. Coast Guard vessels in the parade of ships that entered New York Harbor May 22nd to participate in Fleet Week 2019, a week-long event celebrating the maritime services.

The ships transited the Anchorage Channel and sailed under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge mid-morning as onlookers lined the shores of Staten Island and Brooklyn, N.Y. and welcomed the fleet.

A cannon fire salute was rendered from the Fort Hamilton Army Post in honor of fleet reminiscent of cannon fire from the battery during the Revolutionary War.  Arriving crewmembers lined the rails of the arriving ships as the ship dipped the national ensign from the mast in a return salute.  After the ships docked in Manhattan, Staten Island and Brooklyn, scores of military personnel from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard descended on the Big Apple and participated in Fleet Week festivities in the five boroughs, New Jersey and Long Island, including Memorial Day events on the Intrepid Museum pier and parades including the largest and oldest of the Memorial Day parade in the Nation in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. For over a century military veterans and others have marched through the streets of Brooklyn to pay tribute and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.

The HAYWARD's mission is to remove floating debris and obstructions from high use shipping channels and provide clear and safe navigation and ensure products arrive to the container terminals in the Port of New York and New Jersey.  Each day, the HAYWARD crew ensures that the waters of the Hudson River that flows between New York and New Jersey up to the Tappen Zee Bridge remain navigable by removing floating debris.

The vessel's crew is responsible for removing hazards to navigation such as sections of floating pier, timber and removing sunken derelict vessels.  The unique flat hull design enables the HAYWARD to effectively maneuver as it lifts large pieces of debris out of the harbor.  Debris too large for the nets are towed alongside. 

The flotilla of debris collection vessels not only keep the Hudson River clear and navigable, it also keeps the entire New York Harbor and federal navigation channels clear of debris and hazardous material. The crews facilitate clear passage for vessels, and help bolster an urban economy that injects billions of dollars into the eastern Port of New York & New Jersey.

The DCV HAYWARD and its crew got a well-deserved moment of admiration during this year’s Fleet Week Parade of Ships, but as soon as the ships were docked, the vessel got right back to work, ensuring that commerce and free movement of all vessels remain uninhibited throughout the New York Harbor.