MOBILE, Alabama – The Mobile Bar Channel and Mobile River Channel will close to commercial traffic Friday morning while tugs bring the former USS Enterprise (CVN-65) into Mobile. The tow is set to begin at 6 a.m. Friday, November 13, weather permitting, the Alabama Port Authority said.
The closure covers the full Mobile Ship Channel from Mobile Lighted Buoy 1 to the Cochrane Bridge. It could last several hours. Any vessel that wants to enter or stay in the channel safety zone needs Coast Guard authorization.
Moving protection zone follows the carrier
A 500-yard Naval Protection Zone will travel with the Enterprise. It starts when the ship enters the Coast Guard’s Captain of the Port Mobile zone and ends when the ship is safely moored at the Modern American Recycling Services (M.A.R.S.) facility.
Vessels inside 500 yards must travel at the minimum speed needed to hold a safe course. Anyone who wants to come within 100 yards needs permission from the Coast Guard or an official patrol.
Fixed zone at the berth
After the Enterprise ties up at the M.A.R.S. facility at 701 S. Royal St., a fixed safety zone will take effect around the berth. That zone sits outside the Mobile River federal channel. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects the fixed zone to have no effect on commercial vessel traffic during dismantling.
What mariners should do
The Alabama Port Authority Harbormaster’s office is working with the Coast Guard, the Navy and other partners to watch weather and port conditions before the tow. The Coast Guard’s Sector Mobile and the port’s news page will post any schedule changes.
Commercial mariners and recreational boaters should monitor VHF Channel 16 for Coast Guard instructions during the tow. Mariners can also use Channel 16 to ask for permission to enter a restricted area. Boaters should expect law enforcement patrols along the tow route and follow directions from officers on the water.
Questions go to the Sector Mobile Command Center at (251) 266-5888. Boundaries for the safety zones, including the fixed zone, appear in Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District Navigation Bulletins 26-143 and 26-144 on the district’s Navigation Notices page.
Jason Johnson, the port authority’s director of communications, is the media contact at jason.johnson@alports.com or (334) 701-9145.