The Seamen’s Church Institute’s (SCI) Center for Maritime Education (CME) was asked to provide updated data to support Texas A&M University at Galveston’s proposed dock for its new National Security Multi-Mission Vessel, utilized as a training ship for Texas A&M cadets. The request came from Capt. David Foret, of the ACTion Group and Chair of the Navigation Subcommittee, during the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee meeting on May 2 at USCG Sector Houston/Galveston.

Capt. Foret, aware of CME’s 2024 feasibility study for Texas International Terminals (TXIT), inquired of CME whether that data could be expanded to assess the potential impact of the proposed dock’s construction and placement in the Galveston Channel on vessel traffic and navigational safety. The answer was, yes.

The project involves extending an existing open-pile pier with new mooring points and bumpers, constructing a 610-foot dock using a combination of steel sheet piling bulkhead with an open-pile concrete dock with steel pipe pile structures, and dredging approximately 35,000 cubic yards of material to a depth of 30 feet below mean lower low water. Using these specifications, CME created and ran simulations with towboats and tanker barges under various conditions to evaluate navigational impacts. CME then produced a series of swept-path visuals, providing clear, data-driven illustrations of vessel movement near the construction site. The analysis showed that marine traffic would remain largely unaffected, helping to resolve stakeholder concerns over navigational safety.

In finding creative ways to expand on existing research, CME delivered timely, actionable insights that informed stakeholders and reinforced its core mission of advancing mariner safety through improved navigational analysis and risk mitigation.