New York Naval Militia christens new Landing Craft style boat on Aug. 7 at Jennings Landing in Albany

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The LC-350, a 35-foot Munson Boat landing craft recently placed in service with the New York Naval Militia.

ALBANY (08/06/2018) (readMedia)-- New York's Naval Militia will formally accept a newly acquired 35-foot landing craft style boat into service during a christening ceremony at Albany's Jennings Landing park on the Hudson River on Tuesday, August 7.

The vessel will enable the Naval Militia to deliver three tons of emergency supplies, a vehicle, or 27 personnel to beaches or shorelines along Long Island or the Hudson River during flooding or other emergency situations.

WHO: Major General Anthony German, the Adjutant General of New York; Naval Militia Rear Admiral Timothy Zakriski,commander of the New York Naval Militia; and other leaders of the New York Naval Guard and Naval Militia. Lisa Bogardus, a Division of Military and Naval Affairs employee who played a role in helping to acquire the vessel will act in the traditional role of ship's sponsor.

WHAT: A formal ceremony in which the "LC-350" will be officially added to the New York Naval Militia fleet of patrol boats maintained by the Military Emergency Boat Service. Traditional the christening occurs when a ship or boat enters the water. In this case the vessel is already afloat but the ceremony will be a formal acceptance into service.

WHEN: 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, August 7, 2018

WHERE: Jennings Landing,1 Quay St, Albany, NY (Albany river front).

Coverage Opportunities:

Reporters will be able to obtain video and still photography of the ceremony and talk to leaders of the New York Naval Militia. Media members can sign a waiver and take a short ride on the new vessel.

BACKGROUND:

LC "Landing Craft" 350

The new Naval Militia vessel is a landing craft style boat built by William E. Munson Co. of Burlington, Washington. The boat's bow is a ramp which can be dropped to allow access to the shore by people, or vehicles.

The boat costs approximately $317,000. Three quarters of that cost to the state of New York is paid through a 2016 federal grant for Port Security.

The boat can also be trailered to any location in the state when needed.

The landing craft will be operated by the Naval Militia's Military Emergency Boat Service, known as MEBS, which operates nine other watercraft as well to respond to state emergencies, augment law enforcement agencies and support the Coast Guard.

Designated as "LC-350," – for Landing Craft 35 feet long -- the boat was purchased as the result of lessons learned during the New York Naval Militia response following Superstorm Sandy in New York City and Long Island.

Naval Militia personnel found that in some instances the fastest way to get people and supplies to areas around Long Island was by boat. However, the patrol boats operated by the Naval Militia were not the most efficient way to deliver cargo.

Working with the U.S. Coast Guard, Naval Militia staff identified shortfalls in the ability to access remote locations along New York's shoreline and inland waterways, especially along the Hudson River north of New York City.

An application for a federal Port Security Grant was approved in 2016 to add the Munson Boat to the Naval Militia Emergency Boat Service.

The 35 foot vessel weighs 15,000 pounds and has a draft of 30 inches which allows it to work close to shore. The crew of three personnel can beach the boat at unimproved landing sites to load or off-load personnel, vehicles or supplies over the bow ramp to otherwise inaccessible locations.

It is powered by twin Mercury Optimax 250HP outboard engines. The landing craft can deliver up to 3 tons of equipment or supplies with a 7.5 foot wide bow door and 17 foot length of cargo area forward of the wheel house.

The LC-350 has a catamaran twin-hull design which increases stability. It also has the ability to pivot 360 degrees when needed.

Other Munson Boat landing crafts are in the initial phases of procurement for the New York State Police. The Towns of Oyster Bay and Brookhaven also have Munson Boats that they use in their harbors on Long Island.

The New York Naval Militia will initially base the vessel in Albany and then relocate it for mission support down the Hudson River this fall near Indian Point.

The New York Naval Militia

The New York Naval Militia, a component of the New York Military Forces, is composed of 2,800 current and former Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard members who agree to serve on state active duty when called by the state of New York. They put the skills they've honed in federal military service to work for New York.

Naval Militia members responded to Hurricane Irene in 2011, Superstorm Sandy in 2012, the Buffalo snowstorm in 2014, Lake Ontario flooding in 2017 and snow storms in the Hudson Valley earlier this year.