Army Corps Commissions Survey Vessel HAYES
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District has commissioned a new survey vessel named after a longtime federal employee.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Military Jobs
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commissioned the survey vessel HAYES to its Wilmington District, replacing the decommissioned survey vessel BEAUFORT. The vessel is named after Elaine V. Hayes, who dedicated 37 years of federal service to the district.
Why it matters
The HAYES will primarily support hydrographic surveys for the Morehead City deep-draft entrance channels and the North Carolina State Port of Morehead City. Its work will help maintain navigation and dredging operations in the region's waterways.
The BEAUFORT supported the district's navigation and dredging operations for over 40 years before being decommissioned. Elaine V. Hayes dedicated 37 years of federal service to the Wilmington District, and the new vessel bears her name.
The players
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The federal agency responsible for water resource development and navigation projects across the United States, including the Wilmington District's coastal operations.
Elaine V. Hayes
A longtime federal employee who served 37 years with the Wilmington District, and the namesake of the new survey vessel.
The details
The S/V HAYES will conduct surveys in shallow-draft inlets, open-water placement areas, near-shore placement areas, and open-water sand sources. The vessel operates out of the Morehead City Survey Field Office.
Timeline
Elaine V. Hayes dedicated 37 years of federal service to the Wilmington District.
The S/V BEAUFORT supported district operations for over 40 years before decommissioning.
The HAYES was commissioned on November 9, 2026.
Military Jobs
The vessel's commissioning continues the Corps' long-running role in maintaining federal navigation channels along the North Carolina coast. The HAYES replaces the BEAUFORT, which supported the district's navigation and dredging work for more than four decades.
Residents and mariners using Morehead City's channels may see more regular hydrographic surveys supporting safe navigation. Federal service roles tied to coastal survey and dredging work offer career paths in North Carolina.
The takeaway
Federal survey work like the HAYES's helps keep North Carolina's ports and channels navigable, a function that often goes unnoticed until it is disrupted.
Further reading
Explore more on Military Jobs to see how federal service roles connect to regional infrastructure work.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WWAYTV3.
