Workboat articles from April 2003

Workboat archives from April 2003

All secure, but no business. (Editor's Watch).
April 1, 2003... Since 9/11 we have been bombarded with news and alerts about homeland security and how we should protect ourselves and our nation's infrastructure. This color-coded security mania is now hitting the workboat industry. New vessel security...

Mail Bag.(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... Barge industry has been spreading the word In your January 2003 issue, Michael Arendt asserted the need for a national barge industry print and television campaign ("Barge industry needs national media campaign," Mail Bag, page 10.) In...

On the water: The eyes have it. (At a Glance).
April 1, 2003... Most people take their eyes for M granted. And, unfortunately, they often abuse them. Mariners place heavy demands on their eyes because of the steady exposure to the sun's rays. Not long ago, a reader wrote and suggested that sunglasses should...

Captain's table: Mariners are eager to share information and help out. (At a Glance).(Editorial)
April 1, 2003... I believe that the maritime community is mostly made up of people who go out of their way to help others, and not just when they are in distress. They just do what good neighbors are supposed to do. Since I travel a lot, I get to observe a...

WorkBoat's composite index: stocks continue to lose ground in '03. (At a Glance).
April 1, 2003... Another month is gone in 2003 and with it another month of losses. After losing almost 5 percent in January, the WorkBoat Composite Index shed another 10 points, or 1.65 percent in February. The one positive note is that the Index slightly...

Inland insider: Are low-density waterways an endangered species? (At a Glance).
April 1, 2003... Two thirds of the nation's waterways will be closed to commercial navigation. Well, that's what would happen if the conservation group American Rivers had its way. According to American Rivers, "Corps policy and internal biases still...

OSV day rates: Gulf decline continues. (At a Glance).
April 1, 2003... The Gulf of Mexico supply vessel market weakened further in February as most vessel categories saw utilization rates dip. Day rates for supply vessels and anchor-handling tug/supply vessels were also lost ground. While AHTS operators...

Legal talk; Indemnity agreements: Traps for the unwary. (At a Glance).
April 1, 2003... Many contracts in the marine industry include indemnity clauses. Indemnity agreements reallocate responsibility for accidents. They are often included in "master agreements" that parties sign once, but the clauses apply to all the business they...

Coast Guard launches investigation of Staten Island barge explosion. (News Log).
April 1, 2003... The U.S. Coast Guard's investigation into the February barge explosion on Staten Island, N.Y., is focusing on an electric pump that may have malfunctioned. Approximately 118,000 bbls. of unleaded gasoline were being offloaded from a barge...

N.Y. Ferry operator passes on new boat. (News Bitts).(sends Christopher M. Colasanti back to Austal USA)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Christopher M. Colasanti, a new 86'x26' high-speed ferry originally headed for New York Fast Ferry's fleet, is now back where it came from--at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. The boat is for sale and tied up at Austal's dock. New York Fast Ferry...

EPA publishes final rule on engine emissions standards. (News Bitts).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Environmental Protection Agency published a final rule in February on emission standards for marine engines. It was published in the Feb. 23, 2003, Federal Register. The rule states that engines with displacements between 2.5 liters and 29...

USCG to issue new security-minded mariner documents. (News Bitts).(US Coast Guard)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Increased security concerns are behind the Coast Guard's move to issue new merchant mariners' documents. The new MMD, also called a "Z-card," is more tamper resistant and facilitates verification of an MMD holder's identity, citizenship, and...

OSV fleet consolidation to continue, official says. (News Log).(Tidewater's $79 million proposed acquisition of ENSCO International's offshore service vessel fleet )
April 1, 2003... Tidewater's $79 million proposed acquisition of ENSCO International's offshore service vessel fleet is seen by industry officials as a fair transaction based upon the types of vessels involved and their ages. The acquisition by the New...

Nichols Brothers to build Navy high-speed cat. (News Log).(Titan Corp wins contract to supply Navy with highspeed catamaran)
April 1, 2003... San Diego-based Titan Corp. announced in February that it had been awarded a $59.9 million contract by the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research to develop and build a highspeed catamaran. Called the "X-Craft," the vessel will be capable of...

GAO says Coast Guard must reinvent itself. (News Log).
April 1, 2003... On March 1, the U.S. Coast Guard officially became part of the Department of Homeland Security. For an agency traditionally known for its search-and-rescue, fisheries enforcement and drug interdiction missions, the switch presents major...

Tugz contract at Florida port under review. (News Log).
April 1, 2003... Tugz International LLC failed to bring a third ship-assist tug into Port Everglades, Fla., in January as its contract stipulated. Tugz officials say that there currently isn't enough business to warrant a third tug. "We're in...

Great Laker: Lake Ontario fast ferry will connect U.S. and Canada highway systems. (Focus: Canada Fast Ferry).
April 1, 2003... The dream of a fast-ferry route between Toronto and Rochester, N.Y., will soon become a reality. The financing is in place, the boat is on the ways, and a start-up date has been set. The 284-foot fast vehicle ferry is currently under...

Rapid responders: the orders are rolling in for fast, multipurpose patrol boats. (Vessel Report: Patrol Boats).
April 1, 2003... "Police, secure, observe, reconnoiter, safeguard, eyeball, keep watch, make the rounds, inspect, scope out, guard." That's the list of synonyms for "patrol" in Roget's Super Thesaurus. And when you think of the mission for any patrol boat,...

Master Boat Builders delivers OSV/research vessel. (On the Ways).
April 1, 2003... Master Boat Builders Inc., Bayou La Batre, Ala., recently delivered the Miss Emma McCall, a 150'x36' offshore supply/research vessel for Cameron (La.) Offshore Boats. "We built her as big as we could without going over 500 gross tons for...

Northwest dinner boat gets stretched. (On the Ways).(American Waterways Inc)
April 1, 2003... With three dinner boats, American Waterways Inc., Portland, Ore., pretty much had the market covered. Its largest boat, the 150' Portland Spirit, can accommodate 350 sit-down guests on two enclosed decks, and the 84' Crystal Dolphin seats 50 in...

Main Iron Works tug for Rene J. Cheramie. (On the Ways).
April 1, 2003... Main Iron Works Inc., Houma, La., has a 116'x34'x17' twin-screw, offshore tug under construction for Rend J. Cheramie & Sons, Lafayette, La. The vessel underwent plating in December 2002. Designed by Entech & Associates Inc., Houma, the Ann...

New pilot boats from VT Halmatic in U.K. (International).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... VT Halmatic, a leading commercial and military boat builder in Portsmouth, England, has been finding receptive markets for its new Optimised Nelson 35, its smallest pilot boat. The Gibraltar Pilots have recently taken delivery of one of the...

Boatbuilding Bitts. (On the Ways).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... MetalCraft Marine Inc., Kingston, Ontario, recently delivered the Lady Anne, a 43'1"x14'4" fireboat for the Anne Arundel County Fire Department in Annapolis, Md. The vessel will patrol 172 square miles of the Chesapeake Bay between Annapolis...

Terror tax: workboat operators say security regs may cripple them financially. (Cover Story).
April 1, 2003... The post-9/11 security mania has finally made its way to the workboat industry. The government says workboat operators must beef up vessel security and foot most, if not all, of the bill. The U.S. Coast Guard estimates that over 3,000...

Fire power: L.A.'s new fireboat provides record capacity and a lot more. (Boats & Gear: LA Fireboat).
April 1, 2003... The name is L.A. Fireboat 2, but it's No. 1 in the minds of many--and not only in Los Angeles. With 10 monitors supplied by six pumps from four engines, the Los Angeles Fire Department's impressive new 105'x29' fireboat can discharge at...

ID check: AIS is a navigational tool that has security in mind. (Boats & Gear: Vessel Tracking Systems).(automatic identification system)
April 1, 2003... Automatic identification system--AIS--is a term you're going to hear a lot about in the near future. AIS units will eventually be mandatory equipment on powered vessels over 65', towboats over 26' and 600 hp, and any other vessel type that...

Underwater lights. (Product Locker).
April 1, 2003... East Taunton, Mass.-based JW Fishers has expanded its underwater search equipment product line with the introduction of two new underwater light systems--the DHL-1 dual underwater light and the SL-1 single underwater light. Both lights are...

Fire suppression. (Product Locker).
April 1, 2003... Fire Combat, Minneapolis, recently introduced the Aero-K self-powered aerosol fire detection/suppression system. The new product couples a battery-operated smoke or thermal detector with an Aero-K dry chemical aerosol canister. It requires no...

Treated plywood. (Product Locker).
April 1, 2003... Greenwood Products, a Portland, Ore.-based company that specializes in treated plywood products used in marine and other applications, has introduced XL Green, a new industrial plywood product preservative-treated with an alkaline copper...

Macerating toilet. (Product Locker).
April 1, 2003... Raritan Marine Products, Millville, N.J., is marketing its new SeaEra electric macerating toilet. The product's bowl rotates 90[degrees] for mounting in confined spaces or for retrofit applications. The SeaEra can be used with onboard treatment...

Clear channeling. (Product Locker).
April 1, 2003... Xantrex Technology Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, will soon offer boaters the Sine Wave Inverter XS400, specifically designed to power sensitive entertainment systems including TVs, VCRs, DVDs and stereos. The new inverter will have 400...

Glass fiber fabrics. (Product Locker).
April 1, 2003... The new OC[TM] Molding Mat Fabrics from Owens Corning combine the infusion capability of traditional Molding Mat with the structural stability and visual quality associated with knitted OCTM Knytex[R] fabrics. Designed for use in various closed...

Navigation aid. (Product Locker).
April 1, 2003... Japan Radio Co. Ltd. (JRC), Seattle, has received FCC approval on its new 2300 series radars. Utilizing scan technology and digital signal processing, the JMA-2344, with the 3.9_, 6kw open array, has a horizontal beam width of 2[degrees] and a...

Bellingham (Wash.) Marine Industries. (Workboat Business).(names new executive vice president Philip A. Greenman)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Philip A. Greenman is the new executive vice president at Bellingham (Wash.) Marine Industries. He is currently based in Jacksonville, Fla., where he oversees daily operations of the company's five U.S. divisions. In 1981, Greenman bought...

Thermadyne C&G Systems Taurus 2000. (Workboat Business).(plasma cutter purchased by Metal Sales/CEM Supply)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Metal Sales/CEM Supply, a metal service center, has added a Thermadyne C&G Systems Taurus 2000 plasma cutter to its parts cutting division. The equipment will augment the Harvey, La.-based company's existing waterjet cutting availability and...

Alfa Laval. (Workboat Business).(promotes Victor Mazza)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Victor Mazza has been tabbed to oversee the marine and diesel business for Richmond, Va.-based Alfa Laval, a supplier of separation, heat transfer, and fluid-handling products. He will retain his title as vice president, equipment division....

Alan C. McClure Associates. (Workboat Business).(buys software from Century Dynamics)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Alan C. McClure Associates (ACMA), a Houston-based naval architecture and engineering firm, recently purchased Century Dynamics' Advanced Quantitative Wave Analysis (AQWA) software suite. The software package will expand ACMA's capabilities in...

E.N. Bisso & Son Inc. (Workboat Business).(promotes long-time employee)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Capt. Albert Hohensee Jr. has been appointed commodore of New Orleans-based E.N. Bisso & Son Inc.'s 15-tug fleet. In addition to having a tug named after him, he now flies his personal flag on company tugs he pilots. Capt. Hohensee, 71, joined...

Life-Safer Inc. (Workboat Business).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... LIFE-SAFER INC.'s throwable, static-water rescue device for drowning intervention, Personal Retriever, was recently used in the rescue of three men from the Merrimack River in Lawrence, Mass. Joseph W. Dupras Sr. of San Diego-based LIFE-SAFER...

Telaurus. (Workboat Business).(Trevor Whitworth hired )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Trevor Whitworth has joined Telaurus, a Cedar Knolls, N.J., maritime communication solutions provider, as its vice president of sales and marketing. He comes to Telaurus with 13 years of sales and marketing experience in the maritime and...

Calendar.(Calendar)
April 1, 2003... Visit www.workboat.com for information on other commercial marine events April 9-11 IRPT CONFERENCE The Inland Rivers, Ports and Terminals Annual Conference, Fairmont Hotel on the Plaza, Kansas City, Mo. Tel: 601-352-4778 ...