Workboat articles from April 2006

Workboat archives from April 2006

It's getting hysterical.(EDITOR'S WATCH)
April 1, 2006... Post-9/11 security hysteria is still going strong as evidenced by the recent outcry over the controversial United Arab Emirates ports deal. The $6.8 billion deal, which was finalized on March 9, involved the sale of P & O Ports, a British...

Unlicensed crewmen need help in order to advance.(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... In his response to the October 2005 article "Help Wanted," Alan Horoschak hit on a topic in December's Mail Bag ("Does anyone really want to be a mariner anymore?") that I have been voicing since its inception. STCW '95 has laid the groundwork...

The sad truth for mariners.(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... I heard a story recently about a man that lost his license for six months. He was working for a little company that was working for the Army Corp of Engineers, laying rock. The vessel had to operate in shallow waters in order to get to the job...

On the water: building a better mousetrap--Part I.(innovative marine equipment)
April 1, 2006... Every once in a great while someone comes up with an idea that is a truly innovative. An idea that profoundly changes and improves the way something is done. Paul Driscoll, a former Coastie, has done just that. He has come up with a device that...

Captain's table: student seeks data on U.S.-Cuba ferry service.(AT A GLANCE)
April 1, 2006... I received an inquiry recently from a graduate student who was seeking information on potential ferry services between the U.S. and Cuba. He wanted to know if any studies had been done on the subject and, if so, where he could get the...

WorkBoat Composite Index: index unchanged in February.(AT A GLANCE)
April 1, 2006... After a big start to 2006, the WorkBoat Composite Index was unchanged in February. For the month, losers topped winners by a ratio of almost 2-1. The leveling off was due to oil-service issues, which were big gainers in 2005 and in...

OSV day rates: rate growth slows.(AT A GLANCE)
April 1, 2006... Day rates continued to rise in February for Gulf of Mexico offshore service vessels, but at a slower pace than in previous months. Utilization rates, however, remained strong. Supply vessels up to 200' jumped $900 a day over January's...

Inland insider: old barges for rent?(AT A GLANCE)
April 1, 2006... Rent-A-Wreck bills itself as the "smart alternative" to the high prices of large car rental companies. The company got its start about 30 years ago when things were tight in the car rental market, which made it a prime time for alternatives...

Legal talk: admiralty attorneys have the answers.(AT A GLANCE)
April 1, 2006... I've been known to wager a little. Sometimes it's cards, and other times it's just a friendly challenge. A tug-owner acquaintance once boasted that he knew every legal pitfall there was when it came to vessel ownership and maritime liens. I bet...

Crowley Maritime Corp.(NEWS LOG)
April 1, 2006... Crowley Maritime Corp. recently deployed the company's first Russian-flagged, Russian-crewed vessel, the Crowley Alliance. The offshore support vessel is owned and operated by Crowley Far East Services, a Crowley subsidiary formed and...

Coast Guard to create counterterrorism unit.(NEWS LOG)
April 1, 2006... The U.S. Coast Guard wants to beef up its maritime security response capability with the creation of a state-of-the-art, SWAT-style unit that would respond to maritime terrorism threats. President Bush's fiscal 2007 budget, which was...

Fiscal '07 budget proposal is a mixed bag for the waterways.(budget shows bright sign for waterways)
April 1, 2006... President Bush's proposed fiscal year 2007 budget contains a few bright spots for the nation's maritime and waterway sectors, but also falls short in some key areas. For example, the president proposed a 5 percent increase over last year...

Crew endurance report to be released soon.(waterways occuptional health management)
April 1, 2006... Sleep deprivation, bad eating habits and inconsiderate co-workers can all add up to misery and potential problems on board workboats. With that understanding, the U.S. Coast Guard and the American Waterways Operators embarked on a...

Kirby increases interest in Osprey Line.(Kirby Corp owns two thirds of Osprey Line LLC)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Houston-based Kirby Corp. recently increased its ownership interest in Osprey Line LLC. Kirby now owns two-thirds of the company that specializes in ocean and inland container-on-barge transportation. Cooper/T. Smith, one of the nation's...

Dubai Port deal poses no threat, Coast Guard says.(NEWS BITTS)
April 1, 2006... The Coast Guard says the controversial deal that would enable a United Arab Emirates company to operate terminals in six U.S. ports does not pose a major threat to U.S. maritime interests. After completing its initial intelligence assessment of...

Short leash: short-sea shipping holds plenty of promise and problems.(FOCUS: SHORT-SEA SHIPPING)
April 1, 2006... Short-sea shipping is often touted as the new, timely alternative to congested rails and highways, but it continues to be hobbled by the same old problems. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Every year, conferences, papers and studies analyze the...

On demand: barges are tight in the inland sector.(reports on waterways operators)(Editorial)
April 1, 2006... What a difference a couple of years makes in the barge industry. On the inland waterways, the days of lean margins for barge operators is finally over, at least for now. The industry has finally worked off the overbuilding of the '70s and '80s,...

Dakota Creek finishes second Alaska car ferry.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
April 1, 2006... The Inter-Island Ferry Authority in Craig, Alaska, was scheduled to take delivery of its second car ferry on March 15. The Stikine (named after a river in Southeast Alaska) was built by Dakota Creek Industries, Anacortes, Wash. Dakota...

Blount Boats building excursion vessel.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
April 1, 2006... On March 1, a keel laying ceremony was held at Blount Boats, Warren, R.I., for an old-style passenger boat. The 89'x30' steel excursion boat was designed by Timothy Graul Marine Design, Sturgeon Bay, Wis., for Wendella Sightseeing Co. in...

Jamestown Metal delivers largest casino boat.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
April 1, 2006... Jamestown Metal Marine Sales, Boca Raton, Fla., recently completed the 400'x200' steel-hulled casino boat Blue Chip 2 for Blue Chip Casino and Hotel, Michigan City, Ind. The vessel was built on site. Boyd Gaming Corp., owners of the casino,...

Westar completes tug retrofit.(purchase of ship)
April 1, 2006... Originally a single-screw Navy harbor tug, the 100'x33'x12' Orion has been refitted for the third time and is back at work in San Francisco Bay as part of the Westar Marine Services fleet. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the 1970s, the...

Bollinger Shipyards' Bollinger Marine Fabricators.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
April 1, 2006... Bollinger Shipyards' Bollinger Marine Fabricators, Amelia, La., has delivered the DBL 103, an oceangoing double-hull tank barge, to K-Sea Transportation Partners, Staten Island, N. Y. Following the delivery of the DBL 103, Bollinger announced...

U.S. Shipping Partners.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
April 1, 2006... U.S. Shipping Partners announced in February that it would also expand its fleet with two new ATB units to be built at Manitowoc Marine Group, Marinette, Wis., and Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Panama City, Fla. The contract with Manitowoc is for...

Crowley Maritime Corp.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
April 1, 2006... Crowley Maritime Corp., Oakland, Calif., is also adding new equipment to its barge fleet. Gunderson Marine, Portland, Ore., will build two new 400'x105' heavy-lift deck barges for deepwater offshore project work in the Gulf of Mexico.

Signet Maritime Corp.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(Signet Maritime Corp.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Signet Maritime Corp., Houston, will add two new 6,300-hp Z-drive tugs to its Texas fleet, the company announced in February. Signet Maritime currently operates 11 tugs along the Texas Gulf coast. The new tugs will work the La Quinta Trade...

Getting used: the market for 'pre-owned' commercial vessels is strong.
April 1, 2006... If you've got a good twin-screw tug you wouldn't mind selling, Bob Beegle would like to talk to you. Even if it's a rough looking twin-screw tug or inland towboat, you should contact Beegle because he has clients who are eager to buy. And if...

Electrify: electric winches continue to make inroads.(workboats building contracts)
April 1, 2006... When you buy a new car, you decide how you want your new vehicle outfitted--lots of horsepower, tinted windows, leather seats, etc. With workboats, outfitting is often dictated by contracts that require a certain level of performance to handle...

Spring ahead: Fish Expo WorkBoat Atlantic show.(workboats exhibitions)
April 1, 2006... The first three installments of Fish Expo WorkBoat Atlantic were held in the early fall. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This year, the show has switched to the spring in an effort to better meet the needs of the industry. "Fish Expo...

Calendar.(Calendar)
April 1, 2006... April 11-12 COMMAND SEMINAR The Nautical Institute U.S. Gulf branch presents "Bridging the Maritime Gap," DoubleTree Downtown Hotel, Houston. E-mail: rfjaeacd@cvtv.net www.niusgulf.com April 24-28 TUG & SALVAGE...

WorkBoat looks back.(night boats comes with radar equipment)(proposal for new channel )
April 1, 2006... April 1946 * The Board of Army Engineers for Rivers and Harbors has taken under consideration the proposed $8 million cut-off channel from Morgan City, La., on the Gulf Intracoastal Canal to a point on the Mississippi River near Baton...