Workboat articles from April 2008

Workboat archives from April 2008

Keeping up with the world.(Editor'sWatch)
April 1, 2008... The days when American OSV operators concentrated solely on the U.S. Gulf, and tug-and-barge operators only needed to keep up with domestic market developments are gone. Now, in today's era of globalization, everyone from offshore service...

Reader says personnel proposal is a good one.(MailBag)
April 1, 2008... I'm writing to correct Joel Milton's misguided article "Personnel proposal would compromise safety" that appeared in the February issue of WorkBoat (On the Water, page 10). The petition was filed and supported with two main goals: (1) Make...

Experienced mariners assume many roles.(MailBag)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... As the dynamics aboard work-boats have changed, so have the unassigned responsibilities of senior crewmembers. I am a chief engineer aboard a seagoing tug. Although our job description set forth in the procedure manuals does not change...

On the water: a big jump for simulator training.(At AGlance)
April 1, 2008... Over the last decade, the use of navigation simulators to train mariners has grown and is now widespread. Nevertheless, I've always felt that simulators left a great deal to be desired when it came to mimicking real situations and their value...

Captain's table: how to get more from seasonal hires.(At AGlance)
April 1, 2008... At the Passenger Vessel Association's annual meeting held recently, a series of roundtable discussions were held where operators shared their experiences with their peers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] These roundtables uncovered issues...

WorkBoat Composite Index: Index up, broad market down.(At AGlance)
April 1, 2008... February was another rough month on Wall Street, but not for the WorkBoat Composite Index. The Dow Jones and S & P 500 were both down over 3 percent in February, but the Index was able to eke out a gain of almost 1 percent. Losers edged...

OSV day rates: rates mixed in February.(At AGlance)
April 1, 2008... February was another mixed month for OSV day rates and utilization in the U.S. Gulf. Smaller supply vessels (under 200') saw day rates and utilization nudge up during February. However, several service vessel operators noted that more...

Inland insider: coming back to barges.(At AGlance)
April 1, 2008... When barge lines that move 1,500-ton barge lots loaded with bulk commodities advertise "on-time delivery," it makes one wonder if shippers will switch from rail back to barges. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the Jan. 17 issue of The Wall...

Legal talk: state vs. Jones Act law.(At AGlance)
April 1, 2008... In a recent decision in Alaska, state law trumped the Jones Act law in a maritime injury claim. On Feb. 6, 2004, Jesse Glover was working for the Alaska Marine Highway System aboard the ferry Tustumena. The ferry's car deck hatch was...

Insurance watch: marine insurance warranty violations can void an insurance policy.(At AGlance)
April 1, 2008... Many of us are familiar with warranties that pay us for something, like ones that cover HDTVs or cars. In the case of a marine insurance policy, however, a warranty that is violated voids a policy. That means no coverage, plain and simple. ...

Teekay Corp.(NEWS LOG)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Tugboats were called in to assist the disabled LNG tanker Catalunya Spirit 33 miles east of Chatham, Mass., on Feb. 12. The tanker's operator, Teekay Corp., contracted four tugs to assist with the 933-foot tanker after it lost propulsion and...

Mariners will see service improvements, Coast Guard commandant says.(NEWS LOG)
April 1, 2008... Improving services to the nation's mariners is one of the top priorities for the Coast Guard, the agency's chief said in his annual address. In a wide-ranging speech at the National Press Club in February, Adm. Thad Allen said the Coast...

Blast sidelines Louisiana port's new patrol boat.(NEWS LOG)
April 1, 2008... In late January, an explosion aboard the Port of South Louisiana's new 57-foot multimission patrol boat damaged the vessel badly enough to take it out of service for about three months. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The explosion occurred in...

Antarctic vessel may have been doomed by faulty septic system.(NEWS LOG)
April 1, 2008... When the 240' Explorer foundered off Antarctica in late November, the adventure ship had been crunching through pack ice when something in the floe knocked a fist-sized hole amidships below the water line. Within an hour, the chief...

Washington state to get more ferries.(NEWS LOG)
April 1, 2008... After Washington state finally pulled the plug on its ancient Steel Electric-class ferries last fall, the Legislature recently authorized the construction of up to three new boats. The new ferries will service the Port Townsend-Keystone route,...

Trinity Industries to settle barge suit.(NEWS LOG)
April 1, 2008... Barge builder Trinity Industries Inc. has set aside $18 million to settle a class-action lawsuit involving allegedly defective coatings on barges it manufactured from 1996 to 2003. The partial settlement in a case brought by Waxler...

Volatile outlook for global trade in 2008.(NEWS LOG)
April 1, 2008... For international trade, the current buzzwords are volatility and anxiety. Many experts expect the dollar to remain weak through most of 2008, which would continue to boost U.S. exports. Imports, however, would suffer, as the cost of these...

New York to require air emission standards for city ferries.(NEWS BITTS)
April 1, 2008... New York City recently approved legislation to require city-owned or -operated ferries to burn ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel by July 1. The legislation also requires the ferries to employ "best available technology" to reduce air emissions...

Coast Guard's Allen says rescue 21 ready to go.(NEWS BITTS)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen said the Rescue 21 program is operationally ready. Rescue 21 is the Coast Guard's primary command, control and communication system used to effectively locate vessels in distress and help rescue mariners in the...

Coastal cruisers finally sold?(NEWS BITTS)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... In 2000, the Maritime Administration approved $78.3 million in loan guarantees for a pair of 224-passenger, 300' U.S.-flag cruise vessels. The vessels, the Cape Cod Light and the Cape May Light, remain tied up in Green Cove Springs, Fla., where...

Gao says tanker safety challenges remain.(NEWS BITTS)
April 1, 2008... Despite global efforts to beef up security, the U.S. and other countries still lack the resources needed to assure the safe passage of tankers carrying potentially hazardous commodities, according to congressional auditors. In a report released...

Title fight: controversial ship financing program is running on fumes.(Focus: Tit XI)
April 1, 2008... Title XI appears to be on life support. No applications for the federal loan program are pending, the last project was approved in January 2005, and the budget is minimal. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The controversial ship financing program...

Petty cash: budget proposal calls for user fees to boost the inland trust fund.(Focus: Inland Waterways)
April 1, 2008... As expected, President Bush has proposed new waterway user charges to boost revenue for the shrinking Inland Waterways Trust Fund. And as expected, the waterways industry is crying foul, calling it an unfair tax that won't solve serious flaws...

Tiger town: Honolulu shipyard is building a large fleet of Z-drive tugs.(InBusiness: Hawaii Tugs)
April 1, 2008... You probably don't know this, but one of the largest fleets of Z-drive tugs in the U.S. is being assembled in Hawaii. P & R Water Taxi LLC, Honolulu, currently operates seven 94'x34'x14' Z-drive tugs and is in the process of adding four more....

Replacement players: modernization of towboats and barges continues.(VesselReport: Towboats and Barges)
April 1, 2008... The inland and coastal sectors of the work-boat industry are building new equipment to replace obsolete towboats and barges in impressive numbers. Walter Blessey of Blessey Marine Services said he currently has over 20 barges either under...

Island Boats cracks the crewboat market with two contracts.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
April 1, 2008... Island Boats, an aluminum boatbuilder in Jeanerette, La., has landed a pair of construction contracts that represent its first foray into the crewboat market. The first contract is for two 175'5"x32'x13' crewboats (the Bourbon Libeccio and...

USMI delivers high-speed, composite patrol boat.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
April 1, 2008... The contract speed was 45 knots, but after hitting 53 knots during sea trials, the 90' composite patrol boat for the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard showed that the latest boat from United States Marine Inc., Gulfport, Miss., shouldn't have any...

Marine Industrial Fabrication delivers 175-class liftboat.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
April 1, 2008... Marine Industrial Fabrication, New Iberia, La., recently delivered the Superior Liberty, a 175-class liftboat, to Superior Energy Services, Harvey, La. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The boat's actual dimensions are 103'x70'. The 175...

Foss Maritime, Seattle, has leased the first of two new Z-drive tugs built at J.M. Martinac Shipbuilders, Tacoma, Wash., for Signet Maritime Corp., Houston.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
April 1, 2008... Foss Maritime, Seattle, has leased the first of two new Z-drive tugs built at J.M. Martinac Shipbuilders, Tacoma, Wash., for Signet Maritime Corp., Houston. Foss will also lease the sister vessel when it's completed in May. The first...

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Panama City, Fla., launched the Galveston, the first of three 150'x46'x27' oceangoing ATB tugs for U.S. Shipping Partners, Edison, N.J.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
April 1, 2008... In February, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Panama City, Fla., launched the Galveston, the first of three 150'x46'x27' oceangoing ATB tugs for U.S. Shipping Partners, Edison, N.J. The Galveston and its sisters were designed and engineered by...

SeaArk Marine, Monticello, Ark., recently completed a 53'x16' bow-loading transport boat for the Gulf Islands National Seashore, headquartered in Ocean Springs, Miss.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
April 1, 2008... SeaArk Marine, Monticello, Ark., recently completed a 53'x16' bow-loading transport boat for the Gulf Islands National Seashore, headquartered in Ocean Springs, Miss. Powered by a pair of 375-hp John Deere 6081A main engines, the Captain George...

Bollinger Algiers (La.) has completed the conversion of Crescent Towing's Admiral Jackson from a single-engine tug to a twin-engine 4,200-hp docking/assist tug.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Bollinger Algiers (La.) has completed the conversion of Crescent Towing's Admiral Jackson from a single-engine tug to a twin-engine 4,200-hp docking/assist tug. This is the fifth of eight Crescent 105-foot tugs to undergo the same major...

Pascagoula, Miss.-based VT Halter Marine has contracted to build Galliano, La., offshore operator L & M Botruc a pair of DP-2 platform supply vessels.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
April 1, 2008... Pascagoula, Miss.-based VT Halter Marine has contracted to build Galliano, La., offshore operator L & M Botruc a pair of DP-2 platform supply vessels. The OSVs will measure 230'x56'x18' and be delivered in 2010. The contract value is between...

Van Isle Barge puts repowered tug-barge into service.(RETROS & REFURBS)
April 1, 2008... After completing extensive sea trials off the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia, Van Isle Barge Services Ltd. (VIBS) has added a second articulated tug-barge combination to its daily Vancouver Island route. Since early February, the...

Corrections and clarifications.(Correction notice)
April 1, 2008... In the January issue (page 29), we reported that LaForce Shipyard was building a series of 12 1,800-hp towboats for Kirby Corp. The 76'x35' boats are actually being built at Raymond & Associates LLC, Bayou La Batre, Ala.

Going global: workboat companies can't ignore world trade patterns.
April 1, 2008... It might not be obvious, but there's a direct kinship between Shanghai and Seattle, Mobile and Mombai, and New Orleans and Ningbo. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In an era of interconnected economies, globalization and world trade are...

Posh pusher: MEMCO goes the extra mile with its new towboat design.(Boats & Gear: Towboats)
April 1, 2008... Power, simplicity, and comfort are the hallmarks of a new inland towboat design being built by Quality Shipyards for the stalwart Mississippi River barge operator MEMCO Barge Line. The first of five sister vessels from Houma, La.-based...

Passing through: staples and bullnoses play important roles.(Boats & Gear: Deck Equipment)
April 1, 2008... Essentially it's a fairlead, but on tugboats it's usually called a staple or bullnose. Various configurations include an inverted "U" and an inverted "U" with pins on the sides or crossing through the structure. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Passenger Vessel Association.(WBBusiness)
April 1, 2008... The Passenger Vessel Association elected new officers and board members during its recent convention in Chicago. Capt. Michael Borgstrom, Wendella Sightseeing Boats, Chicago, was elected president; Capt. Bill Clark, South Ferry Inc., Shelter...

American Waterways Operators.(WBBusiness)
April 1, 2008... Addie Wiseman is the new Southern Region vice president for the American Waterways Operators. Wiseman, a former Houston council-woman, will be based in Houston.

American Commercial Lines Inc.(WBBusiness)
April 1, 2008... Michael P. Ryan is the new president and CEO of American Commercial Lines Inc., Jeffersonville, Ind. Ryan succeeds Mark Holden and will fill Holden's seat on ACL's board. Since joining ACL in 2005, he has overseen the company's shift to a...

Austal USA.(WBBusiness)
April 1, 2008... Brian Leathers is the new chief financial officer for Austal USA, Mobile, Ala. Leathers recently served as senior vice president/CFO for a division of United Security Bancshares Inc. Leathers has over 12 years of experience in the banking...

Laborde Products.(WBBusiness)
April 1, 2008... Mike Correnti is the new industrial manager with Covington, La.-based Laborde Products. He now handles Diesel America sales for Laborde as well as loose OEM engines. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

International Propeller Club of the United States.(WBBusiness)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... The International Propeller Club of the United States has chosen U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., to receive its Salute to Congress Award for 2008. Taylor, who was chosen for his strong support of the U.S. maritime industry, served in the Coast...

Fire alarm.(WBProducts)
April 1, 2008... Sea-Fire Marine, a Baltimore-based fire suppression technology company, has introduced its new marine Heat Sensor warning system. Designed to measure engine room temperatures, the new product is intended for any sized craft up to large yachts....

Compliant gensets.(WBProducts)
April 1, 2008... Seattle-based Northern Lights began delivering its new 4.5- to 30-kw marine generator sets in January. The new gensets are compliant with upcoming Environmental Protection Agency Tier III emissions regulations. Northern Lights introduced these...

Battery protection.(WBProducts)
April 1, 2008... Quick Cable, Franksville, Wis., has introduced the Strong Box, a new line of aluminum boxes to protect marine batteries. The Strong Box aluminum battery boxes come in two versions: sealed and non-sealed. The sealed version includes an external...

Brushless AC motor.(WBProducts)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Southborough, Mass.-based SEVCON Inc. is marketing a new, brushless AC motor with a built-in controller designed for OEMs. SEVCON HypAC motors are built for operators who want a compact, integrated system for high duty cycle applications. The...

Fresh water.(WBProducts)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Designed for use with brackish and freshwater, SK Watermakers has unveiled a new BF Series of watermakers. The two new reverse osmosis systems permit vessel owners to be self-sufficient. The BF Series features a close-coupled, direct drive,...

Reciprocating saw.(WBProducts)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Tulsa, Okla.-based Hilti Inc.'s new WSR 1000 reciprocating saw is designed to deliver high productivity in a slim, lightweight package. Able to fit in hard to reach areas, the Hilti WSR 1000 is built for applications such as creating openings...

Air filter/silencer.(WBProducts)
April 1, 2008... The Racor Division of Parker Hannifin Corp., Modesto, Calif., has introduced the AF M701212, heavy-duty air filter/silencer. The product is designed to remove contaminants such as sand, salt, carpet fibers and more, while reducing turbo noise....

Calendar.(Brief article)(Calendar)
April 1, 2008... April 1-2 EDUCATION CONFERENCE The Ship Operations Cooperative Program conference in support of the Maritime and Intermodal Education for Primary and Secondary Schools in America, Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies...

Workboat[R] looks back.(WBArchives)
April 1, 2008... APRIL 1948 * On this month's cover, the 60-ton tug Gulfport No. 8 is lifted to the deck of the San Martin for transport to Saudi Arabia to work for the Arabian Oil Co. The 56' tug, built at Gulfport Shipbuilding & Drydock Corp., is powered...