Workboat articles from August 2003

Workboat archives from August 2003

Last stand for unions in the Gulf? (Editor's Watch).(Offshore Mariners United)(Editorial)
August 1, 2003... On July 1, Offshore Mariners United officially ended its attempt to organize the Gulf of Mexico offshore service industry. In 2000, Dave Eckstein formed the new union and said it was "here for the long haul. We've dropped anchor." ...

Mail bag.(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... Illegals on U.S. vessels? I am constantly amazed at the continued references to the Jones Act as it pertains to the domestic fleet being U.S. crewed. ("New boats fuel Jones Act Worries, May 2003, page 53.) In this particular instance,...

How's the weather? (On the Water).
August 1, 2003... Weather. It is the most influential factor affecting marine operations. And today's mariners are able to stay abreast of weather developments through instant access to up-to-date observations and forecasts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

Contacts are key when starting a ferry company. (Captain's Table).
August 1, 2003... I had an interesting call recently from veteran ferry captain who has an innovative idea for a new ferry service. He had a good understanding of the operation's market potential but didn't know how to get it off the ground. I gave him some...

Index gains 16.5 percent in second quarter. (WorkBoat's Composite Index).
August 1, 2003... The second quarter was a good one for the WorkBoat Composite Index. With June's 24-point gain, the Index rose 94 points in the quarter, a 16.5 percent increase. The WB Composite was up about 4 percent in June, this despite a 3 percent drop in...

Lake Michigan river barges. (Inland Insider).
August 1, 2003... The movement of river-barge freight along the shore of Lake Michigan is not a new idea. Long before the Coast Guard approved safety regulations for the Lake Michigan service, standard river barges regularly moved along a short stretch of open...

Are casino boat workers Jones Act seamen? (Legal Talk).
August 1, 2003... A waitress suffers serious burns when a patron spills hot coffee on her. A bartender suffers a foot injury when he steps on a screw which punctures his shoe. A slot machine attendant is injured after a chest holding 1,000 lbs. of coins and...

Gulf rig exodus continues. (OSV Day Rates).
August 1, 2003... While the U.S. Gulf rig market plods along, our neighbors to the south appear to be in a bull market. Several U.S. Gulf of Mexico drilling contractors have been moving jackup rigs from the U.S. to Mexico during the past 12-18 months, and that...

Union efforts fail in the Gulf oil patch. (News Log).(Offshore Mariners United shuts down operations)
August 1, 2003... An arm of the AFL-CIO set up to organize workers in the Deep South oil and gas industry has called it quits. Offshore Mariners United (OMU) shut down its operations on July 1, going out quietly by leaving a simple message on its Web site. ...

Hornbeck acquires five OSVs from Candy. (News Bitts).(Candy Fleet Corp.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. announced in July that it had purchased five 220-foot class deepwater OSVs from Candy Fleet Corp. The purchase price was not disclosed. With the acquisitions, Mandeville, La.-based Hornbeck now has 20 deepwater...

House Committee approves $7.1 billion for Coast Guard. (News Bits).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure authorized $7.1 billion to fund the U.S. Coast Guard in fiscal year 2004. The bill is designed to allow the Coast Guard to effectively meet traditional as well as Homeland Security...

N.Y. state seeks control of harbor docking pilots. (News Log).
August 1, 2003... A New York state legislator wants to bring all docking pilots in New York Harbor under the state's control for the first time. In February, Assemblyman Jeff Klein introduced a bill that would require all docking pilots in New York Harbor to...

Task force wants Marine facilities to shift to VHF-DSC. (News Bitts).(radio system)
August 1, 2003... A U.S. Coast Guard-sponsored task force formed to help implement the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System has signed off on a new information bulletin directed to maritime facilities ashore that operate Limited Coast Radio Stations in the...

Mitags to handle training for New Alaska fast ferry. (News Bitts).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS), Linthicum Heights, Md., and its West Coast branch, Seattle-based Pacific Maritime Institute, have been awarded a contract by the Alaska Marine Highway System. MITAGS will train...

NTSB investigating Oregon charter-boat mishap. (News Log).(National Transportation Safety Board)
August 1, 2003... A preliminary investigation of the June 14 capsizing of a 35' charter-fishing boat off the coast of Oregon revealed sea conditions were "less than ideal" and that none of the crew or passengers were wearing a personal floatadon device (PFD)...

$30 million offered by Louisiana to lure Bollinger. (News Log).
August 1, 2003... Louisiana lawmakers recently approved an incentive package worth nearly $30 million to entice Bollinger Shipyards Inc. to build anew facility in the state. The new yard could employ more than 3,000 people. Bollinger and Incat Australia Pty....

GAO releases report on Title XI program. (News Bitts).(United States. General Accounting Office)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... In late June, the General Accounting Office (GAO) released another report on the Title XI Loan Guarantee Program. The report updates previous GAO reports on Title XI and concludes that the Maritime Administration does not fully comply with some...

Murray introduces Ferry funding bill. (News Bitts).(Patty Murray)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., has introduced the Ferry Transportation Enhancement Act (Ferry-TEA) to help boost federal funding of ferry services. The bill, if approved, would provide $150 million per year for the Federal Highway...

Saint John Shipbuilding shuttered for good. (News Log).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... In June, Irving Shipbuilding announced that its Saint John Shipyard in New Brunswick was closing its doors permanently. During the past three years several attempts have been made to save the yard, one of the most technologically advanced in...

Switch Hitters: Norfolk-area yards juggle work across two markets. (In Business: Hampton Roads Shipyards).
August 1, 2003... At Colonna's Shipyard in Norfolk, Va., the yard's big 650'x110' drydock was being prepared for the recent arrival of a Navy frigate. Nearby, a tug owned by Moran Towing was up on a 4,000-ton railway undergoing a routine inspection....

Ferry exclusive: Miami-area marine operation keeps a low profile among the rich and famous on posh Fisher Island. (In Business: Fisher Island Ferries).
August 1, 2003... Ferry operations--public and private, passenger and vehicle--have received a lot of attention over the past several years as transportation planners seek to relieve traffic congestion and improve service for remote riders. The problems and...

Safe and sound? New security rules are out, and operators are assessing the damage. (Focus: Security Regulations).
August 1, 2003... The initial review of the long-awaited security rules for the marine industry is in: Operators, get out your checkbooks. The new rules, released July 1 and mandated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, require vessel...

Austal USA to build its first high-speed vehicle ferry. (On the Ways).(Lake Express LLC)
August 1, 2003... Milwaukee-based Lake Express LLC has contracted with Austal USA, Mobile, Ala., for the design and construction of the first high-speed vehicle/passenger ferry to operate in the continental U.S. (Derecktor Shipyards, Mamaroneck, N.Y, is...

Bollinger delivers ATB to Bouchard, OSV to Seacor. (On the Ways).
August 1, 2003... Bollinger Shipyards Inc., Lockport, La., recently completed the first of two articulated tug/barge units for Hicksville, N.Y-based Bouchard Coastwise Management Co. The ATBs are part of Bouchard's efforts to completely double-hull its...

Rozema Boat Works to deliver 55-foot boom boat. (On the Ways).
August 1, 2003... Rozema Boat Works, Mount Vernon, Wash., is finishing one of the largest boats they've ever built, a 55' boom boat for carrying and deploying 1,000' of self-inflating, Kepner oil containment boom at ChevronTexaco's El Segundo Refinery in...

Steel tour boat for Chicago from Bay Ship. (On the Ways).(Shoreline Sightseeing, Bay Shipbuilding Co.)
August 1, 2003... In May, Chicago's Shoreline Sightseeing took delivery of the 326-passenger Bright Star. The 83'x23' steel tour boat was built by Bay Shipbuilding Co., Sturgeon Bay, Wis., and designed by Timothy Graul Marine Design. "We built a near...

Florida has a new player in amphibious tour boats. (On the Ways).(TrolleyBoats L.L.C.)
August 1, 2003... What looks unusual, can carry 42 passengers, and moves as easily through the water as it does on land? The answer is an amphibious vehicle from TrolleyBoats LLC, Holly Hill, Fla. A new entry in the amphibious tour-boat industry,...

Marine Corp. (Boatbuilding Bitts).(Kvichak Marine Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Marinette (Wis.) Marine Corp. announced in late June that it is partnering with Kvichak Marine Industries, Seattle, in the development and construction of a prototype Response Boat Medium for the U.S. Coast Guard. Marinette is one of three...

LEEVAC Industries. (Boatbuilding Bits).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... LEEVAC Industries, Jennings, La., recently delivered the HOS Gemstone to Hornbeck Offshore Services. The boat was completed two weeks ahead of schedule and was immediately put to work, according to LEEVAC. The 240'X54'X19' vessel is the second...

Dakota Creek Industries. (Boatbuilding Bitts).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Out West, Dakota Creek Industries, Anacortes, Wash., has a new aluminum passenger cat under construction for the San Francisco Bay Area. The 135'X39' boat was designed by Australia's Advanced Multihull Design and will be delivered in April 2004...

Moose Boats. (Boatbuilding Bits).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Moose Boats, Nicasio, Calif., has been awarded a $2.75 million contract by the Navy for the construction of six 36'X12' aluminum catamarans. The boats will be powered by twin Cummins 370-hp engines driving Hamilton 292 waterjets. Moose Boats...

Fast fighters: U.S yards are banking on the military's new appetite for high-tech, high-speed craft. (Cover Story).
August 1, 2003... The U.S. military is standing on the "transformational" threshold of a new era in the procurement, purchase and operation of high-tech vessels. The first wave of this new generation can be seen in the high-speed catamarans that the armed...

Prime time: for the best paint job, spec your coatings carefully. (Boats & Gear: Coatings).
August 1, 2003... Until recently, paint (and painters) didn't get much attention or respect in the marine industry. After all, a coating of paint wasn't good for much more than 18 months, if the boat owner was lucky. Paint, especially above the waterline, wasn't...

New TV dish. (Product Locker).
August 1, 2003... Sea Tel has added a 30' dish to its 98 ~JS series, which already includes 18" and 24" models. Designed for vessels 6' in length or more, the 3098S gives the mariner the option to select an antenna that will allow satellite TV reception farther...

Water-based epoxy. (Product Locker).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Sherwin-Williams Industrial and Marine Coatings, Cleveland, has developed a new water-based epoxy finish. Fast Clad [TM] DTM Waterbased Epoxy is designed to cover direct-to-metal in a single coat and dry fast, enabling a faster return to...

Barge lifeline. (Product Locker).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The emergency barge reel from Seatt1e - based J.K. Fabrication Inc. is designed and engineered to survive saltwater elements. The heavy tube frame is completely welded and finished, leaving no gaps between mating surfaces for corrosion to form....

New torch. (Product Locker).(from Hypertherm Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Hypertherm Inc.'s new RT8O torch is designed specifically for the Hypertherm Powermax l100, incorporating coaxial-assist and improved contact-start technologies. The RT8O is an 80amp retrofit torch that delivers cutting speeds that are 24...

Calendar.(Calendar)
August 1, 2003... Visit www.workboat.com for information on other commercial marine events Aug. 20-22 GICA CONVENTION The Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association Annual Convention, Wyndham New Orleans at Canal Place, New Orleans. Tel: 281-996-6915...

Work boat: looks back. (Archives).
August 1, 2003... AUGUST 1953 * The towboat Mississippi II was recently delivered to Missouri-based Mississippi Lime Co. The 66'x20' twin-screw pusher was designed mainly for harbor service at Mississippi Lime's plant in Alton, Ill. Built by St. Louis...