Workboat articles from August 2006

Workboat archives from August 2006

Bull's-eye on brownwater.(demand for mariners)(Editorial)
August 1, 2006... According to the American Waterways Operators, roughly 30,000 men and women work on barges and towing vessels. These mariners, AWO says, "are truly the lifeblood of our industry." The same can be said for the thousands of mariners who work...

Reader says Rapp's drives are superior to Hagglunds.(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... In response to Brandon Durar's letter ("Says winch article fell short," Mail Bag, June 2006), a few clarifications are in order. Mr. Brandon touts the performance of Hagglunds drives as the most rugged on the market while casting doubt on...

Mariners are the lucky few.(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... This is in reply to "Does anyone really want to be a mariner anymore?" that appeared in the December 2005 Mail Bag. Why become a mariner? Why, given the opportunity, would anyone do otherwise? Why wouldn't anyone choose to work on the 70...

Resents treatment mariners receive at exam centers.(MAIL BAG)
August 1, 2006... Are all RECs the same? If so, then there has to be something done to correct the abuse of positions held by civilian government employees. At the least they are blase about your needs, and at worst, arrogant to the point of total disrespect....

Looks forward to competing against foreigners for work.(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... I have just finished Mr. Wright's article on bringing in foreign workers and I felt I had to write ("Temporary visas could ease mariner labor woes," Mail Bag, May 2006). I cannot agree more. Let us bring in foreign workers to work the...

On the water: a young mariner seeks choices--part III.(AT A GLANCE)
August 1, 2006... Even after I presented the big picture to the young mariner he asked more questions, not willing to give up on the idea of working on the water. What he said pretty much sums up all you need to know about the current state of affairs....

Captain's table: NTSB proposes, but the USCG disposes.(AT A GLANCE)
August 1, 2006... (Editor's Note: Bernie Jacobson is on medical leave and will be back soon. This column first appeared in the September 2002 issue of WorkBoat.) Fortunately, the National Transportation Safety Board can only make recommendations to the U.S....

WorkBoat Composite Index: Index down 1 percent in June.(AT A GLANCE)
August 1, 2006... After losing 25 points in May, the WorkBoat Composite Index slid another 15 points in June. For the month, losers topped winners by a 10-8 ratio. The top percentage gainer for the month was Helix Energy Solutions Group Inc., which gained...

OSV day rates: rates jump in June.(AT A GLANCE)(offshore support vessels)
August 1, 2006... Rates for Gulf of Mexico supply vessels posted strong gains in June. Standard supply vessels posted the largest increase, with rates jumping an average $1,230 to over $13,800 per day. The size of the increase is note-worthy since several...

Inland insider: moving cement by barge.(AT A GLANCE)
August 1, 2006... Mexico and its southern neighbors have been steadily invading America. There has been a strong flow of immigrants into the U.S. to take minimum-wage jobs, of course, but people aren't the only "invaders" from the south. Another is cement. ...

Legal Talk: quarters barge is a vessel.(AT A GLANCE)
August 1, 2006... On Jan. 19, 2006, in Holmes v. Atlantic Sounding Co., the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decided whether a cook could be entitled to Jones Act claims against her employer after she was injured aboard a quarters barge. The barge was...

Manitowoc/Kvichak land Coast Guard RB-M contract.(NEWS LOG)
August 1, 2006... In June, The Manitowoc (Wis.) Company was awarded a contract by the U.S. Coast Guard for the construction and delivery of up to 250 Response Boat-Medium (RB-M) vessels. The contract has a value of up to $600 million. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Coast Guard bill closes Jones Act loophole.(NEWS BITTS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... When Congress passed the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act in June, two provisions that help protect U.S.-flag vessels, especially those working in support of the offshore energy industry, were included. In the first provision,...

Aging Ohio River locks are costly, Corps of Engineers study says.(NEWS LOG)
August 1, 2006... Within the next decade, half of the 20 locks on the Ohio River will have exceeded their 50-year design life. And they don't appear to be aging gracefully, which is clear to barge operators that annually move 270 million tons of commodities...

Access guidelines for passenger vessels now includes all ferries.(NEWS BITTS)
August 1, 2006... The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board has released its revised draft guidelines for passenger-vessel accessibility. Released July 7, the Access Board guidelines affect passenger vessels that carry more than 150...

Container-on-barge service could ease congestion in Virginia.(NEWS LOG)
August 1, 2006... Though only in the discussion stage, the time may be just right for a new barge container service between Norfolk, Va., and Richmond, Va. Currently, the containers move by truck, but there's a serious, time-consuming bottleneck at the...

New rail ferry service for Alabama Port.(NEWS BITTS)
August 1, 2006... The Alabama State Port Authority has signed an agreement with International Shipholding Corp.'s CG Railway to develop a new rail ferry terminal at the Port of Mobile. Construction on the $19 million terminal is underway with the first vessel...

Barge Line increases wages to help recruit and retain employees.(NEWS LOG)
August 1, 2006... There is no more acute problem in the marine industry than the recruitment and retention of personnel. With that in mind, Jeffersonville, Ind.-based American Commercial Lines Inc. recently announced a new wage and incentive program aimed at...

Need for speed: MACC '06 demonstrates the military's big appetite for small and swift.(FOCUS)
August 1, 2006... At the end of the Cold War, the U.S. military was compelled to reinvent itself as a force more adept at fighting in "battle spaces" beyond those dominated by nuclear weapons. Since 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq, this transformation has only...

Weight watchers: reducing capacity will be costly to passenger vessel operators.(VESSEL REPORT)
August 1, 2006... The U.S. Coast Guard's new "voluntary" weight measures have hit the passenger vessel industry like a rogue wave. The interim measures, which are aimed at addressing increased passenger and vessel weight when determining passenger capacity,...

Cianbro begins work on Hornbeck OSV conversions.(ON THE WAYS)
August 1, 2006... The Benno C. Schmidt, the first of two sulfur carriers due for conversion into the world's largest supply boats, arrived in Portland, Maine, in June. Cianbro Corp. and Bath Iron Works (BIW) will share construction duties on the vessels owned by...

Retros and refurbs: Vancouver Drydock completes another BC Ferries upgrade.(ON THE WAYS)
August 1, 2006... In late June, after seven months and an extensive $40 million (Can.) upgrade, the Queen of Surrey, a 457' passenger-vehicle ferry, returned to its run in southern British Columbia. Hauling over 1,000 passengers and up to 325 cars and trucks...

Kitsap Cats completes first composite ferry.(ON THE WAYS)(Marina del Rey Flyer built by Kitsap Catamarans)
August 1, 2006... A new catamaran ferry that makes runs between Los Angeles and Catalina Island is now operating out of Marina del Rey, Calif. The 85'X36'6" Marina del Rey Flyer was designed and built by Kitsap Catamarans, Tacoma, Wash. The 149-passenger...

Boatbuilding bitts.(ON THE WAYS)
August 1, 2006... In June, John Bludworth Shipyard LLC, Corpus Christi, Texas, delivered a new inland pushboat to Blessey Marine Services. The 110'X32'X11' Melvin R. Todd draws 8'6" and has a wheelhouse eye level of 36'3". Main propulsion is provided by two...

Midship Marine building crewboat series for Bourbon offshore.(ON THE WAYS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Midship Marine wanted to build bigger offshore supply vessels. So the New Orleans-area company purchased additional property on the Harvey Canal near its original shop and erected a shed big enough to build two large boats under cover...

Security load: new ID credential dumps more of the security burden and cost on mariners.(COVER STORY)
August 1, 2006... The U.S. Coast Guard has another tiger by the tail. In May, the agency, along with the Transportation Security Administration, released proposed rules for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) and Merchant Mariner...

Waiting list: getting new engines, drives and transmissions takes planning and time.(PROPULSION)
August 1, 2006... When can we have it? That's the question a lot of boat owners, boatbuilders and propulsion equipment suppliers are asking as they try to figure out when that engine or Z-drive, or both, will show up at the boatyard. In the 1990s, gears,...

Cape crusader: Voith ferry is a perfect fit for North Carolina.(180' DOUBLE-ENDED FERRY)
August 1, 2006... With increasing traffic between its offshore islands, North Carolina has continued its ferry construction program with the delivery of a new double-ended ferry. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Built by Steiner Shipyard Inc., Bayou La Batre,...

Thruster upgrades.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
August 1, 2006... Rolls-Royce's tunnel thrusters have been upgraded to meet the needs of offshore vessels that operate in dynamic positioning (DP) mode for long periods under tough operating conditions. In addition to new equipment, upgrades can also be made to...

Communications upgrade.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
August 1, 2006... SeaWave&Rydex, Middletown, R.I., recently unveiled its new Regulatory Suite, a collection of hardware and software products aimed at regulatory compliance for vessel and port security. The new product currently includes SSAS, eNOAD, and Notice...

Noise damping.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
August 1, 2006... Houston-based Mascoat Products, an insulation coatings company, has released a new version of its Delta dB Sound Damping coating. The coating employs the latest in fire suppression technology along with its proven sound damping capabilities....

Surface fastener.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
August 1, 2006... Slideways Inc., Worcester, Mass., has introduced UHMW Adhesive Backed Wear Stripes--peal and stick strips that can be affixed to surfaces without drilling or mechanical fasteners. Designed for a variety of applications requiring abrasion...

Workboat business.
August 1, 2006... In June, Foss Maritime Co. received two awards related to the January tug-barge mishap off the coast of North Carolina. Capt. Sam Nelson and the crew of the Foss tug Justine Foss received the Lifesaving Award from the Seamen's Church Institute...

Calendar.
August 1, 2006... Aug. 23-25 GICA CONVENTION The 101st Annual Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association Convention, Wyndham Canal Place, New Orleans. Tel: 281-996-6915 E-mail: rbutler@houston.rr.com www.gicaonline.com Sept. 6-8 NWC...

Workboat: looks back.(WB ARCHIVES)(Halter Marine Group Inc. supplied a offshore vessel to Tidewater Marine Service Inc.)(Marine Construction and Design Co. has began the production of tugs)(law on Coast Guard inspection of all tugs)
August 1, 2006... August 1946 * On July 16, the Senate blocked action on a bill that would have seriously restricted the Army Engineers in its ability to control navigation on the Mississippi River by depriving them of the power to draw down the reservoirs...