Workboat articles from August 2008

Workboat archives from August 2008

Frustrated with TWIC.(Transportation Worker Identification Credential)(Editorial)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Lately it seems like mariners are being hassled at every turn, with TWIC at the top of the list. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Admittedly, it's been smooth sailing for many mariners who have already obtained their Transportation Worker...

A new generation of mariners.(SOUND OFF)
August 1, 2008... Future mariners, where will they come from and will there be enough? This issue has been a growing concern to the Maritime Administration and the maritime industry over the last few years particularly in the inland and brownwater fleets....

Source for future mariners?(MailBag)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... In recent issues of WorkBoat, there has been a lot of talk about the lack of an available labor pool for merchant vessels. Did you know that there are over 6,000 members of an almost 100-year-old organization that teaches boating skills and...

Mariner training program is a good addition.(MailBag)
August 1, 2008... Finally there is specific training (Pacific Maritime Institute's Workboat Mate program) for lower-level licensees other than exam preparation and STCW. That is a good thing. The standards have risen significantly since the days of the OUTV...

Don't try to pay cash for your TWIC card.(MailBag)
August 1, 2008... I recently went to a Transportation Security Administration office to apply for my TWIC. I had pre-enrolled online and everything went OK. I took offense, however, when I saw the sign stating that acceptable forms of payment for the card did...

On the water: mariners want to keep their paper.(At A Glance)
August 1, 2008... In 2006, the Coast Guard released a proposed rule (Consolidation of Merchant Mariner Qualification Credentials) to combine all of a mariner's current "papers" (except FCC licenses) into a passport-like booklet. As a result, mariners would only...

Captain's table: musseling into the waterways.(At A Glance)
August 1, 2008... A relative of the zebra mussel is invading lakes and rivers throughout the West and South-west, bribnging with it a highly aggressive capability to attach itself to vessels, moorings, and other smooth surfaces. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

WorkBoat Composite Index: index drops 165 points.(At A Glance)
August 1, 2008... The WorkBoat Composite Index couldn't avoid being dragged down with the broader market in June. In May, the Index was up over 100 points while the Dow lost almost 200. But in June, the Index was up over 100 points while the Dow lost almost 200....

OSV day rates: supply boat rates increase.(At A Glance)
August 1, 2008... Day rates for supply vessels rose during June while crewboat rates dipped. Utilization was up in all vessel categories in WorkBoat's monthly survey except for larger crewboats (over 125'). Of note is the strong showing for smaller supply...

Inland insider: don't blame the weather!(At A Glance)
August 1, 2008... The sky has literally fallen on much of the Midwest, particularly Iowa. The worst floods in 15 years have caused enormous damage, especially in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Cedar River crested at 31 feet compared to 19 feet during the 1993 flood....

Legal talk: make sure all is not lost when your vessel sinks.(At A Glance)
August 1, 2008... When a vessel sinks, there is more at stake than the loss of a good hull. Aside from the potential for crewmember and environmental liability, the vessel's insurer may try to avoid meeting its contractual obligations. This can turn a...

Insurance watch: finding a good marine surveyor.(At A Glance)
August 1, 2008... What do you do when your insurance agent tells you that you need a new condition and value survey on your vessel for insurance purposes? Or if you go to secure a new loan and use your vessel as collateral, what do you do when your banker says...

In February 1999, the 639' Japanese-owned bulk carrier New Carissa was pushed by a storm onto the beach near Coos Bay, Ore.(NEWS LOG)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... In February 1999, the 639' Japanese-owned bulk carrier New Carissa was pushed by a storm onto the beach near Coos Bay, Ore. What followed was 36 days of frustration for state officials and the companies involved in salvaging the wreck. The...

Effects of Midwest flooding on barge transport to linger.
August 1, 2008... The water has subsided, the locks are open, and the tows are moving north and south along the Upper Mississippi River. Now it's time to look at the real damage. Barge operators who move cargo primarily on the Upper Mississippi River and...

Year-round rescue tug at Neah Bay begins.(NEWS BITTS)
August 1, 2008... On July 1, emergency response tug services began year-round operations in Neah Bay, Wash., for the first time. Crowley Maritime Corp., which had been stationing a rescue tug at Neah Bay on a seasonal basis, has extended its contract with...

GulfMark, Rigdon Marine sale closes.(NEWS BITTS)
August 1, 2008... On July 1, GulfMark Offshore Inc. finalized its acquisition of Rigdon Marine. The combined company, which will be based in Houston, will initially operate 90 vessels with an other 16 vessels under construction with delivery through 2010....

Coast Guard issues marine safety alert for cp propeller use.(NEWS BITTS)
August 1, 2008... In the wake of a marine casualty involving a Bering Sea fishing vessel in March, the U.S. Coast Guard has recommended that owners, operators and masters of vessels with control-lable-pitch propellers understand the design and operation of the...

Congress weighs in on rebuilding Jones Act vessels overseas.(NEWS LOG)
August 1, 2008... The fight over rebuilding Jones Act vessels overseas has spread to Congress where the U.S. Coast Guard admitted its verification system is based on trust. At a June hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on...

AWO takes issue with Coast Guard's new marine safety plan.(NEWS LOG)(American Waterways Operators )
August 1, 2008... The American Waterways Operators says the U.S. Coast Guard's new Marine Safety Performance Plan appears to portray the industry as a problem rather than part of a solution to marine safety issues. The recently released five-years blue print...

Survey says companies having a tough time finding deckhands.(NEWS LOG)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... If you're a maritime company having trouble finding qualified workers, you're not alone. A new survey of the maritime labor market by the Maritime Administration found that 89 percent of the respondents had trouble recruiting mariners...

Carded: TWIC application process receives mixed reviews.(Maritime Security)
August 1, 2008... Word on the river is that applying for a TWIC is a real hassle, fraught with long waits at understaffed enrollment centers, jammed phone lines, computer glitches, card processing problems, incomplete government criminal databases, and errors in...

Recycling center: retired ships and barges are commanding top dollar.(Vessel Scrapping)
August 1, 2008... The tanker Adonis' journey this spring down the Texas coast from Beaumont to the scrap heap in Brownsville had an unusual twist. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This time, the Maritime Administration didn't have to pay someone to recycle one of...

New supply boat designs underway at Bollinger.(ON THE WAYS)
August 1, 2008... Bollinger Shipyards Inc. has eight steel-hulled offshore supply boats under construction at its main yard in Lockport, La. There's a pair of 193'x40'x15', DP-1 vessels scheduled for completion in late 2008, with six 210'x56'x18', DP-2 OSVs to...

Marine Inland hits the 'big' time with new pushboat.(ON THE WAYS)(Peter Kiewit Sons Inc., St Paul Navigation Inc., Superior Energy Services Inc.)
August 1, 2008... In Panama City, Fla., former Eastern Shipbuilding exec Rudy Sistrunk has Marine Inland Fabricators hitting on all cylinders since he purchased the yard over three years ago. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Sistrunk acquired the yard in...

New triple-jet pilot boat for British Columbia.(On The Ways)
August 1, 2008... Based on the success of the Pacific Pathfinder, British Columbia's Pacific Pilotage Authority (PPA) decided to build two more of the design, which was created by Camarc Design in the United Kingdom. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ABD Aluminum...

Performance tested: operators get a chance to ride the wares at MACC.(Multi-Agency Craft Conference)(Cover story)
August 1, 2008... After a run of over 10 years, the annual Multi-Agency Craft Conference continues to be the event for buyers and sellers of small, commercially built military and law-enforcement boats. Held at the Navy's Little Creek amphibious base in Norfolk,...

Triple play: Tennessee-built pushboarts will earn their keep for new Louisiana company.(52' Towboats)
August 1, 2008... There's been a lot of publicity recently about the increased costs associated with the construction of a first-in-a-series vessel. What doesn't get talked about much is the 47th, 48th, and 49th in a series. But those are the hulls that...

Hot property: thermal imagers enhance security and aid navigation.(Security Products)
August 1, 2008... Here's a test question: What is thermal imaging? If you're a workboat operator and you don't know the answer, you've got a lot of company. Unfortunately, your unfamiliarity with this technology means that you are probably passing up an...

Matthew Rigdon has been named manager, sales and marketing for Rigdon Marine Corp., New Orleans.(WBBusiness)(Rigdon Marine L.L.C.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Matthew Rigdon has been named manager, sales and marketing for Rigdon Marine Corp., New Orleans. He will be responsible for domestic sales and brokerage, business development and special projects for the company's fleet of platform supply...

In June, U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Patrick J. Maguire transferred command of Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River to Capt. Michael S. Gardiner.(WBBusiness)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... In June, U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Patrick J. Maguire transferred command of Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River to Capt. Michael S. Gardiner. Sector Lower Mississippi River is responsible for all U.S. Coast Guard missions across five...

H. Merritt Lane III is the new chairman and Timothy J. Casey is the new vice chairman of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), Arlington, Va.(WBBusiness)
August 1, 2008... H. Merritt Lane III is the new chairman and Timothy J. Casey is the new vice chairman of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), Arlington, Va. Lane is president and CEO of Canal Barge Company Inc., New Orleans, and served as vice chairman for...

Richard Wells is the new vice president of the Offshore Marine Service Association, Harahan, La. Wells.(WBBusiness)
August 1, 2008... Richard Wells is the new vice president of the Offshore Marine Service Association, Harahan, La. Wells, a U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduate, recently headed up the the Coast Guard's Regional Examination Center in New Orleans. He replaced Ken...

Dawn R. Landry has been named senior vice president and general counsel for American Commercial Lines Inc., Jeffersonville, Ind.(WBBusiness)
August 1, 2008... Dawn R. Landry has been named senior vice president and general counsel for American Commercial Lines Inc., Jeffersonville, Ind. Landry was most recently vice president and COO for Formula Telecom Solutions Inc., a provider of operating,...

ZF Marine, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has named Tim McFarland aftermarket segment manager.(WBBusiness)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... ZF Marine, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has named Tim McFarland aftermarket segment manager. McFarland joined ZF Marine in 1997. In his new position, McFarland will have full responsibility for ZF Marine's parts and service business in North and...

Paul H. Colonna has been named chief executive officer for Cook Composites and Polymers.(WBBusiness)
August 1, 2008... Paul H. Colonna has been named chief executive officer for Cook Composites and Polymers. Colonna, 47, has over 20 years experience as a business management professional. Before accepting the CEO position, he had been vice president of...

Denis McComb has been promoted to eastern district sales manager for Sea Wide Distribution, Murrieta, Calif.(WBBusiness)
August 1, 2008... Denis McComb has been promoted to eastern district sales manager for Sea Wide Distribution, Murrieta, Calif., a wholesale distributor of marine and consumer electronics. McComb recently relocated to the East Coast from the company's northwest...

The American Salvage Association (ASA), Arlington, Va., and the Offshore Marine Service Association, Harahan, La.(WBBusiness)
August 1, 2008... The American Salvage Association (ASA), Arlington, Va., and the Offshore Marine Service Association, Harahan, La., have established a reciprocal affiliate membership relationship. ASA is the trade association devoted to improving marine...

Magnetic drill.(WBProducts)(CS Unitec Inc.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... CS Unitec has introduced a portable magnetic drill designed to address safety concerns associated with drilling in hazardous environments. The AIRBOR AB-4300-2R magnetic drill's motor and magnet are powered by compressed air--no electricity...

Anodes kits.(WBProducts)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Further expanding its line of Navalloy anodes, Performance Metals now has unveiled three new Navalloy anodes kits designed for Mercury engine owners. Created for Verado, Alpha One Gen I and Bravo engines, the anodes are designed to provide...

Gyrocompass.(WBProducts)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Houston-based Geonav Marine Systems, a manufacturer of sur- vey software and positioning technology, is now marketing the I-Compass, a GPS-aided fiber optic gyrocompass. I-Compass is an integration of fiber optic gyro (FOG) technology with GPS...

Paint restorer.(WB Products)
August 1, 2008... CRC Industries Inc., Warminister, Pa., has introduced a companion product for its new Marykate Nano Boat Wax. The Marykate Nano Color Restorer is engineered for fiberglass finishes utilizing the same nanotechnology chemical process as the boat...

Ball-style tool sharpener.(WB Products)(Brush Research Manufacturing Company Inc.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Brush Research Manufacturing Co. Inc. has introduced Flex Hones, a new line of flexible, ball-style hones that can be used virtually anywhere for sophisticated surfacing, deburring, edge blending, cleaning and rebuilding. Available in various...

GPS upgrade.(WB Products)
August 1, 2008... ComNav, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, is marketing its new G2 Navigator GPS Compass Display. The G2 offers user-friendly features, ergonometric controls and additional technology. It's available as an add-on display or with the G2/G2B...

Welding Cable Reel.(WBProducts)
August 1, 2008... COXREELS, Tempe, Ariz., has introduced the U2WCL Se ries Welding Cable Reel, an all steel construction welding reel designed for long lasting performance and to protect your cable and enhance the safety of your work environment. The 112WCL...

WBCalendar.(Brief article)(Calendar)
August 1, 2008... Aug. 20-22 The 103rd Annual Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association Convention, Westin New Orleans at Canal Place, NewOrleans. 281-996-6915 www.gicaonline.com Sept. 23-26 SHIPBUILDING FAIR The Shipbuilding, Machinery,...

Workboat looks back.(WBArchives)
August 1, 2008... AUGUST 1948 * On this month's cover is the towboat Robin-E, built for Texas Towing Co., Houston, by Gulfport Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp., Port Arthur, Texas. The 116'x27'x10' boat is powered by a single 1,700-hp Enterprise DMQ-318...