Workboat articles from December 2004

Workboat archives from December 2004

The good, the bad and not so ugly.(EDITOR'S WATCH)
December 1, 2004... There were plenty of happenings in the marine industry in 2004--some good, some not so good. On the positive side, the security craze is continuing to keep a lot of boatyards busy. If you build aluminum patrol boats, you most likely have...

Older mariners took speaker the wrong way.(MAIL BAG)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... I was dismayed to read two letters in WorkBoat magazine's Mail Bag decrying the presentation by John Cassady III, U.S. Coast Guard, chief, regional examination center, at a safety and training seminar sponsored by Vane Brothers Company in...

Tankerman axed for spill.(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I always find it so strange that some companies in the petroleum transporting business will fire a tankerman so quickly if he happens to spill a drop or two of oil in the water while their tugboat operators who ram barges into docks, run barges...

Competing uses for the Columbia River.(MAIL BAG)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... At the Chello Falls Lock Historical Park and Museum are the remains of the first (1880s-1930s) federal riverboat navigational lock system on the Columbia River. In the lock master's house where fascinating pictures and artifacts of a...

On the water: cutting down on ice follies.(AT A GLANCE)
December 1, 2004... For mariners who worked on tugs, barges and other vessels in the Northeast last winter, it was a particularly brutal season. The bitter cold, snow and ice, combined with the usual pitching and rolling decks, created difficult and sometimes...

Captain's table: is security screening constitutional?(AT A GLANCE)
December 1, 2004... A federal lawsuit was filed in Vermont in October challenging the constitutionality of the federal government's security regulations for the screening of ferry passengers. At issue is the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable...

WorkBoat Composite Index: Index stays put in October.(AT A GLANCE)
December 1, 2004... The WorkBoat Composite Index slogged along in October, with losers edging winners by a 19-18 margin. For the month, the Index lost 3 points or 0.5 percent. There were a few winners, however, including Torch Offshore, Gulfmark Offshore and...

Inland insider; Waterways: one big happy family?(AT A GLANCE)
December 1, 2004... Historically, waterways interests have been aligned into different associations. However, these associations represent some interesting contrasts. For example, years ago, of the three types of carriers, one association represented exempt...

OSV day rates: more activity for Gulf operators.(AT A GLANCE)
December 1, 2004... As 2004 winds down, Gulf of Mexico supply vessel operators are encouraged by the recent rise in utilization and day rates. Most vessel owners are still enjoying increased activity in the wake of September's hurricanes as platforms and pipelines...

Legal talk: OPA '90 is just the first layer.(AT A GLANCE)
December 1, 2004... Complying with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 is only the first step vessel owners and operators must take to meet oil pollution regulation requirements. While OPA '90 preempts state law in certain areas, it allows states to impose...

Q & A: a talk with Edmond J. "Ned" Moran Jr., senior vice president, Moran Towing Corp., New Canaan, Conn.(AT A GLANCE)(Interview)
December 1, 2004... WorkBoat: Moran recently launched two new tractor tugs with more firefighting capability than some municipalities. How have the vessels changed since you began at Moran? Ned Moran: When I started more than 30 years ago Moran was just...

Navy Gordon England.(NEWS LOG)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... On Oct. 12, Secretary of the Navy Gordon England visited Nichols Brothers Boat Builders in Freeland, Wash., and toured the X-Craft catamaran under construction at the Whidbey Island shipyard. The secretary (center with tie) was accompanied by...

Gulf pipeline damage keeps service vessels busy.(NEWS LOG)
December 1, 2004... Severe damage caused by Hurricane Ivan in September continues to affect oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) says the region's full productive capacity may not be online for months. ...

Money-losing routes hurt N.Y. ferry operator.(NEWS LOG)
December 1, 2004... NY Waterway, Weehawken, N.J., the largest ferry operator in New York Harbor, is suffering financial troubles from unprofitable ferry routes and declining ridership. The ferry company is currently negotiating with the Port Authority of New...

USCG still looking for culprit in oil spill.(NEWS LOG)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... As of early November, the Coast Guard was still looking for the source of an October oil spill in south Puget Sound that has cost over $2 million to clean up. The Seattle Times reported on Nov. 5 that "oil samples taken from Puget Sound...

Corps estimates don't add up, group says.(NEWS LOG)
December 1, 2004... The Corps of Engineers' updated Draft Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway System Navigation study remains flawed, particularly in its estimation of barge tonnage numbers. That's one of the conclusions contained in a recently released...

IPO for Northeast coastal barge operator.(NEWS LOG)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... U.S. Shipping Partners LP, an Edison, N.J.-based coastal petroleum barge operator, raised $133.5 million in an initial public offering in late October. The company's six million shares were priced at $22.25, the top of its expected range. ...

New law gives marine companies financial relief.(NEWS BITTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The recently passed American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 will eliminate the 4.3 cents per gallon fuel tax that inland towing vessel companies pay annually. The tax will be gradually phased out. It will be reduced to 3.3 cents on Jan. 1, 2005, 2.3...

MMS announces next Gulf Lease Sale.(NEWS BITTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Minerals Management Service (MMS) announced that Central Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Lease Sale 194 would be held March 16, 2005. The proposed lease sale encompasses 4,043 unleased blocks covering approximately 21.3 million acres in the Central...

Boat ride and a flu shot.(NEWS BITTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... With supplies of flu vaccine in extremely short supply in the U.S. but more abundant in Canada, Seattle's Clipper Navigation found a way to help those desperate for the shots and make a few bucks in the process. The company hired a licensed...

Border boats: federal agency has beefed up its marine fleet since 9/11.(FOCUS: BORDER PATROL MARINE OPERATIONS)
December 1, 2004... The sleek Dakota 36 glides away from the dock at John U. Lloyd State Park and into the Intracoastal Waterway, past the cruise ships at Port Everglades. Fla., on one side and the mangroves on the other. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Heading...

Short haul: conference discusses the pros and cons of domestic short-sea shipping.(FOCUS: SHORT-SEA SHIPPING CONFERENCE)
December 1, 2004... Short-sea shipping may be a great concept, but many hurdles remain before it will be embraced as a viable transportation alternative to truck and rail. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Experts at a recent workshop on the economics of domestic...

Sure bet: new casino vessel will never leave the dock.(FOCUS: LEEVAC CASINO BOAT PROJECT)
December 1, 2004... It's called a casino boat, but at 330' X 225' X 13', it's really more of a barge (even though it will never move anything but money from the pockets of its patrons). Called the L'auberge du Lac, the new vessel will be the first...

Hitting the slopes: each season, twin vessels deliver cargo to remote Alaska villages.(IN BUSINESS: BOWHEAD TRANSPORTATION)
December 1, 2004... The Greta S. Akpik and the Sam M. Taalak can only be seen in Alaska waters during the five to six months each year when the ice releases its grip on the shores of the Arctic Ocean and the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort seas. [ILLUSTRATION...

Austal launches high-speed military cat prototype.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
December 1, 2004... Austal USA, Mobile, Ala., recently launched a 102-foot aluminum-hulled SeaCoaster, an air-induced surface effect catamaran (SECAT). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 102'X33'X10'7" SeaCoaster is the brainchild of a partnership between...

Senesco Marine lands its first ATB order.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
December 1, 2004... Senesco Marine, which for the last few years has been building nothing but barges at its North Kingstown, R.I., boatyard, recently expanded its building portfolio with the signing of a contract to build an articulated tug-barge unit that will...

Conrad Aluminum delivers first crew/supplier.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
December 1, 2004... Over a year ago, Conrad Industries, a Morgan City, La., construction and repair yard that had worked exclusively in steel since 1948, announced plans to expand into the aluminum market. The birth of Conrad Aluminum LLC, Amelia, La., was...

Blount delivers another boat to Puerto Rico.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
December 1, 2004... Blount Boats, Warren, R.I., should consider opening up another shipyard in Puerto Rico. The boatyard has now built 21 boats for the Puerto Rico Ports Authority. The latest is the 155'X41' passenger and cargo-carrying monohull ferry Isleno,...

Shallow-draft combo-tug for Chesapeake Bay.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
December 1, 2004... On the Chesapeake Bay, a "Bay-built" workboat is by tradition a community effort. A new combination tug/towboat by Smith Brothers Inc., Galesville, Md., is a case in point. The 600-hp, 50'X18'6"X8'6" model-bow tug Megalodon is the result of...

Knight & Carver YachtCenter, San Diego, in partnership with M Ship Co.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Knight & Carver YachtCenter, San Diego, in partnership with M Ship Co., a San Diego design firm, has been awarded a $6 million contract to construct a high-speed 80'X40' transport vessel for the U.S. Navy. The new boat, the M80 Stiletto, will...

All American Marine.(BOATBUILDING BITTS; National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration contract)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... All American Marine, Bellingham, Wash., has been awarded a three-vessel contract from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. All three boats will be hydrofoil-assisted catamarans designed by Teknicraft Design, Auckland, New Zealand....

Eastern Shipbuilding Group.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Panama City, Fla., is scheduled to deliver the 96'X34'X14'9" ship docking tug John A. Wronowski for Thames Towboat Co., New London, Conn., before Christmas. Jensen Maritime Consultants Ltd., Seattle, designed the...

Horizon Shipbuilding Inc.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority contract)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Horizon Shipbuilding Inc., Bayou La Batre, Ala., has been awarded a contract to build an aluminum 70-foot pilot boat for the port of Umm Qasr, Iraq's only Persian Gulf port. The buyer is the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad.

Bollinger Marine Fabricators.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Bollinger Marine Fabricators, Amelia, La., recently announced that it will build five 30,000-bbl. hot asphalt tank barges for Horizon Maritime LLC, Houston. Each 297'X54'X13' barge will be equipped with a 6-million-BTU Hopkins Volcanic heater...

DeJong and Lebet.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The latest Sir Winston, the 10th commercial passenger boat to bear that name, was recently delivered to Sir Winston Luxury Yacht Charters, Bal Harbour, Fla. Like its predecessors, this Sir Winston was designed by DeJong and Lebet, Jacksonville,...

Stop the presses.
December 1, 2004... This year's Top 10 news stories once again demonstrate the variety of developments that characterize the commercial marine industry. From the implementation of maritime security regulations and efforts to thwart foreign financing of vessels in...

Significant boats of 2004.(RECOGNITION AWARDS)
December 1, 2004... Each December, we review the scores of boats that have appeared in WorkBoat during the previous 12 months. In doing so, we rediscover boats that deserve special recognition. Some are chosen to appear in this retrospective for design or...

Midnight run: converted LASH vessel enters the Gulf of Mexico pipelaying market.(BOATS & GEAR: 520' PIPELAYING VESSEL)
December 1, 2004... As Gulf of Mexico producers continue to recover after Hurricane Ivan and as drillers in the Gulf and worldwide respond to sharp hikes in oil prices, a small Louisiana pipelaying company has introduced a diesel-electric DP-2 pipelaying vessel...

All for show: the 26th International WorkBoat Show.(INTERNATIONAL WORKBOAT SHOW)
December 1, 2004... The 26th installment of The International WorkBoat Show and Conference is once again expected to be the industry's largest gathering of marine professionals and suppliers of marine-related equipment and services. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Show listings.(INTERNATIONAL WORKBOAT SHOW)(Directory)
December 1, 2004... Show Hours: Wednesday: 10am-6pm Thursday: 10am-6pm Friday: 10am-4pm VISIT WWW.WORKBOATSHOW.COM FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHOW [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Marine light.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
December 1, 2004... Wobble Light LLC, Hoffman Estates, Ill., has introduced its line of Wobble Lights. The self-righting lights can illuminate a boat's hull, a room or a building. They're built to tackle severe environments where traditional lights can't survive....

Foot-control valve.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
December 1, 2004... NLB Corp. has released its new waterjet foot control valve, the FC24-286, for water pressures from 10,000 psi to 24,000 psi. NLB manufactures a line of high-pressure and ultra high-pressure waterjetting systems and accessories for contractor...

Boom welding system.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
December 1, 2004... The Lincoln Electric Company and Genie Industries have teamed up to create the ArcPro 275 industrial boom welding system. Lincoln Electric, Cleveland, designs and manufactures are welding equipment and consumables, robotic welding systems, and...

Calendar.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
December 1, 2004... Dec. 1-3 INT'L WORKBOAT SHOW North America's largest trade show and conference for operators of offshore service vessels, tugs and towboats, passenger boats, small workboats and other commercial and military vessels. Ernest N. Morial...

WorkBoat looks back.(WB ARCHIVES)
December 1, 2004... December 1944 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * At 400,000 bbls. a day, oil is the No. 1 wartime river commodity. The movement of petroleum products on the Mississippi River jumped from 15.55 million short tons in 1939 to 27 million tons in...