Workboat articles from December 2007

Workboat archives from December 2007

Show time in New Orleans.(Editorial)
December 1, 2007... Has it been a year already? At this time last year, we were getting ready for the return of the International WorkBoat Show to New Orleans after Katrina knocked us out of commission in 2005. For many, the return of the WorkBoat Show to the...

Almost seasick over letter.(MAIL BAG)(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... After reading Alice Evans' letter ("TWIC process can catch all those bad guys," Mail Bag, July 2007), I was almost seasick. Does she know anything about criminology and psychology? Not all, and probably not even most, of the criminals she...

Tyrants in the barge industry?(MAIL BAG)
December 1, 2007... In my opinion, river barge line management falls into two categories--those that care about vessel crewmembers and those that do not. This letter is addressed to the latter. I don't think that most of the barge line managers are tyrants....

Reader has new concept to boost container capacity.(MAIL BAG)
December 1, 2007... For the past several years, I have read countless articles about short-sea shipping, the logjams in the nation's ports and larger container ships. I have developed a concept that will double the capacity of a container pier, unload/load...

On the water: death on the water--Part I.(AT A GLANCE)
December 1, 2007... Many things can go wrong while operating a tugboat, and some of them can result in death. One of a tug captain's worst nightmares occurred on the night of Oct. 20 when a small sportfishing boat ran between a tug and a loaded dumper barge...

Captain's table: recreational boating safety.(AT A GLANCE)
December 1, 2007... The 43rd Annual Head Of The Charles Regatta, the world's largest two-day rowing event, was held in Boston Oct. 20-21. It is all about competing racing shells being pulled by crews from all over the U.S. and abroad. Over 7,500 athletes from...

WorkBoat Composite Index: Index jumps 4 percent.(AT A GLANCE)(Statistical table)
December 1, 2007... October was another winning month for the WorkBoat Composite Index. After posting a gain of almost 4 percent in September, the Index rose another 4.3 percent in October. For the month, the Index rose 76 points, as winners topped losers by a...

OSV day rates: rig activity slowdown brings down the Gulf market.(AT A GLANCE)
December 1, 2007... Supply vessel operators that work the Gulf of Mexico shelf continue to be affected by dismal jackup rig activity. Jackup utilization dropped below 66 percent of the marketed units at the end of September, according to figures from...

Inland insider: all waterways lead to D.C.(AT A GLANCE)
December 1, 2007... The capitol of the inland waterways is Washington, D.C., not St. Louis, New Orleans or any other major river city. Although only a handful of commercial vessels sail up the Potomac River into Washington, D.C., the capitol of the inland...

Cajun mariners and their oil service boats.
December 1, 2007... Rise of the Cajun Mariners The Race for Big Oil By Woody Falgoux Stockard James LLC $26.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you need to learn more about the evolution of the offshore boat business and the people and...

Legal talk: vessel status revisited.(AT A GLANCE)
December 1, 2007... The definition of a vessel continues to be a legal work in progress. In 2005, the Supreme Court's opinion in Stuart v. Dutra Construction adopted an expansive meaning of the term vessel. That case held that a "water craft or other contrivance"...

Finance talk: marine financing terms are negotiable.(AT A GLANCE)
December 1, 2007... In case you haven't heard, loan terms for the purchase of offshore vessels are negotiable. Borrowers can adjust both business terms and legal terms, especially today when lenders are competing for projects. The key is to negotiate the best deal...

Lawsuits lead to Washington state shipyard's shutdown.(NEWS LOG)
December 1, 2007... On Nov. 2, employees of Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Freeland, Wash., were told by company CEO Matt Nichols and his son Bryan, the company president, that the yard was shutting down, effective immediately. Citing "significant financial...

TECO's vessel and barge unit sold.(NEWS LOG)
December 1, 2007... Private equity interests are teaming up with management to buy TECO Transport for $405 million cash. The sale, which a spokesman for parent TECO Energy said attracted 30 final offers, is expected to close by the end of the year. The...

Hornblower lands $350 million ferry contract.(NEWS LOG)
December 1, 2007... Podcasts. Plasma TV with narrated films. Organic food choices. Online ticketing. These are just a few of the amenities that ferry riders can expect come January when Hornblower Yachts Inc., San Francisco, takes over the busy route that...

MMS Central Gulf lease sale is second highest on record.(NEWS LOG)
December 1, 2007... The Minerals Management Service's central Gulf lease sale held in early October was a big success. The lease sale underscores the bullishness of operators in the region despite the Gulf being one of the oldest and most mature offshore...

Salvors still waiting on Coast Guard ruling.(NEWS LOG)
December 1, 2007... Seventeen years after passage of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which was to set new rules on the salvage of grounded vessels, salvors are still waiting for final rules that will guide salvage and firefighting operations. The regulations...

Oil spill fund needs attention, report says.(NEWS LOG)
December 1, 2007... Owners and operators of vessels involved in major oil spills may soon face bigger payouts for cleanups and damages under a recommendation from the Government Accountability Office. In a new report, the GAO says that the Oil Pollution Act of...

Josiccp Gruzling, designer of nozzles and skegs.(NEWS BITTSfc)(Obituary)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Josip Gruzling, the founder of NautiCAN R & D Ltd. in Lions Bay, British Columbia, died in September. A marine engineer who emigrated from Yugoslavia to Canada in 1968. Gruzling received nine patents for his designs, which included High...

Canal Barge buys ConocoPhillips' fleet.(NEWS BITTS)
December 1, 2007... New Orleans-based Canal Barge Company Inc. recently acquired and is now operating the ConocoPhillips inland marine fleet based in Sulphur, La. Terms were not disclosed. The acquisition included seven inland towboats and 14 inland tank barges...

Liquid Gold: ACL sets its sights on the lucrative inland liquid cargo market.(FOCUS: INLAND TANK BARGE MARKET)
December 1, 2007... Kirby Corp.'s record third-quarter results leave little doubt why American Commercial Lines is looking so longingly at liquids. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The inland tank barge market in general has been sizzling. All available equipment...

Canal crunch: ports are preparing for a Panama Canal-driven container onslaught.(FOCUS: PANAMA CANAL)
December 1, 2007... The megaships are coming. But are waterways ready to handle these container behemoths? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Panama Canal broke ground in October on a $5.25 billion project that is expected to double the 50-mile canal's capacity...

Barge talk.(FOCUS: NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW)(Ken Eriksen)(Interview)
December 1, 2007... The inland barge and towboat industry is in the midst of one of its strongest and most profitable periods in recent memory, due largely to a robust national economy and heavy demand for U.S. grain overseas. Pamela Glass, WorkBoat's Washington...

Manning table: the federal government may do more to help ease the labor crunch.(FOCUS: MARITIME LABOR)
December 1, 2007... The nagging maritime labor shortage is starting to grab the attention of Congress, which has mostly watched from the sidelines as the industry struggles to address a shortage that some say is reaching crisis proportions. [ILLUSTRATION...

Hawaii bound: Hornblower delivers Hawaii Superferry's new high-speed catamaran.(FOCUS: FERRY DELIVERY)
December 1, 2007... In his 27 years on the water, Capt. Adam Parsons had transited the Panama Canal over 80 times, so he knew the drill. Because the canal is narrow and difficult to navigate, the captain of a ship transiting the canal must relinquish control to a...

Exploring the edges: 'adventure cruising' can be rewarding, both personally and professionally.(FOCUS: ALTERNATIVE CRUISING)
December 1, 2007... From the air, we saw that the water surrounding the Explorer, the 246'x46' expedition ship awaiting us in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, was an astonishing deep turquoise. Ground-up clay particles, called rock flour, which is left behind by creeping...

Eastern delivers anchor handler to Harvey Gulf.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
December 1, 2007... Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Panama City, Fla., was set for a December delivery of the I50'x45'x20'8" oceangoing tug Harvey War Horse II to Harvey Gulf International Marine Inc., Harvey, La. In 2002, Harvey Gulf took delivery of the Harvey War...

ACB delivers first cutter support boat to USCG.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
December 1, 2007... In June, Aluminum Chambered Boats, Bellingham, Wash., won a $9.8 million Coast Guard contract for the construction of up to 47 cutter support boats. "It's called the Cutter Boat--Large because it goes on the large Coast Guard cutters, not...

Master Boat finishes two more Abdon Callais OSVs.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
December 1, 2007... Master Boat Builders Inc., Bayou La Batre, Ala., recently delivered two offshore supply vessels to Abdon Callais Offshore, Golden Meadow, La. The 205'x46'x15' ACO Isaure Bienvenu and the 150'x36'x12' mini-supply boat Lauren Lacoste are the...

Maine-built DUKW boat.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
December 1, 2007... When Joe Stanley bought Downeast Duck Adventures in Portland, Maine, several years ago, he wasn't completely happy with the "duck" that came with the deal. He ended up rebuilding it, and when it came time for a new one, Stanley decided to build...

Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc., Panama City, Fla., in partnership with Aker Yards Marine (US) Inc., Houston, and Poseidon Maritime (UK) Ltd., have unveiled a new series of diesel-electric platform supply vessels.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
December 1, 2007... Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc., Panama City, Fla., in partnership with Aker Yards Marine (US) Inc., Houston, and Poseidon Maritime (UK) Ltd., have unveiled a new series of diesel-electric platform supply vessels. The new designs all have...

Early in 2008, J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Ltd., Tacoma, Wash., will start building a new series of Z-Tech tugs for U.S. Navy operations in Bremerton, Wash., where they will perform shiphandling duties for Navy surface warships and submarines.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
December 1, 2007... Early in 2008, J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Ltd., Tacoma, Wash., will start building a new series of Z-Tech tugs for U.S. Navy operations in Bremerton, Wash., where they will perform shiphandling duties for Navy surface warships and submarines....

Morgan City, La.-based Conrad Industries delivered a steel-hulled 175-class liftboat, the Wyatt Lee, to Offshore Marine Contractors, Mandeville, La., on Nov. 3.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Morgan City, La.-based Conrad Industries delivered a steel-hulled 175-class liftboat, the Wyatt Lee, to Offshore Marine Contractors, Mandeville, La., on Nov. 3. The 175-class liftboat can work in water depths up to 130' with a 15' air gap. The...

Newsworthy.(FOCUS: TOP 10 NEWS STORIES)
December 1, 2007... Our year-end December issue once again contains the biggest news stories from the workboat industry over the last year. For the second consecutive year, the federal government's transportation worker ID program topped the list and will likely...

2007 boatbuilding review.
December 1, 2007... A review of the boats featured in WorkBoat from December 2006 to November 2007. December 2006 150' TUG Eastern Shipbuilding Group Harvey Gulf International Harvey War Hourse II The Harvey War Horse II, the newest tug...

Z-fist: New Orleans tug company finally adds a Z-drive to its fleet.(BOATS & GEAR: 96' Z-DRIVE TUG)(E.N. Bisso and Son Inc.)
December 1, 2007... With the December delivery of the 4,000-hp, shipdocking tug Josephine Anne, New Orleans-based tugboat operator E.N. Bisso & Son Inc. has responded to customer demand with the first Z-drive in the company's 110-year history. [ILLUSTRATION...

Metal or plastic? Some boatbuilders are rediscovering the virtues of composites.(BOATS & GEAR: COMPOSITES)
December 1, 2007... Are you a "metal" guy or a "composite" guy? Do you think the fastest, most durable and efficient boats are built from steel and aluminum? Or do you weigh in on the side of various composites of fiberglass reinforced plastics and their high-tech...

Show boats: the 28th International WorkBoat Show.
December 1, 2007... The International WorkBoat Show returns to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Nov. 28-30 for its 28th installment. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This year's show is once again expected to be the largest gathering of workboat industry...

Show listings.(INTERNATIONAL WORKBOAT SHOW)
December 1, 2007... Show Hours: Wednesday 10am-5:30pm Thursday 10am-5:30pm Friday 10am-3pm VISIT WWW.WORKBOATSHOW.COM FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHOW * Denotes International Workboat Show Exhibitors Advertising In This Issue...

In October, the Maritime Administration and New York-based Overseas Shipholding Group Inc. signed an agreement to provide training opportunities for U.S. maritime academy cadets onboard OSG's international vessels.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
December 1, 2007... In October, the Maritime Administration and New York-based Overseas Shipholding Group Inc. signed an agreement to provide training opportunities for U.S. maritime academy cadets onboard OSG's international vessels. The public-private...

Jodi Satches has been promoted to vice president, health, safety, and environmental for Lockport, La.-based Bollinger Shipyards Inc., with responsibility for safety operations and environmental services.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
December 1, 2007... Jodi Satches has been promoted to vice president, health, safety, and environmental for Lockport, La.-based Bollinger Shipyards Inc., with responsibility for safety operations and environmental services. Satches joined Bollinger in 2005 as...

Capt. Walt Gibson is the new Northeast regional sales representative for Navis USA.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
December 1, 2007... Capt. Walt Gibson is the new Northeast regional sales representative for Navis USA. Navis is the exclusive North American distributor of Samyung marine electronics.

Kevin Smith has joined QCI Marine Offshore as the Houston company's director of sales and marketing.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
December 1, 2007... Kevin Smith has joined QCI Marine Offshore as the Houston company's director of sales and marketing. Smith has over 14 years of combined experience covering marine safety compliance, ship management, and maritime sales and marketing. Prior to...

Performance Fibers, Richmond, Va., has entered into a multiyear agreement with Zhejiang GuXianDao Industrial Fibre Co. Ltd. in China to be its exclusive distributor of low-shrinkage and high-tenacity polyester fiber yarn for the Americas.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
December 1, 2007... Performance Fibers, Richmond, Va., has entered into a multiyear agreement with Zhejiang GuXianDao Industrial Fibre Co. Ltd. in China to be its exclusive distributor of low-shrinkage and high-tenacity polyester fiber yarn for the Americas. The...

Mitsubishi Engine North America has appointed Laborde Products Inc., Covington, La., to market and distribute its engines to the Upper Mississippi River inland waterways market.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
December 1, 2007... Mitsubishi Engine North America has appointed Laborde Products Inc., Covington, La., to market and distribute its engines to the Upper Mississippi River inland waterways market. Laborde sold the first Mitsubishi heavy duty marine propulsion...

Bass Products.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
December 1, 2007... Colin Althen has been appointed customer service specialist for Bass Products, a Bristol, Conn.-based manufacturer of custom power panels, electrical design, engineering, and integration services. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has published the newly revised The Handbook of Comparative World Steel Standards, 4th Edition.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
December 1, 2007... The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has published the newly revised The Handbook of Comparative World Steel Standards, 4th Edition. The new edition is priced at $425. For more information, call ASTM at 610-832-9585....

The National Waterways Foundation elected new officers and trustees at its recent meeting in Houston.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
December 1, 2007... The National Waterways Foundation elected new officers and trustees at its recent meeting in Houston: Peter Stephaich, chairman, Campbell Transportation Co., was elected chairman; Terry Becker, president, Riverway Co., treasurer; and R. Barry...

Seaspan.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
December 1, 2007... Seaspan, a North Vancouver, British Columbia-based marine transportation company, is fitting its fleet of coastal tugs, offshore tugs, shipdocking tugs, and barge tows with the Transas Navi-Sailor 3000 ECSi. Forty-six vessels had been fitted as...

ABS Nautical Systems LLC.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
December 1, 2007... ABS Nautical Systems LLC, Houston, has donated its NS 5 Maintenance & Repair fleet management software to the historic S.S. American Victory museum ship, one of only four remaining World War II merchant ships still sailing under the U.S. flag....

Aluminum Chambered Boats Inc.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
December 1, 2007... Aluminum Chambered Boats Inc., Bellingham, Wash., recently signed an agreement with the U.S. Army to research, assess, test, and evaluate emerging technologies for Bridge Erection Boats (BEB) and multimission float bridge equipment.

The U.S. Coast Guard's Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST), New Orleans, was presented with the agency's Sumner I. Kimball Readiness Award during a ceremony in October.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
December 1, 2007... The U.S. Coast Guard's Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST), New Orleans, was presented with the agency's Sumner I. Kimball Readiness Award during a ceremony in October. The qualifying inspection includes the condition of response boats,...

ANYBOAT Marine Electronics Inc.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
December 1, 2007... ANYBOAT Marine Electronics Inc., Oakland, Calif., is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its high seas servicing depot located in the San Francisco Bay Area. ANYBOAT provides the following services: FCC/GMDSS inspection surveys, S-VDR/VDR...

Underwater washer.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
December 1, 2007... Cavidyne has introduced what it calls the first completely safe system for cleaning underwater surfaces. The CaviBlaster system is based on an emerging technology known as ultra-cavitation. It permits the use of much lower pressures than...

New shaft collar.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
December 1, 2007... Stafford Manufacturing Corp., North Reading, Mass., has a new mounting shaft collar for securing gears, pulleys, sprockets, and related components onto a shaft while permitting adjustability. The Stafford Accu-Mount Collars have a split design...

Coating thickness gauges.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
December 1, 2007... Electromatic Equipment Co. Inc. is now marketing its new Checkline TI-CMX or TI-CMXDL (data-logging) ultrasonic thickness gauges. The new products are designed to measure the thickness of coatings and walls quickly and accurately--from only one...

Pulsed MIG system.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
December 1, 2007... Miller Electric Manufacturing Co., Appleton, Wis., is marketing its new aluminum welding system that features a newly enhanced Millermatic 350P all-in-one MIG/Pulse MIG welder combined with the new XRT-Aluma-ProT gun. The new system is designed...

Urethane core.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
December 1, 2007... Alean Baltek Corp. has added the new AIREX PXc. 145 glass fiber filled urethane foam core to its line of AIREX PX products. The new 9lb./cu.ft. core is available in both rigid sheets and flexible configurations. PXc.145 products come in...

Mechanical separators.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
December 1, 2007... Separator Spares International LLC, Houma, La., will be unveiling its new range of mechanical separators for fuel and lube oil treatment at the 2007 International Workboat Show in November. The SSI range will include both manual and fully...

Sonar system display.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
December 1, 2007... The new Interphase VGA-7T is designed to operate as an optional primary or remote control/display for the SE-200 Sonar EngineT and is manufactured for owners who want a dedicated, weather-resistant display. The wide 16:9 sunlight-viewable...

WorkBoat looks back.(WB ARCHIVES)
December 1, 2007... DECEMBER 1947 * On this month's cover is the tug Coyle, owned by Coyle Lines Inc., New Orleans. The 82-footer is powered by a 750-hp Cooper-Bessemer diesel. Coyle now has seven tugs and about 40 barges in its fleet. * To head off the...