Workboat articles from February 2002

Workboat archives from February 2002

How much security is really needed? (Editor's Watch).
February 1, 2002... In the four months since 9-11, homeland security has dwarfed other issues on Capitol Hill, dominated the news and been a hot topic in the workboat industry. Yes, homeland security is certainly important and the country needs much better...

It's about time. (Mail Bag).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2002... Joel Milton's exact words in his column on STCW requirements ("On the Water," December 2001) were "it's about time" and he is exactly right. I've read complaints from so-called professionals in the pages of WorkBoat magazine for a while,...

Inland insider: Caution; Economic growth ahead. (At a Glance).
February 1, 2002... After reading all the economic predictions for 2002, one thing is clear--there's a lot of hype out there. Based on these predictions, wary investors should anticipate a host of boom or bust scenarios. After investors lost billions, the...

On the Water: Take some ISM for help. (At a Glance).
February 1, 2002... There is an awful lot of stuff for a captain to remember when it comes to keeping a boat running within the confusing and complicated maze of today's regulations. With no miracle drug available to help captains retain all this information,...

WorkBoat's Composite Index: Stocks dip in 2001, but end year on up note. (At a Glance).
February 1, 2002... The WorkBoat Composite's 23-point increase in December was a good end to a dismal year for the stock market. For the month, winners topped losers by more than 3-1. Several oil service companies were among the top percentage gainers, including...

Captain's Table: Construction contract tips. (At a Glance).
February 1, 2002... You've already selected the shipyard to build your new boat. Now, how do you get a written contract that clearly explains what you want and minimizes the risk of failure? According to Peter Duclos of Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, successful...

OSV day rates: E&P cuts expected. (At a Glance).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... In terms of day rates, it is likely that few vessel operators got what they wanted for Christmas. Service vessel day rates fell across all categories except for high horsepower anchor-handling tug/supply vessels. Utilization also dropped for...

Legal talk: Collisions; Follow the rules or pay. (At a Glance).
February 1, 2002... Mariners involved in collisions often get frustrated with attorneys representing their vessels. The mariner knows how things are "done" on the water, while the attorney probably has no sea time. A mariner may tell the attorney to "just ask...

Derecktor signs Alaska fast vehicle ferry contract. (News Log).(Derecktor Shipyards)(Alaska Marine Highway System)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Alaska Marine Highway System has chosen Derecktor Shipyards to build the first two U.S. high-speed passenger/vehicle ferries. The new catamaran boats will measure 241'x59' and carry up to 250 passengers and 35 large vehicles at speeds of 35...

Report rejects proposals to modify BC Ferries' PacifiCats. (News Log).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The search for buyers for three illfated British Columbia fast ferries should continue, according to a recently released report. The latest official report on what's been called the "fast ferry fiasco" in British Columbia was prepared by...

Friede Goldman receives bankruptcy extension. (News Bitts).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The U.S. Bankruptcy Court has granted Friede Goldman Halter an extension of its exclusivity period for filing a reorganization plan. FGH, which designs and manufactures equipment for the maritime and offshore energy industry, now has until Feb....

Thorne takes over Washington Ferries. (News Bitts).(Mike Thorne)(Washington State Ferries)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Mike Thorne, former chief executive officer of the Port of Portland, Ore., has been selected by Washington state's Secretary of Transportation Doug MacDonald as the new executive director of Washington State Ferries. Thorne took charge of the...

Corrections.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * In the December 2001 issue, we reported that First Wave/Newpark Shipbuilding had closed three of its facilities in an effort to emerge from bankruptcy. That information was incorrect--the company closed only one of its facilities, Galveston...

First Eastern Gulf lease sale held since 1988. (News Log).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The first Eastern Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale since 1988 can probably be considered a success even though the original sale area was reduced 75 percent due to protests from environmentalists, the state of Florida and others. Originally, 5.9...

Court strikes down Maritrans OPA '90 suit. (News Log).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... In late December the U.S. Court of Federal Claims ruled against Maritrans in its $1 billion lawsuit against the federal government that began in 1996. The court did not accept the tug-and-barge company's claim that the double-hull requirement...

Ports to receive almost $500 million for security. (News Log).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The nation's public port authorities will be eligible to receive a share of nearly $500 million in grants for security measures over the next five years. The money is part of two pieces of legislation aimed at boosting homeland security....

MMS to accept FPSO applications. (News Bitts).(Minerals Management ServiceMinerals Management Service)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Minerals Management Service said recently that it would accept applications for the proposed use of floating production, storage, and offloading systems in the Gulf of Mexico. The MMS, in its environmental impact statement (EIS) on the use...

Barge company seeks debt restructuring. (News Log).
February 1, 2002... American Commercial Lines, parent company of American Commercial Barge Lines, ACL International, Louisiana Dry Dock and Jeffboat, started the new year by announcing its intentions to "explore financial restructuring opportunities" for its bank...

Motor Heads: Obscure Coast Guard division kept overworked security boats running in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. (Focus: USCG Boat Maintenance).
February 1, 2002... You won't see them on "Rescue 911" or hear them mentioned when Coast Guard recruiters make their pitch to potential enlistees. But the hard-working men and women of Coast Guard Activities New York, Engineering Division were the fuel that kept...

Passenger vessel will be biggest yet for Nichols Brothers. (On the Ways).
February 1, 2002... While many segments of the Washington state economy are decidedly in the doldrums, this isn't the case for several of the state's shipyards and boatbuilders. Especially busy is Nichols Brothers Boat Builders in Freeland. After completing...

Atlantic Marine finishes SWATH research vessel. (On the Ways).(Navy's newest research vessel, the Kilo Moana)
February 1, 2002... The Navy's newest research vessel, the Kilo Moana, was christened Nov. 17 at Atlantic Marine's shipyard in Jacksonville, Fla. The boat was expected to be delivered early in 2002. The 185'x88'x25' small-waterplane-area twin-hull (SWATH)...

Eastern Ship delivers suction dredge. (On the Ways).
February 1, 2002... In December, Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc., Panama City, Fla., delivered the 166'x34' dismountable cutter-suction dredge Integrity to Dyersburg, Tenn.-based Inland Dredging Co. LLC. There's also a 35' spud carrier aft that gives the dredge an...

Blount/Barker deliver 85' conventional tug. (On the Ways).
February 1, 2002... When Blount/Barker Shipbuilding in Warren, R.I., delivered the tug Mister T to Buchanan Marine in New Haven, Conn., in December, the end product combined a blending of traditional and modern boat-building practices. The lines for the...

Boatbuilding Bitts. (On the Ways).
February 1, 2002... Austal USA has launched its first two boats--a pair of 150' crewboats--from the company's facility in Mobile, Ala., which was built for the construction of high-tech aluminum boats. A subsidiary of Austal Ships in Australia, Austal USA was...

Neutral Corner: Marine surveyors observe and report, with a keen eye toward fairness. (Cover Story).
February 1, 2002... Applicant must be practical, a mathematician, an engineer, a salesman, a detective, insurance expert, appraiser, navigator, boatbuilder, customs authority. He should be respectful, rough, diplomatic, tough, a good talker and a good listener...

Well Positioned: Fully redundant DP2 well-stim vessel is an attention-getter. (Boats & Gear: Well Stimulation Vessel).
February 1, 2002... Last fall, two Louisiana companies raised the ante in the well-stimulation vessel market. In October, Mandeville-based Hornbeck-Leevac Marine Services Inc. took delivery of the cutting-edge BJ Blue Ray from sister-company Leevac Industries LLC...

The ABCs of ATBs: Notched barges with connected tugs offer many advantages. (Boats & Gear: Articulated Tug/Barges).
February 1, 2002... There are only two ways to move a barge: pull it or push it. For naval architect Robert P. Hill of Ocean Tug & Barge Engineering Corp., Milford, Conn., pushing has always made the most sense. As a boy in Troy, N.Y., he grew up watching tugs...

In Orbit: When it comes to satellite communications, mariners have plenty to choose from. (Boats & Gear: Communications).
February 1, 2002... It's the dead of night. A Gulf supply boat is fighting 12' waves 85 miles from shore, the captain of a 188' towboat is battling a 6-knot current through high water on the Mississippi River, and a fire aboard an oceangoing tug in the Gulf of...

Workboat Business.
February 1, 2002... Crowley Maritime Corp., Seattle, has named Sieve Peterson senior vice president and general manager of its newly formed Energy and Marine Services Group based in Seattle. The new group, formed in October when Crowley reorganized its Crowley...

Oxygen unit. (Product Locker).(Life Oxygen Pac)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Milwaukee-based LIFE Corp. has introduced a portable emergency oxygen unit called the LIFE[R]OxygenPac. The unit can be wall-mounted like a fire extinguisher--readily available to give first aid. The OxygenPac is an inhalator for a breathing...

New engine. (Product Locker).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... MAN Engines & Components Inc. has introduced a new engine designed for fast patrol craft, bowthrusters and fire pumps. The 450-hp, six-cylinder D0836 LE 401 in-line engine features an optimum intercooler attachment. The radiator and gearbox oil...

Night vision navigation. (Product Locker).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Night Vision Technologies Inc., Irving Texas, has introduced Night Nay 2000. The company says it's the first totally integrated and expandable marine navigational system to incorporate night vision. Displayed on one 10.4" diagonal screen, Night...

High-performance capstan. (Product Locker).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... St. Louis-based Schoellhorn-Albrecht bills its SA1821-20H capstan as a high-performance product. The capstan features a 20-hp hydraulic motor that provides over 15,000 lbs. running pull at 35 fps. It is built to withstand severe operating...

Engine heating. (Product Locker).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Racor Division of Parker Hannifin Corp. has released its new Racor Engine Coolant Heater (ECH) Series. The ECH Series offers tank-type engine coolant heaters, battery warming pads, hot pads, and related controls. The new heaters can be used...

Air respirator. (Product Locker).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Axis Products has introduced its new Pro Air supplied-air-respirator (SAR) system. The new SAR offers protection from toxic fumes associated with paint mists and fumes, chemical and welding fumes and vapors, and dust from sand blasting. It's...

Cable routing system. (Product Locker).(PANDUIT Corp's FiberRunner)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... PANDUIT Corp., Tinley Park, Ill., has introduced two new sizes to its FiberRunner[TM] routing systems for fiber-optic cables. The new 4x4 and 12x4 systems can handle large capacity requirements and hinged and split covers permit fast and easy...

Calendar.
February 1, 2002... Jan. 31-Feb. 2 TOWING & SALVAGE EXPO C-Port's Towing & Salvage Expo 2002, "Building Partnerships for the Future." Radisson Hotel Old Town, Alexandria, Va. Tel: 703-519-1713 Web site: www.c-port.org Feb. 6-8 TRADE...