Workboat articles from February 2005

Workboat archives from February 2005

Give Coasties a break.(Editorial)
February 1, 2005... Just about every vessel operator and mariner has a problem with something the Coast Guard is or isn't doing. From license renewals to certificates of inspection, it's become much harder to do business with the Coast Guard, especially since...

Impressed with medium-speed ATB contract.(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... It was refreshing to see a true medium-speed large ATB unit under contract. (December WorkBoat, page 48, "Senesco Marine lands its first ATB order.") I have long been a proponent of such plans for large ATBs, and it took U.S. Shipping Partners...

Maritime grads aren't half bad.(MAIL BAG)
February 1, 2005... In response to the On the Water article "The great divide" by Joel Milton that appeared in the January 2005 WorkBoat, I would have to say that Mr. Milton has a misunderstanding about maritime academies and is grossly exaggerating the views that...

Says hybrid-electric ferries deserve recognition.(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... I just finished reading Significant Boats of 2004 (WorkBoat, December 2004) and I am again surprised that you gave no mention of the hybrid-electric ferries operated by Water Taxi Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. To the best of my knowledge,...

On the water: new IDs for mariners.(AT A GLANCE)
February 1, 2005... Mariners should prepare for the Transportation Security Administration's latest security measure. Sometime this year, mariners, along with their counterparts in the aviation, pipeline, railroad, and trucking industries, will need a...

Captain's table: forward looking sonar in 3-D.(AT A GLANCE)
February 1, 2005... At December's International WorkBoat Show, I had the opportunity to check out new sonar technology that provides navigation assistance for commercial vessels. It has the potential to provide the captains of high-speed passenger vessels advance...

WorkBoat Composite Index: index up 9 percent in '04.(AT A GLANCE)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The WorkBoat Composite Index closed out 2004 on an up note, gaining 23 points or 2.6 percent in December. For the month, winners topped losers by a ratio of 2-1. Top percentage gainers were Trailer Bridge Inc., Conrad Industries and U.S....

OSV day rates: rates continue to climb.(AT A GLANCE)(Ocean Station Vessel)
February 1, 2005... Gulf of Mexico supply vessel operators closed out 2004 with something to toast on New Year's Eve--a sustained strengthening of the rig and vessel markets that has spilled over into 2005. Virtually every class of supply vessel posted another...

Inland insider: bullish on the inland waterways.(AT A GLANCE)
February 1, 2005... If someone says they are bullish on the inland waterways, it can mean several things. If you take straight traffic statistics, there's nothing to be bullish about when it comes to the inland business. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Taking a...

Legal Talk: a seaman's duty to himself.(AT A GLANCE)(Column)
February 1, 2005... Previous Legal Talk articles have addressed legal remedies available to seamen who are injured in the course of employment. The articles have covered the duties a vessel owner owes to crewmembers and a seaman's rights under the warranty of...

Q & A: a talk with U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., chairman of the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee.(AT A GLANCE)(Interview)
February 1, 2005... WorkBoat: Maritime security has been a key focus of your subcommittee since 9/11. Given the new laws and regulations that have gone into effect since then, is the maritime sector truly a safer place? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rep....

Selendang Ayu.(NEWS LOG)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... On Dec. 8, the Selendang Ayu, a 738-foot, 72,000-ton bulk freighter, went aground on Unalaska Island in Alaska's Aleutian Island chain and broke in half, spilling both diesel fuel and intermediate fuel oil. A Coast Guard helicopter crashed...

USCG short on experienced personnel, report says.(NEWS LOG)(United States Coast Guard)
February 1, 2005... The U.S. Coast Guard faces its huge responsibility for maritime security with an aging fleet and inadequate workforce, Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Clark Kent Ervin concluded in a December report. "The Coast Guard...

Tanker blamed for Puget Sound oil spill.(NEWS LOG)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The Coast Guard announced in December that it had identified the source of a "mystery oil spill" near Tacoma, Wash. According to Capt. Myles Boothe, chief of the marine safety division for the 13th Coast Guard District, the Coast Guard...

Tug companies file suits against Fla. port.(NEWS LOG)
February 1, 2005... Tug companies may finally be competing for business at Port Canaveral, Fla., but several operators are seeking compensation for having been officially excluded when there was a tug monopoly at the port. Tugz International, Petchem Inc. and...

Mariners fail drug tests at higher rate.(NEWS LOG)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... More mariners tested positive for drugs than their counterparts in the airline and railroad industries, the latest federal statistics show. Consequently, the U.S. Coast Guard requires that 50 percent of covered crewmembers be randomly...

Coast Guard wants barges numbered.(NEWS BITTS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The U.S. Coast Guard still wants to require the numbering of undocumented barges under the Abandoned Barge Act of 1992. In 1998, the Coast Guard published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning undocumented barge numbering,...

Massachusetts amends tanker escort rule.(NEWS BITTS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Massachusetts enacted an oil spill law in 2004 that established new regulations and requirements for operators of tank barges in state waters. The move was made following the April 2003 grounding of a Bouchard Transportation Co. tank barge that...

Show stoppers: maritime funding squeeze. Inland waterways outlook. Understanding security regulations. Proper crew licensing. 3-D modeling. Underwater noise. New Cat engines.(FOCUS: THE INTERNATIONAL WORKBOAT SHOW)
February 1, 2005... A second term for the Bush administration will likely bring "more of the same" on maritime issues, with squeezes on federal funding for programs like the Title XI ship-financing program, short-sea shipping and maritime security, according to a...

Leisurely pace: excursion boat business benefits from a growing leisure market.(VESSEL REPORT: EXCURSION VESSELS)
February 1, 2005... Google "excursion boat" and you get 295,000 hits. Many are foreign, sure, but the large number indicates the scope of this part of the industry; clicking around reveals how broad the concept of "excursion" really is. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Bollinger delivers OSV for Seahorse Marine.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)(Bollinger Shipyards Inc)(Ocean Station Vessel )
February 1, 2005... Bollinger Shipyards Inc., Lockport, La., recently completed the 163'6"X36'X11'6" supply boat Capt. Rudy for Seahorse Marine. The new design, a collaboration between the shipyard and Phillip Plaisance, president of Lockport-based Seahorse...

Main Iron Works busy with new Bisso Z-drive tug.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
February 1, 2005... Houma, La.-based Main Iron Works Inc. is building a new 100'X38'X13'6" Z-drive tug for Bisso Towboat Co. Inc., New Orleans. The steel-hulled Alma S will be an almost exact replica of the Cecelia B. Slatten, a Z-drive tug Main Iron Works...

Washburn & Doughty delivers 15th 92' Z-drive.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
February 1, 2005... Providence (R.I.) Steamboat Co. took delivery of its first Z-drive tug in early December when the 92'X32' Rainbow left the East Boothbay, Maine, boatyard of Washburn & Doughty and headed south to Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay. "That's...

Mercury marine.(From the 2004 International WorkBoat Show)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The first boats to be marketed under the name of Mercury Professional RIBs were introduced at the WorkBoat Show. Manufactured in Portugal by Valiant, the GRP hulls are wrapped with Akron TPE tubes. The 13'-28' center-console boats can be...

SeaArk Marine.(From the 2004 International WorkBoat Show)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The SeaArk Marine 27' Commander "Ram" is an aluminum coastal patrol boat that, with collar, measures 28'2"X9'11" and weighs 6,680 lbs. The model on display at the show was powered by twin 225-hp Evinrude outboards that push the boat to a top...

Boston Whaler.(From the 2004 International WorkBoat Show)(Brunswick Commercial & Government Products)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The Boston Whaler 27 Vigilant measures 26'7"X10' and weights 5,000 lbs. The show boat was powered by a pair of Mercury 250-hp Verados. The commercialized Boston Whaler is manufactured by Brunswick Commercial & Government Products. ...

Graham Gulf Inc.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Graham Gulf Inc., a Gulf of Mexico OSV operator based in Bayou La Batre, Ala., added its first waterjet-powered crew/supplier to its fleet in January. Built by sister-company C & G Boatworks, Mobile, Ala., the 155'X29' Gulf Honor is pushed by a...

Moose Boats.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Moose Boats, Petaluma, Calif., recently announced a new model in its line of aluminum catamarans. The M2 is powered by twin 380-hp QSB5.9 Cummins turbo diesels with Twin Disc MG-5075 gears turning a pair of Hamilton HJ292 waterjets. According...

VT Halter Marine Inc.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... VT Halter Marine Inc. is finally set to deliver the Oscar Dyson to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The vessel delivery was several months behind schedule, due in part to problems with the noise signature and the need to...

High riders: business rebounds for passenger vessel owners and operators.
February 1, 2005... The passenger vessel industry has fought its way back to prosperity after surviving post-9/11 phobias and an economic roller coaster ride. Owners and operators have weathered the storm and are optimistic about the future. Business began to...

New converts: Moran Towing gets into ATBs with a pair of refurbished tugs.(BOATS & GEAR: MORAN TUG CONVERSIONS)(all terrain bike)
February 1, 2005... Moran Towing Corp. has been a major player in the competitive East Coast towing market for about 150 years. From Maine to Texas, the big Moran "M" is stenciled on its fleet of tugs that range from single-screws to its new Z-drives. ...

Hall monitor: barge company's tracking system is all about the customer.(BOATS & GEAR: VESSEL MONITORING)
February 1, 2005... If you traveled over the Christmas weekend and flew on US Airways, you probably wish you had stayed home. US Air managed to "lose" 1,100 pieces of baggage, and also cancelled over 300 flights. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A barge company...

American Commercial Lines LLC.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... American Commercial Lines LLC, Jeffersonville, Ind., has named Mark R. Holden as its new president and CEO. Prior to joining ACL, Holden was senior vice president and chief financial officer of Wabash National Corp.

Minerals Management Service.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)(Appointment)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Dr. Joseph V. Trahan III is the new public affairs officer for the Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, New Orleans. Trahan will direct the public affairs and communications efforts of the MMS Gulf Region and supervise the...

Sonsub.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Houston-based Sonsub has successfully utilized and seal-tested the first ROV-installed deepwater elbow clamp in the Gulf of Mexico. Working off the HOS Innovator with the Innovator 09 ROV, the clamp was used to repair two holes on a 4" service...

WAGO Corp.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)(Appointment)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Tom Artmann has been appointed president of North American operations for WAGO Corp., Germantown, Wis. WAGO is involved in the manufacturing and marketing of spring pressure connection technology.

Alan C. McClure Associates.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Alan C. McClure Associates, Houston, a naval architecture and engineering firm, has been selected by Unidynamics to design a fully articulating ramp for the Lockheed Martin littoral combat ship. This assignment is part of a contract recently...

Iridium Satellite.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Iridium Satellite, Bethesda, Md., is extending and expanding its crew calling programs to make it easier and less costly for crewmembers to place satellite calls at sea. Iridium is waiving its monthly fee for crew calling service for qualified...

Rapid HydraFluids LLC.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Rapid HydraFluids LLC, Lafayette, La., has signed a distributorship agreement with Fleetguard Inc., Nashville, Tenn. Rapid HydraFluids, a subsidiary of Rapid Group LLC, will market the Fleetguard line of coolants, fuel additives,...

AMS Group.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... AMS Group, Alexandria, Va., has unveiled a new corporate identify for its member companies, including Allied Marine Services Inc., Chelsea Technologies Inc., and H-Scientific Inc. AMS has also launched a new Web site to correspond to the new...

Calendar.(Calendar)
February 1, 2005... Jan. 29-Feb. 1 PVA CONVENTION The Passenger Vessel Association Annual Convention and Ferry Conference at Maritrends, Tampa Marriott Waterside, Tampa, Fla. Tel: 800-807-8360 www.maritrends.com Feb. 2-4 MVTTC...

WorkBoat looks back.(WB ARCHIVES)
February 1, 2005... February 1945 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Inland water transportation advocates are hailing the proposed $200 million 12-foot channel from Cairo, Ill., to the Gulf of Mexico as the most significant inland water transport development in...