Workboat articles from January 2004

Workboat archives from January 2004

Keeping up with the Joneses.(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... Mention the Jones Act to a vessel operator and you're bound to get a reaction. The act, and efforts to circumvent it, has been extremely controversial and will remain so, judging from what's been going on recently. Efforts to reform the...

Corps hopper dredges shouldn't lie idle.(Mail Bag)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... After reading your article "Idle Times" on Corps hopper dredges in the October issue, how do we define "friends" on Capitol Hill? Now our friends, our own General Accounting Office, will let Corps hopper dredges sit idle for the bulk of...

Better system needed for MMD renewals.(Mail Bag)
January 1, 2004... This is in response to the Mail Bag letter "Heightened security behind new MMD process" by Capt. E.J. Fink that appeared in the September 2003 issue. Capt. Fink, you just don't get it. It seems like you're not listening, like everybody in...

Concerned about facility security plans.(Mail Bag)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... I am president of the Apostleship of the Sea of the United States, the membership organization for the Apostleship of the Sea, the Roman Catholic ministry to the people of the sea. We have been very concerned with the developments of the ISPS...

Reader seeks info on boat.(Mail Bag)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2004... In your May 2003 issue of WorkBoat, the ad on page 1 from Stewart & Stevenson features a boat named the Lady Anna. I am interested in finding out its manufacturer and address. Victor Landry Windham, N.H. Ed. Note: We have no...

On the water: improve bridge safety.(At a Glance)
January 1, 2004... One of the most challenging maneuvers for mariners is passing under a bridge--the "white knuckler." Many bridges appear to have been planned and built with seemingly little or no regard for real-world navigation safety. This in turn...

Captain's table: operators should consider PVA's security program.(At a Glance)(Passenger Vessel Association)
January 1, 2004... Operators of Subchapter K and H passenger vessels should look into the benefits of using the Passenger Vessel Association's approved security standard program. The PVA Industry Standard for Security of Passenger Vessels and Small Passenger...

WorkBoat Composite Index: index gains 2 percent.(At a Glance)
January 1, 2004... Once again shipyards helped the WorkBoat Composite Index post another postive gain. The Shipyard Index was up over 3 percent in November and the WorkBoat Composite was up over 2 percent. Both topped the Dow and S & P 500. For the second...

OSV day rates: rates, utilization drop again.(At a Glance)(Offshore Service Vessel )
January 1, 2004... November was a bad month for Gulf of Mexico workboat operators as utilization and day rates took a steep dive. Utilization fell 10 to 20 percent or more and average day rates for some vessels fell over $1,000 from October's rates. Large...

Inland insider: bigger is not necessarily better.(At a Glance)
January 1, 2004... The marine industry has long been sold on the economies of larger capacity vessels, harbors and ports. However, the rules of navigation project planning and justification are changing. Instead of using economies of scale to justify enlarging...

Legal talk; Compromising positions: seamen settlements.(At a Glance)
January 1, 2004... The U.S. Supreme Court has long recognized that seamen are "wards of the admiralty" because of the nature of their calling. The court's role as the seaman's protector is most often seen in cases involving the settlement of seamen's personal...

G-BOAD.(News Log)(British Airways Concorde supersonic jetliner)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Tugs from Hillside, N.J.-based Donjon Marine recently helped move the 204-foot British Airways Concorde supersonic jetliner G-BOAD up the Hudson River to its new home at Manhattan's Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum. A NASA barge, currently in...

No shore leave for seamen without U.S. visas.(News Log)
January 1, 2004... The welcome mat has been withdrawn for most seamen who arrive in U.S. ports on foreign-flag vessels. Since 9/11, international crews have been directly affected by a bevy of new federal rules governing the issuance of visas. Foreign seamen...

BC Ferries hit with strike.(News Bitts)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Pickets went up and sailings went down on Dec. 8 after attempts to reach agreement on a new contract between BC Ferries and the BC Ferry and Marine Workers' Union failed. The old contract expired Oct. 31. Under an agreement worked out in...

Vessel and facility security plans due.(News Bitts)(Directory)
January 1, 2004... Vessel and facility security plans must be submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard by Dec. 31, 2003. Vessel security plans should be submitted to: Commanding Officer USCG Marine Safety Center Room 6302 400 Seventh St., SW ...

New sternwheeler finds the going rough.(News Log)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Empress of the North, a new 360' sternwheeler owned and operated by American West Steamboat Co., Seattle, has encountered a few bumps in the road since her delivery in August. In October, the Empress had her bottom scraped when leaving...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2004... In the article "Less Pull" in the November 2003 issue, Andy Smith, editor of International Tug & Salvage magazine, was quoted incorrectly. Smith's quote should have said that "of the 37 tug newbuild classes (involving 56 boats) described in...

Corps budget falls short, industry says.(News Log)
January 1, 2004... Each year for nearly a decade the president has presented a low-balled U.S. Army Corps of Engineers budget to Congress. And each year, Congress has usually responded by giving the agency more money than the president requested. In the last...

Wells tabbed to lead offshore association.(News Log)(Offshore Marine Service Association appoints Ken Wells.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Ken Wells has been named president-elect at Harahan, La.-based Offshore Marine Service Association. OMSA is a national trade organization that represents offshore marine service operators and affiliated companies. Wells, the southern...

Salvage group sets safety standards.(News Bitts)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The American Salvage Association (ASA) has created an independent set of safety standards for the professional salvage industry. The ASA is looking for adoption domestically and internationally. While recognizing existing international salvage...

NY Waterway adds commuter service.(News Bitts)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... NY Waterway says it has launched improved high-speed commuter service between the Hoboken Rail/Ferry Terminal and Pier 11 at Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. New 35-mph, low-emission, low-wake, handicap-accessible ferries are now running between...

IMO quickens pace of single-hull phase-out.(News Log)(International Maritime Organization.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The International Maritime Organization recently adopted a revised, accelerated phase-out scheme for single-hull tankers. The amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) were adopted at a...

Tightfisted: operators have fewer funding sources but still have options.(Focus: Vessel Finance)
January 1, 2004... The financial landscape of the workboat industry increasingly reflects a more corporate America, and traditional mom and pop operators now must compete for funds against industry giants, many formed through acquisitions and mergers. ...

All pumped up: military/patrol market fuels demand for bigger, more comfortable 'Inflatables.'.(Vessel Report: RIBs)(rigid hull inflatable boats)
January 1, 2004... In the marine industry and elsewhere, the big topic these days is security. More port and waterway areas are off-limits, and there are many more patrol boats--Navy, Guard, state and local police--moving through harbors and coastal waters. And...

Eastern turns out another McAllister Z-drive.(On the Ways)
January 1, 2004... Eastern Shipbuilding, Panama City, Fla., recently completed another 96'X34'X14'8" steel Z-drive "tractor" tug for New York-based McAllister Towing. The A.J. McAllister is the fourth McAllister tug built at Eastern to the same design from...

Master Boat delivers OSV for Lytal Marine.(On the Ways)
January 1, 2004... Master Boat Builders, Bayou La Batre, Ala., recently delivered the steel-hulled 165'X36'X12' offshore service vessel Lytal Queen to Lockport, La.-based Lytal Marine Services LLC. Designed by the yard, the boat made her debut at December's...

Schooner Creek delivers charter cat to Hawaii.(On the Ways)
January 1, 2004... In business since 1977, Schooner Creek Boat Works, Portland, Ore., specializes in lightweight, high-performance boats, many of which are one-off ocean racers. "We're well known for building ultralight wood composite boats as well as...

ABCO rescue boat pushed by twin waterjets.(On the Ways)(bought by the Canadian National Park Service)
January 1, 2004... If you happen to be hiking or canoeing in Canada's Pukaskwa Park along the northern edge of Lake Superior and you run into trouble, there's a good chance that the boat coming to your aid will be a 32' search-and-rescue boat recently completed...

Boatbuilding bitts.(On the Ways)
January 1, 2004... Bollinger Shipyards Inc. and the U.S. Coast Guard celebrated a milestone recently with the delivery of the coastal patrol boat Sea Lion. The 87-foot Marine Protector class vessel is the 100th patrol boat or cutter built by Lockport, La.-based...

Jones Act jitters: controversy brews over foreign lease financing of U.S. vessels.
January 1, 2004... A controversial proposal now under consideration by the Coast Guard to close possible Jones Act "loopholes" for foreign financing of vessels that operate in the U.S. domestic trade has both sides locking horns. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] At...

Career change: Seattle fishermen revamp NOAA research ship for private charters.(Boats & Gear: Research Vessel Refurb)(National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration)
January 1, 2004... What do two successful commercial fishing companies do if they're looking to grow and still stay boat oriented? If you're Seattle-based Nina Fisheries and Aleutian Spray Fisheries, you buy a decommissioned NOAA research vessel and put it up for...

Grinding it out.(Workboat's 2003: Construction Survey)(Illustration)
January 1, 2004... There were three fewer shipyards participating in WorkBoat's 2003 Construction Survey from a year ago, while the number of newbuilds delivered during 2003 and contracts for vessels going forward fell by 93 from 2002. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Transponder compliant.(Product Locker)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... McMurdo Pains Wessex Inc., Delray, Fla., has introduced its new MT-1 AIS tracking, position, and collision avoidance system. The new product is designed to meet IMO Class A requirements for UAIS. Vessel target data is shown on the MT-1's LCD...

Ear warmers.(Product Locker)(Gorgonz Performance Work Gear[TM].)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Ear warmers from the Gorgonz Performance Work Gear[TM] line feature the first wrap behind-the-head design created for the workwear market. The ear warmers were developed for extreme weather conditions. Call Baltimore-based Gorganz at...

Rate compass.(Product Locker)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... SIMRAD, Lynnwood, Wash., has introduced its new rate compass, the RC25. The new compass features a rate element with improved specifications. SIMRAD engineers developed software that, combined with the new rate element, provides an improved...

Reciprocating saw.(Product Locker)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Hilti has unveiled its newest cutting tool--the WSR 900-PE reciprocating saw. Armed with a Smart Power System, the new saw combines efficient gearing and a load management sensor to continually monitor blade speed when under load. This...

Dry skin ointment.(Product Locker)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Rough Hand Repair Inc. is marketing its new Rough Hand Repair Ointment to combat severe cases of dry skin. The company says its ointment can cut healing time by nearly 50 percent and absorbs quickly, leaving behind little or no greasy residue....