Workboat articles from January 2006

Workboat archives from January 2006

The barge industry's balancing act.(EDITOR'S WATCH)
January 1, 2006... It's been a bad business for the last 12 years, but eventually you will reach a supply-demand balance," Michael Hagan, then president of American Commercial Lines Inc., said in 1994. Little did he know that it would be another 10 years before...

There's no shortage of mariners for the good jobs.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... Your article on a supposed shortage of professional mariners ("Help Wanted," October 2005) misses the big picture. Most of the jobs in maritime that are going unfilled today are characterized by wage and benefit packages, as well as by...

More on the mariner shortage.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... I read with interest the article "Help Wanted." What was not covered were the actions of the employers in making their own situation worse. I recall during the last downturn in the oil patch when my company laid off a large number of...

Manning issues have added to the lack of mariners.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... I find it hard to believe that some people still care where an individual gets their training and experience. What matters most is that the individual has the experience and training combined with the desire to apply themselves and a good work...

Work schedules are another reason for mariner turnover.(MAIL BAG)
January 1, 2006... I read recently in WorkBoat about the mariner shortage in the industry. I was surprised that there was no mention of the real reason people are quitting the industry. Most marine work schedules are such that you spend more time on the...

On the water: smoke signals--Part I.(AT A GLANCE)
January 1, 2006... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) calls it environmental tobacco smoke, or ETS. Whatever you call it, constant involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke on vessels can create a very unpleasant and unhealthy workplace...

Captain's table: can private ferries operate without subsidies?(AT A GLANCE)
January 1, 2006... For years, I have been bragging about the success of privately owned ferries. Private ferry operations serve half of all domestic ferry routes. I have used this statistic, which was based on a 1990s study done for the Department of...

WorkBoat Composite Index: index gains ground in November.(AT A GLANCE)
January 1, 2006... The WorkBoat Composite Index rose 48 points in November, an increase of 4.7 percent. For the month, winners topped losers by a ratio of 2-1. Top percentage gainers included Cal Dive International and Gulfmark Offshore, both based in...

OSV day rates: outlook still rosy in the Gulf.(AT A GLANCE)(offshore support vessels)
January 1, 2006... Day rates for Gulf of Mexico offshore service vessel operators were a mixed bag during November. However, the outlook remains extremely bright, partly a result of ongoing work from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Operators of smaller supply...

Inland insider: too little, too late.(AT A GLANCE)
January 1, 2006... Statistics show that there are well over 6,000 covered hopper barges in grain service, predominantly on the Upper Mississippi River System. The grain barge fleet is under more pressure than usual due to peak harvest conditions and a tight barge...

Legal talk: when defective equipment results in injury.(AT A GLANCE)
January 1, 2006... Maritime law provides well-known remedies to employees who are injured in the course of their employment. These include negligence actions under the Jones Act and unseaworthiness actions under general maritime law. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Cleanup continues after barge strikes submerged oil platform in the Gulf.(NEWS LOG)
January 1, 2006... On Nov. 10, a barge loaded with five million gallons of fuel oil hit a submerged oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, 30 miles south of Lake Charles, La. The platform had been damaged by Hurricane Rita and was marked with unlit buoys. The...

Task force weighs in on Washington state ferry services.(NEWS LOG)
January 1, 2006... Three years ago when Washington State Ferries decided to discontinue its passenger-only operations, protests from residents on Vashon Island prompted the state Legislature to make an exception for the Vashon-Seattle route. However, WSF's...

Recovery efforts head off damages from Virginia barge spill.(NEWS LOG)
January 1, 2006... The Nov. 28 grounding of a hot-asphalt barge on the James River could have been worse had it not been for quick response and low water temperatures. Between 40,000 and 63,000 gals. of liquefied asphalt leaked into the river south of...

Kirby construction to cost $65 million in '05.(NEWS LOG)(barge construction)
January 1, 2006... In 1999, Houston-based Kirby Corp. bought rival Hollywood Marine Inc. for $325 million, crowning Kirby as the king of the inland tank barge industry. And the king is not sitting on its laurels. The company posted a strong third quarter...

Pacific Marine Expo settles into new venue.(NEWS LOG)
January 1, 2006... For the first time, Pacific Marine Expo's exhibitors set up shop in Seattle's Qwest Field Event Center, just south of downtown. All 487 exhibitor booths were on ground level, making access easy for both exhibitors and attendees. PME's...

NOAA Raster Charts now available on the Web.(NEWS BITTS)
January 1, 2006... NOAA's Raster Navigational Charts (NOAA RNCs) are now available free to the public on the Internet. The files are geo-referenced, full-color images of NOAA's paper nautical charts, published and updated by NOAA in the BSB format, NOAA RNCs are...

Maritrans announces sale of common stock.(NEWS BITTS)
January 1, 2006... Maritrans Inc., Tampa, Fla., has announced the sale of three million shares of common stock. It's expected that Maritrans will receive net proceeds of approximately $73.1 million. The company has also granted underwriters an option to purchase...

Electric Boat to cut up to 2,400 positions.(NEWS BITTS)
January 1, 2006... Electric Boat recently announced plans to eliminate 500 to 600 jobs at its Quonset Point facility in Rhode Island by the end of 2006. The move is part of a decision to cut 1,900 to 2,400 positions companywide. The majority of positions will be...

U.S. Senator wants to increase tanker escorts in Puget Sound.(NEWS BITTS)
January 1, 2006... U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., joined state officials and community leaders recently to announce legislation to implement more stringent environmental safeguards to protect Puget Sound from future oil spills. Cantwell's bill, "The Oil...

Cleanup crew: post-hurricane salvage work nears completion along Louisiana waterways.(FOCUS: HURRICANE SALVAGE)
January 1, 2006... When surveying the damage from Hurricane Katrina, the consensus from marine industry officials was that it could have been worse. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If the storm had taken a more direct path up the Mississippi River, and if...

Fresh faces: a trio of aluminum boatbuilders strut their stuff at PME in Seattle.(VESSEL REPORT: ALUMINUM BOATS)
January 1, 2006... As the demand for small aluminum boats has continued to grow, so has the number of suppliers. At the recent Pacific Marine Expo held in Seattle, three new entrants in this hot market presented their products in the hope that the world...

New towboat for Horizon Maritime from Main Iron.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
January 1, 2006... Main Iron Works, Houma, La., has delivered the Norman P. Proehl, a new 100'x30'x10' steel inland towboat, to Houston-based Horizon Maritime LLC. Main Iron Works also handled the design work. Founded in 2004 by former Blessey Marine...

Gladding-Hearn catamaran for Massachussets.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
January 1, 2006... In November 2006, the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority will have a new aluminum catamaran handling its hour-long run between Woods Hole, Mass., and Nantucket Island. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] That's when...

Mission Marine delivers new patrol boats.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)(Mission Marine Ltd.)
January 1, 2006... This winter, two new boats from Mission Marine Ltd., Sandusky, Ohio, are out patrolling in two very different environments. One boat is working on Lake Ontario out of Rochester, N.Y., and the other is stationed in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands....

Derecktor Shipyards.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
January 1, 2006... Derecktor Shipyards, Bridgeport, Conn., has been awarded a contract from the Bermuda Department of Marine and Ports for the construction of a high-speed passenger ferry. Designed by BMT Nigel Gee and Associates, Southampton, U.K., the...

Southeastern New England Shipbuilding Company.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
January 1, 2006... Derecktor has also been selected by Southeastern New England Shipbuilding Company (Senesco Marine) to provide construction support on a 140,000-bbl. fuel barge. Derecktor's work includes bending 1" thick steel in the compound curves required on...

Dann Marine Towing.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
January 1, 2006... Chesapeake City, Md.-based Dann Marine Towing has placed an order for two tugs with Rodriguez Boat Builders, Bayou La Batre, Ala. The sister tugs will measure 104'x34'x14' and be powered by twin Cat 3512s. The 3,000-hp tugs will feature a 50'...

VT Halter Marine.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
January 1, 2006... VT Halter Marine, Pascagoula, Miss., announced in late November a $28.8 million contract to develop a functional design of a fast missile craft (FMC) for the government of Egypt. The second phase of this program will include production design...

Moran Towing Corp.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Moran Towing Corp., New Canaan, Conn., has selected Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, La., for the construction of two barges--a 14,500 short-ton bulk barge, and a 60,000-bbl. OPA '90 double-hull, oceangoing petroleum barge. The 418'x75'x29' bulk...

The Manitowoc Company.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
January 1, 2006... The Manitowoc Company announced recently that its Bay Shipbuilding subsidiary has been awarded a contract from Harley Marine Services, Seattle, to build an ocean-class, double-hull, hot-oil tank barge. The 80,000-bbl. barge, which is scheduled...

Allen Marine Inc.(National Park Service)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Allen Marine Inc., Sitka, Alaska, has been awarded a contract by the National Park Service to build a 65'x21' aluminum landing craft. Designed by Coastwise Corporation, Juneau, Alaska, the shallow-draft RO/RO vessel will carry full-size road...

Bottoms up! Supply-demand balance has finally arrived for the dry-cargo barge market.
January 1, 2006... For dry-cargo barge operators, times are good. The industry's long-sought goal of supply-demand equilibrium appears to have finally been attained. In fact, there have even been a few reports of a shortage of barges at a time when shipyard slots...

Authority figure: new vessel for southeast Louisiana is a fire truck on water.(BOATS & GEAR: 90' FIREBOAT)(Conrad Industries Inc. )
January 1, 2006... The job of providing waterside fire protection along the first 100 miles of the Lower Mississippi River was upgraded recently when the Plaquemines Port Harbor & Terminal District took delivery of a new fireboat. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Jet setters: waterjets continue to grow in popularity and find new applications.(BOATS & GEAR: WATERJETS)
January 1, 2006... Waterjets continue to make inroads in the workboat arena as potential customers in the government and commercial markets become more aware of this alternative to the traditional prop, rudder and deep-keel power setup. [ILLUSTRATION...

Rolls-Royce.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
January 1, 2006... Rolls-Royce recently delivered the first of four propellers for the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), the nation's newest and most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The 60,000-lb. bronze propellers, 21' in diameter and delivering in...

Honeywell Performance Products.(Honeywell Senior Leadership Award )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Jeremy Steinfink is the new vice president for Honeywell Performance Products, a part of the Honeywell Specialty Materials strategic business group. Honeywell Performance Products, Morris Township, N.J., is a maker of advanced fibers and...

General Electric.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
January 1, 2006... A new General Electric 7FDM medium-speed diesel engine recently replaced an existing steam turbine propulsion system to power Voyageur Marine Transport's Voyageur Independent straight-deck bulk freighter. The 16-cylinder engine provides 4,100...

W & O Supply.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
January 1, 2006... W & O Supply, Jacksonville, Fla., the nation's largest supplier of marine valves, pipes, fittings and valve automation services, has hired Michael Page as its controller and Scott Lane as director of information technology. Page has 25 years of...

American Commercial Lines Inc.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
January 1, 2006... American Commercial Lines Inc., Jeffersonville, Ind., recently announced the formation of JeffLabs, a new business unit focusing on technology applications for the transportation industry. JeffLabs will build upon the strength of ACL's two...

Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds.(appointment of John Marquez )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... John Marquez has joined the Washington, D.C., law firm of Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds. Marquez has over a decade of experience in maritime, fisheries and environmental law, most recently serving as an attorney for the U.S. Maritime...

Austal USA.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
January 1, 2006... Mobile, Alabama-based Austal USA recently celebrated the grand opening of its northern expansion facility. The event took place just 11 months after breaking ground on the project. The new facility will be used to construct the General...

Pacific Maritime Institute.(Pacific Maritime Institute)(G.I. Bill)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Pacific Maritime Institute (PMI), Seattle, has received approval for G.I. Bill funding from the Department of Veterans' Affairs for mariner license training programs. Retired military personnel with adequate sea service can use the G.I. Bill to...

Hydraulic power units result in greater control and versatility for hydraulic equipment.(Product Spotlight)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Self-contained power units from Chicago-based Roberts Electric Co. are built to handle the punishment and high torque requirements of tugs, dredges and other workboats. These new heavy-duty hydraulic power units are capable of variable volume...

Cellular antennas.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
January 1, 2006... Digital Antenna recently introduced its new PowerMax amplifiers and repeaters. The new directional antennas deliver powerful cellular signals to cell phones that are in places where signals are normally low, such as some commercial/industrial...

Fiber optic light.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
January 1, 2006... Opto Technology Inc., Wheeling Ill., is marketing its new Endura Light Series of LED-based fiber optic illuminators. These fiber optic light sources incorporate LED technology with light down solid core or stranded fiber optic cable to provide...

Laptop weather.(Ultrasonic WeatherStation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Airmar Technology Corp.'s Ultrasonic WeatherStation is now available in a PC version that turns any laptop or PC into an onboard weather station. This unit accurately measures apparent wind speed/direction, barometric pressure, air and dew...

Portable satellite phone.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
January 1, 2006... Delta Wave Communications Inc., Morgan City, La., has unveiled its ST2900FIP portable satellite phone system. The system is now a Globalstar certified product. Designed specifically for the offshore oil-and-gas industry, the new product is...

Calendar.(Calendar)
January 1, 2006... Jan. 21-24 PVA CONVENTION Passenger Vessel Association Annual Convention and Ferry Conference at Maritrends 2006, Washington State Convention and Trade Center, Seattle. Tel: 800-807-8360 www.maritrends.com Jan. 25-26 ...

WorkBoat looks back.(WB ARCHIVES)
January 1, 2006... January 1966 * Black Gold Marine, a newly formed New Orleans offshore transportation company, recently took delivery of the Equity Standard 59-foot water taxi/crewboat Wahoo from Equitable Equipment Company Inc. of New Orleans. The third...