Workboat articles from January 2008

Workboat archives from January 2008

Big easy buzz.(EDITOR'S WATCH)(trends in boating industry)
January 1, 2008... Analysts have been warning lately that the workboat industry's smooth ride may be coming to an end. Jackup utilization on the shelf was only 55 percent at the end of November, with just 46 of 63 rigs working. The Gulf jackup market is...

Shipping lanes threaten the 'national parks' of the sea.(MAIL BAG)
January 1, 2008... Imagine if someone put a superhighway through Yosemite. That's exactly what's happening just outside the Golden Gate. Our Yosemites on the sea are being used as on-ramps to the global economy. And as long as they continue to be used this way we...

Hold everyone up to the same standards.(MAIL BAG)
January 1, 2008... Kudos to Mr. Kizer's letter about background checks on mariners. ("Says reader should revisit background check stance," October Mail Bag.) I agree that once you have paid your debt to society you should be allowed to continue on with your...

On the water: death on the water--Part II.(AT A GLANCE)(controling marine accidents by deck officers service)(Column)
January 1, 2008... In my last column, I talked about a tug captain's nightmare--when a sport-fishing boat runs between a barge and its connected tow. This month I'll explore a related issue for deck officers, especially those who move oil barges. When...

Captain's table: how can risk be evaluated and reduced?(AT A GLANCE)
January 1, 2008... Increasingly, we read and hear about the Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security using risk tools for decision making. What is the process about and how can we use it for improving vessel and shoreside safety, security, and economy? ...

WorkBoat Composite Index: index finally loses ground.(AT A GLANCE)
January 1, 2008... In November, the WorkBoat Composite Index had its first losing month since July. For the month, the Index lost 41 points or 2.19 percent. Losers topped winners by a 3-1 ratio. Big losers for the month included Ambassadors International Inc....

OSV day rates: jackup demand dips.(AT A GLANCE)
January 1, 2008... With nearly half of the jackup rigs in the Gulf of Mexico idle at the end of November, vessel operators are experiencing lower demand for OSVs. Jackup rig utilization was 55.4 percent at the end of November with only 46 of 83 rigs working....

Inland insider: the good and bad U.S. economy.(AT A GLANCE)
January 1, 2008... When it comes to media reports on the health of the U.S. economy, it's a case of "she loves me, she loves me not." The stock market rose much of the year, then fell in November, (before rebounding again in early December), unemployment is...

Legal talk: engine failure leads to criminal prosecution.(AT A GLANCE)
January 1, 2008... Commercial mariners should be used to reading about criminal prosecutions that result from an unfortunate decision in navigation, seamanship or an operational error. Some well-known examples include federal convictions of engineering...

Passenger vessel sinks in Antarctic Ocean.(NEWS LOG)
January 1, 2008... On Nov. 23, the Explorer, a Liberian-flagged cruise vessel owned by Toronto-based GAP Adventures, flooded and sank while in an ice field near Antarctica. All crewmembers and passengers got off safely. Even though the vessel had an ice-rated...

Marad seeks comments on construction fund and cargo preference.(NEWS LOG)
January 1, 2008... The Maritime Administration is seeking comments on the contentious issue of foreign rebuilding of U.S. vessels, particularly on what standards should apply for participation in the Capital Construction Fund (CCF) and cargo preference programs....

Ship's pilot accused of misconduct in Bay Bridge allision.(NEWS LOG)
January 1, 2008... The pilot of the container ship Cosco Busan has been accused of negligence and the U.S. Coast Guard has asked for his license. The actions were taken following investigations into the Nov. 7 accident that sent the 810'x131'ship into the San...

Washington's problems with Steel Electrics continue to grow.(NEWS LOG)(Washington. Washington State Ferries stopped ferries buying)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Just before Thanksgiving, Washington State Ferries decided to pull all four Steel Electric-class ferries from service due to growing concerns about the integrity of the old, riveted hulls. Built in 1927, the Steel Electrics have been the oldest...

TECO Transport is now United Maritime Group.(NEWS BITTS)
January 1, 2008... TECO Transport has changed its name to United Maritime Group. TECO Energy sold its marine arm to Miami-based Greenstreet Equity Partners late last year, followed by an announcement of the name change, further distancing the marine operations...

Coast Guard National Maritime Center moves to new location.(NEWS BITTS)(U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center new head office at Martinsburg)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... The U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center (NMC), which was originally located in Arlington, Va., and temporarily relocated to Kearneysville, W. Va., is moving to a new permanent home in Martinsburg, W.Va. As part of the Coast Guard's plan...

Correction.(Correction notice)
January 1, 2008... In a News Log item concerning Central Gulf Lease Sale 205 in the December 2007 issue of WorkBoat, we reported that Kimberlee International Energy submitted the highest bid in the ultradeepwater, a bid of $825 million. However, the bid was only...

Boat banter: lively crowds and topical presentations highlight the 28th International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans.(FOCUS: INTERNATIONAL WORKBOAT SHOW)(Event overview)
January 1, 2008... The International WorkBoat Show returned to New Orleans in November, with more than 14,000 attendees checking out the latest products and services from over 1,000 exhibitors. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Below is a sampling of the topics...

Bender delivers 265' supply boat to Seacor.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
January 1, 2008... Mobile, Ala.-based Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co. Inc. recently delivered a new 265'x52'xl9' offshore service vessel to Seacor Marine LLC, Houma, La. The John Coghill is an anchor-handling tug/supply vessel with DP-2 capabilities that was...

Derecktor delivers second fast ferry to Bermuda.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
January 1, 2008... If you're a fan of Bermuda cricket, you may choose your ferries carefully in the upcoming cricket season, at least when it comes to a pair of them built by Derecktor Shipyards. If your favorite cricket team wears red, you will be right at home...

Show boats: from the 2007 International WorkBoat Show.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
January 1, 2008... ACB This 21' center console patrol boat is propelled by a Cummins QSD 2.8 230-hp Tier II diesel engine with a Bravo II I/O. Dry weight is 4,000 lbs. Top speed is 35-plus knots. Construction includes integral aluminum chambers plus a Wing...

At the recent International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans, executives from Aries Marine Corp., Lafayette, La., and Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Panama City, Fla., signed a contract to begin construction of two Tiger Shark class PSVs.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
January 1, 2008... At the recent International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans, executives from Aries Marine Corp., Lafayette, La., and Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Panama City, Fla., signed a contract to begin construction of two Tiger Shark class PSVs. The first of...

Bollinger Gretna, Harvey, La., and Bollinger Algiers, New Orleans, have completed the construction of the second of two new 80,000-bbl., OPA '90-compliant tank barges, as well as the retrofit and conversion of a tug for Bouchard Coastwise Management Corp., Melville, N.Y.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
January 1, 2008... Bollinger Gretna, Harvey, La., and Bollinger Algiers, New Orleans, have completed the construction of the second of two new 80,000-bbl., OPA '90-compliant tank barges, as well as the retrofit and conversion of a tug for Bouchard Coastwise...

LaForce Shipyard, Bayou La Batre, Ala., is building a series of 12 1,800-hp towboats for Kirby Corp., Houston.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
January 1, 2008... LaForce Shipyard, Bayou La Batre, Ala., is building a series of 12 1,800-hp towboats for Kirby Corp., Houston. The first 76'x35' boat, the Bill English, was delivered late last year. The second was scheduled for a mid-January delivery. Just...

The General Ship Repair Corporation.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
January 1, 2008... The General Ship Repair Corporation, Baltimore's last full-service drydock facility, has commissioned a new drydock that can be combined with its existing dock to add capacity for larger tugs and barges. The new section will allow for a...

Tug mates: busy south Florida port has plenty of work for its two tug operators.
January 1, 2008... Nestled along the Intracoastal Waterway on Florida's southeast coast, Port Everglades was once a quiet backwater. The Fort Lauderdale port, which is owned and operated by Broward County, has historically played third fiddle to Miami and Tampa....

Significant boats of 2007.(WORKBOAT AWARDS)(award for best build boat )
January 1, 2008... For the second year in a row, WorkBoat presented awards for the year's 10 "Significant Boats" at the recent International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The boats were chosen from the dozens of vessels covered in...

Leg up: liftboat operator features newest fleet in the U.S.(BOATS & GEAR: 175' AND 200' CLASS LIFTBOATS)(rise on oil prices influence market of shipbuilding industry)
January 1, 2008... The Gulf of Mexico liftboat market may be facing some lean times. Recent reports have highlighted the slowdown on the shelf and the shrinking backlog of construction and repair work associated with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. ...

Outboard update: new models introduced at both ends of the power spectrum.(BOATS GEAR: OUTBOARD MOTORS)
January 1, 2008... Most of the outboard hype these days is about the big guns--the muscle engines. The ones that go a gazillion miles an hour, power a hole shot that will break your neck, and generate enough thrust to topple the Statue of Liberty. ...

Broadband communications.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
January 1, 2008... Inmarsat has introduced FleetBroadband, a new voice and high-speed data service for maritime users. The new product is the first fully IP-based service, capable of supporting simultaneous voice and broadband IP data connectivity at up to 432...

New AIS.(PRODUCT LOCKER)(AI50 Class B by Simrad )(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Simrad's new AI50 Class B AIS (automatic identification system) is designed to create a new level of safety and security for light commercial vessel operators. The AI50 both receives and transmits position and course data, allowing all AIS...

Side scan sonar.(PRODUCT LOCKER)(Klein Associates Inc. introduced Klein System 4000)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... L-3 Communications Klein Associates Inc., Salem, N.H., has released the Model 4000 Multi-Beam Side Scan Sonar system--a high performance, five beam, dynamically focused system designed specifically to address the requirements of port and harbor...

Leak detector.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
January 1, 2008... Westbury, N.Y.-based Tracer Products is marketing its new Tracerline TP-8690 OPTIMAX 3000. The new leak detector uses super-hi-flux LED technology to deliver 15 times brighter fluorescent leak detection light than regular LED lamps, according...

Steve Gribbin is the new marketing manager at Union, N.J.-based Mack Boring & Parts Co., a distributor of diesel engines, generators, transmissions and related products.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
January 1, 2008... Steve Gribbin is the new marketing manager at Union, N.J.-based Mack Boring & Parts Co., a distributor of diesel engines, generators, transmissions and related products. Cheryl Grande, former Mack Boring sales administrator, is the new...

Gary P. LaGrange, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans, has been named chairman of the National Waterways Conference.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)(Conference news)
January 1, 2008... Gary P. LaGrange, president and CEO of the Port of New Orleans, has been named chairman of the National Waterways Conference. He succeeds Scott Robinson, director of the Muskogee (Okla.) City-County Port Authority. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Cliffe F. Laborde has joined Laborde Marine Services LLC, New Orleans, as the company's owner/manager.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
January 1, 2008... Cliffe F. Laborde has joined Laborde Marine Services LLC, New Orleans, as the company's owner/manager. He will run the company with his brother, J. Peter Laborde. Cliffe Laborde was previously with Tidewater Inc. Laborde Brothers Crewboats LLC,...

Joe Gordon is the new regional supervisor for field operations for the Minerals Management Service in New Orleans.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
January 1, 2008... Joe Gordon is the new regional supervisor for field operations for the Minerals Management Service in New Orleans. Gordon began his career with MMS in 1988.

AER Supply, Seabrook, Texas, is now a distributor for Algae-X International, Fort Myers, Fla.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
January 1, 2008... AER Supply, Seabrook, Texas, is now a distributor for Algae-X International, Fort Myers, Fla., which also announced that L & L Oil and Gas Services LLC, Metairie, La., has been named a stocking dealer.

Fairbanks Morse Engine, Benoit, Wis., has completed American Bureau of Shipping First Article Testing on its Colt-Pielstick PA6B STC diesel engine.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
January 1, 2008... Fairbanks Morse Engine, Benoit, Wis., has completed American Bureau of Shipping First Article Testing on its Colt-Pielstick PA6B STC diesel engine. Two of the 17,380-hp engines, along with two gas turbines, will help power the Lockheed Martin...

Calendar.(Calendar)
January 1, 2008... Jan. 15 OMSA MEETING Offshore Marine Service Association quarterly meeting, Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel, New Orleans. 504-584-3959 www.offshoremarine.org Jan. 29-Feb. 1 MARITIME CONFERENCE Pacific 2008:...

WorkBoat looks back.(WB ARCHIVES)
January 1, 2008... JANUARY 1948 * On the cover is one of two river towboats built for the government of Argentina by Higgins Inc., New Orleans. The boats measure 92'x28' and have a loaded draft of 7'. Each is powered by a pair of six-cylinder Altas Imperial...