Workboat articles from July 2003

Workboat archives from July 2003

Security d-day is approaching.(homeland security regulations for vessel operators)(Editorial)
July 1, 2003... On July 1, vessel operators will find out just how much of a financial hit they will take from new security regulations. That's when the Interim Final Rule on the regs is due to hit the streets. As evidenced by the series of public meetings...

Mail bag.(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2003... More support needed for maritime training As an instructor in marine engineering at a large union-sponsored maritime training facility and a USCG-licensed chief engineer, I am well aware of the day-to-day changes in technology that affects...

On the water; all tied up: part II. (At a Glance).(mooring vessels)
July 1, 2003... When tying up a vessel, there are elements that mariners and operators cannot control. Regulations require that when securely mooring a vessel or barge, present and future potential weather and current conditions must be taken into account....

Captain's table: the traveling inspector. (At a Glance).(Coast Guard's focus on homeland security)
July 1, 2003... Many are concerned that the Coast Guard's new focus on homeland security will result in the agency neglecting its traditional missions such as marine safety. The Coast Guard's vessel inspection process already suffers from frequent...

WorkBoat's composite index: index posts 4 percent gain. (At a Glance).
July 1, 2003... After beginning the second quarter with an 8 percent gain, the WorkBoat Composite Index continued its winning ways in May by rising another 4 percent. Leading the way was the Operators Index which surged over 15 percent. For the month, gainers...

Inland insider: the Miami River. (At a Glance).
July 1, 2003... When you think of Florida's largest ports, Miami, Tampa and Jacksonville instantly come to mind. But few realize that the Sunshine State's fourth largest "port" is said to he the Miami River. This seems remarkable considering that the navigable...

Legal talk: watch what you say. (At a Glance).(perjury)
July 1, 2003... Most people are familiar with perjury laws. They understand that the failure to tell the truth while under oath is a crime. Perjury laws apply to testimony in trials and depositions, sworn statements and affidavits. A common thread is that...

OSV day rates: still no pickup offshore. (At a Glance).(Offshore support vessels)
July 1, 2003... The Gulf of Mexico rig count increased again during April by about five rigs following a nine-rig increase in March. This sounds like good news for offshore service vessel operators, but the supply and crewboat market remained essentially flat...

Louisiana parish makes pitch for new $50 million shipyard. (News Log).(Bollinger Shipyards Inc.)
July 1, 2003... Louisiana's Terrebonne Parish presented a detailed proposal recently to officials from Bollinger Shipyards Inc. to locate a new $50 million shipyard on a site 60 miles southwest of New Orleans. The new shipyard, which would mass produce...

VT Halter launches Army logistics support vessel. (News Log).
July 1, 2003... The Robert T Kuroda, a 314'x60'x19' steel-hulled logistics support vessel (LSV) for the U.S. Army, was launched. in May at VT Halter Marine Inc.'s Moss Point, Miss., shipyard. The new vessel will be homeported in Honolulu. The LSV is...

Material disconnects marine radio service. (News Bits).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Effective June 6, MariTEL shut down its marine radio network and ceased marine voice communications services. The New York-based company said it intends to shift focus from voice-centric services to data-centric services that require far less...

N.Y. barge-rail network to reduce port congestion. (News Log).(plans for Port Inland Distribution Network )
July 1, 2003... A new inland barge-rail network aimed at reducing truck traffic on congested New York-area roadways was launched recently. In April, the 450-TEU (20' equivalent unit) barge Columbia Charleston, operated by Columbia Coastal Transport LLC,...

Austal USA, senesco name new CEOs. (News Bitts).(Greg Metcalf replaces Alan Lerchbacker)(Southeastern New England Shipbuilding Co. appoints Gary C. Schuler )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Greg Metcalf has replaced Alan Lerchbacker as chief executive officer at Mobile, Ala-based Austal USA. Metcalf was formerly with Austal USA's parent company in Perth, Australia. Details on Lerchbacker's departure were unavailable. On the East...

Concern voiced over coast guard funding. (News Bitts).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... At a May hearing of the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, questions were raised over proposed fiscal 2004 funding levels for the U.S. Coast Guard. Adm. Thomas H. Collins, commandant of the Coast Guard, voiced concern...

Politics played role in Title XI defaults. (News Log).
July 1, 2003... The well-publicized problems with the Title XI loan guarantee program can't all be pinned on the Maritime Administration, the beleaguered agency that oversees the program. Congress must also share the blame for pushing Marad to approve shaky...

Drydock officials share ideas in Baltimore. (News Log).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The recent three-day Drydock Conference held in Baltimore presented a rare opportunity for the interchange of ideas among drydock personnel from the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. Some 76 dockmasters and engineers from both...

River school: this barge 'tow' hauls passengers, not petroleum. (In Business: Riverbarge Excursion Lines).
July 1, 2003... The tug-and-barge industry has been on a quest to spread the word that the inland waterways are essential to the nation and its economy. If only people could go "towboating" for a few days on a navigable river, they'd have a chance to see...

Hire calling: charter boat operators come in all shapes and sizes. (Vessel Report: Charter Boat Industry).(related article: Marine Charter Association Formed)
July 1, 2003... For the most part, charter boat captains are small business owners. Like landlubber small businesses, charter boat operators usually have only a few employees and concentrate on delivering a special service at a fair price. And from all...

Main Iron Works delivers offshore tug. (On the Ways).(Cenac Towing Company Inc.)
July 1, 2003... The O.J. Cenac, a 130'x38'x14' offshore tug, recently joined Houma, La.-based Cenac Towing Co. Inc.'s tug fleet. Built at Main Iron Works, also of Houma, the new boat was outfitted at Cenac following delivery, a common practice for the towing...

Penobscot bay pilot boat from Liberty ship. (On the Ways).
July 1, 2003... For years, the Penobscot Bay and River Pilot's Association of Belfast, Maine, had carried its pilots to the entrance of Penobscot Bay in the Crown Pilot, a gasoline-powered, fiberglass 36-footer from Hatteras. From the Rockland Harbor...

Luxury dinner vessel from Freeport Shipbuilding. (On the Way).(for DMV International Yachts Inc.)
July 1, 2003... In early June, Freeport (Fla.) Shipbuilding delivered a 150'x36'luxury charter yacht to DMV International Yachts Inc., Weehawken, N.J. The 400-passenger Atlantica targets the high-end New York dinner-cruise market. Designed by DeJong &...

100th anniversary for Al Larson Boat Shop. (On the Way).
July 1, 2003... It's not everyday that a company celebrates its 100th anniversary. It's probably even more rare when a shipyard reaches the centennial mark, especially in Los Angeles/Long Beach, where almost all other shipyards are now history. But Al...

Patti Shipyard Inc. (Boatbuilding Bitts).(nostaligic ferries for Chatham Area Transit Authority )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Patti Shipyard Inc., Pensacola, Fla., recently delivered the second of two nostalgic 55'x20' steel ferries for the Chatham Area Transit Authority in Savannah, Ga. The Susie King Taylor was delivered in mid-June and the Juliette Gordon Low was...

Kvichak Marine Industries. (Boatbuilding Bitts).(delivers first hovercraft )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Kvichak Marine Industries, Seattle, marked the delivery of its first hovercraft in May by inviting guests out for rides on Seattle's Lake Washington. Able to carry up to 25 passengers and a crew of two, the new hovercraft was the first built...

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corp. (Boatbuilding Bitts).(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute contract)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Construction of a new 60-footer for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute has begun at G1adding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corp., Somerset, Mass. The S1.6 million research vessel is scheduled for delivery next March. The new vessel was designed by...

Trinity Industries Inc. (Boatbuilding Bitts).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Trinity Industries Inc., Dallas, has inked a contract with Houston-based Kirby Corp. for the construction of 16 double-hull, 30,000-bbl. black-oil tank barges. The $29 million contract calls for delivery of seven barges this year and nine...

Southeastern New England Shipbuilding Corporation. (Boatbuilding Bitts).(completes barge for Hawaiian Inter-Island Towing Co.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Another new double-hulled barge was recently christened following construction at the Southeastern New England Shipbuilding Corporation (SENESCO), Quonset Point, R.I. The 80,000-bbl. liquid fuel barge was built for Hawaiian Inter-Island Towing...

Harbor masters: the ship-assist industry is well-equipped and very competitive. .(Cover Story)
July 1, 2003... In the ship-assist industry these days, it's all about keeping up with the Joneses. For tug companies that translates into big capital outlays on new, technologically advanced equipment. "Over the past six or seven years, we have invested...

Skyline view: sleek dinner cruiser offers passengers a good look at Manhatttan. (Boats & Gear: 135' Dinner Boat).(Cloud Nine Inc. takes delivery of Austal USA boat)
July 1, 2003... One of the oldest tour-boat companies in New York City has taken delivery of a new aluminum 135'x30' dinner-cruise boat from Mobile, Ala.-based Austal USA. The Cloud Nine will take wedding parties and corporate functions up and down the East...

Kort ship: evolving nozzle designs provide more thrust at higher speeds. (Boats & Gear: Nozzles).
July 1, 2003... In 1986, Joe Gruzling, president of NautiCAN Research & Development Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia, submitted a paper to a technical journal that discussed more efficient propeller nozzles that could run at higher speeds. The paper was...

Pipeline protection. (Product Locker).(CCSI's GatorBack Infill System )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... CCSI, Virginia Beach, Va., has introduced the GatorBack[TM] Infill System for underwater pipeline protection. The product uses a removable mold and an outer reinforcing wrap to form a two-part polyurethane outside covering for pipeline field...

Single-use pouch. (Product Locker).(ODORLOS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... ODORLOS, makers of the ODORLOS holding tank treatment system, is currently marketing a single-use foil pouch in a nine-pack box. Each pouch can handle 40 gals. of black water waste. ODORLOS is an all-natural product designed to break down waste...

Fuel-flow monitoring. (Product Locker).(Floscan Instrument Co.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Seattle-based FloScan Instrument Co. Inc. has a new Series K fuel-flow monitoring system for diesel engines. Designed for diesels from 70 hp to 3,000 hp, the new system allows for do-it-yourself installation, which can cut installation costs...

Waterjet pumps. (Product Locker).(NLB Corp.'s NLB 350 Series )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... NLB Corp.'s new NLB 350 Series waterjet pumps feature a quick-change fluid end that lets the user operate at any of five pressures to meet different cleaning requirements. The 350 Series includes diesel and electric units in 350 hp and 425 hp....

Calendar.(Calendar)
July 1, 2003... Visit www.workboat.com for information on other commercial marine events Sept. 9-11 SALVAGE CONFERENCE The American Salvage Association's 2003 National Maritime Salvage Conference, Marriott Crystal City, Crystal City, Va. ...

Work boat looks back. (WB Archives).
July 1, 2003... July 1983 * The Outer Continental Shelf #72 Lease Sale was the most successful ever, resulting in $4.5 billion in bids from 78 companies for 656 blocks in the Gulf of Mexico. Of the total bid, over $3.5 billion came from high bidders,...