Workboat articles from July 2004

Workboat archives from July 2004

Money well spent.(Editor's Watch)
July 1, 2004... We constantly read about how the federal government wastes our money. Every year, budget requests are laced with questionable port projects from lawmakers seeking benefits for their districts and states. In the workboat world, it's a little...

On the water: fog can kill.(At a Glance)
July 1, 2004... My experience on a large crew-supply boat in the Gulf of Mexico's oil patch taught me that operating in the fog is often taken for granted. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Many believe that operating safely and efficiently in the fog is merely...

Captain's table: hope for high-speed military spinoffs.(At a Glance)
July 1, 2004... The U.S. Department of Defense is investing in the development of high-speed watercraft that may lead to technical innovations that could prove useful for the commercial passenger vessel industry. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the past,...

WorkBoat Composite Index: slight loss for Index.(At a Glance)(Illustration)
July 1, 2004... The WorkBoat Composite Index gave back about half of April's gain in May, losing 5 points. For the month, losers topped gainers by a 3-2 ratio. Once again, offshore service vessel operators dragged down the Index. Big percentage losers included...

OSV day rates: rig count unchanged.(At a Glance)(Offshore Service Vessel )
July 1, 2004... Supply vessel and crewboat utilization and day rates held steady during May, as did the number of rigs working in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. ODS-Petrodata, Houston, reported that the number of rigs under contract in the U.S. Gulf held...

Inland insider: unlocking congestion.(At a Glance)
July 1, 2004... What should we do about lock congestion? Among the recent ideas being studied are lock congestion fees and scheduling. Some are using the Panama Canal as a model for implementing fees and scheduling. There are, however, stark differences...

Legal talk: Hurricane: an act of God?(At a Glance)
July 1, 2004... Attention mariners: The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1. Hurricanes can wreak tremendous havoc on land and at sea. They can also present serious legal issues for marine operators. According to one legal dictionary, an...

On May 10, the Alaska Marine Highway System's 235-foot passenger ferry LeConte grounded about 30 miles north of Sitka, Alaska.(News Log)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: On May 10, the Alaska Marine Highway System's 235-foot passenger ferry LeConte grounded about 30 miles north of Sitka, Alaska. There were approximately 110 passengers and crew aboard the 31-year-old ferry...

Bollinger, Austal awarded LCS final design contract.(News Log)(Austal Ltd., Bollinger Shipyards Inc., Marinette (Wis.) Marine Corp.)(littoral combat ships)
July 1, 2004... Two groups were awarded contract options from the Navy in late May for the final design of the agency's littoral combat ships (LCS). The General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works team, which includes Australia-based Austal Ltd., received a $78.8...

Kirby makes two purchases in April.(News Bitts)(Kirby Corp)(Walker Paducah Corp., Osprey Line LLC )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... April was a busy shopping month for Houston-based Kirby Corp. On April 7, the company purchased the Paducah, Ky.-based diesel service operation and parts inventory of Walker Paducah Corp. for $5.8 million. The former subsidiary of Ingram Barge...

Thames Towboat lands Navy tug contract.(News Log)(Thames Towboat Inc)
July 1, 2004... The U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) has decided that one tug operator is better than two for assisting U.S. Navy submarines at Groton, Conn. The $5.8 million contract for ship-assist duties at the Naval Submarine Base New London...

Hornbeck purchases three vessels.(News Bitts)(Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. has exercised its option to purchase the HOS Hotshot, a 165-foot fast supply boat that it has been operating under a bareboat charter since it was delivered in April 2003. In addition, Hornbeck announced that it...

Washington ferries to use low-sulfur fuel.(News Log)(Washington State Ferries)
July 1, 2004... Looking ahead to regulations that require reduced emissions, Washington State Ferries announced in late May that it will switch to low-sulfur diesel fuel for all 28 vessels in its fleet. The fleet will begin using the fuel this year. The...

Bender opens shipyard in eastern Mexico.(News Log)
July 1, 2004... Mobile, Ala.-based Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co., Inc. recently announced the opening of a new shipyard in Tampico, Mexico. Astilleros Bender S. De R.L. De C.V. (AB) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bender. The new Bender yard is located...

Over there: outside the U.S. Gulf, things look a lot better for boat and rig operators.(International Market)
July 1, 2004... A quick look at Tidewater's 2004 annual report says it all: The company's domestic vessel operations lost almost $18 million while its international operations posted a profit of over $96 million (fiscal 2004, before taxes). For Tidewater...

Landing gear: Vietnam-era amphibious vessels find work on Maine coast.(Non-Traditional Vessels)
July 1, 2004... When Dave Barrett was looking for a new commercial marine enterprise, he was inspired by the red-hot real estate business in Maine. While prices for existing houses on the coast have gone up 800 percent in the past two decades, those with even...

First U.S.-built Damen design at Eastern Shipbuilding.(On the Ways)
July 1, 2004... On the Florida panhandle, Eastern Shipbuilding Group is near completion on the first boat to be built in the U.S. to a Damen Shipyards design. The 85'6"X29'10"X11'9" Candace will be delivered in mid-August to Weeks Marine Inc., Cranford, N.J....

Master Boat finishes newbuild dive boat.(On the Ways)
July 1, 2004... In late May, Bayou La Batre, Ala.-based Master Boat Builders handed over a completed 128'X32'X11' dive boat to Oceaneering International Inc., Houston, less than five months after construction began. Last year, Master Boat converted a 145'...

Sundial Marine working on Navy barge quartet.(On the Ways)
July 1, 2004... Located on the southern bank of the Columbia River about 15 miles east of Portland, Ore., Sundial Marine Construction and Repair is busy with barges--both conversions and new construction. With 100 employees in the yard (compared with about...

Another new incat ferry from Gladding-Hearn.(On the Ways)
July 1, 2004... Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding/Duclos Corp. is set to launch a new pilot boat and an excursion ferry. The Somerset, Mass., shipyard's deep-V pilot boats have become the industry standard and the partnership with Incat Design in Australia has...

Crew/supplier from Breaux's Bay Craft.(On the Ways)(Breaux's Bay Craft Inc)
July 1, 2004... Breaux's Bay Craft Inc., Loreauville, La., recently delivered the Miss Callie P., the first of three 162'X30'X12' aluminum crew/supply boats for Chalmette, La.-based Crewboats Inc. "In recent years, Breaux's Bay Craft has built over 30...

Blessey towboats from Kody and Ashton Marine.(On the Ways)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Blessey Marine Services Inc. played host to a double towboat christening in New Orleans in late May for the 3,200-hp, 120'X34' Jimmy Roussel, built at Kody Marine Inc., Harvey, La., and the 4,900-hp, 150'X42' Mitch Jones, which was refurbished...

Boatbuilding bitts.(On the Ways)(Diversified Marine Inc.)
July 1, 2004... In late May, Gunderson Marine, Portland, Ore., was just finishing the third of three large deck-cargo barges for Alaska Marine Lines. The new barge, the Sitka Provider, measures 360'X100'X22' and features NautiCAN Hydrolift skegs for better...

Head lock: neglect of locks and dams could result in a failure of the waterway system.(Cover Story)
July 1, 2004... It's 1907. There is no television. The Model T isn't yet on the road. Oklahoma becomes the 46th U.S. state, and locks and dams are built along the lower Monongahela River in southwestern Pennsylvania. Fast forward to 1921. The U.S. ends...

Electrifying: Rigdon Marine goes diesel-electric for its new PSV fleet.(Diesel-Electric PSVs)
July 1, 2004... In an example of technology catching up with the past, the first in a series of 210'X54' diesel-electric platform supply vessels was recently delivered to Rigdon Marine Inc. The vessel is also the first for the new Houston-based offshore...

Head count: marine sanitation devices are more sophisticated than ever before.(Marine Sanitation Devices)
July 1, 2004... The original "head" was an open space on sailing ships used by sailors as a toilet. First known as the "beakhead," it was a compartment located forward of the forecastle and open to the sea. The beakhead evolved into a pair of heads, one on the...

Workboat business.
July 1, 2004... Simrad Inc. has centralized its national service operations out of the company's Lynnwood, Wash., headquarters. The company's Dania, Fla., office no longer provides local repair services but will continue to be staffed. It is now Simrad's new...

Oil/water separators.(Product Locker)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Allied Group Inc., Mendham, N.J., has a new line of coalescing filters for liquid/liquid applications. The new filters separate water from any type of oil or fuel application. Sizes range from 0.18" I.D. and 22" O.D. to over 40" in length....

Crane support.(Product Locker)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Milwaukee-based Enerpac's new SyncHoist precision crane accessory takes the place of "helper cranes" when heavy structures such as offshore platforms are being placed into their final positions. The SyncHoist, a PLC-controlled, hydraulic...

VHF radiotelephone.(Product Locker)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Furuno is marketing its new FM3000, a compact 25-watt marine VHF radiotelephone that offers built-in digital selective calling (DSC). The radiotelephone is waterproof and can be easily installed on any console, helm or fly bridge. The FM3000...

Vessel monitoring system.(Product Locker)(Mountain Energy )(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2004... Mountain Energy has developed a new vessel monitoring system called VesselWatch. The system can monitor vessels near or offshore for any conditions, and relay the data back to a computer. The monitoring system is bidirectional and calls out...

Calendar.(Calendar)
July 1, 2004... July 6-9 DREDGING CONFERENCE Western Dredging Association XXIV and Texas A&M's 36th Annual Dredging Seminar and Exhibition, Wyndham Palace Hotel (Disney World), Orlando, Fla. Tel: 360-750-0209 E-mail: weda@comcast.net ...

WorkBoat: looks back.(WB Archives)(Sewart Seacraft Inc)
July 1, 2004... * The Sea Driller, a 65'X17' crewboat, was delivered recently to Mechanical Equipment Co. in New Orleans. It's one of the largest crewboats built to date at Sewart Seacraft Inc., Berwick, La. Power is supplied by two Buda Model 8 DATMR 1125...