Workboat articles from June 2006

Workboat archives from June 2006

Keep your guard up.(EDITOR'S WATCH)
June 1, 2006... A year ago I wrote how rare it was to see the industry clicking on all cylinders at the same time. We now have a winning streak on our hands. This may be one of the best runs that shipyards, vessel operators and marine-related product and...

Responsible eco-touring is the right thing to do.(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... I want to thank Bernie Jacobson for covering the Passenger Vessel Association session on self-regulation for eco-tour operators at its annual meeting (Captain's Table, March 2006). Resource management agencies, conservation groups, and...

Says winch article fell short.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... In response to the April 2006 article "Electrify," I believe the article falls short of addressing all the issues. The article notes that electric motors are safe due to their location below deck when the fact is that this application is an...

Temporary work visas would create more problems.(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... I strongly disagree with the letter from Dave Wright ("Temporary visas could ease mariner labor woes," Mail Bag, May 2006). Not only would it not ease the woes, it would create even more problems. First, the officer pool in the "patch" is...

Encouragement needed to work on the water.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... It is good to see the debate on mariner shortage continue because this is clearly an area of concern for the industry in general. Having seen the impact of using foreign labor, I do not necessarily support this philosophy. Shipowners may only...

On the water: a young mariner seeks choices--part I.(AT A GLANCE)
June 1, 2006... After signing in for my appointment to pick up my license renewal and Z-card at the Coast Guard's Regional Examination Center in New York, I took a seat in the waiting area. A young man with close-cropped hair was sitting in front of me. He...

Captain's table: are you insured against terrorism?(AT A GLANCE)
June 1, 2006... (Editor's Note: Bernie Jacobson is out on medical leave and will be back soon. This column first appeared in the December 2001 issue of WorkBoat.) Are our ferries insured against terrorist acts? It's a simple question with no easy answer....

WorkBoat Composite Index: index up 2 percent in April.(AT A GLANCE)
June 1, 2006... The WorkBoat Composite Index followed March's 45-point increase by rising another 28 points in April. The 2.2 percent gain topped the S&P 500. For the month, winners topped losers 19-16. Leading percentage gainers included Superior Energy...

OSV day rates: rates level off in April.(Gulf oil service vessels )
June 1, 2006... Rates for U.S. Gulf oil service vessels finally took a breather in April from their upward climb. Supply boats under 200' saw average rates drop around $400 in April, while day rates for larger supply vessels--200' and over--fell about $200 to...

Q&A: an interview with Gregg M. Ward, vice president, Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry.(AT A GLANCE)(Interview)
June 1, 2006... WorkBoat: What kind of cargo do you deal with, how often do you provide service, and what's the volume? Gregg Ward: In 1990 the privately owned roll-on/roll-off Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry service was initiated to transport hazardous...

Inland insider: it's still all about bulk.(AT A GLANCE)
June 1, 2006... Years ago, Lionel model trains offered collectors some very unusual cargoes for miniature rail shipments. These included such things as a pickle car, aquarium car, and so forth. The inland waterway system has moved its own share of novelty...

Legal talk: the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2006.(AT A GLANCE)
June 1, 2006... If rough seas have you sliding around your bunk like a wet noodle, nothing will put you to sleep faster than reading through a legislative act. However, the one exception may be the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act. It appears on the...

In May, the Seattle Maritime Festival's annual tug races ended in another win by Crowley Maritime's Hunter.(NEWS LOG)
June 1, 2006... In May, the Seattle Maritime Festival's annual tug races ended in another win by Crowley Maritime's Hunter, which just edged out Foss Maritime's Drew Foss and Dahl Tug and Barge's Triton. The annual festival, which is sponsored by the Port of...

Ferries and tankers are top terrorist targets, report says.(NEWS LOG)
June 1, 2006... According to a recent report published by the Department of Justice's Inspector General, Washington State Ferries and Gulf Coast tankers are at the top of the list of potential terrorist targets. An appendix to a report called "The Federal...

Barge operators to raise demurrage fees.(NEWS BITTS)
June 1, 2006... A number of barge operators will increase prices for delays in loading or unloading grain in an effort to try to make more efficient use of a smaller fleet, barge owners and operators said. The U.S. is the world's largest exporter of corn,...

Baylink ferry bashes Pier.(NEWS BITTS)
June 1, 2006... Nine people suffered minor injuries when a Baylink passenger ferry leaving Pier 43 in San Francisco's busy Fisherman's Wharf area lost control and rammed into pilings at Pier 41. The May 6 accident occurred as the ferry, which is operated by...

Deepwater drilling nears record level.(NEWS LOG)
June 1, 2006... Deepwater drilling activity is nearing its historic high in the Gulf of Mexico in terms of the number of active deepwater rigs, according to the Minerals Management Service (MMS). At the Offshore Technology Conference held in Houston in...

Civil Engineers give waterways a low grade.(NEWS BITTS)
June 1, 2006... The American Society of Civil Engineers has given the U.S. navigable waterways system a grade of D- in a report released recently. The low grade is a result of many factors, according to the report, including a lock reliability score of only 29...

USCG signs pact with Canadian Coast Guard to improve surveillance.(Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard)(Maritime academies)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard signed an agreement in May to improve radar and video surveillance in Cooperative Vessel Traffic Management System waters on the international border. The USCG will install microwave equipment at...

Hurricane advice: know where your vessels are located.(NEWS LOG)
June 1, 2006... In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Mississippi Department of Transportation officials found wayward vessels--large and small--scattered throughout the devastated coastline. Two- and three-story casino barges, which days before were...

Lawmakers oppose proposed cuts to USCG search-and-rescue.(Federal Emergency Management Administration)
June 1, 2006... The Bush administration has proposed a 6 percent increase for the Department of Homeland Security, but one line item has drawn the ire of federal lawmakers in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The fiscal 2007 $42.7 billion budget...

$30 million tank-barge contract for Jeffboat.(NEWS BITTS)
June 1, 2006... American Commercial Lines Inc. has been awarded a $30 million multiyear contract with Statia Terminals New Jersey Inc., a division of Valero LP, to build ABS-certified ocean tank barges. The barges will be built at Jeffboat LLC, Jeffersonville,...

OSV operators should proceed with caution, says OMSA head.(Offshore Marine Service Association)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... With record revenues and day rates, and encouraging forecasts for the energy industry, it would be easy for some oil service vessel operators to forget about the past and start building new equipment at will. Ken Wells, president of the...

Tug time: a report from the 19th International Tug & Salvage Convention.
June 1, 2006... In April, The Netherlands was the site for the biennial International Tug & Salvage Convention. It was also where 76 tugs gathered on the river Nieuwe Mass in Rotterdam on April 26 in an attempt to set the world record for the largest tug...

Bumpy ride: fast vehicle ferries have a shaky track record in the U.S.(FAST VEHICLE FERRIES)
June 1, 2006... Advocates of fast vehicle ferries have had little to cheer about this year. In January, the new mayor of Rochester, N.Y., bluntly announced the end of a costly fast vehicle ferry venture that was less than two years old. "This shutdown...

25 pushboats from Eastern for Florida Marine.(Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc., Florida Marine Transporters )
June 1, 2006... For Eastern Shipbuilding Group, the 25 pushboats it's building for Florida Marine Transporters is the largest single boatbuilding order ever for the Panama City, Fla., yard And, said Jason Belcher, chief financial officer at Mandeville,...

Freeport Ship to launch 'green' boat for Pittsburgh.(ON THE WAYS)
June 1, 2006... In late May, Freeport Shipbuilding, Freeport, Fla., was expected to launch a working "green boat" for Pittsburgh Voyager, a nonprofit science and environmental educational organization. Designed in part by DeJong & Lebet, Jacksonville,...

Master Boat Builders completes two OSVs.(ON THE WAYS)
June 1, 2006... Bayou La Batre, Ala.-based Master Boat Builders Inc. delivered two more steel-hulled offshore service vessels this spring. The first, delivered in March, is the 164'x36'x12' DP-1 Delta Monarch for Trinidad-based Delta Logistics Ltd. The second...

Master Marine delivers multiuse tug to Aruba.(multiuse tug capable of handling)
June 1, 2006... Master Marine Inc., Bayou La Batre, Ala., recently completed a 40'x16'x7' pilot line crew-tug (PLCT) for the Valero Aruba Refining Co. N.V. The steel-hulled GUTU (named for a fish that lives in the waters of Aruba, an island in the Caribbean)...

Boatbuilding bitts.(ON THE WAYS)
June 1, 2006... The New York City Fire Department is looking for a few good engines (and other components) and a high-quality, midsized shipyard to install them in its upcoming fireboats. In May, Jim Dalton, chief of marine operations for FDNY, and a few other...

Shipyards have the 'no vacancy' sign out.(COVER STORY: YEARBOOK)
June 1, 2006... Shipyard order books across the U.S. have swelled. Commercial and government orders for new vessels are coming in at a steady clip, with slots in the Gulf as scarce as hen's teeth. Some yards are booked solid through 2007, with many turning...

For passenger vessels, it's consolidation and growth.(COVER STORY: YEARBOOK)
June 1, 2006... An improving economy, the aging of the baby boomer generation, and the continued post-9/11 rebound in the tourism market bode well for operators of passenger vessels. The positive outlook was enough for Ambassadors International Inc., a...

Inland industry fights off woes on way toward banner year.
June 1, 2006... It was a recipe for disaster: two devastating hurricanes, hundreds of barges damaged or destroyed, record fuel prices, labor shortages, locks and dams out for some 108,000 hours, traffic delays, barges in tight supply, and low and high water....

The future remains bright for U.S. Gulf oil service suppliers.(COVER STORY: YEARBOOK)
June 1, 2006... Strong global demand for oil and gas strongly suggests that a favorable environment lies ahead for offshore service suppliers, who have enjoyed consecutive years of strong rates and utilization. That's the prognosis from Allen Brooks, a...

Demand for most types of tugboats stays steady.(COVER STORY: YEARBOOK)
June 1, 2006... In the U.S. and around the world, new tugs are on the drawing boards, on the ways, and at work on the water. From big ATB units, to smaller harbor tugs, to coastal line-haul boats and tanker escorts, tugs are a hot commodity. A few years...

Home made: ROV vessel is the first from offshore operator's newly acquired shipyard.(ROV PLATFORM VESSEL)
June 1, 2006... With the strong, steady demand for oilfield service vessels, fleet expansion is the norm for many Gulf of Mexico OSV operators. But at Otto Candies LLC in Des Allemands, La., the company took a bold step in another direction when it...

Escort service: new 98-footers from Washburn & Doughty built for LNG work.(liquefied natural gas)
June 1, 2006... If you're the take-charge type, then operating an escort tug like Moran Towing's new Edward J. Moran is right up your alley. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] After you settle into the $1,800 H.O. Bostrom SeaPost Sierra low back sliding captain's...

Personnel transfer capsule.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
June 1, 2006... Reflex Marine, Aberdeen, UK, has developed The Frog, a personnel transfer capsule that incorporates an outer protective shell and a shock absorbing seating assembly. Transferring offshore crew by crane from vessel to installation can be a...

Touch-up paint system.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
June 1, 2006... Cleveland-based Sherwin-Williams Industrial and Marine Coatings is marketing its new two-component cartridge packaging and dispensing system. The system is designed to make it faster and easier to complete touch-up jobs with a two-component...

Workboat business.
June 1, 2006... Donald T. "Boysie" Bollinger, chief executive officer of Bollinger Shipyards Inc., Lockport, La., was recently elected chairman of the Shipbuilders Council of America. Bollinger replaces Herschel T. Vinyard Jr., vice president, Atlantic Marine...

Calendar.(Calendar)
June 1, 2006... June 5-7 LIQUID TERMINALS CONFERENCE The Independent Liquid Terminals Association Annual International Operating Conference and Trade Show, George R. Brown Convention Center and Hilton Americas, Houston. Tel: 202-842-9200 ...

Looks Back.
June 1, 2006... June 1946 * In late May, the Bureau of Navigation and Marine Inspections was permanently assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard. The bureau had been temporarily transferred to the Coast Guard as a war measure. The move was one of the first...