Workboat articles from June 2008

Workboat archives from June 2008

Recession proof?(Editor'sWatch)(Personal account)
June 1, 2008... Can the workboat industry possibly continue its amazing run another year? It seems that I have been asking myself that question each May as I work on our annual Yearbook review. (See story beginning on page 72.) This year is no different....

Wants trade zones set up for U.S. shipyards.(MailBag)
June 1, 2008... Let's establish Foreign Trade Zones (FTZ) for U.S. shipyards. Why? One good reason would be to silence the anti-Jones Act sector who argues that they can't afford U.S.-built ships as required by the Act in order to trade between U.S. ports. ...

Frustrated TWIC applicant finally finds his card.(MailBag)(Transportation Worker Identification Credential )(Personal account)
June 1, 2008... I was wondering if any of your other readers have had as much fun as I have had in getting my TWIC card. I live in Nevada and work 400 miles away on San Francisco Bay tugs.On Dec. 31, 2007, I tried the online registration, but you can only...

Has own take on the pros and cons of cabotage.(MailBag)
June 1, 2008... I read Bernie Jacobson's article in the March issue ("Why do we have cabotage laws?") and I am not sure if I read a question or an explanation. He does an excellent job of explaining the pros and cons, except that I am not quite sure that I...

Wants to see the U.S. ease restrictions on cabotage.(MailBag)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... In the March 2008 Captain's Table article in WorkBoat, Bernie Jacobson wrote about cabotage. His reading of the law, however, is slightly in error. The U.S. is one of many nations (and entities, read European Union) that have laws on the...

Reader seeks sea time.(MailBag)
June 1, 2008... Iread Bernie Jacobson's article in the April 2008 WorkBoat ("How to get more from seasonal hires."). How can I be considered for employment by any of the companies referenced in his piece? I am currently working as a deckhand and...

On the water: tired mariners--part II.(At AGlance)
June 1, 2008... Long-overdue changes are coming to the old "six and six" (six-hours-on/six-hours-off) two-watch system currently employed aboard most tugs and towboats and on some offshore service vessels. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The question is, what...

Captain's Table: crisis communications planning.(At AGlance)
June 1, 2008... Is your passenger vessel operation prepared to deal effectively with all aspects of a crisis? Are your managers and operations personnel ready to make the appropriate decisions and the deal with the publicity your business may receive if a...

WorkBoat Composite Index: index jumps 4.7 percent in April.(At AGlance)
June 1, 2008... The WorkBoat Composite Index rebounded strongly from last month, posting an 81-point gain in April. For the month, gainers topped losers 22-13. Big percentage gainers included Gulf Island Fabrication. The Houma, La.-based builder of...

OSV day rates: boats mirror the rig market.(At AGlance)
June 1, 2008... The Gulf of Mexico supply and crewboat market on the shelf continues to closely mirror the faltering jackup market it services, as drilling contractors seek more lucrative contracts outside the region. Day rates for smaller supply vessels...

Inland insider: passing the costs along.(At AGlance)
June 1, 2008... The 1950s comedy team of Abbott and Costello was successful at playing off the "straight man" against the "clown" routine. One of duo's best-known routines was "Who's On First?" It consisted of a bewildering array of unusual names of...

Legal talk: getting the most out of a positive drug test.(At AGlance)
June 1, 2008... In the late '90s, laws that targeted workplace drug use were passed at a frantic pace. As part of this legislative assault, Congress enacted a series of federal regulations that specifically apply to the maritime industry. The new regs were...

Insurance watch: insuring your crew--Part 1.(At AGlance)
June 1, 2008... Protection and indemnity insurance is the original vessel liability insurance, created in the 12th century when vessels began trading internationally. It was devised mainly for the vessel owners and masters because they needed able crews to...

Spring flooding has been playing havoc with river navigation.(NEWS LOG)
June 1, 2008... Spring flooding has been playing havoc with river navigation, closing a number of lock-and-dam facilities on the Mississippi River and its tributaries and idling tows that were unable to lock through. The Kaskaskia Lock and Dam (above) was out...

Judge orders Coast Guard to revoke U.S. tanker's coastwise endorsement.(NEWS LOG)
June 1, 2008... In a major victory for U.S. shipbuilders, a federal judge has ordered the U.S. Coast Guard to revoke the coastwise endorsement of a U.S.-flag tanker. In late April, U.S. District Court Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the Eastern District of...

Hawaii Superferry gets new boss, plans to add second Maui run.(NEWS BITTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Hawaii Superferry has named Thomas B. Fargo as the company's new president and cheif executive officer, Fargo is a managing director of J.F. Lehman & Co., the majority investor in Hawaii Superferry John L. Garibaldi, HSF's original president...

Washington State Ferries changes course again.(NEWS BITTS)
June 1, 2008... After receiving only one bid for a 50-car ferry to replace one of the retired Steel Electric-class ferries, Washington State Ferries said it in tended to resubmit the proposal t interested Washington state shipyards. However, WSF has since...

TWIC compliance date extended into 2009.(NEWS BITTS)(Editorial)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The Department of Homeland Security has extended the final compliance date for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program to April 15, 2009. The original compliance date set in the final rule was Sept. 25. Several ports,...

Puerto Rico ocean carriers subject of federal pricing probe.(NEWS LOG)
June 1, 2008... The records of several U.S. ocean carriers have been subpoenaed in a Justice Department probe of pricing practices in the Puerto Rico trade and perhaps Hawaii as well. "The antitrust division is investigating the possibility of...

Ambassadors puts Majestic America Line on the block.(NEWS LOG)
June 1, 2008... Ambassadors International Inc. is selling its U.S.-flag riverboats after owning them for barely two years and assuming millions in Title XI debt. The seven vessels that make up the company's Majestic America Line include the historic Delta...

Coast Guard spending bill could face veto.(NEWS LOG)
June 1, 2008... For the first time in 31 years, a bill authorizing spending for the U.S. Coast Guard is under threat of a presidential veto. President Bush and Coast Guard commandant Thad Allen say they oppose many provisions of the $8.4 billion...

Crowley purchases Seattle naval architecture firm.(NEWS LOG)
June 1, 2008... Crowley Maritime Corp. has purchased Jensen Maritime Consultants, a Seattle naval architecture and marine engineering firm. Founded by Ben Jensen about 45 years ago, JMC's experience includes almost all aspects of commercial vessel design...

Correction.(Correction notice)
June 1, 2008... In the April 2008 edition of WorkBoat, it was reported that MEMCO Barge Line's new 6,000-hp towboat AEP Mariner is powered by twin EMD 12-710-G7B diesel engines. However, the boat is actually powered by twin EMD 12-710-G7C-T2 diesels that...

Repair shop: Atlantic coast repair market--more work, fewer yards and slots.(Atlantic Repair Yards)
June 1, 2008... At ship repair yards along the Atlantic coast, there are few if any signs that the nation is in a recession. From Virginia to New York, booked-up repair yards are busy expanding to keep up with the work. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For...

Liftoff: post-hurricane rate bump boosts Gulf liftboat operators.(Liftboat Market)
June 1, 2008... Often referred to as the workhorses of the offshore industry, Gulf of Mexico liftboats were extremely busy following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as operators scrambled to repair damaged pipelines and platforms and bring production back online....

Inland insider: the continued squeeze on federal spending will make the work of waterways advocacy groups much more challenging. Amy W. Larson, named president of the National Waterways Conference in March, recently discussed this and other issues facing the inland waterways industry with workBoat.(Newsmaker Interview)(Interview)
June 1, 2008... WorkBoat: The National Waterways Conference named you its new president after a national search. Your maritime experience has been with the Federal Maritime Commission in Washington. How has your background prepared you for this new position?...

Deep pockets: Louisiana operator intends to grow in stride with the deepwater market.(Hornbeck Offshore Services)(Company overview)
June 1, 2008... Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. (HOS) has kicked off its second decade by significantly beefing up its assets--both offshore and on land. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The moves underscore Hornbeck's intention of assembling a versatile...

History lesson: barges are once again making a big splash at historic pennsylvania shipyard.(Brownsvill Marine Products)
June 1, 2008... In the annals of workboat history, the town of Brownsville, Pa., deserves a special chapter. It's role in the development of the nation's commercial waterways stretches back nearly two centuries. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Today, barges...

Grand entrance: Austal's version of the LCS takes to the water for the first time.(Littoral Combat Ship)
June 1, 2008... The U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship 2 finally hit the water in late April after spending 27 months in a construction shed at Mobile, Ala. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Independence is a 417'x99' trimaran designed to outperform...

'Handysize' tugs make their debut.(ON THE WAYS)
June 1, 2008... At 74'x30' and with 2,800 hp. The Great Lakes Group believes its new "Handysize" tug is big enough to do most tug work and small enough to significantly reduce both capital and operating costs. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designed by...

Superior Marine completes Corps of Engineers towboat.(ON THE WAYS)
June 1, 2008... South Point, Ohio-based Superior Marine Ways Inc. has delivered a 50'xl8'x4'6" steel lock tender to the Army Corps of Engineers. The new boat will be working the Marmet Lock and Dam in Belle, W.Va., part of the Corps' Huntington District. The...

New fireboat on the way for city of Portland, Maine.(ON THE WAYS)
June 1, 2008... In early May at Canadian boatyard A.F. Theriault & Son, the aluminum combination boat (fire and medical emergency) the yard is building for the city of Portland, Maine, was about 20 percent complete. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "The hull...

Bludworth delivers towboat to Horizon Maritime.(ON THE WAYS)
June 1, 2008... John Bludworth Shipyard LLC, Corpus Christi, Texas, recently completed an 84'x30'xll' steel towboat for Horizon Maritime LLC, Houston. The yard's John L. Bludworth III handled the design of the Jack R. Binion. "We made sure we had enough...

Yearbook Shipyard space should remain tight for some time.(CoverStory)(Editorial)(Cover story)
June 1, 2008... This year's annual Yearbook report card for the workboat industry is once again a good one. The big story continues to be the sustained strength of the workboat sector as a whole. Shipyards continue to boast solid backlogs with everything from...

Yearbook: tugs: demand for new tugs is still strong after a hot '07.(CoverStory)(Editorial)(Cover story)
June 1, 2008... A bout a year ago, nearly everyone in the commercial marine industry agreed that the demand for new tugs was feverish. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This year, the temperature may have dropped a few degrees, but the market is still hot. ...

Yearbook: inland waterways: Barge industry still healthy, but caution flags lie ahead.(CoverStory)(Cover story)
June 1, 2008... While the inland industry enjoyed strong demand for its barging and towing services in 2007, it faces an unprecedented number of challenges from state and the federal government and a slowing national economy that could crimp its success in...

Yearbook: passenger vessels: passenger vessel operators are upbeat about the upcoming summer season.(CoverStory)(Cover story)
June 1, 2008... If the past year really was a prologue, passenger vessel operators should have a pretty decent 2008. The real test will come during the normally busy summer season. Even then, location and fuel costs may have the biggest impact on the...

Yearbook: offshore: steady as she goes for OSV operators in the U.S. Gulf.
June 1, 2008... It's still a tale of two markets in the Gulf of Mexico, where operators with new-generation fleets able to work in deepwater are enjoying stronger rates and steadier demand than their shelf brethren. The same is true if you compare domestic...

Centerpieces: new boats for BC Ferries were designed and built in Germany.(Super-C Ferries)
June 1, 2008... After years of planning, financing, design and construction, the first of three identical double-ended passenger/vehicle ferries has joined the fleet of British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Part of the Super-C...

Going bunkers: using heavy fuel isn't as easy-or as cheap-as you might think.(Dual-Fuel Tugs)
June 1, 2008... It's called residual fuel, heavy fuel oil, bunker fuel and bunker C. It's smelly, thick and makes a mess worse than regular diesel if it gets into the water. But it's much cheaper than marine diesel fuel, and that's its saving grace. ...

Native American Fabricators Aluminum Welding School.(WBBusiness)
June 1, 2008... Native American Fabricators Aluminum Welding School is now open in Bellingham, Wash. The new school is a partnership between Aluminum Chambered Boats Inc. and former Nooksack Tribal chairman Art George. School officials said the school was...

R. Barry Palmer.(WBBusiness)(retirement of R. Barry Palmer from Waterways Council Inc)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... R. Barry Palmer has announced his retirement as president and CEO of the Waterways Council Inc., Washington, D.C., effective at the end of 2008. The organization's executive committee has retained JDG Associates Ltd., Rockville, Md.,to conduct...

Fairbanks Morse Engine.(WBBusiness)
June 1, 2008... Chuck Kissee has joined the aftermarket sales team at Fairbanks Morse Engine, Beloit, Wis., as the new western region sales manager. Kissee will be responsible for aftermarket parts and service sales. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

KVH Industries.(WBBusiness)
June 1, 2008... KVH Industries, Middletown, R.I., has named Peter Coffman to fill the new position of manager of commercial and industrial maritime markets. Coffman will focus on global commercial opportunities for KVH's new TracPhone V7 satellite...

The Career Training Center.(WBBusiness)
June 1, 2008... The Career Training Center (CTC), a Superior Energy Services company, recently relocated its Broussard, La., training center to its remodeled and expanded location in New Iberia, La. The CTC is a two-story, 12,000-sq.-ft. facility located on...

The American Bureau of Shipping recently elected two new board members--Choo Chiau Beng (C.B.).(WBBusiness)
June 1, 2008... The American Bureau of Shipping recently elected two new board members--Choo Chiau Beng (C.B.), chairman and CEO of Keppel Offshore & Marine and Elizabeth D. Whitaker, an attorney from Dallas. The following ABS members were elected to...

Netsco, a naval architect and marine engineering firm based in Cleveland, has added James Brown and Joseph Dolder to the firm. Brown is a designer/drafter who has worked on plans for submarines, oil industry research vessels, aircraft carriers, cargo/crane barges, and icebreaking barges.(WBBusiness)
June 1, 2008... Netsco, a naval architect and marine engineering firm based in Cleveland, has added James Brown and Joseph Dolder to the firm. Brown is a designer/drafter who has worked on plans for submarines, oil industry research vessels, aircraft carriers,...

Dawson & Associates.(WBBusiness)(Don Waldon has appointed)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Don Waldon has joined Dawson & Associates, a Washington, D.C.-based government relations and public affairs firm for water and natural resource environmental permitting. Waldon comes to Dawson & Associates with more than 35 years experience in...

Pacific Press Technologies.(WBBusiness)(Steve Schurman has appointed as a director)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Steve Schurman is the new director of sales and marketing for Pacific Press Technologies (PPT), a Mt. Carmel, 111.-based manufacturer of metal-forming equipment. PPT also named Dan Peach sales manager of the company's productivity enhancement...

Jon Usinger.(WBBusiness)(Jon Usinger has appointed at Transmission Engineering Co)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Jon Usinger has been named as an account manager for Transmission Engineering Co. (TECO). His primary responsibilities will be growing the company's service sales activity and promoting "Team TECO" from Maryland to New Jersey. TECO is a...

Jerry R. Linzey.(WBBusiness)(Jerry R. Linzey has resigned from job)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Jerry R. Linzey has resigned as senior vice president and chief operating officer at American Commercial Lines, Jeffersonville, Ind. Norb Whitlock has assumed the role of executive vice president, operations, until a new chief operating officer...

Dover Corp.(WBBusiness)
June 1, 2008... Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Dover Corp.has established a Pump Solutions Group (PSG). PSG has joined its major legacy brands Wilden and Blackmer with Griswold and Almatec to form a cohesive pump organization with an array of pump technologies...

EPIRBS and SART.(WBProducts)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The Jotron Group recently unveiled two new EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) as well as a new SART (Search and Rescue Transponder). The new EPIRBs, Tron 40S Mkll and Tron 40GPS Mkll, have been designed to exhibit even greater...

Waterjet units.(WBProducts)
June 1, 2008... NLB Corp., Wixom, Mich., has introduced the new NLB 325 Series convertible waterjet units, which operate at up to 400 hp at six pressures up to 24,000 psi. The new models--the first NLB convertible quintuplex pumps--have many features and parts...

Epoxy coatings.(WBProducts)
June 1, 2008... Cleveland-based Sherwin-Williams Industrial and Marine Coatings is marketing its new ExpressCote HCR, a chemical resistant glass flake-filled epoxy novolac lining.It is specifically designed to protect steel and concrete from chemicals and...

Ethernet switches.(WBProducts)
June 1, 2008... N-TRON Corp. has introduced its new 700 Series Industrial Ethernet switches, designed to offer advanced management and monitoring features, industrially hardened construction, and a space saving package. The 708TX Series switches provide eight...

Personal illumination.(WBProducts)(AE Light (Allsman Enterprises LLC))(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... AE Light (Allsman Enterprises LLC), Grants Pass, Ore., announced that its new Xenide AEX20T HID Personal Searchlight had passed initial explosion-proof testing and is now certified for safe operation in Class 1, Division 1, and Groups A, B, C,...

In-line filters.(WBProducts)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Industrial Specialties Manufacturing has a new line of filters that are designed to be inspected and cleaned without disturbing the tubing connections. By loosening the threaded collar on the filter housing, the filter insert can be cleaned...

WBCalendar.(Calendar)
June 1, 2008... June 8-11 DREDGING CONVENTION The WEDA XXVIII--Western Dredging Association and Texas A & M Dredging Seminar, St. Louis Airport Marriott, St. Louis. 360-750-0209 www.westerndredging.org June 9-11 LIQUID TERMINALS...

Avondale Marine Ways Inc.(JUNE 1948)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... * On this month's cover is the nation's first integrated tow, the Harry Truman, as it underwent trials on the Mississippi River in New Orleans. Built by Avondale Marine Ways Inc., New Orleans, for Federal Barge Lines, the vessel is made up of...

New York's first radar-equipped ferry.(JUNE 1948)
June 1, 2008... * New York's first radar-equipped ferry, The Tides, made its first run between Brooklyn and Staten Island on April 22. The ferry is equipped with "double ended" radar equipment that features a complete viewing scope in each house. ...

U.S. Coast Guard.(JUNE 1958)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... * After completing tests recently in St. Petersburg, Fla., the U.S. Coast Guard will equip each air station with at least one Type H04S-3 helicopter fitted with equipment for marine towing service. The tests, conducted between August 1957 and...

The Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Co.(JUNE 1958)
June 1, 2008... * The Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Co. Seattle, is building a 310' ferry for the State of Washington Toll Bridge Authority. The Tillicum will have room for 800 passengers.

A waterways user tax bill has passed the U.S. Senate and has been sent to conference committee.(JUNE 1978)(Conference news)
June 1, 2008... * A waterways user tax bill has passed the U.S. Senate and has been sent to conference committee. The compromise bill calls for a tax of 4 cents a gallon starting in 1982, rising to 12 cents a gallon in 1990. The bill may face a veto from...