Workboat articles from June 2009

Workboat archives from June 2009

What recession?(Editor's Watch)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2009... "Recession proof?" That was the headline of my June 2008 Editor's Watch. In my editorial a year ago, I asked whether the workboat industry could possibly continue its strong run for another year. I also made a few predictions. I was...

Architect was wrong about the Delta Queen.(MailBag)
June 1, 2009... This is in response to Robert Stanley's Mail Bag letter in the April issue of WorkBoat ("The Delta Queen is not a traditional passenger boat"). In fact, the Delta Queen is a traditional paddlewheel river steamboat. Built in California, it...

On the water: the heaving line--Part I.(At AGlance)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... A heaving line is still a heaving line, right? Yes, but there are variations on the theme. A heaving line is an example of something whose main function hasn't changed since its invention centuries ago: to pass larger lines that can't be...

Captain's table: mariners deserve better.(At AGlance)(BB Riverboats's owner Alan Bernstein speaks about the treatment to be given to the sailors )(Column)
June 1, 2009... Before I launch into the subject of my first Captain's Table column in WorkBoat, first a little background. I am taking over the column from Bernie Jacobson, who filled this space for eight years. Sadly, Bernie passed away April 22 after a long...

WorkBoat Composite index: index jumps 132 points.
June 1, 2009... After gaining almost 7 percent in March, the WorkBoat Composite followed it up with one of its best months ever. In April, oil service issues helped the Index to a gain of 132 points, or 17.5 percent. For the month, gainers topped losers...

OSV day rates: rates continue to fall.(At AGlance)(offshore support vessels demand drops)
June 1, 2009... In April, operators of Gulf of Mexico offshore service vessels continued to see utilization and day rates drop. When the market began to slide late last year, it appeared that only operators of shallow-water supply vessels would feel the...

Inland insider: good time to build barges?(At AGlance)
June 1, 2009... If you like to watch freight move--barge tows, trains, trucks, etc.--there is a lot less of it now due to the sour economy. Weekly rail reports show traffic is down 25 percent. On the plus side, coal has been the most resistant to the drop...

Legal talk: saved by 'divine intervention'.(At AGlance)(SeaRiver Maritime Inc. into cases for marine injuires)
June 1, 2009... A common defense in maritime personal injury and property damage litigation is the "act of God," also known as the force majeure defense. It is premised on the argument that the event causing an injury or loss is the result of an...

Bollinger Shipyards.(NEWS LOG)
June 1, 2009... Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, La., held a ceremony in May celebrating the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Protector Class Program. Bollinger CEO Boysie Bollinger addressed the crowd with the Sea Fox, the 75th and final 87' patrol boat completed...

Corps releases list of stimulus-backed projects.(NEWS LOG)
June 1, 2009... The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed by the president in February, provided $4.6 billion to the Army Corps of Engineers for its civil works program. Two months after the bill was signed into law, projects that will receive...

ACL posts first-quarter $5.5 million loss.(NEWS BITTS)(Financial report)
June 1, 2009... Lower backhaul demand from the Gulf, lower-margin commodities such as grain and coal rather than liquids, a sharp drop in manufacturing, one-time charges and the higher cost of debt led to a first-quarter loss for American Commercial Lines Inc....

Columnist Bernie Jacobson dies at 75.(NEWS BITTS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... WorkBoat magazine recently lost one of its valued contributors when Bernie Jacobson passed away April 22 after a long battle with cancer. He was 75. Bernie penned his monthly Captain's Table column on the passenger vessel industry for...

U.S. Shipping Partners files for bankruptcy.(NEWS LOG)
June 1, 2009... After months of holding off creditors, U.S. Shipping Partners filed for bankruptcy protection in late April with a prearranged restructuring plan. The filing came shortly after the company sued its joint-venture partners, claiming they tried to...

Austal USA to build another Navy LCS.(NEWS LOG)
June 1, 2009... The U.S. Navy has signed a fixed-price incentive contract with Austal USA for the construction of a second littoral combat ship (LCS) to be built at the Mobile, Ala., shipyard. The aluminum-hulled vessel is the sister-ship to the 417'x99'...

OSG cancels bender newbuild contract.(NEWS BITTS)
June 1, 2009... During the first quarter, Overseas Shipholding Group Inc. said it terminated its contract with Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co. Inc. for the construction of six ATBs and two tugs. OSG said it will complete the two tugs and two of the ATBs at...

Hawaiian punch: court rulings finally force Hawaii Superferry to close up shop.(Hawaii Superferry)(The Hawaii Environmental Protection Act of 1974 )
June 1, 2009... For many Hawaiians, Hawaii Superferry was an attractive option for interisland travel. It meant you could pack up the car with kids, coolers and surfboards, drive onto the Alakai, the company's 44,000-hp, 350' aluminum catamaran, and in a few...

Safety zone: tug crews go head to head at Annual Towing Safety Seminar.(Towing Safety)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... At the 11th Annual Towing Safety Seminar held in Portsmouth, Va., April 16, Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads and the Virginia Maritime Association hosted dozens of tugboaters from several companies for a morning of presentations on topics such...

Sister ships: Blount siblings carry on their father's legacy.(Blount Boats)
June 1, 2009... Capt. Luther H. Blount is a tough act to follow. The engineer, innovator, shipbuilder and cruise operator was the personification of Blount Boats. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nearly three years after his death at age 90, his spirit is quite...

Senesco Marine completes first FacetTug.(ON THE WAYS)(Reinauer Transportation Companies LLC uses tugboats)
June 1, 2009... In April, Senesco Marine delivered its first tug, the 116'x35'x18' Reinauer. The ATB tug has been matched up with a 100,000-bbl. double-hulled fuel barge and is now operating out of New York. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Ruth M....

Shipyards are showing resilience during the economic downturn.(YEARBOOK)
June 1, 2009... What a difference a year makes. At this time last year, most U.S. second-tier shipyards were enjoying healthy backlogs, with slots reserved for years in advance. Equipment suppliers were overwhelmed trying to keep up with orders for new...

Tug-building slowdown spawns creativity and more availability.(YEARBOOK: TUGS)
June 1, 2009... A year ago, new tug construction was still hot after a feverish 2007, and slower but steady demand was expected this year and beyond. But that was before the world economy tanked. "These are some interesting times," said Jonathan Parrott...

Barge industry is doing better than most, but preparing for the worst.(YEAR BOOK: INLAND WATERWAYS)
June 1, 2009... Throughout most of 2008, inland tug and barge companies were sitting pretty with many operators reporting record profits. A strong economy produced strong demand to move commodities up and down the river system, and this kept barge rates and...

Summer season outlook is mixed for passenger vessel owners and operators.(YEAR BOOK: PASSENGER VESSELS)
June 1, 2009... Times are tough but not impossible for many dinner boat, cruise line and ferry operators. Passenger vessel owners are hoping folks are ready to put the worst of the economic news behind them and have a little fun. But they know full well...

As business slows, it's still all about deepwater in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.(YEAR BOOK: OFFSHORE)
June 1, 2009... Everyone who has been in the offshore energy business for a while knows that it is a cyclicalindustry--with a history of booms and busts. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] The last few years have indeed been boom times, and activity was bound to slow....

Depth free; Crowley gets new shallow-draft tugs for Alaska interior.(Crowley Tugs)
June 1, 2009... The annual breakup of river ice in Alaska is a big deal. It means spring has finally arrived. It means spring has finally arrived. It means someone won big money ($284,000 this year) by correctly guessing the time of the Nenana River ice...

VT Halter Marine.(WB Business)
June 1, 2009... VT Halter Marine chief executive officer Boyd E. "Butch" King suffered a heart attack and died April 20 at the company's corporate headquarters in Pascagoula, Miss. He was 65. King joined VT Halter in December 2002. King was a retired brigadier...

Timothy J. Casey.(WB Business)
June 1, 2009... Timothy J. Casey has been elected chairman of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association for the U.S. tug, towboat and barge industry. Casey has served as president, CEO, and director of K-Sea Transportation Corp.,...

Jeffboat.(WB Business)
June 1, 2009... Jeffboat, Jeffersonville, Ind., along with Teamsters Local No. 89, recently received the 16th annual Labor-Management Award from the University of Louisville Labor-Management Center. Jeffboat, one of the nation's largest builders of inland...

Paulina Alvarez.(WBBusiness)
June 1, 2009... Paulina Alvarez has been named business manager of Seattle-based Guido Perla & Associates Inc.'s new office, Guido Perla Latin America EIRL, in Santiago, Chile. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Danos & Curole.(WB Business)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Larose, La.-based Danos & Curole has been awarded the 2008 Houma (La.) District Production Contractor SAFE Award by the Minerals Management Service (MMS). The award recognizes outstanding safety and pollution prevention performance by the...

Bristol Harbor Group Inc.(WB Business)
June 1, 2009... Bristol Harbor Group Inc., Bristol, R.I., has opened a new field office in Houston--Bristol Harbor South Inc. The new office, located at 4747 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire, Texas, will provide owner's representative and construction oversight...

Maureen A. Healey.(WB Business)
June 1, 2009... Maureen A. Healey has been appointed to the board of directors of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association (AIWA). AIWA's mission is to promote the continued management and maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Healey is the...

Potable water system.(WB Products)
June 1, 2009... Severn Trent Services, Fort Washington, Pa., and Specific Equipment Co., Houston, are working together on a new potable water system. Severn's UltraDynamics line of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection systems are used on potable water pressure sets...

Updated DGPS.(WB Products)
June 1, 2009... Lafayette, La.-based C-Nav World DGPS is rolling out a new version of its C-Monitor system, which includes a full quality-control (QC) display feature. The QC solution is specifically tailored to meet the demands of C-Nav's real-time Precise...

Inflatable RIB alternative.(WB Products)
June 1, 2009... RIBCRAFT USA LLC, Marblehead, Mass., has added the AF Series of inflatables, designed specifically for military, special forces, and first responders. The AF Series provides an alternative to RIBs for applications that require an easily...

WB Calendar.(Calendar)
June 1, 2009... June 8-10 LIQUID TERMINALS MEETING The Independent Liquid Terminals Association 29th Annual International Operating Conference & Trade Show, George R. Brown Convention Center & Hilton Americas, Houston. 202-842-9200 ...

Workboat looks back.(WBArchives)
June 1, 2009... JUNE 1949 * Levingston Shipbuilding Co., Orange, Texas, delivered the 1,750-hp diesel-electric tugs Grace Moran and Doris Moran to Moran Towing Co. The tugs are part of a five-tug order. The 106'x27'x14'9" tugs will replace older steam...