Workboat articles from March 2007

Workboat archives from March 2007

Making hay while the sun shines.(EDITOR'S WATCH)
March 1, 2007... For years, people have been telling Dave Krapf that he should get a new photo to accompany the monthly "Editor's Watch." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This isn't that photo. Dave hasn't aged that much, lost that much hair or grown a beard....

TWICs are worth it if they make America safer.(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... As a merchant marine captain, I have to go through some tough background checks to work in this industry. I understand the importance of the (TWIC) cards, and I agree that we need them. The cost is just another burden that we have to live...

TWICs wouldn't make marine industry safer.(MAIL BAG)
March 1, 2007... I am a 100-ton captain that works mostly out of Fourchon, La. I may be missing the boat on the TWIC, but it seems to me the government is really overthinking the terror issue. A terrorist is not going to waste his time trying to get into...

Coast Guard should stay out of the hiring business.(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... How is it that the TWIC program and the U.S. Coast Guard's implementation of it became a finished product, written in stone, in no time flat? How long did the TWIC regulatory process take, about seven or eight months from beginning to end? ...

Is there really a mariner shortage?(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... Not a week goes by without hearing someone claim that there's a shortage of qualified mariners. Friends and myself regularly send out resumes with no response. What exactly are companies looking for? I hold a Chief Engineer Unlimited...

On the water: another license?--Part 1.(AT A GLANCE)
March 1, 2007... Articulated tug-and-barge units (ATBs) are the latest design evolution to be embraced by the towing industry. More and more are being built, and it's no secret why: they move cargo faster, more efficiently and with a greater degree of safety...

Captain's table: earmarks to be eliminated for ferry funding.(AT A GLANCE)
March 1, 2007... The U.S. Department of Transportation has recognized that the shift of political power in Congress is changing the funding process for most federal ferry aid in the Ferry Boat Discretionary program. This will mean moving away from the recent...

WorkBoat Composite Index: index gains 2 percent in January.(AT A GLANCE)
March 1, 2007... Despite a drag from offshore, the WorkBoat Composite Index for January advanced over 2 percent. Led by suppliers, winners topped losers 22-13. The index gained 28 points for the month. Twin Disc and Cummins both had double-digit percentage...

OSV day rates: rigs leave, rates fall.(AT A GLANCE)
March 1, 2007... As expected, vessel day rates and utilization continued to decline going into 2007 as the U.S. Gulf of Mexico market remains in the doldrums. All vessel categories posted lower utilization during January except for anchor-handling/tug supply...

Inland insider: the corn connection.(AT A GLANCE)
March 1, 2007... What's my Line, the 1960's television show, might today have a guest identified by saying, "I produce a product that affects the prices of everything from soft drinks and ketchup to chicken, pork and beef." After a few questions, the panelists...

Legal talk: overcoming a criminal record at license time.(AT A GLANCE)
March 1, 2007... Youth is sometimes like a big curling wake that chases after you for years. And any misadventures in the past can swamp your ability to obtain a merchant mariner's license. Still, in most instances, the law provides the reformed with an...

Navy halts LCS construction at Bollinger Shipyards.(NEWS LOG)
March 1, 2007... The U.S. Navy in January ordered an immediate 90-day halt to construction of a vessel being built at Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, La. Work on the Littoral Combat Ship-3 stopped because of significant cost overruns on two LCSes under contract...

Bender's Mexican yard makes it easier to recruit to Mobile.(NEWS LOG)
March 1, 2007... Already squeezed by a manpower shortage before Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit, shipyard companies now face an even tighter labor market due to the lingering effects--and slow recovery--from the storms. Roughly 20 percent of the shipyard...

DOT releases ADA proposed rules for passenger vessels.(NEWS LOG)
March 1, 2007... The Department of Transportation has issued proposed rules for passenger vessels to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The proposed rules cover everything from personal assistants to animal assistants. "It's a very...

Program teaches kids about inland industry.(NEWS LOG)
March 1, 2007... The way the inland waterways industry figures it, you can help change policy in places like Washington, D.C., by convincing kids that the waterways are important to the national economy. This is done by developing a waterways curriculum...

Waterways Council lays out priorities.(NEWS LOG)
March 1, 2007... Securing federal funds to replace severely deteriorated locks and dams at the Olmsted Lock and Dam on the Ohio River is among the top priorities for the Waterways Council for 2007. The council, which is funded by the waterways industry and...

Lockheed Martin gets TWIC contract.(NEWS BITTS)
March 1, 2007... The Department of Homeland Security has awarded Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed Martin a contract to supply Transportation Worker Identification Cards. The contract supports the deployment of over 800,000 Transportation Worker Identification...

Two charged in October 2005 capsizing.(NEWS BITTS)
March 1, 2007... On Oct. 2, 2005, the 40' sightseeing vessel Ethan Allen capsized and sank in Lake George, N.Y., killing 20 of the 49 elderly passengers aboard. In February, the boat's captain, Richard Paris, and the owner of Shoreline Cruises, were charged...

Shortcut: canal's history can be traced back to the early 19th century.(IN BUSINESS: CHESAPEAKE & DELAWARE CANAL)
March 1, 2007... If you looked at a map that shows both Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay and didn't know there was a short canal connecting them, you'd think there should be. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The logic of a waterway connection across the top of...

Deep trouble: USCG's equipment modernization program comes under intense scrutiny.(FOCUS: INTEGRATED DEEPWATER SYSTEM)(United States Coast Guard)
March 1, 2007... Deepwater is in hot water. The Coast Guard's ambitious Integrated Deepwater System designed to modernize its fleet has yielded flawed vessels, cost overruns, sharply criticized oversight and a pack of congressional skeptics that include some of...

California greening: WTA ferries are designed to lead the way to cleaner engine operations.(VESSEL REPORT: FERRY DESIGN)
March 1, 2007... California is unique, no doubt about it. Some people love it, some people ridicule it, but no one can reasonably deny the state's significance or its influence. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently described...

Gladding-Hearn finishes ferry, starts tug.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
March 1, 2007... Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corp., Somerset, Mass., has built 34 high-speed ferries. The most recent to hit the water is the 393-passenger Iyanough. Designed by Incat-Crowther, the 154'x39'x5' boat is the largest fast ferry that...

Rozema delivers 65' tug.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS )(Smith Maritime)(Rozema Boat Works)
March 1, 2007... The 65'x24' stand-by tug Noke, the largest boat ever built by Rozema Boat Works, Mt. Vernon, Wash., was due to be delivered to Smith Maritime, Honolulu, on Feb. 6. Among its many operations, Smith Maritime operates bunkering services for...

New 90' double-hull towboats for Kirby.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)(CT Marine)
March 1, 2007... The Archie Wilson, a new 90'x34'x10' towboat built at Quality Shipyard in Houma, La., was due to be delivered on Feb. 8 to Kirby Corp., Houston. This is the second in a series of four identical designs from CT Marine, Edgecomb, Maine, for...

Retros & refurbs: Bollinger upgrades fleet for Epic Divers.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
March 1, 2007... Bollinger Shipyards Inc., Lockport, La., delivered the 220'x45'x21' dive ship Epic Diver to Harvey, La.-based Epic Divers & Marine Services LLC in January. The vessel, built in 1976, underwent retrofitting and refurbishing at Bollinger Algiers....

Marine Advanced Research Inc.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(product introduction of WAM-V wave adaptive modular vessel)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... One of the most distinctive catamarans ever seen in the U.S. was unveiled in San Francisco in January. Called the WAM-V (wave adaptive modular vessel), the structure includes two inflatable hulls or pontoons (built by Wing Inflatables)...

VT Halter Marine.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
March 1, 2007... VT Halter Marine, Pascagoula, Miss., recently delivered the 255'x64'x10'6" double-ended steel ferry Island Home to the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. Designed by Elliott Bay Design Group, Seattle, the new ferry...

Edison Chouest Offshore.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
March 1, 2007... Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) announced plans to construct four more anchor-handling/towing supply vessels and 14 new 280' platform supply vessels in its affiliated shipyards. All the vessels will be constructed at ECO affiliated shipyards:...

Austal USA.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(349'x78' aluminum catamaran)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... In late January, Austal USA, Mobile, Ala., rolled out the first of two Hawaii Superferries from an assembly building on the Mobile River. The 349'x78' aluminum catamaran was moved on to a floating drydock in the river, from which it was...

Boom time: boatbuilders are reaping the rewards of strong demand in every maritime sector.
March 1, 2007... Just about all sectors of the shipbuilding industry are reporting strong to record demand for their services. Order books have ballooned with contracts for passenger ferries, offshore service vessels, inland barges and towboats, military...

Dual personality: new fast supply boat can work deepwater and near-shore.(BOATS & GEAR: 190' DP-2 CREWBOAT)
March 1, 2007... There's a new kind of supply vessel for Gulf of Mexico deepwater operations: the fast supply boat. Now setting the pace for this category is SEACOR Marine's John G. McCall, an aluminum 190'x34' FSV with a DP-2 dynamic positioning system and...

Environmentally friendlier: newest diesel engines meet stricter emissions requirements.(BOATS & GEAR: TIER 2 DIESELS)
March 1, 2007... It doesn't matter if you are building a light utility boat, a fast ferry, or a monster tug, any engines bought after Jan. 1, 2007, will have to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's new Tier 2 emissions standards. Some of the new Tier...

Samson.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Tony Bon is now the president of cordage manufacturer Samson. Bon's background and experience are well suited to his new role and will poise Samson for future growth, according to a company statement. Bon has been with Samson since 1974 when he...

Foss Maritime Company.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Foss Maritime Company, Seattle, announced that the company has reorganized its corporate structure in order to better serve its customers. As part of the restructure, several new senior level positions were announced. Scott Merritt, senior vice...

SeaArk Marine Inc.(promotion of Willie Brennon and Marcus Junior)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Willie Brennon was promoted to manufacturing manager of boat-builder SeaArk Marine Inc., Monticello, Ark. Brennon is a 30-year veteran of the company, most recently serving as the team coordinator for the welding shops and paint facilities of...

ZF Marine Electronics.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
March 1, 2007... Corinne McKinney has been promoted to business unit manager at ZF Marine Electronics, Mukilteo, Wash. ZF Marine Electronics LLC, (formerly ZF Mathers LLC) supplies both electronic and pneumatic vessel control systems. McKinney has been with ZF...

American Commercial Lines Inc.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
March 1, 2007... American Commercial Lines Inc., Jeffersonville, Ind., has appointed Jacques J. Vanier to the position of vice president, Manufacturing. Most recently, Vanier served as vice president of Global Manufacturing and Operations with Alcoa Automotive...

RiverBarge Excursion Lines Inc.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
March 1, 2007... Jeff Kindl has been promoted to president and chief operating officer for RiverBarge Excursion Lines Inc., New Orleans. A 37-year veteran of the barge industry, Kindl joined RiverBarge in 1997, 14 months before the River Explorer started...

Mt. Vernon (Ind.) Barge Service Inc. and Mt. Vernon Fleeting Service Inc.(TPG Mt. Vernon Marine LLC)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Mt. Vernon (Ind.) Barge Service Inc. and Mt. Vernon Fleeting Service Inc. (Mt. Vernon Barge) officials recently announced the sale of the companies' harbor, fleeting, stevedoring and barge repair business to Indianapolis based TPG Mt. Vernon...

FW Murphy.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... FW Murphy, Tulsa, Okla., a manufacturer of engine monitoring devices, announced recently that it is now incorporating Navionics chart support in its monitoring devices. HelmView is the latest offering from FW Murphy and is the first marine...

Bosch Rexroth Corporation.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
March 1, 2007... Bosch Rexroth Corporation, Hoffman Estates, Ill., has announced that Berend Bracht, former CEO of Bosch Rexroth China and former head of the company's U.S. industrial hydraulics operation, is now the company's president. Bracht's goal is to...

SGL Sales & Marketing.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
March 1, 2007... SGL Sales & Marketing, Holt, Mich., is now handling sales in the Midwest for Reverso Pumps, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Reverso manufactures a marine product line that includes pumps for oil change systems such as self-priming gear pumps, fuel...

Quiet air filter.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
March 1, 2007... Walker Engineering, Sun Valley, Calif., recently added a new air filter silencer to its Everquiet product line. The unit is a direct aftermarket replacement for the stock paper filter elements that often come with diesel engines. Designed for...

New medium-speed diesel.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
March 1, 2007... Fairbanks Morse Engine, an EnPro Industries company based in Beloit, Wis., has expanded its engine portfolio with the addition of the FM-MAN 28/33D. The FM-MAN 28/33D is built to the world's most powerful and fuel-efficient, medium-speed diesel...

Welding guide.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
March 1, 2007... Bernard Welding Equipment, Beecher, Ill., recently introduced a new solutions guide, The Bernard Difference, and an educational product and training CD. Bernard's new solutions guide features products such as the QT-Gun, CenterfireT consumables...

Pump filter.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
March 1, 2007... Modesto, Calif.-based Racor Division of Parker Hannifin Corporation has introduced its new Lift Pump Filter (LPF). The LPF is designed for applications where the fuel tank is lower than the engine. It ensures the engine will not be starved of...

Mounting collars.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
March 1, 2007... A series of mounting collars that let users fabricate shelves or attach signs and other components to virtually any pipe, tube, or shaft has been introduced by Stafford Manufacturing Corp. of Wilmington, Mass. Stafford's mounting collars...

Prelube pump system.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
March 1, 2007... VARNA Products has developed a new engine Prelube Pump System designed to protect large diesel engines and generator sets against wear on dry startup. The new product is easily installed in current and older engines. Flow rates are from 42 gpm...

Low alloy electrode.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
March 1, 2007... Fort Loramie, Ohio-based Select-Arc Inc. has introduced a low-alloy steel, flux-cored electrode formulated for welding certain HSLA steels. This new gas-shielded wire, Select 85-Ni3, produces a weld deposit that contains about 3.5 percent...

Calendar.
March 1, 2007... March 19-21 NWC LEGISLATIVE MEETING The National Waterways Conference's 2007 Legislative Summit, Hotel Monaco, Washington, D.C. Tel: 703-243-4090 E-mail: webmaster@waterways.org www.waterways.org March 21-22 ...

Workboat looks back.(WB ARCHIVES)
March 1, 2007... March 1947 * When each of its three 175' units are joined together, the Commercial Clipper and Commercial Express are the longest vessels on the inland waterways. The 525'x45' steel automobile carriers will begin operations later this year...