Workboat articles from March 2009

Workboat archives from March 2009

The case for higher oil prices.(Editor's Watch)
March 1, 2009... Back in July, the uproar over $4-plus-a-gallon prices at the pump dominated the headlines, and newscasts were awash with images of consumers filling up their huge trucks and SUVs. At that time, oil had hit almost $150/bbl--a level that took...

Program would create jobs, boost barge transport.(Mail Bag)
March 1, 2009... As Congress considers an economic stimulus plan, the Carpenters, through the Waterways Council and Audubon, join a larger waterways coalition advocating for the funding of an important jobs creation initiative--the Mississippi River's...

On the water: maintaining 'stability'--part II.(At A Glance)
March 1, 2009... In part two of the discussion on stability, I return to the 2006 sinking of the tug Valour because it serves as an excellent example for towing vessel mariners. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Numerous wrong moves were made on that voyage...

Inland insider: more spending isn't the answer.(At A Glance)
March 1, 2009... The Y2K computer scare at the turn of the century was a boon for consultants across all spectrums. Fears of utilities shutting down and other problems led to a frenzy of expenditures for services to deal with a potential meltdown that never...

Workboat Composite Index: index begins '09 with a thud.(At A Glance)
March 1, 2009... After losing 44 percent in 2008, the Workboat Composite Index began 2009 with more losses. In January, the Index began 2009 with more losses. In January, the Index lost 135 points, or almost 14 percent. For the month, losers topped winners by a...

OSV day rates: rates, rig activity drop.(At A Glance)
March 1, 2009... With energy companies cutting their 2009 capital spending budgets, it's likely that the rig and workboat markets, particularly on the shelf, will feel the effects from lower exploration and production activity. In January, U.S. Gulf...

Legal talk: who's at fault?(At A Glance)
March 1, 2009... The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently considered fault allocation in a case involving a fishing vessel and a stationary oil platform. In Omega Protein Inc. v. Samson Contour Energy, Omega's 396-ton steel fishing vessel, the Gulf...

Insurance watch: ship happens!(At A Glance)
March 1, 2009... Everyone has experienced on-the-water mishaps. Hopefully, when they happen, you have the insurance to cover it. Here are a few: * Flotsam and jetsam. A large tug was towing a deck barge loaded with rebar near Tampa, Fla. In the middle of...

Marine industry quick to help ditched US Airways jet.(NEWS LOG)
March 1, 2009... New York Harbor is no Walden Pond. It teems with the life and trade of New York City. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] That's what makes Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's emergency landing of a commercial airliner in the Hudson River on Jan....

New firefighting and salvage rules released.(NEWS LOG)
March 1, 2009... It has taken more than 10 years of revisions and modifications, but the U.S. Coast Guard has finally published a long-awaited set of regulations that will guide marine salvage and firefighting operations. The rules establish 15 criteria...

Delta Queen has new home in Chattanooga.(NEWS LOG)
March 1, 2009... Harry Phillips first saw the Delta Queen about two years ago when it stopped briefly in Chattanooga, Tenn. The owner of Chattanooga Water Taxi and Fat Cat Ferry was intrigued and learned more about the historic steamboat from the Save the Delta...

Coast Guard can do better, Allen says.(NEWS LOG)(Thad W. Allen)
March 1, 2009... The U.S. Coast Guard's top man said that his agency hasn't given the marine industry the attention it deserves since 9/11. He vowed that situation would change. "Following 9/11, a lot of the Coast Guard's attention has been focused on...

Kirby owed $6 million.(NEWS BITTS)
March 1, 2009... The weak global demand for commodities is rippling through many sectors of the workboat industry. Kirby Corp. is No. 18 on a list of the top 50 unsecured creditors in the January bankruptcy of Lyondell Chemical Co., the U.S. arm of Netherlands-...

Old EPIRBs obsolete.(NEWS BITTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Although owners of analog televisions have received a temporary reprieve from the mandated switch from analog to digital, there's no such delay for owners of 121.5/243 MHz analog EPIRBs. Last year, the FCC prohibited the use of EPIRBs operating...

Not so pushy: weaker freight market could lead to an overhang in the towboat market.(Vessel Report)
March 1, 2009... Things have been steady in the inland towboat market for the past few years--demand and rates have been good, allowing operators to justify replacing their obsolete equipment. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] That trend continued for much of...

New fireboat for Lewes FD from Moose Boats.(ON THE WAYS)
March 1, 2009... Located at the entrance to Delaware Bay, Lewes, Del., is rich in history. Founded by the Dutch in 1631, Lewes (pronounced "louis") is said to be "the first town in the first state." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The all-volunteer Lewes Fire...

Rozema building tugs for the Kuwait navy.(ON THE WAYS)(Rozema Boat Works)
March 1, 2009... We are looking forward to going. It's definitely out of the norm," said Dirk Rozema of Rozema Boat Works in Mount Vernon, Wash. Rozema was referring to the trip he will make in January 2010 when the first of two tugboats his yard is building is...

Quality launches DP-2 supply boat for Tidewater.(ON THE WAYS)
March 1, 2009... Quality Shipyards LLC, Houma, La., recently launched the first of two new 266'x56'xl9'6" OSVs for New Orleans-based Tidewater Marine. The DP-2 Terrel Tide is being built from a design by Leevac Industries LLC, Jennings, La. "Originally,...

Boatbuilding bitts.(ON THE WAYS)
March 1, 2009... SeaArk Marine Inc. recently delivered the Cayman Guardian, a 65' Dauntless RAM Patrol boat, to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Marine Unit. Designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates, Boston, the fast patrol boat is to be assigned to the joint...

Stacked deck: drop in commodities prices is expected to idle rigs and boats.(Cover Story)
March 1, 2009... What goes around comes around. It took over three years for the price of West Texas Intermediate oil to hit record levels of around $150/bbl, but only six months for it to drop below $40. And U.S. Gulf of Mexico offshore activity reflects...

Crossbreed: world's first hybrid tug shows how it's done.(Foss Hybrid Tug)
March 1, 2009... First, let's get this straight. The new Foss Maritime hybrid tug is not a diesel-electric, a floating Prius or a flash-in-the-pan. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 10th Dolphin-class tug is a system of six power sources, both mechanical and...

Bead work: new welding equipment and techniques improve quality and the bottom line.(Welding)
March 1, 2009... Every business wants to save time, money, and improve quality. For boatbuilders, one way to help meet these goals is by changing welding technology or practices. This might mean updating existing equipment, acquiring an entirely new welding...

Building blocks: workboat's 2008 Construction Survey.(2008 Construction Survey)(Survey)
March 1, 2009... The good news is there are a healthy 593 vessels listed in the 2008 Construction Survey. The bad news is that it represents a drop of more than a third from last year's survey, which contained 933 vessels. The 2007 survey included 786 vessels....

Workboat looks back.(WB Archives)
March 1, 2009... MARCH 1949 * Dravo Corp. had delivered the first of six "high-speed" bulk cargo barges to Butcher-Arthur Inc. The 240'X50'X11'8" articulated barges will operate on the Mississippi River System moving primarily sulphur, salt and chemicals....