Workboat articles from May 2004

Workboat archives from May 2004

Will the Gulf ever bounce back?(offshore petroleum industry in the Gulf of Mexico)(Editorial)
May 1, 2004... The Gulf of Mexico offshore market is hurting. It has been tough going for almost three years now, and it looks like there won't be any relief until 2005 at the earliest. While there are a few positive signs contained in this year's annual...

Companies should trust the captain and crew.(Mail Bag)(Editorial)
May 1, 2004... I do not normally respond to letters to the editor (Mail Bag) but I just cannot let these two from the April 2004 issue get by. Mr. Larry Gardner (Mail Bag, "Says crews should not be permitted to go ashore") said, "times are changing and we...

Reader appreciates donations of maritime training aids.(Mail Bag)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I would like to thank WorkBoat magazine for their efforts on behalf of the industry and for publishing my previous letter. A while back I wrote to Mail Bag concerning the industry's lack of support for maritime training. ("More support...

Coast Guard doesn't want older mariners.(Mail Bag)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... Capt. Burroughs is exactly correct in his view on the tremendous pressure the U.S. Coast Guard is placing on us older mariners. ("Who will man the vessels?" Mail Bag, March 2004.) I recently attended a company sponsored seminar and had the...

On the water: USCG revamps towing vessel licensing.(United States. Coast Guard)
May 1, 2004... The Coast Guard has revamped the licensing structure for towing vessels, both in name and substance, and the deadline is almost here. Effective May 20, all mariners seeking to obtain a license to operate towing vessels will fall under the new...

Captain's table: the future of fast ferries.(At a Glance)
May 1, 2004... Flying home to Shelter Island, N.Y., after a week in Mobile, Ala., I realized that I had just witnessed what the future holds for fast ferries in the U.S. Fast ferries now offer new capabilities that allow water transportation to compete...

WorkBoat Composite Index: Index ends quarter on down note.(At a Glance)
May 1, 2004... The WorkBoat Composite Index lost more ground in March. For the month, the Index lost 12 points, or 1.4 percent. Losers topped winners by a 4-3 ratio. Offshore service vessels were the big losers and were the main reason that the Operators...

Inland insider: Louisiana ports are tied to the energy industry.(At a Glance)(Ports Association of Louisiana)
May 1, 2004... The Ports Association of Louisiana (PAL) is made up of 21 ports that range in size from some of the largest in the nation to very small facilities that handle little or no tonnage. Each year PAL holds a conference that addresses topics that...

OSV day rates: utilization takes a big dip in March.(At a Glance)(Ocean Station Vessel)
May 1, 2004... Utilization rates for supply vessels and large crewboats took a nosedive in March due to the continued drop in the Gulf of Mexico rig count. ODS-Petrodata in Houston reported in late March that only 108 rigs were under contract--a 66.7 percent...

Book review: tugs and their crews.(At a Glance)(Book Review)
May 1, 2004... There are coffee table books available that cover just about any subject from art to sports to nature to music. You name it and there's probably a coffee table book about it. How about tugs? Well, if you've been searching for a book that...

Legal talk: the law supports teamwork.(At a Glance)
May 1, 2004... A "helping hand" is one of those phrases that is easy to say but hard to practice. However, if you get injured and seek compensation, a court may dismiss your claim based on your failure to request assistance. Consider the real-life...

The state of Massachusetts has levied the largest environmental fine in its history against Hicksville, N.Y.-based Bouchard Transportation Co. for spilling an estimated 55,000 gals. in Buzzards Bay in April 2003.(News Log)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The state of Massachusetts has levied the largest environmental fine in its history against Hicksville, N.Y.-based Bouchard Transportation Co. for spilling an estimated 55,000 gals. in Buzzards Bay in April 2003. Bouchard officials plead guilty...

Proposal would subject towing vessels to inspection.(News Log)
May 1, 2004... The U.S. Coast Guard has proposed legislation that would subject towing vessels to inspection. The move to change the uninspected vessel designation is supported by the tug, towboat and barge industry. The proposal was included in a...

New York mariners seek licensing relief.(News Log)
May 1, 2004... A group of mariners in and around New York Harbor have organized with the goal of alleviating time-consuming licensing and documentation processes. The group, United Mariner, says the current situation has cost mariners wages and, in some...

Corps budget problems may be toughest ever.(News Log)
May 1, 2004... The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been through some pretty tough budget years, but the current year is the worst yet, officials say. "The Corps is facing another year of declining appropriations and challenges to individual projects. But...

Iron ore, coal boost Great Lakes tonnage.(News Log)(Lake Carriers' Association)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... It's so far so good for tonnage moved on the Great Lakes in 2004. Figures released recently by the Lake Carriers' Association show significant gains in iron ore and coal. Glen Nekvasil, vice president, corporate communications, for the...

Washington State Ferries looking for a boatbuilder.(News Bitts)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Five Washington state shipyards are in the running for a four-vessel design/build contract for Washington State Ferries. The four new boats will each carry 1,202 passengers and crew and 130 automobiles at 17 knots. The five yards are Everett...

Conrad Industries names new CEO.(News Bitts; John P. Conrad Jr. )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... In early April, Conrad Industries announced the appointment of John P. Conrad Jr. as its new president and CEO. Conrad is also co-chairman of the company's board of directors. Conrad replaced former president and CEO Kenneth G. "Jerry" Myers...

Seacor Smit changes name.(News Bitts)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Seacor Smit Inc. has changed its name to Seacor Holdings Inc. The Houston-based company's ticker symbol, CKH, and CUSIP number for its common stock remain the same. The company's Web site has changed to www.seacorholdings.com.

Trust us; Inland Waterways Trust Fund: are you getting what you pay for?(Focus)
May 1, 2004... Call it a trust fund that hasn't been too trustworthy. When the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) was created in 1986, the waterways industry thought it would have a reliable pot of money that would help pay for major improvements and...

Container crazy: Charleston is handling more boxes, but needs more room for ships.(In Business)(Related article: Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway woes)
May 1, 2004... The port of Charleston, S.C., has been a major U.S. port since the 1600s, when colonial Charleston was the primary southern seaport in North America. Occupying a peninsula bounded by the Ashley, Cooper and Wando rivers and opening into the...

Moving day: after six years, the first of two rigs is finally completed in Portland, Maine.(Boats & Gear)
May 1, 2004... In the middle of an early February snow squall, the first of two dynamically positioned semisubmersible rigs completed by a Maine construction company was towed out of Portland Harbor. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cianbro Corp., Pittsfield,...

Low tide: new OSVs keep coming despite weakness offshore.(Offshore services.)
May 1, 2004... New offshore service vessels keep coming out of Gulf Coast boatyards, even though the domestic offshore market continues to struggle. Many of the larger steel supply boats, like Hornbeck Offshore Services' 240'X54', DP-2 offshore supply boat...

Breaux Brothers delivers crew/supplier.(Construction Activity at Workboat Yards)(Golden Logistics)
May 1, 2004... Loreauville, La.-based Breaux Brothers Enterprises Inc. recently delivered the Ms. Nancy, a 155'X30'X12'6" aluminum crew/supply boat, to Gulf Logistics, Golden Meadow, La. The 160-foot-class vessel has a house-forward design that allows for a...

Dakota Creek finishing tug/barge and passenger cat.(Construction Activity at Workboat Yards )(Dakota Creek Industries Inc.,)
May 1, 2004... Inside the 300'X100' assembly building, the crew at Dakota Creek Industries, Anacortes, Wash., was putting the finishing touches on the 135'X39' all-aluminum Solano in early April. Delivery to the city of Vallejo located on San Francisco Bay...

Master Boat completes OSV for Abdon Callais.(Construction Activity at Workboat Yards)(Ocean Station Vessel )
May 1, 2004... In mid-March, the 145'X36'X12' DP-1 steel supply boat Tina Callais left the waters of Bayou La Batre, Ala., where she was constructed by Master Boat Builders, and headed for south Louisiana to join the fleet of Abdon Callais Offshore Inc. ...

Gladding-Hearn building another new pilot boat.(Construction Activity at Workboat Yards)
May 1, 2004... Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding has built a lot of pilot boats, more than anyone else in this country, Peter Duclos, the company's president will tell you. Since 1957, that's over 50 pilot boats, 29 of which have been designed by Boston's C....

LaForce OSV for Lytal.(Construction Activity at Workboat Yards-Offshore Service Vessel)
May 1, 2004... LaForce Shipyard, Bayou La Batre, Ala., has delivered a 136'X34'X12' steel supply boat to Lockport. La.-based Lytal Marine Operators Inc. The Lytal James will be working in the Gulf of Mexico. Kirt Loupe, Lytal's vice president of...

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders.(Boatbuilding Bitts)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Navy brass recently visited the new X-Craft under construction at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Freeland, Wash., and reportedly liked what they saw. "Admiral Vern Clark, the chief of Naval Operations, was here, and he was very enthusiastic,"...

All American Marine Inc.(Boatbuilding Bitts)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... All American Marine Inc.'s latest delivery, the Expeditions IV, is now transporting up to 149 passengers across the Auau Channel between Maui and Lana'i in Hawaii. The 65'X24' Teknicraft design is powered by a pair of Detroit Series 60 engines,...

B & B Boatbuilders.(Boatbuilding Bitts)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... B & B Boatbuilders, Bayou La Batre, Ala., is building two steel tugs for Norwalk, Conn.-based Petchem. One measuring 84'X34'X13' will be powered by two 1,800-hp Caterpillar 3516 engines. The second tug, which measures 74'X30'X12', will be...

Bollinger Shipyards Inc.(Boatbuilding Bitts)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... At Bollinger Shipyards Inc., the company recently completed its 24th double-hull barge built or converted to OPA '90 standards. Bollinger Gulf Repair, New Orleans, retrofitted a Bouchard Transportation single-skin black-oil barge with a second...

Rigormortis: OSV demand dips as Gulf of Mexico rig count hits a five-year low.(Cover Story)
May 1, 2004... Offshore industry officials continue to hold out hope that better days are on the horizon, but only a handful believe that a big improvement will come soon. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Despite high oil and natural gas prices during the past...

Small boat, big job: production of the Coast Guard's new RB-S is in full motion.(Boats & Gear)
May 1, 2004... Scott Peterson is meticulous about detail. Every new Defender-class 25-footer his company delivers to the U.S. Coast Guard must be perfect. Every nut is tight, every cavity and compartment has been blown out, and every window is clean. ...

Safety zone: inland industry is making progress through training and a better attitude.(Focus)
May 1, 2004... One-byes--as in one-by-one--is the term sometimes used to refer to individual accidents or fatalities. When a deckhand trips over a raised deck plate on a barge while handling a line and spins off into the water and drowns, he's a one-by. ...

Calendar.(Calendar)
May 1, 2004... May 3-6 OFFSHORE CONFERENCE The 2004 Offshore Technology Conference, Reliant Center, Houston. Tel: 972-952-9494 E-mail: service@otc.et.org www.otcnet.org May 17-28 PORT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM The 20th annual...

VT Halter Marine Inc.(Workboat Business)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... VT Halter Marine Inc. will move its corporate offices from Gulfport, Miss., to its Pascagoula, Miss., operations effective July 1. The company's new address will be P.O. Box 1328, Pascagoula, MS 39568. VT Halter currently owns six shipyards in...

Elliot Bay Design Group (EBDG).(Workboat Business)
May 1, 2004... Amanda Pyle has joined Seattle-based Elliot Bay Design Group (EBDG) as a naval architect. Pyle will work on a variety of projects, including the design of a 250-foot double-ended ferry for the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket...

The recent merger of Kobelco Marine Engineering and Marine Business of Eagle Industries has led to the formation of Kobelco Eagle Marine Engineering Co. Ltd., New York.(Workboat Business)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The recent merger of Kobelco Marine Engineering and Marine Business of Eagle Industries has led to the formation of Kobelco Eagle Marine Engineering Co. Ltd., New York. Focusing on marine stern tube seals and bearings, the new company offers...

Senesco Marine.(Workboat Business)
May 1, 2004... William K. Durfee is the new senior vice president of procurement and planning for Quonset Point, R.I.-based Senesco Marine. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Houston, has contracted with Advanced Production and Loading AS of Norway (APL) to provide classification services for APL's Submerged Turret Loading (STLTM) system.(Workboat Business)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Houston, has contracted with Advanced Production and Loading AS of Norway (APL) to provide classification services for APL's Submerged Turret Loading (STLTM) system. STLTM is a single-point mooring system...

Cook Composites and Polymers.(Workboat Business)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Del Wilkinson is the new senior vice president of Cook Composites and Polymers, a manufacturer of specialty chemicals and polyester gel coats headquartered in Kansas City, Mo.

New engines.(Product Locker)
May 1, 2004... Dusseldorf, Germany-based engine manufacturer MTU recently introduced its MTU 2000 CR marine engines. The new engines are smaller, lighter, cleaner and more economical than its predecessors, the 2000 series, according to MTU. The new engines...

Pipe inspection.(Product Locker)
May 1, 2004... JW Fishers has developed the new PIC-1 pipe inspection camera. The autonomous underwater camera (AUV) is capable of inspecting pipelines of practically any length. The original system completed many long video inspections, including a five-mile...

Call waiting.(Product Locker)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Standard Horizon Division of Vertex Standard, Cypress, Calif., has introduced the new QUANTUM GX2360S 25-watt VHF FM Marine Transceiver with Clear Voice[TM] noise reduction technology. The QUANTUM has one of the largest LCDs in the industry...

WorkBoat looks back.(WB Archives)(St. Louis Shipbuilding and Steel Co.)(T & H Towing Co.)
May 1, 2004... May 1954 * Coyle Lines Inc. has taken delivery of the 80'X30'X10' Mobile. The twin-screw towboat has an operating draft of 7'. The towboat's big 72"X42" propellers are turned through Snow-Nabstedt reverse-reduction gears by two...