Workboat articles from May 2005

Workboat archives from May 2005

Unsure about the offshore.(EDITOR'S WATCH)(marine cargo handling)
May 1, 2005... A year ago, the domestic offshore market was still down and the outlook was anything but positive. Day rates and utilization were falling, the rig count was low, and an effort by Tidewater to prop up day rates wasn't working. A year later,...

Academies provide well-trained officers.(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... In response to Capt. Thomas Napoleone's March letter ("Speak up hawsepipers, before it's too late"), what is the core of his problem? Is it a problem with the commandant of the Coast Guard, or an intense distain for higher education, or perhaps...

For hawsepipers, there's too much to learn.(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I wish I could agree with Capt. Tom Napoleone's letter in the March issue regarding hawsepipers being phased out. But if we consider fatal accidents with hawsepipers asleep in the wheelhouse, whether due to legitimate drugs or fatigue, it's...

Small yards can benefit from licensing of designs.(MAIL BAG)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... Based on my experience with Damen workboats at the Panama Canal dating back to the 1970s, I can attest to their straightforward design and impressive heavy scantlings. They hit the deck running and stood up to the rigorous service demanded...

On the water: watch out for food poisoning: part I.(AT A GLANCE)
May 1, 2005... You may not know it, but that ominous rumbling from deep down in your gut may not simply be a case of dinner "disagreeing" with you. It could be a mild case of food poisoning, and it happens far more frequently than most people think. A serious...

Captain's table: vessel design uses renewable energy.(AT A GLANCE)
May 1, 2005... Wallenius Wilhelmsen, the Scandinavian operator of vehicle carriers, has designed a concept cargo vessel with zero air or sea emissions and no need for ballast water. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Unveiled in March at the World Expo 2005 in...

WorkBoat Composite Index: Index ends quarter in the red.(AT A GLANCE)
May 1, 2005... March was a rough month for all stocks, including those comprising the WorkBoat Composite Index. For the month, the Index lost 24 points, or 2.6 percent. For the first quarter, the Index was down about 9 points, or 1 percent. That beat the Dow...

OSV day rates: quarter ends on sluggish note.(AT A GLANCE)(Offshore Supply Vessels )
May 1, 2005... Recent increases in supply vessel and crewboat utilization and day rates slowed in March as offshore drilling activity remained essentially flat during the month. But the market is still strong, with more strengthening expected as drilling...

Inland insider: is more selling needed?(AT A GLANCE)
May 1, 2005... "Barge into a new market" was a promotional message that appeared nearly two decades ago in a brochure touting the advantages of river shipping. These kinds of promotional devices may seem trite with the advent of the Internet, but why are...

A look at marine salvage.(Best Endeavours: Inside the World of Marine Salvage)(book)(Book Review)
May 1, 2005... People are often drawn to disasters--how they unfolded, the aftermath, etc. And for those who are interested in disasters and accidents that take place on the water, there's a book for you. Best Endeavours takes a look inside the world of...

Legal talk: high court clarifies legal definition of vessels.(AT A GLANCE)
May 1, 2005... In February, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its opinion in Stewart v. Dutra Construction Co., a case of particular interest to the workboat industry. The case arose out of a personal injury claim by Willard Stewart, a marine engineer...

On March 19, the Millicoma, a 329'X76'X20', 52,000-bbl. tank barge, broke loose from the tug Howard Olsen, owned by Foss Maritime, while entering the Columbia River near Astoria, Ore., during heavy weather.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: On March 19, the Millicoma, a 329'X76'X20', 52,000-bbl. tank barge, broke loose from the tug Howard Olsen, owned by Foss Maritime, while entering the Columbia River near Astoria, Ore., during heavy weather....

Chouest to purchase Mississippi shipyard.(NEWS BITTS)(Edison Chouest Offshore Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... In early April, Galliano, La.-based Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) was set to purchase the old Halter Marine yard in Gulfport, Miss., according to the The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss. The deal is expected to cost ECO about $40 million, the...

Conrad delists stock from Nasdaq.(NEWS BITTS)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Conrad Industries Inc. (Nasdaq: CNRD) has voluntarily delisted its common stock from Nasdaq. The Morgan City, La.-based shipyard's last trading day on the Nasdaq was March 30. Johnny Conrad, Conrad's president and CEO, said in a statement that...

NTSB takes NYC and USCG to task for ferry accident.(NEWS LOG)(National Transportation Safety Board, New York City, Coast Guard)
May 1, 2005... The National Transportation Safety Board cited both the city of New York and the U.S. Coast Guard in the 2003 fatal crash of a Staten Island ferry that left 11 dead. The cause of the crash was both the assistant captain's loss of...

Pittsburgh-N.O container barge service to begin.(NEWS LOG)(New Orleans, CSG Co. LLC )
May 1, 2005... In a nod to the promising future of container-on-barge shipping in western Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh-area inter-modal company will launch a new container-on-barge service on the 1,800-mile route between Pittsburgh and New Orleans. CSG Co....

Inland waterways system depends on teamwork.(NEWS LOG)(Inland Waterways Navigation Conference)
May 1, 2005... Cooperation and communication are the keys to a safer and more secure U.S. inland waterways system. That was the message delivered in March at the Inland Waterways Navigation Conference held in Nashville, Tenn. That spirit of cooperation...

Marine groups join feds in Massachusetts lawsuit.(NEWS LOG)
May 1, 2005... The federal government and the state of Massachusetts are battling over oil spill regulations in a case that raises issues similar to one involving Washington state five years ago. The U.S. Department of Justice sued the state of...

Shippers want reliable inland waterways system.(NEWS LOG)
May 1, 2005... Call it "one-stop" shopping. That's what shippers say they want from the inland waterways system. "If they want to ship a load, they want to be able to call and at a central location find a list of prices and the time schedule," said...

Storekeepers: security rules make it tough for some ship suppliers to deliver.(PORT SECURITY)
May 1, 2005... Vessel operators and port authorities aren't the only ones that must adjust to costly new port security rules. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Security regulations have brought logistical hassles, headaches and a pile of paperwork to ship...

Tarheel travel: on North Carolina's Outer Banks, ferries are the only way to go.(NORTH CAROLINA FERRY SYSTEM)
May 1, 2005... The growing popularity of North Carolina's coastal communities is putting pressure on its state-run ferry system to grow along with them. With ridership steadily increasing, the ferry system is striving to keep its customers happy by adding...

Tidal wave: waterways infrastructure funding faces many obstacles.(INLAND WATERWAYS)
May 1, 2005... With a tight budget proposed from Uncle Sam, and a failing grade from the nation's professional engineers for its crumbling infrastructure, U.S. waterways are entering this lobbying season in Washington with an enormous challenge. ...

Have Mercy: volunteers bring shipboard medical and dental care to remote locations.(MERCY SHIPS)(Anastasis, hospital ship)
May 1, 2005... In Central Africa, a woman approaches the white Mercy Ships vessel Anastasis as it sits at the dock. She comes for help that only this boat can provide. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For years, the woman has lived as an outcast, been...

Vessel mania: Seacor-Seabulk merger creates another big OSV player.(OFFSHORE SERVICE VESSELS)
May 1, 2005... Seacor Holdings acquisition of rival Seabulk International creates a strong competitor to Tidewater Inc. in the worldwide offshore service vessel market. The combined companies will have operations in everything from helicopters and barges to...

LaForce makes delivery to C.S. Liftboats.(ON THE WAYS)
May 1, 2005... LaForce Shipyard, Bayou La Batre, Ala., delivered the 133'X100'X11' liftboat Joshua to C.S. Liftboats Inc., Erath, La., in April. The new vessel was designed by A.K. Suda Inc., Metairie, La. "It's the biggest little liftboat in the...

Rate debate: day rates are up, but OSV operators say they should be much higher.(COVER STORY)
May 1, 2005... Record high commodity prices are helping strengthen oil and gas exploration activity in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and, as a result, the fortunes of service vessel operators and rig contractors are rising. With almost every available offshore...

Triple play: Foss Maritime marries Voith and ASD tug technology.(FOSS TUGS)
May 1, 2005... Like any company that's been in business since 1889, Foss Maritime has been able to adapt to the constantly changing demands of the marketplace. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Traditionally a tug-and-barge operator, Foss has not been reluctant...

Sea saviors: the design and deployment of rescue boats is a specialty.(RESCUE BOATS)
May 1, 2005... It started out as a pretty good day on Puget Sound for recreational diving, at least until the diver was separated from his boat and the tide starting running. He tried to swim to shore, but he was no match for the tide. Pushed by the current,...

Navigation system.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
May 1, 2005... Furuno's new NavNet vx2 gives users a choice of cartography. They can choose from a unit that accepts Navionics[R] Gold XL3 charts or another model utilizing C-MapNT Max charts, both of which are now on secure digital cards. The chart plotter...

Safety scale.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
May 1, 2005... Guardian Instruments has introduced a new full-featured G4 crane safe load indicator. Configured as a single-line or multiline display, it features stainless steel buttons and large, bright red alphanumeric characters. A built-in manual...

Engine testing.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
May 1, 2005... Sakor Technologies Inc., Lansing, Mich., recently introduced version 4.1 of its DynoLAB[TM] PT Test Cell Control System. Version 4.1 adds the increased bandwidth and convenience of Ethernet and wireless Ethernet (IEEE 802.11g) to the DynoLAB PT...

Edge sealer.(new product)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The Astrup Company is marketing its Xtreme Seal[TM], a new high-tech extrusion material, most commonly used as an edge seal for custom covers such as convertible tops, side curtains, windshield tops and sides, front-drop windshields and deck...

Data modem.(new product)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Iridium Satellite, Bethesda, Md., will introduce a new 9600 data transceiver later this year based on the company's Short Burst Data (SBD) technology. The 9600 transceiver is designed to offer better price performance capability over existing...

Workboat business.(promotions)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Blessey Marine Services, New Orleans, recently announced a number of promotions. Mitch Jones is now vice president, marine operations. His areas of responsibility include operations, maintenance, new construction, safety, and IT. Jones also is...

Calendar.(boating industry)(Calendar)
May 1, 2005... May 2-5 OFFSHORE CONFERENCE The 2005 Offshore Technology Conference, Reliant Center, Houston. Tel: 972-952-9494 E-mail: service@otcnet.org www.otcnet.org May 17-20 CRAFT CONFERENCE MACC 2005, the...

Looks back.(archives)
May 1, 2005... May 1945 * Inland officials are encouraged by President Truman's support of the waterways and flood control legislation during his 10 years as a senator. A check of his record shows Truman not only supported flood control and inland...