Workboat articles from November 2003

Workboat archives from November 2003

Give the Corps a break.(Editor's Watch)(Editorial)
November 1, 2003... Corps bashing has become increasingly popular in Washington. Ever since 2000 when the Army Inspector General concluded that the Corps had manipulated data in an attempt to justify the billion-dollar-plus expansion of Upper Mississippi locks,...

Are safety programs just for show?(Mail Bag)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Isn't it great that companies are so concerned with safety that they spend lots of money on hiring safety experts, research, developing programs, and printing up lots and lots of pretty papers, signs, booklets, pamphlets, T-shirts, hats, and...

AWO says E-newsletter on 12-hour rule was misleading.(Mail Bag)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... We were very disappointed to read the misleading and inaccurate editorial in the Sept. 3 WorkBoat.com E-newsletter ("The 12-hour rule needs tweaking.") The sentence implying that "fatigue was mentioned as the probable cause" in "several"...

MMD not accepted in Jersey.(Mail Bag)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I am responding to Capt. E.J. Fink's letter "Heightened security behind new MMD process" that appeared in the September 2003 issue. Capt. Fink stated that the MMD is a government-issued credential with acceptance by national organizations...

On the water: navigation: part I.(At a Glance)
November 1, 2003... Nautical charts are indispensable for safe navigation. However, they are often abused, ignored or taken for granted, and performing chart corrections ranks right up there with root canal when it comes to things to avoid. Some mariners are...

Captain's table: get on Area Maritime Security Committees.(At a Glance)
November 1, 2003... Around the country, Coast Guard captains of the port are establishing Area Maritime Security Committees--and they need your input. Port security is much more than just container inspections. Each local AMSC needs input and help from...

WorkBoat Composite Index: index drops 4 percent but ends quarter up.
November 1, 2003... After big gains in July and August, the WorkBoat Composite Index retreated over 6 percent in September. However, the Index still finished the third quarter up over 4 percent. For the month, losers topped winners by a 4 to 1 ratio. Big...

Inland insider: report from the new Montgomery Lock.(At a Glance)
November 1, 2003... I recently visited the soon-to-be-completed Montgomery Point Lock and Dam. To get to the construction site, located near the White River's confluence with the Mississippi River's at nautical mile 0.5 of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River...

Legal talk: ignoring onboard drug use can cost you.
November 1, 2003... Peace, love and a little marijuana do not make for a seaworthy vessel, at least in the view of one federal court that said evidence of a captain's knowledge of a crewmember's illicit drug use establishes a seaman's unseaworthiness claim. A...

OSV day rates: rate erosion continues.(At a Glance)(offshore service vessels)
November 1, 2003... Things continued to get worse for Gulf of Mexico offshore service vessels in September, as utilization and day rates were lower for all vessel categories. However, one operator who has a fleet of about 12 crewboats said that utilization is...

Q&A; a talk with Rear Adm. Larry Hereth, director of port security, U.S. Coast Guard.(At a Glance)(Interview)
November 1, 2003... WorkBoat: The implementation of the new port security regulations are of great interest to the workboat industry. What steps will the Coast Guard be taking to make sure that implementation of the new rules goes smoothly? Rear Adm. Larry...

Bisso Marine Co. Inc.(News Log)(salvage )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Bisso Marine Co. Inc., New Orleans, recently completed the salvage of the 117'x68'x13' Superior Challenger, a 200'-class liftboat that sank after Hurricane Bill hit the Gulf of Mexico in June, When salvage crews arrived at the site, the...

Salvage industry needs standardized framework.(News Log)(Industry Overview)
November 1, 2003... The commercial salvage industry made it clear at a conference in Washington, D.C., recently that pending salvage regulations hold the key to the industry's future. "Without support of a regulatory framework, we will dwindle away," Arnold...

OSVs rescue workers from toppled Gulf rig.(News Bitts)(offshore support vessels)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The jackup rig, Parker 14 J, collapsed in mid-September, throwing 41 workers into the Gulf of Mexico. The accident occurred off the coast of the Louisiana/Mississippi border. Offshore service boats rushed to the site and pulled all 41 victims...

Baltimore Marine goes on the auction block.(News Bitts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Baltimore Marine Industries will be auctioned off to the highest bidder on Nov. 5. The shipyard, with newbuild and repair facilities, will be offered as a whole yard or sold piecemeal. The sale includes over 250 acres of property, 152 of which...

Kongsberg opens service center in Louisiana.(News Bitts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Kongsberg Maritime has opened a customer service center in New Orleans. Kongsberg, whose U.S. operations are based in Houston, manufactures and services dynamic positioning equipment and other products. Company officials said that moving the...

Corps of Engineers funding at crisis level.(News Log)
November 1, 2003... The Corps of Engineers is going to have to continue to make do with a lot less, and that's bad news for the inland waterways industry. The Corps has essentially been in a cash crunch situation for the last two decades or so. Funding for the...

Kalakala may finally have a new owner.(News Bitts)(ferry auction)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Kalakala auction sale hasn't gone as anticipated. But this 1930s-vintage Puget Sound ferry has gone from famous to infamous during its long life, so the twists and turns were almost to be expected. Up for auction on Sept. 12 following...

Federal grant targets ferry emissions.(News Log)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Federal Transit Administration has awarded a $171,000 grant to Rutgers University and the University of Delaware to develop a plan to reduce emissions from New York Harbor ferries. Pippa Woods, project manager at Rutgers' Voorhees...

Hornbeck to make second stab at IPO.(News Log)(initial public offering)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. has filed for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission, its second filing in just over a year. "Given the cyclical nature of their business, I think they're being wise business...

Less pull: new tug construction cools off.(Tugs)(Industry Overview)
November 1, 2003... The number of new tugs under construction or under contract is down in comparison to the tug building "boom" of recent years. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The general stagnation of the U.S. economy and the continued sluggishness of the...

New kid on the block; sleek ferry whisks passengers to Block Island in 30 minutes.(Island Hi-Speed Ferry)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... It's 7 a.m. on a late summer morning in Galilee, R.I., and vacationers stream into this fishing village that serves as a gateway to Block Island, R.I., a three-mile-wide dot of land located 12 miles offshore. In the summer, Block Island's...

LEEVAC lands $40 million casino boat contract.(On the Ways)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... LEEVAC Industries LLC, Jennings, La., is building a $40 million river boat casino for Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment. When completed, the 330'X225'X13' paddlewheeler will operate in Lake Charles, La., for Pinnacle subsidiary PNK LLC....

Two more tugs on the ways at Washburn & Doughty.(On the Ways)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Some call it the tugboat capital of the East Coast. True or not, Washburn & Doughty Associates, East Boothbay, Maine, has been building a lot of tugs. In mid-September the yard had a 92'X32'X13'9" tug under construction for Tampa Tugs Two LLC...

Baltimore police upgrade with three SeaArk boats.(On the Ways)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... It's hard to track down the cops of the Baltimore City Police Marine Unit because most of the time they are on patrol. Their "beat" is a busy harbor that includes a large commercial port, downtown's Inner Harbor, a rapidly revitalized...

Kennedy Ship has Alaskan patrol boat underway.(On the Ways)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Galveston, Texas-based Kennedy Ship and Repair is building a 70'X21'X11'6" law enforcement vessel for the state of Alaska's Department of Public Safety. The steel-hulled Enforcer is being constructed for unlimited offshore use in Alaskan...

Canal Boats introduces second-generation hydrids.(On the Ways)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... In early November, Canal Boats Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is scheduled to deliver the first of three second-generation hybrid boats that will almost halve the installed horsepower while maintaining the same service speed. The 42'X11'...

Boatbuilding bitts.(On the Ways)
November 1, 2003... The bad news is that a Victoria, B.C., shipyard that dates back to 1873 went dark this past summer. The good news is that a new owner has leased the city-owned water-front facility. However, a deal must still be struck with former employees of...

Tug of war: standby rescue tug is a bone of contention in Washington state.
November 1, 2003... Like coastal residents worldwide, people that live around Washington's Puget Sound worry about oil spills. Each year, thousands of vessels, including over 3,000 tankers and tank barges, navigate the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound...

Tardy tugs: it took over two decades, but a pair of oceangoing tugs are now at work.(150' Oceangoing Tugs)
November 1, 2003... In September, the USS Constellation made its way up the West Coast from San Diego to Bremerton, Wash. On this voyage, however, the carrier's big engines were silent and her props were dragging through the water. She traveled snubbed up to a...

Low orbit: new satcom equipment and services offer much more for a lot less.(Satellite Communications)
November 1, 2003... Second engineer Jerrod Pratt got tired of the routine required for communicating with his wife through the ship's e-mail system. The drill: Write out a message, climb up to the bridge and hand it to the captain, who sent it when he had time....

Show business: the Fish Expo WorkBoat Northwest Show & Conference.(Workboat Northwest)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The fifth installment of the Fish Expo WorkBoat Northwest Show and Conference promises to offer plenty of products and information from the commercial marine industry. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Presented by WorkBoat and National Fisherman...

Welcome.(Conference program)(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... Welcome THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY FREE KEYNOTES NOAA Fisheries Update 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Fishins' Commissions? 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Whose to Choose? ...

Free keynote address.(Northwest Show)(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM NOAA Fisheries Update NOAA Fisheries Director Dr. William Hogarth will provide comments, updates, and answer your questions on the many issues facing West Coast commercial fishermen today.

Conference sessions at a glance.(Northwest Show)(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... COMMERCIAL FISHING Basic Marine Weather: Tools for Safety Decision Making 10:00 am - 11:30 am Thursday High Performance Synthetic Fiber for Wire Rope Replacement In the Trawl Industry 10:30 am - Noon Thursday Impact of Salmon...

Workboat-related conferences.(Northwest Show)(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM MMA Security Training Use of Small Arms in Shipboard Security: Training, Procedures & Tactics This session will introduce you to the training and procedures needed if consideration is...

Ghost vessel.(Product Locker)
November 1, 2003... MRV International, Jupiter, Fla., a marine technology company that specializes in marine robotics, recently introduced the Ghost Guard, a remotely operated Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV). The 19-foot vessel is propelled by a Steyr 266 - hp...

Mega light.(Product Locker)
November 1, 2003... Peak Beam Systems Inc. says its new Maxa Beam model is the most powerful handheld xenon searchlight in the world. Designed with night navigation, search and rescue and other marine missions in mind, the Maxa Beam features six-million-peak-beam...

Custom-made fittings.(Product Locker)
November 1, 2003... Brennan Industries Inc., Cleveland, an international manufacturer of hydraulic fittings and adaptors, is now offering customers hydraulic fittings designed and built to exact specifications. Among the choices available are material (brass,...

Eye protection.(Product Locker)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Tonawanda, N.Y.-based American Allsafe has introduced its latest line of goggles called The Revolution[TM]. The goggles are designed specifically to protect against chemical splashes, dust and other abrasives. The Revolution's CrossVent[TM]...

Chase boat.(Product Locker)
November 1, 2003... Naiad Inflatables of Newport Inc. has begun marketing its new Naiad Flyer, a 28'X10'4" prototype chase boat. The Newport, R.I.-based company is the U.S. and Caribbean distributor for Naiad, New Zealand, and is licensed to build the full range...

Workboat business.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Todd Busch has been promoted to general manager for Crowley Maritime Corp.'s Southern California ship assist and escort services operations. Busch has been with Crowley for 16 years. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Scott Theriot has been tabbed...

Calendar.(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... Nov. 4 CREW ENDURANCE SEMINAR One-day Crew Endurance Management Seminar for the towing industry, Seamen's Church Institute Center for Maritime Education-Gulf Region, Houston. Tel: 212-349-9090 www.seamenschurch.org Nov....

WorkBoat looks back.(WB Archives)
November 1, 2003... * Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Co. has completed another "diesel giant" for its parent American Barge Line Co. The 160'X35', 3,200-hp linehaul tow-boat Jeffboat is powered by two Fairbanks-Morse opposed-piston marine diesels that each...