Workboat articles from November 2004

Workboat archives from November 2004

An 'elemental' decision.(Editor's Watch)
November 1, 2004... The Pacific Northwest has an insatiable appetite for aluminum. In particular, Washington state boat yards are consuming the metallic element at a rapid clip in order to feed a healthy roster of commercial and government projects. (See this...

Operator simply wanted a 'superb' vessel.(Mail Bag)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Mr. Robert Gibbs in his Mail Bag letter, "Proud of his U.S.-built and U.S.-designed boat" (October, WorkBoat), displays admirable patriotism but fails to appreciate some of the niceties inherent in Weeks Marine's placement of an order for a...

Drowning in paper.(Mail Bag)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Help! In this age of computers and space-age technology we are being covered up with paper. I've enclosed a long list of logs, reports and certificates that have found their way into my file cabinet. The list is quite long so you may not have...

Another submarine sighting.(Mail Bag)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... In response to Mr. Winkle's article and photo about the USS Razorback, and having now "seen everything," I submit there are still a few things out there on the rivers to see! I, too, saw the Razorback as she was first entering the...

Comments on short sea.(Mail Bag)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I enjoyed your editorial comments on short-sea shipping and the article written by Pamela Glass in the September issue. I would like to offer one more issue for you to consider--the Harbor Maintenance Tax. I hate to dampen the enthusiasm...

On the water: mariner advancement blocked--part III.(At a Glance)
November 1, 2004... Without mariners, boats and ships can't go anywhere, can't be put to work, and can't make any money. But many seem to be unaware that the marine industry has been suffering from a long, slow reduction in personnel. A person might logically...

Captain's table: association offers unique experiences.(At a Glance)(Column)
November 1, 2004... A former shipmate pointed out that I had omitted a useful conference from the list I supplied in last month's column. He said that the American Sail Training Association puts on two conferences each autumn. Indeed, the ASTA will hold two...

WorkBoat Composite Index: index jumps 4 percent.
November 1, 2004... After losing 14 points in August, the WorkBoat Composite Index rose over 32 points--4.1 percent--in September. For the month, gainers topped losers by more than 4-1. Top percentage gainers were operators. The Operators Index rose 26 points, or...

Inland insider: creativity can cut costs.(At a Glance)
November 1, 2004... Imagine that you want a cold soda but you must buy a case of them just to get one? This is the plight of small-volume shippers when using the inland waterways. A typical barge load is 1,500 tons or about 15 rail cars of 100 tons each. Small...

Legal talk: what to consider when hiring a maritime attorney.(At a Glance)
November 1, 2004... Choosing an attorney to represent you is a little like running aground--it's easy to do but sometimes hard to undo. Moreover, just like a captain faced with shoaling waters, there are countless factors to consider. The most important is the...

OSV day rates: more work for Gulf OSV operators.(At a Glance)(Offshore Service Vessel)
November 1, 2004... For the second consecutive month, offshore service vessel operators have something to cheer about. Nearly all classes of vessels enjoyed increases in utilization and day rates during September, which followed on the heels of August's increases....

Q&A: a talk with Bruce Fenimore, president, Columbia Coastal transport, liberty corner, N.J., a provider of regularly scheduled barge feeder services.(At a Glance)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... WorkBoat: A component of your business involves short-sea shipping. What were the reasons why Columbia Coastal decided to move into this type of service and what challenges did you face? Fenimore: One of the biggest incentives for us was...

Busy hurricane season hits the marine industry.(News Log)
November 1, 2004... The handful of storms that collided with the Gulf and Atlantic coasts this hurricane season shut down the oil patch, set mobile offshore drilling units (MODU) adrift, ripped out aids to navigation, closed ports and clogged channels with enough...

Legislation would require two in wheelhouse.(News Bitts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Fallout from the Interstate-40 bridge collapse continues. In September, two Oklahoma legislators proposed a bill that would require tow-boats to have two crewmembers in the wheelhouse as the boats approach any bridge in Oklahoma. In May 2002,...

IPD emerges from Chapter 11.(News Bitts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... IPD, a Torrance, Calif.-based manufacturer and supplier of heavy-duty products for Caterpillar diesel and natural-gas engines, emerged from Chapter 11 in late September, less than eight months after filing for bankruptcy protection. Now owned...

Group wants mortgage financing looked at.(News Log)(Maritime Cabotage Task Force )
November 1, 2004... The lengthy fight over foreign investment in the Jones Act trade has shifted from lease financing to mortgage financing, but the players are just as resolute. In September, the Maritime Cabotage Task Force formally asked the Coast Guard...

SEA-21 transport plan nears completion.(News Log)
November 1, 2004... The next administration will have the opportunity to act on a new initiative that would integrate all marine transportation modes and offer much-needed incentives to jump-start the short-sea shipping trade. After three years of discussion,...

Schwarzenegger vetoes tug escort bill.(News Bitts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently vetoed a state bill that would require tug escorts, if necessary, for ships carrying hazardous materials. Current California laws require tug escorts for tankers carrying petroleum products as...

Long Island towns file suit over ferry service.(News Log)
November 1, 2004... Two eastern Long Island, N.Y., towns and a ferry company have filed a federal lawsuit over a 1997 East Hampton town zoning law that prohibits vehicle ferries. It also severely restricts passenger-only ferries. The towns of Southold and...

Revival of Baltimore shipyard underway.(News Log)(Barletta Willis LLC)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The new owners of the Sparrows Point Shipyard in Baltimore have won a $2.3 million contract to scrap two aging Navy ships. North American Ship Recycling, a wholly owned subsidiary of Barletta Willis LLC, won the Marad contract to dispose of...

Metal fatigue: escalating steel prices put a crimp in orders for newbuilds.(Steel Prices)
November 1, 2004... Margins are being squeezed. Orders are being delayed. And barges are being scrapped at a rapid clip--all because steel prices have soared in the past year with little relief in sight. Not that long ago, shipyards could expect steel prices...

Penny pinching: war, weather and old age put added pressure on waterways and the Corps.(National Waterways Conference Annual Meeting)
November 1, 2004... To inland waterways officials, it's like a broken record: The state of the lock-and-dam system is so bad that it threatens the ability of some shippers to move products from manufacturer to distributor. Like heart patients whose clogged...

Build up: tug construction continues to show signs of life.(Tugs)
November 1, 2004... It's confusing. A quick look at the tug market should convince anyone that adding to the U.S. fleet at this time would be foolish. There's steady work in coastal towing on the West Coast, but the tugs working in that arena can handle the...

Western Towboat completes new Z-drive.(On the Ways)
November 1, 2004... Western Towboat, Seattle, has been in the tug-and-barge business since just after World War II. To stay competitive and to grow, the family-owned business keeps adding new boats designed and built by the company itself. Its latest tug, the...

North American Fabricators delivers 280' supply boat.(On the Ways)
November 1, 2004... North American Fabricators, Houma, La., recently delivered the 280'X60'X24' deepwater supply vessel Kobe Chouest to its parent company Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO). With an OSV that big, it means plenty of capacity. The new steel supply...

New quad-jet catamaran from all American Marine.(On the Ways)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... To date, All American Marine has built 15 boats designed by New Zealand's Teknicraft Designs Ltd. The Bellingham, Wash., boatbuilder is now the exclusive North American supplier of Teknicraft catamarans. Featuring symmetrical bows and...

Master Boat Builders delivers pair of OSVs.(On the Ways)(Ocean Station Vessels)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Master Boat Builders, Bayou La Batre, Ala., has delivered two supply boats to Abdon Callais Offshore, Golden Meadow, La.--the Blanche Callais in August and the Early Bird in October. The 166'X36'X12' steel vessels are described by Andre...

Neuville Boat completes crew-supplier for Seacor.(On the Ways)
November 1, 2004... Neuville Boat Works Inc., New Iberia, La., delivered a 167'X30'X12'6" aluminum crew/supply boat in September to Seacor Marine, Houston, and its Nigerian partner, West Africa Offshore (WAO). The Chief Bayo Kuku is named after Seacor's long-time...

Boatbuilding bitts.(On the Ways)
November 1, 2004... Bollinger Marine Fabricators, Amelia, La., has delivered the OC 4126, a 400'X126'6"X25' extra-heavy-capacity deck barge to Otto Candies LLC, Des Allemands, La. The open deck of the super jumbo barge is rated at 5,000 Ibs. per sq. ft., compared...

Tin men: Pacific Northwest boat yards have built a reputation for quality aluminum work.(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... From open, outboard-powered skiffs to ultra-modern, ultra-high-speed multihulls, Pacific Northwest boatbuilders specializing in aluminum construction do it all. Buyers come from around the world to Washington state to purchase aluminum...

Smaller is better: ferry operator doesn't need the biggest, fastest boat around.(98' Passenger Ferry)
November 1, 2004... Take two passenger ferries. One has room for 500 people, several bars scattered among several levels, four engines, and a crew of seven or eight. The second ferry holds fewer than 150 passengers, has a couple of decks, not nearly the...

Radar and radio roundup: a selection of new electronics products for workboats.(Electronics)
November 1, 2004... Not too long ago, marine electronics were pretty much one-dimensional. If you bought a radar, it displayed targets that came within range of its transceiver. That was it. If you were operating an inshore boat, your communications were normally...

Big debut: the premiere of Pacific Marine Expo.(Pacific Marine Expo runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 11-12, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13 at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle)
November 1, 2004... After 37 years serving the Pacific Coast commercial fishing industry, Fish Expo WorkBoat Northwest has undergone a big change. This year's edition of the show now serves all aspects of the region's marine industry, including commercial fishing,...

Conference program.(Pacific Marine Expo)(Calendar)
November 1, 2004... WORKBOAT CONFERENCE PROGRAM Note: Program schedule may be subject to change. Go to www.pacificmarineexpo.com for complete up-to-the-minute information. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM How to Improve Your Weather...

New product catalog.(Product Locker)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Waytek, Chanhassen, Minn., recently published its 217 Catalog. The 132-page electrical wiring products catalog features wire, cable, terminals, connectors, loom, heat shrink, relays, switches, fuse products, lights and accessories, and more....

Chart series addition.(Product Locker)
November 1, 2004... The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced the availability of the latest addition to NOAA's Gulf of Mexico navigational chart series, "Chart 11346--Port Fourchon, LA and Approaches." The navigational chart was...

Keel cooling system.(Product Locker)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Duramax Marine LLC, Hiram, Ohio, recently installed the largest DuraCooler keel cooling system it's ever built on the Brazilian supply vessel Astro Vermelho. The keel cooling system measures 32 tubes wide by 16' long. The DuraCooler is designed...

Adjustable light.(Product Locker)
November 1, 2004... Sunnex Inc., a lighting equipment manufacturer based in Natick, Mass., has unveiled its new HS 740 lamp series for marine applications. The Sunnex HS 740 series halogen lamp are used for illuminating maps and other important documents,...

Marine transformers.(Product Locker)
November 1, 2004... ProMariner, Portsmouth, N.H., has joined up with industrial transformer manufacturer Jefferson Electric, Franklin, Wis., to introduce the ProSafe line of marine isolation transformers. The ProSafe Isolation Transformer line eliminates the need...

Tool carrier.(Product Locker)
November 1, 2004... Paktek Inc., makers of the ToolPak, has improved the product by adding a layer of foam that makes carrying the Pak a little more comfortable. The new ergonomic shoulder straps allow the carrier to haul everything one needs. The ToolPak, made of...

Automatic oil filters.(Product Locker)
November 1, 2004... Alfa Laval now offers a range of automatic filters that provide continuous full-flow filtering of fuel and lubricating oils for trunk piston and crosshead engines. The filters can be used with a centrifugal separator as part of a complete...

Workboat business.
November 1, 2004... Eric Tally has joined Elliott Bay Design Group, Seattle, as senior designer. Tally has over 16 years of pipe system construction and design experience. He is currently designing the fire-main system for the new Seattle police boat and is...

Calendar.(Calendar)
November 1, 2004... Nov. 1-4 INTERFERRY CONFERENCE 29th Annual Interferry Conference, Dynamics of Change: New Markets--New Opportunities, Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort, Grand Bahama Island. Contact: Cindy Kuwert Tel: 250-743-5942 E-mail:...

WorkBoat looks back.(WB Archives)
November 1, 2004... November 1954 * The Corps of Engineers has presented its new budget for fiscal year 1956. Waterways officials are hopeful that the recent downward trend of appropriations for the Corps will be reversed. The fiscal 1955 appropriation of...