Workboat articles from November 2007

Workboat archives from November 2007

How about barges?(EDITOR'S WATCH)
November 1, 2007... For most in the workboat industry, business has been pretty good lately. No matter the coast--East, West or Gulf--boats continue to be built in strong numbers as suppliers and service providers scramble to keep up. Gulf of Mexico shipyards...

Takes issue with letter writer's comments.(MAIL BAG)
November 1, 2007... I was dismayed reading supposed U.S. Coast Guard REC evaluator Alice Evans' Mail Bag letter ("TWIC process can catch bad guys," July 2007). Evans claims to have met renewing mariners who are visibly (at least to her) alcoholics and drug...

Waterborne commerce depends on dredging.(MAIL BAG)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Thank you for your excellent Editor's Watch on dredging ("Depth Perception," WorkBoat, September 2007). I agree with you completely on the need for level funding and continuous attention to the dredging of inland and coastal waterways. It...

Has salt water in his veins.(MAIL BAG)(Personal account)
November 1, 2007... Here are my comments to "Would seek marine career if he had another chance." (Mail Bag, September 2007.) I retired from the U.S. Navy in 1979--10 years as a submariner, 10 years as an officer on submarine rescue vessels, 17 years as a navy...

Wary of some small boats.(MAIL BAG)
November 1, 2007... Regarding the letter from Capt. Anderson ("Operator seeks help after Coast Guard throws a curve," Mail Bag, February 2007). The Coast Guard is probably getting tough following the accidents with small commercial passenger boats the last...

Reader is 'mad as hell'.(MAIL BAG)(illegal alien amnesty bill passed through senate)(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... I cannot believe what we are letting the corporations and government do to our nation: outrageous fuel prices, amnesty for illegal aliens, tying our troops hands and basically undermining the sovereignty of our United States. We are all to...

On the water: Washington rumblings.(AT A GLANCE)(Viewpoint essay)
November 1, 2007... I can't blame mariners for thinking that no one ever pays attention to them except when it's to make their lives more difficult. However, it turns out that some members of Congress have been paying attention lately, and for once this could...

Captain's table: will European insurance proposal affect U.S. costs?(AT A GLANCE)
November 1, 2007... The European Commission recently proposed that inland passenger vessels provide the same passenger liability insurance coverage as ocean vessels. For inland waterway vessels operating in continental and U.K. waters, the increased cost of...

WorkBoat Composite Index: Index jumps 3.8 percent.(AT A GLANCE)
November 1, 2007... The WorkBoat Composite Index followed up August's small gain by rising 66 points in September, or just under 4 percent. For the month, winners topped losers 26-10. Top percentage gainers included Kirby Corp., Manitowoc Company and Helix...

OSV day rates: August rate gains erased.(AT A GLANCE)(offshore service vessels)
November 1, 2007... August's strong day rates came back to earth during September, a result of offshore rig utilization falling to its lowest level since the early 1990s. In early September, ODS-Petrodata reported that only 99 rigs were contracted out of 133...

Q & A: Maurine Fanguy, program director, Transportation Worker Identification Credential, TSA, Dept. of Homeland Security.(AT A GLANCE)(Interview)
November 1, 2007... WorkBoat: When will TWICs be required for workers on inland vessels? Maurine Fanguy: That will depend on the port and will be published in the Federal Register. However, mariners will not be required to have a TWIC until Sept. 25, 2008,...

Inland insider: aluminum going offshore?(AT A GLANCE)
November 1, 2007... Where companies and industries are located has a great impact on the demand for transportation. Likewise, changes in location because of population, technology, etc. will affect transportation demand. For example, there is an extensive network...

Finance talk: leasing can be a good option.(AT A GLANCE)
November 1, 2007... Minimizing vessel acquisition costs is a key contributor to improving workboat operators' bottom lines. Most commercial vessels have long and useful lives, but acquisition costs can put a big strain on an operator's cash flow. One answer may be...

Legal talk: more than a passing glance.(AT A GLANCE)
November 1, 2007... The expression "more than meets the eye" can mean something whether you're ashore or at sea. A new client might require more attention than expected or a quiet harbor entrance might have a mean current. Sometimes not expecting something...

Nation's oldest saltwater ferries near end of line.(NEWS LOG)
November 1, 2007... When the Steel Electric class of ferries first went into service in 1927, they carried Model T Fords across San Francisco Bay. Eighty years later, the boats are long overdue for retirement. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Since the 1950s, the...

TWIC enrollment finally gets underway at first U.S. port.(NEWS LOG)
November 1, 2007... After nearly five years in the making, a barrage of criticism from Congress, and multiple delays and cost overruns, the federal government has finally rolled out its much-maligned Transportation Workers Identity Card (TWIC). On Oct. 16,...

TWIC performance benchmarks missed.(NEWS LOG)
November 1, 2007... The Department of Homeland Security has made "substantial progress" in improving maritime security, but the agency still has a ways to go when it comes to implementing the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, according to a new...

Maine Maritime unveils tank-barge simulator.(NEWS LOG)
November 1, 2007... Maine Maritime Academy now has an improved tank-barge simulator designed by a faculty member and built by two recent academy graduates. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "The idea was to give students versatility--the versatility to deal with the...

U.S. ports need more space for containers.(NEWS BITTS)
November 1, 2007... TranSystems Corp.'s John Vickerman issued a "wake-up call" for the U.S. maritime industry about blossoming container trade from emerging Asian markets. By 2020, demand will exceed current container capacity at many U.S. ports by 200 percent,...

Almost half of OSV officers are over 50, survey shows.(NEWS BITTS)(offshore service vessel)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... More than four out of every 10 licensed officers in the offshore service vessel industry are 51 years of age or older and will retire within the next decade, according to a recent survey from the Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA),...

Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale high bids total over $2.9 billion.(NEWS BITTS)
November 1, 2007... The Minerals Management Service announced that its Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 205 brought in bids of just over $2.9 billion, the second highest bid total ever recorded and the largest since 1983. MMS offered 5,359 tracts totaling about...

Consol purchases river transport group.(NEWS BITTS)
November 1, 2007... CONSOL Energy Inc., Pittsburgh, has purchased Tri-River Fleeting Harbor Services Inc. and Tri-River Marine Inc. The purchase includes eight towboats that operate along the Monongahela and Ohio rivers. The move expands CONSOL's barge fleeting...

WRDA gets green light from Congress.(NEWS BITTS)(Water Resources Development Act)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007 was recently passed by both houses of Congress. The Senate approved the legislation by a vote of 81 to 12. The House of Representatives had earlier passed the legislation by a vote of 381 to...

Riding the rails: Gulf railcar service reduces cross-border cargo transit times.(FOCUS: RAIL FERRY)
November 1, 2007... Its vessels haul carloads of Corona beer, forest products and chemicals every four days across the Gulf of Mexico. CG Railway Inc.'s unique rail-ferry operation is selling faster transport times and fewer hassles via an approximately...

Helping hands: tow operators offer standardized services with customized equipment.(FOCUS: ASSISTANCE TOWING)
November 1, 2007... It wasn't too long ago that recreational boaters in need could simply send out a call over the VHF radio to summon the local Coast Guard station for a jumpstart, fuel or tow. That all changed in 1983 when the Coast Guard was ordered by...

Judge and jury: Coast Guard judicial system under the gun.(FOCUS: COAST GUARD JUDGES)
November 1, 2007... There's a cloud hanging over the future of the Coast Guard judicial system that holds sway over mariners credentials. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A congressional hearing, federal court suits and a newspaper article raised allegations of a...

Pumped up: municipalities spark a mini-boom in fireboat construction.(VESSEL REPORT: FIREBOATS)
November 1, 2007... Riding on the heels of the patrol boat market boom has been an increase in orders for firefighting vessels across the U.S. The need to beef up homeland security has resulted in an increase in federal funds available to municipalities, and many...

Crowley to build new class of faster ATBs.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)(Crowley Maritime Corp.)
November 1, 2007... Crowley Maritime started building up its ATB fleet in 2002 with the 550 series of barges which carried 150,000 bbls, of petroleum products. Then came the 650 series with a capacity of 185,000 bbls. Next up: the new 750 class that will pack up...

Calm catamaran for Hawaii from All American Marine.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
November 1, 2007... Think catamarans and you normally imagine high-speed craft. But that's not what Star of Honolulu Cruises & Events was after when they approached Teknicraft to design its new boat. The result is the 13-knot, 150-passenger, 65'x23'6" Hoku Nai'a...

Yank Marine delivers two more aluminum boats.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
November 1, 2007... Yank Marine, Tuckahoe, N.J., recently delivered two distinctly different aluminum boats: a 70'x21'x4' buoy tender for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and a 106'x31'4"x4'6", 350-passenger ferry/charter fishing boat for a...

New Incat Crowther cat for British Columbia tourists.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
November 1, 2007... In August 2007, Prince Rupert Adventure Tours took delivery of the Inside Passage, a 100-passenger catamaran tour vessel designed by Incat Crowther, Sydney, Australia. The all-aluminum, high-speed craft was built by Sylte Shipyard, Maple Ridge,...

Eastern Point Pilots, Gloucester, Mass., is now operating a new 31'x10'11" aluminum pilot boat designed by Response Marine, Newburyport, Mass., and built by Viking Welding in Kensington, N.H.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
November 1, 2007... Eastern Point Pilots, Gloucester, Mass., is now operating a new 31'x10'11" aluminum pilot boat designed by Response Marine, Newburyport, Mass., and built by Viking Welding in Kensington, N.H. The 31-footer is a new design from Response Marine...

C & G Boat Works, Mobile, Ala., recently delivered a 165'x29'x14' crewboat, the Gayla Graham, to its affiliate, Graham Gulf.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
November 1, 2007... C & G Boat Works, Mobile, Ala., recently delivered a 165'x29'x14' crewboat, the Gayla Graham, to its affiliate, Graham Gulf. The 80-passenger vessel was built to Subchapter T rules and in accordance with the ABS High Speed Craft Guide. Tankage...

Conrad Industries Inc., Morgan City, La., has signed a contract to build a 263'4"x65'4"x15'6" passenger/vehicle ferry for the Texas Department of Transportation.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Conrad Industries Inc., Morgan City, La., has signed a contract to build a 263'4"x65'4"x15'6" passenger/vehicle ferry for the Texas Department of Transportation. Alan C. McClure Associates Inc. designed the vessel to carry up to 500 passengers...

Barge yards: Out West, Portland builders are thriving on barges.(Gunderson Marine)(Company overview)
November 1, 2007... To some, they may be just big steel boxes, but to the men and women at Gunderson Marine in Portland, Ore., each newly constructed barge is a worthy accomplishment and deserving of a grand send-off. Dispatching a 400' barge sideways into the...

On call: new patrol boat features high-tech interoperable communications system.(BOATS & GEAR: 57' MULTIMISSION PATROL BOAT)
November 1, 2007... Underway with a crew of two, a Mississippi River tow passes under the Sunshine Bridge near Baton Rouge, La., pushing a single barge of scrap metal bound for New Orleans. In the wheelhouse, an 18-year-old greenhorn deckhand has just come across...

Bender fenders: soft fendering is designed to prevent tugs from damaging ships.(BOATS & GEAR: FENDERING)
November 1, 2007... Every day in every major port, there are scores of "controlled collisions." However, unlike crashes on roads and highways, these water collisions rarely result in major damages. When a pilot tells a tug to push on a tanker or ship,...

All for show: the Pacific Marine Expo at Qwest Field.(PACIFIC: MARINE EXPO)
November 1, 2007... The largest commercial marine trade show on the West Coast kicks off on Nov. 15 in Seattle at the Qwest Field Event Center. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The show serves all facets of the region's marine industry, including the bustling...

Conference program.
November 1, 2007... PACIFIC MARINE EXPO CONFERENCE PROGRAM Note: Program schedule is subject to change. Go to www.pacificmarineex-po.com for complete up-to-the-minute information. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15 FREE SESSION Damage Control: Effective Techniques...

Thomas Griffith has resigned to pursue other interests after serving 18 months in both roles.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
November 1, 2007... Thomas Griffith, administrator of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority and president of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Council, has resigned to pursue other interests after serving 18 months in both roles.

HMS-Pac Nav Inc., Bainbridge Island, Wash., a subsidiary of Hornblower Marine Services, began operating a passenger-only ferry service between Barbers Point and downtown Honolulu in September.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
November 1, 2007... HMS-Pac Nav Inc., Bainbridge Island, Wash., a subsidiary of Hornblow-er Marine Services, began operating a passenger-only ferry service between Barbers Point and downtown Honolulu in September. The commuter ferry service, TheBoat, is an...

Navionics has hired Tshombe Moore as its new West Coast regional sales manager.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
November 1, 2007... Navionics, an electronic charting and navigation data company based in Wareham, Mass., has hired Tshombe Moore as its new West Coast regional sales manager. Terry Crockett, the former West Coast manager, is now the company's Southeast regional...

Jeff Fellows has been named to the board of directors of SeaKey Holdings, a Bethesda, Md.-based designer and manufacturer of safety, security and communications systems.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
November 1, 2007... Jeff Fellows has been named to the board of directors of SeaKey Holdings, a Bethesda, Md.-based designer and manufacturer of safety, security and communications systems. Fellows formerly served as president of Navman USA and, after its purchase...

Paul Mayo was recently named rental manager at Blastrac, an Oklahoma City, Okla.-based surface preparation technologies company.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
November 1, 2007... Paul Mayo was recently named rental manager at Blastrac, an Oklahoma City, Okla.-based surface preparation technologies company. Mayo was previously a Blastrac area sales manager in the Southeast for two years. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

GE Transportation's V228 diesel engine line has received Tier II emissions compliance certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
November 1, 2007... GE Transportation's V228 diesel engine line has received Tier II emissions compliance certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. GE submitted results from emissions testing conducted on its 8V228, 12V228, and 16V228 diesels at...

Engine parts cleaner.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
November 1, 2007... Omegasonics, Simi Valley, Calif., has introduced its untrasonic bathing systems, including the 7.75-gal. 4775 tabletop model, to the marine market. Using a water-based solution, a transducer--an energy-converting mechanism--produces untrasonic...

Side scan sonar.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
November 1, 2007... L-3 Communications Klein Associates Inc., Salem, N.H., recently completed the design and development of its new 3900 Side Scan Sonar. The 3900 was designed to offer high-resolution digital sonar for use in search-and-recovery missions that...

Battery charger.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
November 1, 2007... PulseTech Products Corp., Southlake, Texas, is now marketing its new Xtreme Charge Marine, a 12-volt battery charger. The new charger offers intelligent testing and evaluation circuitry featuring 12 LED status indicators, a proprietary...

Tracking system.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
November 1, 2007... Offshore Systems Ltd. has introduced its new ACT (asset control and tracking) system, designed to allow military or security services users to track a wide variety of vessels and assets. Employing ECPINS (electronic chart precise integrated...

Intracoastal map.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
November 1, 2007... Maptech's new ChartKit Region 6: Norfolk, Va. To Florida (10th edition) includes 83 Notice to Mariner corrected chart pages and 63 new aerial photographs of the route along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Also included is a bridge table...

Calendar.(Calendar)
November 1, 2007... Nov. 7-9 NWC CONVENTION The National Waterways Conference Annual Meeting, Riverview Hotel, Mobile, Ala. 703-243-4090 www.waterways.org Nov. 14-16 SNAME MEETING The 2007 SNAME Maritime Technology Conference &...

Workboat looks back.(WB ARCHIVES)
November 1, 2007... NOVEMBER 1947 * The Army Engineers has reported that the ton-mileage volume of cargo on the inland waterways has passed the peak pre-war numbers and continues to climb. The big increase in the war years was the movement of large quantities...