Workboat articles from October 2007

Workboat archives from October 2007

Patrol boats are everywhere.(EDITOR'S WATCH)
October 1, 2007... This decade has seen a surge in orders for new patrol boats. Unfortunately, these boats saw their popularity skyrocket as a result of two major tragedies. First, there was the Oct. 12, 2000, attack on the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole in Yemen....

Make changes and the companies will follow.(MAIL BAG)(shipping industry has changed so change yourself to get a job)
October 1, 2007... We all have a unique and valuable opportunity here but it seems to be slipping away. While the offshore marine industry has changed drastically over the last few years regarding items such as technology, safety and regulatory issues, it seems...

Freedom has been revoked.(MAIL BAG)(aircraft pilots has to undergo airport security check)(Viewpoint essay)
October 1, 2007... The 9/11 disaster was terrible. The terrorists won that day and took away our freedom. The way I see it, we are no longer free Americans. It is pretty evident that we are all considered terrorists now. I am considered a terrorist until I...

Inaccurate drug tests are costing the industry.(MAIL BAG)
October 1, 2007... I was a towboat pilot for 25 years at the time I was asked by a company, which I had been riding as a trip pilot, to take a random drug screen along with the rest of the crew. I did not use drugs and rarely took even aspirin. So I agreed....

Naughty, naughty mariners.(MAIL BAG)(life on ship)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... This is in response to "TWIC process can catch all those bad guys" by Alice Evans (Mail Bag, July 2007) and other articles relating to all of us "criminal mariners." Not to beat the same old dead horse again, but mariners deal with...

Says reader should revisit background check stance.(MAIL BAG)(persons who perform crime once does not make them criminal)
October 1, 2007... This is in response to the letter that Alice Evans wrote in the July Mail Bag. Miss Evans, you and others should rethink your position about background checks. What are they really looking for, terrorists, escaped murderers or maybe bank...

On the water: don't let your guard down.(AT A GLANCE)(shipping officals must gaurd marine from hurricane)(Column)
October 1, 2007... It's late summer and autumn is just around the corner. In the Gulf of Mexico, that can mean only one thing: It's peak hurricane season and everyone should pay close attention to any tropical disturbances. As I write this column, Hurricane Dean...

Captain's table: plying the Erie Canal--Part 2.(AT A GLANCE)(about the trip)
October 1, 2007... During my recent boat trip on the Erie Canal and its tributaries with my son and grandson, we stopped overnight in Seneca Falls, N.Y., where we ate at ZuZu Cafe, named after a character found in Frank Capra's 1946 film "It's a Wonderful Life."...

WorkBoat Composite Index: Index gains 20 points.(AT A GLANCE)
October 1, 2007... Despite losers topping winners in August, the WorkBoat Composite Index was still able to post a slight gain of just over 1 percent. The Index rose 20 points as 22 of the 37 stocks that make up the Index lost ground. Winners included...

OSV day rates: rates rebound in August.(AT A GLANCE)(crewboats and supply vessels demand rose and it's price)
October 1, 2007... Gulf of Mexico workboat operators enjoyed some rate gains during August and also saw a small increase in utilization for small supply vessels and crewboats. This comes as welcome news to vessel operators, who saw day rates fall in July for...

Inland insider: coal sector consolidation?(AT A GLANCE)
October 1, 2007... Most of the small, local banks have been gobbled up, becoming part of large regional or national banks. Will the same scenario emerge in the coal sector? In response to shortages and a hedge against rising prices, there has been a global...

Legal talk: the law of maritime collisions.(AT A GLANCE)(United States. Courts of Appeals case on shipping industry)
October 1, 2007... On Dec. 14, 2002, three ships were in uncomfortably close quarters in the English Channel. Two of them, the containership Kariba and car carrier Tricolor, were on nearly parallel westbound headings. The Kariba, the lead vessel, was making 16...

J. Ray McDermott's Morgan City, La., fabrication yard recently completed the load-out of a 9,015-ton oil-rig jacket built for Reliance Industries Ltd.(NEWS LOG)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... J. Ray McDermott's Morgan City, La., fabrication yard recently completed the load-out of a 9,015-ton oil-rig jacket built for Reliance Industries Ltd. as part of an engineering, procurement, construction and installation contract. The...

Coast Guard issues new rules for Buzzards Bay.(NEWS LOG)
October 1, 2007... The U.S. Coast Guard has issued new rules to improve oil transportation safety in Buzzards Bay, Mass. The area suffered extensive environmental damage four years ago when a barge spilled 98,000 gals. of fuel oil. To the relief of the barge...

Hawaii ferry stumbles out of the gate.(NEWS LOG)
October 1, 2007... Just days after its opening, Hawaii Superferry suspended operations amid environmental protests and lawsuits. Resumption of service depended on the resolution of legal issues. A raft of protestors in late August blocked the 349',...

Ports added $2 trillion in 2006, study says.(NEWS LOG)
October 1, 2007... Deepwater ports continued to grow in influence as key facilitators of international trade, contributing a record amount of money to the U.S. economy and employing half a million workers last year, according to a new study. Prepared by...

Louisiana town wants to develop oil-service port.(NEWS LOG)
October 1, 2007... For more than 50 years, offshore personnel drove to the community of Venice, La., to board offshore supply vessels or helicopters to make the trip to their jobs on drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. Most of that activity has now shifted to...

ACL to purchase Seattle naval architecture firm.(NEWS BITTS)
October 1, 2007... American Commercial Lines Inc., Jeffersonville, Ind., announced recently that it had signed an agreement to purchase Elliott Bay Design Group Ltd., a naval architecture and marine engineering firm based in Seattle. The deal is expected to close...

K-Sea purchases two marine companies.(NEWS BITTS)(Sirius Maritime)(Smith Maritime Ltd.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... New York-based K-Sea Transportation Partners LP has completed the acquisitions of Sirius Maritime of Seattle and Honolulu-based Smith Maritime Ltd. Total price tag for the two companies was $205 million. Sirius operates a fleet of tank barges...

Bollinger upgrading repair facilities.(NEWS BITTS)(Bollinger Shipyards Inc.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, La., is in the midst of making improvements at a number of its repair yards. Bollinger Texas City LP, for example, is getting a new 320'x116' drydock with 30' wing walls and a 9,000-ton lifting capacity....

Tug master: Robert Allan Ltd. has raised the bar for tug design.(IN BUSINESS)(Company overview)
October 1, 2007... A 77-year-old British Columbia marine engineering firm has revolutionized tugboat design while becoming one of the largest naval architecture firms in the world. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With tug, patrol boat, ferry, and fireboat designs...

Crash course: since the 2003 accident, New York ferry system has made some big changes.(FOCUS)
October 1, 2007... It's an anniversary that many associated with the Staten Island Ferry would prefer to forget. On Oct. 15, 2007, it will be four years since the ferry Andrew J. Barberi slammed into a concrete pier at the terminal on Staten Island, N.Y., killing...

Foreign rebuilt? The battle lines are drawn over work on U.S. ships overseas.(FOCUS)
October 1, 2007... Some of the biggest names in the marine business are now embroiled in Jones Act battles over the building and rebuilding of ships--with billions of dollars at stake. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Three federal court cases, the latest filed in...

Recycle bin: in the New York area, retired barges have found new and leisurely lives.(FOCUS)(constructing of marine museums with scrap steel)
October 1, 2007... The price of steel may be high, but that doesn't necessarily doom every barge nearing retirement to the scrap heap. Instead, many of these venerable workboat industry workhorses have been given a new and more leisurely lease on life. ...

VT Halter delivers third ATB in series to Crowley.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
October 1, 2007... Pascagoula, Miss.-based VT Halter Marine recently delivered the third of 10 new 650-class articulated tug-barge units to Crowley's Vessel Management Services Inc., Jacksonville, Fla. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Metal Shark building 27' USCG boats.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
October 1, 2007... Metal Shark Aluminum Boats, Jeanerette, La., has delivered 24 of 100 TANBs to the U.S. Coast Guard. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 27'x8'6" Transportable Aid to Navigation Boats are built primarily to service small buoys along the coasts...

Evan Boats completing eight U.S. Army boats.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
October 1, 2007... Sometimes, good things can come out of something bad. For Evans Boats, a builder of fiberglass boats, that was the case when a fire set the stage for the company's future growth. On Thanksgiving Day 2005, a large fire at Evans Boats in...

With a ceremony that included a Scottish pipe band and a steel drum band, Gunderson Marine, Portland, Ore., launched another large deck barge for Crowley Maritime in late July.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
October 1, 2007... With a ceremony that included a Scottish pipe band and a steel drum band, Gunderson Marine, Portland, Ore., launched another large deck barge for Crowley Maritime in late July. Designed by Elliott Bay Design Group and Gunderson, Barge 455-2...

Safe Boats International, Port Orchard, Wash., is building a new boat for the U.S. Navy.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
October 1, 2007... Safe Boats International, Port Orchard, Wash., is building a new boat for the U.S. Navy. Well known for its boats operated by the Coast Guard and other government agencies, this is SBI's first boat not designed in-house. Originally designed by...

Another Puget Sound-area builder, Kvichak Marine, Seattle, was also recently awarded a Navy contract.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
October 1, 2007... Another Puget Sound-area builder, Kvichak Marine, Seattle, was also recently awarded a Navy contract. The aluminum specialist will be building four more MPF utility boats for the Navy. Kvichak has already delivered 10 of the 40'x14' landing...

General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, has begun construction of its first product carrier ship for U.S. Shipping Partners.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
October 1, 2007... General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, has begun construction of its first product carrier ship for U.S. Shipping Partners. NASSCO is building the ship from designs provided through its collaboration with DSEC...

Foss Maritime Shipyard in Rainier, Ore., recently completed the Sandra Hugh, the seventh of the Dolphin-class tugs.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
October 1, 2007... Foss Maritime Shipyard in Rainier, Ore., recently completed the Sandra Hugh, the seventh of the Dolphin-class tugs. The new 78'x34' tug is now part of AmNav's fleet in San Francisco. To date, the small Foss shipyard has built tugs of this class...

B & B Boat Builders, Bayou La Batre, Ala., recently delivered a 70'x28' towboat to J. Russell Flowers Inc., Greenville, Miss.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
October 1, 2007... B & B Boat Builders, Bayou La Batre, Ala., recently delivered a 70'x28' towboat to J. Russell Flowers Inc., Greenville, Miss. The vessel is powered by twin Caterpillar 3308 diesels, producing 775 hp at 1,200 rpm each. The Cats connect to...

Steiner Shipyard Inc., Bayou La Batre, Ala., is building four 120'x34'x10'6" steel-hulled, Z-drive pushboats for Southern Towing Co., Memphis, Tenn.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
October 1, 2007... Steiner Shipyard Inc., Bayou La Batre, Ala., is building four 120'x34'x10'6" steel-hulled, Z-drive pushboats for Southern Towing Co., Memphis, Tenn. Construction of the 3,200-hp boats marks the first newbuild contract Steiner has signed since...

Social security: patrol boat construction shifted into high gear after 9/11.
October 1, 2007... On the morning of Oct. 12, 2000, the U.S. Navy's guided missile destroyer USS Cole motored into Aden, Yemen, on a routine fuel stop. Less than two hours after the ship had docked, two suicide bombers rammed the Cole with a small boat loaded...

Strong and swift: Crowley charters first of BayDelta's new Z-drives.(BOATS & GEAR)
October 1, 2007... Matt Nichols apologized to Jonathan Parrott for being a few minutes late to the July gathering at which the Valor, the first of a new tug series, was to be christened. His excuse, however, more than made up for any tardiness. He had just signed...

Healthy blend: operators continue to experiment with non-petroleum fuel oils.(BOATS & GEAR)
October 1, 2007... Depending on who you talk to, using animal or vegetable oil to power a boat's engines is: (1) a frivolous fad, (2) good for the environment, or (3) a significant step forward because it reduces the need for imported oil. [ILLUSTRATION...

Upgraded welding gun.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
October 1, 2007... Bernard Welding Equipment is marketing its first self-shielded flux-cored welding gun--the Dura-Flux. Designed to increase operator comfort, Dura-Flux guns feature a nonmetallic trigger that absorbs less heat than metal triggers. The trigger is...

Multi-gun waterjet valve.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
October 1, 2007... Wixom, Mich.-based NLB Corp. has introduced the MGV15-3000, a multi-gun valve for high-pressure waterjetting (pressure washing) that operates at high flow and can be repaired in the field in less than five minutes. A multi-gun valve allows the...

Sealed toggle switches.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
October 1, 2007... APEM Components Inc., a Haverhill, Mass.-based manufacturer of miniature and industrial switches, has introduced the 3600NF series of sealed toggle switches. The 3600NF models are designed for harsh, outdoor environments, providing switching...

Six-cylinder engine.(PRODUCT LOCKER)(Fiat Powertrain Technologies Inc. )(introduced NEF 450 diesel marine engine)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Fiat Powertrain Technologies of North America Inc. (formerly Iveco Motors of North America) has introduced the NEF 450 diesel marine engine. The NEF 450 is a six-cylinder (four valves per cylinder), inline diesel engine, with a power range of...

Safety response.(PRODUCT LOCKER)(SeaKey markets it's marine dual-mode response device)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... SeaKey, Bethesda, Md., a designer and manufacturer of safety, security and convenience communications systems, is marketing what it describes as the first marine dual-mode response device. The SeaKey 2DM allows for automatic switching between...

Tracking device.(PRODUCT LOCKER)
October 1, 2007... Blue Sky Network, a LaJolla, Calif.-based provider of two-way linking and managing of transportation assets via satellite, has added the D3000 transceiver to its asset and fleet tracking product line. The D3000 is unique in its combination of...

Richard C. "Dick" Hearn, cofounder of Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, died recently at his home in Arizona. He was 87.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
October 1, 2007... Richard C. "Dick" Hearn, cofounder of Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, died recently at his home in Arizona. He was 87. Born in London, Hearn emigrated to the U.S. with his family when he was six. They settled in Rhode Island, where Hearn later...

Sam Entriken is the new director of sales and marketing for W & O Supply.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
October 1, 2007... Sam Entriken is the new director of sales and marketing for W & O Supply, a company specializing in marine valves, pipe, fittings, engineered products and valve automation systems. Entriken's career in the industrial products manufacturing and...

The Maritime Administration announced progress in negotiations that would lead to the first LNG ships registered in the U.S. in nearly 10 years.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
October 1, 2007... The Maritime Administration announced progress in negotiations that would lead to the first LNG ships registered in the U.S. in nearly 10 years. The ships would potentially create about 200 jobs for U.S. mariners. Officials from Woodside...

Globe Wireless, completed the acquisition of SeaWave & Rydex in late August.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Globe Wireless, Palm Bay, Fla., a manufacturer of global maritime communications, completed the acquisition of SeaWave & Rydex in late August. Globe Wireless now provides services to over 8,000 ships and over 500 ship operators. The company...

Jon Hrobsky has been appointed deputy director of the U.S. Minerals Management Service, Washington, D.C.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Jon Hrobsky has been appointed deputy director of the U.S. Minerals Management Service, Washington, D.C. Hrobsky will assist MMS director Randall Luthi in the management of mineral resources located on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Hrobsky...

American Commercial Lines Inc., recently opened its new Liquid Transportation Division headquarters in Houston.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
October 1, 2007... American Commercial Lines Inc., Jeffersonville, Ind., recently opened its new Liquid Transportation Division headquarters in Houston. The opening of the new regional headquarters, combined with ACL's recent announcement to build 30 new...

Doen Pacific Pty. Ltd. has appointed MCR Engineering Co. Inc., North Attleboro.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Doen Pacific Pty. Ltd. based in Melbourne, Australia, has appointed MCR Engineering Co. Inc., North Attleboro, Mass., as its distributor and authorized agent for Doen's waterjets in the U.S. market. MCR specializes in field and engineering...

Offshore Systems Ltd., has moved its offices from North Vancouver, British Columbia, to #400-4585 Canada Way, Burnaby BC, V5G 4L6 Canada.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
October 1, 2007... Offshore Systems Ltd., a provider of marine electronics products, has moved its offices from North Vancouver, British Columbia, to #400-4585 Canada Way, Burnaby BC, V5G 4L6 Canada. For contact information, go to:...

Phoenix International Inc. has signed a term charter agreement for the 240'x54' offshore service vessel Anne Candies.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
October 1, 2007... Phoenix International Inc. has signed a term charter agreement for the 240'x54' offshore service vessel Anne Candies. The agreement includes options until August 2012. The DP-2 vessel is equipped with a new, state-of-the-art Schilling...

Sioux Corp., has acquired three product lines from Walters Manufacturing, Watsonville, Calif.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
October 1, 2007... Sioux Corp., Baresford, S.D., has acquired three product lines from Walters Manufacturing, Watsonville, Calif. The product lines are the Walters Steam-Gun, Walters SafeSteam, and Walters SteamPro. Sioux will be the exclusive manufacturer for...

Fairbanks Morse Engine, Beloit, Wis., will install low load upgrade kits on U.S. Navy LSD-41/49 class ships.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
October 1, 2007... Fairbanks Morse Engine, Beloit, Wis., will install low load upgrade kits on U.S. Navy LSD-41/49 class ships. The contract is worth about $4 million. The upgrade kits are designed to extend the service life of the engines, reduce emissions, and...

The U.S. Coast Guard and Holland America Line have co-produced an interactive training CD-ROM for cruise ships that operate in Southeast Alaska.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
October 1, 2007... The U.S. Coast Guard and Holland America Line have co-produced an interactive training CD-ROM for cruise ships that operate in Southeast Alaska. The CD-ROM is designed to educate cruise ship personnel about Coast Guard-enforced regulations.

Calendar.(Calendar)
October 1, 2007... Oct. 4-5 AWO MEETING American Waterways Operators fall convention and board meeting, Four Seasons Hotel, Houston. 703-841-9300 www.americanwaterways.com Nov. 7-9 WATERWAYS MEETING The National Waterways...

Workboat looks back.(WB ARCHIVES)
October 1, 2007... OCTOBER 1947 * Featured on this month's cover is the 400-hp steel tug Sambo. Built in 1942 by Levingston Shipbuilding Corp., Orange, Texas, the 69'x20'x7'6" tug is owned by River Terminals Corp., Harvey, La. She is powered by a single...