Workboat articles from September 2005

Workboat archives from September 2005

Bottoms up!(Pollution control)(Editorial)
September 1, 2005... In the decade following the Exxon Valdez disaster and subsequent passage of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the pace of double-hull construction was slow. At the time, rates were low, which made it hard for coastal tank-barge operators to...

The Navy's white elephant.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... With regard to your comments about the Navy's X-Craft in the June 15 WorkBoat E-newsletter ("X marks the spot with Navy's fast new cat," by David Krapf, editor), while the ship doubtless will meet its performance goals, it is nonetheless...

The cream rises to the top.(MAIL BAG)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Mustangs have always held a special place in the Naval and Merchant Marine services. They were the veterans, the guys who had seen it all. They came over the bows instead of through the cabin windows, and most never made it past the fo'c'sle....

Academy versus practical.(MAIL BAG)
September 1, 2005... As a sixth issue pilot who has never been to an academy, I don't have a problem with any academy man since we are both using an expert power base. An expert power base means that you are given power because you have superior knowledge or...

On the water; Lightning strikes: Part III.
September 1, 2005... If a lightning strike is possible, be sure to take some basic precautions. Everyone onboard should stay inside. Keep all doors, windows and portholes closed, and stay away from them. Avoid contact with any metal objects if possible,...

Captain's table: watch those kids!(AT A GLANCE)
September 1, 2005... Exuberant behavior by children, which some parents encourage at home and frequently permit in public, may be extremely dangerous aboard a passenger vessel. You may have observed parents on your passenger vessel who have appeared to be...

WorkBoat Composite Index: index jumps 17 percent.(AT A GLANCE)
September 1, 2005... The WorkBoat Composite Index posted one of its best months ever in July, jumping almost 150 points. The 17 percent increase topped the Dow, S & P and Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index by wide margins. For the month, winners topped...

OSV day rates: utilization rises.(AT A GLANCE)
September 1, 2005... U.S. Gulf of Mexico rig demand increased to 132 rigs under contract at the end of July, according to ODS-Petrodata, Houston. The figure is three more than the previous week and five more than the previous month. The company also noted that the...

Inland insider: goodbye to Riverway.(AT A GLANCE)
September 1, 2005... If you are over 40, you may remember what it was like to shop in a real hardware store that had everything, including clerks that would help find things for you and offer advice on how to use them. This was the age of mom-and-pop stores run by...

Legal talk: foreign cruise ships sail within reach of ADA.
September 1, 2005... Until recently, it was unclear whether foreign cruise ships operating in U.S. waters were subject to anti-discrimination laws that apply to U.S. common carriers. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Americans with Disabilities Act...

The U.S. Coast Guard's Todd Lloyd pulls aboard a 55-lb. bale of cocaine that was found floating off the coast of Colombia.(NEWS LOG)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The U.S. Coast Guard's Todd Lloyd pulls aboard a 55-lb. bale of cocaine that was found floating off the coast of Colombia. The crew of the cutter Forward found the bale while participating in UNITAS, a two-week naval exercise involving 18...

Gulf of Mexico rigs to head overseas for higher rates.(NEWS LOG)
September 1, 2005... The Gulf of Mexico vessel market has been realizing some significant gains in day rates and utilization. Those gains may slow, however, as some rigs begin to leave the Gulf by year's end. Houston-based Rowan Companies plans to move at least...

Waterways bills await final action in Congress.(NEWS LOG)
September 1, 2005... The fate of several key bills for the inland waterways industry will be decided when Congress returns from summer recess in September. On the agenda will be the final numbers on the appropriations bill for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,...

GAO report questions short-sea shipping.(NEWS LOG)
September 1, 2005... The federal government has jumped on the short-sea shipping bandwagon too soon, a recent report says. The government has embraced the benefits of short-sea shipping (SSS) as part of a national transportation strategy and should undertake...

Container-on-barge service launched.(NEWS LOG)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Add another player to the inland container-on-barge (COB) market. In mid-July, MidCoast Terminal Co., which operates at the Tri-City Regional Port District, loaded 72 22-foot containers aboard a 200' barge for American Commercial Barge Line....

Missing cotter pin led to B.C. ferry mishap.(NEWS LOG)
September 1, 2005... When the Queen of Oak Bay, a 457' car ferry operated by BC Ferries, lost power as it approached the dock at Horseshoe Bay, north of Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 30, it was carrying 550 passengers and 200 vehicles. Rather than plow...

Auction for former AMCV boats falls short.(NEWS BITTS)
September 1, 2005... The Maritime Administration purchased the passenger vessel Cape Cod Light as a credit bidder at an auction in late July. Marad withdrew its sister vessel from the auction, the Cape May Light, because there were no registered bidders, said Peter...

Corps shortens Missouri River season.(NEWS BITTS)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The current Missouri River shipping season will be shortened by 48 days, the Corps of Engineers said. Though it's been raining throughout the Missouri Basin in recent months, the increased levels of the region's reservoirs is not enough to...

Energy bill increases production incentives.(NEWS BITTS)
September 1, 2005... The 2005 Energy Policy Act signed recently by President Bush gives the Minerals Management Service new authority to regulate alternative energy uses of the Outer Continental Shelf, including wind, wave and solar energy. The law also requires...

Family affair: New York tug company has survived its share of family and financial storms.(IN BUSINESS: MCALLISTER TOWING)
September 1, 2005... During the first half of the 20th century, some 200 family-owned and operated tug companies competed for business in New York Harbor. Today, Capt. Brian A. McAllister presides over the only one left--McAllister Towing and Transportation Co....

Bollinger is booked with OPA '90 barges.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
September 1, 2005... Bollinger Shipyards Inc., Lockport, La., is working on a number of double-hull barge projects. The yard has new construction contracts with Bouchard Coastwise Management Corp., Hicksville, N.Y.; K-Sea Transportation Partners, Staten Island,...

Nichols Brothers builds another for Catalina Express.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
September 1, 2005... The original Jet Cat Express was built in 2001 for Catalina Express' passenger service between Long Beach, Calif., and Catalina Island. Unfortunately, the aluminum used for its construction was part of the 5083 H321 stock that was ultimately...

New charter boat from Wesmac Boats.(CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS)
September 1, 2005... Tradition is very important for boat owners in New England, especially Maine. It took years for fiberglass to displace wood as the boatbuilding material of choice. But just because fiberglass broke down the materials barrier, don't think it's...

VT Halter Marine Inc.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
September 1, 2005... VT Halter Marine Inc. launched the Henry B. Bigelow in early July, the second of four planned FSV40 fisheries survey vessels for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. VT Halter delivered the first, the Oscar Dyson, to NOAA in...

AMNAV Maritime Services.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)
September 1, 2005... AMNAV Maritime Services, San Francisco, recently announced that it would be adding four new Z-drive ship-assist tugs. To be members of the Dolphin class, which includes Hawaiian Tug & Barge's Mikioi and a new tug for Foss in Long Beach, Calif.,...

Yank Marine.(BOATBUILDING BITTS)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Earlier this year, Yank Marine, Tuckahoe, N.J., delivered its largest boat to date, the 149'X33' Atlantis, a luxury charter yacht. Owned and operated by New York Harbor Cruises, the 300-passenger boat was designed for dinner cruises and special...

Fremont Tugboat refits circa-1950 tug.(RETROS & REFURBS)
September 1, 2005... Seattle's Fremont Tugboat Co. is known around Puget Sound as a keeper of the flame when it comes to Northwest maritime history. Its offices are a veritable museum filled with photos of old boats and various mementos. Mark Freeman, the company...

Double bill: improved rates and demand have made it easier for operators to double-hull.(Cover Story)
September 1, 2005... Over $1 billion has been spent so far, and it may take another billion before companies either finish converting their single-skin tank barges into double skins or replace them entirely. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One way or another,...

2005 power guide.(DIESEL: ENGINES)
September 1, 2005... Proposed and new regulations affecting engine emission standards continue to be a major concern for marine diesel engine manufacturers. In May 2004, as part of its Clean Air Nonroad Diesel Rule, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency...

Dinner time: roomy T-boat delivers 'upscale dining' to the Florida panhandle.(BOATS & GEAR: DINNER CRUISE YACHT)
September 1, 2005... For about 25 years, the Murray family has been building everything from excursion vessels to crewboats to luxury dining yachts at its small shipyard on the Florida panhandle. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Headed up by Jim Murray, the yard's...

Fire insurance: the design and construction of fireboats has followed technology and necessity.(BOATS & GEAR: FIREFIGHTING)
September 1, 2005... The lineage of U.S. fireboats goes all the way back to the hardscrabble waterfront of New York City in 1809 when some city firefighters put a hand-operated pump in a small boat and shoved off in the direction of a fire. [ILLUSTRATION...

Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
September 1, 2005... Col. Richard P. Wagenaar has been named district engineer of the Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District. In addition, Maj. Murray Starkel has been named the district's deputy commander, Gregory Breerwood, deputy district engineer, and...

Rigdon Marine.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
September 1, 2005... Jim Whitley has been named director of technical services for Houston-based Rigdon Marine. Whitley is now responsible for vessel engineering, new construction, maintenance and repair, vessel documentation, and regulatory compliance. ...

Japan Radio Co.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
September 1, 2005... Japan Radio Co. and Seattle Maritime Academy recently celebrated their industry-education partnership with an open house featuring electronics demonstrations and boat demos. JRC estimates that it has provided nearly $250,000 in equipment to the...

Marcon International Inc.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
September 1, 2005... Martin Coombe recently joined shipbrokers Marcon International Inc., Coupeville, Wash. Coombe joined Marcon from offshore brokerage house Seabrokers AS in Scotland. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Bollinger Shipyards Inc.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
September 1, 2005... Craig Roussel has been named vice president of corporate operations for Bollinger Shipyards Inc., Lockport, La. Also, Darren Savoye was promoted to vice president of business development; Bob McDonough is the new vice president, high-speed...

Philadelphia Gear Corp.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
September 1, 2005... Boyd Swearingen has been promoted to general manager, Gulf Coast and Southeast for Philadelphia Gear Corp., Norristown, Pa.

Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
September 1, 2005... New Orleans-based law firm Phelps Dunbar recently received a No. 1 national ranking in the practice area of "Shipping" in the 2005-2006 reference book Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business.

Seabulk Offshore.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
September 1, 2005... Iridium Satellite, Bethesda, Md., is supplying satellite communication services to Seabulk Offshore vessels that operate in the West Africa region. Seabulk, a subsidiary of Seacor Holdings, is equipping its fleet of 43 offshore support and...

SeaWave LLC.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
September 1, 2005... SeaWave LLC, Middletown, R.I., has been selected by Maritrans Inc. to outfit its fleet of four tankers and 11 tug-barge units with the SeaWave Integrator F55T voice and data communications system. The system provides automatic least-cost...

Maritime Administration.(WORKBOAT BUSINESS)
September 1, 2005... The Maritime Administration has awarded contracts to Crowley Liner Services and Marine Transport Lines to manage 11 and six Ready Reserve Force ships respectively. Both companies are subsidiaries of Crowley Maritime Corp., Oakland, Calif.

Waterjet control system.(PRODUCT LOCKER)(Buyers Guide)
September 1, 2005... HamiltonJet, Christchurch, New Zealand, has introduced blue ARROW, a new generation electronic control system for waterjet-powered boats, Blue ARROW is a complete waterjet and control package, incorporating single or twin-jet units, jet control...

3-D software upgrade.(PRODUCT LOCKER)(Buyers Guide)
September 1, 2005... Albacore Research Ltd. (ARL) will release a new version of its ShipConstructor 2006 3-D product modeling software late this year. ShipConstructor 2006 represents a quantum leap in CAD/CAM with the introduction of the Database Driven Relational...

VOC-compliant coating.(PRODUCT LOCKER)(Buyers Guide)
September 1, 2005... Sherwin-Williams has introduced a new high gloss, VOC-compliant coating, KEM 4000 High Solids Alkyd Enamel, that dries to the touch in 15 minutes. Due to its high solids formulation, less coating material is needed, which cuts labor and...

Sludge fighter.(PRODUCT LOCKER)(Buyers Guide)
September 1, 2005... Dieselcraft Fluid Engineering, Auburn, Calif., has introduced Technol 246, a diesel sludge dispersant. The use of non-metallic modifiers, solvents and emulsifiers remove and eliminate diesel sludge and help keep the fuel system clean....

WorkBoat looks back.(WB ARCHIVES)
September 1, 2005... September 1945 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Within 48 hours of Japan's surrender, the Corps of Engineers submitted a $700 million list of rivers, harbors and flood control projects in the "Ready to Go" category. The list is part of a $5...