ALASKA RAILROAD
Gunderson Marine Launches Second of Railroad Barge Trio
Gunderson, Inc. launched the second in a series of what are reportedly three of the largest barges ever built for the maritime industry. Named Fairbanks Provider, the 420- x 100- x 24-ft. barge is being built for Alaska Railbelt Marine for service between Seattle, Wash. and Alaska. Equipped with a RoRo feature for easy cargo handling, the barge will carry the railroad freight cars and cargo in service between Seattle and Whittier, Alaska for the Alaska Railroad.
Tugboat Strikes Railroad Bridge
Foggy conditions are being blamed for a tugboat striking the concrete bridge abutments on the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge. The Tuesday morning incident occurred when the tugboat Cheyenne was pushing two barges with scrap metal and stone south on the river and could not see the abutment because of dense fog, according to the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office. Contact made with the Coast Guard indicated one barge was taking on water and that emergency pumps were deployed to keep it afloat
CG Railway Finishes RoRo Conversion
Measuring 585-ft., the self-propelled RoRo sister vessels Bali Sea and Banda Sea completed shipyard conversion work in January for operation out of Mobile, Ala. by CG Railway. The vessels will be used for CG's new four-day interline rail-ferry service to transport freight in railcars between Mobile and Coatzacoalos, Mexico. Terminal facilities for this operation are in the final stages of completion. Each vessel has the capacity to hold 60 railcars, and each has unique 30-ft
APRG Expands Training & Response Team
The Alaska Pacific Response Group L.L.C. (APRG) has added Dick Jackson and Tom Jones to its ICS training and oil spill response team staff. Jackson, formerly with Mobil Oil, will be the primary representative for Oregon and California. Jones, formerly with Alaska Clean Seas will be the primary representative in Fairbanks, Alaska and serve APRG's clients in Alaska's interior and North Slope. APRG provides OPA 90 Qualified Individual Services
Alaska Alternative Planning for Tankships – USCG Criteria Compliance
American P&I Club advises the US Coast Guard (USCG) will require compliance with new Alternative Planning Criteria (APC) for certain vessels operating in Western Alaska. Last year the Alaska Marine Exchange published proposals for new Alternative Planning Criteri which have now been finalized. Historically, it has not been possible for tank owners operating in Western Alaska carrying oil to comply fully with the vessel response planning requirements of the Oil Pollution Act 1990
Infrastructure for Alaska’s LNG and Other Resources
Trans Arctic Shipping Routes (TASR) It is time for the global maritime industry to push development of Trans Arctic Shipping Routes (TASR) and port facilities along Alaska’s northern coast. Not only for shipping goods from the Pacific to Atlantic and vice versa, but specifically to facilitate development of specialized ports for LNG exports from Alaska to global markets. Alaska has a limited maritime community mostly in the south: Southeast Alaska is a maritime community; South Central
Alaska-- Passenger Vessels Security Zones Established
The U.S. Coast Guard established permanent moving security zones around all escorted high capacity passenger vessels and escorted Alaska Marine System vessels during their transits of the navigable waters of the Seventeenth Coast Guard District (Alaska). Commercial fishing vessels, while actively engaged in fishing, are exempted from the restrictions imposed by the rule, which comes into effect on May 15. Source: HK
SSNPRM on Alaska Passenger Vessels Security Zones
The U.S. Coast Guard issued a Second Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SSNPRM) regarding security zones around escorted high capacity passenger vessels and escorted Alaska Marine Highway System vessels in navigable waters of Alaska. Under this proposal, all commercial fishing vessels while actively engaged in fishing would be exempt from the security restrictions. Comments on the proposal should be submitted by March 30.
BP Orders Fourth Tanker
BP has placed an order for a fourth double-hull oil tanker for use in delivering Alaska North Slope crude oil to refineries on the west coast. BP placed orders for three tankers in September 2000. Construction of the 1.3-million-barrel-capacity tankers will begin in early 2002. National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO) of San Diego is scheduled to deliver the first ship in late 2003 with subsequent ships being delivered in 2004, 2005 and 2006
Alaska Scheduled to Change Homeports
USS Alaska (SSBN 732), a fleet ballistic submarine assigned to Submarine Group 10, is scheduled to change homeports to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga. Alaska was previously assigned to Submarine Group 9 in Bangor, Wash., for 20 years and has been undergoing a 26 month refueling overhaul at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Ballistic missile submarines conduct a major overhaul near the mid-point of the submarine's service life, approximately 20 years
Crowley's 'Alert' Tugboat Commended for Alaska Rescue Tow
Representative Eric Feige from the Alaska State Legislature presents a letter of commendation to the 'Alert's crew for their rescue tow of drill barge 'Kulluk'. The captain and crew were recognized for their courage, teamwork and professionalism during the emergency rescue tow of the drill
Port of Red Dog: Bulk Carriers' Call of the Wild
The UK P&I Club issue information for members whose vessels call at the remote Alaskan port on the Arctic Circle. Red Dog is a port established specifically to support the associated Lead and Zinc mine. It is a very remote location of Alaska and there are no services, including no provisions
BBC Arizona Prepared for Decontamination
Response personnel conduct inspections prior to Port Valdez, Alaska, stevedores shifting cargo to facilitate decontamination of the BBC Arizona's deck, June 7-8, 2013. Multiple containers stored on deck, each holding a plastic bladder filled with transformer oil
Four Super-Post-Panamax Cranes Arrive at Port of Savannah
Four massive new ship-to-shore cranes arrived at Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City Terminal today, bringing the total number of electric-powered container cranes to 25 – the most of any single terminal in the U.S. “These new super-post Panamax cranes further enhance the
International Trade and Transportation to Dominate Containerization & Intermodal Seminar
Has the Panama Canal expansion already outgrown itself? How does the success or failure of the administration's export initiative impact your bottom line? Breakbulk is flourishing; what does that mean to your business? These questions and other hot topics will be the focal point of the
Lt. Gov. to Keynote Oil and Gas Infrastructure and Development Summit
Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell will give a keynote presentation at the Alaska Oil and Gas Infrastructure and Development Summit in Anchorage tomorrow. The lieutenant governor will describe the global picture of the natural gas market, and Alaska’s place in that world market.
Carlile Transportation Joins Saltchuk Companies
Carlile Transportation Systems, one of the largest trucking and logistics companies in Alaska, has been acquired by Saltchuk Resources, a Seattle-based family of diversified transportation and petroleum distribution companies. “Our relationship with Saltchuk is 20 years long
Fluoramics Announces Lubricant/Antirust Inhibitor, HinderRUST
Fluoramics, Inc. introduced its newest product, HinderRUST, a zero VOC’s, surface active, rust inhibitor and industrial lubricant. HinderRUST is a superior industrial antirust lubricant and corrosion inhibitor, which is surface active
PVA Make Alaskan Harbor Seal Protest
The Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) says existing voluntary Code of Conduct sufficient to protect Alaskan Harbor Seals. PVA has submitted written comments to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) urging that the agency defer implementing broader restrictions on vessels
Duluth Port Executive Director to Retire
Adolph Ojard, Executive Director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, plans to retire this year after serving in that leadership role for the past decade. A national search is underway for a new Executive Director. The board anticipates having that person hired by the end of summer/early fall
Horizon Lines To Expand Gulf Service
Horizon Lines announced that it will expand its Gulf service to offer shippers a Tuesday sailing every other week from Jacksonville to San Juan. Adding the Jacksonville call also creates a high-speed, over-the-weekend marine option through Houston for cargo bound for southeastern destinations
Coast Guard Evacuate 78 From Blazing Fishing Vessel
Crewmembers aboard the 314-ft fishing vessel 'Arctic Storm' extinguised an engine-room fire using the ship's Halon chemical firefighting system. The Coast Guard continues to respond to the vessel approximately 30 miles west of Grays Harbor, Wash.
Admiral Papp to Explain USCG Arctic Strategy at CSIS Forum
Admiral Robert J. Papp, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, to address the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) forum on May 21, 2013. CSIS Europe Program will host a Military Strategy Forum on the Coast Guard's strategic vision for its future role in the Arctic
Coast Guard Initiates Arctic Shield 2013
The Coast Guard 17th District announced its Arctic Shield 2013 plans to protect the maritime community in the Arctic and to strengthen their partnerships with federal, state, local, tribal and community members Wednesday. “We are committed to having a sustained presence in the region
Alaskan Tugboat Sale Brokered by Marcon
Delaware's Vessel Management Services, Inc. has sold their twin-screw tug “Sinuk” to King River LLC of Palmer, Alaska. The 85.8’ x 28.5’ x 10.0’ depth, model bow tug was built in 1995 by J. Ray McDermott Shipyard in Morgan City, Louisiana