ISLAND TUG & BARGE

A Good Hull Deserves a Good Rebuild

British Columbia, on Canada’s west coast, has some attractive and well-proven tugs, but the fleet is aging with many vessels over thirty years old. Four years ago Vancouver’s Island Tug and Barge (www.islandtug.com) launched the new build Island Scout with a pair of Cummins KTA38 main engines. This August, they will return their 1977-built 21 x 7.3-m tug Island Defender to service. The midlife rebuild has taken a year to complete but as Island Tug’s president Bob Shields explained this was much more than a repower, “As with our other Cummins repowers, we conducted a life cycle cost analysis using Robert Allan Ltd. for assistance and determined that a package that included a pair of Cummins KT19s would yield us the best value. The engines are soft mounted and connected to the drive train via a Centa Link coupling which we expect to have a tremendous impact on overall vessel noise as it did on the Island Scout. We added a Krill fuel management and monitoring system, new shafts and Kobelt shaft brakes, Rice nozzles and propellers and a pair of John Deere gensets. Most of the rest of the vessel has been re-built as well which has taken a little over a year to complete.” Project manager Paul Kruse filled in some of the details of the extensive job as well as the pros and cons of such a rebuild versus a new construction. “We had a good hull to start with,” he said

Coast Guard Investigates Barge Sinkings

The Coast Guard continues to investigate the grounding and sinking of two barges on the Hudson River near the Bear Mountain Bridge in Bear Mountain, N.Y., after the two barges broke free of the Tug Buchanan 12. The Buchanan 12 was pushing 13 scow barges when two broke free. A scow barge is a flat bottomed, square bilged vessel that typically carries rocks, gravel, dirt, and other similar loose products. The tug's master immediately notified the Coast Guard Sector New York Command Center

Ocean Deck Barge Sold

Marcon International, Inc. announced the sale of the 5,000tdw ocean deck barge Mitkof Provider from Alaska Marine Lines of Seattle, Wash., to Island Tug and Barge Co., also of Seattle. The 280’ x 60’ x 17’ barge was originally built in 1969 by Todd Shipyard, Seattle, Wash. as the “Vanliner 280” and after converted and named “Foss 280” served first as the foundation of a 221 man camp for Prudhoe Bay operations in the Arctic and later housed personnel involved in the Exxon Oil Spill Cleanup.

Tugboat Sinks at Duwamish River

A 101-foot tugboat sank at its moorage off the mouth of the Duwamish River and nearly dragged down a second tug, the AP reported. The cause of the sinking of the tug island Brave was unknown. More than 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel in the tugboat's tanks leaked before company divers sealed the fuel tanks. The amount that escaped was undetermined but appeared to be small and was contained by booms. Someone driving over the Spokane Street Bridge notified the company about 11 a.m

Sause Brothers Towing Repowers Ocean Tug

Based in Coos Bay Oregon, Sause Brothers Towing has been towing between Pacific Northwest and Southern Californian ports for over 50 years. In the past 30 years they have also become noted for their long ocean tows from the US west coast to Hawaii and beyond to the South Pacific. The family-owned company currently operates a fleet of 32 ocean and harbor tugs as well as 24 general cargo and oil barges. A new double-hulled 105,000-barrel oil barge, Sunset Bay

VIBS ATB Completes Sea Trials

Cut VIBSATB Van Isle Barge Services, Ltd. (VIBS) said that its Van Isle Link and Sealink Pusher articulated tug-barge combination (ATB) recently completed sea trials off the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia. This commercial drop trailer ATB is powered by two fuel efficient, V228 medium-speed diesel engines provided by GE Marine, Erie, Pa. Similar to others in VIBS’ fleet, the Van Isle Link/Sealink Pusher ATB will provide cargo services between Vancouver and Vancouver

ATB Delivered by Alabama Shipyard

Alabama Shipyard, Inc. delivered Nicole Leigh Reinauer and RTC 135, an articulated tug/barge (ATB) unit, built for Reinauer Transportation Companies of New York. Alabama Shipyard designed the 135,000 barrel, 460-ft. double-hulled barge in compliance with OPA 90 regulations. Bob Hill of Ocean Tug and Barge Engineering designed the 7,200 hp twin-screw 124 ft. tug, built by Alabama Shipyard's sister company, Atlantic Marine.

Titan Saves Container Barge from Rocks

The 6,000 ton container barge Guantanamo Bay Express, departed Jacksonville, Florida at around midnight on November 12th under tow of the US flag SPENCE on her scheduled service to the US Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Unfortunately, 30 knot gusts and 12 foot seas led to a parted tow wire allowing the barge to drift on to the rocks of the north Mayport Jetties. The owners of the barge took prompt action and engaged Titan Maritime to undertake salvage operations

Owner Liable For Tendering Unseaworthy Barge

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, in an unpublished decision, has ruled that the owner of a barge may be wholly liable for damages resulting from its tendering to a tug company a barge that is unseaworthy. In a case reported on the Holland & Knight website, the US Army Corps of Engineers time-chartered a tug to tow its barge up the Mississippi River. The corps personnel didn't lower the boom on the barge

Kirby Expands With Three New Units

Kirby Corporation Announces Purchase of Three Coastwise Tank Barge and Tug Units; Purchased Seaboats, Inc. coastwise tank barge fleet consisting of three 80,000 barrel tank barge and tug units for $42.3 million in cash.   Kirby Corporation has announced the purchase of the coastwise tank barge fleet of Seaboats, Inc. and affiliated companies consisting of three 80,000 barrel coastwise tank barge and tug units for $42.3 million in cash