OLYMPIC TUG & BARGE

Final Contract to Fund Neah Bay Response Tug

The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has extended its contract agreement with Crowley Maritime Corp. to station a state-funded emergency response tug at Neah Bay for another full year of service beginning July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010. Under the $3.6m extension agreement, an emergency response tug will remain at Neah Bay to prevent disabled ships and barges from drifting onto rocks and causing oil spills in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Washington's outer coast. The contract marks the final year the state will pay for the emergency response tug service. On March 24, 2009, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed legislation that shifted funding responsibility for the Neah Bay tug from the state to the maritime industry beginning July 1, 2010. The new law will ensure a high-capability ocean-going tug is permanently deployed at Neah Bay year round. "I am pleased the Department of Ecology has ensured there will be no break in service for the Neah Bay tug," said Gov. Gregoire. "This tug is an important safety net that will help protect our environment, our economy and our cultural history from devastating oil spills." The state has funded a Neah Bay tug since 1999 - primarily during the stormy winter months. The response tug has stood by or assisted 42 ships either completely disabled or with reduced maneuvering ability

Olympic Explorer Delivery Delayed

Royal Olympic Cruise Lines Inc. has requested that a number of improvements be made to the Company's newbuilding, Olympic Explorer, prior to taking final delivery of the cruise ship, which was originally scheduled for today. The Company is making adjustments to the Olympic Explorer's early voyages and is in contact with its clients and agents informing them of possible variations to schedules and alternative options.

M/V Songa Hua Oil Cleanup Continues in Puget Sound

Response teams continue to clean up an oil spill around and underneath Pier 91 at Smith Cove in Elliott Bay today. The main area of impact of the oil appears to be contained underneath Pier 91 of the Port of Seattle. The cleanup is being coordinated with the Port of Seattle. The assessment and labor intensive cleanup of the impacted shoreline is to continue into Friday and possibly the weekend. Cleanup crews are aggressively working to remove all the spilled oil on the deck and hull of

Royal Olympic Cruises Announces Delivery of the Olympia Explorer

Royal Olympic Cruise Lines Inc. announced today that the, Olympia Explorer, sister ship to Royal Olympic’s Olympia Voyager is expected to reach the port of Piraeus early 2002, which will enable her to perform exciting new itineraries from Venice to Piraeus, Istanbul and the Greek Islands next summer, with Piraeus as an alternative port of embarkation. Royal Olympic Cruises delegates and representatives from Blohm+Voss Shipyard in Hamburg had a very constructive meeting in Piraeus

Royal Olympic Cruises Files For Chapter 11 for Two Ship Owning Companies

Royal Olympic Cruise Lines, Inc., announced today that two out of its eight shipowning companies, Olympic World Cruises, Inc., the owner of the vessel Olympia Voyager, and Royal World Cruises, Inc. the owner of the vessel Olympia Explorer, have filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States bankruptcy code. The company has been in discussion with the lenders to these subsidiaries regarding a potential restructuring of $250

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

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.

Royal Olympic Considering Proposals

Royal Olympic Cruises Lines stated that a special committee of its outside directors has been considering proposals and alliances involving the company and/or its majority shareholder, ROC Holdings. Consisting of Bobby Melnick, Michael Jolliffe and Nicholas Pisaris, the committee is considering proposals such as a sale of a controlling interest in ROC Holdings that would not involve an offer to purchase the company's publicly held shares

Royal Olympic Announces Six-Month Results

Royal Olympic Cruise Lines Inc. reported a net loss for the first six months of the fiscal year 2000 of $10.2 million, an improvement of $2.3 million or 18.4 percent compared with the same period last year. The first half of the year is traditionally a very slow period for the area of the European cruise market in which Royal Olympic operates. The company expects to further improve its position in the rest of fiscal year 2000 and to report positive net income for the full year

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