SIGNAL SHIP REPAIR
Five Minutes with Richard Marler, Chairman, President & CEO, Signal International
In the June 2010 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News (www.marinelink.com), we had the opportunity to meet with Richard Marler, Chairman, President and CEO of Signal International, on the sidelines of OTC to discuss his company’s rapid growth and promising future. – by Greg Trauthwein, Editor What is the primary focus of Signal International? RM Our principal focus is offshore drilling rig and ship overhaul, repair, upgrade and conversion. Additionally, we provide services to the general marine and heavy fabrication markets and are moving into shipbuilding. When and why did you start Signal? RM The company was created in January 2003. After the Friede Goldman bankruptcy, we essentially picked up the offshore sector, which included four yards in Texas and two yards in Mississippi. The name Signal was chosen for its meanings associated with communication and outstanding achievement. To what do you attribute your company’s strong growth? RM On day one we realized that we needed to be diversified, but first and foremost we realized that we needed to be an ISO certified yard, and that we needed to be focused on safety. From the outset we knew we had a challenge entering both old and new markets, and adopted the stance that we would ‘crawl, walk, run.’ How is your company investing?
Boomtown Barge Headed for Repairs
According to reports, Tugboats began towing Boomtown Casino's gambling barge to a dry dock in Pascagoula. The repairs at Signal International should take about three weeks, company officials said. Penn National Gaming, which owns Boomtown and Casino Magic Bay St. Louis, has committed to rebuild its Coast properties. Company executives are expected to release more information this week when they issue a quarterly earnings report and host a conference call.
Grandweld, New Shipbuilding Contracts
According to a June 23 report from Seatrade, Grandweld recently held keel laying ceremonies for two 118 ft utility vessels and one 134.5 ft crewboat for repeat customer Humaid Badir Marine Shipping Est., a UAE based fleet operator. The three vessel order is said to signal a strong 2009/10 order book for the Dubai based shipbuilding, ship repair and conversion yard, part of GMMOS Group. (Source: Seatrade)
BAE Sees Way to Replace GPS
BAE Systems unveils research on an advanced positioning system using existing transmissions to calculate accurately the user’s location Military platforms commonly use Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to find their position and navigate. GPS rely upon a specific and relatively weak satellite signal that is vulnerable to disruption. Known as Navigation via Signals of Opportunity (NAVSOP), BAE Systems’ new system is able to calculate its position by making use of the hundreds of
Spectrum Signal Processing to Support the U.S. Navy Unmanned Surface Vehicles
Spectrum Signal Processing Inc., a subsidiary of Spectrum Signal Processing Inc. announced that the Government Communications Systems Division of Harris Corporation has selected Spectrum's flexComm SDR-4000 rugged software defined radio (SDR) solution to be deployed in field trials of the United States Navy's Multi-Mission Unmanned Surface Vehicles (MMUSV). Under the agreement, Spectrum will supply the signal processing system onboard the MMUSV that communicates with a processing system
Hurricane Ida Emergency Marine Equipment Supply
Less than 24 hours after Hurricane Ida reached the coast of La., trucks were leaving Tideland Signal’s factory loaded with solar powered marine beacons and fog signals desperately needed to mark the Gulf Coast’s vital offshore oil wells. Emergency spares, sent to replace existing equipment damaged during the hurricane, arrived at coastal staging areas ready for immediate deployment well before the coastal helicopter and workboat fleets were set to depart offshore.
USCG – GPS testing off North Carolina
The USCG Navigation Center (NAVCEN) has issued a special notice stating that, from 3 through 10 February daily from 1600 EST to 2145 EST, the GPS navigation signal in waters off Wilmington, North Carolina may be unreliable due to testing of GPS signals used by shipboard, aviation, and handheld navigation devices. From Feb 03 through Feb 10, 2012, daily from 1600 EST to 2145 EST, the GPS navigation signal may be unreliable due to testing on GPS frequencies used by shipboard navigation
Italian Authorities Continue Ship Search
A ship, called the Davis, believed to be carrying as many as 180 illegal immigrants was still missing on Monday, after sending a distress signal from waters off southern Italy on Saturday evening, the Italian coastguard said. The coastguard searched all weekend for the ship with speedboats and a helicopter but found nothing. "The search is still continuing," a spokesman for the Brindisi coastguard said on Monday morning
M/V Columbia Experiences Generator Problem
The M/V Columbia experienced a malfunction in one of its four generators that resulted in a fire while it was transiting Seymour Narrows on Saturday causing the ship to lose power to one of its two engines. The Columbia was escorted to Duncan Bay by a tug and crews ran assessments of its operating systems before Transport Canada the mCanadian Transport Safety Board cleared the ship to proceed to Ketchikan. The ship left Duncan Bay under full power at about 8 a.m
A&P Birkenhead Gets Triple Ferry Deal
A&P Group's newly reopened dry dock facility, A&P Birkenhead, has recently completed the dry docking and repairs of Mersey Ferries' 464grt passenger ferry Woodchurch. The Woodchurch is the first of three vessels booked into the yard by Mersey Ferries Ltd, the Passenger Transport Authority and Executive for Merseyside. The three ship contract was won in open competition against other UK ship repairers. The two other ferries
Strategic Marine Delivers Two Windfarm Service Vessels
Specialist boatbuilder Strategic Marine delivered the Njord Puffin to offshore windfarm service fleet operator Njord Offshore for deployment in Northern Europe. “The Puffin is the sixth in a series of eight vessels ordered, a strong signal of our commitment to the global windfarm industry
Mobdock Facilitates Onsite Underwater Ship Repair
In February, Hydrex diver/technician teams carried out underwater stern tube seal repairs on a 139-meter container vessel in Port Everglades, Fla., close to the company’s office in Clearwater. The vessel was suffering from an oil leak, making a fast repair necessary
Drydocks World Awarded Best Repair Yard at ShipTek 2013
Drydocks World received the Best Repair Yard Award at the sixth Marine BizTV International Maritime Awards organized in conjunction with ShipTek 2013. The award was received on behalf of the company by Mr. Ali bin Towaih, Vice President, Commercial and Business Development.
New Explosion-proof Pressure Transmitter from AST
American Sensor Technologies, Inc. (AST) released the AST46DS Explosion-Proof Pressure Transducer with Display with pressures from 1 to 20,000 PSI available. The AST46DS is a transducer with zero function capability, voltage or 4-20mA output signals, and all 316L stainless steel sensor materials
Kanoo to Reveal Latest Developments at Services Show
Kanoo Shipping – an offshore and marine services provider in the Middle East, operating throughout Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Iraq and Sudan – will be present at the Saudi International Marine Services Show -2013 to demonstrate various services provided by the
VT Halter Marine’s Dry Dock Arrives in Pascagoula
VT Halter Marine Inc, a subsidiary of VT Systems Inc., announced the arrival of a 12,000 MT Floating Dry Dock transported by a heavy lift vessel from the Philippines. The dock dimensions are LOA- 546 FT x B 128.5 FT x D 46 FT. The dry dock is part of an overall expansion plan to the south yard in
DRS Contracted to Continue USCG Maintenance
DRS Technologies, Inc. announced it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to continue its maintenance, repair and overhaul work at the U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Under the contract
Great Lakes Shipyard Contracted for USCG Cutter Repairs
Great Lakes Shipyard hauled out the United States Coast Guard Cutter Neah Bay (WTGB-105) using its 770-ton capacity Travelift. The repair contract, awarded to the Shipyard in early March, includes routine drydocking and underwater hull maintenance such as inspection and testing of propulsion
China's CIC Boluomiao Shipyard Completes Repair Contracts
CIC Boluomiao Shipyard completed repairs of the ships Sinoker Pioneer and Novitas H. The U.S.-owned Sinoker Pioneer repair work included renewal of cargo hold plates and painting, hatch cover repair and regular docking repair and some machinery equipment repairs, etc
Green Lights on Singapore Strait TSS Crossing
IMO's Maritime Safety Committee has adopted an earlier recommendation that ships display 3 all-round green lights when crossing the Singapore Strait Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS). The night signals identify these vessels crossing the TSS during hours of darkness which will allow other vessels
Permanent Underwater Rudder Repair in Antwerp
At the beginning of March, a Hydrex team of diver/technicians sailed out with one of the company’s dive support workboats to a 200-meter vehicle carrier berthed in the port of Antwerp. They performed an underwater inspection and repair of the vessel’s malfunctioning rudder.
Tideland Warning Systems for Golden Eagle Platforms
Tideland Signal supplied a package of Syncrolan LED light stations and fog signals for the Golden Eagle Area development in the U.K. sector of the North Sea, about 43 miles (69 kilometers) from Aberdeen. Tideland's warning systems will protect both Golden Eagle's wellhead platform and the
USS Porter Repair/Modernization Contract Awarded
Naval Sea Systems Command awarded a $49,435,634 firm-fixed price contract contract for the maintenance, modernization and repair of USS Porter to BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair. The fiscal year 2013 chief of naval operations (CNO) extended dry-docking selected restricted availability (EDSRA)
Dometic Marine Appoints Haynes
Dometic Marine signaled its intent to focus on the commercial market with the appointment of 25-year company employee Ben Haynes to the Commercial and Military Marine portion of Dometic Americas. International Technical Sales Manager Haynes
Ships Line Up at U.K. Repair Yard
Four ships have docked recently at A&P Falmouth's shipyard in SW England for repairs and refitting work. RFA Mounts Bay, Serco tugs Eileen & Foreceful and the River Class patrol vessel, HMS Severn were the most recent arrivals.