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The Big One News

13 Feb 2024

Marine Power R&D Insights: Matt Hart, Wabtec Corporation

Image courtesy Wabtec

Matt Hart, Manager & Platform Leader, Marine & Stationary Power Systems, Wabtec, offers insights on how the megatrends of decarbonization, energy transition and autonomy all inspire and impact the marine power solutions from Wabtec.Matt, to start us off, can you provide insight on the journey to your present position?I graduated from the University of Notre Dame with an undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering and started with General Electric in the Edison Engineering Development rotational program at the Erie…

19 Jan 2023

Interview: Tim M. Clerc, VP Engineering, Seacor Marine

SEACOR Demerara 9th hybrid in the program.
By permission of SEACOR Marine

Tim Clerc’s maritime career spans half a century, starting with his cadet training in 1969 in the U.K. He sees hybrid technology as one of the most transformational technological developments in maritime in that span, and the company is currently awaiting its 10th hybrid, the Seacor Yangtze. Clerc discusses the hybrid strategy and offers some practical insights.If you had to pick one technology that you think has made the business of running ships more efficient, more cost effective…

22 Sep 2022

Roundtable: North American Naval Architects Weigh In

From left: Mike Fitzpatrick, president, Robert Allan Ltd.; Jeff Bowles, director, DLBA Naval Architects; and Rich Mueller, president and CEO, NETSCo.

Marine News spoke to leaders at three North American naval architecture and marine engineering firms about some of the latest trends impacting their business today. Mike Fitzpatrick, president, Robert Allan Ltd.; Jeff Bowles, director, DLBA Naval Architects; and Rich Mueller, president and CEO, NETSCo., weigh in on topics such as digitalization, decarbonization and the naval architect talent pool.How do you view the maritime industry’s ongoing shifts in areas such as digitalization and decarbonization…

07 Apr 2022

US Offshore Wind: Figuring Out the Business

© Collin Gravois / Adobe Stock

If awards were given for dominating the sustainable energy spotlight, offshore wind (OSW) would surely be in line for top honors.Consider:Big money: BOEM’s February sale of New York Bight offshore wind development rights drew a record $4.37 billion in developers’ bids. Not only is that real money, but just as critically, “This week’s offshore wind sale makes one thing clear: The enthusiasm for the clean energy economy is undeniable and it’s here to stay,” exclaimed Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.Off Broadway: In January…

08 Nov 2021

Inland Waterways: A Crucible of Issues

© Bill Perry / Adobe Stock

As 2022 appears on the not-so-distant horizon, we asked inland waterways executives to reflect on the major issues impacting their industry. Just how those issues evolve – and whether they present as challenges or opportunities – is, of course, unknown. Answers to some future questions will be relatively straightforward, confidently based on industry knowledge and experience. Other outcomes remain hazier, and next steps could be influenced by forces and players completely removed from the business of barges…

11 Aug 2020

Aussie Pumps Wins Korean Navy Contract

(Photo: Australian Pumps)

A Sydney base pump manufacturer and defense contractor has won a contract, to supply 3” engine drive salvage pumps for the Republic Of Korea Navy. The pumps are unique and have application not only in Korea, but in warships and support vessels throughout the world."The original requirement was for a lightweight portable diesel drive salvage pump, capable of handling saltwater,” said Chief Engineer, John Hales. "We'd already developed high pressure firefighting pumps for seawater applications in the form of both the Seamaster and Sea Skipper diesel drive machines’…

17 Jul 2018

Drifting Iceberg Puts Greenland on High Alert

© Michael Valos / Adobe Stock

An iceberg the size of a hill has drifted close to a tiny village on the western coast of Greenland, causing fear that it could swamp the settlement with a tsunami if it calves.The iceberg towers over houses on a promontory in the village of Innaarsuit but it is grounded and has not moved overnight, state broadcaster KNR reported.A danger zone close to the coast has been evacuated and people have been moved further up a steep slope where the settlement lies, a Greenland police spokesman told Reuters.“We can feel the concern among the residents.

07 Mar 2017

Consolidation Not Enough to Save Box Shippers -Study

File photo: Hamburg SĂĽd

The outlook for global container carriers remains rocky at the outset of 2017, according to a new study by AlixPartners. Hanjin Shipping Co.’s bankruptcy in 2016 sent shock waves through the industry, while Brexit and the new U.S. administration’s policies threaten to inject further uncertainty into the future of global trade. These stances could reverse policies that have supported the growth of containerization since the 1950s. Going into the important pricing season, companies need to do everything they can to retain the higher rates recently seen.

16 Jul 2015

Biofuels: Time Running Out for Tanker Owners

Photo: Rivertrace Engineering

New regulations on the carriage of biofuels could limit the trading flexibility of product tankers from next January, according to Rivertrace Engineering, Managing Director, Mike Coomber. This is because oil discharge monitoring equipment on board most existing vessels is not geared up to handle biofuels. From next January, Coomber warns that vessels without up-to-date type-approved equipment will not even make it on to charterers’ shortlists because they will no longer be eligible to carry biofuel cargoes. The regulations are embodied in IMO Resolution MEPC.108(49) as amended by MEPC.240(65).

04 Dec 2014

The McAllister Towing Legacy

McAllister Towing has left an indelible mark on U.S. maritime history, from its formative years to the delivery of three modern, state-of-the-art workhorses this year, including Buckley McAllister (pictured right), Eric McAllister and Tate McAllister.

In 1864 Abraham Lincoln was president, and the U.S. was embroiled in the midst of civil war. In 1864, McAllister Towing was established (originally as the Greenpoint Lighterage Co.) in New York City. McAllister Towing has persevered, and at times, served, through nine wars, 28 presidents, at least three catastrophic stock market crashes; collapsing oil prices, generations of advances in ship technology and vessel construction and design; and an explosion in maritime regulation.

13 Oct 2014

Volvo Ocean Race: Leg 1 Preview

©Volvo Ocean Race

B&G, official supplier to The Volvo Ocean Race, has teamed up with journalist and author Mark Chisnell to create a series of weekly blogs providing behind the scenes insights into the race’s tactics and results. Starting with a preview of the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 from Alicante to Cape Town, the former America’s Cup Navigator, sailing journalist, marine electronics expert and author will provide B&G with exclusive weekly, in-depth technical analysis of the action as it unfolds on the racecourse.

23 Apr 2014

Cool Runnings: R.W. Fernstrum's Engineered Solutions

Big, modern OSVs have been a good source of business for R.W. Fernstrum, both in it traditional gridcooler keel cooler business as well as the WEKA Fernstrum Boxcoolers. Pictured above is Edison Chouest’s Ted Smith, with its Fernstrum Gridcooler Keel Coolers shown directly above. (Photo: Edison Chouest)

A hallmark of the global maritime industry is the proliferation of smaller, family founded and managed businesses. R.W. Fernstrum is one such company: a ubiquitous presence for more than 65 years providing engineered cooling solutions to maritime and offshore markets. MR  went to Menominee, MI, to meet with Sean Fernstrum and his team for insights on the unique products it produces and the markets it serves. R.W. Fernstrum & Company of Menominee, Mich., is a leader in engineering and manufacturing keel cooling technologies…

12 Sep 2013

Danger Lurking: Above & Below the Surface

Feds issue Interim Guidelines for reefing old rigs at the same time that NOAA identifies myriad potentially polluting shipwrecks. Salvage opportunities abound. In late June, the U.S. Interior Department revised its interim policy for defunct, offshore oil-and-gas platforms, making it easier to turn them into artificial reefs under an initiative by the agency’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement or BSEE. Separately, and at virtually the same time, a new NOAA report that examines national oil pollution threat from shipwrecks has been presented to the U.S. Coast Guard.

05 Apr 2004

Offshore: OTC Announces Technology Winners

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) announces 15 winners for its inaugural Spotlight on New Technology Program. These winners are recognized before, during and after the 35th annual OTC, 3-6 May, Reliant Center at Reliant Park in Houston. New Technology program, " said Rod Allan, OTC .04 Chairman. Applications for the Spotlight on New Technology were distributed at OTC .03 and were due 9 January 2004. Submissions had to meet four criteria: new and innovative, proven, broad interest, and significant impact. Winners will be recognized on site at this year's conference, scheduled May 3-6, on the exhibition floor and in the registration area. Spotlight on New Technology will continue as an annual recognition program coinciding with OTC.

09 Aug 2004

STILL FIGHTIING FIRES AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

How much water has flowed under the bridge since 1938? Well, for starters, the bridge itself - in this case, the Verrazano-Narrows - wasn't even built yet. We had no PCs, no CDs, no LPs, not even TVs in 1938. Manhattan's shore ended at West Street, which bristled with steamboats and their docks. Hundreds of daily arrivals brought people and cars and horse-drawn wagons across the North River, from the Garden State and the terminals of powerful railroads. Containerization, like cartridgization and cassetization, were yet to be thought of, and so were containerports. So was the strip of the Kill known as gasoline alley, and events it would sponsor - the Exxon/Mobil blast a year and a half ago…

31 Aug 2007

USS Alabama Returns To Water After Dry Dock Period

The Ohio-class nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine USS Alabama (SSBN-731) is being moved "dead-stick" in the sound by a flotilla of tug boats with Mount Rainer in background. U.S. Navy photographed by Mr. By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (AW/NAC) Eric J. Rowley, Fleet Public Affairs Center Det. USS Alabama (SSBN 731) is officially floating again after its 20-month dry-dock period ended Aug. 21. The Alabama was officially dry-docked Jan. 18, 2006. Overall maintenance is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2008, which means the Alabama should be ready to start sea trials, finish the recertification process and return to the Navy as an operational unit. “This is a huge step and a key event,” said Lt. Gary Dunn, Alabama engineering refueling overhaul coordinator (EROC).

20 Mar 2006

Book Review: Tugboats of New York

"Tugboats of New York" is one of those rare constructions where everything works just about perfectly. The text is insightfully, appreciatively, and masterfully written. The illustrations are informative, handsome, and sometimes — deliberately, one gathers, given some of the credits — quite beautifully artistic. The photo captions are detailed and often lengthy, turning the book into sort of an A-V show on paper. And what paper. The stock is coated and 60-lb. heavy, bright, easy on the eyes, apparently formulated to last the next century or two. The illustrations glisten with a sheen more reminiscent of actual photographic prints than something screened into a book.

09 Sep 2002

Recent Wärtsilä Four-Stroke Engine Developments

Wärtsilä has focused its technological developments in this realm on three main areas: Common-rail fuel injection for heavy-fuel engines; Humidification methods for reduction of NOx; and Dual-fuel engines with micro pilot. Long-term research on the concepts hot combustion for combined cycles and steam injected diesel is also going on. Three engine types, i.e. the Wärtsilä 46, Wärtsilä 38 and Wärtsilä 32 have - so far - been made available for the common-rail injection systems. The pilot engine, which sails onboard the Carnival Spirit, has to date gathered more than 3,500 hours of operational experience, and the Wärtsilä 46 test engine has more than 3,000 hours as well.

05 May 2003

The Big One: L.A. Fireboat 2

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) has accepted its new fireboat, L.A. Fireboat 2, which is the largest in the U.S. according to its length of 105 ft. (32 m) and a fire-fighting capacity of more than 10,300 cu. m. /hr. Built to replace the 75-year-old Ralph J. Scott, it was designed by Robert Allan Ltd. And constructed in 18 months by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders. The basic principle of this ship was developed by Voith Schiffstechnik, Germany and it is based on the Voith Water Tractor. During fire fighting the pumps are running with 70 percent of the main engine power and the remaining 30% are sufficient for the vessel to maintain an exact position. The vessel has a unique hull form developed by Robert Allan Ltd.