Ship Carrying 3,000 Cars Burns off Dutch Coast, One Dead
A fire blazed on a cargo ship off the Dutch coast with nearly 3,000 vehicles on board on Wednesday, killing one member of the crew and injuring several others, the coastguard said.Several crew members were forced to jump overboard after the fire began on Tuesday night on the 199-metre (655-foot) Panama-registered Fremantle Highway as it was en route from Germany to Egypt.The Indian Embassy in the Netherlands said in a social media post the fire had "resulted in the death of an Indian seafarer and injuries to the crew", and that it was in touch with family of the deceased.
Lake Assault Boats Expands on US East Coast
Superior, Wis.based patrol, fire and rescue craft builder Lake Assault Boats has opened a 14,800 sq. ft. repair, service and maintenance facility in Portsmouth, Va. Marine industry veteran, Smokey Glover, along with his team of five highly regarded and experienced technicians (all formerly with Willard Marine) will lead and support the operation.The full-service operation will focus on repair, overhaul and maintenance services. The team can be dispatched on an as-needed basis to locations anywhere around the globe.âWe are beyond excited to add a large and well-equipped hub facilityâŚ
Bay Diesel Announces Leadership Change
For the first time since its inception in 1982, Bay Diesel has a new president. As voted by their Board of Directors in October 2020, the Senior VP of Sales Willard âRobâ Robins has taken on the role of President, with Scott Wheeler, founder and current president, transferring to a new position as the Chief Executive Officer.This transition has been 17 years in the making. Rob Robins joined Bay Diesel in July of 2003 as a Sales Engineer, having graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree in 1994 from UVA. Now, he is a certified instructor through the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
Marine News' Top Boats of 2020
This year, despite innumerable challenges and setbacks, a great number of new U.S.-flagged vessels made their way into service. In addition to Maid of the Mist's new electric tour boats James V. Glynn and Nikola Tesla featured Wednesday, the newbuilds highlighted below are some of the most noteworthy to come out of U.S. shipyards in 2020.DredgerU.S. dredging contractors have been adding tonnage in a big way. This Spring, Callan Marine added a significant piece to the U.S. fleet with its new Jones Act cutterhead suction dredge (CSD) General MacArthur.
Hanscom Named GM of Willard Marine
Boatbuilder Willard Marine announced Eugene Hanscom has been appointed general manager.The industry veteran came to Willard in May of 2020 as the director of finance. Prior to that he spent the last six years with Curtin Maritime, a Long Beach-based maritime construction services company, as vice president of finance. Hanscom got his start in the industry by gaining his USCG Masters License and operating charter fishing trips on various vessels berthing at Fishermanâs Landing, San Diego.âI look forward to steering Willard into the next generation of its long history of success.
AAM Builds Patrol Boat for Texas Parks and Wildlife
Shipbuilder All American Marine, Inc. (AAM) said it has launched an aluminum catamaran built to patrol Texas state and federal waters for the law enforcement division of Texas Parks and Wildlife. The 80â x 27â (OAL) Captain Murchison features twin CAT C18 ACERT D Engines, with Hamilton Jet HM 521 waterjets and is built to USCG Subchapter T standards. It is also the first vessel in North America to feature Hamilton Jetâs innovative Advanced Vessel Control (AVX) system. The new AVX features include both a station keeping and a JETanchor positioning system.
Partners Developing Electric Launch for Canaveral Pilots
Glosten said it is working with fellow naval architecture firm Ray Hunt Design and the Canaveral Pilots Association on a pilot/demonstration project for the design, construction and operation of an electric pilot boat.Marking a first for a pilot boat in the U.S., the vessel will feature a battery-electric propulsion system with an emergency âget homeâ diesel engine.During the feasibility-level engineering, the team established that a Ray Hunt hull form outfitted with a GlostenâŚ
Marine News Boat of the Month: October 2018
The Virginia-based pilots say that this Gladding Hearn-built workhorse checks all the boxes: safety, stability, reliability, service support, speed and efficiency.This is not your grandfatherâs pilot boat. The 55-foot Chesapeake class MKII launch built by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding was delivered to its station in Virginia Beach this summer, equipped with a range of state-of-the-art technologies for improved safety, stability, reliability and efficiency.Chief among Hampton Roadsâ high-tech features is its Volvo Penta propulsion system.
Maersk, IBM to Launch Blockchain Joint Venture
The worldâs largest container shipping firm A.P. Moller-Maersk is teaming up with IBM to create an industry-wide trading platform it says can speed up trade and save billions of dollars. The global shipping industry has seen little innovation since the container was invented in the 1950s, and cross-border trade still leaves an enormous trail of paperwork and bureaucracy. Success of the platform, which will be made available to the ocean shipping industry around mid-2018, depends on whether Maersk and IBM can convince shippersâŚ
Container Shippers Ordered to Testify in US Investigation
The U.S. Justice Department has ordered top executives from several container shipping lines to testify in an antitrust investigation into an industry that is the backbone of global trade, the companies said on Wednesday. The world's biggest container shipper, Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk, Germany's Hapag Lloyd, Taiwan-based Evergreen, Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) said their executives were among those who had been subpoenaed. The United States is concerned that the proposed alliances of several major companiesâŚ
USN Licenses Boat Design from Willard Marine
The United States Navy and Willard Marine have executed a licensing agreement for a Willard Marine boat design to serve as the guideline for the Navyâs new 11-meter rigid hull inflatable boat (RIB) government design. For 27 years, Willard Marine has designed and built U.S. Navy ship-board RIBs that are 7- and 11-meters in length featuring a wide variety of propulsion, deck and outfitting arrangements. This licensing agreement allows the U.S. Navy to utilize Willardâs Sea Force® 1100, U.S. Navy model RIB design to create an all new Navy 11-meter RIB. The new RIBs will be used in their American fleets around the world, and it enables select international militaries to purchase the vessels through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programs.
C. Raymond Hunt Associates Celebrates 50 Years
C. Raymond Hunt Associates, a boat design firm that continues to expand on the legacy of its founder, C. Raymond Hunt, to produce innovative boats with rugged seaworthiness, is now celebrating its 50th year. âRay Hunt was a genius, able to intuitively know how boats work and with the courage to experiment,â said C. Raymond Hunt Associates President, Winn Willard. âWe have taken Ray's ideas and applied them, honing our expertise and knowledge from the days of the early deep-v hulls. Now we have an 11-meter RIB on virtually every large ship in the U.S.
This Day In Naval History: June 17
1815 - Commodore Stephen Decatur's squadron engages the Algerian flagship Mashouda near Cape de Gatt, Spain. Though the Algerian frigate maneuvers actively to escape, she surrenders after 20 men, including her commander, are killed. 1833 - The ship of the line, USS Delaware, becomes the first warship to enter a public drydock in the United States when secured at Gosport Navy Yard in Portsmouth, Va. 1870 - Under the command of Lt. Willard H. Brownson, six boats from the steam sloop-of-war USS Mohican attack a group of pirates in the Teacapan River, Mexico.
British Gov't Met Potential Buyer for Tata Steel UK
The British government opened talks on Tuesday with potential buyers for Tata Steel's UK operations, including Sanjeev Gupta's commodities company Liberty Group, as it stepped up its battle to find a buyer for the loss-making business. Accused by opposition lawmakers of being "asleep at the wheel" when India's Tata Steel put its entire British operations up for sale last week, Prime Minister David Cameron also met ministers to discuss the options for a business which employs 15,000 people. Britain's business minister Sajid Javid met with Gupta in London to establish how firm his interest was in the business. He was later due to fly to Mumbai to meet Tata Chairman Cyrus Mistry to agree the process for a sale.
Willard Marineâs Twin Diesel RIB
Rigid hulled inflatable boats (RIBs) have come a long way since their initial development in the United Kingdom in the late 1960s. Long noted for their stability and safety in turbulent seas, they have found applications in rescue work and military settings. Willard Marine, Inc. of Anaheim, Calif. has a long history of conventional hulls and RIBs. They currently produce a variety of models and sizes of RIBs from 4.9-meters up to 11.07. As are all the firmâs RIBs, the SEA FORCE 1100 is available with either fiberglass or aluminum deep-V hulls.
Bureaucrat and Old Fungus Law Hold Egypt's Wheat Supplies Hostage
A global grain glut should make purchasing wheat cheap and easy for Egypt, the world's biggest importer, but traders say one bureaucrat has made it anything but. Saad Moussa, the head of the agricultural quarantine agency, refuses to let in a single grain of wheat infected with ergot, a common fungus that can lead to hallucinations and irrational behaviour in large quantities but at trace levels is of no harm to humans. Confusion over Egypt's position on ergot levels has disrupted wheat tenders, raising the possibility of a shortage of grain which could pose a political problem for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as the impoverished population relies on highly subsidised bread.
Willard Marine Delivers SOLAS 670 to U.S. Army
Willard Marine, Inc., recently delivered a SOLAS 670 rescue boat to the U.S. Army to serve aboard the USACE Dredge McFarland in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Outfitted with a Volvo Penta D3 220hp inboard engine paired with a Hamilton Jet HJ2274 water jet, the 22â 5â SOLAS rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) performs at speeds of up to 26.5 knots and accommodates nine passengers. A Cranston Eagle single-point lifting frame is incorporated into the SOLAS 670 to allow for a more dynamic launch and recovery system. Extensive safety features include a self-righting frame and a 40-ounce, UV-resistant polyurethane collar with a reinforced rub strake.
Oceanside Police Orders Crystaliner from Willard Marine
Willard Marine, Inc., a global leader in the manufacture of mission-proven boats, has received an order to produce a 33-foot, fiberglass harbor patrol boat for the Oceanside Police Department in California based on the iconic âCrystalinerâ boat design. The order from Oceanside Police Department marks the first Crystaliner to be purchased from Willard Marine since they acquired the licensing and manufacture rights from Crystaliner, which folded in 2012. Willardâs more contemporary Crystaliner design includes new electronic systems, upgraded hull construction and powerful firefighting features. With a length of 33 feet and beam over 10 feet, its large open deck space is ideal for search and rescue missions, law enforcement safety and firefighting operations.
NOAA Orders Research RHIB from Willard
Willard Marine, Inc.was awarded a contract by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to produce a 20â08â rigid hull inflatable boat for the Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) to facilitate their fisheries and marine mammal research in the Pacific region. Willard Marine will provide a slightly modified version of their SEA FORCE 730, a military-grade, aluminum, rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) that is designed with a deep-V hull for maximum stability in the roughest sea conditions. The 20â08â research RHIB designed for NOAA is constructed in accordance with ABYC standards and Subchapter S requirements, and is fitted with both lift fittings and a lift sling that are designed for hoisting 6,700-pounds of weight with a 6:1 weight ratio safety factor.
Willard Unveils New RHIB in Australia
Willard Marine, Inc. unveiled its new SEA FORCE 777 this week at the Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney, Australia. The military-grade, fiberglass, rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) is 7.77-meters long, 2.74-meters wide and designed with a deep-V hull. The Steyr SE306J38 diesel engine with ZF-63 marine gear powering a Hamilton Jet drive HJ-274 provides 300 horsepower for a nine-member crew and can achieve 32 knots. Nine Ullman Dynamics shock-mitigating seats are installed.
Willard to Build 3 Survey Ships for NOAA
Willard Marine informs it was awarded a contract to provide the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with three aluminum hydrographic survey launch ships (HSLs). The three 28-foot HSLs will be used to conduct oceanographic surveys with hull-mounted and towed sonar units in U.S. coastal waters. A Cummins QSC8.3 engine capable of 510 HP with a ZF Marine 305-2 transmission will be used to power the boats. Outfitted to support traditional manned survey operations, the HSLs will offer additional flexibility to add unmanned autonomous capability.
Willard Marine's Patrol Boats for Philippine National Police
The United States Department of State awarded a contract to Willard Marine, Inc., to provide the Philippine National Police Maritime Group with patrol vessels equipped to conduct search and rescue operations along Philippine maritime borders. This contract marks the third time Willard Marine has been chosen to provide military vessels to the Philippines. Willard has also developed boats recently for international military use by the Navy of Ukraine and the Nepalese Army. Willard Marine will provide the Philippine National Police Maritime Group with aluminum, 30-foot patrol boats with twin 480-hp engines and dual water jets, as well as 34-foot patrol boats with 600-hp engines and dual water jets.
Willard to Supply Patrol Boats for the Philippines
The U.S. Department of State awarded a contract to boatbuilder Willard Marine, Inc., to provide the Philippine National Police Maritime Group with patrol vessels equipped to conduct search and rescue operations along Philippine maritime borders. This contract marks the third time Willard Marine has been chosen to provide military vessels to the Philippines, the builder noted, adding it has also recently developed boats for international military use by the Navy of Ukraine and the Nepalese Army.