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Barge Fleet News

27 Feb 2024

Centerline Logistics Acquires Tugs and Barges from JMB Shipping

(File photo: Centerline Logistics)

Seattle-based maritime transportation provider Centerline Logistics announced it has acquired a fleet of four liquid tank barges and four tugboats from maritime asset holding company JMB Shipping.The deal closed on February 23, and its terms were not disclosed. Prior to the acquisition, JMB Shipping was owned by JMB Capital Partners Lending, an investment firm that bid $115 million in 2021 to purchase a portion of Bouchard Transportation's tug and barge fleet after the New York-based marine transport company went bankrupt.

24 Jan 2024

Seaside LNG Performs US Gulf Coast's First Ship-to-ship LNG Bunkering

Seaside LNG's bunkering barge Clean Jacksonville is now operating in Galveston, Texas. (Photo: Seaside LNG)

Seaside LNG announced its liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering barge Clean Jacksonville delivered fuel to Carnival cruise ship Carnival Jubilee in Galveston, Texas, marking the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering delivery along the U.S. Gulf Coast.The bunkering operation took place on December 30, 2023, after months of careful coordination with all parties involved, including the Port of Galveston, Seaside LNG said.The 2,200 cubic meter bunkering barge Clean Jacksonville, previously stationed in Florida…

17 Jan 2024

Menoyo Joins Great Lakes Towing Company in VP Role

Salvadore Menoyo (Photo: The Great Lakes Towing Company)

The Great Lakes Towing Company (GLT) has hired Salvadore Menoyo for its business development team.Sal has been named Vice President-Special Projects, reporting to Joe Starck, President of GLT. He will be based in Jacksonville, Fla. and use his extensive experience and expertise to identify, develop and manage new business opportunities on the East Coast, including the Gulf and Puerto Rico. In this new role, Menoyo will work with internal and external customers and build relationships with partners and other prospects to bring value and growth to the company.Menoyo…

28 Dec 2023

Workboat Power: Alternatives Join Diesel to Power Current—and Future—Vessels

Crowley’s new electric tug eWolf is being built by Master Boat Builders for scheduled delivery in 2024. (Image: Crowley)

Analysts and commentators are quick to point out that fossil fuels will power maritime equipment, and indeed dominate the fueling marketplace, well into the future. However, they will do so alongside new fuels, and new technologies, that will be introduced to the maritime sector in the coming years. In its September, 2023 report “Beyond the Horizon: View of the Emerging Energy Value Chains”, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) explains that, “During the recent 80th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80)…

21 Dec 2023

ACBL Names Schappell SVP of Logistics & Network Operations

Steve Schappell (Photo: ACBL)

Jeffersonville, Ind. based marine transportation company American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) announced Steve Schappell has been appointed Senior Vice President of Logistics and Network Operations after entering the role on an interim basis in September.Schappell, who joined ACBL in July 2021 as Vice President of Supply Chain and Continuous Improvement, was selected for the position over several external candidates, the company said.Reporting directly to ACBL CEO Mike Ellis, Schappell is responsible for ACBL's Fleets, Terminals, and Interchange business unit.

08 Nov 2023

Seaside LNG and Carnival Corporation Partner to Fuel LNG-Powered Cruise Ship in Galveston

Credit:HenSti/Wikimedia Commons - CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED

Seaside LNG and Carnival Corporation have entered into a term bunkering agreement to fuel the Carnival Jubilee, the first LNG-propelled cruise ship to call Galveston, Texas, its homeport.Seaside’s barge, the Clean Jacksonville, will move from Jacksonville, Florida, to operate out of Galveston and serve the Texas Gulf Coast with its first LNG delivery to the Carnival Jubilee in December 2023. With the assistance of the Port of Galveston, Seaside aligned all stakeholders to ensure the proper infrastructure is in place to begin the operation this winter.Initially…

07 Mar 2023

Campbell Acquires NGL's Towboat and Barge Fleet

Houston, Penn.-based Campbell Transportation Company, Inc. (CTC) on Monday announced it has signed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire the majority of the marine assets owned by NGL Marine, LLC, a subsidiary of Tulsa, Okla.-based NGL Energy Partners LP.The $111.65 million cash deal, which is expected to be finalized by the end of March, includes a fleet of 13 towboats and 25 tank barges that provide waterborne transportation of refined products and crude oil for customers on the Gulf Coast, NGL said. A majority of the fleet will go to Campbell, and another portion will go to an unnamed buyer.For Campbell, the acquisition marks another step forward in its strategic plan to diversify its marine business line, the company said in a statement.

09 Feb 2023

TOTE Sells LNG Bunker Barge to Seaside LNG

A file photo of the LNG bunker barge Clean Jacksonville at JAXPORT's Blount Island Marine Terminal (Photo: JAX LNG)

Seaside LNG announced the acquisition of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling barge the Clean Jacksonville from TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, LLC, a subsidiary of TOTE Group, LLC.Seaside LNG’s maritime transportation company, Polaris New Energy, has contracted to continue fueling TOTE’s Marlin Class LNG-powered containerships and other commercial customers with its fleet of LNG bunker barges. The Clean Jacksonville recently reached a significant milestone having successfully completed…

19 Dec 2022

How Climate Change is Altering River Shipping

© Rob Sheppard/Danita Delimont / Adobe Stock

Rivers are critical corridors that connect cities and ecosystems alike. When drought develops, water levels fall, making river navigation harder and more expensive.In 2022, water levels in some of the world’s largest rivers, including the Rhine in Europe and the Yangtze in China, fell to historically low levels. The Mississippi River fell so low in Memphis, Tennessee, in mid-October that barges were unable to float, requiring dredging and special water releases from upstream reservoirs to keep channels navigable.Conditions on the lower Mississippi may be easing somewhat…

28 Nov 2022

Middle River Marine Acquires Kindra Lake Towing

Mokena, Ill. based Middle River Marine, LLC announced it has struck a deal to acquire the assets of Chicago's Kindra Lake Towing LP.With the acquisition, Middle River will expand its affreightment, towing, fleeting and terminal services to customers on the Illinois Waterways, including Lake Michigan. The agreement will expand MRM’s bulk material logistic operations with the addition of five vessels, marine equipment and a harbor slip in South Chicago.“Our people make the difference and we’re happy to welcome new coworkers to expand the MRM team,” said Aaron Halcomb, president of Middle River Marine. “For our customers, this further extends our ability to economically…

19 Jul 2022

Subchapter M Phase-in Period Draws to a Close

© Drew / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday marked the end of the four-year Subchapter M certificate of inspection (COI) phase-in period for U.S.-registered towing vessels. Subchapter M, the United States regulatory code dealing with towing vessels and requirements for towing vessel safety, has officially been in place since July 2016, when the U.S. Coast Guard finalized the long-awaited Sub M rulemaking. The first COIs were issued in 2018, and all of the more than 5,000 U.S. domestic towing vessels must have valid COIs on board by July 19…

01 Jul 2022

Shipbuilding: Ingram Marine Christens Four Towboats in One Day

Image courtesy  Ingram Marine Group

On June 24, Ingram Marine Group held a special christening ceremony for four vessels: M/V Capt. Roy Daniels, M/V Randy Hooper, M/V Debbie L. Owen and M/V Harold B. Warren. The M/V Debbie L. Owen and M/V Capt. Roy Daniels are new builds. The M/V Randy Hooper and M/V Harold B. Warren are refurbished vessels.“The people we are honoring today are a testament to the kind of company we’ve worked hard to build. They really represent the ‘Ingram Way’ which is why it is so fitting to christen some of our vessels in their honor…

25 Apr 2022

New Routines on the Bridge in the Digital World

(Photo: Vane Brothers)

Like every sector of cargo and passenger shipping, “digitalization”—where computerized processes are replacing onboard routines previously handled manually— is an ongoing trend coastwise, on the waterways and harbors. Regulatory compliance, especially with Subchapter M for towing vessels, has also driven choices of onboard equipment with digital interfaces to software and online platforms for record-keeping and for generating inputs for forms and documents.Improved performance has also shaped the capabilities of equipment in the wheelhouse and the view from the bridge.

07 Mar 2022

Recovery, Resilience and Demand Shifts to Drive Inland Waterway Cargo Flows

(Photo: Blessey Marine Services)

Waterway traffic is coming back. November 2021 saw 52.1 million tons moving on the U.S. inland waterway system, the highest monthly tonnage since October 2019, a few months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the shutdowns and stoppages of early 2020. Flows estimated by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, based on data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) show a 25% rise from June 2020. Data in a presentation by The Waterways Council Inc (WCI)…

10 Jan 2022

Maritime Partners Promotes Livingston to COO

Eric Livingston (Photo: Maritime Partners)

Metairie, La. based Maritime Partners, LLC has promoted Eric Livingston to the position of COO.Livingston joined the towboat leasing company as executive vice president in 2019 and has previously held leadership positions at Citizens Asset Finance, GATX Corporation and ATEL Capital Group.In December, Maritime Partners announced it acquired the towboat and barge fleet of J. Russell Flowers, Inc., making it the largest lessor of marine equipment in the United States.The company is also behind a project to develop the industry's first methanol-fueled towboat, set to hit the water in 2023.

20 Sep 2021

Expect the Unexpected on the Inland Waterways

Among transportation planners, “resilience”, describing the ability to bounce back from adversities, both economic and other, has become a top consideration as we increasingly must “expect the unexpected.” The U.S. waterway system, covering the network of inland rivers and coastwise waterways, has seen a mix of good and not so good. As the 2020-2021 pandemic moves toward winding down, a recovery from the dismal 2020 is underway, but activity on the rivers is uneven. Ken Eriksen…

22 Mar 2021

Op/Ed: All Hands On Deck to Tackle Decarbonization Today

Q-LNG 4000, the first offshore LNG bunkering ATB in the U.S. (Photo: Shell)

Without action from the shipping sector to decarbonize, the sector will be responsible for approximately 17% of global CO2 emissions by 2050. And given the scale of the change required, we must address this now. Across the industry, many are wrestling with what steps to take to drive their decarbonization journeys.Last year, Shell and Deloitte published a joint report, Decarbonizing Shipping: All Hands on Deck, assessing the key factors affecting decarbonization of the shipping sector.

20 Jan 2021

Crowley Wins Arctic Fuel Distribution Contract

(Photo: Crowley)

The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency-Energy (DLA-Energy) has awarded Crowley Solutions a five-year, $15 million contract for fuels transportation and distribution services for the Canada North Warning System locations supporting the nations’ joint security efforts.Serving the Canadian arctic region, Crowley will provide ocean transportation of Aviation Turbine, Kerosene Type Jet A-1 w/FSII & CI to stations across the region, leveraging decades of experience in the Arctic. Services…

18 Nov 2020

US Inland Waterways: High Waters & Swirling Currents

(Photo: Ingram Barge)

The inland waterway system, flowing through the United States heartland, is a microcosm of all that has been happening in 2020: trade tensions, infrastructure issues, shifting trends in fuel consumption and the pandemic that has gripped us since the winter months. Shortly after the initial coronavirus outbreak here in the U.S., maritime workers were deemed to be “essential”, paving the way for cargo flows to recover from their springtime nadir. As COVID-19 infections turned up on U.S. shores, the boats continued plying the waterways, albeit with reduced volumes in some cases.

02 Apr 2020

Kirby Completes Savage Fleet Acquisition

(Photo: Savage)

Houston-based Kirby Corporation said Thursday it has completed the acquisition of Savage Inland Marine’s inland towboat and tank barge fleet. The total consideration paid was approximately $278 million and was financed with additional borrowings. Savage’s fleet consists of 46 inland towboats and 90 tank barges with approximately 2.5 million barrels of capacity. Savage primarily moves petrochemicals, refined products, and crude oil on the lower Mississippi River, its tributaries…

12 Mar 2020

CITB Adds Shallow-draft Tug in Alaska

(Image: CITB)

Cook Inlet Tug and Barge (CITB) is adding a versatile shallow draft tugboat, the Bristol Wind, to its fleet in mid-April. The uniquely designed tug will join her sister vessel, the Capt. Frank Moody, in support of the construction, and oil and gas industries' remote cargo transportation needs along the Arctic coastline."Drawing just 3.2 feet, the Bristol Wind is uniquely designed to operate efficiently as a coastal tug. She has the unique ability to lighten the draft when water…

30 Jan 2020

Kirby to Acquire Savage Inland Marine Fleet

(Photo: Savage)

Houston-based Kirby Corporation said it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Savage Inland Marine's towboat and tank barge fleet for approximately $278 million in cash and the assumption of leases.Kirby will acquire Savage's inland fleet consisting of 46 towboats and 90 tank barges with approximately 2.5 million barrels of capacity, primarily used for transporting petrochemicals, refined products and crude oil on the Mississippi River, its tributaries and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

21 Aug 2019

C&C Marine Celebrates 100th Barge Blasted

Photo: C&C Marine

Just nine months after opening their new Robotic Paint and Blasting facility C&C Marine and Repair has announced the blasting of its 100th barge. “We knew we had the capability to blast and paint barges quickly and efficiently, but what we’ve been able to accomplish in these first nine months has exceeded our expectations in both speed and quality of blast” says C&C Marine and Repair’s owner, Tony Cibilich. The 83,350 square foot facility can accommodate barges up to 320’x75’ and has the capability to blast and paint a standard 30…

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