Hopper Barge

Inland Salvage Completes Salvage of Sunken Barge

Inland Salvage Inc. Completes Lightering and Salvage Operations of Sunken Hopper Barge. Inland Salvage Inc.recently completed the removal of approximately 1000 tons of structural scrap steel from a sunken hopper barge and subsequent salvage of the barge which had been obstructing a loading dock on the Mississippi River near LaPlace, LA. Immediately upon being notified by the dock's owner that Inland Salvage Inc. (ISI) had been appointed as the salvor, ISI responded to the sinking of the 195' hopper barge laden with 1,000 tons of scrap metal when the barge sank. ISI quickly mobilized salvage equipment and personnel and were on scene within 3 hours of receiving the notice to commence operations.    A dive survey was conducted and the casualty was found to be buckled, sitting on the river bottom, and listing to port 6 feet. The casualty was buckled 90 feet aft of the bow head log. The barge was found to be resting on river bottom with bow up river and hull parallel to the dock. There was approximately 35 feet of water over the top of cargo bin wall. Due to previously scheduled incoming vessels, time was of the essence.   Inland Salvage Inc. crews conducted 24hr operations, lightering scrap metal from the sunken barge and performing dive surveys throughout the 9 day evolution. Once ISI dive teams and the salvage master determined the majority of scrap had been recovered

Shearer & Assoc., Bristol Harbor Form The Shearer Group

Ed Shearer, P.E., President of Shearer & Assoc., Inc., and Greg Beers, P.E., President of Bristol Harbor Group, Inc., have announced the formation of The Shearer Group, Inc., a new corporate entity that will provide naval architecture, marine engineering, marine surveying and professional engineer services to clients in the inland and offshore marine industry. The Shearer Group, Inc. is a combination of the best of what Mr

Bollinger To Construct Double Hull

Bollinger Marine Fabricators, Amelia, La. has signed a contract to construct a pair of 250-ft. (76.2 m), double hull, jumbo coastwise service, single rake hopper barges for Tide Leasing of Birmingham, Ala. With construction already having begun on the first barge, the building of the second vessel will begin in August. Both are scheduled for a November 2000 delivery. With a depth of 14 ft. (4.2 m) each, 52.5 ft. (16 m) beam and 11.5 ft. (3.5 m) maximum draft, the vessels will be built with

Brownsville Marine Products Hopes to Cash In

According to the Tribune Review, an aging barge fleet coupled with high scrap steel pricing and demand from the biodiesel and ethanol industries has launched a barge-building boom, the likes of which hasn't been seen since the 1970s, industry experts say. Brownsville Marine Products, LLC, of Fayette County, hopes to cash in on the construction boom, and is building barges as it can, carrying on a tradition of barge building on that stretch of the Monongahela River that began with the old

News: Mobex/Watercom, StarTrak Make Connection

Mobex Network Services (also known as Watercom), a provider of ship-to-shore communications in the inland waterways, and StarTrak LLC, a provider of wireless supply chain management services, have partnered to deliver mobile asset management solutions to the marine industry. Under this agreement, MOBEX will distribute StarTrak's products and services in the marine market throughout North America. StarTrak recently introduced the wireless communications product BargeTrak

Manson Christens New Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge

Manson Construction Co. recently christened the newest edition to its dredging fleet, a trailing suction hopper dredge dubbed Bayport, at the company's yard on the Duwamish river in Seattle. Bayport is a larger sister ship to Manson's current self-propelled hopper dredge Newport, with an overall size of 303 x 54 x 26-ft. and 5,000 cu. yard capacity. Construction of Bayport was a fast track project for the company. The dump barge hull was reconstructed to become this self-propelled

Alabama Shipyard Wins Hopper Dredge Contract

Alabama Shipyard has contracted with Manson Construction Co. to build a hopper dredge at its facility in Mobile, Alabama. The 12,000 cubic yard hopper dredge, designed by Hal Hockema & Associates of Seattle, Washington, has a length of 390-ft, breadth 76-ft and depth of 30-ft. Engineering and Planning for the hopper dredge has already begun at the facility on Pinto Island. Steel cutting will begin in November 2004 with delivery slated for October 2005.

Alstom Chosen For Innovative Hopper Dredge Project

A new niche for Alstom to equip the first 8,500 cu. m. hopper dredge with electric propulsion. Alstom Power Conversion has been awarded a contract by E.N. Bazan-Juliana Constructora Gijonesa SA to equip the new 8,500 cu. m. hopper dredge for Dragages-Ports. Alstom will supply diesel electric power and propulsion systems including main generators, a 6.6 kV switchboard, distribution transformers and two synchronous motors each of 2,500 kW @ 1,500 rpm supplied through synchroconverters.

GAO Report Examines Corps Restrictions on Hopper Dredges

The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) issued a report entitled -'Corps of Engineers Effects of Restrictions on Corps Hopper Dredges Should be Comprehensively Analyzed

This Day in Naval History – Jan 6

1916 - First enlisted flight training class at Pensacola, FL 1942 - Japanese capture 11 Navy Nurses in Manila, Philippines 1967- Operation Deckhouse V begins in Mekong Delta, Vietnam. 1996 - USS Hopper, named for RADM Grace Hopper, commissioned. (Source: Navy News Service)