Mississippi River Cruise
Mississippi River Restrictions Lifted
Coast Guard Captain of the Port Captain Sharon Richey, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River, issued an order today lifting the restrictions on vessel traffic transit through the affected area of the Mississippi River at the Interstate 35 Bridge collapse site here. The bridge was closed at mile marker 853.2, due to salvage and debris removal operations. All mariners are urged to exercise extreme caution when transiting this area and to monitor marine channel 16 for future river updates.
Mississippi River Drought Mayors to Meet
20 Mayors to discuss severe weather implications for Mississippi River sustainability & need for regional co-operation. Spurred by the severe drought and Hurricane Isaac, Mayors from towns and cities along the Mississippi River will participate in a press briefing to discuss a mayoral-led effort to bring national attention back to the Mississippi River—America’s most critical natural asset—and spearhead a new level of regional cooperation to make it more
Mississippi River Delays Begin to Ease
Delays at locks along the Mississippi River were easing on June 1 as a glut of northbound barges that congested locks after the river reopened last week made their way upriver, river officials said. Locks 24 and 25 in Winfield and Clarksville, Mo., the last two and most southerly locks to be reopened last Wednesday after a month-long river closure, were initially hit with back-ups of as many as 30 barge tows and delays of close to 40 hours, officials said.
PVA Elects New President, Officers,Board
PVA members, during the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2010 in Tampa, Fla., elected Kevin Stier as President. Captain Stier is owner of River Cruises, Scales Mound, Ill.. River Cruises operates the 149 passenger Riverboat Twilight that offers two-day overnight cruises on the Upper Mississippi River. A longtime member of the PVA Regulatory Committee, Captain Stier has been a member of the PVA Board of Directors since 2003 and has served as PVA Vice-President and PVA
American Cruise Lines Welcomes Wave Season 2013
A strong start to the season, American Cruise Lines experiences record sales. American Cruise Lines (www.americancruiselines.com), a U.S. cruise company, announced today record sales at the start of what it is predicting will be its strongest Wave Season to date. Each of the past four weeks has broken previous company sales records during Wave Season, with last week being the most successful sales week in the company’s entire history.
The Mighty Teeny Mississippi
Just as the nation averted the fiscal cliff, it looks as if the inland waterways industries narrowly escaped its own fiscal waterfall. At press time, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicates that, despite record low water levels, the Mississippi River will be able to sustain navigation through the spring for towboats and barges. This is welcome news for shippers, operators and the U.S. economy that relies upon a robust export market facilitated by the waterways transportation system
Mississippi River Proposed Anchorage Regs
The U.S. Coast Guard will hold a public meeting to receive comments on the proposed amendment to regulations relating to the Kenner Bend Anchorage on the Lower Mississippi River. The meeting will be on September 13 in New Orleans. The amendment, as proposed, would prohibit vessels in the anchorage from engaging in cargo transfer operations or exercising shipboard equipment such as cranes or booms. 70 Fed. Reg. 45607 (HK Law)
Ice Melt Aids Mississippi Navigation
Ice melt and rising water levels on the Illinois and upper-Mississippi rivers improved barge movement but traffic was backed up near Alton, Illinois, after the Melvin Price lock reopened, officials said Thursday. The Melvin Price auxiliary lock on the upper-Mississippi River near Alton began locking tows at 7 p.m. on Wednesday after closing the lock on Monday to flush ice from the dam. "They're not finished flushing ice but they are locking because most of the heavy ice has passed
Mississippi Dredging To Continue In Low Water
Low water on the upper Mississippi River will continue to prompt dredging activities to promote safe navigation of barges and other vessels in coming months, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. The Corps, which operates locks and dams and oversees river conditions on U.S. interior waterways, said in a statement that it met with commercial shippers and U.S. Coast Guard officials on Thursday to discuss problems being caused by low water.
Op Big Tow - No Discrepancies So Far
Personnel from Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River have contacted and safety-checked more than 74 towing vessels and examined 310 mariner licenses and have found no discrepancies in the early phases of Operation Big Tow in the upper Mississippi River region. Operation Big Tow, a national initiative that began in the upper Mississippi River region Saturday, is using safety spot checks, vessel and operator credential examinations
Flooding Halt Mississippi River Barge Service
The U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers said that record floods will continue to obstruct barges on the Illinois River and parts of the Mississippi River until at least early next week, Reuters reported. Ten locks were closed on the Mississippi River and four on the Illinois River
E.N. Bisso Selects MarineCFO Software
MarineCFO, a provider of software solutions to the marine transportation industry and a division of Verticalive Inc., announced that E.N. Bisso & Son, Inc., has chosen to implement the full MarineCFO Enterprise software suite, including personnel, pperations, maintenance, and vessel live.
Viking Goes Blue Water
Viking Cruises launch Viking Ocean Cruises, the first new cruise line in nearly a decade. Developed from the ground up to return the focus of cruising to the destination, Viking Ocean Cruises will begin sailing in May 2015 with its first vessel—Viking Star—embarking on maiden voyages
New Fireboats Headed to Houston
A two-week voyage through four Great Lakes and the Mississippi River will bring to the Port of Houston Authority the first of three high-performance fireboats to replace the current fleet. "As the nation's busiest port in terms of foreign tonnage and home to one of the world's largest
Viking River Cruises Sets World Record: 10 Ships Inaugurated in One Day
Viking River Cruises (www.vikingrivercruises.com) set a world record with the christening of 10 new Viking Longships. Reported to be the first-of-its-kind simultaneous christening ceremony in Amsterdam debuted the ships: Viking Aegir, Viking Atla, Viking Bragi, Viking Embla, Viking Forseti
Insights: James Hannon USACE Chief, Operations and Regulatory Division
Jim Hannon is Chief, Operations and Regulatory Division for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). He also provides leadership and oversight for activities within the USACE Lakes and Rivers and North Atlantic Regional Integration Teams. Hannon is a member of the Society of American Military
What a Difference a Year Makes
Channel and water management will become increasingly important for freshwater supplies and trade in the years to come. The work and our vigilance must continue. The present conditions on the Lower Mississippi River find the deep-draft channel from Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico in good shape
River Cruise Growth Spurs Dutch Shiprepair Orders
In response to growth in the inland waterwaty cruising market, De Hoop's Lobith shipyard has recently expanded its repair and service facilities. This year De Hoop Shiprepair anticipates an impressive series of vessels to visit the yard for major or minor modifications
'Carnival Triumph' Blown off Berth in Repair Shipyard
Strong winds parted the cruise ship's moorings in the BAE shipyard, setting her adrift in the Mobile River until assisted by tugs. One shipyard worker reported missing and is being searched for by Coast Guard Sector Mobile, while one other employee was recovered safely.
WCI Executives Endorse Senate Waterway Bills
Waterways Council, Inc.’s (WCI) Executive Committee has endorsed two Senate waterways bills introduced by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL): “Mississippi River Navigation Sustainment Act” (S. 565) and “Water Infrastructure Now Public-Private Partnership Act” (WIN P3) (S
WCI Reacts to President's Budget Proposal
The US Waterways Council Inc. (WCI) has mixed feelings about the impact on their sector of President Obama's FY 2014 budget proposals. WCI's initial views were as follows: This budget is steady-state with the overall funding level essentially the continuation of the post-sequester level
WCI Reacts to Obama’s FY ’14 Budget Request
Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) reacted to the FY 2014 budget request made by President Obama as follows: • This budget is steady-state with the overall funding level essentially the continuation of the post-sequester level for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works Program at $4
A New Era in Fleeting
Ship docking tugs now take the Z-drive for granted, but it has found only limited acceptance for river towboats. That is about to change with a new boat being built for The Carline Companies at Raymond and Associates in Bayou LaBatre. One of the Carline companies is the Burnside Fleet located at
Drought Stricken Mississippi Now Flooding
Seven Mississippi River locks between Muscatine, Iowa, and Saverton, Missouri, expected to close as water-level rises. The closures of Locks 16 through 22 will effectively shut the river to commercial navigation from central Iowa to northern Missouri, reports Reuters, citing information from the U
ARTCO Turns to Class NK's SMSLLC for TSMS Help
SMSLLC to help leading tug and barge operator to prepare for new Towing Safety Management Regulation. Safety Management Systems LLC announced on April 18, 2013 that it has won a contract from American River Transportation Company (ARTCO) to assist the company to establish a Towing Safety