Riggers News

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has completed a major A$15.5 million two-year project to repair and rejuvenate essential aids to navigation (AtoNs) off the coast of Port Hedland, Western Australia.AMSA commissioned the works following Severe Tropical Cyclone Veronica in 2019, which caused significant damage to electrical equipment, access ladders, platforms, day markers and fenders.AMSA has replaced the top of 13 AtoNs, installed new platforms and above water pile sections…

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility employees and ship’s force worked together to repair the anchor windlass on USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in about a third of the time it took previously.The anchor windlass is comprised of motors, gears and other parts responsible for the controlled lowering and raising of the chain and anchor, which can weigh up to 200,000 pounds on a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. It's a difficult job that requires much planning and complicated execution.According to Shawn Carragher and Zac Malone…

For companies active in all parts of the commercial maritime sector, finding and holding onto the workers they need to build, operate and service the industry’s wide range of vessels has been challenging. Simply put, the labor market is tight, and the problem is not getting any easier to solve.Mike Ellis, CEO at American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL), said a continued shortage of qualified personnel has been the most pressing issue for ACBL—and probably for the barging industry as a whole. “There's been so much demand on people.

Bollinger Shipyards has begun fabrication at its newly acquired Mississippi repair facility, Bollinger Mississippi Repair, in preparation to refit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) Ship Ronald H. Brown, the largest ship in NOAA’s fleet. The overhaul is expected to extend the vessel's life, first launched in 1996, by an additional 15 years. Work is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2024.“Here on the Gulf Coast, we’re intimately familiar with the breadth and importance of NOAA’s mission…

Harland & Wolff welcomed 13 new apprentices to its flagship Belfast site as part of its very first ‘Apprentice Induction Day’.The scheme will run in line and with partnership from Northern Regional College and will see apprentices range from 17 - 28 years old, with a mixture of genders. Held on Friday, September 3, the day gave the newest recruits a chance to tour the site as well as learn more about the company’s heritage and significance within national and international maritime sectors.Harland & Wolff Apprenticeships are offered across three distinct functions…

U.S.-based Quark Expeditions has taken delivery of its new polar expedition cruise ship Ultramarine from the Brodosplit Shipyard in Croatia.The 128-meter Ultramarine has accommodations for 199 passengers in 103 cabins, plus 140 crew members. It features two twin-engine helicopters and two heliports as well as 20 quick-deploy Zodiacs for off-ship adventuring.Andrew White, president of Quark Expeditions, said, “Every aspect of Ultramarine has been designed and engineered to enable our teams to get guests off the ship and deep into the polar wilderness better than ever before.

Most yacht crew are compensated every payday, via wire transfer or check. But for some yachties, the only way to get paid is the hard way: by filing a lawsuit in federal court and literally arresting the megayacht for back pay owed.While many captains and crew are reluctant to initiate expensive litigation to arrest the boat they’ve served on, pursuing their seaman’s lien is the best route for compensation. If the legitimate amount due is well over $10,000, crew should stand on their rights and act on their valid claim immediately.

The Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigate, Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Montreal, arrived at Halifax Shipyard for a 53-week docking work period (DWP) that includes routine maintenance and upgrades to ensure the ships longevity.More than 400 Halifax Shipyard employees will work on HMCS Montreal DWP, including apprentice and journeyperson crane operators, electricians, engine fitters, ironworkers, joiners/stagers, labourers, material handlers, pipefitters, riggers, and welders, who are members of Unifor Local 1.HMCS Montreal is the third consecutive Halifax-class frigate from the Navy’s east coast fleet to enter the Halifax Shipyard’s graving dock for a DWP since 2016.

The 1914-built three-masted steel bark Statsraad Lehmkuhl is the oldest of the large square riggers still in operation today. The century-old tall ship, which is currently in use as a Norwegian sail-training ship, will be able to cruise out of Bergen harbor next year without any greenhouse gas emissions, thanks to a hybrid power system from Rolls-Royce. Norway’s state-owned company Enova, which works to facilitate the country’s transition to a low-emissions society, is providing just over NOK 4.2 million for an innovative project to equip the historic tall ship with shipboard battery power.

After a two-year restoration at historic Dry Dock 1 at Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston National Historical Park, America's oldest commissioned warship, USS Constitution was refloated July 23. Since entering dry dock on May 18, 2015, ship restorers from the Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment Boston, and teams of Constitution Sailors have worked tirelessly side-by-side to bring Old Ironsides back to her glory. Captain Robert S. Gerosa, Jr., commanding officer of Constitution, said he was proud of the hard work and dedication of his Sailors during the restoration. "The significance of the water coming in the dry dock is the start of the evolution," said Gerosa. "It's the start of getting Constitution back in the water.

U.S. shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) said the structure of nuclear-powered aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) is now 50 percent complete. The second Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier CVN 79 grew about 70 feet in length with the addition of the lower stern, which was recently lifted into place at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division. Like Ford, which was delivered to the Navy earlier this month, Kennedy is being built using modular construction, a process where smaller sections of the ship are welded together to form larger structural units (called “superlifts”)…

The shipbuilding and ship repairing industry has always been a core strength of our nation. It has enabled the United States to protect and project its prosperity, power and influence internationally. A book in my office signed by shipbuilder William Webb illustrates the point. Mr. Webb inherited his father’s shipyard in 1840 and built over 130 of the fastest clipper sailing vessels; he later built the largest and most celebrated steamships of his era. Those were glory years for the U.S. maritime industry, an era when the shipping industry was synonymous with American sovereignty.

International lifting and transport specialist Mammoet used 5t capacity automatic hooks from Elebia to keep riggers at safe distance and speed-up discharge of 1,000 industrial-sized ‘big bags’ from a Panamax ship at a port in Westdorpe, Holland in January. Mammoet, which has its own multi-purpose terminal further north at the mouth of the Ghent Canal in Terneuzen, will unload approximately 30,000t of bulk from the vessel every six weeks, as freight business continues to sprawl away from larger Antwerp ports further east.

Lifting Gear Hire (LGH) and Industrial Training International (ITI) have partnered to offer training for prospective rigging students. ITI will offer both network training courses – Rigging Gear Inspector Levels I & II and Lift Director & Critical Lift Planning – to students, faculty and seasoned professionals alike. Both courses will be taught inside Lifting Gear Hire’s warehouse in Bridgeview, Ill. where students will have access to LGH’s 100,000 square foot state-of-the-art warehouse which provides ample room for ITI classes of varying sizes.

Clyde Marine Services has taken delivery of its first Damen ASD Tug, the shipbuilder announced today. The Damen ASD 2310 has been named CMS Warrior, and she will join a 12-strong fleet of tugs and crew tenders at the Scottish company. Based in Greenock, Scotland, Clyde Marine Services was established in 1913 and has a long history of working with Damen vessels. The first experience of a Damen vessel was when the marine services company bought a Damen Pushy Cat in the mid-eighties. The fleet includes Damen Stan Tugs 1906 and 1907, as well as two Stan Tug 1s.

Vessels are stacked as Gulf oil operators retrench and day rates fall. In the Gulf of Mexico, vessels serving offshore oil-and-gas exploration and production are being stacked or idled as the rig count there declines. Oil companies are retrenching while crude prices remain weak, with smaller operators and the shallow-water sector scaling back the most. As the situation unfolds, MarineNews asked David Barousse, general manager at Fleet Operators, Inc., a marine transportation firm in Morgan City, La., for his take on today’s predicament and what the future holds.

Tall ship sailing specialist Star Clippers has announced that it has started building a fourth ship to add to its fleet of graceful square-riggers; its first new-build since the launch of Royal Clipper in July 2000. The new vessel, yet to be named, will be the biggest and most ambitious project to date and will be launched in the second half of 2017, carrying 300 passengers, measuring 8,770 tons and powered by more than 6,350 square meters of sails. The new ship will technically be a five-masted, square-rigged barque.

When a land-based contractor decides to work on water, risk can arise from unexpected places. It doesn’t have to be that way. In the past, companies involved in the marine industry, whether they were vessel operators, riggers, longshoremen, ship builders, repairers, or construction companies were, by and large, specialized and most companies focused on one niche aspect of the industry. Fast forward to 2015 and it is clear that our industry has changed. Today, there are fewer companies in the market with each company often doing business in multiple areas of specialty.

Preserving pristine Coral Reefs in a remote location is no small task, but also of big importance. Global Diving & Salvage shows how it is done. On June 19, 1991 officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were notified of a 121 foot long fishing vessel shipwrecked and hard aground in the coral reef on the Western Terrace of Palmyra Atoll. The wreck of the Taiwanese long line fishing vessel HUI FENG #1 lay deep into the reef in 20 feet of water, about one…

At 270 feet and weighing in at 1,646 tons, Coast Guard Cutter Thetis is equipped with the necessary equipment to perform law enforcement, search and rescue, homeland security and national defense missions. To stay mission ready, the ship’s equipment requires routine maintenance usually handled by the crew, but occasionally more attention is needed. Cue the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Md. One of the many specialized groups working at the yard is the ordnance shop’s MK75 planned depot maintenance team.

Mock-ups, practice and repetition are just some of the key elements of how AquaTerra’s Rope Access team prepare for any major job where there is the requirement to enter a potentially hazardous environment and the latest contract win for work within the concrete leg of an offshore platform is no exception. The Aberdeen Specialist Access company said it won the contract worth over £5 million based on their experience and history within these offshore structures, their proven track record with the client, their safety record and their quality assured and accredited credentials.

In-House Design Changes are no problem at Tampa Yacht Manufacturing. Whether of internal design and manufacture or tweaking of standard, commercially available off-the-shelf marine equipment, TYM went the extra yard for its customers. Built by Tampa Yacht Manufacturing, (TYM), the 36RHIB is the general purpose configuration of their versatile 36 foot platform; a proven design. Additional configurations of the 36RHIB include an Aft Helm Configured Fast Boarding Craft, as well as an Air Droppable variant. The FPC offers enhanced open water performance with a robust propulsion package, and includes key elements to facilitate mother ship interface. The 36RHIB is designed and built to IACS standards for Fast Patrol Vessels.

TQ Construction and Drilling Training Center Inaugurated in Dammam. Leading representatives from Saudi’s oil and gas sector gathered in Dammam on Thursday, February 27, to launch the newest Saudi Petroleum Services Polytechnic (SPSP), the Construction and Drilling Training Center. His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz attended the Inauguration, along with His Excellency, Eng. Ali Ibrahim Al-Naimi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources; Dr Ali Nasir Al-Ghofais, Governor of TVTC and His Excellency Mr Khalid Al-Falih, President and CEO of Saudi Aramco. The Construction and Drilling Training Center is the fourth SPSP to be opened in the Kingdom, with the original SPSP campus also located in Dammam, and other centers in Al Khafji and Rabigh.