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Tug Towing News

14 Mar 2022

Interview: Jennifer Carpenter, President & CEO, AWO

Jennifer Carpenter, President & CEO, The American Waterways Operators (Photo: AWO)

Jennifer Carpenter joined The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association representing the inland and coastal tugboat, towboat and barge industry, in August 1990 and became its president and CEO in January 2020. She weighs in some of the most important developments in the industry today, from “hugely exciting” opportunities in offshore wind , tech innovation and decarbonization, to labor and recruitment challenges.The recent Infrastructure bill is a huge boost for many industries…

17 Mar 2021

Interview: Jennifer Carpenter, AWO President & CEO

Jennifer Carpenter (Photo: AWO)

Jennifer Carpenter joined The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association representing the inland and coastal tugboat, towboat and barge industry, in August 1990 and became its president and CEO in January 2020. She weighs in on the unprecedented challenges encountered over the past year and addresses top priorities along the uncertain path ahead.The world has changed drastically in the year since you took the helm at AWO. How have priorities shifted, both…

12 Jun 2017

World’s Biggest Containership Eases into Felixstowe

The Madrid Maersk at Felixstowe's Berth 8 photographed by Captain Prithvi Singh, SCS pilot at Harwich Haven Authority, who piloted the Madrid Maersk out of Felixstowe.

The Madrid Maersk, the latest in a long line of record-breaking containerships, arrived on June 6, 2017 at the Port of Felixstowe’s newest quay, its first port of call in Northern Europe on its maiden voyage. As the world’s current biggest containership (weighing in at 214,286 metric tons, and a massive 399 meters long, with a beam of 58.6m), the Madrid Maersk is expected to set a record for carrying the maximum number of standard-sized containers (TEU) on its return leg to Asia.

30 Jun 2015

Propulsion Under Wireless Remote Control

Image: Thrustmaster

Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. has been supplying wireless remote controls for thrusters since the 1980s, offering products that are supported through their lifecycles with upgrades that result from recent technological developments. Breathwit Marine Contractors installed Thrustmaster’s wireless propulsion remote control system on a towboat in 1989. The controls allowed the towboat pushing the barge train to control an azimuth thruster on a bow boat at the very front of a large barge train…

08 May 2015

Tug Company Goes Full Steam with Cloud Computing

Venyu, a company in business continuity, cloud-based virtualization, and battle-tested data recovery, announced that E.N. BISSO has expanded its VenyuCloud, cloud computing and virtualization platform. E.N. BISSO, a provider of harbor and tug towing services for the Gulf Coast, is improving operations with flexible cloud hosting, improved network availability and enhanced IT support, Venyu said. E.N. BISSO supported its fleet of 15 vessels for docking and undocking of oceangoing vessels and barge combination units via a small data center in its main location, linked to a small branch office.

26 Sep 2014

Two Ramparts Class Tugs for Signet Maritime

Signet Polaris (Photo courtesy of Robert Allan Ltd.)

In the summer of this year, Signet Maritime took delivery of Signet Arcturus & Signet Polaris, the eighth and ninth tugs designed for them by Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, Canada to add to its fleet of 37 conventional and ASD vessels. The tugs were constructed at Patti Marine Enterprises in Pensacola, Florida. The tugs are based on the Signet Weatherly design, but with additional power and higher bollard pull. The vessels are intended for multidisciplinary work including offshore support, towing, ship-assist, ship escort, subsea and rig moves.

31 Jan 2014

Soles Joins Glosten Associates

Peter Soles

Peter Soles has joined The Glosten Associates as a Marine Consultant and will be supporting the firm’s ocean engineering and marine logistics projects. “Peter brings a broad knowledge of marine transportation policy, oceangoing vessel management and operation, voyage and cargo logistics, navigation, and tug/towing operations,” said Justin Morgan, PE, Glosten Principal. Prior to joining Glosten, Soles contributed to marine projects throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska for over 13 years as a tug operator and marine operations manager for two local marine transportation companies.

31 Jan 2014

Glosten Associates Joined by Marine Consultant Peter Soles

Peter Soles: Photo credit The Glosten Associates

Peter Soles has joined The Glosten Associates as a Marine Consultant and will be supporting the firm’s ocean engineering and marine logistics projects. “Peter brings a broad knowledge of marine transportation policy, oceangoing vessel management and operation, voyage and cargo logistics, navigation, and tug/towing operations,” said Justin Morgan, PE, Glosten Principal. The company adds that prior to joining Glosten, Soles contributed to marine projects throughout the Pacific Northwest…

23 Oct 2013

US$2-Million Jones Act Settlement for Seaman

S.S. Cape Jacob: Photo Wiki CCL

Houston-based maritime law firm Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris recently obtained what is believed to be one of the largest settlements paid by the United States to a Jones Act seaman. According to court documents, their client, a 58-year-old seaman was working aboard the S.S. Cape Jacob, a military supply ship owned by the United States and operated by private contractor Matson Navigation, Inc.The vessel was docking in the port of Jangu, South Korea, on Aug. 2, 2010, when the man alleged that he was ordered to secure mooring lines to the dock.

14 Jun 2012

RotorTugs Named at 'Herring Party'

RotorTugs: Photo credit Kotug

The tugs “RT Darwin” and “RT Tasman” built in Singapore, have a power of 6,500 HP and 84 tons Bollard Pull. Each tug is equipped with three Schottel propulsion units providing them with unique maneuverability. Due to the rate of increase in the size of container vessels and the demand of ship owners to attend these vessels with the same limited number of tugs, Kotug has replaced two older tugs by these new strong Rotor Tugs. On their way from Singapore to Europe, Kotug Offshore B.V. contracted the  towage of the flat top barge “UR 171” ( 100 x 33 m) to Stavanger, Norway.

30 Mar 2012

New RAmparts 3200 for Signet

Signet Weatherly

Signet Weatherly is the latest RAmparts 3200 Class ASD from the design board of Robert Allan Ltd. Recently delivered to her proud owner; Signet Maritime Corporation, the tug will be based in Corpus Christi, Texas. Named after the 1962 America’s Cup winning 12 metre yacht “Weatherly”, the new vessel will enhance Signet’s Gulf operations, providing ship-assist capabilities along with long range towing. The RAmparts 3200 design is configured for low-manning operation, with a high standard of machinery automation.

16 Dec 2010

The Bisso Doctrine

A tug pushes a dredging platform on Lake Erie near Pointe Mouillee, Mich. (Photo courtesy USACE)

The Bisso Doctrine takes its name from the 1955 U.S. Supreme Court case, Bisso v. Inland Waterways Corp., in which it was established in a majority opinion of the Court that exculpatory clauses in towing contracts are invalid as a matter of public policy. That decision has had serious impact on the United States towing industry, and has affected decisions on whether to make U.S. choice of law and forum applicable to towing contracts where there were other options. It nonetheless remains the law of the land.

17 Sep 2010

Obituary: David Parrot, Founder and Former Chief, TITAN Salvage

David Gray Parrot, 65, founder and former chief of TITAN Salvage, passed away in Maine in the comfort of family and friends. Parrot is survived by his wife Penny, sons Hunter and Gage, and a network of friends and family. A private family service is scheduled for this weekend in Maine. "On behalf of the entire Crowley organization, I extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to David's family, friends and colleagues," said Tom Crowley, Jr., Crowley Maritime Corporation's chairman, president and CEO.

30 Jan 2009

Underprepared for Maritime Accidents

NOAA photo: Ice and open water in the Beaufort Sea north of Alaska.

The UNH/NOAA said that the existing infrastructure for responding to maritime accidents in the Arctic is limited and more needs to be done to enhance emergency response capacity as Arctic sea ice declines and ship traffic in the region increases, according to new report released on Jan. 29 by the University of New Hampshire and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The report details findings from a panel of experts and decision-makers from Arctic nation governments…

19 Dec 2007

Tug Assists Vessel Towing Fuel

Crowley Maritime Corporation's tugboat Gladiator, the state-funded seasonal emergency response tug stationed at Neah Bay, Wash., was dispatched last week to assist a tug towing a loaded oil barge after the vessel temporarily lost its primary electrical power and steering. The Na Hoku was headed down Washington's outer coast when its primary electrical generator engine failed about 12.5 miles west of Cape Flattery. The 105-foot tug was towing a fuel barge containing more than two million gallons of diesel fuel and about a half million gallons of gasoline. Jensen noted the state has contracted to station a standby emergency response tug at Neah Bay since spring 1999.

12 Feb 2001

Navy Rejects

The Navy rejected safety experts' recommendations that U.S. submarines be required to use "active" sonar before surfacing to avoid collisions like the one that sank a Japanese trawler off Hawaii. Active sonar sends out ping-like signals that bounce off objects and detects their range. Passive sonar uses a device called a hydrophone to amplify noises in a broader area. Contrary to a 1990 National Transportation Safety Board recommendation, commanding officers have complete discretion to decide which system to use under the circumstances, the Navy said. "We don't have a requirement to use active sonar," said Lt. Cmdr. Cate Mueller, a Navy spokeswoman at the Pentagon.

21 Nov 2005

Barge Grounds in Lake Michigan

A tug towing two barges ran into rough seas, grounding one barge, while attempting to find a safe haven. The tug, Holly Ann, owned by Holly Marine in Chicago, was towing two empty barges from Muskegon, Mich., to Chicago when seas increased to 10-12 feet and the captain decided to head for safety. The tug lost propulsion and steering while it was making its way toward the Holland Channel. The tug and first barge drifted to the Lake Michigan contractors’ dock and tied up on the pier. The second barge hit the pier, which snapped the towline, and grounded at Holland State Beach. There was no pollution or injuries reported and no visible damage to the barges or tug.

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