Work Barge

Bristol Harbor Designs for New York Power Authority

Bristol Harbor Group, Inc., (BHGI), has reached the final design phase for an 80-ft x 34-ft x 5-ft Pedestal Crane Barge design for The New York Power Authority, (NYPA). The Pedestal Crane Barge, also known as a “Floating Crane,” is currently under construction at Great Lakes Shipyard in Cleveland, OH, where BHGI is also providing construction oversight services. BHGI began by conducting an initial on-site investigation of the ice boom, and the existing Ice Boom Work Barge, HAVASU - currently in use as a work platform for NYPA personnel during install & removal of the Lake Erie Ice Boom. This investigation included a detailed review of the HAVASU, current retrieval and removal procedures, and deviations considered for the new barge. Throughout each of BHGI’s design phases, special considerations were taken to ensure environmental sustainability of the new work barge, as well as the barge’s necessity to operate in icing conditions. As an example, the thickness of the side shell and bottom shell plating was increased in order to protect against damage during ice operations. BHGI also relocated the spud wells inboard from the side shell (where they currently exist on the HAVASU) to aid in the flow of ice around the barge and pushboat. A combination of flanged plate and channel extrusions were used for the main transverse framing in order to reduce the overall weight of the barge, while keeping construction costs down

Coast Guard Responds to Spill

The Coast Guard, Harris County Pollution Control, Nassau Bay Volunteer Fire Department, Kemah Fire Department and Texas General Land Office are working together to contain and clean up an oil spill in Nassau Bay near Clear Lake, Texas. A tug boat owned by Payne Brothers Inc., sank Sunday night while connected to a work barge. The partially submerged tug has leaked approximately 75 gallons of waste oil into the water.

Lafitte Waterway Closes After Barge Accident

The Intracoastal Waterway closed near Lafitte for almost seven hours Saturday then reopened with some navigational restrictions after a pole attached to a barge hit a bridge and snapped off, www.NewOrleansTimes-Picayune.com reported. Authorities closed the waterway at 12:30 p.m., shortly after the spud pole, used as a stabilizing device on the work barge, hit the bridge and fell on the water. The pole reached 75 feet high, 2 feet higher than the underside of the bridge

TOPAZ Explores Investment in Azerbaijan

A Topaz delegation consisting of Board Directors and Senior Management were in Azerbaijan in the Caspian region to hold discussions with State Oil Company Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR). The aim of the meeting was to explore areas of mutual interest and opportunities for investment in the Caspian region. To support the growing offshore oil & gas market Topaz plans significant investments in the building of new offshore support vessels in the Caspian region in the next few years

Wind Farm Workers Evacuated from Barge

At 8:26 a.m., the morning of Jan. 30, Liverpool Coastguard were contacted by workers on the work barge UR101 reporting that the barge anchor cables were breaking in heavy seas. The barge had 42 workers onboard and the barge was secured by four anchors, at various times during the night three anchor cables broke leaving the barge secured by only one anchor. A decision was made to evacuate the barge in worsening weather conditions throughout the night

Strategic Marine Delivers Oil & Gas Workboat

Strategic Marine delivers state-of-the-art vessel to oil & gas sector. Western Australian (WA) ship builder Strategic Marine has finished work on a state-of-the-art 27 metre work barge which will be delivered to the Port of Dampier to service the burgeoning resources sector. The barge named 'Alamo' has been built for Karratha business Offshore Plant Hire and will be chartered to marine operations company Bhagwan Marine

U.S. Barge Inks First Deal

U.S. Barge LLC, a company co-owned by Oregon Iron Works, Inc. (OIW) and Vigor Industrial LLC, has signed a contract for its first order. The company has agreed to build and deliver multiple bluewater, or ocean-going, barges to Young Brothers, Ltd. in Hawaii, with the first barge to be delivered in late September of 2007. U.S. Barge will invest approximately $8m in new equipment on Swan Island and in Clackamas, OR in order to build barges and other watercraft.

Grounded Barge Capsized

The barge ITB-260 loaded with 3,324 tons of gravel capsized north of Gig Harbor, Wash., when the tide came in, causing the load of gravel to shift and eventually spill into the water. The tug Island Breeze was towing the barge when it reported to the Coast Guard that the barge was taking on water. Over three hours later the crew of the tug reported they had pushed the barge against the shore to prevent it from sinking.

Islander Crew, Passengers Pull Man from Cold Water

The crew and passengers aboard the ferry Islander rescued Johnny Goodwin, of Southhold, N.Y., within minutes of falling into the cold waters of Gardiners Bay from a work barge on Dec. 19. A combination of skillful seamanship, adherence to Coast Guard safety regulations blended to save Goodwin's life. The Islander and three other ferries from the North Ferry Co. connect Shelter Island with Greenport, on Long Island

LA Carriers Lady Loren

“This boat was five years in the planning,” said LA Carriers owner, Russel Plaisance, as he looked over a tug that he will place into operation by the end of December. The new vessel, to be named Lady Loren, will be the seventh vessel in the LA Carriers fleet. The boat is building at Dickie Adams Lockport Fabrication Inc. Plaisance first went to work on his dad’s fishing boat at 17 and by 21 he had his masters license