A Lot Of Equipment News

There is no shortage of challenges confronting the U.S. barging industry, and executives such as Mike Ellis, CEO at American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL), are leading their companies past hurdle after hurdle. The Jeffersonville, Ind.-based company, which owns a fleet of approximately 150 towboats and moves a fleet of some 4,500 barges (including roughly 3,500 operated by ACBL), is focusing on factors it can control while planning and investing for the future.The weatherMother Nature is often unkind to the barging industry.

Much has changed since Marine News’ 2022 shipbuilding report published in March last year, and business opportunities in certain market segments continue to grow. But the shipyards that are looking to cash in are still facing many of the same challenges.For example, many American shipyards and their partners throughout the shipbuilding supply chain are still finding it difficult to attract and retain the workers they need. If you’re a skilled craftsperson looking for a job in shipbuilding, you’re in luck, because there are plenty of openings at shipyards across the country.

Britain's oil and gas sector association OGUK on Thursday banned people from traveling to offshore installations such as platforms if they have traveled to certain countries affected by the coronavirus in the previous 14 days.The ban comes after Equinor reported the oil industry's first coronavirus infection on an offshore installation on Wednesday, highlighting the challenge in preventing contamination for thousands of workers living in the close quarters on rigs and platforms."Industry…

In a celebratory atmosphere, marking the sustained growth of its fleet, SeaZip Offshore Services has taken delivery of two Damen Fast Crew Suppliers (FCS) 2610. Continuing the company’s vessel-naming trend, the new additions will be known as SeaZip 5 and SeaZip 6. The offshore service provider now has six Damen FCS 2610 vessels in its fleet. A key modification made to both vessels was to increase their draught. Jan Reier Arends, SeaZip Offshore Services Managing Director, highlights the importance of this design rethink: “By strengthening the hull in certain areas…

Scottish Salmon Farms has taken delivery of its latest vessel – powered by twin Doosan V158TIH main engines supplied by WaterMota. Designed by consultant naval architects AG Salmon as a multi-role vessel, Sally Ann was built by Arklow Marine Services in Ireland for Scottish Sea Farms to be used on the West Coast of Scotland across all the Scottish Sea Farms sites. The vessel is 22.8m in length with an 8m beam and a lightship displacement of 120 tonnes. She has a service speed of 9 knots with a maximum speed of 10.5 knots.

The United States Naval Ship (USNS) Watson is one of the large, medium-speed, roll-on, roll-off (LMSR) ships that have significantly expanded the nation’s sealift capacity. The Watson has a considerable amount of machinery including main engines, generators and cranes that need oil tested on a regular basis to detect potential problems and eliminate the possibility of a catastrophic failure. The test kits used in the past were time-consuming and their accuracy was questionable. The (USNS) Watson is operated by Ocean Shipholdings, Inc. (OSI) under contract to Military Sealift Command.

TTS has set its sights on becoming a billion euro business and is focusing on China as a key growth driver. Through long-term joint ventures with state-owned Chinese concerns, TTS has established itself as the leading (and largest) Norwegian business in China. Ivar K. Hanson, the chief operating officer of marine, offshore and ports and logistics equipment supplier TTS Group, has adopted the diplomatic smile of an experienced politician. He’s batted away a question about the tense…

Silt accumulation and dredging that's been postponed for years have prevented the full use of U.S. waterways and ports, maritime industry leaders said last month. Hundreds of U.S. ports and harbors are meant to be maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to foster navigation. But many of the country's channels are not kept at their authorized depths, and last year the backlog of needed dredging projects swelled. Meanwhile, just over half the fees charged to shippers through the federal Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund are spent on maintenance and operations…

Innovation and New Building are Key Movers for this Gulf Coast Bulk Transportation Provider. Gordie Keenan, Higman's vice president of training told MarineNews in January, “We have 54 inland towboats, the majority of which are rated at 2,000 horse power, and 116 inland tank barges. Today our vessels are bigger with more horsepower, pushing more barrels, than ten years ago.” The company carries a myriad of crude oils and refined products for its clients on a fleet of barges and inland towboats that has doubled in number over the last ten years.

Regardless of industry, the ability to continually meet potential new clients is the cornerstone to any company’s success. While the marine industry is well armed globally with traditional exhibitions, an emerging concept — the Hosted Buyer Event — is gaining steam as a viable and productive means to earn new business. “Hosted Buyer Events are quite commonplace on the automotive side of ZF’s business,” said David Santos, Product Line Manager – Commercial Craft, ZF Marine LLC.

Marine Travelift Inc. recognized Ribeca Equipment Inc. as its newest dealership in South America. Created by Roberto Rizo Benedetto, along with his wife and two sons, the new company seeks to advance the Marine Travelift products throughout Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. Rizo worked with Marine Travelift products for twelve years as the special projects manager with a South American machinery and equipment company. There he promoted sales of parts, service and new equipment for Marine Travelift line of products.

The term short-sea shipping comes up aplenty these days, as the powers-that-be rediscover the practicalities and the economies of waterborne transport. The thinking is renewed and the interest revitalized, but for a lot of harbors nationwide it's deja vu. Take the island city of New York, and the multitudes of communities near and far that are joined to it by inland waters—the rivers, sounds, creeks, streams—all the way up to Albany, to Waterford and the Canal system, and to everything beyond that. There's nothing new about the short-sea shipping principle around here.

The business of building better Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) is a serious one which utilizes and combines some of the world’s most advanced materials technologies. Comptetion in the market is stiff, as manufacturer claims and counter claims would indicate. The RIBs of today are finding themselves used for a much wider spectrum of duty than perhaps just five or 10 years ago, due in large to advances in design, performance and load carrying capabilities. Manufacturers have invested many hours and dollars to ensure that today’s RIBs are constructed of increasingly better, stronger materials that enable them to dutifully perform the rigorous duty that owners demand. A perfect example of how the use of RIBs has spread is seen in the U.S.

AB Inflatables Delivers For Diversity Of Applications