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American River News

07 Mar 2022

Recovery, Resilience and Demand Shifts to Drive Inland Waterway Cargo Flows

(Photo: Blessey Marine Services)

Waterway traffic is coming back. November 2021 saw 52.1 million tons moving on the U.S. inland waterway system, the highest monthly tonnage since October 2019, a few months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the shutdowns and stoppages of early 2020. Flows estimated by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, based on data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) show a 25% rise from June 2020. Data in a presentation by The Waterways Council Inc (WCI)…

20 Sep 2021

Expect the Unexpected on the Inland Waterways

Among transportation planners, “resilience”, describing the ability to bounce back from adversities, both economic and other, has become a top consideration as we increasingly must “expect the unexpected.” The U.S. waterway system, covering the network of inland rivers and coastwise waterways, has seen a mix of good and not so good. As the 2020-2021 pandemic moves toward winding down, a recovery from the dismal 2020 is underway, but activity on the rivers is uneven. Ken Eriksen…

26 Apr 2021

Expert Advice: New Ballast Water Guide

© Denys Yelmanov / Adobe Stock

If you and your crew are facing questions about ballast water management (BWM) and related regulatory deadlines, it would be worth your while to download a new (January 2021) “Ballast Water Management Systems User Guide,” an extensive, in-depth look at evaluating, selecting and installing a BWM system. The guide was published by MARAD and Glosten for the Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP). It is geared primarily toward U.S.-flag operators in domestic and international trade.As most mariners know, BWM, overseen federally by U.S. EPA and the Coast Guard, includes a number of activities.

18 Nov 2020

US Inland Waterways: High Waters & Swirling Currents

(Photo: Ingram Barge)

The inland waterway system, flowing through the United States heartland, is a microcosm of all that has been happening in 2020: trade tensions, infrastructure issues, shifting trends in fuel consumption and the pandemic that has gripped us since the winter months. Shortly after the initial coronavirus outbreak here in the U.S., maritime workers were deemed to be “essential”, paving the way for cargo flows to recover from their springtime nadir. As COVID-19 infections turned up on U.S. shores, the boats continued plying the waterways, albeit with reduced volumes in some cases.

10 Jun 2019

Workboat Report: The U.S. Workboat ($33.8B) Market

Inland pushboat and barge. Source Kirby Corporation

The U.S. towing and tug business is 5,500 boats, more than 31,000 barges with an estimated total impact on U.S. GDP of $33.8 billion.“At a macro level, the bigger ships are causing downward pressure on the ship assist business because there are fewer ship calls given the increased capacity of these vessels. However, certain ports have seen tremendous growth, based on strategic location and infrastructure investments that have attracted these larger ships and been a net plus for these areas.”Kate Fuhrman…

23 Jan 2019

Inland River Cruising: 2019 Will Be Busy

The American Song (CREDIT: ACL)

One year ago, we reported on vacation river cruising, presenting an industry mostly on the optimistic side of growth and expansion for 2018. This year’s review is more geographically limited – to the Mississippi River, heartland cruises centered among New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis and St. Paul – but with links important for a lot of smaller cities in between.Big picture:This industry is strong, at least among its two major players: American Cruise Lines and the American Queen Steamboat Company. Both have extensive and varied schedules for 2019.

27 Mar 2017

Coalition Urges Congress to Address Asian Carp in the Great Lakes

© Dale Stagg / Adobe Stock

A coalition of maritime business and industry organizations sent a letter to key Members of Congress on Friday, March 24 urging funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to further support efforts undertaken by the State of Illinois to slow, stop and reverse the migration of Asian carp, an aquatic invasive species, through cost-effective measures. In the letter, the UnLock Our Jobs (UOJ) coalition members review the record of success that the GLRI has had in working with the State of Illinois to develop a range of strategies to control Asian carp…

03 Jan 2017

Tech File: Vesconite Rudder Bushings

Photo: Vesconite

South American river tugboats need robust rudder bushings: some 20 tug boats on the Parana River, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, have been equipped with Vesconite rudder bushings. In the challenging waters of South American rivers, tugboat owners began ordering Vesconite’s proprietary thermoplastic rudder bushings starting in 2014. Convinced that the material – which is wear resistant, self-lubricating, environmentally-friendly, requires no grease, and easy to machine and fit – was more suitable than the bronze that has traditionally been used in the application…

24 Aug 2016

MN100: Safety Management Systems, LLC

Bill Mahoney (Photo: Safety Management Systems, LLC)

A leading US maritime consultancy established in 1996, SMSLLC provides practical risk mitigation solutions for vessel operators and stakeholders. Clients include a broad range of operators including Genesis Marine, American River Transportation Company, Seabulk Towing, Military Sealift Command and others. Primary services include, Regulatory Advisement, Internal Auditing, Risk Management, and the creation of Management Systems. SMS LLC has been in the business of bringing practical safety management solutions to the marine industry for 20 years.

03 Nov 2015

New Barge Fleeting and Switching Operation in Cairo Harbor

American River Transportation Company (ARTCO), a subsidiary of Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), today announced plans to launch new barge fleeting and switching operations in the Cairo, Illinois, harbor starting January 1, 2016. The Cairo harbor is a vital hub in the inland waterway supply chain. The new operation will be based in Wickliffe, Kentucky, and will provide fleeting and switching operations from mile 948 on the Lower Mississippi River to mile 29 on the Upper Mississippi and mile 974 on the Ohio River. “ARTCO is the only company in the inland waterway system that can provide a self-contained supply chain to our customers, which allows us to provide better, more efficient and cost-effective service,” said Jason Porter, vice president, ARTCO operations.

16 Jun 2015

Update: Runaway Barges Recovered

Towing vessel Joyce Hale recovers one of two barges that drifted into piers of the Starved Rock Dam in Utica, Ill. The vessel was pushing eight barges of dry cargo on the Illinois River Sunday when four barges broke free. (USCG photo)

Two barges that drifted against piers of the Starved Rock Dam in Utica, Illinois Sunday afternoon have been safely recovered, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) reported. One of the barges, carrying corn, was recovered Sunday evening, while the second barge, carrying sand, was recovered Monday morning. The Joyce Hale, a 157-foot towing vessel, was pushing eight barges of dry cargo south on the Illinois River Sunday when two of the eight barges it was pushing made contact with the protection cells of the Starved Rock Lock and Dam.

15 Jun 2015

Barges Break Free, Hit Starved Rock Dam

U.S. Coast Guard photo

The U.S. Coast Guard is working the the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the owners of a tug and barges to quickly and safely move two barges that drifted into the protection walls of Starved Rock Lock and Dam in Utica, Illinois, Sunday afternoon. The Joyce Hale, a 157-foot towing vessel, was pushing eight barges of dry cargo south on the Illinois River when two of the eight barges it was pushing made contact with the protection walls of the Starved Rock Lock and Dam. As a result of the allision, four of the barges broke away from the vessel's tow wires.

26 May 2015

New Bridge Unveiled for US Pushboats

Image: Alphatron Marine Group

JRC and Alphatron Marine will introduce a new pushboat bridge concept dedicated for the American river and inland waterways. Harnessing 25 years of European inland waterways experience, the companies say a balance is struck between the latest technological advancements and the unique operating requirements for some of the world’s largest rivers. In Europe, typically inland shipping can move a maximum six barges at a time while the size of the rivers in the United States allows for transport of up to 36 barges at the same time.

27 Mar 2015

Shipping Season Opens on the Mississippi

M/V New Dawn broke through Lake Pepin ice overnight and locked through Lock and Dam 2 around 7:45 a.m. on March 25 (Photo by Pamela Niebur)

M/V New Dawn arrived at Lock and Dam 2 near Hastings, Minn. Wednesday morning, marking the unofficial opening of the 2015 shipping season on the Upper Mississippi River, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The USACE St. Paul District recognizes the first tow to arrive at Lock and Dam 2 as the unofficial start of the navigation season because it means all of its locks are accessible to commercial and recreational vessels. American River Transportation Company boat M/V New Dawn, pushing nine barges loaded with fertilizer en route to St.

25 Feb 2015

Launch of Mississippi River Cruise Service

Governor Bobby Jindal and Viking Cruises Chairman Torstein Hagen announced the selection of New Orleans as the homeport for Viking River Cruises’ first North American river cruise itineraries. The Mississippi River cruises will operate from docking facilities near the French Quarter in New Orleans. Viking’s new service will result in the creation of 416 new direct jobs for Louisiana-based operations and vessel crews, with an average salary of $40,000, plus benefits; and Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional 368 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 780 new jobs in the Southeast Region of the state.

05 Feb 2014

ACL Designate Newbuilds for Mississippi & Columbia Rivers

Paddlewheel: Photo courtesy of ACL

American Cruise Lines (ACL) confirms it will be placing the first of 4 upcoming newbuilds on the Mississippi River, where it currently operates its newest riverboat, 'Queen of the Mississippi'. The second newbuild will operate in the Pacific Northwest on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, where the line is operating the 120-passenger 'Queen of the West'. The company adds that construction of both new riverboats is well underway at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, MD. The new Mississippi riverboat will have a similar capacity to Queen of the Mississippi at150 passengers…

04 Feb 2014

ACL Newbuilds for Mississippi and Columbia Rivers

American Cruise Lines (ACL) today confirmed it will be placing the first of four upcoming newbuilds on the Mississippi River, where it currently operates its newest riverboat, Queen of the Mississippi. The second newbuild will operate in the Pacific Northwest on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, where the line is operating the 120-passenger Queen of the West. Construction of both new riverboats is well underway at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Md. The new Mississippi riverboat will have a similar capacity to Queen of the Mississippi at 150 passengers, and will enter service in March of 2015. The new Columbia riverboat will follow later that same year. It will be slightly larger than American Cruise Lines’ other riverboats, with a planned capacity of 175 passengers.

06 Jan 2014

2013 DOT Year in Review: MARAD Sounds Off

The U.S. Maritime Administrator weighs in on 2013 and the road ahead ... Here at the Maritime Administration (MARAD), we continue working tirelessly to improve our marine transportation system with innovative projects across the country. As our economy rebuilds and jobs are created, we are reminded just how much the maritime industry has contributed to these growing numbers and more importantly. . . Why Maritime Matters! It has long been a vision in our industry to move more freight on our rivers, Great Lakes, and waterways, as well as through American river, lake, and sea ports. This year it became reality when one of the first major…

16 Dec 2013

American Cruise Lines Orders Four New Ships

Four new ACL Vessels to Enter Service between 2015 & 2017 and to Operate on U.S. American Cruise Lines announced plans to build four new riverboats for American river cruising, and noted that construction has already begun on the first two ships, with the first to begin cruising in in the spring of 2015. The first two new riverboats are designed to carry between 150 and 200 guests and will cruise the Mississippi River system and the Columbia and Snake Rivers. The full suite of four new ships will enter service between 2015 and 2017.

01 Oct 2013

American Cruise Lines Wins WTA Award

Queen of the Mississippi: Image courtesy of American Cruise Lines

Operator of riverboats and small cruise ships in the United States, American Cruise Lines, has been voted this year’s leading North American cruise line by travel excellence organization, World Travel Awards. (Referred to as “the Oscar’s of the travel industry” by the Wall Street Journal). Long established in cruise travel, American Cruise Lines has most recently received world-wide attention as the first to revive paddlewheel river cruising in America, particularly on the Mississippi River, a cruising region that had been dormant for several years.

22 Apr 2013

ARTCO Turns to Class NK's SMSLLC for TSMS Help

Bill Mahoney, Director of SMSLLC

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 Management System (TSMS) in accordance with pending U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Subchapter M regulations. ARTCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), is one of the largest U.S.

23 Jun 2010

Thirty-Four Foss Vessels Win Safety Awards

Leiv Lea, Director of Global Towing & Transportation, accepts the award on behalf of Foss (Photo courtesy Foss)

The Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) presented the Foss vessels with Jones F. Devlin Awards at the Annual Safety Awards Luncheon held this year in New Orleans, Louisiana. The awards are given to self-propelled merchant vessels that have operated for two full years or more without a crew member losing a full turn at watch because of an occupational injury. Altogether, the Foss ships achieved the equivalent of 144 years without a lost-time injury. Foss Devlin vessels honored (and the number of years the ships have been injury free) were: American River (three years)…

14 Jan 2004

Collision: Every Mariner's Nightmare

By James P. Nader & Joseph A. Collision law can be traced back to ancient Roman times and developed further during the industrial revolution in England. In more modern times there have been numerous efforts by the international community to establish a uniform set of guidelines and rules governing safety at sea. Some of the navigational rules which have developed include the use of light and sound signals, radar, speed regulations, lookouts and observance of standards of good seamanship. General customs of navigation are also an important consideration, but do not carry the weight of the rule of law. If a general and even widely accepted custom is contrary to the law it will not be enforced.