Barge Canal News

Robert (Bob) Hill of Ocean Tug & Barge Engineering Corp., of Milford, MA has specialized in the design of AT/B’s for many years. As probably the world's most experienced designer of large articulated tug/barge (AT/B) systems, Hill’s success comes, in part, from a willingness to innovate. Ocean Tug & Barge Engineering Corporation and Robert Hill are the co-inventors of the Intercon Connection System. In a nutshell, his firm has had a hand in over 70% of the operational AT/B’s in service in America – including, 80% of those built or converted since 1994.

In 1951, under the leadership of Capt. Fred’s son, Morton S. Bouchard Sr., (A.K.A. “Buster” Bouchard), the company builds three 20,000 barrel oil barges and three accompanying tugboats, which ran the New York State Barge Canal. The construction of these vessels would then, in the years that followed, lead to Buster’s position as a prominent figure within the oil transportation industry. The July 2018 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News will feature a special “Bouchard Transportation Co. Celebrates 100 Years” magazine.

The New York State Canal System, once forgotten as a commercial shipping option, is on the rise again, after years of decline. The shorter, greener and smarter route(s) make increasingly good sense for high value cargoes. Commercial utilization of America’s original superhighway – the Erie Canal – is on the rise again in recent years after years of decline. The third generation of the famed Erie Canal – the “Barge Canal” was constructed between 1905 and 1918. Designed to accommodate up to 10 million tons of cargo per year, the modern Erie Canal peaked at just over 5 million tons in 1951. Then, and with growing competition from railroads and highways, and the opening of the St.

On 22 February, EPS Corporation’s 50-percent owned Composite Holdings Inc. (CHI) acquired approximately 37 acres and some 141,000 SF of marine composite manufacturing facilities, located off the Barge Canal on Merritt Island, Florida. This Merritt Island acquisition, combined with the 2008 acquisition of 50 percent of CHI and its over 13 acres and 89,000 SF of marine manufacturing capacity on the Indian River in Titusville, Florida, provides EPS and its affiliate CHI about 50 acres of Florida waterfront property and over 230,000 SF of modern marine composite manufacturing facilities. “EPS is excited about this investment in the area. We expect great things moving forward with our line of marine vessels, which will be manufactured at these facilities,” said Mr. Francesco A.

A tugboat that has plied the waters of New York's Canals for nearly eight decades years turns 110 today, according to the New York State Canal Corporation. The tug Urger is the oldest state vessel operating on New York's waterways. Originally christened the Henry J. Dornbos, the vessel was operated by the Verduin family on Lake Michigan for 20 years. Due to her unparalleled seaworthiness, the vessel was occasionally used by the U.S. Lifesaving Service (a forerunner of the U.S. Coast Guard) for rescues on the lake.

Burger Boat Company is proud to announce the delivery of Sycara IV, a 151.2 ft Fantail Motor Yacht, to her owners. Imagine going back to a time when people actually knew how to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures of yachting. Owners of Sycara IV, Ray and Elsie Catena, were committed to exactly that – recapturing the splendor, grace and charm of an era gone by – when Sycara IV was designed. This was their inspiration for Sycara IV, a traditionally styled, early 1920’s era, Fantail Cruiser.

Aquatic Center of Rochester is a full service dive shop in Henrietta, NY. In addition to carrying a complete line of scuba equipment, and offering full range of scuba training courses, company owner Joe Plano also provides ROV inspection services. Several years ago Joe purchased his Fisher SeaOtter ROV to perform an inspection on one of New York’s barge canal system locks. The job involved penetrating a tunnel at the bottom of the 40 foot deep lock to locate and examining a 1/2 ton steel gate that had jammed in the open position.

Small vessels were permitted through the Canaveral Lock and Barge Canal to re-enter Port Canaveral. However, the channel remains closed to ship traffic pending completion of harbor surveys and repositioning of navigational aids. Assessments show several buoys out of alignment and some additional shoaling at the entrance to the channel. Dredge operations are expected to resume Tuesday morning, subject to wind and wave conditions. The project to restore the channel depth nearly was complete before Hurricane Jeanne caused additional shoaling. "These certainly have been trying times for all of us, but as in the aftermath of Frances," says Stan Payne, Chief Executive Officer of the Canaveral Port Authority. "The U.S. Coast Guard, U.S.

(This is Part I of a two-part series on the Articulated Tug Barge from Robert P. Hill. The American coastwise shipping business has grown in a way that differs from many other nations. The high cost of manning and building ships has led over the years to a coastwise transportation network dominated by tugs and barges. • Weather delays caused by the uncertainties of towing of a barge in heavy weather, especially a barge carrying petroleum and chemical products, are a constant problem. Towing a large barge in heavy seas just off the coast is a risky business. The possibility of parted towlines, (not to mention the reality in several hundred cases) and lost, drifting barges, has haunted tug and barge operators - as well as the customers they serve - for years.

A new generation of fireboat hit the water this June. The NFPA Class 'C' 37-knot speedster exhibited speed, maneuverability and control. She had high pumping capacity and the ability to recover more injured survivors at one time than boats twice her size. This original design by MetalCraft Marine's Tom Wroe, had its concept drawing sketched on a napkin late at night after a long business dinner, where members of the Occoquan, Lorton, Woodbridge Volunteer Fire Department (OWLFD) added valuable operational input to the designer's pen. The procurement committee of OWLFD had spent two years educating themselves about what was available in the marketplace, including hull designs, propulsion alternatives, pumping systems and known sea rescue techniques.

ST. LOUIS - More than 4,000 Coast Guardsmen continue to save lives and assess the damage to waterways, aids to navigation, the environment and maritime transportation system infrastructure in the wake of Hurricane Rita. To date, the Coast Guard has rescued 120 people imperiled by flood waters and has medically evacuated two others from hospitals in the hurricane-impacted area. Coast Guard rescuers continue to work closely with local and state officials as well as the Department of Defense, to determine the number of people in need of rescue and to ensure help is delivered as swiftly as possible. Two Disaster Response Units (DRUs) were dispatched to the Lake Livingston, Texas, area while three more DRUs were deployed to Port Arthur, Texas, to aid in relief efforts.