Early Fall News

Rivers are critical corridors that connect cities and ecosystems alike. When drought develops, water levels fall, making river navigation harder and more expensive.In 2022, water levels in some of the world’s largest rivers, including the Rhine in Europe and the Yangtze in China, fell to historically low levels. The Mississippi River fell so low in Memphis, Tennessee, in mid-October that barges were unable to float, requiring dredging and special water releases from upstream reservoirs to keep channels navigable.Conditions on the lower Mississippi may be easing somewhat…

Luling, La.-based Bisso Towboat said it has signed an agreement with Houma, La. shipbuilder Main Iron Works to begin construction of a new 6,008 BHP azimuthing stern drive (ASD) tractor tug. Construction is scheduled to commence in August 2020 with delivery expected in early fall of 2021.The EPA Tier 4 compliant tug will feature two Caterpillar 3516E Tier 4F main propulsion engines generating 3,004 BHP each at 1800 RPM. The engines will drive two Schottel SRP 460 FP azimuth thrusters with 98.4″ diameter stainless steel propellers in stainless steel nozzles.

Mary Ann Bucci has spent her entire career in many different aspects of the logistics profession, selling container space on international vessels for SeaLand Service, leasing railcar equipment for GE Railcar Services, and negotiated rail rate for Aristech Chemicals. Having spent the last 19 years advocating for the inland waterways system, specifically for the Port of Pittsburgh District, Bucci weighs in on some of the top issues and key projects underway at one of the nation’s busiest inland ports.Please describe the Port of Pittsburgh Commission’s role in supporting waterway commerce…

Radar confusion and speed cited in ferry groundingWhile the perennial issue of commercial vessel and recreational boat collisions, near misses and allisions with navigational aids are certainly nothing new, in much of  the navigable waters of the United States they are typically associated with the warmer weather of late spring, summer and early fall when privately-owned boats abound on the nation’s lakes, rivers, bays and sounds.But even after the cabin cruisers, sailboats, jet skis…

Finland’s ESL Shipping, an Aspo Group company, has taken delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled bulker Viikki from the Jinling shipyard in Nanjing, China.Viikki's sister ship Haaga was delivered on August 20. The 160-meter, LNG-fueled vessel of 25,600 dwt emits over 50 percent less carbon dioxide than the previous generation of vessels.Like its sister ship Haaga, Viikki will first head from the shipyard to Japan, from where it will arrive fully laden at the Baltic Sea approximately at the end of October. The plan is that both vessels will travel to the Baltic Sea via the Northern Sea Route.This shortens the travel time by nearly three weeks compared to the route via the Panama Canal and, therefore, significantly reduces the environmental impact of the trip.

During the second quarter 2017, Konecranes received an order for 9 RTGs from Port Houston, Texas, USA. This is a repeat order, the first Konecranes RTGs to Port Houston were delivered in 2003. The nine cranes will be delivered to Port Houston Bayport Container Terminal in early fall 2018. Port Houston is an economic engine that produces jobs and economic prosperity for the local and state economy. It is the largest port on the Gulf Coast, the biggest port in Texas and the only port in Houston. Port Houston strives to be America’s hub for the next generation. The purchase of the new RTGs will support the peak demand brought to Port Houston by the next generation container vessels.

VT Systems’ shipbuilding arm VT Halter Marine said it has begun construction of a new state of the art integrated blast and paint facility, effective April 17, 2017. The new facility at VT Halter’s Pascagoula, Miss. shipyard will allow the complete indoor and environmentally controlled surface preparation and final painting of ship sections prior to final erection. Its “flow-thru” configuration will allow ship sections to be prepared, blasted and painted complete without having to be taken outside and ensuring particles from the facility are not released into the environment.

Private partnerships, executed perfectly – that’s West Coast boatbuilding in today’s challenging business climates. P3 Partnerships: no, we’re not talking about infrastructure funding. But, in our P3 version, boatbuilding in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska is alive and well, because of it. Long-standing enterprises and relative newcomers are all experiencing an uptick in projects. Here, as part of our annual MN100 top company profiles, we take a look at how three organizations have either merged and/or partnered with complementary companies to expand skills…

In June 2014, Sea Star Line partnered with the 11 clubs of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico in a contest to name the new liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels which will be dedicated to the Puerto Rico trade by TOTE, Sea Star Line’s parent company. The Marlin Class vessels have attracted international attention as the first cargo ships in the world to run on natural gas. In addition to their improved environmental profile, the Marlins will represent a new standard in safety and TOTE’s long-term commitment to the people of Puerto Rico.

Belco Technologies Corporation (BELCO), a wholly owned subsidiary of DuPont, has partnered with the Maersk Group to successfully demonstrate BELCO Marine Scrubber technology aboard the Maersk Tukang, a containership with max TEU Capacity of 8,112. The BELCO Marine Scrubber was tested over six days in May 2014 as it sailed from the Port of Algeciras, Spain, to Genoa, Italy. Representatives from BELCO and Maersk were on board, along with a surveyor from the American Bureau of Shipping who was there to witness and monitor the full testing as the system awaits class certification, expected later this year. The BELCO Marine Scrubber was installed on the Tukang, in 2013 in Qingdao, China, during a scheduled drydock.

Student teams from six maritime universities and schools have submitted proposals for the Second Annual Design Competition for Safe Affordable Ferries sponsored by the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association. A panel of five judges will review the submissions and will announce the winners by early Fall 2014. The top prize is $5,000 with second and third prizes also to be awarded. The student teams were asked to submit a design for a ferry to transport up to 200 passengers and ro-ro cargo between Lae and Kavieng in Papua New Guinea (with several intermediate stops), a distance of 350 nautical miles.

My-Villages, owner of the DockMaster suite of marine business software, launched DockMaster 8.0 for beta testing, which it calls the most powerful version yet with new navigation, scheduling and dashboard features to help companies simplify operations and work more efficiently. Incorporating years of feedback from its loyal customers, DockMaster 8.0 unifies the user experience across all modules, improves overall navigation and provides superior flexibility and control over critical data. In addition, its architecture has been thoroughly upgraded to provide an enhanced user experience and seamless connectivity to off-site “cloud” data storage.

Student teams from seven maritime universities have submitted proposals for the designcompetition for Safe Affordable Ferries sponsored by the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA). A panel of six judges will review the submissions and will announce the winners by early Fall 2013. The top prize is $5,000 with second and third prizes also to be awarded. The student teams were from (by alphabetic order), Istanbul Technical University, Maine MaritimeAcademy, National Technical University of Athens, Tolani Maritime Institute, India, University of Applied Sciences in Bremen, University of British Columbia and Webb Institute in New York. Dr.

Adolph Ojard, Executive Director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, plans to retire this year after serving in that leadership role for the past decade. A national search is underway for a new Executive Director. The board anticipates having that person hired by the end of summer/early fall. After a brief transitional time, Ojard will then settle into retirement. Ojard was appointed executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority in March 2003. A Great Lakes maritime and transportation veteran, he now serves as the Port Authority's chief executive officer.

OceanWorks International announce the successful re-deployment of the VENUS coastal network in the Strait of Georgia after repairs. Placed in Canadian waters in the Strait of Georgia, VENUS is part of the Ocean Networks Canada Observatory, is a cabled undersea laboratory with nodes that provide live video, acoustic images and real-time data for ocean researchers and explorers. VENUS delivers real time information from seafloor instruments via fiber optic cables to the University of Victoria, BC.

The new 64-car ferry Salish will begin service on the Port Townsend/Coupeville route at noon on Friday, July 1, following a community celebration in Port Townsend on June 30. Two-boat service will continue on the route until Oct. 10. “I know how important it is to the communities to restore full service on the route in time for the busy holiday weekend,” said Assistant Secretary David Moseley. “This couldn’t have been accomplished without the hard work and dedication of many people. I especially want to thank the deck and engine crews for their role in bringing the Salish into service. The Salish begins service with the noon sailing from Port Townsend. The Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division (WSF) will begin taking vehicle reservations for the Salish soon.

Four Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Kodiak personnel completed a build of the 15-ft Coast Guard aid to navigation tower four miles south of Point Hope August 2, which is the only permanent Coast Guard aid to navigation tower north of the Arctic Circle. In January 2009, a waterways analysis and management review was conducted on the North Slope. The WAMS identified local interest to enhance safety for the subsistence users and value to maritime traffic in the area. The proposal to re-establish ATON in Point Hope was approved.

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI) announced it has been awarded a contract for the production and delivery of an SAIC Tsunami Buoy (STB) system by the Far Eastern Ecological Center, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, for the Far Eastern Regional Hydrometeorological Research Institute (FERHRI), Vladivostok, Russian Federation. The STB system will be one of the key sensors monitored by the Tsunami Warning Center in the Russian Far East, and will serve as the ocean segment of the Russian Federation tsunami warning system network currently in development.

There is a groundswell of commitment for mandating the installation of "black boxes" aboard ships, so that in the in the unlikely case of a disaster, history will not repeat itself. At an estimated cost of $75,000 to $150,000 per ship, however, safety will not come cheaply. If it has not already, in a few years time the name Erika will conjure many of the same emotions and financial achings as the name Valdez. The tanker that broke up and sank off the coast of France just prior to Christmas 1999 has resulted in a veritable groundswell of political and industry activity which will likely result in fundamental changes to the way in which ships — particularly those carrying oil products or hazardous materials — are outfitted and operated.

First Wave Marine, Inc. announced that it has filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, a Plan of Reorganization in the Company's Chapter 11 proceeding. The filing of the Plan should pave the way for the Company's emergence from bankruptcy in early fall after requisite Bankruptcy Court approvals can be obtained. The Plan calls for an exchange of all of First Wave's 11% Senior Notes for 96.7% of the common stock of the Company which will significantly improve the balance sheet and financial strength of the Company. The Committee of Unsecured Creditors has stated that it will support the Plan. On February 5, First Wave filed for relief under Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code in the Southern District of Texas.

Is it a "user fee" or is it a tax? Senator Hollings (D-SC) has formally proposed to the Conference Committee that a Port Security Infrastructure Improvement Program be included in the Port and Maritime Security legislation that is currently under consideration. This is a 'fleshed-out' and somewhat amended version of his earlier barebones proposal. The Program, if adopted, would impose a fee on shippers of cargoes into or out of the United States in various amounts depending upon what was being shipped. The monies collected would go into a Port Security Trust Fund to pay for various port security expenditures. Similar fees would be imposed on cargoes entering the United States through Canada and Mexico.

For the first time ever, the Port of Wilmington, NC handled over one million tons of breakbulk cargo in one year for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002. "Breakbulk cargo" is classified as any commodity that is shipped in units other than maritime containers or in free flowing "bulk" form. Cargoes contributing to the record-breaking volume of 1,001,728 tons were export woodpulp and import lumber. Woodpulp, which is exported worldwide from Wilmington for the manufacture of higher grades of paper, exceeded last year's volume by 11%. Lumber, imported from northern Europe and Scandinavia for the home improvement and construction industry, increased tonnage by 77% over last year.

Kitsap Transit will pile sand and gravel on a few beaches in early fall to see how much a passenger-only ferry boat will take away. It’s part of the agency’s attempt to bring back the half-hour commuter run between Bremerton and Seattle. The study, which could begin in late September, is designed to measure the impact of ferry wakes left by a newly designed ferry. It also would determine whether renourishing an affected area is a viable way to repair ongoing beach damage from vessel wakes. For the study, sand and gravel approximating what’s already on each beach will be loaded onto the shores from barges during high tide, then graded at low tide. Most of the property owners affected by the new material already have given their approval for the test, Hayes said.