Heavy Metal News

Incat Crowther has been commissioned by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation to design a new 300-passenger, high-speed catamaran for US operator Yankee Freedom.The new vessel, Yankee Freedom IV, will replace the 250-passenger Yankee Freedom III, which was also designed by Incat Crowther. Like its predecessor, Yankee Freedom IV will provide service on the 70-mile route between Key West in Florida and the Dry Tortugas National Park.The commissioning of Yankee Freedom IV reinforces Incat Crowther’s position as one of the most trusted passenger ferry designers in North America.

Key West, Fla.-based Yankee Freedom has ordered a new 300-passenger, high-speed catamaran from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation for passenger service between Key West and the Dry Tortugas National Park. The new vessel will replace Yankee Freedom III, a 250-passenger catamaran built for the 70-mile run by the Mass.-based shipyard in 2012. Delivery of Yankee Freedom IV is planned for 2026.The new larger vessel, designed by Incat Crowther, retains the strong brand presence Yankee Freedom has established with tourists to the national park, said company officials.

UAE-based logistics giant DP World announced its BOXBAY high-bay storage system will be installed to boost container handling efficiency at its terminal in Busan, South Korea.BOXBAY was developed by DP World in a joint venture with German plant technology supplier SMS group, who first created and proved the system for handling heavy metal coils. Refined for port logistics, the fully automated rack-like container storage system allows direct access to each container at any time…

Jeff Chittim, ESAB’s North American Senior Product Manager for Heavy Industrial Products, discusses how WeldCloud online applications and the ESAB Heavy Industrial Product Line are a powerful tandem to help shipyards improve weld quality and efficiency.While automation has gone a long way in making shipyards more efficient, today shipbuilding remains a hands-on endeavor, with a dearth of ‘welders and fitters’ being a common lament.Technology companies such as ESAB, a global supplier of welding and cutting solutions across industries…

Mauritius said on Wednesday it planned to scuttle the Japanese-owned bulk carrier that ran aground off its shores and spilled oil over pristine waters and fragile coral reefs.Earlier on Wednesday Nagashiki Shipping, owner of the MV Wakashio, apologized for the incident. Two of the ship's officers were arrested overnight on charges of endangering safe navigation.The MV Wakashio struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on July 25 and began spilling oil on August 6, prompting…

As Oceanology International celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Marine Technology Reporter explores half a century of subsea technology development and discovery. Oceanology International Americas runs February 25-27, 2019 in San Diego.When Oceanology launched in 1969 in the seaside resort of Brighton the world was a very different place. For a start, Brighton was home to the mods and rockers, who would square off against each other on the town’s elegant seafront. The British currency included shillings and ha’ pennies and man had yet to step foot on the moon.More crucially…

Demand for electric mobility is sweeping across the globe, and it’s rapidly gaining traction in the marine industry. The electric mobility revolution is largely being driven by the land transportation sector. Industry statistics predict that electric vehicle sales will surpass combustion engine vehicles within the next 20 years. Many countries in Europe and Asia have already adopted aggressive deadlines to phase out sales of combustion-powered vehicles, and some cities such as London are planning to banish them from their roads entirely.

Metal Trades, Inc. (MTI) has launched a newly built shallow-draft push boat for Bald Head Island Limited, LLC. (BHI). The new vessel, Capt Cooper, was christened during a June 27 ceremony at the builder’s Yonges Island, S.C. facility. As the first self-powered vessel built by MTI, Capt Cooper signals an expansion of MTI’s service offering to include new vessel construction. The 55-year-old company has been active in heavy metal fabrication, barge building and vessel repair for government and commercial customers.

Cranes: much more than just critical equipment. At ZPMC, it means the supply chain itself. In post-Panamax world – that is to say one which includes an expanded, deepened and improved Panama Canal – there are many layers to the logistics onion. These include reinforced and improved berths and bollards, deepened blue water harbors, improved intermodal connections ashore and a reshuffling of ever larger tonnage for ports that can handle those ships. All of that is important, of course, but it is the post-Panamax sized cranes which may be the hottest commodity on the water as the race for the cargo reaches full speed. How those cranes are sourced and acquired may surprise you. It turns out that the global crane business is very much a ‘turnkey’ operation.

In his speech at the LNG Export & Export & Infrastructure Conference Federal Maritime Commissioner Doyle gives insights on the consequences of the adoption of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a marine fuel in the United States. I am a Commissioner with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission. The Federal Maritime Commission is an independent regulatory agency responsible for regulating the nation’s international ocean transportation for the benefit of exporters, importers, and the American consumer. I should emphasize that my thoughts and comments here are mine and mine alone – they do not reflect the position of the Commission, and they should not be construed to represent the positions of any of my fellow Commissioners.

American manufacturer Jet Edge informs that its EDGE X-5 5-axis waterjet system with AquaVision Di Controller cuts precise taper-free parts from virtually any material. The EDGE X-5’s sturdy design separates the motion system from the catcher tank, eliminating vibration and ensuring maximum part quality. The system utilizes an industrial PC controller. It is ball-screw driven for optimal precision and features direct-couple AC brushless digital servo motors and single or double carriages.

By December 19, the Environmental Protection Agency expects vessel owners and operators with craft included under the Vessel General (VGP), to comply with regulations regarding discharges. VGP directives cover non-military commercial vessels longer than 79'. VGP requirements for cathodic protection can be easily met with environmentally-friendly Martyr brand cadmium-free aluminum and magnesium anodes from Canada Metal (Pacific) Ltd. Provisions in the 2013 VGP seek to protect U.S. water quality and inhibit the spread of invasive marine species.

Halliburton Pleads Guilty to Destruction of Evidence in Connection with Deepwater Horizon Disaster and Is Sentenced to Statutory Maximum Fine; Former Halliburton Manager Is Charged. Halliburton Energy Services Inc. (Halliburton) pleaded guilty today to destroying evidence pertaining to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster and was sentenced to the statutory maximum fine, the Justice Department announced. In addition, a criminal information was filed today charging a former Halliburton manager, Anthony Badalamenti, 61, of Katy, Texas, with one count of destruction of evidence.

Halliburton Energy Services Inc. has agreed to plead guilty to destroying evidence in connection with the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the Department of Justice announced today. A criminal information charging Halliburton with one count of destruction of evidence was filed today in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Halliburton has signed a cooperation and guilty plea agreement with the government in which Halliburton has agreed to plead guilty and admit its criminal conduct. As part of the plea agreement, Halliburton has further agreed, subject to the court’s approval, to pay the maximum-available statutory fine, to be subject to three years of probation and to continue its cooperation in the government’s ongoing criminal investigation.

Greenfield Manufacturing Inc., a Saratoga Springs chemical manufacturing company, has received New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) funding of $183,000 to help commercialize and deploy a high-tech hull coating that can improve boat engine efficiency by reducing friction. HullSpeed High Performance Coatings, a division of Greenfield, produces eco-friendly alternatives to current marine paints and coatings that can be environmentally harmful. Greenfield was established in 1998 as an industrial chemical manufacturing facility. The company matched NYSERDA’s investment. HullSpeed High Performance Coatings is currently involved in an EPA study in San Diego Harbor to determine the effectiveness of alternative, environmentally- friendly marine paints and coatings.

"This has been a very difficult week for all of us at Jeffboat. Thursday afternoon an industrial accident occurred at Jeffboat resulting in the fatality of one of our employees, David Martin. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and co-workers during this difficult time," Ken Martin, VP & GM of Jeffboat, said. Martin added, "We have a talented and experienced work force. Together, labor and management work to reduce and eliminate risk in the yard. These tragic events are a sobering reminder that, even with the best safety plan and the best employees, it is extremely difficult to totally eliminate risk.

Jumbo Shipping has completed a two-year project for the Pearl GTL project of Qatar Shell GTL Ltd. From 2007 to November 2009, 24 reactors of 1,200 tonnes each have been transported to the Port of Ras Laffan. With 28,800 tonnes of heavy metal, Jumbo Logistics and Jumbo Shipping made a solid contribution to the Pearl GTL project. Jumbo’s HLV Fairpartner transported 12, German-built, reactors from Rotterdam. Jumbo Logistics was contracted to execute a barging operation for 12 of the reactors, starting at the fabrication site in Hamriyah (U.A.E.).

Sherwin-Williams Protective and Marine Coatings Division announces new SeaGuard Heavy Metal Free Antifoulant, an environmentally responsible alternative to copper-based hull coatings that prevents the growth of marine organisms on commercial and military ships. The new product received U.S. EPA approval on June 30, 2008. SeaGuard Heavy Metal Free Antifoulant is a solvent-based ablative coating that utilizes a metal-free organic biocide agent and provides the same effective antifouling protection as traditional copper-based coatings.

University of New Orleans (UNO) researcher Al Daech is afraid of heights; not a good phobia to have when your research involves space shuttles, fuel tanks, and other, big, space-age equipment. He's been trying to conquer his fears since 1981. That's when his work on corrosion fighting collided with his fear of heights. As a Martin Marietta (now called Lockheed Martin) consultant, Daech found himself on a narrow bit of scaffolding 450 ft. in the air, inspecting one of the external fuel tanks on STS-I Columbia, the first space shuttle. Three days before the launch, a pool table-size blister formed in the external tank of the STS-I. Daech's inspection showed an oily rag wiped across the tank caused the blister. He and a crew immediately went to work.

We all know OPA 1990 contained directions to EPA and the USCG concerning incident response planning and handling with respect to oil. Many of us forget the Act contained similar requirements for chemical incidents. The major difference between the two was oil pollution planning requirements were to be completed by EPA and the USCG within a specified time. There were no such time-directed response planning requirements concerning chemical incidents within the Act. Initially, in 1990, the USCG took the lead on oil spill response planning and EPA was to take the lead on chemical response planning. For some reason, EPA was unable to move forward and develop effective rules for chemical response plan incident planning.

A quayside in the Dockyard in Simon's Town has been the scene of much activity over the past week following the arrival of the bulk carrier 'Cape Africa' in False Bay last Tuesday, where she is presently at anchor some 6.9 kilometers off Simon's Town with the salvage tug 'Smit Amandla' in attendance. Salvors SMIT Salvage have announced that the second phase of the salvage operation - the repair process - will begin with the fitment of a habitat over the area of structural damage on the bulk carrier on Wednesday of this week and personnel have been hard at work in Simon's Town finalising preparatory work on the habitat, which is a massive steel structure measuring some 26m x 11m x 1,5m in size.

The Diplomatic Conference held (October 1-5, 2001) by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London adopted the Draft Convention prepared by The Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) of IMO for the "Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems for Ships." The Convention has been developed to immediately ban the use of Tributyltin (TBT) globally in antifouling paints to "protect the marine environment". The ban on TBT has come about because TBT has detrimental effects on non-target marine organisms. In November 1999, IMO agreed that a Treaty be developed by the MEPC to ensure a ban on the application of TBT based antifouling paints by January 1, 2003, and a total ban on the use of TBT by January 1, 2008.