Higman Marine Services News

After 20 days offshore, Colton Hendrick and Blake Snapp are back on land, preparing for their next journey out on the water as new maritime interns with Higman Marine Services. And they love it. "It can be tough work at times, but the beauty is seeing the sun rise and set each day," said Snapp. Plus, the money and job security are incentives as well. Both Snapp and Hendrick stand to earn approximately $100,000 by the fifth year of their first maritime job. Also, with many fellow mariners talking about upcoming retirement, the idea of becoming captains isn't far-fetched either, especially when they will hold associate degrees in maritime technology.

With just a fraction of the maritime workforce younger than 25 years of age, the industry looks to garner more interest for jobs up for grabs as the nation's largest port for imports anticipates an overwhelming amount of traffic. Industry training demands across the Houston region are rising in preparation for the 2014 expansion of the Panama Canal. With less than 1 percent of the workforce barely reaching their mid 20s, according to a WorkBoat magazine study, and more than half of workers nearing retirement age, the need to certify more mariners becomes increasingly apparent. “We must get the next generation interested in the many careers maritime has to offer,” said Capt.

Hope Services Shipyard of Dulac, La. delivered the M/V Trinity Bay on March 4 to Higman Marine Services of Houston, Texas. The delivery marks the 35th vessel Hope has constructed for Higman. The M/V Trinity Bay is the second 78-ft by 34-ft by 10-ft inland towing vessel Hope has manufactured for Higman. The first vessel of this size, the M/V Baffin Bay was delivered in November 2010. It is powered by a pair of Cummins KTA‐38M diesel engines providing 2,000 horsepower.

In spite of the economic gloom of 2010, the demand for solid reliable towboats for the U.S. inland waterways has continued. An example of this is Higman Marine Services’ latest addition. The final month of 2010 saw yet another towboat added to the fleet of their subsidiary Higman Barge Lines. As with many earlier boats The M/V Baffin Bay was built by Hope Services of Dulac Louisiana. But this boat is one of the newly designed and larger 78 by 34-ft vessels. Hull number 174 from Hope’s yard is also the 36th vessel from Hope for Higman.

Higman Marine Services of Houston, Texas, took delivery of its newest vessel, the M/V Red Fish. The vessel was built in five months by Hope Shipyard, located in Dulac, La. The pushboat is slightly larger than previous vessels built for Higman, measuring 78 ft by 32 ft with a 10 ft depth. The M/V Red Fish headed out from Hope’s fabrication yard on the Houma Navigational Waterway after a quick delivery to meet up with her first tow. The M/V Red Fish is equipped with 2,000 hp engines and the hull has tankage for 20…

On October 5, 2009, Hope Services Inc. (HSI) delivered the M/V Lavaca Bay to Higman Marine Services, of Houston, Texas. The 2000 horsepower boat measures 72 ft by 30 ft with a draft of 10 ft. Hope Services, Inc. has been designing and building vessels since 1986, but has been expanding its operations over the last year to include more vessel repair and refurbishment at its Dulac, Louisiana, facility. In addition to the core ship building operations, HSI has now expanded to include offshore oil and gas fabrication, off loading of jackets and decks as well as storage of that equipment.

Hope Services Inc. (Hope) delivered the M/V Miss Sarah to Higman Marine Services, of Houston, Texas.  The 2000 horsepower boat measures 72 ft by 30 ft with a draft of 10 feet.  This delivery marks the 32nd vessel Hope has produced for Higman.

On July 8, 2009, Hope Services Inc. and Higman Marine Services, of Houston, Texas, signed a contract for the delivery of two new vessels. The first of the two will be delivered in March 2010 and the second in June 2010. “The working relationship between Hope and Higman goes back many years,” according to Rocky Henderson, President of Hope Services, Inc. “We are grateful for the business and look forward to fabricating these new vessels for a great customer.” The two 78 ft by 32 ft vessel s will have a 10 ft depth and will carry 2,000 hp engines. These boats will be the largest vessels Hope has built for Higman. This contract brings the total number of vessels that Hope has built for Higman to thirty-two.

The Bolivar/Galveston, Texas, ferry re-opened at 2:50 p.m. after being closed for seven hours today. Sheening was seen on the water near the Bolivar ferry terminal after approximately 42,000 gallons of alkylate, a gasoline blend component, was spilled into the Houston Ship Channel near Galveston from a collision between two tugs and barges this morning. The Intracostal Waterway is open to one-way traffic. The alkylate, which dissipates very rapidly, came from the #2 and #3 tanks on the port side of the barge MMI 605 being pushed by the Rita M. The barge can carry as much as 1.25 million gallons of the product; approximately 225,311 gallons were in the two damaged tanks. "Little if any environmental impact has occurred at this time," said Richard Arnhart, Texas General Land Office.

"The resurgence in the push boat new-builds for the petro-chemical market has been a pleasant surprise for Cummins Mid-South," says Calvin Klotz Vice-President for Marine Sales. Mid-South currently has engines for a half dozen or more Cummins-powered push-boats on order. Three of these boats are building at Kody Marine for Higman Marine Services' associated firm Maryland Marine Inc. The first vessel, to be named Skipjack, was delivered at the end of May. Construction on the two sister-ships is to start by July 1. Each of these three boats will be powered by a pair of Cummins KTA38 M1 main engines rated for 1,000 hp each at 1,800 rpm. The engines turn into Twin Disc MG540 gears with 6.18:1 ratios. The 78 x 53-in. propellers are mounted on 16-ft. by 8-in. cold rolled shafts.

Avondale Industries, Inc. has agreed to pay $357,750 in penalties for safety and health violations at its shipyard in Avondale, La., and implement a revised safety and health program as part of a settlement agreement announced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). "We are pleased Avondale has agreed to resolve this matter," said Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman. "Avondale's new management has shown they are serious about eliminating safety hazards. OSHA originally inspected the shipyard in October 1998 following union complaints of possible imminent danger from falls, and other health issues. Based on that inspection, OSHA issued 60 citations against the shipbuilder last April and proposed fines of $537,000.