Line Equipment News

Seaspan Ship Management selected Alfa Laval to help resolve steam balance and redundancy issues connected to sulfur-compliant fuels. The solution – an integrated steam boiler plant comprising oil-fired steam production, waste heat recovery, advanced control and connectivity – will be implemented on eight Seaspan-owned large container ships.Prior to the IMO global sulfur cap’s entry into force, Seaspan Ship Management made the decision to work with sulfur-compliant fuels on its container vessels.

Corvus Energy is moving forward with plans to invest in its Canadian operations by expanding its Richmond, B.C. facility and increasing manufacturing capacity.As reported in early 2018, Corvus Energy is rolling out plans for expanded maritime battery manufacturing facilities in both Bergen, Norway and Richmond, B.C., Canada. A new automated battery factory in Bergen began producing energy storage systems (ESS) in Q4 2019. Corvus has signed a contract for investment in new production line equipment in the Richmond, B.C.

Morton S. Bouchard III pulls no punches discussing the maritime business and the spate of over-regulation infecting U.S. industry. Morton S. Bouchard III has served as President of Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc., the nation’s largest independently-owned oceangoing petroleum barge company, since 1996 and CEO since 1999, the fourth generation of the Bouchard family to helm the company since its incorporation in 1918. The Bouchard name is iconic in North American maritime circles, and Mr.

Sanmar A.Ş.delivered the Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAstar3200Wescort tugs Civitavecchia and Saraceno Primo to Italian tugboat operator Italtugs S.p.A. The tugs were constructed at Sanmar’s Tuzla facility, the greenest shipyard in Turkey. The RAstarOffshore/Escort Tugs designation is reserved for a unique class of ASD tugs, designed with a sponsoned hull form, a concept originated by Robert Allan Ltd. 20 years ago, and which has been proven in both model and full-scale testing to provide significantly enhanced escort towing and seakeeping performance. Motions and accelerations are less than half those of comparable sized “standard” tug hulls. It is interesting to note that others are now attempting to emulate this concept.

Arlen “Benny” Cenac Jr. is a third-generation owner of Cenac Towing Company. The firm, originally founded in 1927 by his grandfather, now does business as Cenac Marine Services. Benny has led the company since 1981 through several industry downturns by focusing on customer service, efficiency, quality and safety in its marine transportation services. Cenac Towing has clients across the country and maintains a focus on transporting liquid petroleum barges. Cenac is guided by the values and principles established by Benny’s grandfather over 85 years ago: a commitment to employee satisfaction and great company morale. As a leader in the community…

Dynamic positioning system failures on offshore supply vessels engage in oil and gas operations in the U.S. The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has issued a Joint Safety Alert addressing a dynamic positioning (DP) incident involving an offshore supply vessel (OSV) which resulted in a loss of position while conducting a critical Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) activity. The OSV was attached to a wellhead, lost position and severed the wellhead tree causing a lubricant release on the platform deck and to the environment. Immediately prior to the position loss, the OSV had multiple DP system alarms and failures, including loss of bow thruster and engine control. No attempt was made to identify or correct the causes of these failures and the operations continued.

Sea Star Line, LLC began receiving the first of its new 100 40’ and 45’ refrigerated containers ordered as part of its equipment replacement plan announced in August 2014. The replacement plan aims to reduce the average age of the entire Sea Star Line refrigerated container fleet to less than three years. The reefers have been fit with Carrier PrimeLine Machinery which is the most current technology available for refrigerated equipment. In addition, the entire Sea Star Line reefer…

July 27 marked the opening of the Government of Canada's Shipbuilding Consultation, which seeks input from key stakeholders on comprehensive and viable options for a long-term, sustainable Canadian shipbuilding strategy. The Government is committed to building and maintaining an effective federal fleet of ships for maritime security and services. Fleet renewal plans could see the Government invest in excess of $40 billion to build more than 50 large vessels over the next 30 years.

Back in 1986 when I first started reporting on workboats, the most modern thing in the pilothouse may have been the coffee maker. Navigation was mostly "between the sticks" and via compass and communication was mostly VHF. Today's vessels, especially those working offshore, have a myriad of electronic devices that make the job easier, more precise and most importantly, safer. The new series of 10 supply boats being built by Bender Shipbuilding & Repair, Mobile, Ala. for Rigdon Marine, Houston, Texas are good cases in point. The 210-ft. by 54-ft. vessels are models of efficiency, load carrying capacity and performance. The electronics necessary to keep this sophisticated ship running at peak performance is truly staggering.