Port Captain News

The Great Lakes Towing Company (GLT) has hired Salvadore Menoyo for its business development team.Sal has been named Vice President-Special Projects, reporting to Joe Starck, President of GLT. He will be based in Jacksonville, Fla. and use his extensive experience and expertise to identify, develop and manage new business opportunities on the East Coast, including the Gulf and Puerto Rico. In this new role, Menoyo will work with internal and external customers and build relationships with partners and other prospects to bring value and growth to the company.Menoyo…

Seattle-based deck machinery company Markey Machine said it has recently secured a contract from Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding for winch refurbishment aboard NOAA research vessel Ronald H. Brown. The three Markey oceanographic winches that have been aboard for 27 years will receive varied upgrades.“NOAA is working to maximize the service life of each of its vessels, in part by investing in mid-life repairs,” said Jamie LeCompte, NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown project manager.

Royston’s specialist marine engineering team has completed essential repair and a service work on a power plant system used onboard a south coast of England ferry.The 32-meter-long Spirit of Portsmouth, which carries pedestrians and cyclists between Gosport and Portsmouth in Hampshire, has had one of its aft Cummins 6BT generator sets overhauled by Royston engineers at the company’s North East of England workshop facility.This involved a full engine strip down with service work completed on essential parts.

There is no shortage of challenges confronting the U.S. barging industry, and executives such as Mike Ellis, CEO at American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL), are leading their companies past hurdle after hurdle. The Jeffersonville, Ind.-based company, which owns a fleet of approximately 150 towboats and moves a fleet of some 4,500 barges (including roughly 3,500 operated by ACBL), is focusing on factors it can control while planning and investing for the future.The weatherMother Nature is often unkind to the barging industry.

For companies active in all parts of the commercial maritime sector, finding and holding onto the workers they need to build, operate and service the industry’s wide range of vessels has been challenging. Simply put, the labor market is tight, and the problem is not getting any easier to solve.Mike Ellis, CEO at American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL), said a continued shortage of qualified personnel has been the most pressing issue for ACBL—and probably for the barging industry as a whole. “There's been so much demand on people.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has formed a new advisory council to help drive improvements at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), a service academy in Kings Point, N.Y.According to the DOT, establishment of the USMMA Advisory Council fulfills a key recommendation from the National Academy of Public Administration’s (NAPA) November 2021 report entitled “Organizational Assessment of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy: A Path Forward.” Specifically, NAPA’s report recommended…

A Liberia-flagged oil tanker chartered by Chevron Corp had a minor collision with another vessel, the Bueno, in Venezuelan waters on Sunday, according to sources and a shipping report seen by Reuters on Monday. The Bueno has not navigated international waters since the U.S. Treasury Department last year imposed sanctions on it and four other vessels for alleged involvement in moving Iranian-origin shipments, which led to the loss of its Djibouti flag.Chevron-chartered tanker Kerala, which is scheduled to load about 240,000 barrels of Venezuelan heavy oil at the Bajo Grande terminal at Lake Maracaibo this week, was near the Amuay ship-to-ship transfer area on Sunday night when it collided with the Bueno.Incidents involving vessels…

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted the most notable newbuilds delivered in 2022. From sturdy and nimble workboats, to the first new Jones Act laker in a generation, each vessel on display showcases the industry’s engineering prowess and technological ingenuity, with the focus on improving efficiency in operations. The maritime industry has no shortage of challenges to overcome, and each of Marine News’ top vessels will, in one way or another, aid efforts to tackle them.Mark W.

Ahead Sanitation Systems, Inc. is fast becoming a leading manufacturer and distributor of marine sanitation systems, products and supplies after more than two decades serving the industry. Those looking can find an Ahead Tank somewhere across all seven seas and most major rivers and lakes in between.Winton I. Rebouche, Jr., known to friends and customers as Boo Boo, is the founder and sole owner of the Broussard, La.-based company. In the late ’80s, Boo Boo worked selling pipe…

Seattle-based Foss Maritime announced it has promoted Chris Mack Jr. to Chief Operating Officer (COO), responsible for all of the company's harbor services activitiesMack will oversee Marine Assurance, HR and labor, Fleet Engineering and Foss’ regional management teams in Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii.Mack joined Foss Maritime as an Able-Seaman in the Ocean Fleet after graduating from California Maritime Academy in 2005. He held several deck positions before moving to shoreside in 2011.

Like every sector of cargo and passenger shipping, “digitalization”—where computerized processes are replacing onboard routines previously handled manually— is an ongoing trend coastwise, on the waterways and harbors. Regulatory compliance, especially with Subchapter M for towing vessels, has also driven choices of onboard equipment with digital interfaces to software and online platforms for record-keeping and for generating inputs for forms and documents.Improved performance has also shaped the capabilities of equipment in the wheelhouse and the view from the bridge.

Baltimore-based Vane Brothers announced it has take delivery this month of the final boat in a series of four 3,000-horsepower Salisbury Class push tugs. Named the Charles Hughes, Vane’s newest addition is the 20th Maryland-built towing vessel to join Vane Brothers’ fleet since 2008.Designed and constructed by Chesapeake Shipbuilding Shipbuilders and Naval Architects of Salisbury, Md., Vane’s Salisbury Class push tugs have a molded depth of only 10.5 feet, making them well suited for working in confined, shallow-draft waterways.

Jones Act marine transportation provider Vane Brothers announced it has taken delivery this month of the third in a series of four 3,000-horsepower push tugs. Named the Rock Hall, Vane’s newest addition is the nineteenth Maryland-built towing vessel to join the Baltimore-based company’s fleet since 2008.Chesapeake Shipbuilding and Naval Architects of Salisbury, Maryland has delivered 16 3,000-horsepower, model bow tugs and three 3,000-horsepower square-bow push boats. Two of the Rock Hall’s sister tugs, the Salisbury and the Annapolis, were delivered in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Norway-quartered international shipping company Höegh Autoliners has broken a record for transporting the heaviest breakbulk unit shipped by a RoRo (Roll On/Roll Off) vessel from India.A press release from provider of Ro/Ro vehicle transportation services said that the 107.4 MT Generator was loaded in Ennore and will be used in a Power Generation Plant Project in Spain.Due to the concentrated weight and size ratio of the breakbulk unit, the Höegh Autoliners’ Operations team were put to the test. This was the single heaviest breakbulk unit handled so far on any RoRo vessel in India. Last year, the team had successfully transported a massive…

Vane Brothers said it has taken delivery of the 3,000-horsepower Cape Fear, the 17th Maryland-built tugboat to join the Baltimore-based marine transportation provider’s fleet.Since 2008, 15 3,000-horsepower, model-bow tugboats have been delivered to Vane Brothers by Chesapeake Shipbuilding and Naval Architects of Salisbury, Md. Chesapeake has also constructed two 3,000-horsepower push boats for Vane.“The 3,000-horsepower tug is powerful, practical and a perfect fit for Vane’s harbor and coastwise towing operations,” says Vane Brothers President C. Duff Hughes.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. has announced the launching of the first of two (2) 80’ 5,100 HP Z-Drive Tugs. The C.D. WHITE for Bisso Offshore, LLC, a division of E.N. Bisso & Son, Inc., launched on August 22, 2019. A RAL RApport 2400 Z-Drive Ship-handling Tug design was provided by Robert Allan Ltd located in Vancouver, Canada. The C.D. White is currently under construction at Eastern’s Allanton facility, along with a sister vessel, the A. THOMAS HIGGINS. The C.D. WHITE is…

Diverse and conveniently located, St. Johns Ship Building has quickly developed into a reliable partner for its many repeat customers. Today, and as a direct result, a lot more people know exactly where Palatka, Florida is located.On the St Johns River, just 60 miles south of Jacksonville, lies the sleepy town of Palatka, Florida. Founded as a trading post in 1821, its location on the highly navigable river made the area attractive to orange growers and timber men alike.In its heyday between 1875 and 1900…

Vane Brothers said it has taken delivery of the second of four 3,000-horsepower push tugs being built by Chesapeake Shipbuilding Shipbuilders and Naval Architects in Salisbury, Md.The newbuild, Annapolis, has a design that is identical to the tug Salisbury, delivered in 2019. With a length of 94 feet, width of 34 feet, molded depth of 10.5 feet, and working draft of 8.5 feet, each vessel in the Subchapter M-compliant Salisbury Class of push tugs is especially well-suited for operations along inland waterways.Vane Brothers President C.

As domestic traffic from coast-to-coast continues to worsen, ferry operators are seeing a steady growth in passenger demand. As passenger demand grows, so does the demand for efficiency and hybrid technology to be incorporated into fleets. But what innovations support a fleet’s number one priority – safety? Will efficiency and the latest green technologies support these critically important vessels in an emergency situation? Is the crew aware of how much time they have to evacuate all passengers?Traditional ferry evacuation systems require passengers to be loaded onto lifeboats on deck…

Transporting a 112MT transformer across the world is no simple task. The stakes are even higher when the sophisticated cargo is destined for an oil and gas plant and time is of utmost importance.Global Freight Forwarder Kintetsu World Express (KWE) and CG Holdings Belgium NV Systems Division chose Höegh Autoliners, with its direct RoRo service, global agency network and breakbulk competence, to transport its 112 MT Transformer trailer from Antwerp to Dammam."With the customer’s tight deadline, Höegh’s Europe to the Middle East service was the perfect solution to transport the breakbulk unit, ensuring a timely service with minimum transit time," claimed a press release from the shipping company.When handling special and sensitive cargo, experienced cargo handling is imperative.

"Women bring intelligence and high skills to all fields of the shipping industry – let’s throw off the bowlines!”.This is the message from Port Captain Basak, one of the latest maritime women being featured by International Maritime Organization (IMO) under this year’s World Maritime theme: “Empowering women in the Maritime Community”.Women from across globe are giving an insight into their work, aspirations, how IMO’s Women in Maritime Program has supported them – and their top tips for current and aspiring female maritime professionals.The latest profiles include a Port Infrastructure Technician from El Salvador, a Student Support Officer from the Seychelles…

Disconsolate passengers stuck on a cruise ship moored in Lisbon's port for five days due to a COVID-19 outbreak began disembarking early on Monday, focused on clearing the final hurdle of a negative test before boarding homebound flights.The AIDAnova, carrying 2,844 passengers and 1,353 crew, had docked in Portugal's capital on Wednesday.The ship was en route to the island of Madeira for New Year's Eve celebrations, but its German operator decided to cut the cruise short after COVID-19 was detected among what it said was a fully vaccinated crew…

Ocean transportation services company Dship Carriers has said it has transported a 750-metric-ton Pile Installation Frame (PIF), measuring 33.5 x 33.5 x 29 meters, as well as other offshore and seabed equipment from Rotterdam, the Netherlands to An Ping, Taiwan.The delivery is part of a contract awarded by offshore installation services company Seaway 7 for an offshore windfarm project. Dship Carriers delivered the goods using its recently acquired MV Bruce multi-purpose heavy lift vessel."With a 75-meter-long main cargo hold…