Port Orders News

Morton S. Bouchard, III, fourth generation leader of family-owned Bouchard Transportation, has been ordered to step down from his role as chief executive officer as the Long Island-based tug and barge operator continues to navigate through bankruptcy and a string of legal challenges.Bouchard, the company's CEO since 1992, was ordered out of his role last week by a bankruptcy judge in Houston, and Matthew Ray of restructuring advisor Portage Point Partners has been appointed as…

Long Island-based barge operator Bouchard Transportation has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after several years fraught with legal and financial difficulties.The family-owned oceangoing tug and petroleum barge firm filed alongside several of its subsidiaries Monday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.According to the filings, Bouchard has between 1,000 and 5,000 creditors, liabilities between $100 million and $500 million and assets worth between $500 million and $1 billion.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is pursuing enforcement action against Bouchard Transportation Company after the shipping company failed to comply with a captain of the port order for one of its two vessels anchored in the Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, Texas, area of responsibility.According to the Coast Guard, tugs Kim M. Bouchard and Danielle M. Bouchard and their associated barges have been anchored off Texas Point since mid-December with no known plans to move and crews unpaid since January, raising safety concerns for the crews remaining aboard as well as the public and other professional mariners, and environmental concerns for the region.Combined…

The Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) has ordered two more fire-fighting vessels following the delivery of modern fireboat, the "Branddirektor Westphal".As with the previous order, both vessels will be fitted with Schottel thrusters – in this case, two Schottel Rudderpropellers and one Schottel Transverse Thruster. These will enable maximum maneuverability in the restricted fairway of the Port of Hamburg.This mobility is also guaranteed in situations that require fast response times. The special vessels, operated by Flotte Hamburg, a wholly owned subsidiary of the HPA, are currently under construction at Damen Shipyards.Each of the fireboats features two rudder-propellers type SRP 150 L FP (380 kW each) with a propeller diameter of 1.10 m and a transverse thruster type STT 60 FP (100 kW).

Saqr Port, part of Rash Al Khaimah (RAK) Ports, has signed a contract with the Damen Shipyards Group for the delivery of an ASD 2913 tug. The vessel will be built a short distance away at Albwardy Damen in Sharjah and will be delivered in time for the opening of the new bulk terminal at Saqr Port in mid-2018. Saqr Port is a major bulk-handing port in the Middle East and a vital part of the regional economy. Located at the foot of the Hajar Mountains, it serves the fast-growing quarry industry in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.

Robert Allan Ltd. On October 21, Robert Allan Ltd. was awarded a contract by Ningbo Port Company Ltd. in China for a RAstar 4200-DF Class dual-fuel (LNG-MDO) tug. The award of this contract builds on a history of collaboration between the two companies on several series of tug designs, dating back to 2004, and includes multiple series of 32- to 39-meter-long tugs (4,800 to 7,200 horsepower), including the recent Yong Gang Tuo 31. The new RAstar 4200-DF tug will be powered by a pair Niigata 8L28AHX-DF dual-fuel engines…

Zamakona Yards, one of Spain's main shipbuilding and ship-repair groups, has signed a contract with Haifa Port Authority for the construction of Haifa, a Voith Schneider tug boat, to aid in port operations. The newbuilding will be powered by two MAN 8L27/38 engines with delivery set for August 2015. Haifa will be a sister to the Ilan I, which began towing and general harbor operations at Haifa Port in 2012. With a length of 31.5 m and a 12.5-m beam, the new vessel’s Voith Design hull will have a bollard pull of 70 t.

South Port NZ Ltd., located at Bluff in New Zealand’s South Island, has just completed the order for a new LHM 550 mobile harbor crane. The crane will be used for container handling for MSC, the port’s containerized cargo customer. The new machine is the third LHM delivered to New Zealand’s southernmost port. “South Port is the regional port operator in Southern New Zealand, and it is important to our clients that we operate with a two-crane model, giving faster turnaround time to the container vessels and allow for projected growth in this area of the business,” said Chairman Rex Chapman.

UK based Forth Ports orders the carriers for its upgrade of the London Container Terminal (LCT) at Tilbury. Forth Ports is investing in substantial equipment and site upgrading to LCT to ensure customers continue to receive a first rate and enhanced service. It is also integrating LCT with the busy short-sea terminal, also located at Tilbury. Part of the investment plan is the purchase of 14 new Kalmar ESC 450W straddle carriers from Cargotec. LCT handles in excess of half a million containers per year and is the only UK port servicing both deep sea and short sea customers. It is located on the Thames and is a key shipping and distribution location with access to London and the South East.

The U.S. Coast Guard successfully completed its first week enforcing new international and domestic maritime security requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code and the Maritime Transportation Security Act. “The men and women of the Coast Guard have been very busy enforcing these security requirements since the deadline, but our efforts to ensure compliance were successful because we began this task well before July 1,” said Adm. Thomas H. Collins, commandant of the Coast Guard. From July 1 through July 6 (the most current data which is available), foreign vessels made approximately 1,600 port calls on U.S. ports. On average, over 260 vessels called each day.

The Coast Guard Captain of the Port Western Alaska issued Captain of the Port Orders detaining two freight ships in Dutch Harbor. The motor vessel Cool Girl, a Panamanian-flagged freighter, and the motor vessel Nova Friesia, a Netherlands-flagged vessel, must remain in port until discrepancies are corrected. During a routine freight ship boarding, inspectors at the Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment in Unalaska Monday discovered that the eight deck officers and engineering officers aboard the Cool Girl had expired Panamanian licenses. The order requires that the Cool Girl stay in port until the officers are able to produce valid licenses.