Proper Tools News

The Coast Guard rescued two overdue boaters near Big Coppitt Key, Tuesday.Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders received notification of two teenagers on an overdue 16-foot skiff who were supposed to return to shore before sunset. The boat had no navigation lights or radio onboard. Watchstanders diverted a Coast Guard Air Station Miami MH-65 helicopter crew to respond.The helicopter crew arrived on scene, located the two waving, hoisted them and took them to Key West International Airport with no reported injuries.

From the standpoint of vehicle propulsion physics, an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) is little different from your personal ski boat or a tanker. It shares the Vessel-Propulsor-Drive system model, which allows a Propulsor to convert Drive energy into thrust for the purpose of moving a Vessel. The basic principles of thrust equilibrium and motion are common to all three, as are the translation of rotational energy into axial thrust by the central element of the system – the…

The advent of the subchapter M towboat rules – even though the bulk of the rules don’t come into effect until July of 2018 – requires a close look at your equipment. How you go about that important task will make all the difference. Towing vessels should be surveyed for Subchapter M regulatory compliance, regardless of the compliance option chosen, so companies can budget and plan for upgrades between now and July of 2018. If a company is being proactive and strategic about Subchapter M, the time to start getting vessels surveyed for regulatory compliance is now.

The U.S. Navy's first littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) experienced a casualty to one of its main propulsion diesel engines (MPDE) on July 11 reportedly caused by a leak from the attached seawater pump mechanical seal that resulted in seawater entering the engine lube oil system, according to the Navy. The ship’s crew addressed the leak, enabling Freedom to return to homeport July 13 on her own power for repairs on a separate, unrelated issue. While in port, the crew performed seawater contamination procedures.

Protecting Workers, and Ensuring Safe Sailing for the Maritime Industry. The cable-laying vessel GS Global Sentinel was undergoing repair work. Shipyard workers and members of the ship’s crew found a mysteriously high hydrogen sulfide reading in a confined space on board that created a toxic environment. They could not understand why. What caused this potentially lethal scenario? After investigation and safe entry into the tank, crewmembers of the vessel and shipyard workers discovered…

When Admiral Robert J. Papp assumed the duties of the 24th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on May 25, 2010, he also served notice that it won’t be business as usual at headquarters. Papp, unlike his three immediate predecessors, apparently has no intention of setting the world on fire by instituting sweeping changes. Inside the Coast Guard, the proverbial round turn is probably good news. For maritime businesses that trudge along under the collective weight of mounting regulatory burdens, an arguably willing partner now resides in the C-suite. From Papp’s perspective, the overarching link for all of the Coast Guard’s collective missions is the maritime aspect of their service.

Lloyd’s Register is sponsoring a ‘human element awareness’ initiative, to be run by The Nautical Institute. The initiative is expected to run for three years and will aim to raise awareness in the maritime industry about how the human element fits into the design and operation of ships and shipboard equipment. The initiative will bring together knowledge from interdisciplinary sources in the maritime human element field and disseminate it through the publication of a quarterly newsletter, entitled Alert!, and a corresponding web site. The publication, edited by David Squire of The Nautical Institute, will cover a wide variety of professional interests…