Steel Tower News

DIMAR, the Colombian Maritime Authority, informs that it continues to improve aids to navigation around the Colombian coast. This time it’s been in the Gulf of Urabá, in the Northwest Caribbean coast. The Navy has contracted Almarin, together with its partners Cenacol and INER Consultores, to carry out the supply and installation of new buoys in the harbors of Turbo, Sapzurro and Capurganá and also in the estuary of Río León.The plan to improve the Colombia’s aids to navigation system was initiated in 2013 at the major Pacific and Caribbean ports of Buenaventura and Cartagena.

Offshore wind developer Forewind’s second of two planned meteorological masts was erected at Dogger Bank during the weekend using the innovative suction installed Bucket Foundation and a “human free” technique for the steel tower placement. The latest mast to be installed – Dogger Bank Met Mast West - will provide essential wind, wave and other weather information, as well as marine traffic data for the Dogger Bank offshore wind energy development. It is located approximately 150 kilometres from the U.K. coast. Installed by Fred.

The Dogger Bank offshore wind zone is proving to be a site for innovation as a new and safer installation technique has been used to lift Forewind’s initial meteorological mast tower on top of the innovative suction-installed bucket foundation. The use of the Bucket Foundation was also a UK industry first when placed on site in February. Fred. Olsen United implemented the concept of moving the riggers, who previously had to be near the lattice towers during installation, and instead introducing guide cones, therefore eliminating the risk of a swinging or falling load causing an accident.

Everything was going swimmingly for California couple Michael and Lynda Evans on a diving excursion 5 miles (8 km) off Florida’s Key Largo — until they surfaced to find the boat that took them to sea had left without them. The couple endured 26 hours clinging to a steel tower on a remote reef before being spotted by a passing pleasure craft and picked up by a state wildlife officer. The dive company’s owner, Ricardo Investments Corp., pleaded guilty to grossly negligent operation of the dive boat Aqua Nut Divers II and was sentenced to two years probation and fined $1,000, justice officials said. The incident occurred in February 2000. The Evanses, experienced divers, surfaced from a first dive spot to find the boat had gone.

Everything was going swimmingly for California couple Michael and Lynda Evans on a diving excursion 5 miles off Florida’s Key Largo -- until they surfaced to find the boat that took them to sea had left without them. The couple endured 26 hours clinging to a steel tower on a remote reef before being spotted by a passing pleasure craft and picked up by a state wildlife officer. The dive company’s owner, Ricardo Investments Corp., pleaded guilty to grossly negligent operation of the dive boat Aqua Nut Divers II and was sentenced to two years probation and fined $1,000, justice officials said late on Tuesday. The incident occurred in February 2000. The Evanses, experienced divers, surfaced from a first dive spot to find the boat had gone.

According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Coast Guard said a light tower off New York City has been substantially damaged by a tanker ship that slammed into it. The agency is urging boaters to steer clear of the Ambrose Light until it can be fixed. The Coast Guard says the tanker Axel Spirit rammed into the 76-foot steel tower damaging its legs. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Annie Berlin says the light is on, but no longer rotating and not reliable. No injuries or pollution have been reported. The Ambrose Light is about 12 miles southeast of Staten Island and about four miles outside the shipping channel to New York City. The channel is marked with other navigation aids. A Coast Guard ship is being sent to set up temporary navigation aids until the light is fixed.

On April 3, 2006, at Austal’s Mobile, Alabama shipyard, the installation began on the first of four MTU 8000 Series engines; the largest yet to be installed on any of Austal’s ferries in the U.S. These engines were installed in the first of two Austal Auto Express, 353-ft. vehicle-passenger ferries for Hawaii Superferry (HSF) that will be built at Austal. Each 49-ton engine has 20 cylinders, and produces 8,200 kw at 1150 RPM. Full contract funding for this two-vessel project was recently confirmed in October 2005 making the contract unconditional. Construction of the first ferry has been underway since June 2004 at Austal in Mobile based…