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New Grease Extends Life, Lowers Temp of Tugboat Shaft Bearings
How does a tugboat operator with over 26 vessels used in docking, escort, ocean towing and articulated barge service get control of maintenance issues? In this case, by switching to Klüberplex BEM 41-132 grease to lower operating temperatures between 2 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit (3.6 and 18 Celsius), which significantly extends grease and bearing life. The tugboat businessâ success depends on the reliability of their assets and the ability to provide superior customer service.
Connectivity for Brown Water Operations
Growing options emerge for ever-increasing data and Comms demand. In the United States alone, 625 million tons of cargo is transported along the more than 12,000 miles of commercially navigable waterways each year, moving vital commodities to and from 38 of the nationâs 50 states. The advent of subchapter M has raised the bar significantly for as many as 5,000 inland vessels, both in terms of safety and the need to document and more closely control this tonnage.
A Sea Change for Shipbuilding
When it comes to shipbuilding, the numbers are staggering: hundreds of millions of parts in one aircraft carrier. Billions of dollars proposed for Naval fleet development in the latest NDAA. Hundreds of thousands of private sector jobs in the U.S. alone. A 2015 MARAD report, for example, pegged the total economic impact associate with the industry at 400,000 jobs, $25 billion in labor income, and 37 billion in GDP (based on data from 2013).
The Digital Voyage: 'Onboarding' Shipping to the Digital Age
At Nor-Shipping this year, Akzonobel announced the official launch of its âDigital Voyageâ strategy. This program builds on the foundations laid two years ago when the firm launched Intertrac Vision, the industryâs first Big Data tool for predicting coating performance. The Digital Voyage outlines the goal of putting a wealth of knowledge in the hands of ship owners and operators, and helping them make smarter, more economical and environmentally friendly decisions.
Catching a Jones Act Seamanâs 'Golden Parachute'
A challenging offshore environment produces a different but equally difficult development. Will you be ready when it comes to your fleet? Unfortunately, our industry continues to suffer due to the depressed oil prices that started in 2014. When the price of oil initially dropped, the industryâs outlook remained positive, and I remember hearing the mantra: âStay lean for 2015.â Everyone thought that oil prices would rebound in short order and that we were only weathering a short downturn.
Marine Fuels: Unmasking Gas
A primer on the way forward for alternative fuels for marine propulsion. By now, many of us have been passed by a garbage truck, taken a ride on an airport bus or hailed a taxi cab that is clearly labeled by their respective marketing departments that these vehicles are powered by clean burning natural gas. Even now in our own maritime industry, some trendy operators are looking to make the case for liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion systemsâŠ
Marine Piping: It's Not Rocket Science
Anything but unconventional, Viega piping products and systems provide uncommon time savings and safer repairs, leading to a better bottom line. The maritime industryâŠ
Insights: Todd Schauer, President, American Salvage Association
Todd Schauer is Director of Operations at Resolve Marine Group, as well as President of the American Salvage Association. After graduating from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a degree in Naval Architecture in 1991, he followed that up with graduate degrees in Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. And, while his considerable U.S. Coast Guard experience includes shipboard engineeringâŠ
Op/Ed: Facts Do Matter - A Defense of the Jones Act
I recently read a story in The New Yorker â but that sounds more intellectual than what really happened, let me start over. I recently clicked a link on Facebook, which sought to explain why the term âFake Newsâ has become so popular. The article claimed that facts no longer matter to the average voter. As evidence (yes, the article explaining why facts donât matter included evidence), it detailed a study whereby the subjects had been given false informationâŠ
Managing Change the AVEVA Way
In todayâs marine-scape of declining newbuild activity, many boatbuilders are seeking to buoy up productivity by reducing time to market. But how do you go about contracting intricate concurrent design and production flows without loss of quality, let alone the risk of production spiraling out of control? The general tendency is to overlap design phases. However, this potentially creates a greater number of uncertainties.
The âAg Coastâ of America
St. Louis Regionâs Agriculture Freight Network Poised for Growth as Handling Capacity Increases along a 15-mile section of the Mississippi River. Located in the heartland of America, one 15-mile section of the Mississippi River in the St. Louis, Missouri, region delivers the highest level of grain barge handling capacity anywhere along the Mississippi River. Known as the âAgriculture or Ag Coastâ of America in terms of barge transfer facilities for agricultural productsâŠ
A Turning Point in Oil Spill Recovery
Cleaning up marine oil spills can be a challenge as there are various types of oil spilled but only a few effective recovery methods. The three main technologies for oil spill recovery for inland and offshore waters are mechanical, insitu burning (ISB), and dispersant application. Absorbent booms and pads may also be used, but they are more effective for small fuel spills. Mechanical recovery, usually an oil skimmerâŠ
Great Workboats of 2017: Apply Now
Will your vessel be honored as a âGreat Workboat of 2017â in the December 2017 edition of Marine News? Every year, Marine News profiles the most outstanding vessels built in shipyards in North America, recognizing builders, owners and designers as leaders in their field. This edition â the much anticipated end-of-the-year edition â generates much excitement, as your work is profiled and delivered to the largest audited b2b maritime industry audience in this genre.
Marine Finance for Brown Water Operators
A primer for navigating the âups and downsâ of marine money for domestic stakeholders. Vessel financiers are resourceful and adaptable to changing markets. On the domestic side, financiers of Jones Act and âbrown waterâ assets have continued to serve their customers through shifting shoals in both broader capital markets and in the marine markets â both known for their ups and downs. Marine finance can take many forms.
Economics & Utility Redefine Todayâs Workboat Output
GoM shipyards are meeting the demand for right-sized, multi-mission boats. In the last decade, Gulf Coast shipyards have watched demand for multi-mission vessels grow from foreign governments and U.S. authorities. In particular, local counties and municipalities â pinched by shrinking budgets and expanding mission sets â began the march to leverage a single hull for more than one task. And, since these boats can serve military or civilian needsâŠ
Legal Limbo: Risk Management in a Modern Marine Economy
Technology helps maritime companies do more with less. But today, technological advances are outstripping legal developments. As a result, many marine-based businesses operate in a legal limbo with many lawyers and insurance professionals confused about what laws will apply to what claims. While sometimes philosophical, the problem of what law will apply becomes stark and very real when a worker is injured.
Arctic Research Explores the âRoombaâ Approach
The pace and quality of oil spill research in the United States typically ebbs and flows as a function of two, if not three important variables. First, after the 1989 Exxon Valdez grounding, there was a flurry of activity to ramp up oil spill research because it had been dormant for so long. The need was recognized, with plenty of money made available. Primarily, this research centered on conventional spill remediation techniques â for example, a tanker or barge spilling oil â and not much else.
The Complicated Business of Marine Construction Worker Claims
The right insurance policy could help you stay above water after a workplace incident. The day-to-day job of marine construction workers has many potential hazards. While restoring shorelines, dredging harbors, repairing bridges and building docks, they often operate heavy machinery. Manning cranes, forklifts and excavators day or night, it is not uncommon to work in sweltering heat, freezing cold temperatures and an array of other challenging weather conditions.
Op/Ed: Act Now to Avoid BWMS Compliance Risks
Lately, I have been reading reports regarding the United States Coast Guardâs (USCG) escalating enforcement of ballast water discharge violations. In the first case, the USCG initiated a civil penalty proceeding against a bulk carrier for discharging ballast water in Washington State without using a USCG Type Approved Ballast Water Management System (BWMS) or other approved means. The USCG proposed the maximum penalty of $38,175.
Marine News Boat of the Month: October 2017
RIBCRAFT recently introduced the all new 41â RIBCRAFT 12.5 with the recent delivery of a specialized USCG Sub Chapter T Certified tour boat to a customer in New England. At 41â, the RIBCRAFT 12.5 is the newest and largest model in the RIBCRAFT model line. The ultimate offshore platform for tour operators, security and patrol operations, military applications, and discerning recreational boaters, theâŠ