Harbor Services News

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.

Adani Ports, the largest private ports and logistics company in India, said it has reached a deal to acquire a 100% stake in India’s largest third-party marine services provider Ocean Sparkle Ltd. (OSL).OSL, which provides towage, pilotage, and dredging services, has an asset base of 94 owned vessels and 13 third-party owned vessels, and a team of 1,800 personnel. It is present in all the major ports, 15 minor ports and all three liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in India, and also operates in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Yemen and Africa.

Will Roberts joined Seattle-based Foss Maritime in 2017 as chief commercial officer, and in 2018 he was named chief operating officer. Prior to joining Foss, Roberts held a number of leadership roles for marine systems and services provider Rolls-Royce, rising to senior vice president, customer and services–Americas. A U.S. Navy veteran, Roberts served as a qualified deck and engineering officer aboard the fast attack submarine USS Honolulu. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in ocean engineering and holds a Master of Engineering Management from Old Dominion University.

Crowley Engineering Services announced Monday it has designed the first fully electric U.S. tugboat with autonomous technology, engineered as a zero-emissions, high-performance solution for ship assist and harbor services.The Crowley design, powered by the expertise of recently integrated subsidiary Jensen Maritime, leverages a large battery system and power saving technology to operate in a fully electric mode while producing zero air emissions or greenhouse gases, Crowley said.

The success of the first lines boat / utility vessel Dongara Marine built for Jetwave Marine led the Western Australian marine services provider to acquire a second.Jetwave Nelson Point is the latest addition to Jetwave Marine’s owned and operated fleet, which includes nearly 30 specialized commercial vessels including harbor tugs, barges, multi-cats, utility / crew boats, and port service craft. These cater to the requirements of clients in the oil and gas, and resource industries Australia-wide.Designed by Southerly Designs…

Seattle-based Foss Maritime christened the new 90-ton tugboat Jamie Ann on February 29.The first of four new ASD-90 tugs under construction at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders in Freeland, Wash., the newbuild will be followed by sister vessels Sarah Averick, Leisa Florence and Rachael Allen, all scheduled to be delivered this year for service within the Saltchuk Marine family of companies.Jamie Ann’s upgrades include two MTU Tier 4 engines producing 6,866 horsepower which meet the EPA’s highest standards.

US-based Crowley Maritime Corp. announced on Wednesday that it has realigned its marine services organization and introduced new leadership.In a move that aims to provide better support to customers, Crowley Marine Services, part of the company’s shipping arm, will now be comprised of three distinct, yet interrelated business segments: offshore services, ship assist and tanker escort and engineering services – those provided by Crowley and subsidiary Jensen Maritime Consultants.Jeff Andreini…

The members of the American Waterways Operators, the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association, elected a new slate of leaders earlier this month during the association's annual Spring Convention held in Washington, D.C. Scott Merritt, former Chief Operating Officer for Foss Maritime Company, LLC, was elected Chairman. Arthur F. Mead, Vice President and General Counsel at Crowley Maritime Corporation, was elected Vice Chairman. Mr. Merritt succeeds outgoing Chairman Tom Marian…

Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar (NDSQ)  delivered its first two Superyacht newbuilds, a pair of 71-m fast diving vessels (FDV), the first superyacht-quality newbuilds constructed entirely at Qatar’s Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard. Adapted from the Damen ‘Sea-Axe’ fast yacht support vessel, these customized FDVs are designed and built to ensure ease of maintenance and enhanced safety features. Nakilat Chief Executive Officer Eng. Abdullah Al Sulaiti said, “NDSQ has been making strides in Qatar’s shipbuilding arena since its operations started in 2011…

Indiana based maritime logistics company TPG Marine Enterprises, LLC said it has purchased 100 percent ownership of its primary operating company TPG Mt. Vernon Marine, LLC, which provides harbor services on the lower Ohio River under the names of Mt. Vernon Barge Service, Green River Barge Service and MVBS Jeffersonville, LLC. It also owns TPG Chicago Dry Dock, LLC, located on the Calumet River. Prior to the purchase at the end of September, TPG Marine Enterprises held majority ownership of TPG Mt.

AWO testifies before Congress on dangers of foreign carrier alliances negotiating collectively with U.S. Tom Allegretti, President & CEO of The American Waterways Operators, testified before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee's Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on the dangers posed by the Federal Maritime Commission's (FMC) decision to allow foreign carrier alliances to collectively negotiate with U.S. tugboat operators. Allegretti also emphasized AWO's view that such agreements violate both the letter and congressional intent of the Shipping Act…

As one of the largest inland vessel management companies in the United States, Inland Marine Service (IMS) offers services to keep vessels crewed with seasoned, highly skilled mariners. With over 700 employees, IMS is able to serve customers across the Western Rivers, East Coast, and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterways. These crews enjoy a reputation for getting the job done on time and within budget. With 30 years of experience on the river, dedicated safety practices, and highly trained crews, IMS is committed to providing customers with secure, reliable, timely and cost effective solutions.

Inland Marine Service, Inc. (IMS) has partnered with Shawn Hantz of Third Coast Tankering, LLC to launch a new tankering and plant service division called Inland Marine Tankering, LLC (IMT), announced IMS president, Dave Hammond. IMS is a marine management company employing more than 700 professional mariners annually. The company is based in Hebron, Ky., with operations in Paducah, Ky.; St. Louis; New Orleans and Houston. “Two years ago, IMS began diversifying into other marine related business segments.

Overhead crane and hoist manufacturer Ace World Companies has made its first appearance at the Inland Marine Expo, which took place for the third time this May at America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi River. The expo is the annual trade show for the inland and intracoastal marine transportation industry, which is a target market for the manufacturer and its recently acquired business, Pullift Corporation, a provider of standard and custom material handling equipment, including winches. Camron Ghanemi, vice president at Ace, said, “I was encouraged by recent comments from Michael Toohey, the president of the Waterways Council, who referenced ‘record funding’ to modernize the nation’s inland waterways transportation system.

Foss Maritime Company recently announced it will open a consolidated customer service center in Oregon in April 2016. The company's existing Portland office will be renovated and modernized to incorporate the best available customer service technologies, including a state-of-the-art telephony system, heightened cyber security, and enhanced dispatching and vessel tracking capabilities. "Consolidating customer service in our Columbia Snake River location will allow us to enhance both our service and our responsiveness," said Chris Wolf, Director of Customer Service at Foss. Today, Foss serves regional, national and international customers in ports along the Pacific seaboard, Hawaii and Alaska, as well as across the globe, with a service center in Washington and Oregon, and two in California.

Foss Maritime announced today a partnership to establish the curriculum for a new marine engineering apprenticeship program, and to sponsor several applicants each year. Seattle Central College, Seattle Maritime Academy, the Maritime Institute of Technology & Graduate Studies-Pacific Maritime Institute and the Workboat Academy have received a $5 million American Apprenticeship Innovation Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to help build a new apprenticeship program. Through the grant, more 150 engineers will be trained over the next five years, both in Seattle and Baltimore. The engineering program will mirror Workboat Academy's deck apprenticeship, now in its 10th year.

Clyde Marine Services has taken delivery of its first Damen ASD Tug, the shipbuilder announced today. The Damen ASD 2310 has been named CMS Warrior, and she will join a 12-strong fleet of tugs and crew tenders at the Scottish company. Based in Greenock, Scotland, Clyde Marine Services was established in 1913 and has a long history of working with Damen vessels. The first experience of a Damen vessel was when the marine services company bought a Damen Pushy Cat in the mid-eighties. The fleet includes Damen Stan Tugs 1906 and 1907, as well as two Stan Tug 1s.

Foss Maritime Company is wholly owned by Saltchuk Resources, a privately owned family investment company formed in 1982 and based in the Pacific Northwest. Saltchuk has over $2 billion of assets invested in numerous operating companies in several different business groups, including deep water shipping logistics, ship management, tug and barge operations, fuel distribution and trucking. Foss regularly partners with its sister companies in the Saltchuk portfolio to offer a diverse range of maritime transportation services.

Representative employees of marine transportation company of Cook Inlet Tug & Barge Inc. (CITB) on Monday voted to reject a petition that would see a union organize to represent the company’s marine employees, CITB announced today. The employees rejected the petition from the Inland Boatman's Union (IBU) by a vote of 11-4, as tallied by the National Labor Relations Board in Anchorage, Alaska. "Cook Inlet Tug & Barge is gratified by the outcome of the election," said CITB president Scott Merritt,  "It was the right decision by and for the valued men and women at Cook Inlet Tug & Barge.

Helm Operations has signed on Brazilian harbor services company SAAM SMIT Towage to its Helm Marine Operations software to manage its billing and dispatch. SAAM SMIT Towage started towage operations in Brazil in 2008 and is now active in eight ports and terminals. SAAM SMIT provides assistance to incoming and outgoing seagoing vessels – including ro-ro ships, oil and chemical tankers, container ships, reefers and mixed cargo ships. Robert Martijn Smits, Commercial Manager of SMIT Brazil, said that reliability was a deciding factor in their choice of Helm. “We chose Helm because with the expansion of SAAM SMIT Towage in Brazil we needed a confident, 100% reliable and professional dispatch system to accompany us in our growth.

Helm Marine Software’s product team leads burdened brown water workboat operators out of the wilderness – and confidently into compliance. Four to six forms a day and that’s before Subchapter M rules take effect. That is how many forms Helm Marine Software’s product team figures a typical inland vessel must deal with, every day. Their research shows that OSV companies have around 100 different forms to complete and Dry Bulk companies have around 70. Skip the forms, and under Subchapter M, vessels without Certificates of Inspection (COIs) won’t be fined. They will also be tied up at the dock.

Indiana-based TPG Mt. Vernon Marine, LLC purchased Chicago Dry Dock, a Chicago area shipyard founded in 1979. Chicago Dry Dock operates on the Calumet River and offers unencumbered access to both the Great Lakes (via Lake Michigan) and the Inland River System (via the Calumet/Des Plaines/Illinois Rivers). Founded as Kern Barge Cleaning and Repair, CDD purchased its first dry dock in 1995 and was renamed and incorporated as Chicago Dry Dock in 1996. Operating from seven acres less than three river miles from Lake Michigan…

President & CEO: Paul E. Foss Maritime Company is wholly owned by Saltchuk Resources, a privately owned family investment company formed in 1982 and based in the Pacific Northwest. Saltchuk has over $2 billion of assets invested in numerous operating companies in several different business groups, including deep water shipping logistics, ship management, tug and barge operations, fuel distribution, and trucking. Foss regularly partners with its sister companies in the Saltchuk portfolio to offer a diverse range of maritime transportation services.