Blessey Marine News

Five people were rescued from the water Tuesday after their boat struck a barge near Galveston, Texas, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Houston-Galveston received a call at 9:41 p.m. on VHF-FM channel 16 from the captain of the Blessey Marine Services towboat Richard Tolar that an 18-foot pleasure craft had collided with a barge and capsized east of the Galveston Causeway. All five boaters were in the water, had sustained injuries and…

The members of the American Waterways Operators, the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association, elected a new slate of leaders during the association's Spring Convention and Annual Membership Meeting.Rick Iuliucci, Vice President, The Vane Brothers Company, was elected Chairman; Kelly Teichman, Chairman of the Board, T&T Marine, was elected Vice Chair; and Brian Hughes, Vice President Operations & Sales, Hughes Bros., Inc., was re-elected Treasurer. Iuliucci succeeds outgoing Chairman Clark Todd…

Clark Todd, president and chief operating officer of Blessey Marine Services, was elected chairman of the American Waterways Operators (AWO) as members of the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association elected new leaders during a group meeting last week. Todd succeeds outgoing chairman Del Wilkins, president, Illinois Marine Towing, Inc.Rick Iuliucci, vice president of The Vane Brothers Company, was elected vice chairman; and Brian Hughes, vice president operations and sales, Hughes Bros., Inc., was re-elected treasurer.

Waterway traffic is coming back. November 2021 saw 52.1 million tons moving on the U.S. inland waterway system, the highest monthly tonnage since October 2019, a few months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the shutdowns and stoppages of early 2020. Flows estimated by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, based on data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) show a 25% rise from June 2020. Data in a presentation by The Waterways Council Inc (WCI)…

The members of the American Waterways Operators, the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association, elected a new slate of leaders last week during the association's Spring Board of Directors / Annual Membership Meeting.Del Wilkins, President of Illinois Marine Towing, Inc., was elected Chairman; Clark Todd, President & Chief Operating Officer of Blessey Marine Services, was elected Vice Chairman; and Brian Hughes, Vice President Operations & Sales, Hughes Bros., Inc. was elected Treasurer. Wilkins succeeds outgoing Chairman Arthur F.

Arthur F. Mead, Vice President and Chief Counsel at Crowley Maritime Corporation, has been elected Chairman of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), succeeding outgoing Chairman Scott Merritt, former Chief Operating Officer with Foss Maritime Company, LLC.Members of the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association elected a new slate of leaders this week during the association's Spring Board of Directors / Annual Membership Meeting, which was held virtually due to COVID-19 precautionary measures that resulted in the meeting not taking place in Washington…

Helm Operations assisted Ivy Marine, LLC obtain its SUB M TSMS Certification. Ivy Marine, LLC, a two-towboat company out of Mobile, AL is now the third and smallest company in the United States to obtain their TSMS Certificate. Ivy Marine’s President. “Before Helm CONNECT, we used a paper-based system for all of our required forms and reports on the boats. Helm CONNECT allowed us to increase efficiency across the business, streamlining functions like compliance, inventory management and preventative maintenance.

Canadian maritime software company, Helm Operations, a ClassNK subsidiary, sai dit has earned Class Type Approval for its planned maintenance software, Helm CONNECT. On September 1, 2017 after a detailed review process, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), issued a Type Approval Certificate for Helm CONNNECT as a recognized planned maintenance software system. ClassNK is a member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). IACS members recognize and accept Type Approvals from other society members, thereby allowing any ship owner to implement the Helm CONNECT software as their planned maintenance tracking system. “This is a historic moment for our organization. For many years we have been the market leader in maritime software for the global tug and barge industry.

A coalition of maritime business and industry organizations sent a letter to key Members of Congress on Friday, March 24 urging funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to further support efforts undertaken by the State of Illinois to slow, stop and reverse the migration of Asian carp, an aquatic invasive species, through cost-effective measures. In the letter, the UnLock Our Jobs (UOJ) coalition members review the record of success that the GLRI has had in working with the State of Illinois to develop a range of strategies to control Asian carp…

ABS said it has been awarded a Third Party Organization contract by Blessey Marine Services, Inc., owner and operator of a fleet of inland towing vessels and tank barges, to support compliance with U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Subchapter M requirements. “Owners and operators are evaluating multiple options for Subchapter M compliance, and they are looking for guidance in understanding the requirements in relation to the unique needs of their vessels,” says ABS Americas Division President Jamie Smith.

After nine years of operation in the harsh, abrasive waters of Alaska’s Yukon River, aboard Inland Barge Service’s push boat Ramona, Thordon Bearings’ RiverTough water-lubricated tail-shaft bearing system has emerged completely free of wear and tear, according tot the manufacturer. The performance of the RiverTough bearings in waters renowned for their high content of gritty glacial silt came to light when the 16-meter workboat’s cracked struts underwent repair in dry-dock. Charles Hnilicka…

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.

Proliferation of energy related transport continues to drive commercial U.S. As the United States aims towards energy independence by the end of this decade, domestic shipyards and vessels owners are reaping rewards from this most unexpected turn of events. Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, has been the main (and well publicized) culprit in the rapid turn of events. While the proliferation of gas has been widely known for years, the presence of oil, in quantity, was a pleasant…

1301 Dealers Ave. Moxie Media develops, publishes and distributes cutting edge training materials to meet the regulatory, health, security and workforce needs of the maritime industry. Moxie brings cost-effective resources to companies who must meet government and industry training requirements such as the US Coast Guard, OSHA, DOT, API, BOEM, BSEE, DHS, TSA, AWO, and IMO. All of Moxie Media’s online courses are interactive, video-based programs, shot on vessels and maritime locations and customized to the maritime industry.

ClassNK has announced the acquisition of Victoria, Canada-based maritime software company Helm Operations. The deal was hailed by both parties as two world-class companies joining forces to improve safety and operational efficiency in the marine industry, while greatly enhancing the success and capabilities of both organizations. Tokyo-based ClassNK is one of the world’s largest classification societies, providing safety and certification services for more than 8,600 ships, representing about 20% of the global merchant fleet. Founded in 1999, Helm Operations has grown to become a leading provider of manning, maintenance, dispatch, and HSQE software to the workboat and offshore industries…

Over the past decade Blessey Marine has coasted on a growth curve taking delivery of a large number of Cummins-powered pushboats for their inland fleet. The vessels are sized to share a common versatility with the draft and horsepower to work both the shallower waters of the Intracoastal Waterway and power for the big flows of the Mississippi River. A look at the company equipment list (http://www.blessey.com/Equipment/Vessels/EquipmentList.pdf ) shows a number of vessels with either 1700 or 2000 horsepower. The lower HP boats are 76 feet long while the higher HP boats are 80 to 88 feet long. Both sets of vessels are fitted with a pair of the popular K38M main engines. The 76-footers each have the engines with an 850-HP rating while the larger hulls have the 1000-HP rating.

Thordon Oil Free Propeller Shaft Bearings and Grease Free Rudder Bearings for Workboats produce two kinds of green. The final 2013 EPA VGP language is out. If you’ve got a Controllable Pitch Propeller and Thruster Hydraulic Fluid and other Oil-to-Sea Interfaces, including Lubrication Discharges from Paddle Wheel Propulsion, Stern Tubes, Thruster Bearings, Stabilizers, Rudder Bearings, Azimuth Thrusters, Propulsion Pod Lubrication, Wire Rope and other Mechanical Equipment Subject to Immersion…

For the second consecutive year, cadets from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy are spending time on board tugboats and towboats this summer as part of a program under the auspices of the Coast Guard-American Waterways Operators (AWO) Safety Partnership. The Coast Guard Academy Cadet Towing Vessel Rider Program was established in February 2012 to educate cadets on the tugboat, towboat and barge industry through a week or more of shoreside and onboard training. This year’s program is off to a strong start…

Drought and ensuing low river levels continue to affect the inland industry. Low water between St. Louis and Cairo, Illinois has threatened traffic on the Mississippi River since December. For months, dredging operations have slowed vessels at points along the river's course. Since December, a stretch at Thebes, Illinois, has been shut for much of each day as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removes rock pinnacles. A panel of five executives weighed in on a host of topics regarding inland transportation as part of a round table discussion published in the February print edition of Marine News.

The demand for handy sized towboats to handle inland river tows continues to grow and one of the strongest contributors to that growth is Blessey Marine. Primarily handling petroleum-related products, the firm has grown rapidly to their present fleet size of over 60 towboats with more on order. Although they have vessels ranging from 700 to 4900 HP, the 2000 HP Class is proving popular. Two recent deliveries illustrate slightly different sizes and configuration of their 2000 HP towboats. The MV Steve Scalise was built at the Verret Shipyard in Plaquemine, Louisiana to a design by the shipyard.

Edoc welcomed new customers McAllister Towing and Transportation, Seaspan International and Florida Marine Transporters in 2010. Edoc also reported sales of additional Helm software modules to existing customers Blessey Marine Services and Island Tug & Barge. “We’re very pleased with the addition of Seaspan, McAllister and Florida Marine,” said Ron deBruyne, CEO of Edoc Systems Group. DeBruyne also explained the increase in current customer sales. “Most new customers initially purchase Helm Dispatch Manager, which centralizes and manages all dispatch and invoicing functions. Once they see its effect on resource allocation and operational efficiency…

For Victoria marine enterprise software developers Edoc Systems Group, the past years economic storm has been more about riding calm winds and following seas. They are expanding and hiring while others in the software industry have been retrenching and shedding staff. Edoc moved into their current location in the heritage Hartwig Court two years ago and have already outgrown the current space. On the strength of new business, they are in the last stages of hiring additional software developers to join the team of 18 Victoria and Vancouver based existing staff. In the past month, they have hired a new marketing and communications coordinator, and are in the process of renovating additional space, taking over an adjacent 600 sq ft store-front.

Following on the success of the Dreama Klaiber, launched in late 1999, Blessey Marine’s latest boat is an evolution of that concept. While the Dreama dimensions are 95x30x12.6, the new boat will be 110 x 32 x 11.5-feet. This allows for the same power with a shallower draft. The new boat will also be powered by a pair of 16-cylinder Cummins KTA50 M2 engines, delivering a total of 3200 hp (2,388 kW) for continuous duty at 1800 RPM. the engines are equipped with Cummins’ optional CENTRY electronic engine control systems and drive through Reintjes WAF 772 marine gears with a reduction of 7:1 turning 88- x 68-inch four-blade stainless steel propellers on eight-inch diameter shafts. The vessel is equipped with four flanking and two steering rudders, as are all of Blessey's towboats.