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Gaskets News

08 Sep 2023

Failure to Maintain Crane Barge Led to $6 Million Loss

The towing vessel Karen Koby (left) and crane barge Ambition (right) are pictured before the capsizing and sinking. (Credit: LA Carriers (left) and Rigid Constructors (right))

A barge owner’s lack of inspection and maintenance led to the capsizing and sinking of a crane barge last year in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.The crane barge Ambition was being towed when it capsized and sank on June 15, 2022, releasing an estimated 1,980 gallons of oil. No injuries were reported. The Ambition, owned by Rigid Constructors, and its crane were a total loss estimated at $6.3 million.Due to the height of the crane, the Ambition was being towed offshore in the Gulf of Mexico to reach its destination.

17 Aug 2023

False Alarm, Loss of Propulsion Leads to Cargo Ships Colliding

Damaged stern area of the AP Revelin after the collision. (Photo: NTSB)

A loss of propulsion due to a false alarm led to cargo vessels colliding near Port Arthur, Texas last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.While transiting the Sabine Pass on August 21, 2022, the general cargo ship Damgracht lost propulsion when the vessel’s main engine shut down due to “high oil mist density” sensed by its oil mist detector (OMD). Due to the abrupt loss of propulsion, the Damgracht began veering into the path of the bulk carrier AP Revelin.

25 Oct 2022

Idled St. Croix Refinery Risks Explosion, 'Catastrophic' Releases

Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-2.5

Equipment corrosion at an oil refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands presents a risk of fire, explosion or other "catastrophic" releases of hazardous substances, U.S. environmental regulators said on Tuesday, after performing an inspection last month.The idled St. Croix refinery, formerly called Limetree Bay, was shut down by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in May 2021 after a series of chemical releases into the environment sickened neighboring residents. The refinery was sold in December 2021 for $62 million to West Indies Petroleum and Port Hamilton Refining and Transportation…

25 Apr 2022

Unsecured Openings Led to the Flooding and Sinking of Tugboat -NTSB

A raft adrift, Dec. 24, 2020, south of Yabucoa Harbor, Puerto Rico. Sector San Juan watchstanders received a mayday call from the 112-foot tugboat Proassist III crew stating they were taking on water with three people aboard approximately two miles south of Yabucoa Harbor, PR. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

Unsecured openings in the deck of a towing vessel led to its flooding and sinking off the coast of Puerto Rico, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.The agency's latest marine investigation report details the NTSB’s investigation into the December 24, 2020, flooding and sinking of the towing vessel Proassist III near Puerto Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. The towing vessel was transiting northbound off the coast of Puerto Rico when its stern compartments began flooding. The three crewmembers on board were unable to pump out the water and eventually abandoned the vessel.

06 Apr 2021

More Than 65% of Ships Contain Asbestos

(Photo: Maritec)

A significant number of existing and newbuild vessels are operating systems and machinery containing asbestos despite regulations introduced 10 years prohibiting the use of the hazardous substance on board, according to maritime testing facility Maritec.Maritec, which carried out asbestos surveys for IMO compliance between 2011 and 2020, said more than 55% of in-service vessels and 50% of all newbuilds were found to contain asbestos materials.John Rendi, General Manager, Environmental Services…

04 Sep 2019

Lifeboat Converted Into Unsinkable Solar-Powered Arctic Excursion Boat

The ‘Stodig’ (Norwegian for ‘steady’) was designed by British architects Guylee Simmonds and David Schnabel as a comfortable excursion vessel for Arctic journeys. The solar-powered vessel is able to right itself when capsized and has been dubbed ‘the unsinkable solar lifeboat’.

(Photo courtesy of Asylum PR)

A new solar vessel that can theoretically be submerged and remain unharmed has been produced by repurposing a lifeboat that could originally accommodate 100 people.Two British architects, Guylee Simmonds and David Schnabel, recognized that the craft could be converted into an adventure vessel that could explore the Norwegian Artic while offering its occupants all the comforts of home.“We wanted to experience a range of different cultures, different approaches to living by the sea, different landscapes, different climates.

28 Aug 2019

NOFIRNO Gasket Withstand Heavy-duty Fire Test

Photo: Beele Engineering

Manholes onboard ships or in industrial or offshore plants are generally only used from time to time. The manholes are closed most of the time and are only opened when there is a need for maintenance or other activities to be performed on the installation. Gaskets are used to ensure the steel sealing plates reliably seal off the manhole. The NOFIRNO gaskets supplied by Beele Engineering for these types of systems were recently subjected to one of the most severe fire tests possible.The…

10 Jul 2019

Beele Engineering Unveils New Website

Photo: Beele Engineering

Beele Engineering has fully renovated and expanded its website. The company, a leader in the field of innovative, fire-resistant and gas, smoke and watertight sealing systems, thereby presents itself as expert in the field of sealing technologies.The involvement of Beele Engineering in its client's problems and the drive to offer ready-made solutions to their issues, converge in our passion and mission: We Care - We Solve. This is also evident in our new website in which the guiding principles consist of the daily application of Beele products by visitors from the construction industry…

01 Jul 2019

PROPULSION: ‘Power’ to the People

Interstate-McBee brings affordable aftermarket replacement parts to a marine sector thirsting for new ways to bolster the bottom line. As freight rates, subchapter M and the advent of EPA Tier IV requirements all impact the market, an affordable overhaul of an existing engine is one way to find real relief. A recent report, entitled “Impact of Updated Service Life Estimates on Harbor Craft and Switcher Locomotive Emission Forecasts and Cost-Effectiveness,” found the average Category 2 workboat remains in service for 50 years, instead of the 23-year lifespan estimated by the EPA in the 2008 Heavy Duty Locomotive and Marine Rule. A longer service life reduces the fleet’s turnover rate to cleaner…

06 Nov 2018

Trelleborg Launches New STS Oil Transfer Solution

Kleline hoses used in STS transfer (Photo: Trelleborg)

Trelleborg’s oil & marine hose operation has launched the KLELINE STS oil transfer solution, which is set to upgrade safety and operability standards in ship-to-ship (STS) oil transfer around the world. This solution sets a new benchmark for safe and efficient ship-to-ship oil transfer, inspired by unique floating hose design, qualified to GMPHOM 2009 standard.STS transfer is becoming an increasingly popular option among ship operators and managers, as it allows vessels carrying liquid cargo to transfer offshore.

13 Dec 2017

Connecting Boatbuilders to the New Gold Standard

Victaulic’s forward-thinking vertical integration remains, at the same time, solidly connected to a rich and varied past. It is still common to hear waterfront stakeholders refer to alternative pipe connection systems as temporary or simply as ‘a new development.’ While none of that could be further from the truth, the education of the marine community as to the merits of these products as an alternative to traditional flanges continues. These products – like Victaulic’s market offerings – are indeed mainstream parts of the marine sector, their use limited only by the imagination of designers, builders and operators who constantly find new applications to improve their bottom line. Since the 1920s, Victaulic couplings have demonstrated their value in countless maritime applications.

01 Aug 2017

Grooving the Way: Back to the Future

Anything but new, the Victaulic method of pipe-joining has been around for a long time. Armed with myriad type approvals from most IACS groups, Victaulic’s output will no doubt (and soon) form a part of your marine equipment for a long time to come. The conservative and staid domestic waterfront, especially where it intersects boatbuilding and repair, recently set sail for increased efficiencies, driven in part by emerging technologies, but also through improved management and new assembly techniques. It was in 2013 that Boysie Bollinger’s son, Chris Bollinger, then a member of the Bollinger senior management team, proclaimed, “Boatbuilding is evolving into something that will more closely resemble manufacturing…

13 Jul 2017

Grooving the Way: Back to the Future

Anything but new, the Victaulic method of pipe-joining has been around for a long time. Armed with myriad type approvals from most IACS groups, Victaulic’s output will no doubt (and soon) form a part of your marine equipment for a long time to come. The conservative and staid domestic waterfront, especially where it intersects boatbuilding and repair, recently set sail for increased efficiencies, driven in part by emerging technologies, but also through improved management and new assembly techniques. It was in 2013 that Boysie Bollinger’s son, Chris Bollinger, then a member of the Bollinger senior management team, proclaimed, “Boatbuilding is evolving into something that will more closely resemble manufacturing…

12 Jun 2017

Cast Polyurethane for High Impact, High Wear Applications

(Photo: Argonics)

Although ship and boat building design engineers have traditionally specified parts made of rubber, plastic or steel when durability is required, many are considering cast polyurethanes as a new alternative for demanding, high-wear, abrasion and impact applications. Cast polyurethanes, also broadly referred to as urethanes, are tough, elastic materials that combine many of the performance advantages of high-tech plastics, metals and ceramics along with the resiliency and flexibility of rubber parts and are ideal for ship/boat building components.

22 May 2017

Subchapter M Survey Reports

Š Adam Parent / Adobe Stock

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.

05 Sep 2016

Its Time to Act for Minimising Cost: EU F-Gas Regulations on Refrigerants

The cost of refrigerant and regulatory compliance in the next five years will become as commercially important to vessel operations as regulations governing sulphur emissions are today, warns Robert Chesters, Managing Director Oceanic Technical Solutions. “If shipowners fail to make their plants gas-tight, they could face refrigerant cost increases of up to 20% when stringent EU Regulations on Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (F-Gas) enter in to force in 2020,” he says. From now until 2030 there will be a phased reduction of the amount of virgin ozone-depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HFC) placed onto the market. HFCs with a global warming potential (GWP) of 2…

19 Nov 2015

USCG Alert: Compliance with MARPOL Requirements

The Coast Guard has confirmed several reports it has received stating that main engines may not attain the expected speed when using ultra low sulfur fuel oil. The Coast Guard has revised its list of recommendations to vessel owners and operators about the importance of establishing effective fuel oil changeover procedures to comply with MARPOL Annex VI emission regulations. Ensure fuel oil switching is accomplished outside of busy traffic lanes and the ECA. Generally the ECA is 200 nm from the North American Coast and 50 miles from the U.S. Caribbean coast (e.g., the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Anticipate that there may be many technical challenges for operators when beginning to use ULS fuel oil as a matter of routine and compliance.

20 Jul 2015

Preventing Loss of Propulsion After Fuel Switch to Low Sulfur Distillate Fuel

Capt. Jeff Cowan

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) ANNEX VI Regulation 14 requires ships with Marine Compression-Ignition Engines at or Above 30 Liters per Cylinder use fuel with sulfur content less than 0.1%, after 01 January 2015 within the Baltic Sea area – as defined in Annex I of MARPOL, North Sea area – as defined in Annex V of MARPOL; within 200 miles of the North American area and when operating in the United States Caribbean Sea area – as defined in Appendix VII of Annex VI of MARPOL.

01 Jun 2015

Cool Runnings: New Onboard Cooling Soultions

Sperre says it has a superior solution for equipment coolers onboard ships. Late last year it teamed with W&O to distribute its Sperre Pleat Coolers in the U.S. MR spoke to from Sperre’s Gard Sem (pictured) for insights. While Sperre Pleat Coolers are designed to provide customers several advantages, including performance and the compact size, Gard Sem, vice president of sales and marketing, was most eager to discuss the maintenance characteristics of the system. The Sperre Pleat…

11 Mar 2015

USCG Marine Safety Alert

The U.S. Coast Guard issued a marine safety alert while it conducts an ongoing investigation into a engine room fire that killed three aboard the Insignia cruise ship in St. Lucia in December. The USCG reminded shipowners to maintain machinery, establish escape routes, and conduct thorough engineering watches. The fire started after a bolted flange parted and a fuel oil spray under pressure developed from an operating engine’s fuel supply line. The fuel spray ignited when it contacted the engine’s exhaust piping or turbocharger components. The primary fire was extinguished when the vessel’s fine mist extinguishing system automatically activated and performed as designed. Fuel pumps and shutoff valves were also secured.

03 Mar 2015

USCG Marine Safety Alert

The U.S. Coast Guard issued a marine safety alert today to remind vessel owners and operators to establish effective fuel oil changeover procedures during efforts to comply with MARPOL Annex VI emission regulations. The USCG said that several recent incidents of fuel leakages during changeovers prompted the alert. The USCG cited multiple unspecified incidents involving substantial machinery space fuel leakages that occurred while vessels were switching fuel oil to ultra low sulfur (ULS) fuel oil to ensure compliance with MARPOL Annex VI, Regulation 14.3.4. The new regulations, which came into effect on January 1, lowered maximum fuel sulfur content from 1.0% to .10%.

11 Feb 2015

Oil Tanker Detained for Safety Violations

U.S. Coast Guard personnel on Monday detained the oil tanker Overseas Jademar in Port Angeles after several safety violations were discovered during a port state control exam. Marshall Island-flagged tanker Overseas Jademar was en route from Malaysia to Anacortes, Washington to offload cargo when Port State Control officers from Sector Puget Sound found several significant safety violations during a port state control exam. The ship will remain detained in Sector Puget Sound's Captain of the Port zone until the safety violations are corrected. The deficiencies found onboard included nonfunctioning distress signaling equipment and fire safety systems.

11 Feb 2015

USCG Detain Tanker in Port Angeles

Coast Guard personnel detained the tanker Overseas Jademar in Port Angeles, Monday. Port State Control officers, from Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound, discovered several significant safety violations during a port state control exam of the Marshall Island-flagged tanker, which will remain detained in Sector Puget Sound's Captain of the Port zone until the safety violations are corrected. The deficiencies found onboard included non-functioning distress signaling equipment and fire safety systems. The electronic position indicating radio beacon, an essential piece of distress equipment that notifies authorities of the crew's location in the event of an emergency, was found non-functional.