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Marquette News

18 Mar 2024

First Tow Through Lock 2 Kicks Off Navigation Season on the Mississippi

The first tow of 2024 goes through Lock and Dam 2 in Hastings, Minn., on March 17. (Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

The first towboat of 2024 passed through Lock and Dam 2, in Hastings, Minn. on Sunday, signaling the start of this year's navigation season on the Mississippi River.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' St. Paul District said it considers the first tow to arrive at Lock and Dam 2 as the unofficial start of the Mississippi River navigation season, because it means all of its locks are accessible to commercial and recreational vessels.On Sunday, Marquette Transportation Company's Joseph Patrick Eckstein traveled through the lock with 12 barges en route to St.

13 Feb 2024

Wreck of WWII-era Cargo Ship Found in the Great Lakes

(Photo: Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society)

The wreck of a World War II-era freighter has been discovered in over 600 feet of water around 35 miles north of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula.Over the last 7 years, shipwreck researcher Dan Fountain has been studying remote sensing data in the search for shipwrecks in Lake Superior. After coming across a particularly deep anomaly, he reached out to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) for help in identifying the potential wreck. In 2023 GLSHS Director of Marine Operations…

10 Apr 2023

HOST Names Adams Director of HSE

Jarred Adams (Photo: HOST)

T. Parker Host (HOST) announced it has appointed Jarred Adams as its new director of health, safety and environment (HSE). Adams is a native of the New Orleans region and brings with him more than a decade of experience developing standardized safety systems and programs to strengthen workplace safety.Adams will oversee the company’s workplace safety programs, ensure proper employee training and manage compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. He joins the team during HOST’s 100-year anniversary and will be based at Avondale Global Gateway…

20 Mar 2023

Getting the Work Right: Coordinating Money, Time and Big Projects

© EJRodriquez / Adobe Stock

I. MoneyNo one ever said it’s easy to understand federal budgets and spending plans. Nevertheless, a general sense of clarity and straightforwardness is critical for any review of public expenditures. This becomes more pressing when tracking revenue and expenditures linked to specific users’ fees, such as the $0.29/gallon fuel tax, paid by inland waterways operators. In 2021, the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) held $221.5 million, money earmarked to build, maintain and operate…

01 Mar 2023

Marquette Christens Towboats Charles Reid Perry

(Photo: Brad Rankin Studio / courtesy Marquette Transportation Company)

Paducah, Ky. based Marquette Transportation Company earlier this year held a christening ceremony in New Orleans for its towboat Charles Reid Perry.The vessel, built in 2019 by C&C Marine and Repair in Belle Chasse, La., is named after the grandson of Marquette executive chairman John Eckstein. Alix Eckstein Perry, John Eckstein’s daughter and mother of the vessel’s namesake, officially christened the boat.The Charles Reid Perry is designed to operate on the Lower Mississippi River and has the capacity to take up to 42 loads southbound during normal operating conditions.For main propulsion…

01 Mar 2023

Discovery: Historic Shipwreck Found in Lake Huron

Image of the schooner-barge Ironton as it sits on the lake floor today. This image is a point cloud extracted from water column returns from multibeam sonar. Image Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust/NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Researchers from NOAA, the state of Michigan, and Ocean Exploration Trust discovered an intact shipwreck resting hundreds of feet below the surface of Lake Huron. Located within NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the shipwreck has been identified as the sailing ship Ironton. Well preserved by the cold freshwater of the Great Lakes for over a century, the 191-ft. Ironton rests upright with its three masts still standing."Using this cutting-edge technology, we have not only located a pristine shipwreck lost for over a century…

09 Dec 2022

National Waterways Foundation Elects Trustees and Officers

© Michael / Adobe Stock

At its meeting held November 6 in Paducah, Ky., the National Waterways Foundation (NWF) has re-elected the following Trustees:Cherrie Felder, Channel Shipyard CompaniesPeter H. Stephaich, Campbell Transportation CompanyH. Merritt Lane, Canal Barge CompanyClark Todd, Blessey MarineKristin Beck, LaFargeHolcimStephen SheridanThe NWF also elected the following new Trustees:Jennifer Carpenter, CEO, American Waterways OperatorsAndrew Brown, Vice President - Legal & Claims, Ingram Barge CompanyJason Nyberg…

18 Nov 2022

Steering Loss Led to Towing Vessel Grounding -NTSB

​A barge that grounded and partially sank following the Marquette Warrior’s loss of steering. (Source: Marquette Transportation Company)

An electrical generator set (genset) failure and subsequent loss of steering led to the grounding of a towing vessel near Greenville, Miss., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.The towing vessel Marquette Warrior was pushing 35 loaded dry cargo barges down the Lower Mississippi River on Nov. 21, 2021, when several barges grounded on the riverbank. Four barges were damaged, including a hopper barge with bean cargo that partially sank. None of the nine people on board the Marquette Warrior were injured.

17 Aug 2022

US Inland Waterway Infrastructure: Riding a Good News Wave

© Harold Stiver / Adobe Stock

The inland waterways have enjoyed several positive developments toward modernization of the system, particularly over the last two years.Annual appropriations that fund the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works mission have been steadily on the rise for the last nine fiscal years, specifically the Construction and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) accounts have been funded at historic levels. The passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in 2021 provided a…

26 Jan 2022

Infrastructure Funds a Boost for the Missouri River

Barge on the Missouri River delivers rock to stabilization areas along the river. (Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District is set to receive approximately $278 million under the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA). Almost $249 million of that is to repair damages caused by the 2019 flood to the Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project along the Missouri River (within the district boundary) from Rulo, Neb. to St. Louis, Mo.In addition to Missouri River repairs, several lakes in the Heartland area will benefit from the IIJA.Tuttle Creek Lake in Manhattan, Kan.

15 Dec 2021

US Great Lakes Ports Report Cargo Spikes

(Photo: Samuel Hankinson / Chamber of Marine Commerce)

U.S. Great Lakes ports and the St. Lawrence Seaway are reporting a rush of activity as manufacturers stockpile raw materials and businesses take advantage of the congestion-free waterway to export overseas with just two weeks left of the season, the Chamber of Marine Commerce reports.“U.S. Great Lakes ports have roared back this year – recovering from major 2020 declines in traditional cargoes like iron ore and steel but also developing new business and seizing on opportunities for infrastructure investment. This story of recovery and renewal is mirrored in the latest St.

20 Jul 2021

Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System Sees Surge in Construction Material Shipments

Credit: james_pintar/AdobeStock

U.S. Great Lakes ports and the St. Lawrence Seaway have experienced a rise in cargo shipments to feed domestic construction and manufacturing activity and global export demand, according to the latest June figures.The Great Lakes-Seaway System serves a region that includes eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, and is seen as a marine highway that extends 2,300 miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, supporting more than 237,868 jobs and $35 billion in economic activity.If the region were a country…

31 Dec 2020

Interlake Acquires Two Great Lakes Vessels

(Photo: Interlake Holding Company)

Interlake Holding Company announced today the purchase of the assets of Pere Marquette Shipping Company and Lake Michigan Car Ferry Company in an acquisition that includes two working Great Lakes vessels, the articulated tug-barge Undaunted-Pere Marquette 41 and the historic passenger-and-car ferry S.S. Badger.The acquisition signals the creation of a new business entity, Interlake Maritime Services, which will manage the new businesses along with The Interlake Steamship Company…

18 Nov 2020

US Inland Waterways: High Waters & Swirling Currents

(Photo: Ingram Barge)

The inland waterway system, flowing through the United States heartland, is a microcosm of all that has been happening in 2020: trade tensions, infrastructure issues, shifting trends in fuel consumption and the pandemic that has gripped us since the winter months. Shortly after the initial coronavirus outbreak here in the U.S., maritime workers were deemed to be “essential”, paving the way for cargo flows to recover from their springtime nadir. As COVID-19 infections turned up on U.S. shores, the boats continued plying the waterways, albeit with reduced volumes in some cases.

17 Sep 2020

Fit for Fight: Navies challenged by COVID at sea, ashore

Fit for the COVID Fight: Sailors stand in ranks before manning the rails of Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Photos: U.S. Navy Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Christian Huntington

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, navies adjusted how they operate at home and while deployed, to keep their forces ready for any missions as they keep their Sailors, families, communities, as well as allies and partners safe from the coronavirus.Navies have taken a number of prudent preventative measures to limit outbreaks, mitigate cases of infection and reduce the community spread of the virus.Speaking during his May 29 “On The Horizon: Navigating the European and African Theaters” podcast, Admiral James G. Foggo III, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, said The U.S.

16 Sep 2020

New Legislation Aims to Boost Great Lakes Icebreaking Capacity

File photo: The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw (WLBB-30) breaks ice and maintains Aids to Navigation across the Great Lakes. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

New legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) will codify the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking mission on the Great Lakes and increase the icebreaking capacity of the Great Lakes fleet.The Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act aims to increase Great lakes icebreaking capacity, which the lawmakers say will help the businesses and workers that rely on the maritime industry to transport their goods to market and grow the regional economy.“In recent years…

30 Jan 2020

An Ever-vigilant Focus on Passenger Vessel Safety

© Eugene Kalenkovich / Adobe Stock

When I came into office as the Passenger Vessel Association’s President for 2019 last January, I announced two strategic goals for our industry: to enhance safety and foster the professional growth of our next generation of leaders. I am proud to announce we have undertaken major initiatives and made progress on each. These goals match my lifelong professional commitment to safety as well as aligning with PVA’s true north: a responsibility to be ever vigilant and proactive in addressing safety.I have been a longtime member of PVA and served in its leadership for years.

10 Jun 2019

Workboat Report: The U.S. Workboat ($33.8B) Market

Inland pushboat and barge. Source Kirby Corporation

The U.S. towing and tug business is 5,500 boats, more than 31,000 barges with an estimated total impact on U.S. GDP of $33.8 billion.“At a macro level, the bigger ships are causing downward pressure on the ship assist business because there are fewer ship calls given the increased capacity of these vessels. However, certain ports have seen tremendous growth, based on strategic location and infrastructure investments that have attracted these larger ships and been a net plus for these areas.”Kate Fuhrman…

17 May 2018

New Towboat Delivered to Marquette Transportation

Photo: C&C Marine and Repair

Louisiana shipyard C&C Marine and Repair has delivered the second towboat in a series of three 6,600 hp, 160’ x 50’ triple-screw z-drive newbuilds for Marquette Transportation Company.The delivery of the new towboat m/v Chris Reeves comes three months after the series' lead vessel m/v Cindy L. Erickson was handed over in February 2018.The third in the series is scheduled for delivery this August, with a fourth optional towboat lined up for delivery in December.Chris Reeves was designed by CT Marine…

08 Mar 2019

Towboat Sinks in the Mississippi River

Five crewmembers have been rescued from a towing vessel that sank in the Mississippi River near Laplace, La., Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.At approximately 3 p.m Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report that the St. Rita, owned and operated by Marquette Transportation Company, sank on the right descending bank on the Mississippi River.The five crewmembers that were on board the vessel were rescued by nearby towing vessel, Rod C, and then transported to shore. No injuries were reported. There are no reported impacts to vessel traffic and the river remains open, the Coast Guard said.According to the Coast Guard, the St.

17 Sep 2018

C&C Marine Delivers Towboat to Marquette

m/v Jerry Jarrett (Photo: C&C Marine and Repair)

Belle Chasse, La. based shipbuilder C&C Marine and Repair has delivered the third vessel in a series of four new towboats for Marquette Transportation Company.Delivery of the new vessel, a 6,600-horsepower, 160’ x 50’ triple-screw z-drive towboat named m/v Jerry Jarrett, comes four months after delivery of the series’ second towboat, m/v Chris Reeves, and seven months after the first, m/v Cindy L. Erickson.Following delivery of the second vessel, Marquette exercised an option for a fourth towboat…

06 Feb 2018

PVA Elects 2018 Leadership

Gus Gaspardo (Photo: PVA)

Gus Gaspardo, President of the Padelford Packet Boat Company, was elected Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) President for 2018 at the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2018, held January 28-31 in Savannah, Ga. Gaspardo is President of Padelford Packet Boat Co. Inc., St. Paul, Minn. Founded in 1969 by Capt. William Bowell Sr., Padelford provides a wide variety of public cruises and private events on the Mississippi River with three passenger subchapter K vessels at Harriet Island Regional Park in downtown St. Paul.

19 Mar 2018

Duluth-Superior Shipping Season To Open Today

The anticipated departure of six vessels this week signals a strong start to the 2018 commercial shipping season for the Port of Duluth-Superior and the entire region. All will be leaving their winter berths to load iron ore for delivery to steel mills on the Lower Great Lakes—this nation’s industrial heartland. U.S. Coast Guard cutter Alder made several passes through the ice in the shipping channels last week, and, starting today, Heritage Marine tugs will be assisting with breakout operations in the harbor. Exact departure times are difficult to pinpoint during start-up, especially with strong winds and shifting ice conditions plus final onboard inspections in progress.