Pacific Coast Maritime News

The U.S. Postal Service has previewed a new stamp highlighting California’s San Francisco Maritime Historical Park with a photograph of an iconic three-masted sailing ship. The stamp is the 14th of 16 new Forever Stamps to be revealed over a three-week period to celebrate the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary. The stamp image is a portion of a photograph by Tim Campbell, showing the square-rigger Balclutha. Just visible to the right of the deep waterman/salmon packet sailing vessel is the 1907 steam tugboat Hercules.

Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Washington says that Pacific Coast Maritime, Inc., Seattle, Washington, a subsidiary of Harley Marine Services, Seattle, has concluded the sale of its 240’ ABS ocean deck barge “HML 240-2” (ex-Aqua 242, MK-242, Foss 242) to Island Tug & Barge Co. also of Seattle. Marcon International explain that the 240’ x 60’x 16’ flat deck barge was originally built by Todd Shipyards Corp. of Houston, Texas for Foss Maritime in 1967, and acquired by Pacific Coast Maritime, Inc. in 2000 as the “Aqua 242”.

Vigor Fab has delivered Harley Marine Services’ newest vessel, the 250’x70’x15’8” 'Iliuliuk Bay' (an Aleut name meaning Big Island). The deck barge is purpose-built to enhance quality of service provided to customers living and working in Alaska. Iliuliuk Bay is in transit to Dutch Harbor and will enter service on November 3rd. Her unique design provides a flexible workhorse that can easily switch between containers and other cargo to serve the diverse needs of Harley Marine’s customers. She will transport a wide variety of cargo between Dutch Harbor and neighboring islands.

US Fab, a Vigor Industrial company, will soon begin construction on a 250’x70’x15’8” deck barge for Harley Marine Services at Vigor’s Swan Island shipyard in Portland, Oregon. This purpose built barge was designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants to transport a wide variety of cargo between Dutch Harbor and Akutan, Alaska with up to 3 runs per week. “Having the ability to collaborate with Jensen and Harley during the initial production design for this barge, will allow us to have maximum efficiency during construction,” said Bryan Nichols, Sales Manager at Vigor Industrial.

Harley Marine continues to implement its “Harley Marine Goes Green” program, including: company-wide ISO 14001 and ABS SQE Certification; exceeding compliance with local, state and federal environmental regulations and requirements; harbor tug fleet conversion to eco-tugs using ultra low emissions technology; and, their own patented self-contained Vapor Recovery Unit used during petroleum loading operations to reduce hydrocarbon emissions from oil and tank barges. The “Harley Marine Goes Green” campaign was launched in April of 2008 with a contest for the best “green” idea. In addition, a Harley Marine “Go Green Team” was formed with representation from each location and operating area…

The newest tractor tug to come out of MARCO Shipyard Seattle is the 105-ft. Millennium Dawn, the third boat in its class designed and built for Harley Marine Services of Seattle, and the twelfth tractor tug from MARCO. It will join her sister ships operating in Long Beach, Calif., part of Harley’s West Coast and Alaska operations that in clued Olympic Tug & Barge, Millenium maritime, Pacific Coast Maritime, Public Service marine and Westoil Marine Services. Like her predecessors, the new tug is a powerful, multipurpose vessel, capable of providing ship assist, inland and ocean towing, and escort services. Her rugged design has evolved from MARCO’s first tractor tug, the Gyrfalcon, operated by Pacific Coast Maritime.

Harley Marine Services will reorganize its leadership team in order to accommodate customers and field personnel. Jim Lowe has been named general manager for Harley Marine Services, Southern California. In his role, Lowe will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Harley Marine Services family of companies in Southern California including: Millennium Maritime, West Oil Marine Services, Public Service Marine, and Pacific Coast Maritime. He is specifically responsible fore leading the various companies to improve customer service while optimizing operational efficiency. Troy Goodman has been named VP of Corporate Services for Harley Marine Services.

Pacific Coast Maritime has been selected by Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding to provide the exterior doors and windows for the United States Lines cruise vessels currently under construction for parent company American Classic Voyages (AMCV). The contract calls for the supply of more than 1,200 doors for the private verandas and 600 windows, both of which will be of the heavy-duty clamp-in type.

San Rafael, a 204 x 44 x 16 ft. OSV was recently launched by Eastern Shipbuilding Group. The vessel is being constructed for Naviera Tamaulipas, S.A. de C.V. of Tampico, Mexico, for operations in the Bahia de Campeche fields off Eastern Mexico. Capacities include 110,000 gallons of fuel, 211,000 gallons of drill water/ballast, 7,200 cu. ft. of bulk mud in six tanks, and 3,012 barrels of liquid mud. The propulsion plant consists of a pair of Caterpillar 3516B main engines rated at 2,000 hp each @ 1,600 rpm, complete with Caterpillar Engine Vision Alarm and Monitoring System, coupled to Reintjes WAF-862 gearboxes, with 96 in. diameter, four-blade stainless steel propellers.

Millennium Maritime began providing ship assist and escort services to the Los Angeles harbor area in. late-April, with the first of two new 4,400 bhp (3,282 bkW) Z-drive sister tugs designed and built by Marco Shipyard. The 105 ft. Millennium Falcon is powered by two Cat 3516B marine diesel engines, each rated 2,200 bhp (1,641 bkW) at 1,600 rpm, supplied by N C Power Systems, Seattle. The electronically controlled Cat engines drive Ulstein stern Z-drive propulsion systems with 94.5 in. four blade propellers inside Ulstein high performance nozzles. The second Millennium vessel is currently under construction at Marco and is scheduled to enter service in. August 2000.

When Olympic Tug & Barge was founded in 1987, owner Harley Franco had environmental responsibility on his mind. Early major oil tanker disasters southeast of Nantucket, Mass., near Galveston, Texas, and off the coasts of England and Mexico were influencing the future of the oil transportation industry. So Franco committed himself to growing his business by assembling a "fleet of the future" built around the most environmentally friendly technology he could afford. Today, parent company Harley Marine Services oversees a combined fleet of more than 40 vessels. Olympic Tug & Barge began as a vessel bunkering operation, leasing a tugboat and barge to transport the bunker barges from ship to ship.

The newest tractor tug to come out of MARCO Shipyard Seattle is the 105-ft. Millennium Dawn, the third boat in its class designed and built for Harley Marine Services of Seattle, and the 12th tractor tug from MARCO. It will join her sister ships operating in Long Beach, Calif., part of Harley's West Coast and Alaska operations that in clued Olympic Tug & Barge, Millenium maritime, Pacific Coast Maritime, Public Service marine and Westoil Marine Services. The new tug is a powerful, multipurpose vessel, capable of providing ship assist, inland and ocean towing, and escort services. Her rugged design has evolved from MARCO's first tractor tug, the Gyrfalcon, operated by Pacific Coast Maritime.

The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure conducted an oversight hearing on Mariner Education and Work Force. As explained in the Summary of Subject Matter, the focus of the hearing was growing shortage of mariners and the challenges facing the maritime work force. Subcommittee Chair Elijah Cummings (D-MD) expressed concern that the maritime industry is no longer attractive for new entrants. Committee Chair James Oberstar (D-MN) discussed the importance of timely and relevant training. Rear Admiral Joel Whitehead, USCG, explained the role of the International Convention on Standards of Training…

California Fish & Game recently took delivery of P/V Thresher, a 54 ft. all-aluminum catamaran, designed by Teknicraft of Aukland, New Zealand, and built by Kvichak Marine, of Seattle, Wash. The partially foil-supported catamaran will be stationed in Dana Point as a Fish and Game Marine Enforcement patrol vessel for Southern California. The cat's beam is 20.2 ft., and weighs nearly 28 tons fully loaded. Powered by twin Caterpillar 3196 DITA diesel engines, driving 30 in. stainless steel propellers through Twin Disc MG 5114A gears, Thresher cruises at 26 knots with a top speed of 30 knots. Deck equipment includes an aft deck A-frame to deploy and retrieve a customer-supplied Hurricane inflatable.