Proper Equipment News

The United States has approved a possible $120 million sale of parts to help Taiwan maintain its warships, which the island's defense ministry said would help ensure combat readiness in the face of China's "frequent activities" near the island.The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said it had delivered the required certification notifying Congress following State Department approval for the sale, which was requested by Taiwan's de facto embassy in Washington.It said the sale covered unclassified spare and repair parts for ships and ship systems, logistical technical assistance, and U.S.

A lawsuit has been filed in Nueces County, Texas on behalf of a worker who was injured and burned in an explosion and fire that occurred while he was working on the dredge Waymon L. Boyd in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel last month.The dredge worker, Jose Cantu, is among six crew members who were hospitalized after the dredge struck a gas pipeline, causing the vessel to catch fire and sink. Another four personnel on the vessel died.The lawsuit alleges that the dredge owner Orion Marine Group and pipeline owner Epic Midstream “failed to adequately plan the job…

The Coast Guard rescued a 57-year-old man Thursday 170 miles west of St. Petersburg.Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg command center watchstanders received a call via satellite phone at 1:24 p.m. from the master of the Mariya Moran, a 120-foot tug, stating a crew member was suffering from chest pains and was in need of medical attention.A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew launched to assist and arrived at 4 p.m.The…

Whether it’s autonomous cars or connected houses, it seems like everywhere you look these days, internet of things (IoT) technology is a focus. Even in the conservative maritime world, IoT is currently a hot topic. Shifting supply chain solutions and business models are fundamentally changing the way that commercial shipping and the wider transport sector operates. IoT enables an organization to capture value from information, regardless of sector, and in essence forms a loop that creates a larger process. Deloitte conceptualized this process and named it the Information Value Loop in 2015.

Sierra Leone was holding 11 Guineans including military personnel in custody on Wednesday following a confrontation at sea involving the two West African neighbours' navies, Sierra Leonean officials said. The incident occurred early on Monday morning off the coast of northern Sierra Leone near the countries' border, the officials said. Vessels from the two countries exchanged gunfire after Guinean naval forces illegally boarded a Chinese fishing vessel in Sierra Leonean waters, said Al Shek Kamara, Head of Operations for the Sierra Leone Police. He said the Guineans had been holding the vessel's crew at gunpoint demanding money. Guinea rejected that version of events. "There was a Chinese boat that was being pursued by the Guinean navy and entered into Sierra Leone's territory.

Dry dock pontoon deck preservation is often taken for granted. In the flow of ever changing priorities for dry docks, it often gets pushed aside and/or delayed. If neglected long enough and often enough between preservation cycles, the thickness of the pontoon deck steel plates can be compromised. Salt water with chloride contamination causes accelerated corrosion while impact and abrasion damage from heavy equipment also take their toll. For shipyards, the overall objective should be to provide a protective surface that will hold up over time, and that is easy to clean.

Maersk Line said on Friday it had chosen four shipbreaking yards along India's Alang beaches to handle an increase in vessels that need to be scrapped, to the dismay of some organisations that say the operations there are polluting and unsafe. The world's largest container shipper says the four yards in the Alang coast of western India have been certified according to the Hong Kong Convention -- health, safety and environmental standards developed by the International Maritime Organisation.

Salvage operations for the sunken tanker barge Argo in Lake Erie continue as the Unified Command proceeds with plans for product recovery. Crews will start prepping the first tank this week for “hot tapping” operations. Actual lightering operations will not occur until later in the week at the earliest, as the response operators are still waiting for the proper tank to offload the material into and weather continues to impede operations. The results from the sample from this first tank, sampled on November 9, were found to be primarily Benzene, with some Toluene, Xylene and trace elements of petroleum. Because these materials are not typically shipped on the Great Lakes, the proper equipment to remove it is not available in this region.

Ambulatory services in Congo, Africa are now improved thanks to a donation by Mercury Marine. The global marine propulsion company recently donated two 60hp outboard engines that have been installed on a boat that will act as a hydro-ambulance, equipped to reach the most remote villages along the Congo River. The boat, which will be docked at the port of Cremona and commissioned by the non-profit organization For African Children, will be equipped with the proper equipment to allow birth and pediatric surgery on board the vessel. It will also act as a primary rescue vessel in the event of an emergency. “If a child is sick in one of the remote villages in Africa…

In 2008 the USCG issued the tanker final rule for salvage and marine firefighting (SMFF) under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. This rule primarily required tank ships and barges carrying oils as defined in the 33 CFR 155 as cargo to pre-contract qualified salvors to promptly respond to a marine casualty in U.S. waters. While tankers were the primary focus of the new rules, Non-Tankers – defined by the USCG as any vessel over 400 gross tons – waited quietly for a likely turn with SMFF requirements.

Maritime casualties have always been tackled by a relatively small, egotistical, passionate and intrepid group of mariners called “salvors.”  Salvage as history knows it, however, may be taking a sharp turn as a result of the new game rules being injected by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). Back in 2008 the USCG issued the tanker final rule for salvage and marine firefighting (SMFF) under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. This rule primarily requires tank ships and barges…

As more deaths in enclosed spaces are reported this week, a call to action is needed and the industry must take note and bring this issue to the attention of each and every seafarer. “More must be done,” said Nigel Cleave, CEO of Videotel. “Every seafarer should be made aware of the risks of enclosed spaces – indeed have the message reinforced at every opportunity - there is no justification for another death. Of course with such a history of repeated, tragic accidents,  something must change.

The tools law enforcement agencies use to investigate crimes and ensure public safety are critical to their success. Police departments and sheriffs offices around the country are adding underwater search equipment  to ensure their dive teams have the proper equipment to safely and effectively do their jobs. The two high tech tools  in greatest demand are the side scan sonar and ROV. Sonar is one of most effective tools for underwater  search and recovery (S&R) because it can scan large areas quickly and “see” what’s on the bottom regardless of water clarity.

American Pollution Control Corp. (AMPOL), a leading oil spill response and total environmental solutions provider, has completed the oil spill recovery and environmental cleanup on a recovered platform in Terrebonne Parish. Located offshore then transported to Dulac, La., the once downed platform had to be modified in the air and positioned on a barge to fit under a bridge leading to the recycling facility. Oil spill recovery was performed on the water during the lifting cycle…

Several years ago many people in the marine industry either did not know about LNG or did not think that it would amount to anything worth more than a passing interest. At that time there were just four LNG import terminals in the and even they were underutilized. Today there are eight LNG import terminals in operation with two more slated for their first “cool down” shipments this year or early next year. In addition there is an LNG facility in just over the boarder where companies are also operation.