Towboats News

When a fire broke out in the engine room of a towboat in Louisiana, the situation could have easily escalated to become much worse, but the quick actions of the vessel's crew helped to contain the blaze and limit the damage significantly, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.The vessel Desperado was transiting in Lake Salvador near Bayou Perot, La., on February 17, 2023, when a ruptured hydraulic hose spraying fuel on a hot engine sparked a fire on board. An attempt to extinguish the fire with portable extinguishers proved unsuccessful…

There are many forces pushing stakeholders across the global maritime industry to decarbonize.In the U.S. inland waterways, regulations aren’t one of the main drivers—at least not at the moment, according to Mike Complita, principal and vice president of strategic expansion at Elliott Bay Design Group, a naval architecture firm.Speaking on a panel at the IMX trade show in Nashville, Complita said proposed rules from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) are “driving massive change on the West Coast”…

Mobile, Ala. based Cooper Marine announced it has added the 4,200-horsepower towing vessel David J. Cooper Jr. to its fleet.This vessel, built in 1977 and formally named American Pharaoh, was acquired from Turn Services, based in new Orleans.Now homeported in Mobile, the 120-foot-long towboat will be used for transporting cargo on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Cooper Marine said.The vessel is equipped with twin Caterpillar 3516 diesel engines with Reintjes WWAF873 gears delivering its propulsion.

Laborde Marine, a New Orleans-based offshore support vessels (OSV) operator, announced it is entering the U.S. inland marine market with the creation of a new division to provide towing and pushboat services.LabMar Inland will initially charter Ivy Steiner, a 2,000-horsepower pushboat newly built by Steiner Construction in Bayou La Batre, Ala. The 78-foot-long vessel has a 34-foot beam and max draft of 8 feet, six inches. It is powered by twin Cat C32 engines, each providing 1…

Sulphur, La. based marine transportation company Southern Devall announced it has appointed Andrey Verloka as its new director of cargo stewardship and fleet allocation.“In his new role, Andrey will be instrumental in ensuring that our cargo operations are executed flawlessly according to customer instructions whileminimizing risks to both cargo and equipment,” said Alfred Devall, executive vice president, commercial operations.Verloka will also be responsible for the strategic allocation of assets, based on specific cargo and voyage requirements.

Jeffersonville, Ind. based marine transportation company American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) announced a reorganization of its business units and leadership team.The company, a leader in U.S. inland barge transportation, said the moves are "designed to enhance and optimize operational efficiency, customer satisfaction and ensure successful execution of ACBL’s fleet strategy".Patrick Sutton, who previously served as chief operating officer (COO), will assume the new role of senior vice president (SVP) of fleet development and strategy…

Electrical issues have forced the closure of a lock and dam on the Upper Mississippi River near Minneapolis, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' St. Paul District announced on Monday.The Corps said its crews are working to fix the issues, which are affecting the fourth dam gate at the Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam.The Corps said the lock and dam will be closed to vessel traffic until further notice but that it hopes to resume service as soon as possible.

The U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee marked up and passed its Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024, in a move seen as a major win for inland waterways infrastructure.Several outcomes in Section 109 of the Senate WRDA 2024 bill provide the ability to accelerate project completion, setting up a far more efficient future for the navigation construction program, according to Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI), which advocates for a modern, efficient and…

A barge tow struck a mooring cell on the Ohio River last year after encountering a strong outdraft current above the McAlpine Dam during high-water conditions, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday.The 103-foot-long towing vessel Queen City, Owned and operated by C&B Marine Equipment, was transiting the Ohio River with 11 barges in tow when the tow struck the Vane Dike at the arrival point for the McAlpine Locks and Dam in Louisville, Ky., on March 28, 2023. The tow broke apart…

Members of the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry trade group the American Waterways Operators elected a new slate of leaders last week during the association's Spring Convention and Annual Membership Meeting.Kelly Teichman, Executive Chairman, T&T Marine, was elected Chairman, succeeding outgoing Chairman Rick Iuliucci, Vice President, the Vane Brothers Company.In addition, Patrick Sutton, Chief Operating Officer, American Commercial Barge Line, was elected Vice Chair; and Brian Hughes, Vice President Operations & Sales, Hughes Bros., Inc., was re-elected Treasurer.

Laborde Products announced the completion of a repower project for the towboat Ned Merrick, owned by Canal Barge Company. The project featured the replacement of the vessel's previous engines with two Tier 3 S16R engines from Mitsubishi, each delivering 1,675HP at 1,600RPM.The 145-foot-long twin screw retractable towboat was previously powered by two EMD 567 engines. It was built by Southern Shipbuilding Corp., Slidell, La., in 1961.David Lane, Senior VP with Canal Barge Company…

In 2021, nearly 500 million tons of goods valued at more than $158 billion moved on the U.S. inland waterways system, which includes a vast network of 12,000 miles of connecting waterways and 219 locks. The U.S. Department of Transportation Freight Analysis Framework freight forecasts suggest total water tonnage will increase at an annual growth of 0.7% per year through 2040.Earlier this year, the National Waterways Foundation (NWF) released updated data illustrating the economic impacts of the inland waterway systems within several key states.Data from 2021…

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is seeking to fill 18 vacancies on the National Towing Safety Advisory Committee, which advises the Secretary of Homeland Security, via the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on matters relating to shallow-draft inland navigation, coastal waterway navigation, and towing safety.The Coast Guard said it will consider applications for the following 18 vacancies:Seven members to represent the barge and towing industry, reflecting a regional geographic balance.One…

Jennifer Carpenter joined The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association representing the inland and coastal tugboat, towboat and barge industry, in August 1990 and became its president and CEO in January 2020. She highlights some of the greatest focus areas for the 80-year-old trade group—simultaneously looking at both the present day and the road ahead.The towboat, tug and barge industry is in a period of rapid evolution. How is AWO—now in its 80th year…

A towboat captain’s complacency led to barges striking the Natchez-Vidalia Bridge last year in the Mississippi River, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.The SCF Towing-operated vessel Susan K was transiting with 25 barges downbound on the Mississippi River toward the Natchez-Vidalia Bridge on April 23, 2023. The captain intended to maneuver the tow through the western channel under the bridge, but was inattentive during the approach. The tow was out of position…

Kimberly Lutz and America’s Watershed Initiative (AWI) are making every effort to sustain the Mississippi River for generations to come.The Mississippi River is one of the world’s largest river systems and is arguably America’s most critical waterway. Flowing over 2,350 miles, spanning, at points, up to eleven miles, and discharging approximately 593,003 cubic feet of water per second into the Gulf of Mexico, the Mighty Mississippi is awe inspiring in terms of its natural characteristics as well as its commercial impact on both the American and global economies.

For Cheryl “Cherrie” Felder, the path to the maritime industry was both untraditional and seemingly meant to be. After studying African art, she began her career working in a museum in New Orleans before landing a role directing professional rodeo in the Big Easy.“It was a lot of fun, and I learned a whole lot,” Felder said. “But as you may imagine, New Orleans is not a rodeo town. After the third year, the board of directors decided, okay, that's it. No more rodeo.”And that’s when Felder’s doorway to the maritime industry swung open…

"The Columbia River and its tributaries, wetlands, and estuaries are the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest, providing abundant water, power, recreation, agriculture, transportation and natural resources that have supported livelihoods, cultural and spiritual practices, commerce and economic growth.” - President Biden, Memorandum of September 27, 2023.Those abundant benefits directly impact about 13 million people in the Pacific Northwest. Hydropower extends that plentitude to millions more, powering cities and industry from Idaho to California.

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.