Vane Brothers News

The unified command consisting of the Coast Guard, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, New York City Office of Emergency Management, and Monmouth County Department of Health, received oil sample lab results from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Laboratory Friday, linking together oil spill cleanup efforts in both New York and New Jersey.Vane Brothers Company, as represented by Gallagher Marine Systems, has been identified as the responsible party.

The members of the American Waterways Operators, the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association, elected a new slate of leaders during the association's Spring Convention and Annual Membership Meeting.Rick Iuliucci, Vice President, The Vane Brothers Company, was elected Chairman; Kelly Teichman, Chairman of the Board, T&T Marine, was elected Vice Chair; and Brian Hughes, Vice President Operations & Sales, Hughes Bros., Inc., was re-elected Treasurer. Iuliucci succeeds outgoing Chairman Clark Todd…

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted the most notable newbuilds delivered in 2022. From sturdy and nimble workboats, to the first new Jones Act laker in a generation, each vessel on display showcases the industry’s engineering prowess and technological ingenuity, with the focus on improving efficiency in operations. The maritime industry has no shortage of challenges to overcome, and each of Marine News’ top vessels will, in one way or another, aid efforts to tackle them.Mark W.

Ahead Sanitation Systems, Inc. is fast becoming a leading manufacturer and distributor of marine sanitation systems, products and supplies after more than two decades serving the industry. Those looking can find an Ahead Tank somewhere across all seven seas and most major rivers and lakes in between.Winton I. Rebouche, Jr., known to friends and customers as Boo Boo, is the founder and sole owner of the Broussard, La.-based company. In the late ’80s, Boo Boo worked selling pipe…

Baltimore-based Vane Brothers announced that its entire tugboat fleet has earned a valid Certificate of Inspection (COI) as part of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Subchapter M program.Subchapter M refers to federally regulated safety standards for inspected towing vessels. All applicable vessels are required to earn a valid COI by July.Vane Brothers president, C. Duff Hughes, said, “Vane Brothers appreciates the importance of safety to the company, our crews, and our customers. Our goal is zero spills and zero incidents…

Clark Todd, president and chief operating officer of Blessey Marine Services, was elected chairman of the American Waterways Operators (AWO) as members of the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association elected new leaders during a group meeting last week. Todd succeeds outgoing chairman Del Wilkins, president, Illinois Marine Towing, Inc.Rick Iuliucci, vice president of The Vane Brothers Company, was elected vice chairman; and Brian Hughes, vice president operations and sales, Hughes Bros., Inc., was re-elected treasurer.

The New York State Petroleum Business Tax (PBT), Article 13-A levies a tax on fuel consumption of commercial vessels operating on the waters of New York State. The PBT has long been a source of contention for operators of tug boats and towing vessels transiting New York State waters because of the difficulty to accurately calculate the tax due the state. This led to many long drawn out audits of vessel operators by the state, resulting in unacceptable additional taxes, interest and fines.Over the years, multiple efforts were made by industry groups to repeal the PBT legally without success.

Like every sector of cargo and passenger shipping, “digitalization”—where computerized processes are replacing onboard routines previously handled manually— is an ongoing trend coastwise, on the waterways and harbors. Regulatory compliance, especially with Subchapter M for towing vessels, has also driven choices of onboard equipment with digital interfaces to software and online platforms for record-keeping and for generating inputs for forms and documents.Improved performance has also shaped the capabilities of equipment in the wheelhouse and the view from the bridge.

Baltimore-based Vane Brothers announced it has take delivery this month of the final boat in a series of four 3,000-horsepower Salisbury Class push tugs. Named the Charles Hughes, Vane’s newest addition is the 20th Maryland-built towing vessel to join Vane Brothers’ fleet since 2008.Designed and constructed by Chesapeake Shipbuilding Shipbuilders and Naval Architects of Salisbury, Md., Vane’s Salisbury Class push tugs have a molded depth of only 10.5 feet, making them well suited for working in confined, shallow-draft waterways.

Jones Act marine transportation provider Vane Brothers announced it has taken delivery this month of the third in a series of four 3,000-horsepower push tugs. Named the Rock Hall, Vane’s newest addition is the nineteenth Maryland-built towing vessel to join the Baltimore-based company’s fleet since 2008.Chesapeake Shipbuilding and Naval Architects of Salisbury, Maryland has delivered 16 3,000-horsepower, model bow tugs and three 3,000-horsepower square-bow push boats. Two of the Rock Hall’s sister tugs, the Salisbury and the Annapolis, were delivered in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Vane Brothers said it has taken delivery of its new 3,000-horsepower model bow tug Cape Henry from Chesapeake Shipbuilding.Cape Henry is a true sister tug of the Cape Fear, which was delivered to Van Brothers in October 2020. Both model bow tugs are primarily tasked with towing petroleum barges engaged in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic coastwise trade.Featuring a design by the late Frank Basile, P.E., of Entech Designs, LLC, the Cape Henry measures 94 feet long and 32 feet wide with a hull depth of 13 feet.

Vane Brothers said it has taken delivery of the 3,000-horsepower Cape Fear, the 17th Maryland-built tugboat to join the Baltimore-based marine transportation provider’s fleet.Since 2008, 15 3,000-horsepower, model-bow tugboats have been delivered to Vane Brothers by Chesapeake Shipbuilding and Naval Architects of Salisbury, Md. Chesapeake has also constructed two 3,000-horsepower push boats for Vane.“The 3,000-horsepower tug is powerful, practical and a perfect fit for Vane’s harbor and coastwise towing operations,” says Vane Brothers President C. Duff Hughes.

The American shipbuilding scene, filled with participants constructing all manner of vessels, has been navigating through stormy times (lately, yards along the Gulf Coast have literally been dealing with storms). The orders for newbuild, repair and conversion projects continue to flow in—albeit at a reduced pace—and the boats and ships go down the ways into the water, but the overall panorama has seen tremendous sea changes as the business has shifted.Maritime businesses worldwide have been grappling with currents both internal and external.

Truth be told, my ship-spotting addiction (nurtured by webcams streaming on the internet and fueled further by excessive desk-time during the 2020 pandemic) actually started with some business purpose. Agents in far flung locales were sometimes not as swift as hoped for with their reports- so when a vessel was visible online, augmented by AIS driven position websites, information flows to clients or partners in various supply chains were improved. It probably started around 2014 when a client’s vessel was transiting through Miraflores Locks in Panama.

There’s a barge full of reasons why many operators turn to ATBs.A  mainstay of the U.S. coastwise dirty and refined products trades, articulated tug barges (ATB) have increasingly filled a void left as the fleet of Jones Act tankers (with crew complement requirements exceeding that of tugs) has aged out. With the cargo capacity of the larger ATBs – some with barges exceeding 300,000 barrels capacity – rivalling that of workhorse tankers that had served oil consuming regions, the concept certainly makes sense from a supply and distribution perspective.With 50…

Vane Brothers said it has taken delivery of the second of four 3,000-horsepower push tugs being built by Chesapeake Shipbuilding Shipbuilders and Naval Architects in Salisbury, Md.The newbuild, Annapolis, has a design that is identical to the tug Salisbury, delivered in 2019. With a length of 94 feet, width of 34 feet, molded depth of 10.5 feet, and working draft of 8.5 feet, each vessel in the Subchapter M-compliant Salisbury Class of push tugs is especially well-suited for operations along inland waterways.Vane Brothers President C.

With the announcements that New York Waterway, a ferry operator running 32 boats around New York and New Jersey waters, had been largely shut down by the U.S. Coast Guard just prior to Thanksgiving, 2019, the reactions ranged from surprise to outright shock. There was also a great deal of grumbling, as commuters, the major customer group, endured delays on New York Waterway’s extensive network across the Hudson River, bringing New Jersey commuters into New York’s business districts.So, what happened?

Diverse and conveniently located, St. Johns Ship Building has quickly developed into a reliable partner for its many repeat customers. Today, and as a direct result, a lot more people know exactly where Palatka, Florida is located.On the St Johns River, just 60 miles south of Jacksonville, lies the sleepy town of Palatka, Florida. Founded as a trading post in 1821, its location on the highly navigable river made the area attractive to orange growers and timber men alike.In its heyday between 1875 and 1900…

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…

Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp. of Salisbury, MD has announced that it successfully launched the tug Salisbury, the 1st of 4 sister ship tugs for Vane Brothers. The new tug is a Sub-Chapter, M-Compliant Push Tug, both designed and built by Chesapeake Shipbuilding & Naval Architects. Chesapeake Shipbuilding has been designing and building commercial and passenger vessels since 1978.Construction of the Salisbury was completed in Chesapeake Shipbuilding’s new hull fabrication buildings and delivery of the tug will be in July, 2019.

Vane Brothers Company is committed to the safe handling and delivery of petroleum and chemical products. John Deere PowerTech marine engines will always be there, when they do.Vane Brothers Company’s white tugboats, distinguished by their large blue “V,” are a familiar sight while pushing barges on the Baltimore waterfront. Founded in 1898 as a quaint ships’ chandlery, Vane Brothers has become a large American marine services firm and a major transporter of oil, asphalt, and other liquid products along the Eastern Seaboard.The company teams 45 robust…

Committed to providing tugboat and towing vessel operators with a platform to meet regularity requirements and collaborate with local resources, the annual event also reminds us that Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.On September 28 2018, American Marine Associates, LLC (AMA) coordinated and hosted the 3rd annual Green Apple Spill Response Exercise in Bayonne, NJ. The Green Apple Spill Response exercise was established specifically for the tugboat and towing vessel industry operating in New York Harbor.

MarineNews showcases the ten best of North America’s 2018 workboat deliveries. Domestic shipyard production is robust, innovative and getting greener. And, that translates into two kinds of ‘green.’As the domestic offshore energy support sector slowly awakens, other sectors have been happy to take the spotlight in its absence. As always, and if a hull was delivered in 2018, we took a look at it, with several areas as a focus for inclusion into this edition. For my part, I’m always excited when the U.S. boatbuilding sector can deliver for a foreign buyer. We’ve checked that box here. And, that’s because we can compete on price, quality and when we do…