Willamette News

Metal Shark delivered a welded-aluminum 45 Defiant crew boat to Anchorage Launch Services Company, an Oregon-based operator providing launch, line, pilotage, and cargo services to vessels on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.Designed in-house by the Metal Shark engineering team and built at the company’s Jeanerette, La., production facility, the 47 x 12 ft. twin-diesel waterjet-powered “Triumph VII” is now in service.“Our captains, crew, and passengers have all been very impressed with the capabilities of our new vessel,” said Alex Scott, COO of Anchorage Launch.

A 608-foot bulk carrier that suffered an engine failure and ran aground in the Columbia River Thursday has been refloated without injury or pollution, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received a report at 12:50 a.m. that the Marshall Islands-flagged Genco Auvergne had run soft aground due to a loss of main engine propulsion while transiting down the Washington side of the Columbia River, south of Skamokawa Vista Park.The vessel, which is said to be carrying grain and approximately 616…

The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure voted the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA 2020) favorably out of Committee, Wednesday. The legislation, which provides authority for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to carry out water resources development projects and studies, as well as policy direction to the Corps for implementation of its Civil Works missions, now heads to the House Floor for a vote.Maritime trade groups Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) and the American Waterways Operators (AWO) applauded the House T&I bill (H.R.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it has issued a $5,000 fine to the owners of a foreign freight vessel for unauthorized ballast water discharge into the Willamette River in Portland, August 16. During a routine port state control ballast water examination on the 590-foot bulk freighter ANSAC Moon Bear, Coast Guard marine inspectors, from Marine Safety Unit Portland, discovered that the vessel had discharged untreated ballast water into the Willamette River on three separate occasions during port calls in 2017. As part of the port state control exam, log books were reviewed during administrative evaluations by the marine inspectors, which led to the ballast water discharge discovery.

Two Panama-flagged bulk carriers were detained in the U.S. on February 23, 2017, after substandard safety issues discovered during routine exams aboard the vessels along the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. The Atlantic Ruby, a 590-foot bulk carrier was boarded in Portland on February 23, after Port State Control Officers detected the SOLAS deficiencies. U.S. Coast Guard inspectors found the fixed fire extinguishing system was improperly serviced, with the time delays left disconnected. The time delay ensures personnel inside a room are able to escape before the fixed fire extinguishing agent is released. A separate Port State Control exam conducted in Kalama onboard the Amber L, a 609-foot bulk carrier, identified several safety discrepancies.

U.S. Marine Inspectors from Marine Safety Unit (MSU) Portland conducted a field dry dock examination, Wednesday, to educate and train the towing vessel community on new regulatory standards that will come into force in the summer of 2018. Shaver Transportation Company suggested the field outreach event during a U.S. Coast Guard initiated information session the previous week. The information session held at MSU Portland was the second in a series of national outreach forums designed to educate towing vessel operators on the new regulations…

Matthew Paxton is President of the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), and a partner at the law firm of Adams and Reese. SCA is the national trade association representing 41 companies that own and operate more than 120 shipyard facilities on all three U.S. coasts, the Great Lakes, inland waterways system, Alaska and Hawaii. SCA also represents 97 partner members that provide goods and services to the shipyard industry. Paxton, who has been practicing law since 2001, focuses his practice on maritime law and policy, fisheries law, natural resources development, and environmental policy issues. In addition to the SCA presidency in which…

The Coast Guard rescued a man from the Willamette River after his sail boat capsized near the St. Johns Bridge, in Portland, Sunday night . The man was delivered to awaiting emergency medical services at the Cathedral Park boat launch were he was checked for injuries and released. The Coast Guard was relayed a call from Multnomah County dispatch at 7:45 p.m. reporting a man clinging to the hull of his capsized vessel and yelling for help. Sector Columbia River Command Center watchstanders directed the launch of a 29-foot Response Boat - Small II crew, from Station Portland. The rescue crew from Station Portland was on scene within 6 minutes and rescued the man from the water.

Greenpeace protestors dangling from a bridge on Thursday in Portland, Oregon, halted an icebreaker that Royal Dutch Shell needs in northern Alaska before it can start drilling into the region's oil zone. The 13 Greenpeace protestors, who rappelled down from the bridge over the Willamette River early on Wednesday, are hoping to shorten Shell's Arctic drilling season by stopping the Fennica icebreaker, which is carrying emergency equipment that would cap any blown-out well. Shell needs to have the Fennica in Alaska before it can start drilling into the oil zone in the Chukchi, the Interior Department said last week. Shell would like to have the Fennica in Alaska as soon as possible as drilling season ends in October, when sea ice encroaches. The Fennica stalled once it neared the St.

Protestors rappelled off a bridge in Portland, Oregon on Wednesday hoping to delay Royal Dutch Shell's Arctic oil exploration this summer by blocking the return of a ship to Alaska that holds emergency equipment. Greenpeace said 13 protestors lowered themselves from the St. John's bridge in the early morning and 13 others on the traffic level of the bridge are assisting them. "Depending on the weather they can stay there for three to five days," said Cassady Sharp, a spokeswoman for Greenpeace, which says Arctic drilling could be damaging to populations of whales, polar bears and walrus if there is an oil spill. The danglers have food and water and plan to sleep in hammocks suspended over the Willamette River, which provides shipping access to the Pacific Ocean from Portland.

A small group of protesters and activists are gathering at the Cathedral Park boat ramp in Portland, preparing to stay for a 24-hour vigil as they wait for Royal Dutch Shell Oil's icebreaker ship, the MSV Fennica, to depart from Portland for the Arctic, reports Reuters. Following the lead of protesters in Seattle who tried to block ships headed for Shell's planned oil exploration in the Chukchi Sea, the Portland "kayaktivists" said they would conduct a vigil overnight on the Willamette River, which runs through downtown Portland. "Our goal is to basically demonstrate as much community resistance to Shell’s plans to drill for oil and secure new oil reserves in the Arctic,” said Meredith Cocks, organizer with environmental activist group Portland Rising Tide.

The 14,000-long ton capacity drydock Vigilant that will support hundreds of family-wage industrial jobs at Vigor Industrial’s shipyard on Harbor Island is scheduled to arrive in Elliott Bay late Saturday or early Sunday. The 528-foot long drydock, which is being towed from Portland by tugs from Seattle’s Harley Marine Services, will enable Vigor to continue to compete with California and U.S. Gulf Coast shipyards for ship repair, maintenance and construction contracts. The Vigilant replaces a sister drydock that was decommissioned in February. “This is a needed and valuable asset for our Seattle yard, our workers and the local maritime economy,” said Adam Beck, Vigor’s executive vice president of ship repair.

Coast Guard Cutter Bluebell Celebrated its 70th Anniversary in Portland Ore. A crowd gathers together to celebrate the Coast Guard Cutter Bluebell’s anniversary at Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Portlandon April 3, 2015. The Bluebell has been continuously serving on the Columbia, Willamette and Snake Rivers since 1945. The vessel was commissioned on April 4, 1945, in Tacoma, Wash., it was then transferred to the Vancouver, and eventually to Portland where its crews have consistently ensured the safety of mariners along the Columbia, Willamette and Snake Rivers. The Bluebell is the second oldest ship in the Coast Guard and its 15-member crew is responsible for maintaining more than 400 aids to navigation covering 500 miles of the Columbia, Willamette and Snake Rivers.

Adams and Reese Adds Four to Bolster Federal Governmental Relations Practice. Adams and Reese is proud to announce the addition of Partner Matt Paxton and Governmental Affairs Advisors Joe Carnevale, Ian Bennitt and Ashley Godwin, who join our firm in our Washington DC Office from the law firm of Ball Janik LLP. “We are very excited about adding Matt, Joe, Ian and Ashley, to our Firm and our Federal Governmental Relations practice,” said B. Jeffrey Brooks, Adams and Reese Executive Committee Chairman and DC Office Partner in Charge.

W&O is one of the partners that supported Vigor in the $40m project to build and deliver the largest floating drydock in the U.S. – Vigor Industrial’s Vigorous –  which was delivered recently to its new home in Portland on the Willamette River. W&O provided an actuated valve solution for the ballast system of the drydock, and from design specification through initial commissioning, the W&O team provided technical and product support  for the Vigorous ballast system, a system that uses SPACE Gate Valves, EIM Electric Actuators, reach rods and deck stands.

The marine industry watched as the United States’ largest floating drydock, the Vigorous, was delivered to its final home at Vigor Industrial’s Portland shipyard on the Willamette River in August. W&O is one of the partners that supported Vigor in this $40 million dollar project, by providing an actuated valve solution for the ballast system of the drydock. From design specification through initial commissioning, the W&O team has provided technical and product expertise for the Vigorous ballast system, utilizing SPACE Gate Valves, EIM Electric Actuators, reach rods and deck stands.

The country’s largest floating drydock, the Vigorous, is headed for Portland this weekend. The drydock, a piece of equipment used to lift vessels as large as cruise ships out of the water, is scheduled to arrive at the mouth of the Columbia Sunday. It will make its way up to Vigor Industrial’s Portland shipyard on the Willamette River by Sunday evening or Monday morning, depending on weather and river traffic. Fully assembled, the drydock will be 960-feet long. However, it is currently in three parts, which are stacked aboard a 738-foot heavy lift ship for delivery.

The country’s largest floating drydock, the Vigorous, is headed for Portland this weekend. The drydock, a piece of equipment used to lift vessels as large as cruise ships out of the water, is scheduled to arrive at the mouth of the Columbia Sunday. It will make its way up to Vigor Industrial’s Portland shipyard on the Willamette River by Sunday evening or Monday morning, depending on weather and river traffic. Fully assembled, the drydock will be 960-feet long. However, it is currently in three parts, which are stacked aboard a 738-foot heavy lift ship for delivery.

Vigor Industrial has ballooned from a modest shipyard in Portland, Oregon, to the largest shipbuilder in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Vigor increasingly thinks big and builds big. The company’s new floating dry dock will be the largest in the United States. And Vigor wants to get even bigger. CEO and owner Frank Foti expresses an ambition to grow to twice the current size in the “next few years.” Foti, who is also chairman of the Shipbuilder’s Council of America, says he is, “striving for critical mass.

Brokers Marcon International were in attendance and inform of the launch of the 300’ x 100’ x 20’ heavy deck cargo barge “Prometheus” (Hull No. 104) built and designed by Gunderson Marine, Portland, Oregon, for Ulysses LLC. The new barge was christened by Mimsy Huger Lindner and promptly and safely launched to the sound of the swirling bagpipes of the Clan Macleay Pipe Band. “Prometheus” is a double raked ABS +A1 Barge with recessed bitts, a parabolic bow rake and about a 29,572ft2 clear deck.

Jensen Maritime, Crowley Maritime Corp.’s Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering company, recently completed concept designs and performance specifications for two new fireboats that will join the city of Portland’s fire and rescue (PF&R) fleet in the first half of 2014. The new, fast-response fireboats will provide emergency response on long stretches of both the Columbia and Willamette rivers, and are expected to have a 20-year service life, which far exceeds the typical five to seven years found on similar vessels in this class.

Omega Morgan, a 22-year-old specialized moving company, has its eyes on the aging bridges in the Pacific Northwest. After successfully employing the jack-and-slide method of efficiently moving bridge spans into place for two high-profile projects, the company sees more opportunities in Oregon and Washington. In January, Omega Morgan moved Portland’s 1,100-foot-long, 3,400-ton Sellwood Bridge across the Willamette River in a single day, in one piece and on an angle, drawing national media and big crowds. Then in Washington State on the night of Sept.

Tidewater Holdings, Inc. announced that it has entered a $115 million refinance package with Northwest Farm Credit Services. Northwest FCS was the lead arranger and Barclays acted as sole placement agent on the refinance package. Tidewater’s operations include terminal services and tug and barge operations on the Columbia and Snake River systems in the Pacific Northwest. A major part of the company’s business is providing farmers a safe, clean, and economic way of transporting agricultural commodities, primarily wheat, to export grain elevators on the Lower Columbia and Willamette Rivers.