Professional Mariner Staff – Page 1979

28 Feb

Fisherman dies after being struck by tug and barges

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

A tug pushing three asphalt barges struck and killed a 73-year-old fisherman in a 14-foot outboard motorboat on the Tennessee River near Mile 102. The accident occurred at 0930 on June 5 as Wayne Day and a companion, Jimmy Bratcher, were fishing in a navigable part of the river when their vessel was struck, according to Chief Warrant Officer Charlie…

28 Feb

Marine Towing of Tampa orders z-drive from Washburn & Doughty

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

Marine Towing of Tampa (MTT) has contracted to build a 5,000-hp z-drive-style tugboat at the Washburn & Doughty Shipyard in East Boothbay, Maine. The new tug, 92 feet in length with Caterpillar power, will be similar in design to the new tugs Freedom and Liberty, recently constructed by the same shipyard for Boston Towing. MTT now operates four tugs in…

28 Feb

Crew of cruise ship that hit reef faulted for failing to update charts

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

The December 1998 grounding of the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Monarch of the Seas on a coral reef off St. Maarten was the result of a series of operational errors on the part of the bridge team, a joint investigation between U.S. and Norwegian authorities recently determined. Most significantly, the investigation determined that the grounding was a direct result of…

28 Feb

Maritime Book Review: Under Pressure

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

Under Pressure: The Final Voyage of Submarine S-Five By A.J. Hill The Free Press, 2002 239 pages Under Pressure is a true story of men against the sea, painstakingly researched by first-time author A.J. Hill, a scientist and former Navy man. Submarine S-Five's final voyage was also her maiden voyage, when, on the first day of September in 1920, a…

28 Feb

Frustration builds as fear of terrorism ensnares foreign crews

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

In the spring of 2003, when a Canadian-flag ship called at Ballard, Wash., the crew expected their vessel to be laid up for a few weeks for some much needed repairs. It was also a welcome respite for the crew, who had plans to escape the tedium of the ship and shop at local businesses. Plans changed, however, when the…

28 Feb

Canadian hovercraft stand ready to go places other vessels cannot

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

Hovercraft can go over water, mud flats and even flat land at relatively high speed. The Canadian Coast Guard believes those qualities make them ideal for many search-and-rescue operations. Capt. Allan Taylor with SiyÃ£y, one of two Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft stationed near Vancouver International Airport. In the event of a plane crash, the hovercraft would be able to operate…

28 Feb

Matson to proceed with acquisition of containerships

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

Matson Navigation Co. has reached union agreements that will allow it to proceed with the purchase of two containerships under construction at Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard. "As a result of the cooperative efforts of these maritime unions, Matson will be able to operate the new ships under a cost model that justifies the significant financial investment," Matson said. The labor agreements…

28 Feb

Merchant Marine Memorial Park opens at MEBA school

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

A 10-acre memorial park honoring merchant mariners has opened on the campus of the Calhoon Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association Engineering School in Easton, Md. The Park was designed to resemble a ship at sea, with a propeller at the ster and a bell at the bow. Image Credit: Courtesy Calhoon MEBA Engineering School Dedicated on Oct. 19, the Merchant…

28 Feb

Offshore LNG terminal proposed near Los Angeles.

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

The proposal is part of a surge in LNG plants planned in the United States to meet growing demand for natural gas. The California project, called Cabrillo Port, would have the capacity to store the equivalent of 6 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Ships bringing LNG to Cabrillo Port would transfer their cargo to a permanently moored vessel serving…

28 Feb

Six men evacuated from bulker die when their rescue copter crashes in the Bering Sea

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

Six crew from the Malaysian-flagged bulk carrier Selendang Ayu are missing and presumed dead after a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, which was rescuing them after their ship foundered on a shoal off Unalaska Island, Alaska, crashed into the Bering Sea on Dec. 8. Selendang Ayu lies in two pieces after running aground and breaking apart off the Aleutian Island of…