Professional Mariner Staff – Page 1987

28 Feb

Saint Mary’s River transit demands peak performance by lake pilots

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

The journey north to the two Sault Ste. Maries, Lake Superior's twin international cities, begins through DeTour Village, Mich., at the mouth of the St. Mary's River. Olympic Merit heads up the 63-nm-long river connecting Lake Huron and Lake Superior. Image Credit: Terry W. Phipps Marked by the 63-foot DeTour Reef crib light, the 63-nm river welcomes thousands of…

28 Feb

From Baton Rouge to New Orleans: Towboating in the “War Zone”

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

Many towboaters in Louisiana call the 100-mile stretch of Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans the "War Zoneâ€� for the heavy traffic that crowds the waters there. Lead hand Edward Green heads out to check lashings of the 35 barges in the tow. Facing page, Chief Engineer Ken Danna with one of his 20-cylinder EMDs. The boat can…

28 Feb

Eight crew killed by steam-boiler explosion aboard Norway

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

A steam-boiler explosion aboard the 1,035-foot SS Norway claimed eight lives and injured 19 on May 25. The incident occurred while the ship was docked in the Port of Miami after having just completed a weeklong Caribbean cruise. There were 2,135 passengers and 911 crew aboard at the time. All of the passengers were evacuated without injury. The explosion not…

28 Feb

Greek pilots keep old traditions alive while facing new forms of danger

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

The Greeks have always been a seafaring nation, going back to Homeric times. After all, the Greek warriors who besieged Troy first had to cross the Aegean in their wooden warships. The world will once again be reminded of Greece's maritime heritage this August, as Athens plays host to the 2004 Olympic Games. Piraeus, the busy port that serves Athens,…

28 Feb

Washington state ferry hits a marked rock

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

Officials from Washington State Ferries are investigating the grounding of the 2,477-gt, double-ended ferry Sealth, which struck Reid Rock off San Juan Island on Dec. 24, 2004. Sealth was leaving Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, heading to Anacortes, Wash., when it struck the rock at about 2015, about 1 mile northeast of Brown Island, in the San Juan Channel.…

28 Feb

Invader-class refurbishment finished at North Florida Shipyards

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

The last Invader-class tugboat to be refurbished as part of a four-year shipyard investment by Crowley Maritime Corp. has returned to her home port in Jacksonville, Fla. The 7,200-hp tug Sentry was delivered by North Florida Shipyards in May and quickly put back to work towing 730-foot triple-decker container barges from Jacksonville to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for Crowley Liner…

28 Feb

Tanker spills xylene in Mississippi after colliding with barges

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

A chemical tanker attempting to pass a towboat pushing 38 barges on the lower Mississippi River on April 25 struck one of the barges, resulting in a gash in the tanker's hull that allowed 42,000 gallons of xylene to spill into the river. The collision occurred in darkness at 0030, as the Norwegian-flagged Bow Lion, a 549-foot-long chemical tanker, struck…

28 Feb

Foss making large investment in tractor tugs for heated West Coast markets

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

You can't help but be impressed by the expansion plans of Foss Maritime, its parent company and West Coast sister companies. They are pumping out a series of new tractor tugs destined for work in two of the busiest and most competitive ports in the United States. Mikioi is the first in a series of 5,000-hp tractor tugs ordered by…

28 Feb

Smart and semi-smart containers arrive to counter terrorism

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

The U.S. Bureau of Customs & Border Protection is encouraging companies to use "smart" cargo containers equipped with high-tech devices that detect security threats and warn inspectors of the danger. But officials at shipping companies are skeptical of the technology, saying it is unproven and costly. "The first issue is to define what a smart container is," said Alan Hicks,…

28 Feb

Navigating by instruments: Towboats testing aviation technology to navigate locks

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

As the tug D.L. Johnson approached a lock on the Ohio River, Peter Stephaich, head of Campbell Transportation Co., which owns the tug, broke the silence in the pilothouse, "It ain't rocket science, but it sure is tricky." Stephaich, the chairman and chief executive at Campbell, was one of eight people crammed into the small pilothouse one recent winter morning…