28 Feb

Integrating AIS with other bridge electronics

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, Tugboats & Towing
The Automatic Identification System (AIS) was originally conceived as a safety and navigation aid for ships at sea. Mandated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and implemented and enforced by member states, AIS provides information otherwise unavailable to a crew. AIS transponders act as conduits for information about a vessel, gathering both dynamic data about a ship, such as position,…
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28 Feb

When a cylinder fails, engineers still keep ship on schedule

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News
Patrick McCormack's routine as the first engineer aboard the 750-foot containership Horizon Anchorage cracked at 0800 hours. "When I came into the engine room, I could smell engine-cooling water," said McCormack. Horizon Anchorage on its way north from Tacoma, Wash.    Image Credit: Brian Gauvin "If you're smelling water, you go to the main engine. It jumped right out. It…
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28 Feb

Z-drive barge extends life of single-screw tug

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News
Marcon International recorded 441 tugs for sale worldwide in its July 2004 market report. Of these, 162 were still single-screw boats. A number of innovative companies have found ways to upgrade and use these vessels in contemporary situations. The barge can carry up to 54 trailers.    Image Credit: Alan Haig-Brown In some cases, where the hull has enough beam,…
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28 Feb

2004 Plimsoll Awards won by Mississippi river pilot, Coast Guard R&D Center for support of AIS

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, Tugboats & Towing
The editors of Professional Mariner have presented the Plimsoll Awards for 2004 to Capt. Douglas J. Grubbs of the Crescent River Port Pilots' Association and to the U.S. Coast Guard's Research and Development Center in Groton, Conn. Grubbs and the R&D Center were honored for their work in developing automatic identification system technology and promoting its acceptance by mariners. Rear…
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27 Feb

Decision to expand Panama Canal locks should benefit East and Gulf Coast ports

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News
The decision to expand the 92-year-old Panama Canal should provide a major boost to East Coast and Gulf ports, even those that cannot handle post-Panamax vessels. By building locks capable of handling much larger ships, and widening and straightening channels, the Panama Canal Authority will dramatically increase the canal's capacity and allow the transit of vessels up to 1,200 feet…
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