28 Feb

Integrating AIS with other bridge electronics

Maritime 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

Z-drive barge extends life of single-screw tug

Maritime 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

New federal law requires inspection of towing vessels

Maritime News
Towing vessels will be required to undergo U.S. Coast Guard inspection as a result of new legislation that is expected to have a profound effect on the industry. C.F. Campbell is a 4,000-hp ocean-capable tug built in 1975 by Halter Marine. Over 5,000 tugs in the United States will be subject to U.S. Coast Guard inspection as a result of…
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27 Feb

Perseverance prevails, as tugs wiggle Intrepid free of mud

Maritime News
For the tugboat industry, it's one of the most famous towing operations in years. Yet it almost didn't happen--twice. On Dec. 5, McAllister Towing and Transportation Co. successfully delivered the historic USS Intrepid to dry dock in Bayonne, N.J. For the previous 24 years, the World War II-era aircraft carrier had rested at Pier 86 in Manhattan as part of…
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27 Feb

Southern California ports launch ambitious drive to cut air emissions

Maritime News
Harbor craft and oceangoing vessels will soon run cleaner at America's two biggest ports. The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have agreed on a joint five-year program to reduce smog in Southern California. The San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan will require ships, trucks, trains and cargo handlers to reduce diesel emissions, and…
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27 Feb

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

Maritime 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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27 Feb

New products aim to improve upon life rings

Maritime News
By Dom YanchunasFor Capt. Rory Sheridan and deck hand Paul Monti, it was supposed to be a routine pilot transfer from a bulk freighter in San Francisco Bay. Instead, the two crewmembers of the pilot vessel Golden Gate found themselves in the midst of a frantic water rescue of two men near the anchored ship. A surveyor was transferring from…
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