18 Mar

Brownwater News March 2021

Professional Mariner StaffBrownwater, Brownwater Newsletter, Newsletter
AWO offers assistance for mariner vaccinations The American Waterways Operators (AWO) is making a letter available to its members to assist eligible mariners and other essential industry employees when they visit COVID-19 vaccination centers across the country. The letter verifies that the employees meet Phase I eligibility guidelines developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Although each…
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17 Dec

Brownwater News December 2020

Professional Mariner StaffBrownwater Newsletter, Newsletter
AWO, coalition urge vaccine access for essential transportation workers The American Waterways Operators (AWO) has joined 10 other transportation groups to urge Congress to ensure access to the COVID-19 vaccine for the nation’s essential transportation workers. In a Dec. 9 letter to the leadership of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, the coalition calls for the workers to…
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25 Nov

Maritime Casualty News November 2020

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Casualty Newsletter, Newsletter
Coast Guard recommends action for safer pilot transfers The U.S. Coast Guard is urging shipowners and vessel operators to follow international regulations for pilot transfer arrangements in an effort to improve overall safety. In a marine safety information bulletin (MSIB) issued on Nov. 5, the service recommends that IMO Resolution A.1045(27) – Pilot Transfer Arrangements be closely followed. The Coast…
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19 Nov

Brownwater News November 2020

Professional Mariner StaffBrownwater Newsletter, Newsletter
Illinois Waterway locks reopen for barge traffic All locks on the Illinois Waterway have reopened for commercial navigation after extended closures this year for “significant” repairs, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced in late October. The Illinois Waterway, which provides a navigable connection between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, includes eight lock and dam sites. To facilitate repairs,…
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12 Nov

Shipbuilding News, November 2020

Professional Mariner StaffNewsletter, Shipbuilding
Autonomous retrofit planned for hybrid cargo vessel First Harvest Navigation is partnering with Sea Machines Robotics on an autonomous control package for the 63-foot hybrid cargo vessel Captain Ben Moore. Sea Machines, a Boston-based maritime technology company, will outfit the aluminum catamaran with its SM300 autonomous command and control system with a remote helm. The installation is scheduled to take…
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23 Oct

Maritime Casualty News October 2020

Professional Mariner StaffNewsletter
NTSB: Conception fire highlights need for safety improvements The National Transportation Safety Board is urging the U.S. Coast Guard to establish new safety measures based on the NTSB’s investigation into the Conception dive boat fire that left 34 people dead.  The fire aboard the 75-foot vessel started at about 0300 on Sept. 2, 2019 while the boat was anchored near…
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12 Oct

Shipbuilding News, October 2020

Professional Mariner StaffNewsletter, Shipbuilding, Uncategorized, ,
Edison Chouest building wind farm service vessel Orsted and Eversource have reached agreement with Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) to build and operate a service operations vessel (SOV) in support of several offshore wind power projects proposed in the Northeast. The vessel will be the first of its kind built in the United States specifically for offshore wind.  ECO will build…
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24 Sep

Maritime Casualty News, September 2020

Professional Mariner StaffNewsletter, , , ,
NTSB releases documents on Conception dive boat fire The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a trove of documents related to the Sept. 2, 2019 fire aboard the dive boat Conception off California’s southern coast that left 34 people dead.  The information is contained in the NTSB’s public docket related to the incident. The docket was made available earlier…
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17 Sep

Brownwater News, September 2020

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, Newsletter, , ,
Bipartisan bill would boost Great Lakes icebreaking capacity  The Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA) is among numerous organizations expressing strong support for a bipartisan bill that would pave the way for increased icebreaking capacity for the Great Lakes fleet. By codifying into law the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking mission on the Great Lakes, the service would be required to break ice…
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