After a ‘bitt’ of a rhubarb, TSAC accepts the idea of jargon consistency
04 Jun

After a ‘bitt’ of a rhubarb, TSAC accepts the idea of jargon consistency

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, Publication > Professional Mariner, Tugboats & Towing
A proposal to standardize towing lingo raised the temperature in the room at this year’s Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) meeting. The gathering, attended by members of both the tugboat and towboat sectors of the towing industry, was held at the old Customs House building at New York City’s maritime rich Battery Park. The idea was to create a Task…
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On ferry transporting school pupils, crew devoted to ‘safety on safety on safety’
04 Jun

On ferry transporting school pupils, crew devoted to ‘safety on safety on safety’

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, Publication > Professional Mariner
Running 14 miles from Cape Mudge on the southern tip of British Columbia’s Quadra Island to Chatham Point and the lower reaches of Johnstone Strait, Discovery Passage is known far and wide for the tidal bore at Seymour Narrows. An important link on the Inside Passage between the Lower 48 U.S. states and Alaska, the passage collects northbound vessel traffic…
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Captain dies from burns after towboat grounds on La. pipeline
30 May

Captain dies from burns after towboat grounds on La. pipeline

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, Publication > Professional Mariner
A towboat captain was fatally injured when his vessel ran aground on a gas pipeline in Louisiana waters and burst into flames. The accident happened as the 47-foot Shanon E. Settoon, was underway with a tank barge in Bayou Perot, about 30 miles south of New Orleans, on March 12. The towboat struck a submerged liquid petroleum gas pipeline at…
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TSB: Fatigue, inexperience led to barge collision with B.C. rail bridge
30 May

TSB: Fatigue, inexperience led to barge collision with B.C. rail bridge

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, Publication > Professional Mariner
A fatigued master and a mate unfamiliar with transiting a difficult passage on the Fraser River were factors that led to the collision of a loaded gravel barge with a British Columbia rail bridge, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada said. A barge being pushed by the tugboat F.W. Wright struck the Queensborough Railway Bridge causing substantial damage on…
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30 May

Research vessel floods, sinks in Gulf of Mexico; crew escapes to lifeboats

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, Publication > Professional Mariner
U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crews rescued 12 people from lifeboats after their research vessel capsized and later sank in the Gulf of Mexico during rough weather. The 170-foot Seaprobe was about 141 miles south of Pensacola, Fla., when it started taking on water late on Jan. 17. Crews spent nearly four hours trying to control the flooding before escaping into…
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30 May

TSB: Lack of emergency-steering training led to Quebec grounding

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, Publication > Professional Mariner
A bridge crew’s inadequate training on emergency procedures in the event of a helm failure led to the grounding of a bulk carrier in the St. Lawrence River in 2011, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada said. Orsula was sailing down-river Dec. 15, 2011, near Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, when the helmsman attempted to make a course correction and the rudder…
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Severe injuries result from incident aboard tanker near San Diego; 2 men need medevac
30 May

Severe injuries result from incident aboard tanker near San Diego; 2 men need medevac

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, Publication > Professional Mariner
Two crewmen were airlifted off a tanker after being badly injured in an incident off the California coast. The U.S. Coast Guard said in a press release the two Russian mariners were injured on board the crude oil tanker Energy Conqueror when a cable split Jan. 18. However, the vessel operator denied that description of the incident. A representative of…
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30 May

Probe: Jammed steering linkage caused seaway lo-lo grounding

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, Publication > Professional Mariner
A heavy-payload carrier ran aground in the St. Lawrence River last year because part of a linkage mechanism detached and became wedged in a position that prevented the movement of the rudder, an investigator said. Sedna Desgagnés, a 456-foot-long cargo ship, ran aground near Ogdensburg, N.Y., on Oct. 14, 2012. The lift-on/lift-off vessel was on its way from Sorel, Quebec,…
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30 May

Tankers collide near Texas after discussing a passing arrangement

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, Publication > Professional Mariner
Two large Houston-bound tankers carrying benzene and other petrochemicals collided in the Gulf of Mexico, apparently during a passing maneuver, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The 385-foot Chem Sea was overtaking the 557-foot Bow Kiso in open water about 70 miles east-southeast of Galveston, Texas, when the two ships collided, said PA2 Stephen Lehmann, spokesman for the Coast Guard’s…
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