Publication > Professional Mariner – Page 151

28 Mar

STCW amendments to force 'big shift' in ECDIS training

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training, Maritime News, Publication > Professional Mariner, Tugboats & Towing

Though mariners face new certification requirements for Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) this year, the maritime industry may not be ready to provide the training to meet them. Those affected by revisions to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) that took effect Jan. 1 are clamoring for more information, but the…

28 Mar

Makers of fuel additives strive to demonstrate their benefits

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, Publication > Professional Mariner, Tugboats & Towing

The fuel additive and catalyst business is a tough one. Many mariners view these products with skepticism. "You get any number of people who think that all additives are worthless, and they don't believe anything you say," said Erik Bjornstad, technical information director for Bell Performance, based in Orlando, Fla. Bell Performance makes two additives to treat marine fuel oil…

28 Mar

Free safety video advises mariners on avoiding undersea pipelines

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, Publication > Professional Mariner

A new instruction video is now available with advice for mariners on how to avoid undersea pipelines. Coastal and Marine Operators (CAMO) and GulfSafe, two principal organizations dedicated to preventing collisions with pipelines (see Professional Mariner #146, May 2011), are now distributing the educational DVD free of charge. The video is available to mariners, pipeline operators and other concerned individuals…

28 Mar

Driving under the influence could impair your maritime career

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, Publication > Professional Mariner

John, a third engineer I know, was recently hired to deliver a tug from Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, to Corpus Christi, Texas, but never made the trip. When the company found out he had been convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) in California four years earlier, they rescinded the job offer. That's because a DUI is a felony…

28 Mar

Quest for memorable vistas for passengers can lead to sights that no one wants to see

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, Maritime News, Publication > Professional Mariner

The Costa Concordia disaster has focused scrutiny on the cruise industry's longstanding willingness to sail vessels into potentially hazardous waters merely for entertainment purposes. The grounded cruise ship lies on its side off the island of Giglio, Italy, on Feb. 1. The 952-foot cruise ship with over 4,000 people aboard is said to have deliberately navigated close to the…

28 Mar

Hybrid ferry enters service but awaits approval for hydrogen fuel cell

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, Publication > Professional Mariner

An innovative ferry that uses a combination of power sources in order to be more efficient and reduce emissions is now in service. Hornblower Hybrid, a 168-foot ferry, is powered by Tier 2 diesel engines, batteries, solar panels, wind turbines and a hydrogen fuel cell. The ferry carries passengers from Battery Park to the Statue of Liberty for the National…

07 Mar

Coast Guard uses guns to sink barge after tug's fuel problem

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, Publication > Professional Mariner

A U.S. Coast Guard cutter towed a disabled container barge into international waters and sank it with heavy machine guns after a nearly three-day salvage effort proved unsuccessful. A 270-foot container barge sinks bow-first after a failed salvage effort off the coast of South Florida. The Coast Guard used heavy machine gun fire to expedite the sinking. The barge began…

07 Mar

NTSB cites sheering and pilot fatigue in Port Arthur collision and oil spill

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, Publication > Professional Mariner

The 2010 collision and spill involving the tanker Eagle Otome was caused by uncontrolled sheering and pilot fatigue, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded. The 810-foot tanker exited the Sabine-Neches Waterway, struck a docked cargo ship and then rebounded into the path of a tugboat pushing two barges. The lead barge carved a gash in Eagle Otome's cargo…

06 Mar

Synthetic lines gain market share with innovation, reliability and durability

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, Publication > Professional Mariner, Tugboats & Towing

For a real-world glimpse at the latest maritime cordage materials, look no further than Capt. Steven Huttman's fleet at G&H Towing Co. Huttman, G&H's director of marine operations, heads a field test of Samson Rope's newest product, Saturn-12. The new abrasion-resistant rope is serving as pendants on 11 of Huttman's tractor tugs in the Houston-Galveston region. A pendant composed of…

06 Mar

ACO's supply vessels thrive 'on the shelf'

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, Publication > Professional Mariner

The 220-foot Monica W. Callais towered above the Louisiana wetlands as the offshore supply vessel (OSV) slowly meandered up Bayou Lafourche from the Gulf of Mexico, destined for the Chevron dock near Leeville. The offshore supply vessel Monica W. Callais meanders along Louisiana's Bayou Lafourche near a Chevron dock. The 220-foot vessel spends most of its time on rig decommissioning…