22 Nov

Harvey Gulf to build first U.S.-flag OSVs fueled by LNG

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, Publication > Professional Mariner
The marine transport company Harvey Gulf International Marine has embarked on a project to build the first U.S.-flagged offshore supply vessel powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). Harvey Gulf plans to build two 300-foot offshore supply vessels (OSVs), with an option for a third. Using the LNG fuel, the vessel will have the capacity to run for seven days with…
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22 Nov

Guidelines for preventing loss of propulsion after switch to low sulfur fuel

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, Publication > Professional Mariner, Tugboats & Towing
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) created regulations for vessel emissions reductions for California waters as part of its continued mission to improve air quality around the state. These requirements came into effect in July 2009. The regulations require that oceangoing vessels within 24 nautical miles of the California coast burn either marine gas oil (MGO) with a maximum of…
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21 Nov

USCG seeks comment on watch system

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, Publication > Professional Mariner, Tugboats & Towing
The issue has hibernated in the industry for decades, and regulators are starting to wake up. In its proposal to begin inspecting towing vessels, the U.S. Coast Guard is asking for comments on the idea of regulating mariners' hours of service. The core question is whether 7.5 to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep per 24-hour period is necessary to operate…
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21 Nov

Four crew die after storm in Gulf of Mexico forces the abandonment of their lift boat

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, Publication > Professional Mariner
Associated Press/Mexican Navy The lift boat Trinity II lies disabled in the Gulf of Mexico one day after the crew’s evacuation that culminated in the deaths of four of the 10 workers. One of Trinity II’s stabilizing legs was damaged during Tropical Storm Nate. Four crewmen from a Louisiana-based lift boat were killed after they abandoned their damaged vessel via…
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21 Nov

Gravel barge severely damages British Columbia railroad bridge

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, Publication > Professional Mariner
A gravel barge crashed into a railroad bridge over British Columbia's Fraser River, knocking the train line out of commission for a month. The tug F.W. Wright was pulling Empire 40 in the river June 28, 2011, when it struck the Queensborough rail bridge near the community of New Westminster. The tow was proceeding downstream under the bridge at about…
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21 Nov

Hawaii tour boat damaged while trying to take passengers into cave on Maui

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, Publication > Professional Mariner
All 25 occupants of a Hawaii tour boat were rescued after the 30-foot vessel struck rocks while backing into a cave, possibly after currents shifted. Kanaloa, carrying 23 passengers on a snorkeling expedition, was damaged July 10, 2011, along Maui's Le Perouse Bay. Waves pushed the vessel onto rocks while it entered the cave, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The…
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