Fleeting company's thoroughbreds keep barges sorted and ready to go

In Louisiana, Jean Lafitte is the pirate of choice, his name prominently displayed on everything from a park entrance to a tavern door. It is also the name of a towboat in the Turn Services fleet. Recently I was on Jean Lafitte, accompanied by the company's senior vice president of operations, Mike Marshall. The captain, Jason Pitre, stood between the…
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At age 86, Entech’s Basile hasn’t stopped innovating yet

Frank Basile could not specifically identify the reasons why the tugboat fraternity in North America can spot his tugboats in a heartbeat. “People recognize my tugboat designs on the Gulf, Atlantic and Pacific Coasts,†said Basile, owner of Entech & Associates, a naval architectural firm he established in 1970, in Houma, La. So Basile asked a few tugboat owners and…
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Samson: Commitment to quality and safety

Rafael Chou makes synthetic ropes do amazing things, even seemingly impossible ones. A vice president of Samson, Chou directs the cordage company's research and development efforts. Under his supervision, a staff of 20 people at the company's research and development center in Ferndale, Wash., create new high-performance products and improve existing ones. One of the most remarkable products to come…
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Voluntary inspections help tug operators prepare for the coming requirements

With the nation’s first mandatory inspections finally visible on the horizon, the U.S. Coast Guard is beginning to inform the towing-vessel industry of the safety violations most often found during the current voluntary program. Since the voluntary boardings began in June 2009, Coast Guard crews have taken note of repeated deficiencies with unfired pressure vessels (UPV), fuel shutoff valves, fire…
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Crowley, Intercon team up in new class of powerful oceangoing tugs

With a minimum of 150 metric tons of bollard pull and an Intercon towing winch with 500,000 pounds of pulling power, Crowley Maritime’s new Ocean-class tugs are designed for the future. The company, based in Jacksonville, Fla., expects the new vessels to establish Crowley as industry leaders for many years. “Over the lifetime of the boats, they will be towing…
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