27 Mar

U.S. Coast Guard hopes to release proposed tugboat inspection rules this spring

Professional Mariner StaffTugboats & Towing
Barge 455-3, launched at Gunderson Marine in Portland, Ore., was the third in Crowley Maritime Corp.'s Heavy Lift 455 Series. Gunderson anticipates delivering four more barges in the series to Crowley in 2009. (Courtesy Gunderson Marine) After nearly five years of talks and revisions, the U.S. Coast Guard will give the public its first look this spring at proposed inspection…
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27 Mar

Gunderson, Jeffboat busy filling contracts for new barges

Professional Mariner StaffTugboats & Towing
Gunderson Marine and Jeffboat concluded 2008 amid a flurry of production, with Gunderson signing a contract to build eight additional deck cargo barges for Crowley Maritime Corp., and Jeffboat finishing a 50,000-barrel asphalt barge for Andrie Inc.Gunderson, a Portland, Ore.-based division of the Greenbrier Cos., has a longstanding relationship with Crowley, producing more than 40 vessels over the years for…
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20 Feb

Following collision and spill, Coast Guard gets tough on unlicensed operators

Professional Mariner StaffTugboats & Towing
Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Carlos Babilonia on a U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat taking part in Operation Big Tow on the Mississippi. While the machine gun is part of the boat’s equipment, the operation to check mariners’ licenses was not designed as an aggressive boarding action. (Brian Gauvin) As a result of revelations in the notorious Mel Oliver case, the…
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20 Feb

McAllister boats tow Intrepid back to museum pier

Professional Mariner StaffTugboats & Towing
The lead tug Rowan M. McAllister, assisted by Ellen McAllister, moves the aircraft carrier Intrepid away from its temporary berth on Staten Island. Four tugs participated in the 10-mile, four-hour operation that returned the historic ship to its museum berth following a two-year refurbishment. (Courtesy McAllister Towing and Transportation) “Let the head lines go!”“Sisters, easy astern.”“OK, Rowan, tighten it up.…
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20 Feb

Tidewater Tug crew honored for rescue

Professional Mariner StaffTugboats & Towing
The crew aboard a Tidewater Tug and Barge Lines vessel have received citations from the Coast Guard after they successfully secured a sternwheeler that had suffered a maritime casualty in the Columbia River.The nearby good Samaritan tugboat Invader responded when the sternwheeler Portland lost steering and drifted in the river June 27 near Cascade Locks, Ore. The sternwheeler eventually ran…
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20 Feb

U.S. operators warned not to use two-watch system in foreign waters

Professional Mariner StaffTugboats & Towing
The U.S. Coast Guard is warning towing vessel operators not to accept overseas jobs if their boats don't comply with international safety and manning rules. Port state control inspectors recently have boosted enforcement of the three-watch system, navigation-equipment requirements, officer licensing and vessel safety documentation. During a presentation at the State University of New York Maritime College's Towing Forum in…
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