Uncategorized – Page 34 – Professional Mariner

28 Feb

Director of operations and port captain indicted in Staten Island Ferry crash

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

In an unusual move, two shoreside officials with the Staten Island Ferry were indicted in early August in connection with the crash of Andrew J. Barberi on Oct. 15, 2003, which killed 11 people and resulted in 169 injury claims. Andrew J. Barberi had about 750 people aboard when it crashed into a pier on Staten Island. Image Credit:…

28 Feb

Gramma Lee T. Moran: A new generation

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

The two principal New York tugboat companies, Moran Towing and McAllister Towing, are changing the way ships are handled in the busy port. Both companies are modernizing their East Coast fleets with the introduction of new z-drive tugboats working alongside their more traditional twin-screw and single-screw vessels. Moran's newest tractor-style tug is Gramma Lee T. Moran. "These z-drives have revolutionized…

28 Feb

Liberty ships: World War II’s beasts of burden

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

The immense fleet of Liberty ships built during World War II is now all but forgotten except among a few history buffs and the few left who sailed them. But they understand the crucial role played by these ugly ducklings. This acrylic painting, entitled "For Those in Peril on the Sea," depicts a Liberty ship in a convoy on the…

28 Feb

Rising risks to mariners of criminal prosecution

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

Life is getting more dangerous for mariners, and it's not because of an increase in physical risks. The first mate of a tug involved in a 2003 oil spill in Massachusetts faces up to 18 months in prison. Image Credit: Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard Increasingly mariners are finding themselves caught up in a legal system that treats many maritime…

28 Feb

Canadian National to acquire U.S. lakers along with key rail link

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

Canadian National Railway Co. (CN) will acquire eight U.S.-flag lakers owned by Great Lakes Fleet Inc. (GLF) as part of a $380 million deal expected to close in mid-2004. Roger Blough, an 858-foot laker built in 1972, is one of eight American-flagged bulk carriers being bought by Canadian National Railway Co. as part of its acquisition of Great Lakes Transportation.…

28 Feb

Tsunamis: A rare but real marine hazard

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

Dec. 26, 2004, began just like any other December day in the Andaman Sea on the eastern edge of the Indian Ocean basin with warm temperatures, light winds and relatively calm seas, but at 0758 local time, all that changed. Pressure that had been building up along the interface of the India and Burma plates suddenly was released, producing an…

28 Feb

Canadian leader’s ties to maritime industry causing him problems

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

His selection marks the first time in Canadian history that someone from the maritime industry has become the country's top political leader. But industry observers say his potential influence on maritime issues will be neutral, at best, and perhaps negative, partly because of controversies stemming from his shipping ties. "The fact that he was in the shipping business means he…

28 Feb

Crew of towboat leads rescue of 10 boaters on the Gulf Intracoastal

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

The towboat Miss Julie was pushing a load of waste oil on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway on a windy afternoon in early March when one of the deck hands noticed what appeared to be an overturned hull in the distance. He immediately informed his vessel's pilot and the two reached for binoculars. After a deck hand aboard the towboat Miss…

28 Feb

Bouchard continues expansion with latest articulated tug-barge unit

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

Delivered from Bollinger Shipyards is the new 6,000-hp tug Jane A. Bouchard and the 110,000-barrel double-hull barge B. 255. These will be followed by another new tug-barge unit scheduled for delivery early next year, as well as the re-introduction of a retrofitted tug and barge toward the end of this year. Bouchard, which has been in the oil transportation business…

28 Feb

The first consequence of fatigue is loss of judgment

Professional Mariner StaffUncategorized

Every professional mariner gets tired. The physical and mental challenges of working aboard a vessel, the lack of "normal" sleep patterns due to standing watches and unexpected changes to schedules all combine to cause fatigue. And fatigue, as numerous studies have shown, leads to mistakes. Consequently, every professional mariner makes mistakes. Most of our mistakes are caught and corrected before…