Professional Mariner – April 2023

NOAA researchers find historic wreck in Lake Huron

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its partners discovered a nearly intact shipwreck in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary several hundred feet below the surface. The three-masted sailing ship Ironton sits upright on the lake floor, with its masts standing upright, according to NOAA, which announced the discovery in early March. “The discovery illustrates how we can…

Utility partners with ferry on electrification project

The Angel Island-Tiburon Ferry Co. plans to offer the first zero-emission short-hop ferry in California. Its electric utility has proven to be a willing partner. The ferry company is working to electrify the 65-foot Angel Island, which is the largest in its fleet. It can accommodate 400 passengers and is typically used for ferry services in San Francisco Bay between…

ACBL orders versatile Tier 4 towboat from Steiner Construction

Steiner Construction has received an order from American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) to build a towboat with a retractable pilothouse and cleaner-running U.S. EPA Tier 4-rated engines. The vessel will be 82 feet long with a 34-foot beam and an operating draft of 10 feet, ACBL said in a news release. Delivery is expected in late 2023 from the Bayou…

Moose Boats wins contract for California fireboat

The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors authorized funding for the new boat. Much of the funding came from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a large portion of which was intended for public safety, Moose Boats said in a news release. The Woodbridge Fire District is an all-risk agency covering 197 square miles and approximately 500 linear miles of…

Study: Tiny prop defects can have a big impact

Miniscule defects in propeller blades that still meet class and regulatory standards can cause cavitation and increased underwater noise, according to a study funded by Transport Canada. Researchers with Memorial University of Newfoundland, along with partners at Defense Research and Development Canada and prop maker Dominis Engineering, spent three years looking at the effects of different levels of propeller imperfections. …

Coast Guard cutter commander relieved after fatal collision

The U.S. Coast Guard has removed the commander of the cutter USCGC Winslow Griesser following a collision with fishing vessel last August off Puerto Rico. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Brendan McPherson removed Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Williamsz from his command of the ship, citing loss of confidence in his ability to command the 154-foot Sentinel-class cutter, the service said in a…

Great Lakes pilotage rates rising by 16 percent in 2023

The cost of pilotage services will rise by 16 percent in 2023, a change that will add about $5.2 million in overall cost to ocean carriers, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The service published the new rates recently in the Federal Register. They will take effect on March 29, in time for the 2023 shipping season. The new rates…

Gladding-Hearn books another pilot boat order

The St. Johns Bar Pilot Association of Atlantic Beach, Fla., has ordered another high-speed launch from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding. The 35-foot Resilient-class hull will be the group’s fourth vessel from the Somerset, Mass., shipyard since 1962. Ray Hunt Design developed plans for the all-aluminum launch, which will be equipped with a foam collar. The deep-V hull form with a flat chine…

‘It really is the best job I can imagine’

Nicole Lawrence Major Marine Tours Captain For much of the year, Capt. Nicole Lawrence carries passengers deep into Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park. The region is home to pristine, blue-hued glaciers and abundant wildlife with a mesmerizing mountain backdrop. Guests often tell her, once the tour boat returns to the dock, that she has the best job in the world.…

First ‘Laker’ launched in more than four decades

Mark W. Barker said the name of the freighter the Mark W. Barker wasn’t his idea. “We are a family-owned business and since ’87, my dad has run the building,” said Barker, president of the Interlake Steamship Company and son of its chairman, James R. Barker, who suggested the name. “I wasn’t totally thrilled with the idea but he’s my…