Professional Mariner – February 2023 – Page 2

Bulker crew noticed platform lights but failed to avert strike

Poor bridge resource management was the leading cause of an incident in the Gulf of Mexico where a bulk carrier struck an uncrewed oil and gas platform, according to federal investigators. The 623-foot Ocean Princess struck SP-83A, located 24 miles south of Pilottown, La., on Jan. 7, 2021, at 0122. No one was injured but the ship sustained about $500,000…

Bank effects, ineffective communication cited in Welland Canal collision

The hydrodynamic forces known as bank cushion and bank suction were leading factors in the collision between Florence Spirit and Alanis in Welland Canal in 2020, Canadian authorities have determined. Inadequate communication between the master on the Canada-flagged Florence Spirit and the pilot conning the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged Alanis increased the complexity of the meeting and contributed to the collision,…

Engine room fire disables Staten Island Ferry during rush hour

Five people suffered minor injuries when the Staten Island Ferry vessel Sandy Ground caught fire while underway from Manhattan to the St. George Terminal on Staten Island. The fire started at about 1700 on Dec. 22 as the ferry transited the Upper Bay of New York Harbor. There were 866 passengers and crew on board at the time of the…

Maritime industry labor challenges persist despite cooling economy

Recruiting and retaining employees remains a challenge within the maritime industry, although insiders say there are many opportunities for advancement for those who pursue a career on the water. Steve Haft, vice president of human resources for Saltchuk Marine Shared Services in Seattle, Wash., said the company finds employees from many places. This includes U.S. maritime academy graduates as well…

Tips for starting a maritime career

At McAllister Towing, before applying for a position, we recommend applying for a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC). After receiving your TWIC, you must obtain a Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) through the National Maritime Center (NMC) by submitting your application to the nearest of 19 Regional Exam Centers (REC). The REC will forward your application to NMC for evaluation. Once your…

The global container shipping era got its start at Port of Newark

The development of containerization was a major change in transportation technology — an innovative idea with profound consequences for world trade. It all got started at Port Newark on April 26, 1956. It was a chilly day, with a high temperature of 48 degrees, with intermittent showers. On a dock outside shed 154, some fifty-eight 33-foot-long containers were swung…

The maritime industry must do more to address climate change

My wife and I were recently enjoying our coffee and her homemade apple muffins on a cold fall morning when she commented on the unusual weather we’ve had in the Pacific Northwest. Looking over at our neighbor out chain-sawing a dozen or so trees that fell across our driveway in the windstorm the night before, I agreed. Then she brought…

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