Professional Mariner – June/July 2023

New Governor’s Island ferry under construction

A new 190-foot passenger/vehicle ferry for the City of New York’s Trust for Governor’s Island is under construction at the Conrad Shipyard of Morgan City, La. The vessel, scheduled to enter service in the summer of 2024, was designed by the Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group and will be New York City’s first public hybrid-electric ferry, featuring a propulsion system…

Curtin Maritime adds new tug to its fleet; expands San Diego operations

Long Beach, Ca.-based Curtin Maritime has said it will initially deploy its recently acquired vessel, Edna C, to Houston, where it will work alongside the DB Ironbound, a multi-functional ABS barge paired with a Lima 2400B 150-ton crawler crane. After several months in Texas, the company said, the small push boat will be transported to California for a repower conversion,…

Matson converts box ship to LNG

Matson Navigation Company has confirmed that it will convert the main engine aboard its containership Kaimana Hila from an MAN B&W S90ME-C10.5 unit to a dual-fuel ME-GI unit capable of running on liquefied natural gas (LNG). In doing so, it is exercising an option contained in a contract it signed with MAN Energy Solutions in June 2022 to perform an…

SAFE Boats unveils autonomous survey monohull

SAFE Boats International has announced the introduction of Merlin, an autonomous hydrographic survey vessel. This innovative, 75-foot semi-displacement monohull design was developed in collaboration with Mythos AI, Echo81, and World Marine Design. SAFE Boats International has exclusive rights to build the design at its Tacoma, Wash., large-craft production facility. Merlin will be a Jones Act-compliant all-aluminum hull powered by a…

Crowley, Markey Machine partner on new ATB equipment

Crowley has contracted with Markey Machine to install a set of split mooring winches and an anchor windlass on board the company’s articulated-tug barge Oliver Leavitt. The ATB, including tug Aveogan, was constructed at the Bollinger Marine Fabricators facility in Amelia, La., and delivered to Crowley in 2020. Crowley operates the ATB under a long-term charter for Alaska-based Petro Star…

Chesapeake building new Coastal Cat for ACL

Construction has begun on American Legend, the fourth new Coastal Cat in American Cruise Lines’ Project Blue series. Unveiled in early 2022, the Project Blue series is a flotilla of 12 small ships designed to sail almost any domestic cruise itinerary. The 100-guest American Legend is built for coastal operation and features the innovative new hull design that is a…

Campbell Transport towing vessel reengined

Pittsburgh, Pa.- headquartered Campbell Transportation (CTC) recently repowered its 48-year-old towing vessel Lincoln Thomas, replacing its original 850-hp Cummins KTA38s main engines with a pair of 850-hp Mitsubishi S12A2s main power plants. The new lighter and smaller Mitsubishi engines were supplied by Texas-based Laborde Products and the replacement work was carried out at the Amherst Madison shipyard in Charleston, W.Va. The…

Plug-in power big in the Pacific Northwest

A growing number of seaports on the U.S. West Coast are in the process of adopting plug-in shore power as a sustainable alternative to having ships continue to run their diesel engines while at berth. In California, the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland have active shoreside power capability, while, earlier this year, the Port of San Diego…

Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor expands with an eye toward future growth

After a year of record-breaking shipping activity, The Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor is embarking on a $32 million facilities expansion project that is expected, when completed, to attract companies competing in international markets, contribute billions of dollars to the local economy and drive significant future growth, according to port director Ryan McCoy. “We were excited to celebrate another record year…

AWO unveils new HERO award

The American Waterways Operators has named the first recipients of its Honor and Excellence in Rescue Operations (HERO) Award. The award, presented at the recent AWO Winter Safety Meeting in Houston, was created “to document and recognize rescues undertaken by AWO member company employees that demonstrate selflessness, skill and bravery.” Qualifying events for the award include, among others: rescuing commercial…