Professional Mariner – June/July 2023 – Page 2

Canada names Davie third partner in shipbuilding strategy

The Canadian government recently announced that Chantier Davie of Levis, Quebec, will become the third strategic partner under its National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). The agreement between the company and the federal government marks the start of negotiations for contracts to support Canada’s future shipbuilding needs and create good jobs. This will include the construction of six program icebreakers and one…

A vision for the future: An exclusive interview with USMMA Superintendent, Rear Adm. Joanna Nunan

Rear Adm. Joanna Nunan retired from the U.S. Coast Guard in November 2022 after 35 years of service and was appointed Superintendent of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at King’s Point, NY, the following month – the USMMA’s 14th Superintendent and the first woman to hold the position. A 1987 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Nunan’s early career…

Newest Great Lakes freighter freed after running aground near Detroit

The Great Lakes freighter Mark W. Barker has returned to service after running aground in the Detroit River while carrying a load of salt. The 639-foot self-unloading bulk carrier went soft aground at about 0735 on May 17, 2023, near Belle Isle in Detroit. Its operator, Interlake Steamship Co., said the U.S.-flagged ship experienced a loss of power and maneuverability.…

Washington State Ferry Walla Walla returned to service

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has returned the ferry Walla Walla ferry to service on the route linking Seattle with Bremerton. The ferry ran aground in Rich Passage south of Bainbridge Island on April 15 after the vessel lost power due to contaminated fuel which led to a failure of its generator and backup systems that caused the…

Lithium-ion batteries eyed in fire aboard scrap metal barge

Not long after midnight on a late spring morning, the mate helming the tugboat Daisy Mae noticed smoke and a faint orange glow coming from its barge loaded with scrap metal. Within 30 seconds, flames erupted from the aft section of the deck barge CMT Y Not 6, which was connected to Daisy Mae by 600 feet of towing wire.…

Fire contained on Great Lakes bulk carrier

A fire broke out aboard a Canadian-registered bulk carrier in the overnight hours on Tuesday, May 23, while the vessel was transiting Lake Erie near Pelee Island. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the fire originated in the engine room of the 80-year-old Cuyahoga, and was contained quickly with no injuries reported. A helicopter from the Coast Guard Air Station Detroit,…

Lack of lookout cited after crane topples from barge near Norfolk

The crawler crane operator was moving aft on a spud barge off the Virginia coast when he noticed the tracks rising off the barge deck. He tried without success to move the crane forward. “The crane continued to travel aft, and he felt the crane tipping over, so he opened the cab door and jumped from the crane as it…

Cathlamet master “lost situational awareness” in allision

Washington State Ferries (WSF) has released the findings of its internal investigation into the July 28, 2022, incident in which its 328-foot-long ferry M/V Cathlamet struck a mooring dolphin at the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal near Seattle. Separate U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board investigations remain ongoing. The allision – called “a hard landing” by the WSF, at the time …

Investigation into R/V Petrel drydock incident continues

The U.S. Navy research vessel damaged in a recent drydock incident in Scotland has been righted and refloated. On March 22, the 3,710-ton Petrel took a violent 45-degree list to port while under repair at the Leith drydock, near Edinburgh, Scotland, after being in lay-up since September 2020. The cause of Petrel slipping its supports in the drydock is under investigation by both U.S.…

Personal communication challenges and solutions for mariners

Social isolation is a huge problem for mariners, especially those traversing the open seas. The voyage between China and the U.S. West Coast, for example, can take upwards of 18 days. That’s a long time to be out of touch with family, friends, and any entertainment. The recent Seafarers Happiness Index (SHI) published by the Mission to Seafarers reports that…