Professional Mariner – May 2023 – Page 3

Boston tour boat catches fire after last nightly cruise

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating a fire aboard a Boston tour boat that occurred dockside after its final tour of the night. The fire aboard the 153-foot Spirit of Boston started at about 2252 on March 24 while was it was tied up at the Commonwealth Pier in the city’s Seaport district. The fire burned for more than…

MarAd chief cites growing crew gap for US sealift fleet

The head of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) is “not at all confident” that all the ships in the Ready Reserve Force could be crewed if called to duty in a crisis, USNI News has reported. The U.S. was already short 1,800 credentialed mariners for its vessels before the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, retired Rear Adm. Ann Phillips said in…

Ports group: Chinese-made cranes pose no threat

An American trade group representing port authorities is rebutting “alarmist” media reports that cranes built in China and used in U.S. ports pose a security risk. In a recent statement, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) said there have been no known security breaches as a result of any cranes at U.S. ports. The group also said crane are…

Technology, innovative designs advance maritime firefighting, training

Fires while aboard a ship are a serious hazard that concerned mariners have to train for — and, in the event of an emergency, fight with while out on the water. Protecting the vessel and crew can come down to having the right equipment, proper training and appropriate systems in place. Technology and innovative designs have helped progress firefighting tools…

Regulatory changes impact FM-200 fire suppressant systems

The U.S. Coast Guard has alerted ship operators of plans to “phase down” the use of FM-200, a fire suppressant common in extinguishers and overhead sprinkler systems that lets loose a gush of greenhouse gas emissions. FM-200 is still allowed on vessels and there are no plans to prohibit it in the future, Pock Y. Utiskul, a fire protection engineer…

Time to step up

The nation’s maritime academies have served as the bedrocks of deck and engine officer training for many years. The list is comprised of the federal U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at King’s Point, N.Y., as well as six state academies: State University of New York Maritime College at Fort Schuyler, N.Y.; Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, Mich.; Maine…

Moore McCormick Lines’ Mormacsky

By the late 1960s, upwards of 70% of the trade between the U.S. and Europe was containerized with the remaining percentage better suited to other cargo handling methods. In an effort to remain competitive with SeaLand, United States Lines, and a growing number of other carriers, New York-headquartered Moore-McCormick Lines’ ordered four new, fast combination roll-on/roll- off containerships “Sea-Bridge”-class vessels…