Professional Mariner – October/November 2023 – Page 2

Conrad launches new YRBM; reports construction backlog

Conrad Shipyard, LLC has launched the first in a series of Yard, Repair, Berthing, and Messing (YRBM) accommodation barges on order for the U.S. Navy. The 151-foot YRBMs are built to provide temporary berthing for as many as 199 mixed gender personnel and messing for 300 personnel whose ships are in port for repairs and maintenance. The barges also…

Port Freeport moves forward with expansion plans

Port Freeport, Tx. has completed a three-year, $146 million project to expand Berth 8 at its Velasco Terminal cargo facility – to date, the single largest project overseen by a public port on the Texas Gulf Coast. The project included demolition of an existing concrete relieving platform, dry excavation, a combi-wall bulkhead installation, and construction of the new wharf…

A backward tow through the Ballard Locks

Capt. Travis Larsen looked over his right shoulder and then his left while backing through the crowded waters of Seattle’s Salmon Bay. For nearly 30 minutes, he had steered astern while guiding the 200-foot refrigerated cargo ship Coastal Progress toward the Hiram M. Chittendon, or Ballard, Locks. Larsen checked his speed and trusted his instincts as the tug…

New allegations regarding cause of Grande Costa d’Avorio fire

State and federal authorities are working to find the cause of the fatal fire aboard a container roll-on/roll-off ship (con-ro) that started during vehicle loading in Newark, N.J. The fire aboard the 692-foot Italy-flagged Grande Costa d’Avorio likely started in the No. 10 deck in the ship’s vehicle garage shortly after 9:00 p.m. on July 5 during vehicle loading.…

Tug sunk off South Carolina coast salvaged

The Coast Guard reports that the Jacqueline A has been successfully salvaged. The tug sank in about 30 feet of water on August 8 about three miles off South Carolina’s North Myrtle Beach shore. Work to salvage the 59-foot, 98-ton tug was carried out by a crane and barge unit operated by Resolve Marine. The Coast Guard and several…

Sensor false alarm blamed for Port Arthur collision

On August 21, 2022, the 515-foot cargo ship Damgracht was inbound for Beaumont, Texas, when it abruptly lost propulsion in the Sabine Pass Outer Bar Channel and veered toward the outbound bulk carrier AP Revelin. The two ships were barely a half mile apart, leaving the pilots and crew little time to avoid a collision. Two minutes later, at…

Excessive speed cited in tug, boxship collision

Federal investigators determined multiple collisions between a tugboat and containership near a Houston-area terminal stemmed from the vessels’ excessive speed during a challenging towing maneuver and lack of experience from the mate helming the tug. Crew aboard the 6,772-hp George M were attempting to get a line onto the inbound MSC Aquarius at about 3:45 a.m. on April 14,…

Maritime safety gear, training balance on innovative technology

Anything can happen on the water and for commercial maritime vessels safety is a top priority, so it pays to be prepared. Technology has worked its way into other aspects of the maritime industry – autonomous navigation or digitalized fleet planning, for example – but it can also improve ship safety through modernized equipment and up-to-date training for mariners.…

New maritime safety report addresses ‘a changing industry landscape’

A new safety report from DNV and Lloyd’s List Intelligence highlights the need to cultivate improved safety standards in the maritime industry against the backdrop of fundamental industrial shifts such as decarbonization and digitalization. The latest safety report by DNV and Lloyd’s List Intelligence – Maritime Safety Trends 2012–2022: Advancing a Culture of Safety in a Changing Industry Landscape –…

New Texas LNG terminal planned

A proposed liquefied natural gas export facility is moving forward at the Port of Brownsville, Tx. Driving the project is Houston headquartered NextDecade Corporation, which announced in July that it had made a final investment decision to construct the first three of five liquefaction trains at the company’s Rio Grande LNG terminal. According to NextDecade, the $18.4 billion project financing…