Professional Mariner – September 2022

‘Midshipman X’ and second female USMMA cadet sue Maersk Line Ltd.

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) student who described her rape aboard a merchant ship in an online essay has filed a lawsuit against Maersk Line Ltd. The woman, who wrote under the name “Midshipman X,” identified herself as Hope Hicks. A second USMMA student using the name “Midshipman Y” also is suing the shipper, alleging she faced sexual…

Coast Guard highlights risk from unsafe pilot boarding arrangements

The U.S. Coast Guard is warning pilots, ship operators and foreign flag states to be vigilant about unsafe gate arrangements at the top of a pilot boarding ladder. In a safety alert issued this spring, the service highlighted a fatal fall from a pilot ladder on a ship with a gateway arrangement that did not meet International Maritime Organization…

Delays expected as WSF re-opens bidding on electric ferry project

Washington State Ferries (WSF) will seek new bidders for its hybrid-electric ferry project after failing to reach agreement with Vigor, one of its longtime shipbuilding partners in the Seattle area. The two sides confirmed separately that they could not come to terms on key aspects of a proposed contract for final design work and construction of five battery-electric/diesel hybrid…

Fight between Centerline, Harley Franco reaches the courtroom

Both sides are claiming victory after an initial courtroom battle involving Harley Franco and the towing company he founded more than 30 years ago. In June, a 12-person Seattle jury ruled Macquarie Capital, Macquarie Marine Services and a company executive must pay Franco $75.1 million in damages stemming from claims of defamation and tortious interference that Franco raised in a…

Survey shows most mariners aren’t all that happy on the job

The latest Seafarers Happiness Index found the lowest levels of fulfillment among oceangoing mariners since the project launched in 2015. “Seafarers continue to work with dedication, professionalism, care and resolve,” according to the quarterly index compiled by Mission to Seafarers. “However, many are facing a time like never before, with a pandemic, a war and commercial decisions all impacting them.”…

Congress passes law targeting shipping fees, port congestion

President Joe Biden has signed a bipartisan law aimed at addressing port congestion, skyrocketing overseas shipping costs and other issues amplified during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) updates shipping regulations last modified in 1998. The law gives the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) new oversight and enforcement tools to target unfair shipping practices or pricing. “There…

Dodging traps and keeping time with the Maine State Ferry

Capt. Aaron Sheridan steered Capt. Richard G. Spear through Rockland Harbor on a picture-perfect summer day in Maine. Clear skies and calm seas lay ahead as the Maine State Ferry Service’s newest vessel chugged toward Vinalhaven some 15 miles away. Every so often, Sheridan nudged the 154-foot ferry to port or to starboard. With each subtle course change, he…

Lower Mississippi towboat fire traced to fuel spraying within the engine room

Nobody was hurt after a fire broke out in the engine room of a towboat pushing 14 barges up the Lower Mississippi River. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the 155.8-foot Miss Dorothy was about 20 miles north of Baton Rouge, La., on March 17, 2021, when the incident occurred. The eight crewmembers aboard attempted to fight the fire but…

Pilot’s passing decision questioned in Lower Mississippi incident

Federal investigators determined a ship pilot’s decision to overtake a slower-moving towboat within a riverbend during high water was the leading cause of a grounding on the ower Mississippi River. The downbound tanker Bow Tribute was attempting to pass the 2,000-hp American Way and its two-barge tow within Carrollton Bend near mile 104 when it touched bottom near the…

OSV captain’s faulty assumption cited in Sabine Pass collision

A mistaken assumption about positioning by the captain of an offshore supply vessel (OSV) was the leading factor in a collision with a U.S. Coast Guard cutter in Sabine Pass, according to federal investigators. Failure by the crew aboard the cutter Harry Claiborne to question the passing arrangement proposed by the captain of Cheramie Bo-Truc No. 33 contributed to the…