In 2009, even before the general public had a chance to ride the vessel, I was lucky enough to take a trip on the first hybrid ferry in U.S. history — Hornblower Hybrid. I had been asked to speak at the Passenger Vessel Association’s MariTrends conference in San Francisco, and as part of the conference was invited to take a tour on the boat. That night an old friend of mine from California Maritime Academy and I watched as the deck hands let the lines go, and the 149-passenger boat eased off of Pier 3 smoothly and quietly. There was no belch of diesel exhaust as we slowly made our way out into the harbor on battery power. The new, low-emission diesel generators took over as we cruised out near…
The slow pace of recovery within the U.S. and global economies still has much of the North American tugboat industry working on a slow bell. But business operators remain optimistic and investments in the future continue to be made, albeit at a modest pace. Handling of LNG tankers such as this one being berthed at the new Canaport LNG facility at Saint John, N.B., Canada, has become a growing source of new business for the tugboat industry. Tugs at work here are those of Atlantic Reyser, built in Canada specifically for this purpose. (Photo courtesy of Canaport LNG) The prevailing attitude among tug and barge operators seems to be that things are soon to get better — maybe even coming close to the way things used to be. …
Frank Basile could not specifically identify the reasons why the tugboat fraternity in North America can spot his tugboats in a heartbeat. “People recognize my tugboat designs on the Gulf, Atlantic and Pacific Coasts,†said Basile, owner of Entech & Associates, a naval architectural firm he established in 1970, in Houma, La. So Basile asked a few tugboat owners and operators why. The consensus was the way the pilothouse, 01 deckhouse and stacks blend together, and the attention Entech pays to locating the tow winch as close to midships as possible. The painted hull of Crimson Victory, a new tugboat built at Main Iron Works in Houma, La., for Crimson Shipping in Mobile, Ala. The vessel was designed by Entech & Associates. (Brian Gauvin photo) In October 2010, with the…
Massachusetts has two more reminders of its association with the concept of freedom. Independence and Justice joined Reinauer Co.’s Boston Towing & Transportation fleet this past year. The 98-foot ASD tug Justice is a condensed version of the 128-foot Independence (featured in American Tugboat Review 2010). Justice was built as the backup vessel to Independence on Suez Energy’s Neptune terminal, an LNG project located 10 miles offshore from Gloucester, Mass., and as a general assist tug in Boston Harbor. As part of the harbor duties, Justice will assist the LNG tankers calling at the Distrigas terminal on the Mystic River in Everett, Mass. Justice is a 98-foot ASD tug designed to escort tankers delivering LNG to a terminal 10 miles off the coast of Massachusetts. Brian Gauvin photo. Although smaller,…
Here's what's coming up in the March issue: Propulsion News: Intertanko and the U.S. Coast Guard have issued warnings about fuel switching after low-sulfur fuels have caused engines to stall at sea. Industry Outlook: Offshore Wind Power The construction and operation of offshore wind farms, both shallow-water or deepwater, would require a variety of commercial vessels. Ballast Water Testing: A California Maritime Academy vessel will be the site of trials to determine the effectiveness of various ballast water treatment systems. Towing Industry: The new U.S. Coast Guard rules provided for towing vessel inspections were supposed to be announced in April 2010, but the Department of Homeland Security is delaying them indefinitely. Shipbuilding News: A contract to build three Jones Act product carriers is in jeopardy because three of the participants…
A container ship operated by China Shipping Container Lines unloads its cargo at the Port of Los Angeles. Statistics indicate that U.S. container imports may be declining while container exports are increasing. (Photo courtesy Port of Los Angeles) With economic indicators looking increasingly gloomy, and fuel prices already at painful, record levels, most tug operators are taking a cautious let’s-wait-and-see attitude about business prospects for the coming year.As of this spring, many aspects of American marine business — sectors like oil movements, ship arrivals, domestic imports and exports — were remaining steady or declining, while gloomy economic news has been trumpeted daily by news-media outlets.The threat of a substantial business downturn is ever present. There are signs that Americans may be buying fewer products and cutting back on oil and…
The hull of a z-drive tractor tug takes shape while in plating stage at Main Iron Works, Houma, La. The shipyard has been working hard to keep up with a backlog of orders for new tugs for the past two years. (Gregory Walsh) Next year’s issue of American Tugboat Review might have to be considerably larger because there are so many new tugs making their debut between now and this time in 2008. Of course there are numerous publishing considerations that determine the ultimate size of a magazine in pages, but just by the number of new tugboats, the next issue could be jam-packed. Perhaps to save space we’ll group them together by colors: the red ones, the white ones, etc. Or maybe by geographic sector: East Coast, Gulf Coast, West…
April 2008 Fastest Workboat in Gulf Gulf Craft has built an unconventional crew boat for Seacor Marine. The 165-foot catamaran with waterjet propulsion will have a top speed of 42 knots, making it the fastest workboat in the Gulf of Mexico. By Larry Pearson Great Lakes Traffic ReportThe United States and Canada have completed a joint report on the future of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. The report maintains that this inland waterway has significant growth potential if the locks and channels are properly maintained and developed. By Richard AicheleNTSB Pushes USCG on Mariner Fatigue RegsThe National Transportation Safety Board is pushing the Coast Guard to adopt more rigorous rules to ensure that mariners get enough rest. The NTSB says that current efforts by the Coast Guard to…
Editorial Highlights Industry SignalsFastest workboat in the Gulf: Gulf Craft has built an unconventional crew boat for Seacor Marine. The 165-foot catamaran with waterjet propulsion will have a top speed of 42 knots, making it the fastest workboat in the Gulf of Mexico. By Larry PearsonGreat Lakes traffic report: The United States and Canada have completed a joint report on the future of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. The report maintains that this inland waterway has significant growth potential if the locks and channels are properly maintained and developed. By Richard AicheleNTSB pushes USCG on mariner fatigue regs: The National Transportation Safety Board is pushing the Coast Guard to adopt more rigorous rules to ensure that mariners get enough rest. The NTSB says that current efforts by…
Americans, vigorous consumers to begin with, are benefiting from a strong economy, and that spells good news for the tugboat industry. The U.S. economy, despite all the hurdles blocking its path, has been growing for several years. Despite dramatically higher oil prices, rising interest rates, and a significant deficit in both federal spending and the balance of trade, economic indicators are generally favorable, reflected by the irrepressible American stock markets. The economy is forecast to grow by 3-4 percent this year, a repeat of last year's performance. All this means that, barring a terrorist attack, a doubling of energy prices, or natural catastrophe far greater than those of recent years, Americans will continue their consuming habits and that means more, or at least larger, arriving container ships and more movement…
