Towboat pilot ‘tried to outrun’ current before Louisiana bridge strike
02 May

Towboat pilot ‘tried to outrun’ current before Louisiana bridge strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, , , , , , ,
The pilot of a towboat pushing 29 barges down the Mississippi River failed to compensate for the fast-moving current before hitting a bridge pier near Luling, La., federal investigators said. Cooperative Spirit’s tow broke apart after striking the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge at 0113 on March 15, 2020. One barge sank and another was destroyed. Total damage and lost cargo…
Read More
Barge runs into shorefront homes after tug master falls asleep
02 May

Barge runs into shorefront homes after tug master falls asleep

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, , , , , , ,
An empty gravel barge careened into several waterfront homes near Gig Harbor, Wash., after the tugboat’s captain fell asleep at the controls.  The 71-foot, 1,800-hp Island Chief was pushing the barge south in the Colvos Passage when it veered toward land at about 0715 on March 15. The barge hit one house and damaged decks and property at two other…
Read More
Towboat loses power, hits Ohio River dam before drifting through
02 May

Towboat loses power, hits Ohio River dam before drifting through

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, , , , , , ,
Eight crewmembers escaped from an upbound towboat that lost propulsion on the Ohio River and drifted through a dam near Belleville, W.Va. The 1,800-hp Edith Tripp struck the Belleville Dam at about 1300 on March 3 before passing through one of the structure’s open gates. The towboat’s empty hopper barge, which was not identified, became wedged against the dam before…
Read More
Mariner training after COVID: Will online render ‘hands-on’ obsolete?
02 May

Mariner training after COVID: Will online render ‘hands-on’ obsolete?

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training, Trends and Currents, , , , , ,
An emerging trend before the pandemic, online training has now become a major element in maintaining and improving mariner skills almost everywhere — with consequences that so far seem to be mostly positive. Ukraine-based Danica Crewing Services recently conducted a broad survey of mariners that included questions about online training. Fifty-three percent of seafarers said they receive some sort of…
Read More
Ship autonomy points toward savings, but be wary of higher cost
02 May

Ship autonomy points toward savings, but be wary of higher cost

Professional Mariner StaffCorrespondence, , , , , , , ,
The order is given and it’s full speed ahead for robot vessels called maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS).  The technologies being researched and developed are showing no signs of stopping. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has defined four categories of MASS with differing degrees of autonomy: • Degree one: Seafarers are on board to operate and control shipboard systems and…
Read More
02 May

Drunks? Troublemakers? Time for mariners to set record straight

Professional Mariner StaffA Mariner's Notebook, , ,
Following in the footsteps of my dad, who sailed as an able seaman and boatswain, I had made the decision to become a merchant mariner. One spring Sunday afternoon during a family dinner in Spokane, Wash., I announced my decision to attend a four-year maritime school, where after graduation I would come out with an unlimited third mate license and…
Read More