Bankruptcy judge removes Morton Bouchard as CEO of company
02 May

Bankruptcy judge removes Morton Bouchard as CEO of company

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, , , ,
A bankruptcy court judge in Texas in February ordered the beleaguered Bouchard Transportation Co. to immediately remove CEO Morton S. Bouchard III from his position. Bouchard had been the fourth generation of his family to run the 103-year-old towing company based in Melville, N.Y. He and the company declined to comment on the decision or who might succeed him. The order…
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Bankruptcy judge removes Morton Bouchard as CEO of company
02 May

Bankruptcy judge removes Morton Bouchard as CEO of company

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, , , ,
A bankruptcy court judge in Texas in February ordered the beleaguered Bouchard Transportation Co. to immediately remove CEO Morton S. Bouchard III from his position. Bouchard had been the fourth generation of his family to run the 103-year-old towing company based in Melville, N.Y. He and the company declined to comment on the decision or who might succeed him. The order…
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Gulf of Guinea hot zone for piracy, crew abductions in 2020, IMB says
02 May

Gulf of Guinea hot zone for piracy, crew abductions in 2020, IMB says

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, , , , ,
Although COVID-19 slowed most maritime activity in 2020, piracy did not face a slump.  In its annual piracy report, the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau (IMB) tallied 195 reported incidents of armed robbery against ships worldwide, up from 162 reported in 2019. Much of the activity occurred in Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, which is the site of a…
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MarAd authorizes construction of two more academy training ships
02 May

MarAd authorizes construction of two more academy training ships

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, , , , , ,
When alumni return to Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine, they’re not drawn to the docks or the football stadium. Instead, they gather around the scale models of previous training ships that the school has used to prepare cadets for their careers at sea. “Whenever we have functions that bring in alumni, you can hear them telling their kids, ‘That’s…
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Provision in defense act bans barge anchorages on Lower Hudson
02 May

Provision in defense act bans barge anchorages on Lower Hudson

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, , , , ,
The controversial issue of tying up oil barges and other commercial vessels along the banks of the Lower Hudson River has been settled by a new federal law. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was enacted on Jan. 1 after Congress overrode President Trump’s veto, includes the ban on tying up. The provision was introduced by U.S. Rep. Sean…
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Maritime Publishing acquires Professional Mariner magazine
02 May

Maritime Publishing acquires Professional Mariner magazine

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, , , , ,
Maritime Publishing of San Diego has acquired Navigator Publishing, the parent company of Professional Mariner and sister magazine Ocean Navigator. The sale included both print magazines and their respective websites, newsletters and email marketing products.   The agreement, which closed in mid-March, brings Professional Mariner and Ocean Navigator together with Pacific Maritime magazine and Fishermen’s News. Maritime Publishing previously acquired…
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‘High highs, low lows’: Great Lakes-Seaway ports ride out pandemic
02 May

‘High highs, low lows’: Great Lakes-Seaway ports ride out pandemic

Professional Mariner StaffCargo vessels, Seaways & Waterways, , , , ,
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System carried an impressive amount of cargo in 2020 despite COVID-19 limitations. Overall tonnage for the navigation season, which ran from March 25, 2020 to Jan. 15, 2021, was only down 1.7 percent compared with 2019 for U.S. and Canadian ports that use the waterways.  How was that possible? “Despite the incredible challenges of the…
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Versatile Weeks dredge tender built tough from bottom up
02 May

Versatile Weeks dredge tender built tough from bottom up

Professional Mariner StaffVessels at Work, , , , , ,
Jack K., a 62.5-foot Cummins-powered dredge tender, is described by Weeks Marine’s project manager as a Swiss army knife for the tugboat set. The newbuild will assist dredges, tow dredges, push barges, handle anchors and move pipe, primarily along the Gulf Coast, while also carrying an oceans classification for towing equipment offshore. The versatile vessel was designed by MiNO Marine…
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Two die after tugboat sinks in storm on British Columbia coast
02 May

Two die after tugboat sinks in storm on British Columbia coast

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, , , , , , ,
Two mariners died and a third suffered serious injuries after their tugboat sank in a remote British Columbia waterway during a strong winter storm. Capt. Troy Pearson and deck hands Charley Cragg and Zac Dolan were aboard the 36-foot Ingenika when it capsized in the Gardner Canal near Kemano while towing the 200-foot barge Miller 204. The tug’s emergency beacon activated…
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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…
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