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…
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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…
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Strong current pins tow to railroad bridge over Tennessee River
02 May

Strong current pins tow to railroad bridge over Tennessee River

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, , , , , ,
A towboat pushing eight loaded barges up the Tennessee River ran into fast-moving current that stopped the tow’s forward progress and pinned it against a railroad bridge.   The 76-foot Bearcat was passing under the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge at mile 591.5 near Loudon, Tenn., when it encountered trouble at about 0630 on Feb. 21. The tow remained stuck against the span…
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Venerable icebreaking workboat sinks at its slip in Milwaukee
02 May

Venerable icebreaking workboat sinks at its slip in Milwaukee

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, , , , ,
In the early morning hours of Feb. 22, Port of Milwaukee harbor master Wayne Johnson got a phone call he wasn’t expecting. The port’s 60-year-old workboat, Harbor Seagull, had sunk at its slip in about 20 feet of water. “When I got that call … my heart went up into my throat,” he said. “To see her on the bottom…
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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…
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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…
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12 Oct

Shipbuilding News, October 2020

Professional Mariner StaffNewsletter, Shipbuilding, Uncategorized, ,
Edison Chouest building wind farm service vessel Orsted and Eversource have reached agreement with Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) to build and operate a service operations vessel (SOV) in support of several offshore wind power projects proposed in the Northeast. The vessel will be the first of its kind built in the United States specifically for offshore wind.  ECO will build…
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24 Sep

Maritime Casualty News, September 2020

Professional Mariner StaffNewsletter, , , ,
NTSB releases documents on Conception dive boat fire The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a trove of documents related to the Sept. 2, 2019 fire aboard the dive boat Conception off California’s southern coast that left 34 people dead.  The information is contained in the NTSB’s public docket related to the incident. The docket was made available earlier…
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17 Sep

Brownwater News, September 2020

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime News, Newsletter, , ,
Bipartisan bill would boost Great Lakes icebreaking capacity  The Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA) is among numerous organizations expressing strong support for a bipartisan bill that would pave the way for increased icebreaking capacity for the Great Lakes fleet. By codifying into law the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking mission on the Great Lakes, the service would be required to break ice…
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