Tugboats and towing – Page 13 – Professional Mariner

21 Dec

ACBL names new senior VP of logistics and network operations

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry Newsbrownwater, Tugboats and towing

(JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind.) — American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) has appointed Steve Schappell as senior vice president of logistics and network operations. Schappell has served in the role on an interim basis since September. ACBL selected Schappell over several highly qualified external candidates due to his wealth of experience, leadership capabilities and commitment to the company's vision, mission and core values.…

18 Dec

NOLA Terminal names CEO, VP of commercial operations

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry Newsbrownwater, Ports, shipping, Tugboats and towing

(NEW ORLEANS) — NOLA Terminal’s board of directors has named Brian Miles chief executive officer and Allen Newman vice president of commercial operations. NOLA Terminal, the newest state-of-the-art facility along the Mississippi River, will be the first of its kind in the region, allowing access for much larger vessels, up to and including Cape-sized vessels. In the river and logistics…

29 Nov

Wood pellet fires on barges lead to safety alert

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsSafety alert, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Over a two-week span, two unmanned and uninspected hopper barges loaded with wood pellets containing binders caught fire while awaiting transport at a Mississippi River fleeting facility. Each fire caused approximately $355,000 in damage, including total cargo loss and significant vessel damage. The ignition source for both fires was spontaneous combustion, which is not common, but also not…

28 Nov

Derelict tugboat sinks at pier in San Juan Islands

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News, UncategorizedSalvage, Tugboats and towing

(SEATTLE) — Crews from Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound, Washington Department of Ecology, and the Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA) responded to the sinking of the 80-foot vessel El Capitan at West Sound Marina on Orcas Island on Nov. 18. Watch standers at Sector Puget Sound command center received notification Nov. 18 from the West Sound Marina that El Capitan,…

27 Nov

Barge bound for San Juan also carries 12 stowaways

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsTugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico) — U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection partners apprehended 12 stowaway migrants Saturday during the escort of the tugboat Sarah Dann that was towing a barge into San Juan Harbor. “I cannot emphasize enough just how dangerous it is to have stowaways board or jump from a moving barge,” said Capt. Robert Pirone, Sector…

14 Nov

Port NOLA to host ‘Who Works the Rivers’ for local students

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Trainingbrownwater, Tugboats and towing

(NEW ORLEANS) — The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) and RiverWorks Discovery will host two “Who Works the Rivers” events Wednesday, Nov. 15 and Friday, Nov. 17 to introduce high school juniors and seniors to the importance of waterborne transportation and the diversity of career paths available on the river. Hundreds of high school students from Jefferson and Orleans…

08 Nov

Tugboats help free grounded freighter in Michigan

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsTugboats and towing

(DETROIT) — American Courage, a 617-foot lake freighter that ran aground in the St. Clair River on Tuesday morning, was successfully refloated at about 7 p.m. with the help of vessels from Great Lakes Towing. The freighter, owned by Grand River Navigation and carrying 20,000 tons of stone, grounded near Marine City, Mich. After being refloated, the ship anchored north…

01 Nov

Long Beach, NOAA, pilots tout new port navigation tool

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsNavigation, Pilots, Ports, Tugboats and towing

(LONG BEACH, Calif.) — Imagine driving your car down a narrow road that you cannot see and your tires cannot touch. The road is made of silt and your car is hovering more than seven stories above it. This would be akin to the daily job of port pilots responsible for the safe arrivals and departures of massive cargo vessels…

23 Oct

Coast Guard revises rule for towing vessel firefighting

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Trainingbrownwater, Tugboats and towing

(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a final rule revising the training requirements for merchant mariner credential (MMC) endorsements as master of towing vessels (limited) or mate (pilot) of towing vessels on inland waters (other than the Great Lakes) or Western rivers routes. Consistent with recommendations from the National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (NMERPAC) and the…

19 Oct

Captain’s body recovered after tug capsizes on Alabama River

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(MOBILE, Ala.) — The body of the captain of a small tugboat was recovered by divers after the vessel capsized Saturday on the Alabama River, The Charlotte Observer reported. The U.S. Coast Guard received a report at 4:39 p.m. that a tugboat hit an object on the river before capsizing. The call came from vessel owner Encore Dredging Partners of…