Tugboats and towing – Page 4 – Professional Mariner

23 Jan

Undetermined ignition source cited in Delaware River towboat fire

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On Feb. 18, 2025, at about 9:25 a.m., the towing vessel Thor was pushing two barges downbound on the Delaware River, 1.5 miles downriver of New Castle, Del., when a fire broke out in the engine room. Four crewmembers isolated the fire to the engine room and subsequently abandoned ship to a nearby tugboat. The fire was extinguished…

15 Jan

Tow breaks apart after barge takes on water, rapidly sinks

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On March 16, 2024, about 0008 local time, the towing vessel Chad Pregracke was transiting southbound on the Lower Mississippi River pushing 34 loaded barges near mile 260.6, about 5 miles east of New Roads, La. The barge PTC 706 at the head of the tow rapidly sank, causing the tow to break apart. Five barges in the…

15 Jan

Study details costly delays on inland waterway projects

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsbrownwater, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

(WASHINGTON) — The Waterways Council Inc. (WCI) has released a study on U.S. inland waterway capital projects – locks and dams – that examines why costs escalate, timelines for completion continue to slip, and economic benefits to the nation from projects’ execution are consistently delayed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works mission is responsible for constructing the nation’s…

14 Jan

NTSB cites compromised hatch in sinking of Lower Miss. towboat

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

(WASHINGTON) — On June 12, 2024, about 1530 local time, the towing vessel Cajole was upbound on the Lower Mississippi River near Waggaman, La., when the vessel began flooding. The two crewmembers aboard attempted to pump out the vessel but were unsuccessful. They tied off to a nearby barge and evacuated to a good Samaritan vessel. Cajole later sank. There…

07 Jan

Safety alert: Preventing water backflow into fuel tanks

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

(WASHINGTON) — This safety alert highlights the critical importance of preventing water intrusion into fuel tanks. The U.S. Coast Guard investigated a marine casualty that occurred in the Corpus Christi Shipping Channel involving a towing vessel constructed in 2011 with a low freeboard. While pushing a barge loaded with methanol, the vessel encountered sea state conditions with 4-foot wave heights…

30 Dec

Captain fell asleep before tugboat hit Cape Disappointment docks

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

(WASHINGTON) — On Sept. 11, 2024, the towing vessel Schweiger was transiting the Baker Bay West Channel near Ilwaco, Wash., when it struck the U.S. Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment docks at 12:36 p.m. after veering out of the channel. There were no injuries. About 20 gallons of diesel fuel spilled into the waterway as a result of the contact.…

23 Dec

NTSB: Unlit barges, reduced visibility led to Lower Miss. allision

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On Dec. 10, 2023, about 0139 local time, a tow guided by the towboat William E Strait was pushed in to the bank on the Lower Mississippi River near Norco, La., when the towing vessel Steel Skipper, which was reconfiguring the tow, pushed it astern. William E Strait contacted two moored barges upstream at the Shell Norco Refinery…

03 Dec

C&C Marine promotes Nick Bergeron to general manager

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry Newsshipbuilding, Tugboats and towing

(BELLE CHASSE, La.) — C&C Marine and Repair has promoted Nick Bergeron to general manager. Bergeron brings more than 30 years of marine industry experience to his expanded role. Prior to joining C&C Marine, he spent 25 years with Zito Companies in a variety of leadership and operations positions. “Nick has been a tremendous addition to the C&C family,” said…

28 Nov

Crews complete removal of sunken tug at Bremerton Marina

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

(BREMERTON, Wash.) — The unified command consisting of the U.S. Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology, Suquamish tribe, and the Port of Bremerton has concluded response operations associated with the tugboat Dominion at the Bremerton Marina. The vessel sank on Sept. 17 and the removal of the vessel is now complete. Dominion was a 130-foot World War II-era wooden hull…

17 Nov

Fire-damaged tug back in service with Mitsubishi repower

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry Newspropulsion, Tugboats and towing

(NEW BEDFORD, Mass.) — After sustaining extensive damage in a December 2024 fire, the tugboat Lucinda Smith has returned to the water with a fresh start powered by Mitsubishi S12R-Y3MPTAW-3 Tier 3 engines, each rated at 1,260 hp at 1.600 rpm. The repower was completed by Windward Power with support from Laborde Products, giving the rebuilt vessel renewed strength and…