Tugboats and towing – Page 5 – Professional Mariner

30 Jun

Cracked exhaust muffler cited in fire that destroyed towboat

Rich MillerCasualty NewsTugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Cracks in a muffler and the substantial use of combustible materials in accommodation spaces led to a fire aboard a towing vessel last year on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near Freeport, Texas, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday. On June 25, 2022, the four-person crew aboard the towing vessel Mary Dupre departed Port Comfort, Texas, for…

28 Jun

NMC issues changes to requirements for designated examiner

Rich MillerLicensing & Trainingbrownwater, Tugboats and towing

(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — This bulletin from the National Maritime Center (NMC) provides clarifications for meeting the regulatory requirements for certification as a designated examiner, which will be implemented immediately. The guidance in NVIC 03-16, "Guidelines for Credentialing Officers of Towing Vessels," will be updated in the near future. 1. Experience, training or instruction in assessment techniques on towing vessels (46…

23 Jun

Port of New Orleans elects Joseph Toomy as chairman

Rich MillerIndustry Newsbrownwater, Ports, shipping, Tugboats and towing

(NEW ORLEANS) — The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) has selected new officers, naming Joseph Toomy to serve as board chairman, Walter Leger Jr. as vice chairman, and James Carter Jr. as secretary-treasurer for the nine-month term. With the alignment of the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, port…

20 Jun

Army Corps launches Lower Miss. management study

Rich MillerMaritime News, Uncategorizedbrownwater, Tugboats and towing

(NEW ORLEANS) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, has launched the Lower Mississippi River Comprehensive Management Study, a five-year, $25 million study that will deliver recommendations for effective and practical management of the Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau, Mo., to the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of the study is to identify recommendations for the comprehensive…

13 Jun

Barge leaks nearly 3,500 gallons of oil into Lower Miss.

Rich MillerCasualty Newsbrownwater, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(NEW ORLEANS) — The U.S. Coast Guard continued to respond Monday to a discharge of oil from a barge on the Lower Mississippi River near Natchez, Miss. Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River received notification at approximately 10 p.m. on Saturday from Kirby Inland Marine reporting a discharge from one of its barges being transported by the towing vessel Leviticus…

15 May

Safety alert: Dangers of avoiding load line requirements

Rich MillerMaritime Newscasualty news, safety, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — A recent marine casualty resulting in the total loss of a crane barge, estimated at over $6 million, is a stark warning of the risks involved with failing to adhere to load line regulations. The incident occurred approximately 18 miles offshore of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico while the crane barge was being towed in calm weather…

15 May

Pushboat crew rescues two boaters near Brazos Locks

Rich MillerMaritime Newsbrownwater, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(HOUSTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard and a pushboat crew rescued two boaters whose vessel capsized near Freeport, Texas, on Friday. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watch standers received a report at 1:10 p.m. via VHF-FM Channel 16 that two men were in the water near the west gate of the Brazos Locks on the Brazos River after their 16-to-20-foot pleasure…

21 Apr

Boater injured after yacht, towing vessel collide in Mississippi

Rich MillerCasualty NewsTugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(NEW ORLEANS) — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three boaters Wednesday after a vessel collision near Bay St. Louis, Miss. Coast Guard Sector Mobile watch standers received a report Wednesday of a 53-foot yacht and a towing vessel with two barges that were involved in a collision. Sector Mobile watch standers coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Station Gulfport…

19 Apr

Caterpillar, Svitzer sign MOU for dual-fuel methanol engines

Rich MillerIndustry NewsClimate change, propulsion, Tugboats and towing

(HOUSTON) — Caterpillar Marine and Svitzer, a leading global marine operations and towage operator, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to adopt solutions that enable Svitzer to utilize methanol in its fleet. The implementation of dual-fuel methanol engines focuses on new tugboats as well as conversions of existing Cat-powered tugs, which comprise the majority of Svitzer's fleet. With a…

07 Apr

Safety alert: Improper use of onboard heating cables

Rich MillerMaritime Newsbrownwater, Safety alert, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard recently investigated a fire on board an inspected towing vessel that resulted in the vessel suffering a loss of propulsion. The source of the fire was determined to be heat cables (also referred to as heat tracing cable or heat tape), which were improperly installed to prevent condensate from forming and freezing within hoses…