Tugboats and towing – Page 7 – Professional Mariner

23 May

Chem Carriers finalizes fleetwide shift to Mitsubishi engines

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry Newsshipbuilding, Tugboats and towing

(SUNSHINE, La.) — Chem Carriers has completed the repower of the towboat Capt. Robert J. Banta, marking the final vessel in its current fleet to be powered by Mitsubishi engines supplied by Laborde Products. The twin-screw towboat is now running on twin Mitsubishi Tier 3 S12R-Y3MPTAW engines, each delivering 1,260 horsepower at 1,600 rpm. Originally built in 2015 by Main…

07 May

Schottel providing drives for dual-fuel methanol tugs in BC

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry NewsMethanol, propulsion, Tugboats and towing

(SPAY, Germany) — Schottel is equipping the world's first large purpose-built dual-fuel methanol escort tugs, based on the Robert Allan Ltd. RASalvor 4400-DFM design for towage company KOTUG Canada, with rudder propellers featuring the mechanical hybrid solution SYDRIVE-M. The tugs – to be named SD Aisemaht and SD Qwiy Aanitsa Sarah – are currently in the final stages of construction…

05 May

Tanker collision causes barge breakaway on Lower Mississippi

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

(NEW ORLEANS) — The U.S. Coast Guard responded to a vessel collision that resulted in a barge breakaway and one sunken barge on the Lower Mississippi River near New Orleans on April 29. Watch standers at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report at approximately 9:20 p.m. that the Panamanian-flagged tanker Isla de Bioko and the U.S.-flagged towboat Ginny…

05 May

NTSB cites exposed ducting in engine room fire on towboat

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — A catastrophic engine failure led to a fire aboard a towing vessel on the Tennessee River last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. An engine room fire broke out on Jan. 30, 2024, aboard the towing vessel Johnny M, which was pushing four barges on the Tennessee River near Grand Rivers, Ky. The six crewmembers…

24 Apr

Outdraft current at McAlpine Locks cited in tow strike, breakaway

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — A barge tow struck a vane dike on the Ohio River last year because the pilot did not effectively compensate for the outdraft current while navigating out of the McAlpine Locks in Louisville, Ky., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday. The towing vessel Amber Brittany was transiting the Ohio River on March 8, 2024, pushing 15…

16 Apr

Overheating DEF dosing modules draw Coast Guard concern

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

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard issues findings of concern to disseminate information related to unsafe conditions that were identified as causal factors in a casualty and could contribute to future incidents. Findings of concern are intended to educate the public, state or local agencies about the conditions discovered so they may address the findings with an appropriate voluntary action…

26 Mar

Mate didn’t realize extent of crane’s reach before mast strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — The mast of a crane barge hit a North Charleston Terminal ship-to-shore crane while the ship-to-shore crane was conducting cargo operations in North Charleston, S.C., last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday. The contact resulted in over $4.5 million in damage to the ship-to-shore crane. The towing vessel Royal Engineer was transiting the Cooper River…

10 Mar

Safety alert: Recalled defective mechanical heat detectors

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

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard recently investigated an engine room fire on an inspected towing vessel which led to the discovery of issues with the maintenance and installation of fire detection systems on multiple towing vessels. During the investigation, several towing vessels were discovered to have defective heat detectors installed in their engine rooms. These detectors had been recalled…

05 Mar

Degraded dock collapses in Louisiana after barge strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — About 150 feet of a degraded dock in Chalmette, La., collapsed into the Lower Mississippi River in 2023 after a barge contact, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. The towing vessel Ovide J was maneuvering two loaded crude oil barges to the Chalmette Refinery crude oil dock on April 25, 2023, when the starboard barge struck…

04 Mar

SS United States, slated to become reef, arrives in Alabama

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsSalvage, Tugboats and towing

(MOBILE, Ala.) — SS United States arrived in Mobile on Monday after an 1,800-mile tow from its berth in Philadelphia. The iconic national symbol and last surviving American ocean liner will now undergo preparations for deployment as the world’s largest artificial reef off Florida’s Gulf Coast near Destin-Fort Walton Beach. In the spirit of its record-breaking history, "America’s flagship" concluded…