Tugboats and towing – Page 8 – Professional Mariner

20 Feb

Tidewater appoints Chris Mack as VP of marine operations

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry NewsTugboats and towing

(VANCOUVER, Wash.) — Tidewater has appointed Chris Mack as the company's new vice president of marine operations. With an extensive background in maritime transportation and operations, Mack brings over two decades of industry experience to the Tidewater team. Mack earned his bachelor's degree in maritime transportation from the California State University Maritime Academy and received his master's degree in marine…

18 Feb

Crew rescued after tugboat catches fire on Delaware River

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

(PHILADELPHIA) — The U.S. Coast Guard and partner agencies responded to a tugboat fire Tuesday near Pea Patch Island on the Delaware River. All four crewmembers on board were safely evacuated from the vessel by good Samaritans. The fire has been extinguished and the vessel was placed under tow. The Coast Guard did not identify the tugboat by name. Coast…

10 Feb

Incorrect air draft estimate led to crane hitting Mackinac Bridge

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

(WASHINGTON) — A captain and barge company managers not identifying that the crane they were towing was too high to pass under the Mackinac Bridge near Mackinaw City, Mich., led to the crane hitting the bridge, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Monday. On May 7, 2023, the towing vessel Nickelena was transiting the Straits of Mackinac, towing a…

05 Feb

NTSB: Ships’ wakes led to barge strike in New Orleans lock

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — Surging water from the Mississippi River led to a 2023 barge strike on a gate at Algiers Lock in New Orleans, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday. The Algiers Lock connects the Mississippi River to a network of inland waterways. On July 4, 2023, the towing vessel Kitty was pushing two loaded tank barges into the…

08 Jan

Bulker freed two weeks after grounding in St. Lawrence River

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, shipping, Tugboats and towing

(SOREL-TRACY, Quebec) — A Cyprus-flagged bulk carrier that had been stuck in the St. Lawrence River northeast of Montreal since Christmas Eve was refloated on Tuesday, CBC News reported. The Canadian Coast Guard said M/V Maccoa was being escorted by tugboats to Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. The Coast Guard announced earlier in the day that a second attempt to refloat the ship…

03 Jan

Safety alert: Failure of pilothouse alerter systems

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

(WASHINGTON) — A towing vessel was pushing a barge loaded with aggregate when it struck a bulk liquid transfer terminal pier on the Columbia River. The U.S. Coast Guard’s marine casualty investigation determined that the operator fell asleep at the helm, resulting in more than $1.5 million in property damage to the barge, handling equipment and the facility. The incident…

02 Jan

Towboat sinks, five rescued after collision with bulker on Lower Mississippi

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

(NEW ORLEANS) — The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating a collision between a bulk carrier and a towboat Sunday night that resulted in five mariners being rescued from the Mississippi River near Luling, La., NOLA.com reported. The towboat, the 87-foot Patrick J. Studdert, sank after the collision with the bulker Clara B., according to Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class…

22 Nov

Parted wire forces crew to release barges, causing dock strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On January 29, about 1230 local time, the towing vessel Nell Womack was pushing hopper barges ACL23401 and ACBL2549 upbound on the Lower Mississippi River when one of two facing wires connecting the towing vessel to barge ACL23401 parted. When it became unsafe for the towing vessel to remain attached by one facing wire, the crew released the…

21 Nov

NTSB: Mate misjudged approach to unlit pier before allision

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On July 8, 2023, at 2326, the towing vessel Danny Terral was pushing six loaded barges on the Calcasieu River in Louisiana when the starboard lead barge contacted a pier while docking at the Port of Lake Charles. Damage to the pier was estimated to be about $1 million. The tow remained intact, and there was no reported…

20 Nov

Shaver names new VP of sales for ship assist division

Professional Mariner StaffIndustry NewsTugboats and towing

(PORTLAND, Ore.) — Peter Karneus, vice president of sales for the ship assist division at Shaver Transportation, is retiring effective January 2025. He will be succeeded by Bo McCall. For 27 years, Karneus has been instrumental in ship assist sales, including building a new sales team, growing customer relationships, and navigating the changes in the tug and barge industry in…