CATEGORIES

Pandemic clouds job outlook for new maritime academy grads

A degree from a maritime academy usually spares one from the pain of checking job websites throughout a day, hoping a suitable position has popped up since they last hit refresh.

Ship's turn off dock, not upriver first, cited in Louisiana bridge strike

Dank Silver loaded clean product at a refinery near Donaldsonville, La., and prepared to sail down the Lower Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. Getting there meant coming off the dock and spinning 180 degrees in the swollen, fast-moving current.

GAO: Too soon to assess Coast Guard oversight changes after El Faro

In the wake of the El Faro disaster, a federal review of a U.S. Coast Guard initiative to ensure that domestic vessels meet safety management system (SMS) standards found that it is too early to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts.

Correspondence

Why do containership stacks collapse, and who is liable when they do?

Cordage innovations continue to stretch capability, durability

Cordage, mainly towing and mooring lines, is being required to do more in a new maritime age as cargo vessels get larger and tugboats get more powerful. In response, manufacturers have continued to innovate.

Coast Guard warns that inaccurate vessel data can undermine AIS

A spring collision on the Mississippi River that resulted in several fatalities has spurred the U.S. Coast Guard to ramp up efforts to get two points across about automatic identification systems: that it’s unsafe to rely solely on the communication tool to know what vessels are nearby, and that improper entry of AIS data can even be deadly.

Bulkers hit nearly head-on in Welland Canal accident that goes viral

Two bulk carriers preparing to meet in Ontario’s Welland Canal collided nearly head-on after one ship crossed into the other’s path.

Casualties

Bulk carrier damages pier at Soo Locks after losing propulsion

At Work Another day in paradise for agile island tug

Capt. Curtis Iaukea steered Tiger 21 toward Hono-lulu Harbor on a postcard-perfect Hawaii afternoon. The job awaiting them was straightforward: shifting a Sause Bros. barge a few hundred yards from one berth to another.

Apprentice steersman being trained when tow hit moored barges

A towboat pushing six barges down the Lower Mississippi River struck moored barges at a shipyard near Sunshine, La., causing 11 empty shipyard barges to break free. An apprentice steersman had turned over the helm just before impact.

Vinik answers call, clears hurdles with seasoned offshore fleet

Daunting is a good word to describe the process of getting some older tugboats into compliance with Subchapter M, said Capt. Mike Vinik, a 2003 SUNY Maritime graduate and owner of Vinik Marine, a New Jersey-based towing company founded in 2005. He then brought up the case of his largest current tugboat, Vinik No. 6, which is 50 years old.

With ridership down 90 percent, US ferries endure pandemic pause

Most U.S. ferry operators saw ridership declines of more than 90 percent during certain weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Passenger Vessel Association. Going into the summer months, ferry systems from coast to coast are retaining as many crewmembers as they can while waiting for passengers to return.

Towing: Pandemic leads to remote inspections, extensions for Subchapter M

There were numerous obstacles during the decade-long period in which Subchapter M, the new regulatory framework for the towing industry, was created. Now, in the second year of the rollout, there is another challenge: COVID-19.

Strong outdraft ‘overwhelmed' pilot before tow hit dam, NTSB says

Mary Lucy Lane looked out of shape as its 12-barge tow neared Markland Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Warsaw, Ky. A challenging crosscurrent from the dam sucked the downbound vessels farther out of position during their final approach.

Signals: Civilian mariners barred from leaving MSC ships during pandemic

While the world embraced social distancing and self-isolating amid the spread of the coronavirus, the Military Sealift Command (MSC) required thousands of civilian mariners, or “civmars,” to stay on U.S. Navy ships, sharing tight quarters and cramped workspaces.

Marine radio tech gets friendlier, more capable in cellular age

For more than a century, marine radio has been a boon to all who work on the water, providing first for improved safety and, over time, becoming an indispensable operational tool. In recent years, it may not have experienced the “mobile revolution” that smartphones have brought to life ashore, but it has acquired many new capabilities.

High court's safe-berth ruling favors shipowner over charterer

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that charterer Citgo is liable, not the shipowner, for the cost of cleaning up the 15-year-old Athos I oil spill in the Delaware River, deciding that the safe-berth clause in the charter contract should be interpreted as a safety warranty.

Explosion injures crewman, leaves boxship adrift in North Atlantic

One crewman was injured during a “severe” engine failure aboard a Danish containership that left the vessel adrift in the North Atlantic.

Correspondence: Pandemic shuffles deck, but marine exchange keeps San Pedro safe

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, all of the terminals in San Pedro, Calif., remain open, but ship traffic has decreased and the amount of cargo transiting both ports — Los Angeles and Long Beach — declined significantly through the first four months of the year. The anchorages in the San Pedro roadstead were full of cruise ships going nowhere, loaded car carriers with no place to offload, and tankers with full loads but no buyers.

Casualties: NTSB: Failure to heed storm warning doomed Stretch Duck 7

Stretch Duck 7 entered Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo., on a warm summer evening with 31 people on board. Barely 10 minutes later, a powerful storm front passed, generating 70-mph winds and 3-foot waves on the previously flat lake.

Newly christened Centerline moves forward in post-Harley era

Towing

NTSB: Hull leaks reported but ‘not resolved' before towboat sinking

Tom Bussler was upbound on the Tennessee River when the captain noticed the bow riding low in the water. He steered toward the riverbank but didn’t get there before the 58-foot towboat sank.

Wind ships ahead: Technology pulling more power from sails

Correspondence

Shipping proposes $5 billion research program to cut CO2 output

Maritime shipping transports 90 percent of the goods traded globally and is responsible for about 2 percent of the world’s human-produced CO2 emissions, according to the International Maritime Organization. That percentage could rise to 20 percent by 2050 if no action is taken.

NMC announces testing changes, eliminates walk-in exams

Beginning April 6, Regional Examination Centers across the U.S. will have two exam periods daily: a 3.5-hour morning session and a 3.5-hour afternoon session separated by at least a half-hour break

Latest training melds new technology, proven tactics in fight against fire

Seemingly out of nowhere, word spread of a fire in the galley and a missing crew member. A firefighting team wearing turnout gear and self-contained breathing apparatus mobilized quickly and stepped into the dark, smoky space.

High water in Vicksburg: Another bridge strike, another breakaway

Pilot error was the primary cause of a bridge strike in Vicksburg, Miss., during high water in February 2019 that caused 30-grain barges to break away, according to federal investigators.

Coronavirus masks effects of IMO's low-sulfur fuel mandate

In addition to the 0.5 percent sulfur cap for fuel burned by vessels under IMO 2020, they also can no longer carry high sulfur fuel on board if they are not outfitted with scrubbers.

Coronavirus takes toll on port cargoes, global supply chains

While there are no reported cases of cargo ship crews bringing coronavirus to U.S. ports, the same is not true for cruise ships. Grand Princess, shown arriving in the Port of Oakland on March 9, had 19 confirmed cases among 1,100 crew. Two passengers also were infected. The ship idled for days off the coast as officials set up quarantine procedures.

After fatal fall, pilots urge new scrutiny of ladder arrangements

A fatal accident in December in New York Harbor underscores the safety risks maritime pilots face when boarding vessels.