CATEGORIES

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.

Inside the Boys Club

A sexual misconduct scandal at Ubisoft, the hitmaker behind Assassin’s Creed, has disrupted its inner circle and incited calls for more drastic measures

NEW AND IMPROVED AND A REGULATORY GAMBLE

JUUL HAD A FAULTY PRODUCT IT WAS PROHIBITED FROM MAKING BETTER. IT DID IT ANYWAY. WILL THE WORLD’S BIGGEST E-CIGARETTE MAKER PAY A PRICE?

SUPERCARS ARE DROPPING LIKE SNEAKERS

With limited special releases, luxury automakers are increasing excitement and competition for their offerings—and raising margins.

Harley-Davidson Gets An Unlikely Rider

The motorcycle icon tapped a German environmentalist to stem its U.S. slide

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM FOR SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Ben & Jerry’s recipe for corporate activism

CRACKUP IN WEST TEXAS

IF PRICES DON’T RECOVER BOTH DRAMATICALLY AND QUICKLY, THE ERA OF SHALE OIL MIGHT COME TO A SHUDDERING END

Breakthrough Technologies For Surviving a Hack

How a big manufacturer beat ransomware attackers without paying the ransom

Beware, Fiscal Cliff Ahead

Economists say at least $1 trillion is needed to sustain a recovery that is faltering

Investors Can't Stop Dancing

The bull is calling the tune, but prices are high and some pros are getting anxious about what will happen when the music stops

Awkward!

Banks profited from volatile stock and bond trading as the pandemic roiled the markets

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.

SIGNS of the SEASON

Citrus an Essential Industry in Florida

FLORIDA ROOTS

Steven Callaham Wins 2020 Citrus Achievement Award

Agri UPDATE

UF Professor Earns Award From UF/IFAS Extension Peers