With the tug’s full vision wheelhouse, Farish had visibility all around him. Looking forward, he could see one deckhand readying lines on the port bow, and he could turn to spot the other clearing the remaining snow and ice off the spacious aft deck. Through the sky windows, an indispensable feature when docking and undocking ships, a crane and the top of the cliff beyond were visible.
The tug broke through ice near the dock while awaiting assist instructions from the bulk carrier Lake Erie. Radar and AIS displays showed the ship less than a mile off, invisible until first a gray shape appeared, followed a few seconds later by the ship’s navigation lights. Two days earlier, the first ice of the season had formed on the narrow end of the bay west of the Ontario port near the town of Picton. East of the terminals and toward Lake Ontario, ice had only formed overnight and was not yet covered by snow. Deck hands John “Sparky” Van Koughnett and Mike Lees had cleared all of the snow and ice from the tug’s open workspace and readied the lines.
“Lake Erie, Sheri Lynn S. What is your intention?” radioed Farish, and a few seconds later came the response, “Sheri Lynn, we’re going starboard side to.”
Sheri Lynn S., a Damen 1606 Stan ICE-class tug, has worked the northeast corner of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River as far downstream as Montreal since being delivered in November 2017. The Canadaflagged tug, owned and operated by H.R. Doornekamp Construction Ltd., was built at a shipyard in Hunan, China. That Damen yard, one of 36 around the world, is located more than 700 miles from the sea on the Yuan River, a tributary of the Yangtze. The Stan designation refers to standard designs of different sizes ranging from the tiny 1004 (35 feet long) to the massive 4013 (133.6 feet long).
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Mariner's role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Mariners’ role still unknown as autonomous shipping gains speed
Piracy edges closer to home with wave of raids in southern Gulf
In the brief cellphone video recorded by a crewmember on the offshore supply vessel (OSV) Remas, the pirates walk back and forth on the deck of the ship, clenching their guns and using them to point as they order around the crew. Their faces are draped in clothing and bandanas.
Casualties
NTSB: Dredge hit Texas gas pipeline, causing fire that killed four
IMO emissions report raises new concerns about methane slip
A recent report from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reveals that global shipping emissions increased nearly 10 percent from 2012 to 2018, with the industry facing a growing challenge concerning methane slip.
Bay State brothers find industry niche by making old into new
Zero non-conformities is what you want to hear when the U.S. Coast Guard inspects your tugboat. Once you’ve prepared your vessel, the inspectors come aboard to peruse your paperwork. They ask you pointed questions, to which they expect straightforward answers. Perusal completed, they then scrutinize all of the related safety systems, from bilge to antennas — even the ship’s bell.
Signals
A year into the pandemic, thousands ‘essentially indentured’ on ships
Analysis points to faulty loading, low ballast in Golden Ray rollover
While the salvage of the sunken vehicle carrier Golden Ray has been delayed for months due to COVID-19 and the hurricane season, analysis by the U.S. Coast Guard has determined a possible cause for the rollover: a combination of vehicles placed too high on the ship’s decks, and not enough ballast water gave the placement of the cargo.
Seastreak newcomer pushing through dip in demand
Two years ago, Seastreak LLC took delivery of Seastreak Commodore, a 600-passenger fast ferry, from Gulf Craft of Franklin, La. Designed by Australia-based Incat Crowther, the vessel is the largest of its kind in the United States and was built to meet the burgeoning demand for service in the New York-New Jersey market.
New year in a new world: Navigating COVID's maritime realities
In a matter of days, the decorative time balls will drop, “Auld Lang Syne” will fill the air, and ships at anchor will sound their horns as the world welcomes in the new year.
Advanced props, rudders provide new efficiencies below the waterline
It took a decade or two from the invention of the marine propeller in the 19th century for the technology to become widely accepted. Thereafter, adoption has been nearly universal, but progress toward improved efficiencies has come in fits and starts.
