Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding of Somerset, Mass., modified its proven Chesapeake-class hull to withstand winter in upstate New York. The 53.5-foot vessel, built with plans from Ray Hunt Design, has thicker bottom plating to operate in ice conditions and a heated deck, rails and boarding platform.
The 1,300-hp Seaway Pilot V replaces the pilots’ smaller, lighter Seaway Pilot IV, which now occupies a reserve role. Capt. John Boyce, president of the Seaway Pilots, said the new vessel is heavier and more capable in inclement weather. Those traits came in handy during the delivery voyage to Cape Vincent, N.Y.
“It rode very well once we got to Lake Ontario,” Boyce said of the trip, which included a multiday journey up the Hudson River and the Erie Canal into the lake at Oswego, N.Y. “We had 8-foot seas, and we were able to do 25 knots comfortably.”
The leg from Gladding-Hearn to the Hudson was equally impressive. “We had 3-foot swells and 2-foot seas, and it went through those like nothing,” he said. “That whole time between Somerset and the canal, we didn’t get any spray of water on deck … which is pretty impressive.”
There are three pilotage districts spanning the Great Lakes. The easternmost is District 1 — served by the Seaway Pilots — running from St. Regis, N.Y., on the St. Lawrence to Port Weller on Lake Ontario, the northern terminus of the Welland Canal. The group’s 18 pilots assist about 1,500 ships in the Seaway each year. Given the length of Seaway transits, most ships change pilots at Cape Vincent.
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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.
