15 Dec

December 2021 Brownwater News

Professional Mariner StaffBrownwater Newsletter
Saying goodbye to Brownwater News  Professional Mariner is updating its newsletter format starting in the new year. Instead of three themed newsletters a month, we will publish one newsletter each week containing a roundup of the most compelling news from the past week.    In other words, the monthly Brownwater newsletter is going away. So are the focused Casualty and Shipbuilding newsletters. But the…
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18 Nov

November 2021 Brownwater News

Professional Mariner StaffBrownwater Newsletter
Ohio man charged after pipe bombs found on towboats Authorities have charged an Ohio man with possession of unregistered destructive devices after pipe bombs were found aboard towboats operating on the Ohio River. The suspect in the case, Nathaniel Becker, 42, lived in Marietta, a small city along the river. He is accused of building pipe bombs found on towboats…
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25 Oct

Brownwater News October 2021

Professional Mariner StaffBrownwater Newsletter
Mississippi River pilots face scrutiny over fees  Lower Mississippi River pilots faced scrutiny this spring from Louisiana lawmakers and industry groups targeting their salaries, fees and hiring practices.    The three primary pilot associations ultimately beat back new oversight and regulation, but the campaign placed fresh emphasis on the groups’ perceived insularity and lack of diversity.   Click here for more details on the effort, including the…
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20 Sep

Brownwater News September 2021

Professional Mariner StaffBrownwater Newsletter
Report identifies carbon reduction strategies on inland waterways A new report published by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Vanderbilt University explores different options for cutting carbon emissions on inland waterways. The report considers alternative fuels and propulsion systems, including electrification, as leading strategies to “decarbonize” the industry. “We are proud to be at the forefront of decarbonization efforts…
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23 Aug

Brownwater News August 2021

Professional Mariner StaffBrownwater, Brownwater Newsletter
One dead after Texas tour boat capsizes during storm  One person died and another was injured after a tour boat capsized during a thunderstorm on Lake Conroe near Houston, Texas. The 60-passenger double-decker Lake Conroe Queen rolled over at about 2015 on Aug. 14, according to a CNN report. The deceased passenger was an 80-year-old man, while a second person was hospitalized in stable condition. The sternwheeler was built…
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15 Jul

Brownwater News July, 2021

Professional Mariner StaffBrownwater, Brownwater Newsletter
U.S.-flagged cruise ship aground in Lake Barkley Salvage efforts are ongoing to free a cruise ship that ran aground in Lake Barkley, within the Cumberland River, near the Kentucky town of Cadiz. Donjon-SMIT is leading the effort to refloat American Jazz, which became stuck on July 7 while cruising between Memphis and Nashville with 120 passengers. American Cruise Lines, the ship’s operator, said the…
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17 Jun

Brownwater News June 2021

Professional Mariner StaffBrownwater, Brownwater Newsletter
AWO elects Illinois Marine Towing’s Del Wilkins as chairman Membership of the American Waterways Operators (AWO) has selected Del Wilkins as its new chairman. Wilkins, the president of Illinois Marine Towing, was among a slate of new leaders elected to lead the national association focused on the tugboat, towboat and barge industries. AWO members elected Clark Todd, president and CEO of Blessey Marine Services, as vice chairman while Brian…
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20 May

Brownwater News May 2021

Professional Mariner StaffBrownwater Newsletter
Bridge fracture delays more than 1,000 barges on Lower Mississippi A fractured beam on a highway bridge spanning the Mississippi River at Memphis, Tenn., caused a three-day closure of the waterway that delayed towboats handling more than 1,000 barges. The Arkansas Department of Transportation discovered the crack on the Interstate 40 bridge connecting Memphis and Arkansas during a routine inspection…
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15 Apr

Brownwater News April 2021

Professional Mariner StaffBrownwater, Brownwater Newsletter
Engineers give inland waterways infrastructure grade of D+ Shipping delays caused by deteriorating infrastructure on the nation’s inland waterways cost up to $739 per hour for an average tow, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), which gave the system of locks, dams and navigation channels a grade of D+ in the group’s 2021 report card. In its…
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18 Mar

Brownwater News March 2021

Professional Mariner StaffBrownwater, Brownwater Newsletter, Newsletter
AWO offers assistance for mariner vaccinations The American Waterways Operators (AWO) is making a letter available to its members to assist eligible mariners and other essential industry employees when they visit COVID-19 vaccination centers across the country. The letter verifies that the employees meet Phase I eligibility guidelines developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Although each…
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