Hours of three locks on Upper Mississippi to be reduced The Army Corps of Engineers plans to reduce the hours of operation of three Mississippi River locks in Minneapolis, Minn. — Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls, and Lock and Dam 1. The three locks currently operate 19 hours per day, seven days a week during the navigation season. That level of service follows the Corps’ guidance within the Inland Marine Transportation System (IMTS). Section 2010 of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 directs the Army secretary to close the Upper St. Anthony Falls lock and dam no later than one year after enactment of WRRDA. With the expected closing of the Upper St. Anthony Falls lock, it’s anticipated the remaining two locks will have fewer than…
Named for the first American woman launched into space aboard the space shuttle Challenger, the Research Vessel SALLY RIDE was commissioned the 9th of August at Dakota Creek Industries (Anacortes, Washington). SALLY RIDE is a US Navy Office of Naval Research sponsored Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research Vessel (AGOR-28). The vessel’s advanced deck machinery will be operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography personnel during extended scientific missions upon the seven seas. Missions to explore and study the hostile ocean environment implore low maintenance deck machinery designs for rugged durability. The SALLY RIDE is outfitted with two Electric Hydrographic Winches, an Electric Anchor Windlass, and a Trawl/Tow Traction Winch System, all of Markey Machinery Company’s, Inc. (Seattle, Washington) design. The hydrographic winches are Markey’s new high performance type CAST-6-125 with active heave…
Capt. Rich Naruszewicz, at the helm of Capt. Log, issues his radio sécurité call while crossing New York Harbor. “Vessel Traffic, Capt. Log, coming out of Buttermilk Channel, entering Erie Basin.” Moments later, that’s followed by, “Vessel Traffic, Capt. Log, we are inbound The Cut.” That radio transmission is music to the ears of vessel operators along the Brooklyn, N.Y., waterfront. It means the 63-foot vessel is arriving to deliver fuel to their fleet. Capt. Log, built in 1979, is one of the last single-hull harbor tankers still operating in New York Harbor. Capt. Rich Naruszewicz is master of the vessel for American Petroleum & Transport Inc. With a 20,000-gallon capacity, the 35-year-old Capt. Log still departs its dock along the West Side of Manhattan in the wee hours each…
(EMERYVILLE, Calif.) — Documents and accident data reviewed by The Center for Investigative Reporting reveal lapses in judgment and missed opportunities by the Coast Guard to strengthen safety standards and protect crewmembers and civilians, the nonprofit CIR reported. Between 2000 and 2013, the Coast Guard witnessed sharp increases in accidents causing death, injury and equipment damage. Former Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Robert Papp, who retired in May, said the increase came during a change in missions since 9/11 for the Coast Guard, which the public mainly has seen as search-and-rescuers. Click here to read the story.
Crewmember injured during a drill A crewmember aboard the containership Caroline Maersk was medevaced June 21 after sustaining an injury during a drill. The U.S. Coast Guard was contacted June 20 when the ship was about 340 miles southwest of San Diego. The 1,138-foot Caroline Maersk changed course and proceeded toward San Diego to reduce the distance for rescue personnel. The ship was met five miles off the coast by a 45-foot Response Boat. According to the Coast Guard, the 52-year-old Filipino crewmember severely injured his hand and was transported to San Diego for medical care. Caroline Maersk is registered in Denmark and is owned by Maersk Line. The vessel was built in 2000. Three bodies recovered after Cal-Sag Channel collision A towboat and a recreational vessel collided in…
As I write this there are 64 commercial mariners facing the same hell that Capt. Richard Phillips survived during the Maersk Alabama incident in 2009 — being held hostage by Somali pirates. In the past year there have been nearly 250 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against commercial vessels reported worldwide. Every day merchant mariners face dangers at sea, both natural and man-made — but few today threaten the security of the ship and the lives of the crew more than maritime piracy and terrorism. After 9/11, the realization that thousands of ships and boats were at risk helped prompt passage of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. One of the first changes mandated for mariners was a requirement that one crewmember on applicable U.S.-flag vessels be in…
The U.S. Coast Guard does not develop enough qualified people to investigate maritime accidents, resulting in a backlog of 6,000 open cases awaiting action, according to a federal audit. The report by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said inadequate policies and career development ultimately mean that the maritime industry waits too long to receive casualty analysis and safety lessons. In May, DHS’s Office of Inspector General issued an 18-page audit on the Coast Guard accident investigations function. The review included visits to about 12 of the busiest Coast Guard marine casualty investigations offices plus other sites. Auditors reviewed whether personnel meet the Coast Guard’s own qualification standards. About two-thirds of the inspectors and investigators didn’t meet the standards. The Coast Guard reported that the shortage will be exacerbated when…
The following is the text of a news release from the American Waterways Operators: (NEW YORK) — During an address today in New York City at the TradeWinds 2013 Jones Act Shipping Forum, American Maritime Partnership Chairman and American Waterways Operators President & CEO Tom Allegretti hailed the nation’s domestic maritime industry as a crucial element of America’s economic, national and homeland security, calling the Jones Act, which serves as the industry’s foundation, both a commercial and a public policy success. In his remarks, Mr. Allegretti highlighted the thriving industry’s role in the nation’s economy. “The American maritime industry is a thriving economic engine and a jobs creator. Companies have made, and are making today, multi-billion dollar investments in vessels, in shoreside facilities, and in technology to meet the needs…
The first half of 2013 was eventful in the life of Brian Buckley McAllister. First it was announced that Buckley, the son of Capt. Brian McAllister and a fifth-generation member of the famous New York tugboat family, was promoted to president of McAllister Towing and Transportation Co. (MT&T), a position his father held since 1984. The elder McAllister remains as chairman of the company founded in 1864 as the Greenpoint Lighterage Co. by Capt. James McAllister. Then, in May, Buckley was elected chairman of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association representing the tugboat, towboat and barge industry. If addresses mean anything in the tugboat world, then McAllister’s 17 Battery Place location, with New York harbor beckoning out of the 12th-story windows, is a great one. The halls…
Click here to view the U.S. Coast Guard's press release and several photos of the harbor tugs in action.
