NTSB: Caution area not identified before train hit barge on riverbank

NTSB: Caution area not identified before train hit barge on riverbank

(WASHINGTON) — The National Transportation Board (NTSB) said Thursday that the pilot of a Mississippi River towing vessel and its captain pushed their tow up against a riverbank too close to a railroad track, leading to a collision and train derailment near Galland, Iowa. Marine Investigation Report 22/22 details the NTSB’s investigation into the Nov. 13, 2021, collision between the…
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AMP congratulates 2022 maritime academy graduates

AMP congratulates 2022 maritime academy graduates

(WASHINGTON) — The American Maritime Partnership (AMP) congratulates the nearly 1,400 graduates from the seven U.S. maritime academies in 2022. AMP applauds the graduates for their dedication and commitment to pursuing a career that supports the United States in times of both peace and war and is proud to welcome a new generation to this vital workforce. “As a seafaring…
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Towboat grounds in Okeechobee Waterway, breaches hull

Towboat grounds in Okeechobee Waterway, breaches hull

(MIAMI) — U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Lake Worth and salvage company crews responded to a marine casualty Friday near Clewiston, Fla. The captain of a 46-foot towing vessel notified Coast Guard Sector Miami watch standers at approximately 8:30 p.m. Friday that the vessel, Catherine, and deck barge Mobro 130 ran aground. The towboat sustained a hull breach, resulting…
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MarAd designates new Marine Highways in NC, Alaska, Puerto Rico

MarAd designates new Marine Highways in NC, Alaska, Puerto Rico

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MarAd) has announced the immediate designation of four new Marine Highway projects — in North Carolina, Alaska and Puerto Rico — as part of the America’s Marine Highway Program (AMHP). A Marine Highway project is a planned service, or expansion of an existing service, on a designated Marine Highway route. Since…
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Overpressurization of fuel tank, engineer fatigue cited in towboat fire

Overpressurization of fuel tank, engineer fatigue cited in towboat fire

(WASHINGTON) — An engine room fire aboard a towing vessel was caused by overpressurization of the fuel day tank and a main engine fuel return system when a fatigued chief engineer inadvertently left the day tank overflow valves to the storage tanks closed, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in Marine Investigation Report 22/17, released Wednesday. On May 18,…
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World’s first hydrogen-powered pushboat christened

World’s first hydrogen-powered pushboat christened

(BERLIN) — In Berlin's Westhafen, Mayor Franziska Giffey christened the pushboat Elektra. After almost two years of construction at shipyard Hermann Barthel GmbH in Derben and the transfer to the Westhafen in Berlin, the long-term testing of this unique, innovative and emission-free vessel begins. “(Elektra) is the world's first pushboat in which battery-electric propulsion is combined with hydrogen and fuel…
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Study warns of global challenges for US waterways

Study warns of global challenges for US waterways

(WASHINGTON) —  The National Waterways Foundation (NWF) has released a study, "Waterborne Competitiveness: U.S. and Foreign Investments in Inland Waterways," that focuses on the current state of the U.S. inland waterways system and compares it to others from around the world. The study, commissioned by NWF, was conducted by the Eno Center for Transportation. The study uses case studies of…
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AWO elects Blessey Marine’s Clark Todd as chairman

AWO elects Blessey Marine’s Clark Todd as chairman

(ARLINGTON, Va.) — The members of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national tugboat, towboat and barge industry association, elected a new slate of leaders last week during the association's spring board of directors/annual membership meeting. Clark Todd, president and chief operating officer of Blessey Marine Services, was elected chairman; Rick Iuliucci, vice president of Vane Brothers, was elected vice…
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