Marine Log March 2021

ARINE OG M L www.marinelog.com

R E P O R T I N G O N M A R I N E B U S I N E S S & T E C H N O L O G Y S I N C E 18 78

March 2021

Weak Revenues Threaten

SALVAGE CAPACITY Wreck removal operations, like the removal in sections of the Golden Ray, account for a big percentage of salvors' revenues.

CRUISE PORTS Toughing it out as cruise fleet idles

TANKER OPERATIONS OPEC and IMO call the shots

CEO SPOTLIGHT: Maryland Port Authority's William P. Doyle

Supporting the maritime industry through salvage, dredging, heavy-lift, and ocean towing since 1964. sin

www.donjon.com

CONTENTS

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26

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

2 EDITOR’S LETTER Great Lakes Icebreaker Bill

18

CRUISE SHIPPING & PORTS U.S. Ports See Silver Lining Despite Pandemic We talk to some of the top cruising ports, including the Port of New Orleans, to get the inside scoop on how ports are handling the COVID crisis and what’s to come in 2021

22

CEO SPOTLIGHT William P. Doyle, Maryland Port Administration Former Federal Maritime Commissioner Doyle has been kept busy since being appointed to his role at the port

24

MINUTES WITH …

A Q&A with ISU President Richard Janssen Smit Salvage Managing Director Richard Janssen, who is president of the International Salvage Union, gives us some insights into the state of salvage industry

26

TANKER OPERATIONS Why Tanker Operators Have Their Eyes on OPEC and IMO Tanker operators have to make critical investment decisions on what technology they will put into ships ordered today to meet emissions curbs that will get tighter throughout their service lives

4 INLAND WATERWAYS New Administration and Infrastructure 5 OPINION 8 INDUSTRY INSIGHTS 9 WELLNESS Forging Health and Disease with Iron 10 VESSEL OF THE MONTH Hadera: Shallow Draft ASD Tug Design 11 UPDATES • OCTOPUS Boosts Offshore Wind Module Carrier’s Safety And Efficiency • Boxes Lost After “Safety Feature” Triggered Engine Shut Down 16 INSIDE WASHINGTON House Panel Hears Industry Call for Vaccines, MTSERA Funding 31 NEWSMAKERS Lloyd’s Register Makes Key Appointments 32 TECH NEWS Are Remote-Controlled Tugboats a Commercial Reality?

29

TECH SPOTLIGHT: NAVIGATION & COMMUNICATIONS Lost in the Sea of Connectivity Suppliers?

Julian Crudge, director at Telenor Satellite, explores how the maritime sector can make sure its connectivity suits its needs, even in the harshest conditions Cover Photo Credit: Darryl Brooks / Shutterstock

36 SAFETY Communication for Carriers

March 2021 // Marine Log 1

EDITOR’S COLUMN Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class George Degener, U.S. Coast Guard

MARINELOG MARCH 2021 VOL. 126, NO. 3 ISSN 08970491 USPS 576-910 SUBSCRIPTIONS: 800-895-4389

Tel: +1 (402) 346-4740 (Canada & International) Fax: +1 (402) 346-3670 Email: marinelog@stamats.com PRESIDENT Arthur J. McGinnis, Jr. amcginnis@sbpub.com PUBLISHER Gary Lynch glynch@sbpub.com

Senators Reintroduce Great Lakes Icebreaker Bill

O

n March 3, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) reintroduced the Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act. The bipartisan legislation aims to codify the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking mission on the Great Lakes and increase the icebreaking capacity of the Great Lakes fleet.

The senators say that icebreaking is critical for commerce on the Great Lakes, and increasing icebreaking capacity will help the many businesses and workers that rely on the maritime industry to transport their goods to market and grow the regional economy.

We say: it’s about time.

Icebreaking capacity in the Great Lakes supports more than 90 million tons of cargo annually. A study commissioned by the Lake Carriers’ Association found that during the 2018-2019 ice season, businesses that depend upon the Great Lakes maritime industry lost more than $1 billion in revenues because of delays caused by inadequate icebreaking.

These economic losses resulted in the loss of over 5,000 jobs throughout the Great Lakes region. Hopefully things will look up soon.

Something else happening this month is the return of our free virtual TTB (Tugs, Towboats & Barges) event on March 23-24.

While we hope to meet in person next year,

we have a great lineup of speakers scheduled for this year, with an even bigger attendance expected than in previous years.

Jennifer Carpenter, president and CEO of the American Waterways Operators, will open the event on Day 1. With key waterways legislation just enacted and a new administration now in office, Carpenter’s topic couldn’t be timelier. She’ll speak on “Opportunities and Challenges for the Tugboat, Towboat and Barge Industry with a New Administration and Congress.”

In addition to Carpenter, TTB will feature an interesting look by the NTSB at lessons learned from recent tug and towboat accidents, everything you hope you never need to know about restructuring your business, offshore wind opportunities for the tug and barge market, and more.

The complete agenda is on our website (www.marinelog.com).

This March is looking a lot better than last March to say the least!

WEB EDITOR Nicholas Blenkey nblenkey@sbpub.com ART DIRECTOR Nicole D’Antona ndantona@sbpub.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hillary Coleman hcoleman@sbpub.com MARKETING DIRECTOR Erica Hayes ehayes@sbpub.com PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Mary Conyers mconyers@sbpub.com INTEGRATED ACCOUNT MANAGER David Harkey dharkey@sbpub.com SALES REPRESENTATIVE KOREA & CHINA Young-Seoh Chinn corres1@jesmedia.com CLASSIFIED SALES Jennifer Izzo jizzo@mediapeople.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Maureen Cooney mcooney@sbpub.com CONFERENCE DIRECTOR Michelle M. Zolkos mzolkos@sbpub.com CONFERENCE ASSISTANT Stephanie Rodriguez srodriguez@sbpub.com CONTRIBUTORS Emily Reiblein Crowley Maritime Corporation Tracy Zea Waterways Council Inc. Cody Sanders Canal Barge Company Inc.

HEATHER ERVIN Editor-in-Chief hervin@sbpub.com

Marine Log Magazine (Print ISSN 0897-0491, Digital ISSN 2166-210X), (USPS#576-910), (Canada Post Cust. #7204564; Agreement #40612608; IMEX Po Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada) is published 11 times per year, monthly with the exception of April which is a digital issue by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 88 Pine St. 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10005. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and Additional mailing offices.

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2 Marine Log // March 2021

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Heather Ervin hervin@sbpub.com

SIMMONS-BOARDMAN PUBLISHING CORP. 88 Pine Street, 23rd Floor, New York, N.Y. 10005 Tel: (212) 620-7200 Fax: (212) 633-1165 Website: www.marinelog.com E-mail: marinelog@sbpub.com

At Hyde Marine, the soul of our company is in every ballast water treatment system we make.

Learn more about what Hyde Marine puts into manufacturing the highest quality ballast water treatment systems in the world.

WITH US, IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE THAT COUNTS.

+1.724.218.7001 I www.hydemarine.com

INLAND WATERWAYS

A

s we fully settle into the New Year and a new presidency, the Waterways Council Inc. (WCI) is preparing for the possibility of an infrastructure package to be offered from the administration and/or Congress. The inland waterways are well positioned to be included in a broad infrastructure package since locks and dams offer benefits to the nation’s transportation challenges, to the economy and U.S. exports, and to all that enjoy the rivers.

The United States depends upon a resilient and sustainable transportation system and the waterways are a key part of the intermodal network.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, approximately one-sixth of the nation’s total intercity commercial tonnage travels on the river transportation system. Additionally, the pools created by the lock and dam system support commercial navigation and recreational boating and activities. The pools also provide drinking water to millions of Americans and cooling water for manufacturing facilities, generate hydropower, facilitate U.S. energy and agriculture production and exports, and transport construction and aggregate materials. All said, the rivers help to sustain the nation’s economy and societal well-being.

America’s inland waterways transportation system is comprised of 12,000 miles of navigable waterways in 38 states. In 2019, 514.9 million tons of cargo valued at just over $134 billion moved on the inland system.

The inland waterways offer the lowest environmental footprint among other modes of surface transportation, with minimal noise and air pollution. Barge

4 Marine Log // March 2021

transportation also makes the most of its fuel efficiency, with towboats moving one ton of cargo 647 ton-miles per gallon of fuel, compared to trucks moving it 145 ton-miles per gallon, and locomotives transporting that cargo 477 ton-miles per gallon. A standard inland river configuration of one towboat pushing 15 barges of dry cargo moves as much cargo as 1,050 semi-trucks on our highly congested roadways, or six locomotives pulling 216 rail cars.

Historically, the U.S. has recognized the vital contribution that waterborne transportation makes to overall prosperity. Achieving sustainable and resilient inland waterways has been a national goal since the country’s founding more than 200 years ago.

Public expenditures to create and maintain these navigation channels and to construct and maintain locks and dams have been among the nation’s earliest infrastructure investments. Similar investments are even more critical today to assure an efficient 21st century freight system that facilitates U.S. competitiveness.

Congress, in bipartisanship, continues to embrace the national goal of making resilient improvements to the inland waterways transportation system. In recent years, lock modernization projects have been authorized, like the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP), which will add additional lock capacity at seven existing small-chamber projects on the Upper Mississippi River and the Illinois Waterway, and the Upper Ohio Navigation Project, which will modernize three of the oldest lock and dam projects on the Ohio River.

When constructed, these projects will

provide significant transportation benefits and contribute to overall transportation system sustainability. To this end, in addition to the Kentucky Lock and Chickamauga Lock projects currently under construction, Congress has authorized the construction of 15 priority modernization projects at a total cost of $7.1 billion to be built by the Corps of Engineers.

When seeking economic recovery through infrastructure investment, the inland waterways should be considered to stimulate our economy, create jobs, and be a key part of our nation’s environmental sustainability. The National Waterways Foundation commissioned a study that analyzed the economic impacts of preserving the current inland waterways transportation system and expediting the construction of Congressionally authorized lock and dam projects to be completed in 10 years rather than the current estimate of more than 20 years.

The study surmises that preserving the current system is critical, helping to sustain nearly 541,000 full-time jobs and $21 billion in annual incomes. According to the study, expediting waterways’ modernization over a 10-year timeframe will add 35,000 jobs to the total, create $14 billion in additional incomes over 10 years, and decrease overall system construction costs through greater efficiency.

Recognizing President Biden’s stated interest in a potential infrastructure package, WCI will be advocating for the inclusion of lock modernization projects to create a sustainable advantage to American industries/shippers, to increase the reliability and efficiency of the waterways, and make U.S. industry more competitive at home and in world markets.

A meaningful infrastructure package should include at least $7.1 billion of infrastructure funds for ongoing and new construction projects to modernize locks and dams contained in the Corps of Engineers 2020 Capital Investment Strategy.

The nation’s goal this year should be to finally invest in its foundational infrastructure so that it can continue to serve our country well.

TRACY R. ZEA

President/CEO, Waterways Council Inc.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/ David Byron Keener

New Administration, New Push for Waterways Infrastructure

OPINION

Offshore: The Fallacy of Just this Once Aaron Smith, OMSA

Photo credit: OMSA

A

t home, I live in a near constant state of “just this once.” From YouTube and TikTok, to desserts and kittens, every request my kids, Campbell (9) and Mazie (7), make is prefaced with this obviously inaccurate disclaimer.

While I’m not the quickest to pick up on trends, I’ve learned to distrust the “temporary” nature of these requests.

Unfortunately, work is not a respite from “just this once” promises. Most recently, the requests have come from some in the offshore wind community, who attempt to leverage the urgency of the perpetually impending U.S. offshore wind market to delay U.S. mariners and workers’ realization of the benefits provided by this industry.

Specifically, these actors seek a Jones Act leniency of “just this once” so that the first projects can be built by foreign-flagged vessels, manned by foreign mariners, and operated by foreign-owned companies.

Coming from the Gulf of Mexico offshore energy industry, we at the Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA) are hesitant to believe this request. In our history, we have seen two distinct Jones Act enforcement regimes and, as a result, two distinct domestic market reactions.

From 1976 through 2009, our industry was subjected to a vicious cycle where foreign subsea construction vessels exploited “just this once” bureaucrat-created loopholes in the Jones Act to undercut U.S. vessels. These supposedly short-term waivers provided a long-term chilling effect on U.S. investment in this market.

The resulting lack of U.S. equipment led foreign vessel owners to request more

bureaucratically created loopholes, claiming the U.S. market could not satisfy the industry’s requirements and the cycle continued from there.

In other markets—and time periods— we have seen the Jones Act be correctly a p p l i e d , b r e e d i n g m a r ke t c e r t a i n t y and transparency, which, in turn, has promoted continued investment and construction in U.S. shipyards.

As specific examples, I point to the following.

At one time, the U.S. fleet did not contain the barges necessary to transport oil platforms from the shipyard to the Outer Continental Shelf. To correct this problem, Congress passed a law creating a transparent process where if project sponsors could demonstrate there was not a

... It is clear that when lawmakers and government officials provided an assurance that there would be a rational and transparent market that correctly enforced the Jones Act, vessel owners responded ... sufficient U.S. vessel, they were permitted to use a foreign vessel. Conversely, the provision assured U.S. owners if they constructed this equipment, their commitments would be honored. As a result, they invested in U.S. equipment and displaced the foreign barges.

Subsequently, in 2009, Customs & Borders Protection (CBP) gave U.S. vessel operators the impression that they would correct the previously described Jones Act loopholes in the subsea construction market. Based upon this signal, U.S. companies devoted more than $2 billion employing Americans in U.S. shipyards to build vessels for this work. These U.S. companies

built so many U.S.-flagged subsea construction vessels that the trade association for the foreign vessel owners that had once said the U.S. industry could not supply this market, were forced to report, U.S. vessels had “largely displaced the foreign tonnage. … This market adjustment is normal and poses no threat to future investment and development in the U.S. [Gulf of Mexico]” And finally, we have seen an explosion in U.S. dredge construction. These newbuilds directly follow Congress’ increased utilization of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, thereby increasing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintenance dredging budget.

In each of these instances, it is clear that when lawmakers and government officials provided an assurance that there would be a rational and transparent market that correctly enforced the Jones Act, vessel owners actively and overwhelmingly responded, building to the market. In doing so, these owners created opportunities for U.S. mariners, shipyard workers, and suppliers. In short, when enforced, the Jones Act works as intended.

Unfortunately, some—but certainly not all—of our friends in the offshore wind space have not reviewed this history and are now claiming shortfalls in U.S. capabilities and requesting “just this once” waivers.

OMSA disagrees with this philosophy.

History—and my children—shows that “just this once” too easily metastasizes into a near permanent loss of markets. Conversely, transparency and certainty time and again breed domestic investment that fully fulfills every market.

To this end, OMSA was proud to work with Congress last year to enact language as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) confirmed the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and therefore the Jones Act, applies to offshore wind farms in federal waters.

Just as it has before, this certainty-instilling act gave the industry the confidence to invest, already yielding announcements of new U.S. vessel construction.

Considering all of these facts, let’s be strong and not give in to the “just this once” requests and instead provide the certainty and predictability to the U.S. maritime industry so it can do what it has always done: build to a market and employ American workers.

March 2021 // Marine Log 5

TTB

TUGS TOWBOATS BARGES

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

Powering Opportunities on U.S. Waterways Marine Log’s TTB – Tugs, Towboats and Barges – is the only event dedicated exclusively to the tug, towboat and barge segments of the maritime transportation industry.

With a new administration incoming and the current COVID-19 environment, we are at a transformational moment in this sector.

Prepare your business for what’s ahead.

MARCH 23 & 24, 2021 12:00 TO 3:00 P.M. E.T.

Register Free: www.marinelog.com/ttb SPONSORSHIPS David Harkey: dharkey@sbpub.com

PLATINUM SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSORS

QUESTIONS conferences@sbpub.com

Key Sessions at TTB New Administration. New Congress.

Opportunities and Challenges.

Jennifer Carpenter, American Waterways Operators

Everything You Hope You’ll Never Need to Know about Restructuring Basil Karatzas, Karatzas Marine Advisors & Co.

Safety: Operations Taking the Lead Mary V. McCarthy, Canal Barge Company

Diversity: Key to Workforce Effectiveness Delbert Wilkins, Illinois Marine Towing and Canal Barge Company

Owners’ Supervision of Newbuilds: The Process Michael Complita, Elliott Bay Design Group

An Examination of Recent Tug, Towboat and Barge Accidents Morgan Turrell, NTSB

Creditor’s Rights under Maritime Law: Tools to Consider under COVID-19 Lance Sannino, Jones Walker LLP

Trend towards Smaller, Higher Horsepower, Mission-Specific Tugs

Navigation on the Mississippi River: Where Are We Now?

Frank Manning, Diversified Marine Inc.

Sean Duffy, Big River Coalition

Presented by

BRONZE SPONSORS

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

NEW TANKER ORDERS DOWN BY 17% IN 2020 WELCOME TO Industry Insights, Marine Log’s quick snapshot of current trends in the global marine marketplace. This month, we focus on Alibra Shipping Ltd.’s “Tankers Quarterly Market Report” for January 2021. We take a more in-depth look into the tanker market on page 26 of this issue.

As was reported this time last year, the highs of the first half of 2020 were followed by historical lows in the fourth quarter (Q4) as COVID-19 continued to impact demand and uncertainty surrounding OPEC+ crude production weighed down the market.

Tanker rates, says the report, were below breakeven levels, the Forward Freight Agreement market continued to trend downwards, and in the timecharter market, during November 2020, VLCC rates for one-year fell to $24,000/ pdpr, the lowest point since October 2018.

Orderbook levels for tankers were down overall in 2020 and

new orders were down by 17%, although averages for the last five years have been much lower overall due to fleet oversupply, according to the report.

Nonetheless, orders for the previous year were at the highest levels in four years as owners rushed to place orders for modern vessels ahead of the IMO sulfur cap regulations that came in to play on January 1, 2020.

The largest fleet to orderbook ratio is for the LR2/Aframax sector at 10.6%, although most of the tanker newbuildings are in the MR sector, with 124 ships on order with 49 contracts placed in 2020. VLCCs saw 36 orders placed in 2020.

Overall, the tanker fleet is aging, with the number of vessels 15-years and older increasing as vessels ordered off the back of the stronger markets in the early 2000s are now approaching this age.

The two charts below reflect orderbooks by sector and country of build for 2020

Orderbook by Sector

Orderbook by Country of Build

Suezmax 9% LR2/Afra 21%

Japan 19% VLCC 18%

LR1/RMAX 6%

MR 32%

Handy 14%

China, People’s Republic of 31%

Rest of world 12%

Korea, South 38%

Source: ALIBRA Shipping Limited

8 Marine Log // March 2021

WELLNESS COLUMN

Forging Health and Disease with Iron

Photo credit: Shutterstock/ BooDogz

F

or many years, “iron fortified” foods have been all the rage while solidifying a belief that more is better. Recent research shows that iron intake is a very personalized and sensitive balance between forging good health and setting diseases, such as cardiovascular and diabetes on fire.

Iron is an essential nutrient. It is a primary component in a red blood cell protein (hemoglobin) that transfers oxygen from the lungs into tissues.

Iron promotes the regulation of cell growth and hormonal balance, while boosting brain function, energy production and immune system strength.

Dietary iron has two main forms: heme and nonheme. Consuming meats like fish, beef and chicken get you both forms. Eating plants, including beans, nuts and fortified foods (mostly grains), result in a nonheme form of iron.

Iron intake is a sensitive calculation. Too much or too little has adverse consequences on long-term health. While iron deficiency is commonly discussed among doctors and patients, iron overload is not.

This far more common condition ends up pouring gas on metabolic diseases like cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, and Type 2 diabetes and accelerates a progressive decline.

Multiple studies, including a Meta analysis published in BMC Med (2012) concluded, “Higher heme iron intake increased body iron stores (and) were significantly associated with a greater risk of T2DM (Type 2 diabetes).”

At Harvard University, researcher Dr. Marianne Wessling-Resnick demonstrates

that iron is potentially toxic to the brain.

High levels of iron have been associated with amyloid plaques that accumulate in Alzheimer’s disease.

Iron intake levels according to the Recommended Daily Allowance should be around 8mg for men over 20 years of age and between 8mg and 27mg for women (age, pregnancy, and lactation depending).

While this number is easy for people to track on the intake side, it may not directly correlate to what assimilates in the body for use. A blood test is the most accurate option to understand the usable levels.

Further complicating how we understand these levels are differences in how manufacturers label the test results in the “normal” range. Medical scientist Francesco Facchini brings some clarity with his research in relationship to iron and insulin resistance.

His findings showed that patients with insulin resistance could improve their insulin sensitivity by about 50% by lowering their serum ferritin (blood iron) levels to below 70 ng/ml (but not lower than 30 ng/ ml). This number is not wholly agreed upon, but can help point a discussion with a doctor regardless of what a testing lab identifies as “within range.”

Tell tale signs of iron deficiency and overdose are many. Iron deficiency may produce symptoms that include hair loss, fatigue, anxiety, anemia, depression, fibromyalgia and other signs. Overloading on iron over time can show up as metabolic syndrome, heart arrhythmia, premature aging, and cancer.

Iron rich foods are one way that iron gets into the body, but not the only way.

Cookware, such as cast iron pans, can leach iron into food, iron fortified foods, and multivitamins also sneak bits into the diet that may be less visible to a consumer.

Some considerations when regulating iron intake include: Know Where You Stand: A doctor can order a lab test, and if you have a recent routine blood test, you probably already have your serum ferritin results.

Changing Absorption Rates: Vitamin C intake accelerates iron absorption. Consuming meat with peppers, parsley, thyme, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, etc., will assimilate more iron.

Calcium inhibits iron absorption. It binds to the metal and prevents it from going into the body. Eating iron with hard cheese or some yogurt for desert, etc. can reduce absorption.

Drink Coffee and/or Tea with Meals: One study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1983) showed that coffee and tea inhibited iron absorption by 39% and 64% respectively.

Avoid Eating Meat with Iron-Fortified Foods: Published research shows higher absorption of iron when combined with non-heme iron.

Exercise with Occasional Intensity: Intense exercise can reduce iron stores. This may be more viable method of reduction for men than women. Studies on women have shown that frequent levels of intense exercise can produce anemia.

Give Blood: An elegant solution to iron overload is to give blood. It is the quickest way to reduce serum ferritin levels.

Women Use Caution: A monthly cycle reduces iron automatically, and this compounded with frequent intense exercise or giving blood can leave your iron levels low.

Knowing and understanding your serum ferritin levels can help forge brain, heart and metabolic health for long-term success.

Without this careful evaluation, iron can run amuck, setting ablaze illnesses.

Nothing in this article constitutes medical advice. All medical advice should be sought from a medical professional.

EMILY REIBLEIN

Director-Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Crowley Logistics

March 2021 // Marine Log 9

VESSEL OF THE MONTH The Hadera is the first shallow-draft variant of the popular RAmparts 3200 tug design delivered by Med Marine.

T

urkey’s Med Marine shipyard recently delivered the Hadera, a Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAmparts 3200-SD ASD tug with escort notation. With more than 400 in service worldwide, the RAmparts 3200 is one of the most widely accepted designs in the industry, and Med Marine itself has delivered more than two dozen of them. However, the Hadera is the first SD (shallow-draft) variant of the design that it has delivered.

The Hadera has been built for the National Coa l Supply Corporation of Israel for operation by the Port of Hadera, and the shallow-draft was a requirement.

“Thanks to Robert Allan’s expertise, we were able to build this lower draft MEDA3280-SD series tug with full performance capabilities,” said Eylül Turhan, Med Marine’s business development chief, who noted that the customer’s requirements also include noise levels even lower than IMO requirements.

Robert Allan says that Hadera has a large deadweight capacity, a shallow full load navigational draft of 4.81 meters (15.8 feet) and “is a very quiet boat, especially in the wheelhouse 10 Marine Log // March 2021

and crew cabins located in the deckhouse and on the lower accommodation deck.”

The multi-purpose tug is fully equipped with deck machinery, including an escort winch from THR Marine, tow hook, tow pin, stern roller and deck crane.

Ship-handling fenders at the bow consist of an upper row of cylindrical fenders and a lower course of W-fender. Sheer fendering consists of “D” rubbers and “W” block type fendering at the stern.

The accommodations have been outfitted to a high standard for a crew of eight. The deckhouse contains an entrance lobby, the galley, mess, two officer cabins with ensuite WC, and a public WC. The lower deck contains three double cabins with ensuite WC. The wheelhouse is designed with a single split control station, which provides maximum all-round visibility with exceptional visibility to the bow and side fendering, as well as operation on the aft deck. The engineroom features an acoustically isolated switchboard room.

Trial results saw a bollard pull ahead of 77.5 tonnes and a free running speed of 14 knots.

HADERA AT A GLANCE DIMENSIONS: Length (excluding fenders): 31.50 meters Beam, molded: 12.60 meters Depth, least molded: 5.40 meters Maximum draft (navigational): 5 meters Gross Tonnage: 494

PROPULSION MACHINERY: 2 x Caterpillar 3516C main diesels 2 x Schottel Z-drives

MAIN TANK CAPACITIES AT 100%: Fuel oil: 181.9 m3 Potable water: 37.4 m3 Ballast: 20.2 m3 Firefighting foam: 7.2 m3

Photo Credit: Robert Allan Ltd.

Hadera:

Shallow-Draft Variant of Popular ASD Tug Design

UPDATE

Boxes Lost Overboard After “Safety Feature” Triggered Engine Shut Down MAERSK HAS FILLED IN some details

OCTOPUS Boosts Offshore Wind Module Carrier’s Safety And Efficiency

Photo Credit: ABB

GERMANY’S UNITED WIND LOGISTICS

is to use the ABB Ability marine advisory system OCTOPUS to support its module deck carrier VestVind as it transports large wind farm components, such as turbines, foundations and blades, to offshore installation sites.

By supporting real-time decision making to minimize unwanted vessel motions and accelerations, the OCTOPUS software will help protect high-value payloads in transit.

Additionally, the software will increase vessel efficiency by optimizing the route. Accounting for on-vessel motions resulting from weather and wave conditions. This will allow the module deck carrier to increase its operational window, during which it will be able to perform tasks safely and efficiently even during weather-sensitive operations.

Installation of the ABB solution on board the 130-meter, 10,238 dwt VestVind follows successful application on board United Wind’s module deck carriers BoldWind and BraveWind, both delivered this year.

“ABB is proud that customers in the offshore wind farm vessel segment are showing as much trust in OCTOPUS software as it has in other parts of the heavy lift vessel market,” said Antto Shemeikka, vice president digital services, ABB Marine & Ports. “The growing demand

for offshore wind power calls for larger wind turbines, and the installation of these, in turn, requires larger, more sophisticated vessels. Insights into the motions of these vessels become more significant from the safety point of view and of greater value to charterers needing to evaluate movements of special loads.”

“The benefits of ABB’s marine advisory system continue to prove compelling,” said Christoph Puschmann, managing director, United Wind Logistics. “As demand for larger wind farm components grows and we are tasked with transporting heavier and ever-more expensive cargoes, the importance of motion monitoring and forecasting only increases. We look forward to reaping the same safety and efficiency benefits onboard VestVind, as we have secured for our newbuildings BoldWind and BraveWind.”

ABB’s scope of supply to United Wind Logistics also includes implementation of the ABB Ability Marine Fleet Portal, making the benefits of OCTOPUS on board available to stakeholders ashore.

The Fleet Portal allows vessel and cargo owners to view the status and location of assets online and gives access to reports sent from ship to server to ensure peace of mind during high-stakes operations.

of what led to the February 17 incident in which the 13,100 TEU containership Maersk Eindhoven lost 260 containers overboard while en route to the U.S. West Coast.

The incident occurred almost exactly one month after a January 16 incident in which the 13,100 TEU Maersk Essen lost up to 750 containers en route to Los Angeles.

In its update on the Maersk Eindhoven incident, Maersk says the ship experienced a loss of engine propulsion for 3-4 minutes while sailing 45 nautical miles off Northern Japan in heavy seas on February 17, 2021.

The loss of maneuverability resulted in severe rolling with 260 containers overboard and 65 containers damaged on deck.

“Propulsion power was quickly restored on the vessel and the initial analysis indicates engine oil pressure triggered a safety feature, causing the engines to shut down,” says Maersk. “No malfunction or maintenance issues have been identified. The crew is safe and a complete investigation is ongoing.

The vessel has had no further incidents and is returning to a North Asia port for inspection and repair. The port decision will be announced shortly.”

The company says preliminary reports show slight damage with minimal repairs required to the vessel.

“We continue to take the situation very seriously and are in the process of conducting a complete investigation of the incident,” says Maersk.

“Once the vessel is in port and surveyed,” says the company, “we will have more specific details on the extent of damaged containers and the amount of time required to fix the vessel and determine the cargo contingency options.”

In Febr uar y, A.P. Mol ler – Maersk announced that it will launch the world’s f i r s t c a r b o n - n e u t r a l l i n e r ve s s e l i n 2023—seven years ahead of its initial 2030-ambition.

All future Maersk owned newbuildings will have dual fuel technology installed, enabling either carbon neutral operations or operation on standard very low sulfur fuel oil.

March 2021 // Marine Log 11

UPDATE

Dutch Inland Waterways Vessel Set for Conversion to Hydrogen Propulsion OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, Rotterdamheadquartered Future Proof Shipping B.V. (FPS) has plans to build and operate a fleet of 10 zero-emission inland and short-sea vessels that it will offer for charter. Meantime, it has already partnered with Holland Shipyards Group (HSG) to retrofit the inland waterways vessel Maas to a zero-emissions hydrogen propulsion system.

Following months of energy profiling, the 110- by 11.45-meter inland container vessel will be retrofitted at the Holland Shipyards Group’s shipyard in Hardinxveld throughout third-quarter 2021 and is expected to be sailing 100% on hydrogen power by December 2021.

The retrofitting involves replacing the current internal combustion technology with hydrogen technology, removing both the main engine and gearbox, and installing a new modular propulsion system. This will consist of electric motors, hydrogen tanks, a PEM fuel cell system (necessary for converting hydrogen into electricity) and a battery system. The compressed hydrogen tanks, the fuel cells and the battery system are separate units that can be removed for maintenance or replacement purposes.

The hydrogen and fuel cell system will be installed in the cargo space of the vessel, with the hydrogen being placed above the fuel cell system in two 40-foot containers.

The fuel cel l system w il l be t r iple

redundant with 825 kW capacity (to supply propulsion and auxiliary power) and a 504 kWh lithium-ion battery pack for peak shaving, secondary and bridging power. The system will contain a 750V DC bus bar and an e-motor for propulsion.

Both HSG and FPS have distinguished themselves from the traditional market by actively seeking out and embracing projects with environmental sustainability at their core—HSG on the shipbuilding side, particularly in the

ferries sector, and FPS as a tonnage provider by offering zero-emissions vessels for charter to cargo-owners and other shippers.

Once in service, the Maas will carry on shipping container cargo between Rotterdam and Antwerp and is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2,000 CO2e tonnes annually.

The project funded by the Dutch RVO, Interreg North Sea Program, and a stimulation scheme for sustainable inland shipping from the Port of Rotterdam.

L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES reports that it been selected to design an autonomous surface ship concept for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in phase one of the two phase No Manning

12 Marine Log // March 2021

Required Ship (NOMARS) program.

The program aims to demonstrate the reliability and feasibility of an unmanned ship performing lengthy mission.

“L3Harris continues to pioneer

innovative autonomous solutions that offer fully automated and integrated ship control and preventative maintenance systems to the U.S. Navy and its allies,” said Sean Stackley, president, Integrated Mission Systems, L3Harris.

The L3Harris design concept will streamline NOMARS’ construction, logistics, operations and maintenance life cycle.

The company has teamed with Vard Marine Inc. to validate the concept and design of the architecture and hull, mechanical and electrical systems.

The L3Harris design features an advanced operating system that can make decisions and determine actions on its own—without direct human interaction.

This concept optimizes autonomous surface ship operations to support the U.S. Navy’s future missions.

L3Harris is a leader in Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) systems, with over 125 USVs and optionally manned vehicles delivered.

Photo Credits: (Top) FBS/HSG, (Bottom) L3Harris Technologies

DARPA Picks L3Harris for Autonomous Ship Project

UPDATE

Eastern Pacific Shipping in MOU on Methanol and Ammonia Fuels

ONE OF THE WORLD’S L ARGEST SHIPOWNERS, Singapore-headquartered

Photo Credit:: Eastern Pacific Shipping

Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS), is to retrofit a number of the existing vessels in its 15 million-dwt fleet to burn methanol and ammonia fuels.

Eastern Pacific is making this move in partnership with MAN Energy Solutons and Netherlands bases OCI N.V., a major global producer and distributor of nitrogen and methanol products.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the companies, select MAN-engine conventional vessels from Eastern Pacific’s existing tanker fleet will be retrofitted to allow them to be powered by methanol and ammonia, which will be supplied by OCI. OCI intends to charter the first retrofitted vessel from EPS. Additionally, Eastern Pacific will construct newbuild vessels with MAN engines powered by the same two alternative marine fuels.

“EPS is proud to partner with industryleaders OCI and MAN with a shared vision to push our industry towards decarbonization

Dry Docks Work Boats Barges JMS-Designed

Modular Dry Dock 200’ expandable to 420’ 3,800 to 7,500t Lift Capacity Designed by JMS for Group Ocean New Brunswick

and environmental preservation,” said EPS CEO Cyril Ducau. “As a leading tonnage provider, EPS has taken a firm stance that sustainability begins with accountability. This means we have a responsibility to implement emission-lowering solutions available today while simultaneously developing solutions for tomorrow. Converting our existing conventional fleet to burn methanol creates a unique opportunity to continue lowering our carbon footprint significantly and rapidly. In the meantime, developing ammonia-fueled conversion and newbuilding projects will help develop more mature zero-carbon solutions in the longerterm. We are excited about the next steps and to share our findings with the industry.”

The partnership says the MOU is “an example of not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good,” as the technology to retrofit vessels to run on methanol exists today while using methanol and ammonia on newbuilds is still a few years away.

Ahmed El-Hoshy, CEO of OCI N.V., commented: “Methanol and ammonia are the fuels of the future and we are excited to continue to play a part in the transition to zero

carbon through this partnership” “We view these initiatives as closely aligned with our own strategy of cooperating with external partners to develop sustainable technologies,” said Brian Østergaard Sørensen, Vice President and Head of R&D, Two-Stroke Business at MAN Energy Solutions. “Methanol and ammonia are very interesting candidates as zero-carbon fuels.

In fact, we have already introduced a methanol-burning two-stroke engine, while we expect to deliver the first ammonia-fueled engine in 2024. MAN Energy Solutions is fully committed to the maritime energy transition and the development of technology that exploits alternative, clean fuels.”

“For us, the path to decarbonizing the maritime industry starts with fuel decarbonization,” said Jens Seeberg, Head of Retrofit & Upgrade at MAN PrimeServ Denmark. “Happily, the flexibility of the ME-C engine enables us to retrofit the existing fleet into methanol-fueled vessels that have a significantly reduced environmental impact. We look forward to moving with our industry partners towards these sustainable goals.”

Let’s make plans.

Naval Architecture Marine Engineering www.JMSnet.com 860.536.0009

March 2021 // Marine Log 13

Update

JMS Designs 53 -Foot Tankship with Diesel Outboard Propulsion A self-propelled, 53- by 18-foot,

a combination of high power, high torque, and single fuel, enabling it to offer the same performance and efficiency of an inboard, but with the convenience and flexibility of an outboard.

A Seastar Optimus electronic power steering, shift, throttle, and joystick controls systems package integrates the operation of both outboard motors into a single maneuvering system.

The vessel has a raised trunk cargo tank with a pilot and operator’s station aft. The

vessel is outfitted with electrically powered cargo pumps and a 370-gallon fuel oil tank for onboard generators located below deck in the stern rake. A potable water tank and a black water tank are also located below deck and forward of the cargo tanks.

The electrical system is powered by a pair of generators in the aft machinery space to provide service to the vessel’s lighting, cargo pumping, and hydraulic systems. The equipment and systems design supports high-speed loading and unloading of its cargo.

Photo Credit: JMS Naval Architects

10,000 gallon, USCG inspected, double-hull tankship designed by JMS Naval Architects, Mystic, Conn., is unique for its compact size and diesel outboard propulsion.

Under construction at St. Johns Ship Building, Palatka, Fla., for Intracoastal Marine Fuel (IMF) of Jupiter, Fla., it is the smallest vessel to receive U.S. Coast Guard plan approval as a Subchapter D tankship.

IMF will use the vessel to deliver marine diesel to mega-yachts, commercial, and recreational vessels in the Palm Beach area. It will be capable of providing fueling services where it is needed, via high-speed pumps, and with variable-speed control for maximum safety and efficiency.

Two 41 foot long spuds anchor the vessel in place during cargo transfers to customers’ vessels.

JMS is providing owner’s representative services on behalf of IMF during the vessel construction, testing, trials, delivery, and acceptance.

A pair of 300 HP high-performance Cox Powertrain CXO300 diesel outboard engines made by COX Marine provides propulsion. The four-stroke, V8 CXO300 delivers

14 Marine Log // March 2021

UPDATE

Halter Marine Invests in Customized Robotic Welding Solutions

Photo Credit: Inrotech AS

CONTINUING TO MAKE UPGR ADES

in preparation for construction of the Coast Guard’s Polar Security Cu t t e r ( P S C ) , Ha l ter Marine has placed an order with, Danish robotic welding specialist Inrotech for an extensive set of welding robots, including the Inrotech-MicroTwin, Inrotech-Classic and Inrotech-Crawler.

The Inrotech automated robot welding solution has been specifically customized to Halter Marine’s production needs.

“Inrotech is bringing the three best welding robots to Halter Marine giving them the best possible operational advantage in North America,” said Thomas Bøgner, Sales Director at Inrotech.

“Now we will customize, integrate and implement these advanced welding robots for Halter Marine.”

The advanced welding solution brings increased capability in automated welding, the improved manufacturing quality of shipbuilding and streamlined production processes while reducing the need for costly rework.

The Inrotech robot welding solution will be delivered to Halter Marine early in 2021.

BIZ NOTES BOUCHARD TRANSPORTATION CEO REMOVED In an order signed February 26, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David S. Jones ordered that Morton S. Bouchard, III “shall be, and hereby is, immediately removed from his positions as CEO and direc tor” of Bouchard Transportation Co. The judge noted that Matthew Ray of Portage Point Partners LLC had accepted appointment as chief restructuring officer (CRO) of the company and ordered that “the CRO shall be, and hereby is, empowered with exclusive and complete authority to act for and on behalf of the Debtors with respect to matters arising out of or relating to the Debtors and/or the Chapter 11 Cases. …”

DREW MARINE TO DISTRIBUTE KROIL PENETRANT Drew International has signed a distribution agreement with Kano Laboratories of Nashville, Tenn., to distribute their Kroil Penetrant brand within the marine market sector space. Founded in 1939, Kano is a leading producer of penetrating oils and lubricants to industrial based customers in the United States. Their Kroil branded products are used to loosen rusted, corroded, or frozen mechanical parts.

March 2021 // Marine Log 15

INSIDE WASHINGTON

House Panel Hears Industry Call for Vaccines, MTSERA

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rioritizing vaccinations for maritime workers and funding of the Maritime Transportation System Emergency Relief Act (MTSERA). Those were among the top priorities of industry leaders testifying at the first House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee hearing of the 117th Congress, which examined the state of the U.S. maritime industry amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In his opening remarks, the panel’s new Chair, Rep. Salud Cabrazal (D-Calif.) noted that his district is home to a vibrant passenger vessel.

“In the wake of this pandemic, much of this industry has had to shut down its business and furlough employees,” he noted, adding that “many passenger vessels operating in the Jones Act trade have lost the entirety of their 2020 operating season.”

“While passenger vessels and ferries are one of the few sectors of the maritime industry to receive federal assistance, they were left to compete for this assistance with other modes of passenger transportation,” added Cabrazal.

“The remainder of the maritime industry has been left to fend for itself,” he said. “Operators have had to shoulder the burden of the increased costs of new safety measures, acquiring protective gear and complying with public health measures while other industries have received federal assistance. Requests for assistance have gone unanswered while demand on our ports and cargo carrying U.S. fleet only increases as American commerce increases.”

He noted that one way to provide immediate assistance would be funding the MTSERA. The MTSERA program was high on the priorities of Lauren Brand, president of the National Association of Waterfront Employers, who called it “historic in that rather than passing a one-and-done stimulus program, MTSERA is a true disaster relief program that includes this pandemic situation.”

“Funding MTSERA at $3.5 billion or more, will begin

16 Marine Log // March 2021

to enable this industry to recover,” said Brand, who also called for “prioritization of vaccinations for the women and men who work on the waterfront so that we can keep freight moving.”

Mario Cordero, chairman of the board of directors, American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), testified that AAPA believes it is critical that the MTSERA be funded. He, too, called for vaccine prioritization.

Testifying in his role as chairman of the Shipbuilders Council of America, Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards, noted that Section 3610 of the CARES Act authorized government contractors to be reimbursed for employees who could not work as a result of COVID-related closures.

“Absorbing these COVID-related costs without the necessary appropriated reimbursements could seriously jeopardize the shipyard industrial base, which would have a degrading effect on our national security,” he warned.

Addressing the impact of the pandemic on the U.S.-flag international merchant fleet, C. James Patti, president of the Maritime Institute for Research and Industrial Development and chairman of USA Maritime, testified that “it is extremely important that American mariners and cadets working aboard Maritime Security Program vessels and other U.S.-flag vessels in the foreign trades receive [priority vaccine] access. Otherwise, with the differences in vaccine administration procedures among the states, it may be months at the earliest before mariners receive vaccines.”

Patti also testified that “crew rotation, pre- and post-employment quarantine, the repatriation of sick or injured seafarers and travel restrictions are major concerns for the U.S.-flag shipping companies and maritime unions engaged in the U.S. international trades.”

Testifying on behalf of the American Maritime Partnership, Michael Roberts, senior vice president, Crowley Maritime, warned that, while testing, quarantine and other measures put in place by companies have been mostly

successful, “we are operating on borrowed time as the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak severely impacting our domestic supply chain is an everyday reality.”

“An overreaching government response to a suspected COVID-19 case onboard a cargo ship—where the ship is ordered to anchor instead of to a secure, controlled-access dock—could have enormous supply chain impacts,” Roberts testified. “This is especially true for a non-contiguous area like Hawaii, Alaska or Puerto Rico, where the potential quarantine of an entire vessel, instead of the vessel’s crew, is of great concern. A single vessel may account for a large portion of the weekly commerce of the communities in the noncontiguous U.S. trades, such that any delay, no matter how slight, may have a serious impact on those states and territories being served.”

“The most important solution to these threats,” said Roberts, “is to prioritize mariners for the COVID-19 vaccination and, in the interim, ensure that mariners have access to rapid testing.”

Testifying from an inland waterways perspective, Del Wilkins, president of Illinois Marine Towing Inc. and vice chairman of the board of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), also called for prioritized vaccination for mariners and for full funding for MTSERA. In addition, he noted Biden’s early support for moving forward with a large-scale infrastructure package.

“We urge that any such effort contain three critical elements,” he said, citing these as: 1) Increased funding for lock and dam projects and port facilities; 2) Accelerated construction of Coast Guard waterways commerce cutters (buoy tenders) and, in the interim, support for the efficient use of existing buoy tenders and other resources to promote safe and reliable navigation; and 3) Improvements to the Army Corps of Engineers’ contracting process for commercial dredges to keep our inland rivers operating at Congressionally authorized levels.

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CRUISE SHIPPING Carnival has used the downtime to upgrade Port NOLA’s homeported Carnival Valor.

Upon its return to Port NOLA, the Valor will be like a new vessel.

U.S. Ports See Silver Linings Despite Pandemic

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18 Marine Log // March 2021

in cooperation with LNG fuel supplier Shell Trading Company, arrived at Port Canaveral recently for a sailing and berthing familiarization exercise. The vessel docked at Port Canaveral’s newly constructed Cruise Terminal 3, which was completed in June 2020 but not yet welcomed its first cruise passenger, with the global shutdown of the cruise industry due to the COVID pandemic.

“LNG is the fuel of the future, it’s clean, less expensive and made right here in the United States,” said Canaveral Port Authority Commission Chairman Rear Adm. Wayne Justice (USCG, Ret.). “We are proud to be part of making this safe secure move to the future in this region.”

T he U.S. built, ow ned and crewed ATB, comprising a 324 foot long barge and a 128-foot tug, is the first Jones Actcompliant ATB built in the U.S. that is specifically designed to conduct LNG cargo and bunker operations. When the ATB is conducting its ship-to-ship onwater bunkering process of a cruise vessel, it will take place during the ship’s passenger debarking and embarking processes, like conventional refueling operations, and last approximately six to eight hours.

“We are proud to deliver the Q-LNG 4000 to Port Canaveral,” said Chad Verret,

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President of Q-LNG Transport. “LNG is the marine fuel of the future, it’s domestically sourced and in abundant supply in the U.S. We look to supplying not only cruise ships but trading vessels in the future.”

The barge will load LNG from a fuel distribution facility on Elba Island, Ga., then return to Georgia to refuel after each LNG bunkering operation in Port Canaveral. The ATB has a carrying capacity of up to 4,000 cubic meters of LNG, the equivalent of 1 million gallons of fuel.

Additionally, the Q-LNG 4000 fueling operations will be supported while it’s in Port Canaveral by the port’s newly acquired fireboat, which arrived in January. The purpose-built Marine Firefighting Rescue Vessel will be operated by Canaveral Fire Rescue to provide enhanced fire protection and response capabilities to serve the expanding maritime and commercial space industry operations at the port.

The good news for cruise ports doesn’t stop in Port Canaveral, however.

Port of Galveston’s Hope for 2021 In December, newly released cruise industry economic impact numbers for 2019 showed that the resumption of cruising will play a critical role in helping drive the Port of

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Photo Credit: Port of New Orleans

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arlier this month, Port Canaveral in Florida marked a historic milestone in the safe, reliable transportation and delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in North America as the Q-LNG 4000, a cutting-edge ship-to-ship articulated tug and bunker barge (ATB), arrived at America’s first LNG cruise port.

What does that have to do with cruise ships exactly? The purpose-built ATB will operate in Port Canaveral providing LNG fuel to cruise vessels, notably to Carnival Cruise Line’s LNG-powered Mardi Gras, which will homeport at Port Canaveral beginning this year. Built by Halter Marine for Shane Guidry’s Quality Liquefied Natural Gas Transport (Q-LNG), the ATB will carry enough supply of LNG to fuel two cruise ships, each for a seven-day itinerary.

“This project has been four years from concept to reality and we are excited to welcome the Q-LNG 4000 to fuel the next generation of cruise ships,” said Capt.

John Murray, CEO of the port. “We have been working closely with our cruise partners, all the federal and state regulatory agencies, and industry leaders to promote this industry initiative.”

The 4,000-cubic-meter barge, constructed

By Heather Ervin, Editor in Chief

BaltiMORE

WELCOME to the Port of Baltimore On-dock rail Robust real estate growth Less than two miles to Interstate 95 Access to 2/3 of the U.S. population within 24 hours

marylandports.com | 1.800.638.7519 | Governor Larry Hogan MDOT Secretary Gregory Slater MDOT MPA Executive Director William P. Doyle

CRUISE SHIPPING

Galveston region’s economic recovery.

According to a recent report released by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the cruise industry generated $55.5 billion in economic activity in the United States, a 5.3% increase from 2018.

Moreover, growth in economic activity was accompanied by an increase in industry-supported jobs. According to the report, the cruise industry supported 436,600 American jobs paying $24.4 billion in wages in 2019—3.5% and 5.4% increases from 2018, respectively.

As the fourth most popular cruise port in North America and only cruise port in Texas, the Port of Galveston’s cruise activity contributed significantly to state and regional economies prior to the pandemic. The port saw growth in multiple areas related to its cruising activities, including direct expenditures, passenger embarkations, passenger and crew onshore visits, statewide wages, and more.

The port’s cruise business generates about 65% of the port’s annual revenue, allowing it to reinvest in business growth and infrastructure improvements to generate more jobs and economic benefits for the Galveston community.

These latest figures follow nearly 10 years of continued growth in the cruise industry, fueled by the rising popularity of cruise vacations. The report shows Galveston as one of the fastest growing cruise ports in the U.S. with embarkations more than doubled between 2012 and 2019.

More than 13.7 million passengers embarked on cruise ships from U.S. ports in 2019, up nearly 8% from 2018 and 26% from just five years ago.

But, of course, all of that has changed due to COVID. While cruise operations remain suspended in the United States as a result of 20 Marine Log // March 2021

the pandemic, the Galveston Wharves is working with cruise industry leaders and local business and community partners for the safe, sustainable resumption of cruising in 2021.

The pandemic also impacted the schedule for the start of construction for a third cruise terminal. In 2020, Royal Caribbean asked for a one-year extension on its option to build a $100 million cruise terminal at the Port of Galveston.

The port said in January that it remains optimistic that plans will move forward and it will know the extension deadline by April.

Port NOLA Sees Downtime Improvements While there is no doubt that COVID-19 has shuttered cruising operations around the world, the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) Market Manager Jessica Ragusa says that the cruise industry as a whole is proactively implementing significant public health protocols that will protect passengers once cruises resume.

“CLIA and its cruise line members have voluntarily developed a rigorous approach for the gradual return of cruises in the Americas,” said Ragusa. “The core elements of the protocols go beyond other sectors of the travel and tourism industry and includes testing 100% of passengers and crewmembers—a travel and tourism industry first.”

When the time comes, added Ragusa, Port NOLA and its tourism partners will be ready to welcome the resumption of cruise operations and are confident that New Orleans and Louisiana will still attract domestic and international visitors.

Meantime, Carnival has used the downtime to upgrade the port’s homeported Carnival Valor. Upon its return to Port NOLA, the Valor will be like a brand new vessel.

The Carnival Glory and Carnival Valor docked at the Port of New Orleans

Inland River Cruises River cruising is also popular in New Orleans and constitutes a growing segment of Port NOLA’s cruise business, according to Ragusa. American Cruise Lines plans to cont inue int ro ducing modern riverboats to the domestic river cruise market every year.

In 2020, American Cruise Lines introduced the American Jazz and American Melody on the Mississippi River. More are being constructed and will debut in 2022 and beyond.

There will soon be a new entrant to the Mississippi cruise market, Torstein Hagen’s Viking Cruises.

“We look forward to welcoming Viking Cruise Lines to New Orleans in 2022,” said Ragusa. “Viking’s arrival on the Mississippi River underscores New Orleans’ draw as a convenient cruise port and enduring tourism destination. With stops along the Mississippi River, Viking Cruises also represent the future commitment to tourism and economic development for many communities in Louisiana.”

Ragusa said that Viking estimates it will host more than 5,800 guests in the region in 2022. “For the first full-year season in 2023, Viking will bring an estimated 17,600-plus guests to the region for Mississippi River cruises,” she said.

The ship that will be operated by Viking is currently being built at Edison Chouest on Bayou LaFourche in Louisiana. It will hold 386 passengers, 150 crewmembers and costs $90 million. “Sailings for 2023 are already confirmed due to strength of 2022 bookings,” said Ragusa.

According to reports, Chouest will not only be building the vessel but, to ensure Jones Act compliance, will charter it to Viking and arrange U.S. crewing. The exact details of all have yet to emerge.

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Photo Credit: (Left) Canaveral Port Authority; (Right) Port of New Orleans

The Q-LNG 4000 will carry enough supply of LNG to fuel two cruise ships, each for a seven-day itinerary.

Cruising is safe, healthy, and fun!

Cruise Maryland is the gateway to your getaway!

cruisemaryland.com | 1.800.638.7519 | Governor Larry Hogan MDOT Secretary Greg Slater MDOT MPA Executive Director Willian P. Doyle

William P. Doyle

Q & A WITH

WILLIAM P. DOYLE

Executive Director, Maryland Port Administration

By Heather Ervin, Editor in Chief

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ne of the U.S. maritime industry’s best known figures, former Federal Maritime Commissioner William P. Doyle, has been kept busy since Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan appointed him as the executive director of the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) on July 22, 2020.

Baltimore handles more autos, farm and construction equipment than any other U.S. port and, with a 50-foot deep channel, can accommodate some of the world’s largest containerships in the world. Prior to COVID19, the port also had a growing cruise business, handling more than 200,000 passengers on 94 cruises annually.

As MPA’s executive director, Doyle oversees and manages the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore’s six state-owned, public marine terminals.

We talked to him about how the MPA has handled the COVID-19 challenge and what’s ahead for the port.

Marine Log (ML): How did you become acquainted with the port and

22 Marine Log // March 2021

what have been some highlights of your time as the executive director?

William P. Doyle (WD): I know Baltimore well, having lived here at different stages and worked on ships homeported at the Port of Baltimore early in my seagoing career. As a Federal Maritime Commissioner, my area of focus was the mid-Atlantic and North East, so I gained a good deal of insight into the Port of Baltimore. Since I began my term as executive director of the MPA last summer, it has been busy during the COVID19 pandemic. Despite the challenges, we’ve been able to accomplish a lot. We’re moving forward with reconstructing the Howard Street Tunnel and several bridge clearances in Baltimore that would allow double stacking of containers by rail to and from the Port of Baltimore. Having double stack capabilities is mission critical to not just the Port, but to Maryland and the entire I-95 corridor along the eastern seaboard.

Our container business is seeing a remarkable turnaround from earlier COVID-19

impacts, and a major reason for that has been e-commerce because of our close proximity to so many distribution, fulfillment, and sorting centers. The Howard Street Tunnel will seamlessly complement our e-commerce capabilities and the ability to double-stack trains will create opportunities for more business to the Ohio Valley and larger Midwest markets as well as grow jobs at the port.

The project will add about 160,000 additional container businesses for Baltimore annually and generate 6,550 construction jobs and 7,300 jobs when it becomes operational.

We’ve just begun a public comment period on the project’s Environmental Assessment that will continue through March 30. Following the comment period, the project requires final National Environmental Policy Act approval before CSX can complete final engineering and obtain permits. Pending that approval, construction is expected to begin later this year. The Federal Railroad Administration is the lead federal agency for the Environmental Assessment. Doubled stacked container trains should start moving through Baltimore in 2024.

Our cargo business is recovering nicely from early impacts due to COVID. In our most recent figures in January, all our major commodities were up significantly. Our cars and light trucks were up 153.3% over a low point in May 2020 and a triple-digit percentage increase for the sixth consecutive month.

Roll on/roll off equipment was up 27.5% over its low point in June 2020, while general cargo was up 19.8% compared to its June 2020 low—and both of those marked seven consecutive months for double-digit percentage gains. Our containers have also seen strong gains as they were up 6.9% against their June low. In addition, we’ve had 17 “ad hoc” ship calls scheduled from mid-July 2020 through mid-March totaling over 22,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit containers.

We’ve also had some big news on our forest products business. We just had our first ship under our new contract with the Metsa Group of Finland and Logistec Corporation. The multi-year pact is consolidating Metsa’s Mid-Atlantic volumes through Baltimore, with carriers Spliethoff Group and Royal Wagenborg servicing this business. The contract will generate hundreds of jobs and increase Metsa’s footprint at the port, utilizing warehousing structures that have been underused or vacant for years.

As exciting as all of this is, we’re about more than cargo at the MPA. We’re also very

Photo credits: Maryland Port Administration

CEO Spotlight

William P. Doyle

much about coastal restoration and using sediment dredged from our shipping channels to rebuild long-eroded islands. Recently, our partner, the Army Corps of Engineers, and we announced a completed construction of the Poplar Island project while simultaneously announcing plans on our next project—the Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration.

ML: There is no doubt that COVID19 has impacted cruising operations around the world, but can you tell us more about the port’s cruises and whether any improvements are being made during downtime?

WD: We’re very proud to have two of the top cruise lines in the world, Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, homeporting in the Port of Baltimore and serving the cruise market year-round. Our cruise team has been communicating almost daily with both cruise lines during the pandemic, and we continue to do so ensuring that we are ready to cruise once the decision is made to restart services.

We recently completed extensive improvements to our cruise terminal that include new VIP areas, renovated bathrooms, new signage, and other interior upgrades. We’re also installing TWIC readers at the request of the cruise lines. Further, we have outfitted the terminal with a new Customs and Border Protection operations center.

There’s nothing more important than the health and safety of our cruise passengers, port workers, and ground transportation personnel. In frequent discussions with our cruise partners, we are always making certain we are compliant with all CDC protocols. We have stringent personal protective equipment requirements and procedures in place. The CDC has mandated that all passengers and ship crew members be COVID tested and have body temperature checks. The cruise lines will administer these testing and temperature checks. As we continue to ensure we are CDC compliant and protecting the safety and health of all persons passing through our cruise terminal, we are moving toward a contactless environment.

ML: And despite COVID, the port has reported a sharp increase in cars and containers for the fifth consecutive month in February. Do you see this trend continuing this year and what other trends do your see happening there?

WD: We’re very encouraged with the

The MSC Elena docks at the Port of Baltimore. rebound of our cars/light trucks. During the early stages of COVID-19, auto plants, distribution networks, and supply chains were severely impacted. However, the recent months have been very encouraging. We have seen a very impressive recovery for this industry and our numbers at the Port of Baltimore as detailed above prove that.

We have four on-dock auto processors and a quality program unmatched by other ports.

Tradepoint Atlantic has more than 3,000 acres at Sparrows Point and is seeing incredible growth. It recently welcomed Volkswagen and BMW into the fold. We have a great supply chain that works very well together and will help us come out on top. As far as containers, like we discussed earlier, our proximity to so many distribution and fulfillment centers has made us the e-commerce port.

ML: A container repair depot operated by Ports America Chesapeake at the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal is being relocated to an off-dock location to accommodate the port’s growth in container volume. Can you tell us more about this and how the move will improve operations?

WD: The move of the container repair depot provides more space for container handling and improves overall operational efficiencies for truckers. Our public-private partner Ports America Chesapeake operates our Seagirt

container terminal and the repair depot.

Ports America has partnered with Marine Repair Services Inc. to provide container repair and maintenance at the new facility. The acreage gained by relocating container maintenance and repair will also allow for the development of an additional gate complex, providing a more fluid container delivery and pick-up experience for our valued truckers. Ports America Chesapeake is also adding additional gantry cranes in the Seagirt yard.

ML: Finally, what’s to come over the next year or two? Are there plans in the works for expansion?

WD: We already talked about the Howard Street Tunnel, but we are equally excited about a second, 50-foot deep berth at Seagirt that will allow the port to handle two ultralarge ships at the same time. Working with Ports America Chesapeake, dredging for that project is currently underway. Four new additional Neo-Panamax cranes are scheduled to arrive in the summer and will be operational later this year.

We are also reconstructing and renovating our car and Ro/Ro berths at our Dundalk Marine Terminal to better accommodate the larger and heavier pieces of ro/ro equipment that we handle. Like with autos, Baltimore handles more high and heavy farm and construction machinery than any other U.S. port.

Reconstructing our berths will help to ensure our standing as the top car and Ro/Ro port in March 2021 / Marine Log 23

Q&A

A Q&A

WITH INTERNATIONAL SALVAGE UNION President Richard Janssen

T

hough spectacular salvage and wreck removal projects continue to hit the headlines, the ocean salvage industry continues to face pressures that has seen some major players leave the market in recent years.

We asked Smit Salvage Managing Director Richard Janssen, who is president of the International Salvage Union, to give us some insights into the state of industry.

income for ISU members. It now accounts for approximately 50% of income. In 2019 (latest figures), for example, 101 wreck operations were reported with a gross income of US$ 284

ML: To an outside observer, the salvage industry would seem to be shrinking— with Ardent being one of the latest names to disappear. Is there now a danger of under-capacity in the worldwide industry?

RJ: The salvage industry continues to face economic pressure. The demise of Ardent means that over just a few years, companies like Titan, Svitzer, and Mammoet have all been lost to the industry. I believe that it remains an open question whether the capacity of the industry is satisfactory and whether its capability is aligned with the risks run by underwriters. It is essential that professional salvage service remain available globally.

ML: Salvage operations often seem to involve the deployment of assets from a number of players. Are there any statistics on the size of the industry in terms of numbers of salvage tugs available?

Marine Log (ML): The two salvage cases that have been most in the headlines in the past year have been wreck removal cases—the Wakashio in Mauritius and the Golden Ray in the U.S. What percentage of the salvage industry’s business has wreck removal accounted for in recent years? And how much has been accounted for by emergency response?

Richard Janssen (RJ): The International Salvage Union’s (ISU) statistics show that the trend has been for wreck removal income to increase as a proportion of the overall 24 Marine Log // March 2021

A controversial wreck removal last year saw the forebody of the bulker Wakashio sunk in deep water after it broke up following grounding on a reef off Mauritius.

Photo Credit: (Top) St. Simons Sound Incident Response; (Bottom) Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio

One of the most complex wreck removals currently underway is that involving the dismantling of the capsized car carrier Golden Ray from St. Simons Sound, Ga. Here, the Barge 455-8 deballasts as it receives the stern of the wreck from the giant heavy lift vessel VB-10000, which is using a chain strung between its twin gantries to cut the vessel into eight sections.

million—59% of total income, which was US$ 482million. It means that other sources of income—largely emergency response work— produced US$ 198 million.

The International Group of P&I Clubs’ (IG) analysis of the cost of wreck removals established that the location of the wreck and the requirements of the authorities are the key drivers of cost. There have been a small number of notable, complex, and costly cases but these are not the norm. The 2019 ISU statistics indicate an average of US $2.8 million gross income per wreck removal service. The scale and cost of Golden Ray and Wakashio are outliers.

Q&A

RJ: ISU does not keep statistics on the number of salvage tugs available. But it is now uncommon for salvage companies to keep salvage tugs “on station” at strategic locations.

Many ISU members have their own vessels, but the economics of the industry means that they are often used in diversified tasks such as ocean towage and harbour or terminal towage as well as for salvage. It is not unusual for salvors to cooperate and use each other’s vessels and equipment in the provision of services and for suitable craft and equipment to be chartered for specific jobs.

ML: What vessel types are most often in need of salvage assistance? There seem to be increasing incidents of containership fires and losses of containers overboard?

RJ: Generally, and this is likely due to how this vessel type is represented in the world fleet, general cargo vessels and bulk carriers are the vessel types most often in need of salvage assistance with propulsion failure or grounding being the most common casualty situations.

Containership fires are a concern to the ISU and also to the insurance industry and, anecdotally, they seem to be increasing but ISU does not keep statistics on the class of vessels to which its members provide services. The increase in container trade and the increase in the size of boxships over the past 15 years have been well noted. Containerships present particular challenges to salvors but there are many examples of ISU members successfully reducing losses of both containerized cargo and containerships when they have been casualties.

Photo Credit: International Salvage Union

ML: The revenues for the industry reported in ISU statistics (2019 gross revenue for ISU members was US$ 482 million) seem low in comparison with vessel values. Does this indicate that salvors work on tight margins?

RJ: Well, competition between providers, increased operating costs, and reductions in the number of cases have combined to create a difficult economic climate for salvors. The reference to vessel values is only relevant for a particular type of salvage contract, the Lloyds Open Form (LOF), and other contracts are characterized by a time and material basis.

The rewards are governed by the type of contract that the service is provided under and consequently the level of financial risk that the contractor is taking. The salvor will assess numerous variables including the state of the vessel and its potential salved value (ship

and cargo), the weather location, and so on.

Increasingly, contractors operate on commercial terms rather than the traditional “no cure, no pay” basis.

Awards for work done on a “no cure, no pay” basis are judged on a number of criteria, including the salved value of the vessel and cargo and the dangers that they and the salvor were exposed to. The values associated with some maritime adventures are now vast, but there is an established legal principle in “no cure, no fee” cases that the salvage award should be fixed with a view to encouraging salvage operations but should not be disproportionately large.

Insurers and salvors need to work cooperatively together because they serve the same client, the shipowner.

ML: Could you say something about initiatives the ISU is involved in with BIMCO to come up with a new standardized wreck removal contract?

RJ: The standard BIMCO wreck removal contracts (WRECKFIXED, WRECKHIRE, WRECKSTAGE) were last updated a decade ago and the contractors, shipowners and insurers agreed that they needed to be revised.

ISU is therefore working cooperatively with the IG and others to update these BIMCO contacts and to consider how best to assess and apportion risk fairly in wreck removal work. The two associations are also working to revise their Code of Practice regarding the tendering process for wreck removal contracts. The work is at an early stage and is not expected to be concluded until 2022.

ML: Could you say something about Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF) contracts?

These seem to be falling from favor.

What are the dangers in this? Also, what sorts of contracts are being entered into place of them?

The decline in the use of LOF has been well documented in the past decade and

there are various explanations for that. ISU is clear that LOF remains the best contract for many emergency response situations and promotes its use. LOF facilitates rapid intervention in a casualty situation and time is often critical in the early stages of an incident.

Quick action by a professional salvor can prevent a casualty becoming an expensive catastrophe with environmental damage.

Alternative contracts include the BIMCO towage contacts, commercial terms and variants of marine services contracts. These all need to be negotiated before action can be taken, which can cause critical delay and contrary to an LOF require the shipowner to prefund the entire operation.

ML: What can shipowners—and their insurers—do to ensure that when something goes wrong, there will be a salvor available to help?

RJ: A realistically funded salvage industry with the equipment and expertise to prevent marine disasters is essential for shipowners, insurers, and wider society.

Insurers and salvors need to work cooperatively together because they serve the same client, the shipowner.

Environmental protection is arguably the most important factor in political and industrial decision-making. ISU members have a proud record of preventing environmental damage. For example, the ISU’s pollution prevention survey statistics from 2019 (latest figures) show that its members provided services to vessels carrying 2.3 million tonnes of potential pollutants. It is a vital service for shipowners and their insurers in addition to prevention of loss of property.

Richard Janssen, International Salvage Union President March 2021 // Marine Log 25

TUGS &OPERATIONS TOWBOATS TANKER

Why Tanker Operators Have Their Eyes on OPEC and IMO

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anker operators are at a crossroads. Those that are in it for the long haul have to make critical investment decisions on what technology they will put into ships ordered today that will have to meet IMO emissions curbs that will get ever tighter throughout their service lives. Meantime, though, tanker owners are paying as much attention to the oil producers in the so-called “OPEC+” group as they are to IMO. That’s because what happens to oil production and oil prices will be key to future tanker demand.

Right now, as major tanker companies file their financials for the full year and fourth quarter of 2020, most are telling a story of a year that started off well, but that ended in pain.

Euronav, for example, reported a net loss of $58.7 million for the quarter compared to a profit of $154.2 million in the same quarter last year.

“The last quarter of 2020 and the present market conditions are amongst the most challenging 26 Marine Log // March 2021

in recent memory for crude tanker operators,” said CEO Hugo De Stoop. “COVID-19 restrictions continue to impact operations and more importantly the demand for crude oil. This has led OPEC+ to extend production cuts. As a result, the market remains unbalanced with too many ships chasing too few cargoes.”

“In 2020, Frontline recorded its strongest result since 2008, but the fourth quarter of the year reflect the challenging conditions tanker markets experience, as record volume of oil inventories are drawn,” Lars Barstad, Interim CEO of Frontline Management AS commented as that company released its full year and fourth quarter 2020 results.

“When global oil markets switch from drawing on inventories, to call on equal volumes from the marketplace, growing demand for freight should be expected,” said Barstad. “At this point in the curve, we believe Frontline is well positioned to capture a recovery for tankers with our low cash breakeven levels and a spot exposed fleet of

modern fuel-efficient vessels.”

At Teekay Tankers, President CEO Kevin Mackay commented that “crude spot tanker rate weakness persisted into the fourth quarter of 2020 as a result of OPEC+ production cuts resulting from reduced oil demand related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the unwinding of floating storage.”

“Despite the pronounced weakness in the fourth quarter and unprecedented challenges faced throughout 2020,” he continued. “Teekay Tankers, nevertheless, reported one of our best ever annual results.”

Looking ahead, said Mackay, “we believe that the underlying tanker supply fundamentals remain positive and should result in meaningfully improved tanker market conditions as the global economy and oil demand return to more normal conditions. Based on our forward view, we opportunistically entered into a seven-year in-charter agreement for a newbuilding eco-Aframax at an attractive rate, which we anticipate will deliver into a strong

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/ Montenegro

By Nick Blenkey, Web Editor

TANKER OPERATIONS

the production levels of March for the month of April, with the exception of Russia and Kazakhstan, which will be allowed to increase production by 130 and 20,000 barrels per day respectively, due to continued seasonal consumption patterns.”

As this was written, it seemed likely to many observers that OPEC+ could soon raise exports.

Poten’s bottom line conclusion had been: “The timing of the tanker market recovery remains uncertain, but there are clear indications that a recovery in oil demand can quickly translate into higher tanker rates.”

The OPEC+ decision to keep production down, however, initially sent oil prices up. Bad news for those of us who can’t afford Teslas— and for tanker owners. tanker market in the fourth quarter of 2022, enabling us to increase our scale in a less capital-intensive manner.”

Photo Credit: BIMCO

What do analysts see ahead?

While the tanker market has started the year 2021 with historically low rates, Poten and Partners, in a note released February 26, says, “The outlook for oil demand has brightened in the face of several vaccines that are being administered worldwide and oil prices have recovered strongly as a result.”

However, Poten acknowledges that vaccines are only part of the story and says that ongoing production discipline from the OPEC+ countries (as well as a one million b/d bonus cut by Saudi Arabia) have also been a major contributor to the surge in oil prices.

At the time Poten issued its report, it seemed likely OPEC+ would ease production restraints. That didn’t happen. On March 4, the group released a statement that said, in part “The Ministers approved a continuation of

BIMCO sees low demand persisting Taking a less rosy view of things than many, Peter Sand, an analyst at BIMCO, says that after a turbulent year, low demand looks set to plague the market in the coming months combined with too many ships fighting for too few cargoes in both the crude oil and oil product segments.

Sand’s full analysis can be accessed via the BIMCO website (bimco.org) and is worth some serious study, including his views of the prospects for U.S. crude oil exports, particularly in relation to Chinese demand.

“Unlike in Europe,” notes Sand, “Chinese refinery throughput was quick to rebound from its fall at the start of the pandemic ... Over the year, Chinese crude oil imports rose by 7.3%, slightly down from the 10% growth in imports in both 2018 and 2019, but still considerably outperforming the rest of the world.”

“Towering above the total growth rate of 7.3%, Chinese crude oil imports from the U.S.

rose by 211.3% in 2020 compared with 2019, as Phase 1 of the U.S.-China trade agreement meant an extra 13.4 million tonnes of crude oil being sent across the world. Over the year, Chinese imports totaled 19.8 million tonnes, leaving the U.S. as the ninth biggest exporter of crude oil to China. This list is dominated

by Saudi Arabia and Russia from where China imported 84.9m tonnes and 83.6m tonnes, respectively. The two provide 31.1% of all Chinese crude oil imports.”

“The many years of strong growth in U.S. crude oil exports has provided much-needed demand for tanker shipping,” says Sand. “This is especially the case when considering the much longer sailing distances between the U.S. and the Far East—the largest import market— compared with that between the Middle East and Far East.”

But Sand sees “worrying clouds on the horizon” for U.S crude oil exports, citing higher production costs compared with other producers, and the fact that 2020 has squeezed profit margins and investments.

Also worth study are Sand’s analyses of the tanker fleet size.

At 2.5%, the oil product tanker fleet growth expected by BIMCO is on par with the 2.4% increase in the market experienced in 2020. Crude oil tanker fleet growth is expected to decline from 3.3% in 2020 to 1.5% in 2021, closing in on its low point of 0.9% advance in 2018.

So far this year, 26 crude oil tankers have been delivered, totaling 3.7 million dwt, along with 16 oil product tankers with a combined capacity of 1.1m dwt. Over the year, BIMCO expects oil product tanker deliveries to reach 5.7 million dwt, and crude oil tanker completions to fall from 18.7 million dwt last year to 14.2 million dwt this year.

Sand notes that, since start of the year, the March 2021 // Marine Log 27

TUGS & TOWBOATS TANKER OPERATIONS

a Handysize tanker. This action alone brings crude oil tanker demolition so far in 2021 to levels comparable with those in the whole of 2020. Only four VLCC were demolished last year, along with three Suezmax, six Aframax and three Panamax ships. In all, 21 oil-product ships were scrapped in 2020.”

BIMCO expects crude oil tanker demolitions to rise to around 7 million dwt, this year, with product tanker demolitions expected to rise from one million dwt in 2020 to 1.3 million

Facing the Decarbonization Challenge

When it comes to decarbonization, it is undeniable that the shipping community is collectively facing a challenge that requires us to do nothing less than consider how we alter our entire energy needs and move towards cleaner fuels. This issue will gain even further traction in 2021. The mantra for success is based on agility and flexibility; what are the opportunities to improve our current fleet, sell or recycle existing tonnage, and build more advanced and decarbonization friendly tanker designs?

In order to achieve the ambitious goal to decarbonize our industry—a goal that Stena Bulk fully supports—we believe that we must take every action necessary. As a progressive voice in shipping with a focus on sustainability excellence and a vision to have a sustainability impact, at Stena Bulk we constantly push b o undar ies in ord er to

28 Marine Log // March 2021

Outlook Sand’s conclusion? “The slow recovery in global oil demand means many months of hardship ahead for tanker shipping, with too many ships fighting for too few cargoes— unless something unexpected once again rattles the market.”

By Erik Hånell, President and CEO of Stena Bulk

innovate and champion multiple pathways—even if not all of them will reach full market fruition.

That’s because, as sustainability pioneers, we do not want to wait and see what others in the sector do. We are advantaged by having access to our Stena Sphere partner organization Stena Teknik, which helps us guide and realize a range of newbuild and retrofit projects and allows us to see future fuels trials as sensible and achievable, rather than speculative.

Being one of the leaders in the maritime industry’s sustainability journey, we always support the idea that shipping needs to embrace more partnership and collaboration to tackle its biggest challenges. Decarbonization is no exception, and we always welcome initiatives that allow us to join forces with other industry partners to facilitate innovation and progress in this space.

In January 2020, steel cutting for our state-of-the-art IMOIIMeMAX methanolfuelled 49,900 dwt vessel Stena Pro Patria commenced. This vessel will be the first of the three methanol-fuelled tankers to be built under our joint venture with Proman Shipping. Each of these vessels will use 12,500 tonnes of methanol as a marine fuel per annum, significantly reducing emissions

in their commercial operations compared to conventional marine fuels.

These new methanol-ready vessels will benefit from several design and technical improvements to optimize energy and fuel efficiency. The latest generation MAN dualfuel engines will feature revolutionary new water and fuel emulsion technology, which significantly reduces NOx emissions without the need for costly catalytic conversion technology. Additionally, the vessels will also be equipped with the latest energy efficiency technology, including continually controlled combustion, optimized tuning, redesigned and aerodynamic hull lines, and an energy shaft generator, reducing fuel consumption and helping to meet strict emissions criteria.

We also continue to explore other options in terms of future fuels and clean technologies. A recent trial we carried out of sustainable marine biofuel, for example, enabled an 85% reduction in CO2 across one voyage.

We believe that taking on big innovation challenges is in line with being commercially sensible against the backdrop of a radically changing maritime sector—and that taking these challenges on now will drive further commercial success in the future.

Photo Credit: Stena Bulk

orderbook for both crude oil and oil product tankers has dropped, as fewer new tankers have been ordered (2.5 million dwt) than have been delivered, reflecting concerns over the outlook and the current state of the tanker freight market for both ship types.

“The poor market conditions are also starting to be reflected in tanker demolition activity,” says Sand. “COSCO singled itself out in January by announcing that it was scrapping five VLCCs, three Suezmaxes, one Panamax and

dwt this year.

As well as rising demolitions, the poor outlook for oil tanker shipping is reflected in the resale value of second-hand ships. In January 2020, the average resale value for a 5-year-old VLCC was $75.5 million; the average this year is $64.5 million—a loss of $11 million in 12 months. Values of second-hand oil product tanker ships have fallen slightly less, with a 5-year-old LR1 losing just under 10% of its value over a year.

“Compared to a straight-line depreciation over 20 years,” says Sand, “current VLCC values are between 10% and 20% lower, with a five-year-old VLCC closest to its straight depreciation value, and a 10-year-old ship the furthest away.”

TECH SPOTLIGHT

Communications links must be dependable no matter what the conditions.

Lost in the Sea of

CONNECTIVITY SUPPLIERS? How to solve communications needs with the right expertise

Photo Credit: Telenor Satellite

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By Julian Crudge, Director at Telenor Satellite

elenor Satellite, which began its operations in 1980 serving oil rigs off the Norwegian coast, now provides satellite communications services to the maritime sector throughout the North Atlantic and Europe, Middle East and Africa regions, as well as broadcast and land-based services.

Julian Crudge, director at Telenor Satellite, explores how the maritime sector can make sure its connectivity suits its needs, even in the harshest conditions.

Obtaining consistent connectivity has historically been a challenge for the maritime community and, as a result, it has taken some time for the industry to fully

embrace digitalization and the many benefits it brings.

That is rapidly changing and has, indeed, become a standard for many operators, and vessels worldwide are now connected to the internet, relying on technology in ways that would have been unheard of not very many years ago. And the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has likely accelerated maritime digitalization still further, as travel and quarantine restrictions are changing the way we interact.

The importance of reliable connectivity is particularly crucial in the more northerly regions, where conditions are among some of the harshest in the world. For the vessels

operating in these areas, communications links must be dependable despite the high sea states, hostile weather conditions and extremely low temperatures, all of which come together to create a demanding working environment.

Requirements by Vessel Type Of course, communications requirements will change from vessel to vessel depending on the operations involved, but, on the whole, it is fishing vessels and offshore support vessels that are going further north in the Barents Sea or to Newfoundland.

For fishing vessels, the strict regulations and mandatory reporting to which they March 2021 // Marine Log 29

TECH SPOTLIGHT

Analyzing Your Needs When deciding on a communications provider, it is vital to carry out an analysis of needs. A good analogy is choosing a mobile phone service. Consider all the potential uses for the service and then break them down into percentages to get a better idea of the package that will be best suited. With satellite communications, the same applies.

Will the internet be used intermittently, for example, for making phone calls and the odd bit of browsing—in which case the needs will be relatively small? Or will the ship be operating an “office at sea” with all the requirements for data uploading and downloading that results?

Another aspect to consider is mobility, and also where the vessel(s) will be predominantly operating, during the course of the contract. Coverage varies according to provider and it is essential to look at what coverage is needed before making a decision. When traveling frequently to the outer edges of coverage, the speed of the service may not be as good as when the vessel is firmly in the center of the coverage map. However, the extent to which this is an issue depends on the type of service chosen and the size of the antenna selected for installation on the vessel.

Chartering Makes a Difference Many vessels are operated on a charter basis and this can have an implication for the type of service needed. By definition, charter vessels are used for set periods of time, followed by limited usage when off charter. That being the case, whatever service you choose needs to be flexible with the ability to upgrade to a high profile when in use and downgrade when not on charter. In fact, flexibility is a benefit to all users of satellite communications as vessels may have greatly varying requirements over time, so it is unattractive to be tied up to a fixed agreement with limited flexibility.

Ka Band Versus Ku Band Which brings us on to Ka and Ku band.

30 Marine Log // March 2021

When researching service providers, the inevitable choice will be between these options. Ku band operates in the frequencies in the 14 to 14.5 GHz range, and Ka band operates in the 26.5 to 30 GHz range. Neither service is inherently “better,” but each offers different benefits, which may be more suited to the operator’s specific needs.

For a global vessel operator, it is probably easiest to opt for Ku band because there are far more service providers who provide global Ku band services, so there will likely be a better geographical coverage. However, a regional operator would want to consider Ka band, which can provide a service equally good as on Ku band.

One definite advantage of newer Ka band satellites is that they operate using spotbeam technology (HTS or High Throughput Satellites), where small, high-powered spotbeams provide higher bandwidths and allow for smaller antennas to be used. The alternative wide beam technology often associated with Ku band works well and offers wide coverage, but performance is generally weaker, resulting in lower data rates.

In terms of terminals, HTS satellites can also operate well with smaller antenna, down to 60 centimeters in diameter, or even 45 centimeters in the future, so if space is at a premium that is another consideration. It must be said, however, that a larger antenna (which can operate with either Ka or Ku band) will support higher data rates overall.

What to Look For Although every ship operator is different, there are certain things that should always be considered, and these apply particularly if operating in the northerly regions where conditions are tougher.

A supplier with a manned 24/7 customer support center will be able to respond promptly to any issues that arise and that can be vitally important when it comes to critical operating systems. Having access to someone with the expertise needed to resolve an issue quickly can minimize the impact of a break in connectivity.

If an owner knows that needs are likely to fluctuate, the choice should be a supplier who can increase and reduce the speed of the vessel’s service quickly and efficiently, and without incurring additional fees each time a switch is made. An owner unsure of the vessel’s needs at the start of the contract should make sure that it is sufficiently agile to adjust as requirements change.

All service providers will offer a Maximum Information Rate (MIR) and a Committed Information Rate (CIR) and this is an area to explore carefully. The MIR is the best data

rate achievable, for instance, if the vessel is in the center of the beam and with favorable weather conditions, and other users are lightly using the service, while the CIR is the data rate the provider guarantees, generally in all weather conditions and 24/7/365.

Therefore, an operator needs to carefully consider what service profile to order. So, those processing large amounts of time critical data will need a high CIR and a high MIR all of the time, however, if you only require this high data rate for a limited period and the application is not time critical, or critical to operations, a higher MIR and lower CIR would be acceptable. This is a decision that will have a large impact on the price of the service received.

Satellite communications providers talking about the look angle of their satellite and this is one aspect, which influences the likely quality of the service. Broadly speaking, an operator needs a look angle exceeding 10 degrees in the area where the vessel is mainly sailing, to ensure a reliable service, although satellite systems can work reliably down to 5 degrees elevation. There aren’t many companies offering good coverage in northerly regions, so make sure to question this if that is where you are working.

Universal Service Quality As with most imperative decisions you will make, you need to look into the reputation of the supplier, ensure that they have the experience and expertise needed and to bear in mind that one generally gets what one pays for—so don’t opt for the cheapest option if reliable internet is critical to your business needs.

Julian Crudge, director at Telenor Satellite

Photo Credit: Telenor Satellite

must adhere increases the need for seamless connectivity that keeps the links to shore open. Similarly, oil rigs and offshore vessels process large amounts of data, and robust connectivity is absolutely business critical.

But, wherever in the world a ship is operating, when it comes to safety and operational efficiency, they all need a certain amount of guaranteed connectivity to ensure constant communications between all critical systems on board and on shore IT infrastructure.

NEWSMAKERS

Lloyd’s Register Makes Key Executive Team Appointments PHILIPPA CHARLTON has been named chief marketing officer at Lloyd’s Register, where CEO NICK BROWN has executive leadership team appointments that also MARK DARLEY as business director - marine and offshore, and ANDY MCKERAN as business director maritime performance services.

THOMAS ALLEGRETTI has been elected chairman of the board of the Coast Guard Foundation.

He first joined the board in 2006.

Most recently, Allegretti served as the senior executive officer of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), where his 35-year career including service as president and CEO for 26 years.

The owners and board of directors of Bellingham, Wash.-based shipyard All American Marine (AAM) have appointed RON WILLE as its next president.

MATT MULLETT, owner of AAM, will continue to serve as CEO and special advisor to the management team. Wille joined AAM in 2018 as its business development manager.

Previously, he had a decade long business relationship with AAM, working at Kenai Fjords Tours in Seward, Alaska.

Irving Shipbuilding, Halifax, Nova Scotia, has appointed KEVIN MOONEY as president. Mooney, who previously worked at the General Dynamics NASSCO Shipyard, joined Irving in August 2020 as chief operating officer.

TODD RIVES has joined the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) as vice president and chief commercial officer. He succeeds BOBBY LANDRY, who will retire after 31 years with the port, and comes to Port NOLA with 15 years experience at ocean carrier CMA CGM, most recently as vice president for marine sourcing, managing $1.7 billion in U.S. maritime operations.

JASMINE GONZALEZ was welcomed to Elliott Bay Design Group’s team of marine professionals as a senior project coordinator, bringing with her a broad background of marine industry knowledge and experience gained through previous employment at a Pacific Northwest tug and barge operator, a shipyard and a salvage company.

JOB BOARD

HIRE THE BEST

MARITIME TALENT

Credit: LR, AAM, PortNOLA

Recruit and hire the best maritime talent with Marine Log’s online job portal

To place a job posting, contact:

JENNIFER IZZO P: 203-604-1744 F: 203-857-0296 jizzo@mediapeople.com

March 2021 // Marine Log 31

TECH NEWS World’s Largest 3D Printed Metal Propeller Gets BV Certification

The propeller was produced at Naval Group’s Nantes-Indret site

32 Marine Log // March 2021

RECOTUG Ops Center

Are Remote-Controlled Tugboats a Commercial Reality?

WITH PLANS to eventually conduct commercial remote tug operations in the Port of Copenhagen, Svitzer—the Maersk Group’s towage specialist—has signed an agreement with Kongsberg Maritime and ABS to develop RECOTUG, the world’s first fully operational, fully remotely controlled tugboat.

Svitzer’s contributions to the project will include its operational experience and a newly built tugboat along with crew and tug specific technical solutions. Kongsberg Maritime will provide the remote control systems and the autonomous technology and lead the integration of systems and technology. ABS will provide the guidance and expertise necessary to obtain regulatory approval.

The aim is to develop a tug able perform a full towage operation with all operations controlled from a remote operations center.

An objective is to attain classification society and flag state approval, ultimately permitting Svitzer to conduct commercial remote tug operations in Copenhagen.

The project is a continuation of a Svitzer/ Kongsberg Maritime (formerly RollsRoyce Marine) project announced in 2017 that centered on the remotely operated

navigation of the tug Svitzer Hermod in the Port of Copenhagen.

As a result of the project, the partners safely conducted a number of remotely controlled, non-towage specific maneuvers on water. From the quayside in Copenhagen harbor, the vessel master, stationed at a remote operating center, berthed the vessel alongside the quay, undocked, turned 360 degrees, went for a sail and safely docked again.

Svitzer says that the near-shore environment of harbor towage, where it operates, is well suited for remote control.

“While we are still several years away from seeing remotely operated tugs with no crew on board in commercial operation, there is no doubt that advanced autonomy is progressing fast across the maritime industry,” says Ingrid Uppelschoten Snelderwaard, Svitzer’s global COO. “At Svitzer, we are determined to be at the forefront of the innovation in this space to ensure we are well positioned to meet changing demands.

We start with one tug and explore from there how to best leverage technology, improve safety and efficiency and meet our customer’s demand for reliable and cost-efficient services, also in the future.”

Photo Credit: Svitzer/Kongsberg Maritime/ABS, Naval Group

CLASSIFICATION SOCIETY Bureau Veritas (BV) has certified what it says is the largest metal 3D printed propeller.

Manufactured by France’s Naval Group, the propeller has a 2.5-meter diameter and five 200 kg blades and will be mounted on a Tripartite-class minehunter, making it the first propeller produced with additive manufacturing technology to be used to equip an operational military ship.

Attaining military grade naval quality standards requires rigorous development and BV has been involved at every step of the propeller’s manufacturing and testing process, working closely with Naval Group.

• Define the qualification plan for the process; • Define the production testing and inspection plan for the 3D printed parts; • Witness manufacturing steps and testing; and • Verify the quality records and test reports.

“Being the trusted certification partner for this innovative and demanding project has been an opportunity to demonstrate how Bureau Veritas brings expertise and added-value as a partner for innovation,” said Laurent Leblanc, senior vice president - technical and operations at BV Marine & Offshore.

“Including Bureau Veritas from the very beginning was vital for us to reach our goal of bringing the Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing process from its research and development stage to actionable industrial standards,” said Emmanuel Chol, director of Naval

TECH NEWS

New Los Angeles Pilot Boats Feature Furuno Helm Suites

Photo Credit: Furuno USA, NYK LINE

TWO NEW 56-FOOT PILOT BOATS recently delivered to the Los Angeles Pilot Service are equipped with full suites of Furuno marine electronics.

Built by Vigor’s Vancouver, Wash., shipyard, the Camarc-designed Angels Pilot and Angels Navigator have been outfitted with complete integrated helm suites designed to assist in their mission of piloting ships in and out of Los Angeles Harbor, the busiest seaport in the western hemisphere.

T h e h e l m s u i te s f e a t u re a Fu r u n o black box NavNet TZtouch2 TZT2BB multi function display connected to both 19-inch and 24-inch multi-touch displays, the MU195T and MU245T. With the ability to output full HD video in multiple aspect ratios, this combination of black box MFD and dual HD monitors maximizes space at the helm, allowing for an efficient workspace.

The TZT2BB can be controlled from either of the multi-touch displays with a newly enhanced user interface, or from the MCU002 Remote Control at the helm.

E a ch ves s e l is e qui pp e d w i t h du a l DRS6ANXT solid-state Doppler radars that provide key benefits to enhance the safety and security of the crew, such as Target Analyzer and Fast Target Tracking.

Target Analyzer automatically changes the color of approaching targets from green to red, allowing the navigator to instantly identify hazardous targets.

Fast Target Tracking produces immediate, accurate tracking information for targets, displaying a course vector as well as the target’s speed, as well as sounding an alarm for approaching targets.

Furuno Senior Product Manager Eric Kunz was directly involved with configuring the Furuno NavPilot 711C Autopilot to work flawlessly with the Jastram Steering System aboard the twin-rudder-equipped pilot boats.

NavPilot 711C’s dynamic adjustment of essential parameters during navigation is stored in system memor y and continuously optimized to make the system more versatile.

“The Navpilot 711C system has flexible interface capabilities, prov iding simple ‘Take-Over’ and ‘Control-Release’ logic signaling,” said Kunz. “The Furuno Navpilot 711C is a perfect match for the Jastram steering control or any manufacturer’s system.”

Angels Pilot and Angels Navigator are also equipped w ith Furuno’s 30-watt LH5000 loud hailer, SC33 satellite compass, FA170 AIS, and RD33 data organizer.

The electronics were selected by the Los Angeles Pilots Association in conjunction with Furuno USA and procured through Mackay Marine of Tacoma, Wash.

Installation was performed by Superior Marine Services Inc. while the vessels were near completion in Vancouver.

LNG-Fueled Foursome Will Have WinGD iCER Engines FOUR LNG-FUELED PCTCs ( Pure Car/Truck Carriers) just ordered by Japan’s NYK Line will be the first vessels in the world to be equipped with WinGD’s X-DF2.0 iCER main engines.

The iCER technology enables the engine to consume less gas and reduces GHG by cutting methane e mis s io ns f ro m ex hau s t g as by approximately 50%.

Measuring 199.9 meters long by about 38 meters beam, the vessels will have a capacity of about 7,000 cars and will also be equipped with battery hybrid technology to further improve fuel efficiency by mitigating main engine and electrical generator load fluctuations.

NYK says the use of LNG fuel, together with these new technologies and other developments such as hull modification, will contribute to a reduction of SOx emissions by 99 % compared to ships bur ning heavy fuel oil.

Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions will be cut by 96%, and CO2 emissions by approximately 40% or more (per unit of transportation).

The ships will be built at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) Company Ltd. and will be delivered from 2022 to 2023.

They are planned to be assigned to transport vehicles mainly to/from Europe and/or to the Middle East.

WinGD provides designs, training and technical support to engine manufac turers, shipbuilders, ship operators and owners worldwide.

Head q uar tere d in W inter t hur, Switzerland, since its inception as the Sulzer Diesel Engine business in 1893, it carries on the legacy of innovation in design.

Since 2016, W inGD has b e e n wholly owned by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).

March 2021 // Marine Log 33

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34 Marine Log // March 2021

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SAFETY FIRST

How Communication Impacts Safety Culture

T

he U.S. towboat, tugboat and barge industry is unique to say the least.

The inland waterways humbly create countless jobs that are essential in serving the nation’s economy. Just as pivotal to our role in supporting the men and women who keep these vessels in operation is our duty to communicate effectively with them.

Communication from shoreside staff to mariners not only gets barges from Point A to Point B, but also consequently impacts an organization’s safety culture.

As safety professionals and operations leaders, how we communicate with onboard mariners is of paramount importance. The industry is often challenged with the potential for a “vessel to shoreside” gap.

For some carriers, vessels may be dispersed throughout the country, proving difficult for routine, face-to-face interactions with onboard personnel. Exploring the impacts of shoreside communications may be key in checking the pulse of the health of an organization.

Diving Deep A couple of years ago, Canal Barge Company did exactly that. Chronic unease was present as we assumed that our mariners may not have been receiving the communications that we intended to share with them.

Partnering with the corporate communications team, we took a deep dive and conducted a safety communications survey in which we posed questions to our mariners, such as: • During your last hitch, do you recall seeing a safety bulletin?

36 Marine Log // March 2021

• If so, do you recall the key messages?

• Do you prefer text messaging to email?

Videos to documents?

Our findings presented clear opportunities for improvement.

Not surprisingly, our mariners preferred shorter messaging and video to written documents, but the medium in which they wished to receive them varied. In response, we examined new and innovative ways to engage our people with the goal of continually improving upon them. To ensure we successfully reached our target audience, we expanded and made available our safety communications using multiple forums.

The company portal (intranet), email, text, file sharing, and social media are some of the ways we share messages in an attempt to better reach our audience per the preferences stated in the survey.

To increase the likelihood of message retention and to combat disengagement, we altered the approach on how we historically broadcasted safety messages, such as bulletins.

The once “text only” bulletins are now redesigned to be more visual and coupled with a short video recapping the high points to better align with the safety communications survey and cater to different styles of adult learning. Safety and operations leaders invest valuable time drafting and perfecting safety bulletins, lessons learned, and memo after memo.

However, none of these have potential to be effective if there is a lack of awareness as to how our methods of communication impact safety culture.

A 24/7/365 operation such as the marine business requires robust communication to and from our mariners to execute the business, operate safely and share info from the front lines to aid in decision-making. While shoreside staff is often a lifeline for crewmembers, unfortunately, they can also be the source of poor communication.

Because shoreside staff are only in the office during the week, when poor communication is sent, the staff often doesn’t become aware of the error until critical time has passed. This may lead to an erosion of trust. Our daily interactions with crewmembers either foster a good safety culture or chip away at it.

Do shoreside safety and operations personnel fully understand the words we choose and the tone in which we say them?

When we choose words like “fast” or “hurry,” have we clearly communicated that we want the job done safely?

Of course, we intend for the operation to result in a safe outcome, but that may not be so clear to crewmembers.

Are we putting safety at the forefront?

Before we begin a conversation with a mariner, do we ensure that they are in a good position and safe to talk?

If we don’t, we may put internal pressure on them to “drop everything” and talk to us, creating a distraction and potentially a hazardous condition. It may be perceived as though what we do or must talk to them about is more important than their task at hand. Do we keep commitments? If not, our words are counterculture to safety. The old adage “actions speak louder than words” stands true.

Although we may think our communications are sufficient, organizations should foster the quality tool of the Continuous Improvement Cycle of Plan, Do, Check and Act. I can assure you the reality is that we can all do better. Doing so may lead to a stronger safety culture built on trust, paving a path to sustainable safety results.

CODY SANDERS Safety and Quality Specialist Canal Barge Company Inc.

Photo credits: Shutterstock.com/ curraheeshutter

Confronting Reality

Series 9100 Digital Communication System installed on the new 13M ZH-1300 OB Interceptor demo boat from Zodiac Hurricane

The David Clark Series 9100 Digital Marine Communication System “Zodiac has worked closely with reliable partners including

David Clark for the intercom system, combining both hard-wired and wireless technology. The installation and integration of the Series 9100 Digital System on our ZH-1300 OB was easy and smooth. And whenever questions arose David Clark representatives were always very responsive.

Jeanne Metayer Technical Project Manager, Zodiac Hurricane Technologies

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The Series 9100 Digital Communication System is ideal for crew members on board patrol/SAR and interdiction/interception craft, workboats, off-shore service vessels, tug and salvage boats, fire boats and more.

For more information visit www.davidclark.com or call 800-900-3434 to arrange a system demonstration.

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