WorkBoat January 2018

Wind Power • Exteriors • Research Vessels ®

IN BUSINESS ON THE COASTAL AND INLAND WATERS

On Parade The 38th International WorkBoat Show.

JANUARY 2018

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Visitors to the International WorkBoat Show check out a 38' JANUARY 2018 • VOLUME 75, NO. 1

Defiant-class patrol boat from Metal Shark. Photo by Kirk Moore

FEATURES 18 Focus: Wind Shift Offshore wind must navigate political waters.

22 Vessel Report: Study Hulls A look at several research vessel projects around the U.S.

32 Cover Story: Show Acts Coverage of the 38th International WorkBoat Show.

18

BOATS & GEAR 26 On the Ways • Eastern Shipbuilding delivers an articulated tug-barge trailing suction hopper dredge to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock • New 86' ferry for Washington state from Latitude Marine Services • Seven companies bring boats to the WorkBoat Show: Metal Shark, Scully’s Custom Aluminum Boats, Brunswick, Safe Boats, North River Boats, Lake Assault Boats, Hanko Aluminum Boat Works • New 28' rescue vessel for Minnesota county from Lake Assault Boats • River-class vehicle ferry for North Carolina from Bollinger Shipyards • Bouchard to build another ATB at two Gulf shipyards • Foss to produce and market a new version of the Damen ASD 2813 tug

36 Good Looking Designers seek ways to improve a boat’s outward appearance.

22

AT A GLANCE 8 8 9 10 10 12 13

On the Water: Capable mariners — Part II. Captain’s Table: My visit to the WorkBoat Show.

Energy Level: Offshore vs. onshore.

WB Stock Index: Five straight increases for WorkBoat stocks.

Inland Insider: Barge lines’ financial health.

Insurance Watch: Commercial hull claims.

Legal Talk: Vessel owner’s turnover duty.

NEWS LOG 14 14 15 15 17

Corps of Engineers’ Asian carp plan under fire.

New York ferries sidelined by corrosion problems.

Captain, deck officers cited in NTSB’s final El Faro report.

Mate fell asleep before ATB grounding.

New Travelift for Yank Marine.

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

DEPARTMENTS 2 6 38 43 44

Editor’s Watch Mail Bag Port of Call Advertisers Index WB Looks Back

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Editor'sWatch

Still showing up

T

he hard times in the offshore sector have now affected a third consecutive International WorkBoat Show.

But this year, it was a bit different.

Instead of running into people that, like last year, were prepared for the worst, most said business was generally OK. Yes, an exhibitor or two thought it was slower this year, but they were outnumbered by those who told me that this was their best show ever. For the most part, people seemed satisfied, without some of the doom and gloom forecasts that I heard a year or two ago.

In my informal survey of about 20 or so exhibitors that I usually conduct on the show’s final day, I didn’t hear any big complaints. A few said that they had fewer visitors this year while others said they saw more. All of them, however, said the quality of the people that visited their booths ran high.

A good indicator are the shipyards.

Several that I talked to on the show floor and at the annual Significant Boats awards breakfast said that their booths were buzzing and they were continually busy fielding inquiries. And with the offshore sector down, I heard reports that several shipyards were looking into building again in hot sectors like passenger vessels.

For the most part, the show was more upbeat and active than I thought it would be. Among the highlights for many was the annual conference program.

Walter Cruickshank, the acting director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, was the featured speakers at the Offshore Program. He was upbeat. He said that the first lease sale of the Trump administration in August was the biggest in history — 76 million

David Krapf, Editor in Chief

acres — and the next one in March 2018 will be even bigger at 77 million acres.

He said the recent sale was “by no means a barn burner,” bringing in about $137 million from 27 bidders that bid on about 90 tracts, some 508,096 acres in all.

Oil prices are low, and “there are not a lot of good prizes left to find” in the Gulf of Mexico, said Cruickshank. But he pointed out that the Gulf remains “the breadbasket” of offshore energy that provides 18% of U.S. oil production, and there is still a lot left.

And there is still a lot left for the next WorkBoat Show.

dkrapf@divcom.com

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WORKBOAT® (ISSN 0043-8014) is published monthly by Diversified Business Communications and Diversified Publications, 121 Free St., P.O. Box 7438, Portland, ME 04112-7438. Editorial Office: P.O. Box 1348, Mandeville, LA 70470.

Annual Subscription Rates: U.S. $39; Canada $55; International $103. When available, extra copies of current issue are $4, all other issues and special issues are $5. For subscription customer service call (978) 671-0444. The publisher reserves the right to sell subscriptions to those who have purchasing power in the industry this publication serves. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, ME, and additional mailing offices. Circulation Office: 121 Free St., P.O. Box 7438, Portland, ME 04112-7438. From time to time, we make your name and address available to other companies whose products and services may interest you. If you prefer not to receive such mailings, please send a copy of your mailing label to: WorkBoat’s Mailing Preference Service, P.O. Box 7438, Portland, ME 04112. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to WORKBOAT, P.O. Box 1792, Lowell, MA 01853. Copyright 20 18

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www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

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PUBLISHER

Jerry Fraser jfraser@divcom.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF

David Krapf dkrapf@divcom.com

SENIOR EDITOR

Ken Hocke khocke@divcom.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Kirk Moore kmoore@divcom.com

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Capt. Alan Bernstein • Bruce Buls • Michael Crowley • Dale K. DuPont • Pamela Glass • Max Hardberger • Kevin Horn • Joel Milton • Bill Pike • Kathy Bergren Smith Dylan Andrews

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(207) 842-5508 • Fax: (207) 842-5509 Producers of The International WorkBoat Show, WorkBoat Maintenance & Repair Conference and Expo, and Pacific Marine Expo www.workboatshow.com Chris Dimmerling (207) 842-5666 • Fax: (207) 842-5509 cdimmerling@divcom.com Theodore Wirth Michael Lodato mlodato@divcom.com

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www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

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Touts the benefits of the Jones Act

I

n the November issue of WorkBoat, the News Log includes three items directly related to the Jones Act — the report on the sinking of the El Faro, the temporary presidential waiver eventually granted for Puerto Rico hurricane relief, and a Congressional waiver obtained by Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes, Wash.

As an engineer and native of another once great shipbuilding nation, Great Britain, I understand the importance of the U.S. maintaining a strong shipbuilding and repair base. There can be little doubt that without the might of the U.S. shipbuilding industry the British would not have been able to withstand Germany in World War II. In my adopted homeport of Seattle, there are numerous examples of the benefits bestowed by the Jones Act, from oceangoing steel tugs and highspeed aluminum passenger ferries to the endless variety of commercial fishing vessels at the Port of Seattle Fishermen’s Terminal. However, as it approaches its centenary, Senator Jones’ original laudable intentions are clearly acting in unintended ways.

The El Faro was over 40 years old, with manifest and tragically fatal defects, including lifeboats that would have been familiar to the crew of the Titanic. Its replacement, the NASSCO, San Diego-built, LNG-powered, Marlin class, were designed by Daewoo of Korea with their German-designed main engines also built in Korea by Doosan.

Pending the completion of this and other fleet upgrades, Puerto Rico’s shipping needs, highlighted by Hurricane Maria, are still being met by older vessels, including oversized barges, such as Crowley’s La Reina, pictured in the November News Log on a 1,000-plus-mile ocean crossing from Jacksonville, Fla., to San Juan, P.R. Strangest of all is the news from Dakota Creek, a long-established and well-respected shipbuilder here in Washington state, a state that has decreed that its numerous ferries don’t 6

just have to be built to Jones Act rules, they must be built right here in state.

Given this level of federal and state support for a key industry, can it really be the case that no U.S. source exists for double-curved hull plate sections, requiring them to be purchased from a Dutch supplier? The website of a Dutch “shipbuilding press” builder, (www. neiland.com) states that double-curved plates “typically form around 15% of an average ship’s hull.” It seems incredible that the solution to this technical issue lies in obtaining a Congressional waiver, rather than ensuring that the right tools for the job are available where the work must be done.

If the Jones Act is to return to obscurity, where it can best perform its intended functions, then the nationwide community of businesses together with their highly skilled workers and crews who rely on its protection must ensure that any future headlines highlight successes rather than failures.

Put more simply, “don’t spoil the ship for a ha’p’orth of tar.”

as ID,” he said. What? My federally issued MMD with a photo and nationality clearly marked are not acceptable?

Nor is my TSA-issued TWIC card? So, they will not accept their own card?

What kind of hypocrisy is this? I need it to keep my MMD valid, but they do not accept it.

He did give me a web address to make an appointment (universalenroll. dhs.gov). I asked if I could just make the appointment in person while I was here. No, you must go online. I now have to make another trip to an office I never wanted to go to in the first place.

I have been asked to show my TWIC once in the 10 years I have possessed it.

I once tried to show it to a TSA agent at the airport. The agent did not know what it was. I am sure the contractor for this program loves it. I do not.

It is way past the time to get rid of this do nothing piece of paperwork for credentialed mariners.

Joshua Kaberon 1,600-ton master/towing Seattle

Malcolm Harker Seattle

More TWIC nightmares

F

or mariners, the TWIC card should go the way of the dodo bird. After recently jumping through all the hoops to renew my MMD, I am now attempting to renew my TWIC. It seems that every time I need to renew this document the TWIC offices have moved here in Seattle. So I Google it and find the new location.

By doing that it directs me to a TWIC website. But can I make an appointment there or link to it? Why of course not, so I decided to just go to the office and roll the dice.

The gentleman at the desk was very polite and asked what I needed. I replied that I wanted to renew my TWIC. He asked if I had a passport, enhanced drivers license, or birth certificate to prove my citizenship. I told him I have my MMD and my non-expired TWIC card. “Sorry we do not accept those

Columnist is a small business advocate

I

want to thank Capt. Alan Bernstein for the article in October 2017 issue of WorkBoat (“Advocating for small business,” Captain’s Table, page 8).

I am a small business that operates along the Delaware River in Philadelphia. The redundancy in regulation is a bottleneck for opportunities. I watch multimillion-dollar companies afforded the luxury of easily passed permits and inspections, while little guys like me get hacked for a bottle of ibuprofen that is one month out of date.

Thanks for pointing out to the multiple groups of regulators that their redundancy is becoming a cost factor and allowing the monopolizing by larger companies to take place.

Jeff Kemner Owner/CEO Diversified Mechanical Repair Inc. Philadelphia

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

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On the Water

Capable mariners — Part II

T

By Joel Milton

Joel Milton works on towing vessels.

He can be reached at joelmilton@ yahoo.com.

he shipdocking scenario I described in my previous column, and the equipment used to accomplish the long-distance deployment of the mooring lines, is a rare sight in most places that seafarers operate, especially the U.S. That’s because the use of the bolo has been deemed too inherently dangerous to survive into the “modern” era, which has become progressively more and more risk-averse. The bolo has been largely phased out and replaced with more benign technology like the now-ubiquitous orange plastic ball.

A proper bolo is an old-school apparatus comprised of a length of genuine 550 cord (shotline, paracord or Type III parachute cord) with a weighted end and a wooden toggle. This permits it to get up the momentum and the mariner to control and throw it for distance. The weighted end was traditionally a small rectangular leather pouch

Captain’s Table

Five reasons why I love the International Workboat Show

T

By Capt. Alan Bernstein

Alan Bernstein, owner of BB Riverboats in Cincinnati, is a licensed master and a former president of the Passenger Vessel Association. He can be reached at 859-292-2449 or abernstein@ bbriverboats.com.

8

he International WorkBoat Show, held last month in New Orleans, is one of my must-see events of year. Here are five reasons why: • The energy and excitement that is generated at the Workboat Show is impressive and attending this important industry event is always a highlight of my year. As mariners, we work hard all year long and the chance to come together with our peers at the show is exhilarating. No matter the state of the economy or current business conditions, it is great to gather as an industry to learn, share stories and catch up on the latest news and trends.

• As a vessel owner and operator, I know that everything I need for my vessels will be showcased on the exhibit floor at the show. My marine crew carefully explores each aisle at the show, examining the products and services offered by over 1,000 exhibitors. They always return with armloads of literature and, of course, ideas for new purchases.

filled with lead shot and a brass grommet on one end, to which the cord is attached. Real mil-spec paracord is very strong, but it’s small-diameter nylon line (about 4mm, or 5/32") with a nominal breaking strength of 550 lbs.

The qualities of this apparatus create a supremely effective means of getting a line to shore, particularly in very high winds and/or over long distances. In short, a bolo performs where even a similarly prohibited monkey’s fist won’t cut it.

In the right hands a bolo can sail like a guided missile. But like any tool it follows what I call the “4x2 rule.” The rule says that the more a tool can do for you, the more it can also do to you or others. There is no free lunch. The tool requires real skill and good judgment. Or you can just use the orange plastic ball.

But suppose you have problems maneuvering in bad conditions or have a sudden steering failure and/or loss of propulsion on short final? Or, what if your assist tug breaks down? What if you just need to get your lines out? Do you want the outcome to depend on the orange plastic ball?

• The people that I meet at the Workboat Show are special. As I renew old acquaintances and make new ones, I realize how exceptional the U.S. marine industry really is. It is filled with hardworking, creative and dedicated people and this show is responsible for bringing us together year after year.

• The keynote addresses are always interesting.

This year, Adm. Mark Buzby, the newly appointed administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration, delivered a “hell, fire and brimstone” keynote address defending the Jones Act. Buzby stated that the media did not have the facts when it said that the Jones Act hampered Puerto Rican hurricane relief. He said that at one point there were more than 5,000 containers on the dock in Puerto Rico waiting to be transported by truck.

• Finally, using the Passenger Vessel Association’s booth as my base of operations, I was thrilled to be able to meet many of you who regularly read this column. I value your opinions and I look forward to receiving your comments in the coming months.

Please accept my best wishes for the New Year and I hope to see you next year in New Orleans at the 2018 Workboat Show.

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

WORKBOAT GOM INDEX WORKBOAT GOM INDICATORS

Energy Level Offshore vs. onshore oil production

Sept. '17

Oct. '17

51.85 22 25.4% 9.5

51.91 20 25.4% 9.6*

WTI Crude Oil Baker Hughes Rig Count IHS OSV Utilization U.S. Oil Production (millions bpd)

Sources: Baker Hughes; IHS Markit; U.S. EIA

By Bill Pike

56.21 20 26.6% 9.7*

50.18 23 27.9% 8.7

*Estimated

GOM Rig Count

T

he New Year looms, and with it comes a spate of unanswered questions.

The two main questions for the workboat industry are if the price of oil will sustain and encourage offshore exploration and development in U.S. waters and whether new opportunities will surface for operators to expand U.S. onshore production. The answer to the first question is “maybe” and the answer to the second is “probably.”

Our friends at OPEC and their nonOPEC partners continue to work in our favor. They agreed late last month to extend their commitment to maintain production cuts of 1.8 million bbls. per day through the end of next year, a move that could push U.S. crude prices toward $60 bbl. (I’m guessing more than $60 since we are almost there now). That’s good news, but it is dependent on U.S. shale production.

At $60 or more per barrel, the temptation is strong for shale operators to up the ante with new drilling, completions and production.

As noted in a recent Houston Chronicle article, “as oil prices climbed in the third quarter, U.S. producers locked in higher prices through long-term contracts for almost 900,000 barrels per day, more than double the amount contracted in the previous three-month period,” according to energy research firm Wood Mackenzie.

“For most of these guys, $60 oil means they have the cash flow for the first time in many years, after cutting and cutting,” said Wood Mackenzie analyst R.T. Dukes.

While a number of companies have sworn off expanded exploration and development expenditures in the wake of higher prices, their resolve is questionable.

The second question regarding new opportunities for operators on U.S.

Nov. '17 Nov. '16

25 20 15 10

11/16

11/17

5 0

1

2

3

4

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properties is easier to answer. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, acting for the Trump administration, recently directed the Bureau of Land Management to ramp up sales of oil and gas leases on federal land. He wants leases sold at least every 90 days and drilling permits processed in 30 days, a procedure that,

7

8

9 10 11 12 13

with proper environmental reviews, requires substantially more time, said The New York Times.

It’s a continuing conundrum. The price of oil goes up, shale developers ramp up. The price of oil goes down, and offshore interests lose.

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www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

9

WorkBoat Composite Index Stocks up again in November

T

he WorkBoat Composite Index rose 70 points in November, or 3.3%. The Index has now risen five consecutive months. Despite the increase in November, losers topped winners 16-13.

All indices were again in the black in November.

Among the top percentage losers for the month was Tidewater, which emerged from bankruptcy in July, shedding about $1.6 billion in debt. In November, interim CEO Larry Rigdon, INDEX COMPARISONS Operators Suppliers Shipyards Workboat Composite PHLX Oil Service Index Dow Jones Industrials Standard & Poors 500

10/31/17 321.64 3601.12 2887.65 2152.11 132.38 23377.24 2575.26

who took over the position in October after leaving Tidewater 15 years ago, held his first earnings call.

Rigdon pulled no punches during the Nov. 9 call with analysts, echoing his peer Todd Hornbeck of Hornbeck Offshore Services in painting a gloomy picture of the offshore market. He said that the market continues to be “very challenging” and didn’t expect to see any big improvement in the near term.

Even though oil and gas prices have improved recently, “it will take a long 11/30/17 327.78 3717.32 3018.43 2222.29 133.55 24272.35 2647.58

NET CHANGE 6.14 116.19 130.78 70.18 1.17 895.11 72.32

PERCENT CHANGE 1.91 3.23 4.53 3.26 0.88 3.83 2.81

Inland Insider

The financial health of barge lines

A

s 2017 winds down, the prices of transportation stocks are soaring, moving ahead of the overall rise of stock market indices.

For example, the iShares Transportation Average ETF invested in U.S. airline, railroad and trucking companies traded at share prices in the range of $165 for over half of 2017. In early December share prices increased to nearly $190.

After a weak performance during much of 2017, transportation equities rose rapidly on the prospects of economic growth and revisions to the corporate tax rate. Barge lines are not included in any of the publicly traded transportation stocks because, with the exception of Kirby Corp., barge operators are owned by private corporations or are subsidiaries of other public corporations.

Historically, financial analyses of 10

barge lines have been extremely limited by these conditions. In the 1970s there was a midsize barge line, Twin City Barge, which was publicly owned and reported. As a result it was frequently used as a bellwether of the larger industry. Similarly, American Commercial Barge Line traded publicly for about a decade before it was sold and acquired

by Platinum Equity for $777 million in 2010.

Railroads represent a similar orientation to bulk cargoes that dominate the barge industry. Thus, rail can be a useful indicator of the overall financial health of the barge industry with appropriate caution. Allowances have to be made for the different geographic markets served, the significant intermodal volumes of railroads as opposed to none for barge lines, as well as the barge lines orientation to the bulk cargo foreign trade market.

time for improved product pricing to evolve into additional capital spending by our customers in the offshore markets,” Rigdon said. “Even with an improvement in future capital spending offshore, the offshore marine support industry has a very large oversupply of ships of almost every type that will have to be put back to work or retired before we see a rebalancing of the market and sustained increases in OSV day rates.”

Because of this oversupply, Rigdon said, day rates will continue to languish at around the breakeven point until the OSV oversupply is absorbed.

Rigdon was around for the last big offshore downturn from 1982 to 1993.

While not predicting that the current downturn would last that long, he said he believed that OSV operators were still facing a “couple more years before we begin to see considerably better times for our industry.” — David Krapf

The record financial performances of railroads in 2017 suggest that barge lines are healthy.

Major railroad stock prices are up about 30% during 2017, with most

By Kevin Horn of the increase occurring in the last two months. Rail traffic volume in 2017 has only been slightly higher than 2016 but reported corporate earnings have exceeded expectations.

Transportation stocks, including rail, are poised for major gains in 2018 after a slow recovery late in 2017. The increased values of these stocks should be a good barometer of prospects in the barge sector for similar financial performance.

Kevin Horn is a senior manager with GEC Inc., Delaplane, Va. He can be contacted at khorn@gecinc.com.

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

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Insurance Watch

Commercial hull claims

T

he 2017 hurricane season left severe damage in its wake. As a result, we received a large number of claims from vessel owners. Here are few hull policy provisions that could apply to insured vessels damaged by storms.

• New for old: Back when commercial vessels were mostly built of wood, there was a one-third deduction placed on any covered repair to compensate for wood deterioration over time. With steel now the primary material for building commercial boats, this deduction has mostly been removed and repairs are to be done “new for old” without deduction. However, check your policy just in case.

• Wages and maintenance of crew: Depending on the circumstances of the claim and repair there may be coverage for crew wages and lodging. Check with your agent.

• Sighting vessel’s bottom: After a grounding you have coverage to get your boat hauled, even if there is no damage determined after the haul out.

But don’t expect to get a free bottom paint job, as this is expressly excluded from this provision.

• Non-owned property: If you have equipment on board that does not belong to the owner of the boat but is used in the operation of the boat, there is coverage available. Either the value of the equipment (if the insured owns the equipment) or the contractual amount assumed, whichever is less, is covered.

• Unrepaired damage: If you have unrepaired damage due to a covered claim that does not impair your vessel’s seaworthiness, you may continue your

voyage or season and complete the repairs at your next scheduled overhaul or drydock. This allows

By Chris you to keep your Richmond vessel in service and avoid loss of income.

One of the most important aspects of a vessel claim is to promptly report everything to your agent. He or she should be able to assist you through the process.

If you are filing a commercial hull claim, you have already suffered one loss. You should not have to suffer another while navigating through the claims process.

Chris Richmond is a licensed mariner and marine insurance agent with Allen Insurance and Financial. He can be reached at 800-439-4311 or crichmond@allenif.com

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www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

Legal Talk

Shipowner turnover duty

S

ometimes a vessel is safest when at sea. Although the sheltered waters of a harbor may present fewer hazards than heavy seas caused by winter storms, there’s something to be said for being underway.

Underway is when a ship is battened down tightly and a minimum number of people are stirring about. In contrast, a ship in port is often a hub of bustling activity. Hatch covers are open and people go in and out of cargo holds and machinery spaces. This poses risks that a ship at sea doesn’t face.

With many shoreside people moving about a vessel, a concept known as “turnover duty” comes into play. It covers a vessel owner’s duty to those who come aboard. This was recently addressed in a lawsuit filed by a longshore worker under the Longshore and

Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). LHWCA covers people who are not Jones Act “seamen,” such as longshoremen and shipyard workers.

In the aforementioned case, the worker was descending a ladder as he held a piece of rebar that came into contact with a floodlight provided by the vessel owner. He experienced an electrical shock and sued for injuries.

He alleged that the vessel owner was negligent in turning over a ship with a faulty floodlight.

The district court originally awarded over $3.5 million to the worker and his wife. The vessel owner appealed, asserting that the lower court made an error in its jury instructions about turnover duty.

The lower court instructed jurors that one of the duties vessel owners owe to longshoremen is called “the turnover duty of safe condition.” The vessel owner has the duty to turn over the vessel and its equipment in such condition

that an expert and experienced longshoreman would be able, by the exercise of reasonable care, to carry on his work on the vessel

By Tim Akpinar with reasonable safety to persons and property.

The court added that the vessel owner had a duty to take reasonable steps to inspect the vessel and its equipment. The vessel owner argued that these instructions were flawed because they improperly expanded the vessel owner’s obligation to inspect the ship and equipment.

However, the higher court ruled in favor of the worker and said the lower court’s jury instructions were proper.

Tim Akpinar is a Little Neck, N.Y.-based maritime attorney and former marine engineer. He can be reached at 718-2249824 or t.akpinar@verizon.net.

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JANUARY 2018

NEWS LOG Silver carp jump in the Illinois River.

NEWS BITTS N.Y. FERRIES SIDELINED FOR YARD REPAIRS

S

USFWS

ix NYC Ferry passenger catamarans went in for yard work beginning in October to fix corrosion associated with misaligned keel coolers on the Metal Shark-built vessels.

The electrolysis issue was discovered during inspections of the boats, which just came into service in May. A signature project of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, the public ferry venture has been marked by skepticism among the mayor’s political critics. But ferry operator HNY Ferry Fleet LLC, a subsidiary of San Francisco-based Hornblower Cruises and Events, said they and Metal Shark, Franklin, La., were on the case.

“Hornblower has been working closely with our partners … Part of our approved U.S. Coast Guard repair plan includes not only making the repairs to these three vessels, but also bringing in the other three vessels built by this company and making any necessary repairs to them as well,” Hornblower said in a statement in late November. — Kirk Moore

M

aritime interests and three state attorneys general have sharply criticized a Corps of Engineers’ tentative plan for Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Illinois — a control point for keeping voracious Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.

Both sides fault the Corps’ reasoning and estimates in the study. But their conclusions are vastly different.

The American Waterways Operators (AWO) favors nonstructural alternatives, such as overfishing, arguing the plan poses navigation safety and operational issues as well as negative economic repercussions. The states want the lock closed, citing a high risk of environmental and economic damage to the lakes from the fish.

Brandon Road Lock, which handled 11.2 million tons of cargo in 2016, is a major battleground in the war that has pitted states, politicians and businesses against one another for several years.

The proposed plan is in addition to the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) released in 2014 outlining eight alternatives to stop the spread of the carp.

The most drastic would separate the

14

lakes from the Mississippi River basin and cost the barge, passenger vessel, chemical, agricultural and other groups billions. But carp also would threaten the Great Lakes’ $7 billion fishing and tourism industries.

The Corps’ plan for Brandon Road Lock published in August recommends a $275.4 million combination of an electric barrier, underwater noise and a mooring area at the lock on the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Ill. The cost to navigation interests during construction, which could take five years from authorization, is an estimated $26.2 million.

The plan would disrupt the flow of commerce on the Illinois waterways and have a serious economic impact on businesses in Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Texas and elsewhere that “rely upon on-time delivery of commodities via the waterways,” Lynn Muench, AWO’s senior vice president, regional advocacy, said in a letter to the Corps at the close of the comment period in early December.

The engineered channel the Corps said would be built for existing and new technologies “will create a giant,

NYEDC

Critics spurn Corps’ Asian carp control plan

The NYC Ferry Great Eagle was one of six hauled out for repairs.

ongoing science experiment, gravely impairing the reliability of the entire system,” she said. What’s more, the plan “states that the electric barrier poses a moderate to high potential for injury or mortality.” And the complex noise could disrupt communication between mariners and lock operators.

Closing the lock would cost $5.9

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

NTSB faults captain and deck officers in El Faro sinking

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apt. Michael Davidson’s decisions and untimely weather forecasts were top factors in the 2015 sinking of the roll-on/roll-off (ro/ro) containership El Faro, the National Transportion Safety Board concluded after a twoyear, $5.8 million investigation.

But in their final report, NTSB board members also faulted the ship’s deck officers for not being more assertive in challenging Davidson’s decision to maintain his planned course off the Bahamas that took them into the path of Hurricane Joaquin that cost the lives of 33 crew.

“Although El Faro and its crew should never have found themselves in such treacherous weather, that ship was not destined to sink,” NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said at a Dec. 12 meeting in Washington, D.C., to review the findings. “If the crew had more information about the status of the hatches, how to best manage the flooding situation, and the ship’s vulnerabilities when in a sustained list, the accident might have been prevented.”

With 70 findings and 50 safety recommendations, the NTSB report closely parallels findings from a Coast Guard marine board of inquiry. While Davidson’s navigational decisions bore the brunt of blame, investigators also faulted owner Tote Maritime’s safety

Tote Maritime

million and ensure the menacing carp had only a 1% to 3% probability of invading the lakes, attorneys general Bill Schuette of Michigan, Lori Swanson of Minnesota, and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, wrote to the Corps. Under the Corps proposal, silver and bighead carp have a 13% probability of reaching the lakes.

The Corps argues “it is improper and unlawful to put navigation on an equal footing with the stated statutory objective [of the study] to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic species such as Asian carp.” — Dale K. DuPont

Tote Maritime’s El Faro.

oversight, failures in the Coast Guard’s Alternative Compliance Program (ACP) for U.S.-flag ship inspections, and recommended safety reforms including modern SOLAS-grade enclosed lifeboats on all U.S. cargo vessels.

A critical part of the evidence was the El Faro’s voyage data recorder (VDR) that went down with the ship in 15,000' of water northeast of Crooked Island in the Bahamas. A $3.8 million effort by the NTSB, Navy and other partners finally recovered the device.

NTSB analysts over months reconstructed the captain and crew’s conversations on the bridge.

In a summary, the NTSB blamed Davidson, his failure to use current weather information, and the late decision to muster the crew just minutes before the ship sank.

Other contributing factors included “ineffective bridge resource management on board El Faro, which included the captain’s failure to adequately consider officers’ suggestions,” investigators wrote. An open watertight scuttle that flooded a hold led to a recommendation for hatch indicator lights on bridge consoles, and high-water bilge alarms in cargo holds.

From the VDR audio, the NTSB team knew the mates had called Davidson in his cabin three times, suggesting a change of course to no avail, before conditions became critical around 4 a.m. The investigators said it was “difficult to understand” Davidson’s decisions. But the captain may have been overconfident based on his long experience in the North Pacific, they said. Of the hurricane conditions that

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

morning, according to the audio transcript, Davidson said, “This was every day in Alaska.”

But at the end of the proceedings, Sumwalt insisted the mates “were not assertive enough to get the captain’s attention to get him to snap out of this loss of situational awareness that he had.”

A former airline pilot, longtime transportation safety advocate and NTSB board member since 2006, Sumwalt said it was important to note that the failure of bridge resource management on the El Faro included the deck officers.

“Not to be critical or point fingers, but we need to make sure there is a lesson learned for future generations,” he told other board members.

“I don’t think it’s for lack of trying on the part of the crew,” replied board member T. Bella Dihn-Zarr, a public health scientist. Expecting deck officers to go hard against Davidson would run counter to centuries of maritime tradition, she said.

But other board members agreed to include Sumwalt’s point that had the officers “more assertively stated their concerns, the captain’s situational awareness might have been improved.”

— Kirk Moore

Crewman fell asleep before ATB grounding

A

pilothouse alert system — one of the new safety measures being phased in under Subchapter M requirements for towing vessels — might have helped prevent the 2016 grounding of 15

Canadian coast guard

the articulated tug Nathan E. Stewart in British Columbia, according to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The second mate fell asleep in the wheelhouse before the 95.3'×32'×12', 3,400-hp tug and its 287.5'×77.7'×8' double-hulled barge DBL 55 ran aground, en route to Vancouver, British Columbia, after discharging the last of its fuel cargo at Ketchikan, Alaska, on the evening of Oct. 11. The second mate missed a waypoint around 1 a.m. that night and ran aground in the Seaforth Channel, according to the NTSB. Heavily damaged by the grounding and wave action, the tug ultimately sank, releasing a 29,000-gal. fuel spill.

The incident spurred new protests from First Nation and environmental groups who say Canada must do more to protect the Inside Passage from the risk of petroleum spills.

The crew of the Kirby Offshore Marine ATB failed to follow the com-

The tugboat Nathan E. Stewart and barge DBL 55 aground in British Columbia in October 2016.

pany’s safety management system, in that a second watchstander should have been on duty with the second mate, NTSB investigators found.

It was not required equipment, but a pilothouse alerter system — a monitoring system that requires periodic inputs from a crewmember or it sounds an alarm — might have helped avoid the accident, the NTSB report noted.

Those alerter systems are being brought on line as part of the Coast Guard Subchapter M safety requirements.

The tug accident led to a month-long cleanup and recovery effort.

The Canadian government pledged more money and resources for maritime response.

The debate flared anew recently, after a Harley Marine Services ATB separated during a transit off British Columbia. The vessels were safely recovered Nov. 27 with no spills, but the Heiltsuk First Nation renewed its call for a locally based maritime response force. — K. Moore

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www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

T

he second biggest mobile boat lift in the U.S. and largest on the mid-Atlantic coast began operations at Yank Marine Services on New Jersey’s Maurice River in late November.

With an 820-metric-ton capacity, the boat hoist from Marine Travelift, Sturgeon Bay, Wis., is the largest on the East Coast between Norfolk, Va., and North Kingston, R.I., said company president Bette Jean Yank.

“It means we can work on every commercial fishing boat in Cape May (N.J.) and Atlantic City (N.J.). We have opened a whole new market here. We can work on the bigger Coast Guard vessels, like the 87' patrol boats.”

Yank and her husband and company founder John Yank purchased the property in Dorchester, N.J., 12 years ago, attracted by the deep water off Dela-

ware Bay and no bridges like those that limit access to their original shipyard at Tuckahoe, N.J. The $3.8 million lease purchase of the lift is the latest of some $8 million in investment at the Dorchester The new 820-ton Marine Travelift at Yank Marine property. Yank Services lifts the fishing vessel Pacific Capes.

Marine now needs enough trained workers to handle the expected increase The company is working with South Central Louisiana Technical College in work. to develop apprenticeships and attract “You probably have to double the candidates from the Gulf Coast because number of people because the boats are “we can’t find that kind of labor in this bigger and more complex,” said Bette area,” she said. The company is also Jean Yank. They anticipate the new talking with a community college near business generated by the lift will creAtlantic City about possibly setting up ate 30 to 50 permanent jobs including a similar program there. — K. Moore welders, electricians, shipfitters, sheet metal workers and painters.

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17

Wind/Hybrid Power

Wind Shift

Offshore wind, hybrid energy navigate political tides.

By Kirk Moore, Associate Editor

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O

ffshore wind developers are pressing on with plans to start building large turbine arrays off the U.S. East Coast starting around 2020, counting on support from state governments that want more renewable energy.

Massachusetts, New York and Maryland are prepared to follow the lead of Rhode Island, where Deepwater Wind has the nation’s first 30 megawatt, five-turbine project at Block Island.

Companies that obtained federal leases off New Jersey think their prospects are brighter too with incoming Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who supports more renewable energy.

In its first months the Trump administration made no overt moves against offshore wind.

The acting chief of the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Walter Cruickshank, told an

audience at the International WorkBoat Show in December that wind power is still very much on his agency’s to-do list, with more lease sales planned off Massachusetts and the mid-Atlantic.

But the Republican-controlled Congress threw a curve ball with its tax bills, which could eliminate the tax credits that wind power companies still count on — an unexpected move, given the success of onshore wind in Republican-leaning states like Texas and Iowa.

Still wind power advocates publicly express optimism. The new generation of 8- and 9-megawatt turbines coming online now will increase efficiency and reduce dependence on government tax policy and subsidies, they say.

“The next year in Maryland will be a time to secure contracts and begin some of the workforce

Department of Energy

Deepwater Wind turbines off Block Island, R.I.

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

GustoMSC image

CONSTRUCTION VESSELS The need for U.S.-built, Jones Actcompliant wind farm construction vessels got wide industry attention with the November publication of a report commissioned by Northeast state energy agencies and compiled by GustoMS, a design and engineering company based in Houston that has a conceptual design for a 2020s construc-

Deepwater Wind

development and training. You’ll see more tangible results of this industry taking shape,” said Paul Rich, director of project development at Baltimorebased U.S. Wind Inc., a subsidiary of the Italian energy company Renexia SpA, which holds leases off Maryland and New Jersey.

“As we secure contracts with turbine suppliers (we’ll see) what their needs are, what their maintenance requirements may be,” said Rich. That will shape the future workboat fleet for offshore wind — and likely lead to bigger crew transfer and service vessels, as European operators are now planning for.

“The wind farms being built farther offshore need to have that efficiency” that larger wind OSVs would bring with berthing and galley accommodations, and longer sustainability at sea, he said.

The crew transfer vessel Atlantic Pioneer at the Deepwater Wind site in August 2016.

tion jackup vessel.

The study looked at two possible approaches for building wind farms in the region. The first is a self-propelled wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) that would load all necessary components and material in port before transiting to the work site. With dynamic positioning systems used to get precise locations for jacking, the vessel would accommodate about 90 crew and workers.

Another possibility would use at least two feeder barges to shuttle materials to an installation vessel that remains on the work site. Depending on how that is planned, it could take

Rendering of a wind turbine installation vessel.

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

22 months to construct an array of 100 turbines, the report estimates.

GustoMS submitted designs for such vessels to U.S. builders, and Edison Chouest/Bollinger, Conrad Shipyard and World Marine came back with estimates around $87 million for a feeder barge and $222 million for a complete WTIV. Costs could be reduced through the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Title XI ship financing program.

But such a big ticket for starting a new U.S. offshore industry means Atlantic coast states should be cooperating rather than competing with offshore wind, the study suggests. The report’s economic analysis computes that the owners of a pioneering U.S. WTIV would need at least 10 years of work, building 3,500- to 4,000-MW of power capacity, to get reasonable rates of return.

“These vessels are very expensive,” said Rich of U.S. Wind. “The projects need to be actualized so the owners of these vessels know they have a pipeline of work.”

There will need to be several builders and operators, he said, and the vessels will need to be sized for the next generation of machines, with nacelles (cover housing) up to 600 tons mounted nearly 500' above the ocean surface.

“The trend is to go to 12 (MW) and even bigger,” Sergio Garcia, director of business development at DNVGL Maritime Americas, Houston, said at the WorkBoat Show.

19

Wind/Hybrid Power

BETTER BATTERIES FOR HYBRIDS

W

hile Washington politicians fight over alternative energy, vessel designers and builders see continued growth in the market for hybrid and all-electric craft.

Pressure to improve air emission standards is a driver, but even in an era of low fuel prices, operating efficiency is a great motivator.

“We’re talking up to 50% of operational fuel” savings, said Brent Perry, CEO of Plan B Energy Storage, Vancouver, British Columbia.

“Probably the best case now in the maritime industry is the ferry business.”

All American Marine

All American Marine will deliver a 600-passenger hybridelectric vessel for the Red and White Fleet in spring 2018.

Predictable loads and routes can make the hybrid option a choice for ferries and some workboats like wind farm crew transfer vessels, said Perry, whose company has installed 140 battery systems on vessels. There have been significant improvements in battery life and energy density, with batteries that can now serve for up to 8,000 discharge cycles, he said.

Seattle-based Vigor sees big potential in the hybrid market. Public and government pressures to reduce emissions are a big factor. In the Netherlands, Amsterdam has mandated shifting all of its 120 canal cruise boats to zero-emission battery power in 2020 to 2025, noted Jill Mackie, Vigor’s senior vice president for public affairs.

In the Pacific Northwest where the environmental ethic is strong, Washington State Ferries and others are moving toward hybrid and battery technology. The operational profile of vessels can make them good candidates for hybrid or electric. Vigor has looked closely at the Siemens all-electric ferry Ampere in Norway, which shuttles passengers and vehicles, and charges on shore power.

“All-electric is a viable option based on a few factors including trip distance, operating speed, and opportunity for charging time,” said Mackie. “Generally a combination of shorter distances, lower speeds and ample charging time between runs are conditions that support a strong case for all electric.” — K. Moore

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In Europe there are 34 construction vessels, “a young fleet with less than five years” on average, said Garcia.

“However, only eight of them are capable of installing eight-megawatt turbines.”

“To build a vessel in the states, states need to cooperate, not compete,” said Garcia. “To justify the expense of building this vessel in the U.S., you have to have these projects in the pipeline.”

In December wind industry advocates and opponents pressured Congress on the tax bills, part of a lobbying free-for-all as energy interests fought to save tax incentives that help sustain them. Republican proposals aimed to slash benefits for wind and solar, but some offshore industry advocates sided with offshore wind.

With the continued depression in the deepwater oil market, building turbine foundations is one promising market for Gulf of Mexico fabricators.

EAST COAST WIND Wind power critics cheered when the first would-be offshore pioneer, Cape Wind, officially closed out its 16-year project in nearshore Massachusetts waters Dec. 1, announcing it would surrender its 46-square-mile federal lease in Nantucket Sound.

“During Cape Wind’s development period we successfully developed over $1 billion of renewable solar and biomass energy projects and, although we were unable to bring Cape Wind to fruition, we are proud of the catalyzing and pioneering effort we devoted to bringing offshore wind to the United States,” Cape Wind president James Gordon said in a prepared statement reported by the Cape Cod Times.

After years of fighting its adversaries in court, Cape Wind was left on the ropes after prospective power purchasers cancelled their agreements in 2015.

Meanwhile, other developers made moves into federal waters — where

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

opponents still include fishermen and some ocean environment advocates, but not seaside property owners and tourist businesses, who would never see those distant turbines.

Today three developers are lining up tracts off Martha’s Vineyard — Rhode Island-based Deepwater Wind, Vineyard Wind, and Bay State Wind, a partnership between Massachusetts company Eversource and Ørsted A/S (formerly DONG Energy of Denmark).

Wind developers are focused again on New Jersey, where the newly elected Democratic governor wants a big push on renewable energy including offshore wind. Gov. Murphy succeeds Chris Christie, an early backer of offshore wind who pulled back during his pursuit of the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. During his campaign Murphy talked of bringing 3,500 megawatts of offshore wind power to shore by 2030.

21

Research Vessels

Study Hulls Research vessels haul marine scientists and students to fields of knowledge.

By Ken Hocke, Senior Editor

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D

ifferent kinds of research vessels operate in U.S. waters, some bigger and more complex than others. They tend to be operated by local, state and federal government agencies and universities.

The University of New Hampshire’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping Joint Hydrographic Center (CCOM/JHC) operates and maintains two dedicated research vessels — the university’s 48'×17'×4'11" Gulf Surveyor and NOAA’s 34' Cocheco. Designed to operate near shore and in shallow water, the vessels primary research area is around Portsmouth, N.H. The aluminum catamaran Gulf Surveyor was built at Bellingham, Wash.-based All American Marine and designed by Teknicraft Design Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand. Delivered in 2016, the

vessel is Coast Guard certified to carry up to 18 persons on a coastwise route not more than 20 miles offshore.

“We wanted a proven design so we weren’t starting from scratch and having to face the problems usually associated with a first-of-a-kind design,” said one of the boat’s pilots, Capt. Emily Terry. “We’ve had it for two full seasons now, and we’re very happy with it.”

Powered by a pair of Cummins QSB6.7 diesels, producing 247 hp at 2,600 rpm each, the engines turn two 5-bladed propellers to give it a cruising speed of 14 knots and a top speed around 18 knots. When towing scientific instruments, the minimum speed can be as low as 3 knots. Top speed is generally limited to around 8 knots during survey work depending on the sonar mounted. www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

All American Marine

The Gulf Surveyor, the University of New Hampshire’s 48' research vessel.

Corey Adkins

Ship’s service power comes from a single 21.5-kW Cummins Onan, 120/240V AC generator. Running off the genset is a Simrad navigational suite, including a GS25 GPS receiver, an RC42 fluxgate rate compass, DX64s and broadband 4G radars, and an AP70 autopilot.

Communications include a pair of Icom IC-M4240 marine VHF radios, and a Si-Tex Metadata Class B AIS transceiver. Navigation is powered

by Rose Point Coastal Explorer software. Surveying equipment includes an RD Instruments WH Mariner 600 kHz acoustic Doppler current profiler, Odom THP 200/24-4/20 singlebeam transducer, and Trimble Trimark 3 RTK GPS receiver.

The Gulf Surveyor features a 12'6"×9'6" laboratory space, and a retractable transducer strut that vertically moves through a 35"×70" moon pool door. “The strut goes right between

The 56'9" aluminum fisheries research vessel Stanford H. Smith will be homeported in Kewaunee, Wis.

the two hulls of the catamaran,” said Capt. Terry. “You can attach whatever equipment is called for onto the strut, depending on the job, and put the strut back in its place.”

Deck gear includes a Morgan Marine 300.4 hydraulic crane; a DT Marine DT5005EHLWR electro-hydraulic winch; an A-frame with 2,000-lb. capacity; a davit with 200-lb. capacity and motor assisted windlass; and two swim platforms with dive ladder and

tank rack.

FLOATING LABS AND CLASSROOMS In late 2017, Moran Iron Works (MIW), Onaway, Mich., delivered the 56'9"×16'×6'1" aluminum fisheries research vessel Stanford H. Smith to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in Green Bay, Wis. The new vessel provides a larger, faster and more efficient work platform for biologists in

OREGON RESEARCH VESSEL TO BE BUILT AT GULF ISLAND

H

ouma, La.-based Gulf Island Shipyard LLC has been chosen by Oregon State University (OSU) to build a new 193'x41' multimission regional-class research vessel (RCRV).

The keel for the new research vessel will not be laid until some time in late 2018. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is providing funding for the RCRV project. Seattle-based Glosten designed the vessel.

Rapp Marine has been selected by Gulf Island as the overboard handling system single source vendor for the project. Rapp Marine will be responsible for integrating the systems required for science mission and cargo handling operations. The overboard handling systems will consist of the oceanographic winch and hydrographic winch systems, which will supply various tension members to the stern A-

Oregon State University

Research vessel’s hull will be laid in 2018.

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

frame, main crane, and overboard handling apparatus. The portable winch will also supply the tension member used with the portable side A-frame and portable crane.

The vessel is the first in a new series of RCRVs funded with a $122 million grant from the NSF. The boat is the first of three planned for the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. NSF chose OSU in 2013 to be the lead institution on the project for planning and selecting a shipyard. When the next two ships are funded, the total grant could increase to as much as $365 million.

The building program calls for the OSU boat to be delivered in 2020, followed by a yearlong testing program. The follow-on vessels would be delivered in 2021 and 2022. The first vessel will focus on missions in West Coast and Alaska waters in the fall of 2021.

“There will be a full year of testing because there are many interconnected systems to try out,” Demian Bailey of OSU, a co-leader of the RCRV project, said earlier this year. “Any new ship needs to have shakedown cruises, but we’ll have to test all of the scientific instrumentation as well, from the acoustic multibeam seafloor mapping system to its seawater and meteorological data collection, processing and transfer capabilities.

Gibbs & Cox Inc. will perform the functional engineering and design of the first RCRV. The naval architect and marine engineering firm will manage the project from its New Orleans office.

“These ships will be very forward looking and are expected to support science operations for 40 years or longer,” Bailey said. “They will be the most advanced ships of their kind in the country.” — K. Hocke

23

Research Vessels lakes Michigan and Huron.

The boat, which will be homeported in Kewaunee (Wis.), has finished successful sea trials. “Everything is fine,” said Jason Willis, Moran’s project manager. “But because of the weather, it won’t be operational until spring.”

Weighing in at 63,582 lbs. and sporting a draft of 4'6", the new boat features a Kennebec net lifter, Rapp Marine winches and net reel and Kolstrand winch necessary for USFWS personnel to do their jobs. Capacities include 1,160 gals. of fuel oil and 75 gals. water, with a 78-gal. holding tank. The rear deck measures 195 sq. ft. covered and 255 sq. ft. uncovered.

Main propulsion is provided by twin John Deere 6135 SFM85 diesel engines, producing 500 hp at 1,900 rpm each. The engines turn 34'×32' 5-bladed nibral Michigan Wheel props through Twin Disc MGX-5126 marine gears with 2.04:1 reduction ratios.

The propulsion package gives the new

research vessel a speed of 20 knots.

Ship’s service power is provided by a Northern Lights M844 DW3 genset, sparking 16 kW of electrical power.

Preliminary design on the vessel was handled by Seacraft Design LLC, Sturgeon Bay, Wis. Moran Iron helped with the final design and construction drawings.

Duckworth Steel Boats, Tarpon Springs, Fla., launched the 78'×26' research vessel W.T. Hogarth last May. Designed and engineered by Boksa Marine Design, the coastal-class research vessel is for the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO).

The $6 million vessel is longer and wider than its predecessor. It offers more working space, including separated wet and dry labs, a larger work deck, separate galley and more comfortable arrangements for berthing.

“The W.T. Hogarth will be a welcomed addition to FIO’s fleet that will provide exciting new technical

capabilities to enable world-class research and educational opportunities that help Florida understand and preserve its critical marine environment,” FIO director Philip Kramer said at the Hogarth’s christening.

Duke University has received $11 million for the construction and operation of a new 65' state-of-the-art research vessel that will expand teaching and research capabilities at its marine lab.

The vessel will have wet and dry labs, oceanographic equipment, a galley and sleeping quarters. It will be an oceangoing classroom to train undergraduate and graduate students in oceanography and marine biology at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, N.C. Duke has hired JMS Naval Architects, Mystic, Conn., to act as its representative. No shipyard has been chosen yet to build the boat, which is expected to be operational sometime in 2019.

Your one-stop source:

Philadelphia, PA 800-523-3340

Mobile, AL 800-277-6778

Jacksonville, FL 800-277-8280

New Orleans, LA 800-277-6945

» Blast and Prime » Hi-Def Plasma » Laser Plate Burning up to 1-1/8” » 1500-Ton, 45-Foot Pacific Press » Structural Blast » Structural Tees » AH36 Structural Inventory

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24

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

They protect us.

Every day. Every night.

And they need your support.

HHH

The United States Coast Guard Inspire leadership, learning and a legacy of service by supporting the brave men and women of the United States Coast Guard through the Coast Guard Foundation.

To learn how you can help, call (860) 535-0786 or visit our website at www.coastguardfoundation.org Ask About our boAt DonAtion ProgrAm USCG photo by pA1 tom SperdUto

CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS

On TheWays

ON THE WAYS

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co.

Eastern delivers trailing suction hopper dredge ATB

591'4" suction hopper dredge ATB for Great Lakes Dredge.

E

astern Shipbuilding Group, Panama City, Fla., delivered an articulated tug-barge trailing suction hopper dredge in November.

The ATB, made up of the 433'×92'×36' hopper dredge Ellis Island and the 158'4"×52'×32'9" tug Douglas B. Mackie, was built for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. (GLDD), Oak Brook, Ill. Ship Architects Inc., Daphne, Ala., handled the detailed tug design and Bay Engineering Inc. worked on the detailed dredge design. Both designs are based on an Ocean Tug & Barge Engineering ATB concept design.

The tug’s main propulsion is provided by two MAK 12M32C-T3 diesel engines, producing 7,831 hp each, connected to Schottel props through Overton Chicago marine gears. The MAKs also power twin shaft generators each rated at 2,500 kW, 6,600 VAC. The tug is also equipped with a Caterpillar C32-T3 powered auxiliary generator, producing 730 kW of electrical power at 1,800 rpm, and a Cat C18-T3 550-kW emergency genset.

The barge has a hopper capacity of 15,000 cu. yds. and is fitted with twin Schottel STT2 electric, fixed-pitch bowthrusters, producing 800 hp each, powered by the shaft 26

generators on the tug. The dredge pumps are powered by two, 5,000-hp EMD ME20G7C-T3 diesel engines on the barge.

The dredge is classed ABS Maltese Cross A1, AMS, Unmanned Cargo Barge and SOLAS/IMO/MARPOL certified.

In addition, it is USCG certified 33/46CFR NVIC Publications, Subchapter I, Unmanned.

The tug is ABS classed Maltese Cross A1, AMS, ACCU, Oceans Towing Vessel Unlimited Service, ILO, SOLAS/ IMO/MARPOL and USCG certified Dual-Mode ITB, 33/46CFR, Subchapters E, F, G, I, J, M, Q and S. The tug and barge are connected by a Taisei coupler system.

The dredge “improves the competitiveness of our hopper group and represents a substantial reinvestment in our fleet,” David Simonelli, GLDD’s president, dredging division, said in a prepared statement. “The Ellis Island significantly increases the U.S. commercial Jones Act hopper fleet capacity as the largest hopper dredge in the U.S. market, with a carrying capacity of 15,000 cubic yards.”

The ATB’s first job was for the Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program project. — Ken Hocke

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

Master Marine building four 1,600-hp towboats

New 67' towboat is the first of four built to the same design.

Dickson Marine Supply provided a pair of Wintech 40-ton deck winches and New World supplied all of the electronics and communications for the vessel.

All of the boats will have capacities of 10,400 gals. of fuel, 4,359 gals. potable water and 9,500 gals. of ballast water. The boats sport a maximum 7'9" working draft. — K. Hocke

Latitude Marine delivers ferry to Washington state

S

alish Sea islanders in Washington state have a new ride for their vehicles and heavy equipment deliveries, with the arrival of the landing craft ferry Nordland II. The ferry was built for San Juan Ferry & Barge in Friday Harbor, Wash., on San Juan Island.

The 86'×25' vessel was built by Latitude Marine Services LLC, La Connor, Wash., and features a 75'×23' cargo deck open at the stern for cargo overhang. A high pilothouse offset to starboard gives Capt. Marty Starr excellent all-around visibility.

Both those features help the Nord-

San Juan Ferry & Barge

aster Marine delivered the first of four 67'×28' fleet boats, Miss Deborah, to Waterfront Services Co. last fall. The second 1,600-hp towboat was scheduled to be delivered before the end of 2017.

Each boat will be powered by a pair of Laborde Products-supplied S6R2Y3MPTAW Mitsubishi Tier 3 diesel marine engines each putting out 803 hp at 1,400 rpm. The new diesel engines are coupled to Twin Disc MG-5321 marine gears with 5:1 reduction ratios, and E300 electronic controls with R.W. Fernstrum keel coolers.

Electrical power was also provided by Laborde with two Northern Lights M65C13.2S 65-KW Tier 3 electronic controlled generators also with Fernstrum keel coolers. Two Sound Propeller Services 70"×48" 4-bladed stainless steel propellers provide thrust through a pair of J&S Machine Works 7" ABS Grade 2 propeller shafts with all Thordon Marine Industries bearings, Thorplas bushings and shaft seals.

“These boats are nice. The owner is happy and we’re happy,” Steve Authement, part of Master Marine’s business development and sales team, said at the International WorkBoat Show in December. “These boats have the best heavy-duty equipment available and meet Subchapter M requirements.”

Gulf Coast Air & Hydraulics provided the steering system and a pair of Quincy F325 reciprocating air compressors. Schuyler Maritime provided 11"×18" rubber fendering around the entire perimeter of the vessel along with the push knees.

R.S. Price & Son provided the Mitsubishi mini-split heat pump HVAC system on all interior spaces with Blakeney Marine handling all the custom woodwork and interior finishes. Donovan Marine supplied the large aluminum Diamond SeaGlaze windows and Dales Welding and Fabricators furnished the aluminum exterior doors.

Master Marine Inc.

M

land II deliver big cargo with nimble grace in tight quarters.

“It increases the amount of useful deck space without lengthening the boat,” Starr said of the high cab. “I’ve had utility poles 90 feet long. I’ve had excavators on lowboys (trailers) with eight feet or nine feet of trailer deck out from the stern. We deliver in some pretty tight places, like marinas.”

Now in its 41st year, San Juan Ferry started with the original wooden ferry Nordland, joined in 2003 by the Henry Island built by Latitude Marine, which four years later became the company’s sole boat.

“The owners have wanted to build a new boat since the original was retired in 2007,” said Starr. For a few years there was not enough business to justify the project, “but they decided this was a good time to make a long-term investment.”

“Basically we’re a landing craft.

We’re on and off beaches and boat ramps, roll-on, roll-off,” said Starr.

“Out here in the Salish islands there’s dozens of islands that don’t have ferry service.” The Nordland II will also

86' landing craft ferry was built for a San Juan Island, Wash., operator.

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

27

On TheWays

BOATBUILDING BITTS

Lake Assault Boats

ake Assault Boats, Superior, Wis., has delivered a 28' rescue vessel to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Water Patrol Unit in Minneapolis, Minn. The new boat features the Mercury Skyhook Digital Anchoring and Joystick Piloting systems to assist in rescue and recovery operations along the Mississippi River. A pair of Mercury Verado 300-hp engines with digital throttle, shift, and power steering powers the boat. The boats feature Mercury Joystick Piloting and Skyhook Digital Anchoring systems. The systems are designed to significantly improve the vessel’s on-the-water performance by enabling the operator to set precise grids for search and recovery operations and “anchor” the boat in strong moving currents without getting moved off point, or swung back and forth like traditional anchor systems.

In addition, the boat can move side to side or diagonally to gain better angles on objects. The 28' patrol boat is a landing craft style, modified V-hull configuration and is outfitted with a 64" hydraulically operated bow door, and two 34" dive doors. The 9' long pilothouse is CBRNE compliant, with radiation, chemical, and biological detection systems. The boat also features an interior clearance height of 76", a fold-down workstation, and a computer desk attached to the rear of the helm station.

Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), Seattle, has designed a new river-class vehicle ferry for the North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division.

The ferry is being built at Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, La., and is due to be delivered by March 2019.

The new 183' ferry will have room for 38 regular-sized vehicles. It will serve as a replacement for the 22-yearold Thomas A. Baum, a Hatteras-class ferry that carries 26 vehicles. Once built, the new vessel will be the Ferry Division’s first new car ferry since the Sea Level, which was christened in 2012 and also designed by EBDG. Pascagoula, Miss.-based VT Halter Marine launched the second of two new 740'×105'×59' Commitmentclass combination container/roll on-roll off (ConRo) ships for Crowley Maritime Corp., Jacksonville, Fla.

28

28’ rescue vessel from Lake Assault Boats for Minnesota.

VT Halter Marine

L

740' ConRo vessel was launched at VT Halter in December.

The Taino will use liquefied natural gas (LNG). A sistership, El Coquí, was launched earlier this year. Each of the ships is powered by a Man 8S70ME-GI marine engine, producing 26,160 kW (35,054 hp) at 91 rpm.

Running speed is 22 knots. Fueling the ships with LNG will reduce emissions significantly, including a 100% reduction in sulphur oxide (SOx) and particulate matter (PM), a 92% cut in nitrogen oxide (NOx), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will be cut by more than 35% per container, compared with current fossil fuels, Crowley officials said.

Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc., Melville, N.Y., is building another articulated tug-barge at two Gulf shipyards. The 112'×35'×17', 4,000-hp tug Evening Breeze will be a sistership to the ATB tugs Denise M. Bouchard and Evening Star when it is completed at VT Halter Marine Inc., Pascagoula, Miss. With an Intercon coupler system and Tier 4-compliant engines, the Evening Breeze will push B. No. 252, a 317'6"×70'×28', 55,000-bbl. barge under construction at Bollinger Shipyards. The project is scheduled for delivery in early 2019.

Foss Maritime, Seattle, and Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group will produce and market a new version of the Damen ASD 2813 tug, modified to meet the unique demands of the U.S. tug assist and escort market. The first four of a series of at least 10 azimuth stern drive (ASD) tugs will be built at Foss Rainier shipyard in Rainier, Ore., with delivery planned for 2019. The arrangement is similar to the deal struck in October 2016 between Damen and Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) to build 13 ASD heavy-duty, mooring assistance and escort tugs based on Damen’s ASD 3212 design. Those tugs are being built at ECO’s five shipyards with Damen support.

Miller Boat Line, Put-in-Bay, Ohio, has awarded El-

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

Metal Shark’s Damen-designed fast crew/supply boat.

liott Bay Design Group, Seattle, a design contract for a new passenger/vehicle ferry. The ferry will be added to Miller Boat’s current fleet servicing the Lake Erie Islands. The new ferry will be roughly 140' in length with a carrying capacity of 26 standard vehicles and up to 600 passengers. The vessel will be ADA accessible and feature Tier 3 propulsion technology. Special attention was given to design a vessel that improves the loading and discharge times of both vehicles and passengers.

Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark has a new Damen FCS 7011 design available for the U.S. market.

Developed by Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group in response to feedback from the offshore oil and gas sector, the FCS 7011 has been designed to reduce logistical cost and increase efficiencies in an era of low oil prices. The all-aluminum monohull FCS 7011 is a fast, comfortable crew-supply solution for offshore production facilities. The vessel offers increased safety compared to traditional crew-supply vessels, Metal Shark officials said.

Incorporating Damen’s “Sea Axe” bow and a ride control system for roll and pitch reduction, the FCS 7011 offers increased operability in offshore sea states, Metal Shark said. Steerable skegs allow for accurate course corrections, while a gyroscope maintains stability during crew transfer.

The FCS 7011 may be custom-configured to suit individual client requirements. With its size, range, 40-knot speed, and 150-passenger capacity, the vessel allows operators to efficiently service multiple platforms on a single trip for maximum cost savings and energy gains.

Horizon Shipbuilding Inc. has delivered a 60'×18' landing barge to Sunset Key Transportation Corp. The barge provides access to the exclusive Sunset Key Cottages located on a small island near Key West, Fla. The barge replaces the LCM8 boats that were purchased from U.S. government salvage and were refurbished. Detail design was performed by Horizon’s in-house engineering department based on a basic design created by Shipwright LLC, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Horizon enlisted Gulf

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

Horizon Shipbuilding

Metal Shark

Coast Air and Hydraulics to design and supply the ramp hydraulic system.

In November, Philly Shipyard Inc. (PSI) delivered the American Pride, the fourth of four next generation 50,000-dwt product tankers, to American Petroleum Tankers. APT is a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan Inc. The tanker is the 28th vessel built by PSI (formerly Aker Philadelphia Shipyard). The next generation 50,000dwt product tanker is based on a proven Hyundai Mipo Dockyards design that also incorporates numerous fuel efficiency features, flexible cargo capability, and the latest regulatory requirements. The vessel has received LNG Ready Level 1 approval from ABS. The 600' tanker has a carrying capacity of 14.5 million gals. of crude oil or refined products.

Cenac Marine Services has donated a fully refurbished barge to South Louisiana Community College’s Workforce Development Training program. The 158'×40' barge replicates a standard Cenac tank barge and will be used for the training of the next generation of mariners. The barge will be located in Houma, La. SLCC tankerman training will take place there when utilized.

Brunswick Commercial & Government Products (BCGP) has completed a major facility expansion at its corporate headquarters in Edgewater, Fla. The project included a new assembly building for large boat production as well as other facility updates. The new 10,500-sq.-ft. large boat assembly building has already been put to use in building the company’s multiunit orders and vessels over 27', as well as housing the company’s warranty and refurbishments shop. The new building increases BCGP’s manufacturing capacity by 50%.

The first newbuild rail barge in years is ready to work in New York Harbor, with the launch of the 370'×59'×14' car float built by Metal Trades Inc., Yonges Island, S.C. The first of two barges contracted by New York New Jersey Rail LLC can carry up to 18 60' rail cars, with a capacity of up to 2,298 long tons of cargo between Jersey City, N.J., and Brooklyn, N.Y.

New 60' cargo barge from Horizon.

29

On TheWays

METAL SHARK SHOWS OFF IN NEW ORLEANS Metal Shark’s booth at the recent International WorkBoat Show was buzzing with curious attendees. The south Louisiana yard featured three boats — a 29' Defiant class, a 38' Defiant class and the 24' Swamp Shark.

The 31'9"×8'5"×4'5" 29' Defiantclass emergency response (USCG response boat-small) vessel is powered

by Honda BF225 outboards, producing 225 hp at 5,500 rpm.

The 38' Defiant class measures 38'×11'9" with a draft of 2'6" and is powered by a pair of Cummins QSB6.7, producing 542 hp at 3,300 rpm each. That boat was built for the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard.

The 24'×8" Swamp Shark is a prototype military amphibious riverine patrol boat. It’s powered by Yanmar 8LV-370 4.460L V8 outboards, pro-

BRUNSWICK DISPLAYS IMPACT AND JUSTICE MODELS Brunswick Commercial and Government Products brought two models to the International WorkBoat Show floor — its 26'2"×10' Impact 850 Dcollar multipurpose hard-sided RIB and its 28' Justice model patrol boat.

Among the Impact 850’s features are a hybrid air/foam-filled collar mounted to a solid fiberglass gunnel instead of a

Ken Hocke

Metal Shark’s 29' Defiant-class response boat for the Coast Guard.

30

Ken Hocke

SCULLY’S BRINGS TWO MODELS TO THE WORKBOAT SHOW Scully’s Custom Aluminum Boats displayed the 2284VWB and 2684LC models at this year’s International WorkBoat Show.

The 2284VWB measures 20'×8'6" with a deadrise of 12°, 7' (1/4" 5086) bottom, 35" (3/16" 5086) sides, 3" Bulb T-Beam frames, 14" center frame spacing, vertical flange plate longitudinal, 1/8" tread plate gunnel inside, 3" D Rubber gunnel outside, 1/8" tread plate deck, 1/8" tread plate double bottom, twin 250-hp outboards, and a fuel capacity of 80 gals.

The 26'4"×8'6" 2684LC has a 6° deadrise, 7' (1/4" 5086) bottom, 35" (3/16" 5086) sides, 3" Bulb T Beam frames, 14" center frame spacing, vertical flange plate longitudinal, 3/16" tread plate gunnel inside, 3" D Rubber gunnel, 64" clear opening outside, 3/16" tread plate gate, twin 350-hp outboards, with an 80-gal. horsepower rating. — K. Hocke

Ken Hocke

WORKBOAT SHOW BOATS

ducing 370 hp at 3,800 rpm. There is also a Sealegs amphibious propulsion system. — K. Hocke

Ken Hocke

deliver cargo and commodities that cannot be shipped on Washington State Ferries, such as bulk gasoline, he said.

Propulsion comes from twin John Deere 6090 AFM 85 engines rated at 285 hp each at 2,100 rpm, turning 4-bladed stainless 34" propellers on 3" Aquamet 22 shafts through ZF W325 gears.

On deck, a DMW Marine Group 95.45A3 knuckle-boom crane has a load lifting range of 3,946 lbs. to 13.7' and 1,631 lbs. to 30'6". — Kirk Moore

Scully’s 20' 2284VWB model.

The 26'4" 2684LC from Scully’s.

fully circular tube. The boat’s D-collar allows for more space on deck and added maneuverability and versatility for the crew. The D-collar is designed to give customers the best characteristics of a standard fiberglass hull with the benefits of a RIB. The Justice offers customers a deep V hull and center console design making it well suited for offshore patrols, Brunswick officials said. — K. Hocke SAFE BOATS FEATURES ITS SAFE 38 FULL CABIN BOAT Safe Boats International, Seattle, brought its Safe 38 Full Cabin law enforcement patrol/response vessel to the International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans. The boat at the show, which was delivered in November, was built for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The aluminum vessel measures 39'2"×10' with a 26" draft. It weighs 12,000 lbs. Powered by three Mercury

38' Defiant class from Metal Shark.

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

Ken Hocke

NORTH RIVER SECURITY FORCE ASSISTANCE CRAFT At North River Boats’ booth at the International WorkBoat Show, you found the 36'×10'3" Navy security force assistance craft. The Roseburg, Ore., boatbuilder holds a five-year

Ken Hocke

Ken Hocke

Verado 350-hp outboards, the boat can reach a top speed of 50 knots. The Safe 38 has a crew/passenger weight capacity of 4,400 lbs. and a fuel capacity of 450 gals.

The boat features a Furuno electronics suite and a FLIR thermal camera.

Ancillary equipment and systems include a 7.5 generator, shore power availability, dual HVAC system, Shoxs 6800 series shock mitigating seats, microwave and refrigerator. — K. Hocke

Ken Hocke

Ken Hocke

The Brunswick Impact 850 D.

LAKE ASSAULT FIRE, RESCUE, DIVE BOAT ON DISPLAY Lake Assault Boats LLC, Superior, Wis., had its 28'×9'6" aluminum fire/ dive/rescue demo boat for sale on the floor of the International WorkBoat Show. With a draft of 24", the boat is powered by

The Safe 38 Full Cabin patrol vessel.

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

Ken Hocke

Brunswick’s 28' Justice patrol boat.

blanket purchase agreement for the project and will work with military agencies for procurement.

The vessel, with a draft of 38", is a high-speed, heavy gauge aluminum craft designed to assist USSOCOM Naval Small Craft Instruction Training School (NAVSCIATTS) personnel in the training and education of foreign security forces and other international students on small craft strategy, operations, communications, weapons, maintenance and instruction development.

Features of the boat include: • Enclosed cabin for crew and passengers.

• Shock mitigating seating for crew and passengers, seven seats total.

• Seat benches for accommodating an additional two personnel.

• Aft deck space for cargo, medevac stretchers/strokes personnel.

• Hybrid foam/air fender for hull protection, stability and flotation if swamped.

• Triple Yamaha 250-hp four stroke outboard motors for propulsion.

• Forward and aft weapon mounts for M240B machine guns with lockable storage inside cabin. — K. Hocke

36' Navy security force assistance craft from North River Boats.

Lake Assault’s aluminum 28' fire/ dive/rescue boat.

twin Mercury Verado 4-stroke, 250hp outboards with 17.5"×15" stainless steel propellers. The demo boat has a running speed of 38 knots.

There’s a gasoline capacity of 150 gals. and a crew/passenger weight capacity of 4,400 lbs. The electronics suite includes two Lowrance HDS 12" touchscreens, sonar, radar and FLIR infrared camera. — K. Hocke HANKO ALUMINUM CREW/ EQUIPMENT BOAT Hanko’s Metal Works, Berwick, La., used its floor space at the WorkBoat Show this year to feature its 24'×8'6"×30" model 2484CV vessel that is designed to bring crew and equipment to and from job sites in a timely fashion.

The boat, built of 3/16" welded aluminum, features a 16" draft and a 54"×81" rear cargo deck. Powered by twin Honda 150 outboards, the boat has a running speed of 40 knots, a crew capacity of six and tankage for 80 gals. of gasoline. — K. Hocke

The 24' 2484CV model from Hanko's.

31

Show Acts

Kirk Moore

News from the 38th International WorkBoat Show.

From Staff Reports

Ken Hocke

Kirk Moore

T

he one-two punch of Hurricanes Irma and Maria challenged not only the residents of Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands but also the U.S. Coast Guard itself as it brought help and supplies to decimated areas.

Sector Key West was “absolutely destroyed” by Irma, Capt. Austin Gould, chief of staff of the Seventh Coast Guard District said as he showed pictures of a “full-on tent city” with no power and no air conditioning. Fearing Irma would wipe out the Miami headquarters, he and 150 of his staff were operating initially from St. Louis.

Not long after Irma, Maria “cut Puerto Rico in half,” Gould said Wednesday at the opening session of the 2017 International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans. While getting back on its feet, the Coast Guard flew three million pounds of cargo to Florida and Puerto Rico using C130s and more goods by Coast Guard cutter.

The most shocking thing he saw in Puerto Rico was “the total devastation to the infrastructure” in the western part of the island, he said. For a long time, the Coast Guard was the only federal help in that area. “We had locals surrounding the fence line looking for food and water.”

Back in Florida, the Coast Guard is still doing cleanup — removing 2,500 vessels “that were strewn all over the place,” Gould said. About 600-700 remain.

As for future recovery efforts, “You

Xxxxxx Capt. Austin Gould discussed the challenges presented by recent hurricanes.

Capt. Austin Gould discussed the challenges presented by recent hurricanes.

cannot place enough emphasis on timely surveys of port facilities,” Gould said. Without them, the Coast Guard can’t open ports, and locals will scream for supplies. “It was logistically challenging.”

And in keeping with the day’s maintenance and report theme, he urged the audience as they’re doing repairs to keep in touch with the Coast Guard “early and often.” — Dale K. DuPont

*** Going forward, two U.S. shipyards see demand for moving more people by boat and benefits in diversifying.

“The transportation sector is where a lot of our focus is and needs to be,” whether it’s for cargo or people, Chris Vaccari, senior vice president, Gulf Island Shipyards LLC, said at the WorkBoat Show. Wind farm construction — Gulf Island is building jackets for windmills now — also is a promising long-term prospect.

Frank Foti, CEO, Vigor Industrial, agreed citing water taxis as one example of a market opportunity. In addition, “20% of what we do has nothing to do with marine.

We build some really special types of cranes” used to The crowd was brisk on the opening morning of the show. paint planes, and they build missile

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

silos.

Yards are staying nimble not only by branching out but also by meeting construction and technological challenges.

They must "work around the fact that essentially everything we do is oneoff,” said Foti, who visited a Japanese yard where “even the polite Japanese could not help but laugh at our costs.”

They have critical mass building one thing. “It’s a completely different model; their cost is way less, but their quality is not better.”

Globally, “we are competing against yards that are backed by the government,” Vaccari said, noting that “financing in the U.S. for building ships is extremely difficult.”

And that’s often an issue in discussion of the Jones Act, which requires cargo moved from one U.S. port to another be on vessels that are U.S. built, owned and crewed. Costs compared to Europe are pretty close and Asian labor costs are rising, but when it comes to quality, U.S. yards do as good a job if not better, he said.

While they’ve seen technological improvements in steel fabrication, “the challenge is more in the planning and engineering phase, because of the complexity of the vessels we’re building,” Vaccari said. “We’re going to have to reconsider some of the crafts we’ve outsourced and bring them back in.”

Vigor is “looking for ways to use automation and technology to make one-offs better,” Foti said.

Would they consider building on spec? “In most cases, no,” Foti said, 33

*** When the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held the first lease sale of the Trump administration in August it was the biggest in history — 76 million acres.

The next one in March 2018 will be bigger — 77 million acres. With President Trump in charge, will each one be bigger and better?

The market will see about that.

“This recent sale was by no means a barn burner,” Walter Cruickshank, the acting director of BOEM, said during the Offshore Program at the WorkBoat Show.

The August sale fetched more then $137 million from 27 bidders on about 90 tracts, some 508,096 acres in all.

Oil prices are low, and “there are not a lot of good prizes left to find” in the Gulf of Mexico, said Cruickshank. But the Gulf remains “the breadbasket” of offshore energy that provides 18% of U.S. oil production, and there is still a lot left, he said.

“We took a new approach” with lease sales, offering regionwide acreage twice a year under Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s directives to speed up the process, said Cruickshank. Meanwhile, the Department of Interior is moving toward a new five-year plan to open wider areas to energy and streamline regulations, he said.

“We also recognize that offshore wind can be an economic driver,” said Cruickshank. The keen interest that U.S.- and European-based wind companies have in sites off the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states has the potential for 15 gigawatts of power and 34,000 jobs going into the 2020s.

“Certainly not as big as the oil and gas industry, but nothing to sneeze at, either,” he said.

“We know some of these developers will be building turbines by 2020,” 34

said Cruickshank. The first are most likely to be off coastlines “where the states have set financial arrangements” to enable power purchases, he said.

“Those are where we expect people to be submitting their plans first.”

BOEM could offer two more lease areas for sale off Massachusetts next year, and “together we believe conventional and renewable energy create a foundation” for economic growth, he said. — Kirk Moore *** Retired Staff Sgt. Travis Mills had a wife, new house and baby daughter at home when he was on his third tour in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division, and dropped his backpack one day.

The hidden bomb that went off in 2012 took off parts of all Mills’ arms and legs, and started a four-day struggle to save his life.

“My 25th birthday was the day I found I had no arms and legs,” Mills told the audience at the WorkBoat Show, where he was the keynote speaker on the opening day.

Mills is one of only five quadruple amputees to survive from the wares in Iraq and Afghanistan. But with support from his wife Kelsey and another quad amputee veteran, Marine Cpl. Todd Nicely, Mills began to work on his comeback.

“So I met Todd and I started working out,” said Mills. Seven weeks later, he began learning to walk again on prosthetic legs.

Today Mills calls himself a “recalibrated warrior,” who works as a motivational speaker, actor, author and an advocate for veterans and amputees.

His memoir, “Tough as They Come,” was a New York Times bestseller.

In Sept. 2013 he founded the Travis Mills Foundation, a nonprofit that assists combat wounded veterans. With his Travis Mills Group LLC, Mills consults with and speaks to companies and organizations nationwide inspiring all to overcome life’s challenges and adversity. — K. Moore

Kirk Moore

but possibly with a long-term investor “who’s got a greater concern for the environment than how fast they’ll get their money back.”

“Been there, done that, wouldn’t do it again,” Vaccari said. — D.K. DuPont

Travis Mills delivered the opening day keynote address.

*** OSVs idled by the oil and gas slump may have a viable future as trailing suction hopper dredges.

Dredging is a sustained business with growth potential in a number of areas including deepening port channels to accommodate the new Panama Canal ships, coastal restoration and hurricane recovery, Mark Masor, Gulf Coast operations manager, Gibbs & Cox Inc., said in presenting the idea at the International WorkBoat Show.

The active fleet includes 13 industry dredges and four U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oceangoing dredges, all with an average age of 32 years.

Among the benefits of converting are that the OSVs are already classed and SOLAS certified, and they have robust hull forms, open working decks and configurations similar to dredges.

Modifications are mainly needed to the center part of the vessel, said Geoff Dean, business development manager, Offshore Ship Designers. Dry bulk tanks would be taken out and replaced with dredge pumps. "The bulk of the deck is unaffected," he said. And most PSVs have enough room in the wheelhouse for a dredging console.

Their comparison model showed that a new 8,250-cu.-yd. dredge would

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

*** Breakdowns happen but are not inevitable. A little monitoring with the right tools can keep downtime to a minimum and better arm operators for yard visits.

“You’ll pick up on problems before they happen,” said Richard Merhige, president, Advanced Mechanical Enterprises, who pointed out that only 17% of the world’s merchant fleet does planned maintenance and of that only 13% does condition monitoring.

“Vibration analysis is the foundation of condition monitoring,” he said, helping to reduce equipment and labor costs and increase safety and revenue.

Along with infrared thermography and ultrasonic analysis, operators can detect everything from bad bearings to misalignments and thus avoid potential problems and go into drydock much better prepared.

“Close to 90% of the problems we find are related to misalignment.”

With ultrasonic equipment, for example, “you can physically hear a bad bearing,” Merhige said. “They’ve basically taken the screwdriver to the bearing concept and made it digital.”

And it can be used by the crew without a lot of training.

Portable and easy to operate, infrared thermography cameras can highlight machinery temperatures. “A loose connection can really cause a lot of havoc,” he said. The equipment can capture images on electrical switchgear and check engine couplings.

Other valuable technologies include: oil analysis, which can catch engine bearing failures; shaft torque measure-

ments, which determine how well a propulsion system is operating; and diesel engine monitors that measure each cylinder and pick up leaks.

“The whole goal of this is to optimize your yard period,” Merhige said.

“I’ve seen gearbox failures right out of a drydock.”

These technologies are a fantastic way to avoid downtime, he said. They can keep an old boat running well.

Vibration analyzers can cost $12,000 to $15,000 including the software, while ultrasonic analysis equipment can go for about $10,000, he said.

Operators can optimize maintenance at a minimum cost and make back their investment by not having breakdowns.

— D.K. DuPont

*** The U.S. Senate narrowly passed its tax reform legislation for 2018 recently and the implications for small- and medium-sized businesses were yet to fully emerge on the last day of the WorkBoat Show.

Maritime tax experts offered some potential effects that same day, wrapping up the show with a tag team of out-loud thinking about what Congress may finally come up with.

One piece of advice they were fairly certain about: businesses should pay whatever now current tax deductible costs that they can before 2017 ends.

“This is a really important issue for you,” said Leon Rittenberg III, a tax lawyer with Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer LLC, New Orleans. One big ticket item for business owners: paying the last of their 2017 property taxes by New Year’s Eve. That’s because deductions for local and state taxes are clearly on the chopping block.

“Entertainment expense will no longer be deductible,” said Rittenberg.

If the goal is simplification of the tax code, that elimination is “probably good tax policy because we all know that’s a set of rules that get abused.”

“If that’s 1% of your business expenses, and you save 1% on your taxes (with a revised tax code), it’s a wash,”

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

Kirk Moore

cost $105 million to build, deliver in three years, and have annual operating costs of $10 million and a seven-anda-half-year payback period. An OSV converted to a 2,500-cu.-yd. dredge would cost $15 million, deliver in one year, and have annual operating costs of $7 million and a six-year payback period.

"Conversion is slightly more appealing. For the business case, there's good merit in it," Masor said. — D.K. DuPont

Richard Merhige of Advanced Mechanical Enterprises.

said Rittenberg.

But eliminating other longstanding exemptions and deductions, such as interest expense or personal deduction for uninsured losses could be fraught for small business owners.

Amid the Senate’s hasty amendments and handwritten drafts that drew much scorn in media reports, there’s the likelihood that lawmakers do not fully understand how the law will actually perform.

One example Rittenberg cited is tax credit for rehabilitating historic properties.

“Some of these provisions may have been designed more to punish people who live in Democratic (voting) states, if you talk to people who follow these things,” said Rittenberg. “To me that’s really shortsighted.”

In fact, “these credits were really used by people in small towns – in New Orleans, in Jackson, in Natchez” to rebuild and revitalize older communities, he said.

“Who knows where that’s going to end up? We know there’s a lot of pushback on that,” said Rittenberg’s colleague, tax lawyer Andrew Sullivan.

Sullivan had opened the discussion by frankly noting the uncertainty: “What Leon’s saying is everything he’s going to say may change by the time we go out the door.”

“It’s important to remember nothing is permanent,” Rittenberg said.

— K. Moore

35

Exteriors

Good Looking

Some designers look for ways to improve a boat’s look.

By Michael Crowley, Correspondent

36

A

new workboat is launched and you know you’ve seen that look before. Sure enough, it’s the same design that went in the water two decades ago.

Twenty years later and the design’s outward appearance hasn’t changed. For some boat owners, altering the look of a new boat isn’t that important. After all it’s how the boats have been built and looked for years.

Likewise, there are designers that are content to stick with what they’ve done in the past, while others look for ways to improve a boat’s appearance.

“It doesn’t take any more money to make a boat look good,” said Jonathan Parrott, vice president of new design development at Jensen Maritime Consultants in Seattle. “Making a boat look good

shows you have pride in your boats and pride in your designs.”

Parrott said that Jensen “is in the midst of modernizing, updating a little bit,” its tug designs. A good example is the 110'×40' Caden Foss built at JT Marine in Vancouver Wash., and launched in May for Vessel Chartering LLC in San Francisco and chartered to Foss Maritime.

One of the tug’s features is a newly designed pilothouse. The lines of the pilothouse were drawn to emphasize the structure’s visual appearance while at the same time improving it as a work platform. “You’ve got to make sure it’s practical,” said Parrott, so the Caden Foss’s pilothouse was designed “to give better visibility all the way around.”

A boat owner that’s not afraid of trying a new www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

CT Marine

CT Marine built the 68'x32' USS Cairo for Carline Companies. The octagonal-shaped pilothouse features 360° floor-to-ceiling windows.

IN THE WHEELHOUSE CT Marine in Portland, Maine, is

Jensen Maritime

design — perhaps just enough to give the boat a little different look — and is working with Elliott Bay Design Group, might take advantage of the Seattle company’s styling studies.

“We’ve done this for ferry boats and small cruise ships, 300-passenger size and expedition-style cruise ships,” said Christina Villiott, Elliott Bay’s vice president of sales and marketing.

In one case, the styling studies allowed a ferry operator to compare the look of a single pilothouse versus a double pilothouse in both a classical configuration and a more modern design. And it wasn’t just about appearance. “Part of it was visibility studies,” said Villiott. “Here’s what you are going to see from a single pilothouse and here’s what you’ll see from a double pilothouse.”

Other factors besides visibility that were considered included constructability of the design, cost effectiveness and maintenance. “You don’t want to design something that will be impossible to maintain,” noted Villiott. Elliott Bay’s styling studies can be in the form of lines drawings, renderings or models.

Sometimes the inspiration for a new look comes from boats that work the same waters but are a very different boat type. That was the case for a research vessel the University of Washington wanted to build to operate in coastal and shallow waters from northern California to southeast Alaska.

Jensen Maritime did the design and was told the university “wanted to have something they could look at,” said Parrott. That translates to a vessel that “wasn’t very boxy,” which is the case with some research boats.

For the design inspiration, the boat’s operators looked to Pacific Northwest fishing vessels. “They’ve got some shape and they’ve got some sheer,” said Parrott. “They wanted to follow that style. That would be their look.”

However, the university couldn’t get funding from the state.

Jensen has been modernizing and updating its tug designs.

well known for its pilothouse design.

It’s been over 20 years in the making but it wasn’t always easy convincing owners of the design’s advantages.

Now, however, “it’s become our signature,” said Christian Townsend, the company’s owner.

One of the first vessels to get the new wheelhouse was the towboat Corpus Christi built for Eckstein Marine (now Marquette Transportation Co.) in 1996. The corners were cut off the pilothouse and the windows were canted out from the deck to the wheelhouse ceiling. “That reduced glare,” said Townsend, “and picked up visibility to the winches and aft corners of the boat.”

CT Marine also split the pilothouse console so there’s nothing in front of the captain, meaning he doesn’t have to get out of his seat to see the deck.

A CT Marine pilothouse is also “much farther aft than on conventional towboats,” Townsend said, which, again, improves visibility. And the windows are full height. “We were the first that did full glass windows.”

Sometimes “it’s like being in a greenhouse,” he said, with some front windows as large as 10'×8'. Townsend figures there’s triple or maybe four times the glass as in other boats.

Despite the large glass area, only one window has been lost in a CT Marine pilothouse and that was during a hurricane on a boat that was being built.

In CT Marine towboats, there are a lot of angles — the pilothouse windows, the stack, push knees, bulwarks or transom. The angles, which follow that of the pilothouse windows, “are everywhere,” said Townsend. “When I took over the design that angle had

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

been placed all over the place.”

While he feels angles produce a better-looking towboat, looks aren’t the driving force. It’s function first and appearance second. Primarily that’s improved visibility, whether looking forward from the pilothouse or to the boat’s outboard corners.

Townsend admits that this type of pilothouse is more expensive to build.

“The glass alone is tremendously more expensive than just putting up steel plate,” he said. It’s also “more difficult to build, but it’s stronger, looks better and provides better visibility.”

Initial resistance to the pilothouse design was strong. “It’s taken us a long, long time to convince everybody that it’s something not just for style,” said Townsend. “The whole industry wants it to be like their grandfather’s.”

Take the case of American Electric Power. They’ve built 10 6,000-hp towboats to a CT Marine design. The first boats featured the standard package of smaller windows in the front of the pilothouse without a split console. “Then they latched onto it,” said Townsend.

“The last couple came out with full height windows and no console.”

Townsend is hardnosed about the pilothouse design. “I’m kind of like Ford was with the Model T. You can have it in black or you can have it in black. I don’t let anybody mess with the look unless there’s a specific reason they have to.”

Do people try to copy the look of its pilothouse? “Yes. My dad and I get a little bit of a chuckle because we know they are doing it but not getting it quite right. We are not explaining to people exactly how to do it.”

37

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43

LOOKS BACK JANUARY 1948

• On the cover is the first of two 850hp towboats built by Higgins Inc., New Orleans, for the government of Argentina. The 92'×28' towboat with a 7' draft is powered by a pair of six-cylinder Atlas Imperial Diesel 6 HM-2124 engines, each producing 425 hp at 325 rpm.

• Swift action by the Department of Commerce

to set up a Steel Allocation Committee under the Taft anti-inflation law may benefit inland waterways operators.

Barge operators say that railroads and automobile manufacturers have been receiving all the breaks in the form of prompt steel deliveries and high tonnages. Some operators say they have had to resort to steel “gray markets” to fill basic needs, paying exorbitant prices. While the railroads have reJANUARY 1958 ceived larger and

larger steel deliveries for new freight cars and rails, barge and towboat builders have limped along on a hand-to-mouth supply basis. Shipyards that build barges and towboats now have an open forum in which to press their case for more steel.

ways budget for the upcoming fiscal • On the cover is a hydrofoil ferry year and sent its budget to the Budget that can carry 75 passengers at speeds Bureau in early December. That budget up to 50 mph between Sicily and Italy was sent back to the Army Engineer in 10 minutes. The trip previously took Corps with instructions from the Budan hour on conventional craft. Europe get Bureau to cut it by another 20%. has taken the lead in the design and construction of commercial hydrofoil vessels.

• The Army Engineer Corps budget has suffered another setback. The Corps had earlier been instructed to pare JANUARY 1978 back its water• In late October, the first traffic on a completed segment of the TennesseeTombigbee Waterway was completed with the movement of over 1,400 tons of steel from Clinton, Tenn., to Iuka, Miss. The cargo was moved by the River Towing Co. towboat Imogene Igert. Systemwide traffic on the Tenn-Tom is scheduled to begin in the mid-1980s. Meanwhile, opponents of 44

the Tenn-Tom have been given a Jan. 1 deadline for filing amended complaints to U.S. District Court Judge William C. Keady. Keady said that if differences over the waterway cannot be resolved by conferences, he will docket the dispute for his court in June. The principal opposition to the Tenn-Tom are from environmental groups and the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2018 • WorkBoat

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