WorkBoat February 2020

Maritime Law • Riverboat Cruises • Steiner Shipyard ®

IN BUSINESS ON THE COASTAL AND INLAND WATERS

All Aboard Demand for passenger vessels stays steady.

FEBRUARY 2020

PRECISE 360º PROPULSION PLUS FULL AUXILIARY POWER

Twin Disc Marine Control Drives (MCDs) allow variable propeller speed — from full engine output to slower than engine idle — while splitting main engine power to drive FiFi pumps or other auxiliary equipment. The MCD-2000/4000/5000 series covers extended diesel power requirements from 1680 kW (2280 HP) to 5250 kW (7130 HP) with heat dissipation capabilities up to 450 kW (610 HP).

MARINE CONTROL DRIVE

And our Veth Z-drives provide 360º thrust for optimal vessel maneuverability and positioning.

If you want the ultimate in slow-speed maneuverability, highly accurate positioning and simultaneous, full-firefighting capability, specify Twin Disc and Veth Propulsion on your next tug build.

For expert engineering assistance to assure your optimal product specifications and performance, contact Klaus@TwinDisc.com.

VETH Z-DRIVE

ON THE COVER

®

The newly refurbished City of New Orleans on the Mississippi River.

FEBRUARY 2020 • VOLUME 77, NO. 2

New Orleans Steamboat Co. photo

FEATURES 14 Focus: Outer Limits Taking a hard look at the Limitation of Liability Act.

18 Vessel Report: Just Cruisin’ The overnight riverboat cruise market on U.S. inland rivers continues to see strong demand.

22 In Business: New Blood At family-owned Steiner Shipyard in Alabama, a new generation takes over.

14

30 Cover Story: Capacity Crowd Healthy demand and a robust economy translates into another good year for passenger vessel operators.

BOATS & GEAR 26 On the Ways • Blount Boats to build two 65' crew transfer vessels for Atlantic Wind Transfers • Armstrong Marine delivers 31' pilot RIB to Mexico • Navy awards five-year contract to Ribcraft to provide 39' RIBs • Scully’s Custom Aluminum Boats brought two boats to the International WorkBoat Show • Eastern Shipbuilding delivers its 70th towboat to Florida Marine Transporters • Modutech Marine awards contract to Robert Allan Ltd. to design new tugs for the Navy • Maryland pilots orders new class of pilot boat from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding • Austal delivers another 338' expeditionary fast transport ship to the Navy

22

AT A GLANCE 8 8 9 10 10 11 11

On the Water: Voyage plans and intensifying storms — Part III. Captain’s Table: Reconnecting at the 2019 WorkBoat Show.

Energy Level: Prioritize OSV day rates over market share.

WB Stock Index: WorkBoat stocks gained 21% in 2019.

Inland Insider: Big budget increases for the inland waterways.

Insurance Watch: As companies grow, keeping coverage up to date.

Legal Talk: When mariners become whistleblowers.

NEWS LOG 12 12 12 12

House says Coast Guard mishandled harassment and bullying complaints.

Coast Guard sets 2020 minimum random drug test rate at 50%.

New York Stock Exchange suspends trading of Hornbeck Offshore stock.

DOT awards $7.5 million in Marine Highway Program grants.

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

DEPARTMENTS 2 6 36 43 44

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

1

durability - strength performance - SINGLE PROPELLER - up to 20” diameter - dependable & robust drive optimal for working vessels with moderate speeds - the 620b sets a new standard for stern drive durability

- DUAL PROPELLER - up to 16” diameter - Excellent for performance driven applications demanding high speeds, quick response and better fuel efficiency - optimal for patrol & interceptor type vessels

- DUAL PROPELLER - up to 18.50” diameter - highest torque rated stern Drive & weight carrying capability in the industry - The 680B operates with supreme efficiency for heavy single & twin applications

Application Variations - recreational - center counsel - fishing - landing craft - fire/rescue - passenger - pilot - MILITARY/patrol - COMMERCIAL - GOVERNMENT SERVICE - electric

Editor’sWatch

Rollin' down the river

T

he passenger vessel market may not be the biggest marine sector we cover but it could be argued that it is the strongest. It’s a market that has been moving upward for several years, helped by a healthy economy and strong consumer appetite for different types of water experiences.

Last year was another good one for operators of these vessels, with several reporting that it was their best in several years, even decades for some.

In our cover story on the passenger vessel industry that begins on page 30, operators continue to be optimistic about 2020 and beyond.

Late last year, Dan Yates, president of Portland Spirit Cruises & Events, said 2019 was on track to be one of his company’s top two years in the last quarter century. And, he added, sales for 2020 “are off to an excellent start.”

The strong economy is one of the biggest reasons behind the sector’s strong growth. Overall, it has meant “operators from all passenger vessel industry market segments have reported strong 2019 seasons,” said John Groundwater, executive director of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA).

“While there has been consolidation at the top of the industry, passenger vessel operators of all sizes have also reported adding vessels to their fleets as well as upgrading facilities.”

PVA’s own membership has also grown. As of December, it had added 48 new companies — an approximate 25% increase over 2018, he said.

A big part of that growth has come from the overnight riverboat cruise market. In our story on this market that begins on page 18, we report that this segment continues to expand,

David Krapf, Editor in Chief

with capacity additions coming from American Queen Steamboat Co. and American Cruise Lines (ACL).

John Waggoner, CEO of New Albany, Ind.-based, American Queen, said the big reason there’s an increase in river traffic is more Americans “want to stay home. They want to support ‘built in America.’ They don’t want to travel overseas. I think they are into exploring the U.S. It’s very safe. They get to see the antebellum South, to learn about the Civil War.” With vessel additions in other segments, the passenger vessel industry is on a roll.

dkrapf@divcom.com

Ask about our marine analysis form

www.konradmarine.com 2

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

by Diversified Business Communications.

Printed in U.S.A.

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

LOCAL PRODUCT SUPPORT. GLOBAL CUSTOMER CARE. IT WORKS. We offer you over 1,200 service centers worldwide and state-of-the-art tracking technology. Combining digital services with local expertise. Whatever your needs, we provide solutions that work.

www.mtu-solutions.com

Sometimes, even the rescuers need to be rescued.

www.workboat.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF

David Krapf dkrapf@divcom.com

SENIOR EDITOR

Ken Hocke khocke@divcom.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Kirk Moore kmoore@divcom.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

ART DIRECTOR

Because they watch over us. Because they give so much.

Sometimes, even the rescuers Give to theneed

PUBLISHING OFFICES

• Capt. Alan Bernstein • Bruce Buls • Michael Crowley • Dale K. DuPont • Pamela Glass • Betsy Frawley Haggerty • Capt. Max Hardberger • Joel Milton • Jim Redden • Kathy Bergren Smith

Doug Stewart dstewart@divcom.com

Main Office: 121 Free St., P.O. Box 7438 • Portland, ME 04112-7438 • (207) 842-5608 • Fax: (207) 842-5609 Southern/Editorial Office: P.O. Box 1348 • Mandeville, LA 70470 Subscription Information: (978) 671-0444 • cs@e-circ.net General Information: (207) 842-5610

to be rescued.

Coast Guard Foundation To learn more, visit RescueTheRescuers.org

Because they watch over us. Because they give so much.

Give to the

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING PROJECT MANAGER

Wendy Jalbert 121 Free St., P.O. Box 7438 • Portland, ME 04112-7438 (207) 842-5616 • Fax: (207) 842-5611 wjalbert@divcom.com

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER

Kristin Luke (207) 842-5635 • Fax: (207) 842-5611 kluke@divcom.com

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Mike Cohen (207) 842-5439 • Fax: (207) 842-5611 mcohen@divcom.com

EXPOSITIONS

auseCoastthey watch Guard Foundation er us.

Because y give so much.

EXPOSITION SALES DIRECTOR

PRESIDENT & CEO

GROUP VICE PRESIDENT

(207) 842-5508 • Fax: (207) 842-5509 Producers of The International WorkBoat Show and Pacific Marine Expo www.workboatshow.com www.pacificmarineexpo.com

Chris Dimmerling (207) 842-5666 • Fax: (207) 842-5509 cdimmerling@divcom.com Theodore Wirth Bob Callahan bcallahan@divcom.com

To learn more, visit RescueTheRescuers.org

4

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

CMYK 0-100-100-0

Lifting • Securing• Mobilizing

Lifting • Securing• Mobilizing

YOUR VERSATILE SOURCE FOR CONTAINER & BREAK-BULK CARGO LIFTERS

Lifting • Securing• Mobilizing

Modular Autoloc

MODULAR AUTOLOC FEATURES

• • • Fixed Autoloc Lifting a Container

In addition to the Fixed Autoloc Features…

Pallet Ready 20’ and 40’ Scaleable Design Small Disassembled Footprint

FIXED AUTOLOC FEATURES

Modular Autoloc Ready for Shipping

• Self-Actuating Operation (Hand’s Off ) • Proof Tested • Exceeds AISC Fatigue Life • Easily customized to

specific sizing requirements

Break-Bulk Cargo Lifters

MANUALLY OPERATED

CONTAINER SPREADERS AVAILABLE

• www.TANDEMLOC.com • info@tandemloc.com • Toll-Free Tel: 1-800-258-7324 • International Tel: +001-252-447-7155 • 824 Fontana Blvd., Havelock NC 28532 USA

Scan QR code for more information on the N3100SF Modular Autoloc.

Container Lift Slings

Manufactured in the USA

Do not eliminate or amend the Jones Act

I

recently read the article on the Jones Act in WorkBoat (“Keeping Up With Jones,” November 2019). I was a senior marine inspector in the Coast Guard and retired at 31 years.

I didn’t agree totally with the bit about security. I believe it was stated as a non-issue or nearly so. I have seen several instances (Dutch Harbor, Alaska) where we had to have security to watch the crew of the vessel whenever they were in port. It was a common practice so though it may not seem like a problem, it is an issue from time to time.

The other thing that I see as a very real problem if the Jones Act was eliminated is going with the cheapest (shipper) possible. These entities do not concern themselves with safety and environmental issues as much as they

should. I’ve especially noted this in the fueling business.

So, if foreign vessels could compete there would be a dumbing down and a disastrous effect on much of the industry. We all know in a free-for-all for the cheapest rate, things such as safety, wages, crew competency, etc., go awry and some companies will do anything to cut corners, which leads to major problems.

There are many good companies that would not immediately do that, but eventually to stay in business that’s what they would do if the competition does it.

Although over the last couple of decades foreign shipping conditions have improved since they have to meet standards to trade, if there were no restrictions we would see the return of substandard vessels that sneak under the radar to conduct business within our waters.

Samuel Boucher A Marine Inspection Services Team LLC Sterling, Ark.

WorkBoat encourages readers to write us about anything that appears in the magazine, on WorkBoat.com or pertains to the marine industry. To be published, letters must include the writer’s address and a daytime phone number.

Email or write to: workboat@cox.net MAIL BAG P.O. BOX 1348 Mandeville, LA 70470

We take the heat, so you don’t have to.

Cool. Because you need it. We deliver cool based on your reality.

So no matter where you operate, hot days and heavy loads will never slow you down.

GRIDCOOLER® Keel Cooler

• One Piece Head Design maintains greater structural integrity.

• Higher Silver Content Braze Joints resist fatigue and maintain the strength of surrounding material.

• Better Penetration at Braze Joints places more braze material with less heat, making joints stronger.

WEKA Boxcooler®

• Over 20 Years of Experience with Copper Nickel Boxcoolers offering longer product life cycle than standard coated tube units.

• Tranter Superchanger plate and frame heat exchanger provides a range of options in pattern, size and material for a wide variety of applications.

• Manufactured in the USA and The Netherlands: provides the greatest product availability.

• Tranter Platecoil provides an efficient and cost effective alternative to traditional pipe coil heating for bulk cargo, ballast and other applications.

• Weka Guard and Protector eliminate the need for bulky and costly copper sacrificial anodes.

fernstrum.com | 1.906.863.5553 | sales@fernstrum.com | ISO 9001:2015

6

Tranter® Heat Exchangers

© 2019 R.W. Fernstrum & Company. All rights reserved. FERNSTRUM® and GRIDCOOLER® are registered trademarks of R.W. Fernstrum & Company.

All other trademarks cited are the property of their respective owners.

www.workboat.com • FEBUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

Electric and Hybrid Propulsion Clean, Quiet, Proven BAE Systems’ HybriGen® electric power and propulsion system saves fuel, reduces emissions, and increases engine life with its patented technology. The HybriGen system not only provides electric propulsion but also powers the hotel loads by efficiently utilizing lithium-ion energy storage or the variable speed genset.

Ask us how we can help your vessel be more efficient with BAE Systems’ electric and hybrid marine solutions.

Captain Ben Moore Electric Hybrid Cargo Vessel Named a 2019 Significant Boat

gettozero.com CS-19-B91

On the Water

Voyage plans and intensifying storms — Part III

A

By Joel Milton

Joel Milton works on towing vessels.

He can be reached at joelmilton@ yahoo.com.

recent tragic example exists of what may happen to vessels that, for whatever reason, stray too close to storms.

On Sept. 26, 2019, the offshore tug Bourbon Rhode, while in transit between the Canary Islands and Guyana, sent out a mayday after they began taking on water in the aft spaces. As it happens, at the time of said water ingress Bourbon Rhode was operating in very close proximity, apparently as close as 60 nautical miles (NM), to the eye of Category 4 Hurricane Lorenzo, which was then cranking out maximum sustained winds of 140 knots with higher gusts.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Lorenzo had hurricane force winds extending outward up to 45 NM from the center and tropical storm force winds up to 255 NM. That would have put Bourbon Rhode in the innermost and most powerful zone of tropical storm force winds, and

Captain’s Table

The International Workboat Show shines again

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 is a way for me to reconnect with the many different segments of the U.S. maritime industry, all under one roof. This year’s show in New Orleans in December was no different.

As at past WorkBoat shows, I helped man the Passenger Vessel Association’s (PVA) exhibit booth. We were busy from start to finish, with current PVA members and people interested in joining the association stopping by to discuss PVA and the passenger vessel industry in general.

The WorkBoat Show is also a place to get the inside track on industry conditions, trends and new business opportunities. I am constantly impressed by the range of products and services that are showcased there and am fascinated by the technological advancements that are being made in virtually every aspect of the maritime industry.

There is also an educational program that runs concurrently with the show. This year, I put a panel together to discuss passenger safety issues and

nearly in the hurricane force winds. Standard practice is to do everything possible to avoid getting caught in the tropical storm force wind field, for what should be obvious reasons.

Was it a lack of timely and useful weather information or a poor routing choice? Or was it failure to change the voyage plan to accommodate the changing circumstances (inattention and/or incompetence)? How about pressure to proceed from management ashore, captain’s ego run amok, or just plain bad luck? We don’t yet know and may never know.

What we do know is that the tug shouldn’t have been in that close proximity to a tropical cyclone.

As a result, 11 out of the 14 crewmembers lost their lives. It’s miraculous that three were found alive in a life raft and rescued. And although it’s possible that the investigation will ultimately reveal some technical cause for the flooding, I’m not very interested in what fitting failed or why a hatch gave way. I’m much more interested in why we keep seeing these human factor failures over and over again.

The ghosts of the El Faro are still fresh in my mind.

what operators are doing to be proactive with their safety programs. My panel included J.P. Veiga of Boston Harbor Cruises, Boston, and Craig Parkhurst of Wheelhouse Technologies Inc., Hudson, Mass., who discussed crew training, best practices, and emerging training techniques to take safety to the next level. They both outlined what is working well today and existing training programs that can help them with crew proficiency, performing effective drills, and overall safety practices.

My presentation was on the streamlined inspection program or SIP, an approved alternate inspection process from traditional Coast Guard inspections. My company BB Riverboats has been involved in SIP since the 1990s when we enrolled our first vessel the River Queen. Since then, all three of our vessels have been enrolled and are doing well. This program is effective because it transfers responsibility to the masters and port captain for all inspection criteria on a daily basis.

The net effect is to maintain a constant state of compliance across our entire fleet. As an owner, I enjoy seeing my crews take a proactive approach to inspections and drills and also taking ownership of the safety and inspection process.

There is much to see, do and learn at the Workboat Show. I hope to see you there next year. www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

WORKBOAT GOM INDICATORS

Energy Level

.

OCT. '19 NOV. '19 WTI Crude Oil 55.60 58.07 Baker Hughes Rig Count 21 22 IHS OSV Utilization 29.2% 28.9% WTI Price U.S. Prod 1000s bopd U.S. Oil Production (millions bpd) 12.6 12.9* Sources: Baker-Hughes; IHS Markit; U.S. EIA

DEC. '19 DEC. '18 61.66 44.48 23 24 29.6% 30% GOM Rig Count Util. Rate % 12.9* 11.7

*Estimated

Price trumps market share GOM RIG COUNT

GOM Rig Count

By Jim Redden, Correspondent

A

s the offshore oil and gas sector struggles to regain its footing, offshore service vessel operators would do well to prioritize tolerable day rates over trying to snatch a bigger piece of a tightening market, said Todd Hornbeck, CEO of Hornbeck Offshore Services.

Hornbeck said despite an improving rig count and expectations that the industry is turning the corner, the market for OSVs, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico, remains weak.

“We had expected that in the third quarter, the positive sentiment that we had observed previously would have translated into improved utilization and day rates, but some of that work was pushed to the right,” he told analysts in a Nov. 1 earnings call. “So, the slope of this recovery is very gradual, but its attitude is very stubborn.”

That “stubborn” attitude can partially be blamed on operators pushing for share over price, he said.

“Part of this reality is that there are vessel operators that value market share more than we value improved longterm sustainable rates. That is their prerogative. We frankly don’t see the long-term business rationale from such an approach. The challenge is that we are playing a game that does not have a shot clock, and so we are unable to predict with any certainty when the long-term opportunities will reach us or the short-term thinking will catch up with them.”

Fellow publicly traded OSV operator Tidewater, however, believes conditions are ripe for companies to begin pushing for higher day rates.

“We will use the improving industry fundamental to get day rates back to where they need to be to properly compensate our capital providers,” CEO Quintin Kneen said during a Nov. 12 conference call.

To punctuate the focus on day rates over market share, Kneen said few of

30 25 20 15

12/18

12/19

10 5 0

1

2

3

4

5

6

the 60 vessels stacked as of November would return to duty. Managing that idled fleet comes at a cumulative cost of $8.8 million a year, he said.

“I can tell you with near certainty Dec-18 Jan-19 19-Feb 19-Mar Apr-19 19-May Jun-19 Jul-19 19-Aug Sep-19 Oct-19 Nov-19 Dec-19

Innovative Unique Proven

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

7

8

9 10 11 12 13

that these vessels are not all going back to work and our intention is to whittle down those fleet and layup to the dozen or so vessels that will certainly return to service.”

24 19 22 23 21 23 26 25 26 22 21 22 23

ALL AMERICAN MARINE

ALLAMERICANMARINE.com Sales@allamericanmarine.com | 360.647.7602 Pictured: R/V Shearwater - 77’ Research Vessel for Duke University

9

WorkBoat Composite Index Stocks gained 21% in 2019

W

orkBoat stocks closed 2019 on an up note, gaining 38 points in December, or 1.76%. For the year, the WorkBoat Composite Index gained a whopping 21%, just shy of the 22% increase in the Dow. The big news in December was the delisting of Hornbeck Offshore Services from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Hornbeck was down STOCK CHART

19% in December when trading in the stock was suspended after the market closed on Dec. 20. Its common stock commenced trading on the OTC Pink marketplace (OTC Pink) on Dec. 23.

Trading was suspended because Hornbeck Offshore did not maintain an average global market capitalization of at least $15 million over a consecutive 30-trading-day period, as required by Source: FinancialContent Inc. www.financialcontent.com

INDEX NET COMPARISONS 11/29/19 12/31/19 CHANGE Operators 314.11 337.59 23.48 Suppliers 3587.17 3607.85 20.69 Shipyards 3145.24 3074.23 -71.01 WorkBoat Composite 2146.15 2183.99 37.85 PHLX Oil Service Index 67.59 78.29 10.7 Dow Jones Industrials 28051.41 28538.44 487.03 Standard & Poors 500 3140.98 3230.78 89.8 For the complete up-to-date WorkBoat Stock Index, go to: workboat.com/resources/tools/workboat-composite-index/

Inland Insider

Big increases for inland waterways and maritime programs

P

resident Trump signed into law two massive spending bills in December that include healthy budgets for ongoing inland waterways construction and maintenance as well as port dredging and investment, while also signing a defense bill that supports shipyard grants and would ease the transition from military to mariner jobs.

Contained in the spending package for fiscal 2020 was $7.65 billion for the civil works mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. That amount is $652 million above the current spending level and $2.69 billion more than the president had requested earlier this year, according to the Waterways Council, an industry-funded group that advocates for waterways spending.

WCI said that a significant part of this Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act is an adjustment by Congress to the construction cost-share for the Chickamauga Lock near Chattanooga, Tenn. The adjustment pushes the federal share of the project to 65%, decreasing the funds taken from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF), which is supported by a diesel tax paid by the barge industry, to 35%. Normally such projects are funded 50-50. WCI has

10

PERCENT CHANGE 7.48% 0.58% -2.26% 1.76% 15.83% 1.74% 2.86%

NYSE continued listing standards.

Hornbeck Offshore said it intends to appeal the NYSE’s decision to commence proceedings to delist the company’s common stock and will request a review of its appeal.

In the company’s November conference call with analysts, Todd Hornbeck, the OSV operator’s chief executive officer, said that third quarter results were disappointing.

“Market conditions for our vessels remained soft, principally in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. We had expected that in the third quarter, the positive sentiment that we had observed previously would have translated into improved utilization and day rates. While we are still seeing signs of improving demand ... and believe that there are positive indicators for future improvement, we simply have not seen them turn into improved financial performance yet.”

— David Krapf

said that this formula change will speed Chickamauga’s progress and free up money in the IWTF for other inland projects that have been stalled in the funding pipeline.

The bill also includes another provision sought by the waterways industry: full use of the estimated receipts of the IWTF that includes

By Pamela additional prior-year revenues to Glass produce a strong investment level of $317 million for spending on needs of the antiquated inland waterways system during the next fiscal year.

The Corps’ Operations and Maintenance account also received a boost: the $2.68 billion funding level is $1.37 billion more than the president’s request and $498 million more than this year’s spending level, WCI said.

In other good news, projects funded through the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund will receive $1.63 billion, $665 million above the president’s request.

WCI President Mike Toohey praised the strong funding for the waterways, saying it was the result of “bipartisan leadership” from both Republican and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate who realize the importance of waterways commerce to the U.S. and global economies.

The American Association of Port Authorities also praised the funding bills. www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

Insurance Watch

Growth and insurance coverage

A

By Chris Richmond

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

s your business grows it is important to keep your insurance coverage up to date. Here are a few things to think about: • Do you obtain certificates of insurance from your independent contractors that work at your shipyard? You should. And double check what coverage they have. If they are working on a boat then they should have marine general lability (MGL) and the certificate should reflect this.

General liability may cover their work on smaller vessels but if they work on larger boats at your yard then you will want them to have MGL. Make sure your subcontractors have the correct coverage for the work that they are doing.

• Have you recently significantly upgraded your vessel? If you have increased the value of your boat then you should also increase its insured hull value. When we discuss upgrades, underwriters generally see them as new equipment. If you have replaced a piece of machinery due to wear and tear, this may not be seen as an increase in

Legal Talk

Mariners and whistleblowing

A

By John K. Fulweiler

John K. Fulweiler of Fulweiler LLC is a licensed mariner and maritime attorney. He can be reached at john@ saltwaterlaw.com or 1-800-383-MAYDAY.

“twelve-streamer spread” was the phrase at issue in a Texas appellate court case that’s worth reading if you’re a mariner with plans on blowing the whistle.

A person who reports a business engaged in an illegal activity is called a whistleblower. Because society wants to encourage reporting, some legal protections are available when an employer retaliates against a whistleblower. The mariner that filed this Texas lawsuit argued he was fired for reporting safety concerns about the towing of seismic surveying equipment (specifically, the twelve-streamer spread). The lawsuit rested on the Seaman’s Protection Act. The Seaman’s Protection Act prevents the firing of a mariner for reporting “to the Coast Guard or other appropriate federal agency or department that the seaman believes that a violation of a maritime safety law or regulation prescribed under that law or regulation has occurred.” In other words, the Act protects mariners from retaliation in certain circumstances, but not every one.

The twelve-streamer spread referred to the

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

hull value. Installing a new electronic navigation package that was previously not there would be viewed as an increase in value. Save all receipts and talk to your agent. The agent can approach the underwriter who may require a condition and value survey to come to a final decision.

• How about absorbing a new company as your own expands? Be sure to discuss with your agent all the changes that will be taking place. If your workforce will expand, let your agent know about the additional payroll and what each employee will be doing. While the employees classified under USL&H and workers compensation will automatically be covered under your existing policies, the additional payroll will mean an increased premium at audit time. By reporting the additional payroll, you can spread out the premium over the remaining policy term.

With Jones Act classified employees, be sure to let your agent know the number of additional crewmembers and what vessels they will be working on. Likewise, if you are purchasing new assets as part of your expansion, be sure to get these added to your policy. For workboats and barges, this means adding to your hull policies.

equipment setup used for seismic surveys in the oil and gas industry. Sensors that detect changes in water pressure are attached to cables towed by a vessel. The sensor-equipped cables are the streamers. Prior to the filing of the lawsuit, the vessel towing the streamers had an accident leaving one mariner dead and six injured.

In agreeing with the trial court’s dismissal of the lawsuit, the Texas appellate court pointed out that the mariner didn’t allege facts that fit within the circumstances protected by the Act. While the mariner reported that the twelve-streamer spread would be unsafe, he hadn’t reported it to the Coast Guard and he hadn’t identified a maritime safety law or regulation that was allegedly violated.

This Texas appellate decision might appear to be against mariners and in favor of corporate interests, but I disagree. The decision actually seems to encourage mariners to report unsafe conditions to the Coast Guard. Reporting to the farmer instead of the fox makes sense and my read is that had the mariner done so, this lawsuit would still be afloat and swimming.

Whatever the case, this decision is also a reminder that winning lawsuits is hard and even decent claims with good arguments can sometimes founder.

11

FEBRUARY 2020

NEWS LOG

NEWS BITTS

T

he House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Committee on Homeland Security released a joint report in December that said the Coast Guard mishandled complaints of harassment and bullying and failed to hold those in leadership accountable for their actions. (The full report can be found at https://oversight.house.gov/ sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/ files/RTS%20Final%20Report.pdf) The committees launched an investigation 18 months ago to examine how the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Academy handle allegations of harassment and bullying and whether the academy creates an inclusive environment that can support equitable outcomes for a diverse student body, the report’s executive summary said. The committees closely examined the Coast Guard’s handling of two interrelated cases involving allegations of harassment that were investigated under the Coast Guard’s Anti-Harassment and Hate Incident (AHHI) Policy and allegations of bullying investigated by Coast Guard leadership.

The investigation focused on examining the Coast Guard’s processes for receiving, investigating, and resolving allegations, the report said. This includes processes for determining whether any actions, such as disciplinary ones, should be taken in response to any findings resulting from investigations.

Although the two cases most closely examined by the committees involved faculty and leadership at the Coast Guard Academy, the AHHI Policy and the processes used to address allegations apply to the entire Coast Guard, including cadets at the academy and all civilian and military members of the Coast Guard workforce.

12

Petty Officer Second Class Ruben Reed

House says USCG mishandled harassment complaints

Coast Guard Academy cadets and Coast Guard Tall Ship Eagle (WIX 327) crewmembers stand at attention on the ship’s waist during morning quarters.

Random drug testing will increase in 2020

T

he Coast Guard has set the 2020 minimum random drug testing rate at 50% of covered crewmembers because positive results crossed the 1% threshold for the second straight year.

This contrasts with a recent six-year stretch in which the rate held at 25%.

Employers must submit test data for each calendar year by mid-March of the following year. Since 2018, mariners in safety-sensitive positions have been tested for semi-synthetic opioids in addition to marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, phencyclidine (PCP), and opiates such as heroin.

The Coast Guard in a Federal Register notice in late December said the positive rate for the most recent reporting year “continues to be greater than one percent,” but did not give a precise number.

The step-up in testing is triggered by law and took effect on Jan. 1, 2020.

“Intoxicated operators pose a serious threat to life, property and the environment in the maritime commons,” the Coast Guard said. “As such, the minimum random drug testing rate is intended to deter and detect illegal drug misuse in the maritime industry.”

Prompted by a growing national epi-

NYSE SUSPENDS TRADING OF HORNBECK STOCK

H

ornbeck Offshore Services Inc. (HOS) announced in late December that its common stock commenced trading on the OTC Pink marketplace (OTC Pink). The transition to the “pink sheets” comes after the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) announced that trading of HOS common stock was suspended after the market closed on Dec. 20. Trading was suspended because the company did not maintain an average global market capitalization of at least $15 million over a consecutive 30-trading-day period, as required by NYSE continued listing standards. Hornbeck Offshore said it intends to appeal the NYSE’s decision.

DOT AWARDS $7.5 MILLION IN MARINE HIGHWAY GRANTS

T

he U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (Marad) announced more than $7.5 million in grants to nine marine highway projects. The funding, provided by Marad’s America’s Marine Highway Program, will go towards enhancing existing services in Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

Go to workboat.com/news for the latest commercial marine industry news.

demic, the U.S. Department of Transportation in early 2018 added to its test list hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and oxycodone, which the Coast Guard describes as the most common prescription drugs of abuse. Common names for these opioids include OxyContin, Percodan, Percocet, Vicodin, Lortab, Norco, Dilaudid and Exalgo.

Mariners who test positive for opioids have to provide a valid prescription to their medical review officer, the Coast Guard said. — Dale K. DuPont

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

simple isn't always easy...

But furuno radars are a simple choice

Your objective is simple…Deliver your vessel and its contents safely and on time.

While it might sound simple, we know it’s not easy!

Whether you’re navigating the open ocean, busy harbors, or through congested inland waterways, being aware of your surroundings is paramount. Your number one line of defense is a Radar you can rely on, from a company you can depend on.

Furuno’s award winning Radar technology is built to perform and withstand the harshest environments, keeping you, your crew and your precious cargo safe. With unique application features like ACE (Automatic Clutter Elimination), Target Analyzer, and Fast Target Tracking, Furuno Radars will help make that simple objective easier to achieve.

Ultra High Definition Radar

FAR22x8BB Series

FR19x8VBB Series

FAR15x8 Series

www.furunousa.com

Maritime Law

Thirty-four passengers and crew died in the dive boat Conception fire.

Outer Limits

By Betsy Frawley Haggerty, Correspondent

14

T

hree days after the September fire aboard the dive boat Conception off the coast of California killed 34 people, the boat’s owners filed a petition in U.S. District Court to limit their financial liability to an amount equal to the post-fire value of the boat — zero. The filing drew national attention with the media questioning how this could be legal.

The answer is an 1851 law known as the Limitation of Liability Act (LOLA), which comes into play in many admiralty cases.

This is not to say the dive boat owners will prevail. They have to prove they had no knowledge — or could have had no constructive knowledge — of the conditions that caused the fire and the deaths. This can be difficult to prove. Unlike the 19th century when owners sent ships to sea

and had no way of knowing where they were or what happened aboard until the ship reached port months later, today’s vessel owners can be in near constant contact with the captain and crew operating the vessel.

The Coast Guard has launched a criminal investigation into the Conception fire. The National Transportation Safety Board and other federal and state agencies are assisting the Coast Guard and conducting their own investigations. Those reports will not be available for several months.

Meanwhile court proceedings continue.

AMEND THE LAW? Maritime law is complicated because different laws, such as Death on the High Seas Act, the Jones Act, and other state and federal statutes, www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office

Understanding the Limitation of Liability Act.

apply in different cases. By the time the Conception tragedy is adjudicated some of these other laws will likely come into play. But this tragedy is a good jumping off point for a look at limitation of liability.

Paul M. Sterbcow, an expert in admiralty law and a managing member of Lewis, Kullman, Sterbcow & Abramson LLC, New Orleans, used the Conception case as an example of what is wrong with the Limita-

C&C

MARINE AND REPAIR

Ventura County Fire Department

The owners of the dive boat Conception filed a petition in court to limit their financial liability.

tion of Liability Act when he testified before the House of Representatives in November. He recommended that the law be amended to “remove the vessel owner’s ability to limit its liability to the vessel’s value in cases of personal injury or death to passengers and crew.”

Sterbcow began his remarks before the House Coast Guard and Maritime Subcommittee with an explanation of the law’s history. He said that the purpose of the law when enacted in 1851 and updated in subsequent years was to “encourage shipbuilding and protect an otherwise innocent shipbuilder from catastrophes at sea over which the shipowner had no control or ability to prevent. … Congress decided that shipowners needed liability protection to ensure their profitability and encourage investment in maritime commerce.”

“This law has no place in the mari-

Est. 1997

Inland Towboats • Dredges • Tank Barges • Deck Barges • Conversions • Specialized Projects

ALL FABRICATION PERFORMED INDOORS Climate-Controlled, Robotic Barge Blasting & Paint Facility Patent Pending • Licensing Available

701 Engineers Road • Belle Chasse, Louisiana 70037 • (504) 433-2000 • www.ccmrepair.com www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

15

Maritime Law time civil justice regime in America in 2020,” Sterbcow said in an interview with WorkBoat. At one time the maritime industry did need protection to induce capital investment, but that reason is gone. “All of these ships are insured to the hilt, and they never lose communication with shore. The owners never really lose control over the vessels, so there is no purpose to balance this on the backs of injured people anymore.”

So, what happens when an injured party files a lawsuit against a shipowner? In most major casualty cases where there are several claimants, the owner will file a petition in federal court for exoneration from or limitation of liability as a first line of defense, said Boston-based lawyer Brian Flanagan, a former Coast Guard officer, retired law professor and proctor member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States

(MLA).

As part of the petition the owner needs to post a bond or other security equal to the value of the vessel after the loss. This can be zero, as in the Conception case, or it can be a significant amount. It does not include insurance proceeds (more on that later). The owner must also notify potential claimants via a published public notice and direct mail that the petition has been filed and let them know they have a specified amount of time to respond.

The claimants can then go to federal court and try to break the limitation by showing that the owner or master did indeed have some idea something was amiss. If the limitation is broken, as it often is, Flanagan said, the federal court can go on and assess damages or the claimants can go back to state court proceedings and have a trial by jury.

REASONS TO FILE Defense attorneys often file limitation petitions not because they think they will win but because it consolidates all proceedings in federal court before a single judge. That way they don’t have to fight claims in three or four different jurisdictions at the same time or face juries.

“Any other action that has been or might be filed is dead in its tracks,” Flanagan said. “All of the potential claimants have to go into the limitation proceeding. This is called a concursus, and it means that everybody has to get on the same dance floor.”

Requiring multiple claimants to file claims against a vessel owner in one jurisdiction so the owner can get a handle on the inventory of claims has merit many maritime attorneys agree, but the provision that limits a vessel owner’s liability is troublesome and

GladdingHearn-WorkBoat-BW.pdf

4

5/9/19

9:22 AM

GLADDING-HEARN SHIPBUILDING

Duclos Corporation gladding-hearn.com 16

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

should be removed.

“In most cases an experienced maritime attorney should be able to beat limitation and demand a jury trial,” said John K. Fulweiler, a Rhode Island admiralty lawyer and WorkBoat columnist, but these petitions disadvantage claimants by adding another level of litigation. “This is not the way our society should treat litigants who are pursuing remedies for having been harmed.”

New Orleans attorney Sterbcow, who specializes in maritime personal injury and death cases and has worked on many limitation cases, said he does not have statistics on how often owners succeed in limiting liability, but he believes it is less than 20% of the time.

“Defense lawyers tell me they never win these,” he said, “but the point is they file them, and I am required to tell people who have lost a daughter or a husband that they may get no settlement. This may or may not happen, but it puts them in a horrible position emotionally.”

What rankles Sterbcow and other attorneys who represent injured parties is that insurance assets are not included in limitation proceedings. If the vessel owner wins the limitation case, the insurer pays nothing.

“LOLA is now being used to protect the insurance industry, not

the shipowner, by allowing insurance companies to avoid their contractual responsibilities and risk,” Sterbcow told Congress. “The truth is that a preCivil War law, designed to encourage shipbuilding in the United States, has turned into a tool to safeguard the bottom line of insurance companies at the expense of marine personal injury and death victims. This was never intended by Congress, nor should it be.”

Harold K. Watson, a maritime attorney with Chaffee McCall in Houston who specializes in insurance law, disagrees. Watson maintains that the law protects owners, not their insurance carriers, since only shipowners can invoke it. And owners’ premiums depend on the losses insurance pays

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

out. Most bluewater shipping companies, he said, have insurance through mutual indemnity, so that if a claim is greater than the insurance fund, the companies must pay out of pocket.

Asked to respond to reports that insurance companies sometimes direct owners to petition for limitation, Watson said that marine insurers are “duty bound” to make sure that ship owners get the best defense. “Virtually every country in the world has a limitation law,” he added.

The chances that LOLA will be amended anytime soon are slim to none. Sterbcow said that no members of the House subcommittee asked questions or reacted in any way to his testimony.

Browns Point Marine Service Sales Service Parts & Accessories

800-338-0645

www.brownspoint.com We Ship Everywhere M/C - Visa - AMEX - Discover

Over 40 Years of Suzuki Sales & Service Experience

17

Riverboat Cruises

Just Cruisin’

American Cruise Lines

Overnight ‘steamboating’ has experienced a resurgence on the inland rivers.

The 342' American Song is one of American Cruise Lines’ Modern Riverboat Series.

Currently two of this class are operating and five will be built.

By Michael Crowley, Correspondent

18

S

teamboating on the Mississippi River began with the launch of the New Orleans in 1811.

After that, steamboating quickly became the method of choice for transporting freight and passengers anywhere along the river’s 2,000 miles from St. Paul, Minn., to New Orleans. By the 1830s there were more than 1,200 steamboats on the Mississippi.

But by the 1870s, railroads had cut into the steamboat trade, making it barely profitable. Author and former riverboat pilot Mark Twain wrote in Life On The Mississippi, “The railroads have killed the steamboat passenger trade by doing in two or three days what the steamboats consumed a week in doing.”

The steamboats of the 1800s and early 20th century are gone and so too are their role as the primary method of personal travel from one river town to another. Today’s river travelers are vaca-

tioners, sightseers and history buffs — those that want to see and learn something about a part of the country they’ve only heard about, be it southern plantations, the Delta blues, Lewis and Clark, and, yes, Mark Twain.

Increasingly the favorite method of travel of these curiosity seekers is today’s riverboats that strongly resemble their 19th century ancestors, with their white, richly detailed exteriors, large paddlewheels and towering fluted smokestacks.

(Though dealing with bridges that Mark Twain never had to worry about often requires smoke stacks that fold down and wheelhouses that can be retracted.) Throw in elegant amenities usually found in the fanciest hotels and restaurants and it’s easy to understand why someone looks forward to a passage along rivers such as the Mississippi, Snake, Columbia and Ohio. www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

American Cruise Lines rendering

The 418’ American Queen is billed as the largest steamboat ever built.

Though Waggoner points out that the Queen and Empress are not conversions but started out as riverboats, when the vessels were acquired by American Queen Steamboat they hadn’t been used for three and four years, respectively.

“So, they needed a lot of repairs and maintenance. Redoing everything from exterior paint to interior carpet and furnishings,” he said. The final bill was almost $9 million for the American Queen and about $6 million for the American Empress.

The former casino boats American Countess and American Duchess are conversions. The 314' American Duchess started out in 1995 as the 280' Bettendorf Capri, while the American Countess began as the Kanesville Queen, a 257' casino boat built in 1995 that has since been given a 60' midbody extension, pushing her out to 317'.

Guilford, Conn.-based American Cruise Lines also has four paddlewheelers: the 296' America, the 232' Queen of the West, the 300' Queen of the Mississippi (originally American Eagle), and the 300' America Pride (originally

The lounge on ACL’s Modern Riverboat Series vessels.

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

David Krapf

THE TWO AMERICANS For at least two companies that have invested heavily in riverboat cruising — American Queen Steamboat Co. and American Cruise Lines (ACL) — the numbers indicate a much healthier level of river travel than in the late 1800s.

American Queen Steamboat currently has four traditionally styled riverboats, all of them paddlewheelers. They “emulate boats of the 1800s. One of the design elements is to make them look like late-1800s steamers,” said John Waggoner, CEO of New Albany, Ind.based, American Queen.

Two of them, the 314' American Duchess and the 418' American Queen — billed as the largest steamboat ever built — travel the Mississippi River System. The 317' American Countess will join them in the spring after being converted from a casino boat to a riverboat at Gulf Island Shipyards, Houma, La. The fourth riverboat, the 360' American Empress, operates on the Columbia and Snake rivers.

The American Queen and the American Empress were originally riverboats.

The American Queen was built in 1995 at McDermott Shipyard as a sixdeck, overnight river cruise boat for the Delta Queen Steamboat Co. and could carry 436 passengers. American Queen Steamboat acquired her in 2011.

The American Empress was launched in 2002 at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders as the Empress of the North for American West Steamboat Co., and when they went out of business, American Queen Steamboat acquired her in 2013.

Queen of Mississippi). Queen of the West operates on the Columbia and Snake rivers. The others carry passengers along the Mississippi. With the exception of the Queen of the West, built in 1995 for American West Steamboat, the others were all newly built for ACL. In addition, ACL is developing its “Modern Riverboat Series.” Two from this class are in operation: the 342' American Song and the 269' American Harmony. A third boat, the 345' American Jazz, is nearly completed. A fourth boat in the series, America Melody, is scheduled to be launched at the end of 2020 and a fifth one after that.

The new vessels don’t have the slightest resemblance to traditional paddlewheelers. “They appear from the outside like small coastal ships,” said Alexa Paolella, spokeswoman for ACL. “Each one is slightly different but they do look alike.” American Song carries 184 passengers, the others 190.

The American Jazz was launched this past October at Chesapeake Shipbuilding, Salisbury, Md., where all of ACL’s new boats are designed and built.

Chesapeake Shipbuilding is a sister company of ACL. When completed, the American Jazz will have six decks and 100 staterooms to accommodate its 190 passengers.

In a take-off on the bow-mounted gangway that many paddlewheelers have, boats in the new series all have a patent pending bow design where the bow opens up and a gangway extends out, allowing passengers to go ashore anywhere along the river, said Paolella.

Passenger bookings were up 50% in 2019. With four of their modern river19

Riverboat Cruises

20

PADDLEWHEELS: FOR SHOW AND PROPULSION

T

he paddlewheels on American Cruise Lines’ four paddlewheelers can be used for propulsion “if there were an issue,” said Alexa Paolella, spokeswoman for ACL. But they are “mostly for looks.” The company’s riverboats rely on Z-drives for propulsion.

Not so for the paddlewheels gracing the The paddlewheel on sterns of American Queen Steamboat’s four the American Queen. riverboats. They are an intricate part of the propulsion system, providing about 50% of the power. The vessels’ Z-drives supply the other 50%. “We try to have redundant propulsion systems,” said John Waggoner, CEO of American Queen. “You are always going to ding a prop on the Z-drives (in shallow water) or the paddlewheels break a board.”

That meant adding fully functional paddlewheels to the boats that had been converted, the American Countess and American Duchess. On the Countess the paddlewheel is driven by hydraulic motors (the paddlewheel develops 2,000 hp) and on the Duchess by electric motors.

Going downstream, the paddlewheel is often the sole source of propulsion, reserving the Z-drives only for maneuvering. “You can feel that thump, thump, thump, of the paddlewheel going around,” said Waggoner. “I think that’s why guests like our boats.” Whereas, going up river the Z-drives are always used to help the riverboat stay on schedule. — M. Crowley

David Krapf

boats in operation, she expects passenger totals to double in 2020.

Waggoner is equally optimistic, though he admits that after buying American Queen, “the first few years were tough.” A major problem was that Americans were taking European river cruises. At the same time, foreign travel agents didn’t have much confidence in the U.S. riverboat market. “They didn’t want to book on American Queen because companies that had it had a history of going under.” But that changed “once they saw we were here for the long term.”

These days 20% of American Queen Steamboat’s market is international.

Waggoner said the big reason there’s an increase in river traffic is more Americans “want to stay home. They want to support ‘built in America.’ They don’t want to travel overseas. I think they are into exploring the U.S. It’s very safe. They get to see the antebellum South, to learn about the Civil War.”

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

NEW CONSTRUCTION • REPAIRS • CONVERSIONS

2200 Nelson Street, Panama City, FL 32401 Tel: 850-763-1900 ext 3216 Fax: 850-763-7904 Email: sberthold@easternshipbuilding.com www.easternshipbuilding.com

Building Momentum

We look forward to serving you in 2020 and beyond!

Metal Trades Steiner Shipyard Inc.

New Blood

A new generation takes over at family-owned Alabama shipyard.

By Ken Hocke, Senior Editor

22

I

n 1954 Clarence Steiner purchased a Bayou La Batre, Ala., shipyard that repaired small wooden boats and named it Steiner Shipyard. Clarence’s son, Russell, purchased the yard from his father and incorporated the company in 1969. By the mid-‘70s, Steiner had diversified from wooden boat repair to new construction of steel and aluminum vessels.

Last year, Russell’s daughter, Tara Steiner Marshall, continued the tradition of her father and grandfather before her, becoming owner and president of the shipyard.

Marshall, who went to work at the shipyard in 1990, said her dad is now retired, but “he’s still offering advice. I guess we’re considered a third generation [shipyard] now.”

EXPANDING ORDERBOOK In early December, the shipyard had a dozen towboats under construction — 10 vessels for Mandeville, La.-based Florida Marine Transporters (FMT) — four 88 footers and six 76 footers — and two 120 footers for Memphis, Tenn.-based Southern Towing Co. One of the 120' Z-drives for STC, The Colonel, was delivered in late December.

In October 2019, Steiner delivered the 100'×34'×11' towboat David Goin to FMT, the barge company’s 100th towboat. It was the first boat Steiner built for FMT and led to the 10-boat contract the yard is now working on. “This was our first boat for Florida Marine and our first Subchapter M boat,” said Marshall. “It was a learning process for everybody, but it turned out great.” www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

Steiner Shipyard

The Colonel, a 120' Z-drive towboat for Southern Towing, left Steiner’s yard in late December.

vessel engineering and construction, said Steiner was “easy to work with.”

“We had never built for them before the David Goin,” said Marshall. “We didn’t know their likes and dislikes and they didn’t know ours. They didn’t know our approach to building boats.

But I guess it went well because we’re building them 10 more boats.”

In 2007, Bill Stegbauer, then

The Colonel, a 120' Z-drive towboat which was delivered recently, is one of two Z-drive towboats Steiner is building for Southern Towing.

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

Ken Hocke

FMT opted to use a TPO (third party organization) to get the new towboat in Subchapter M compliance to receive its COI at delivery.

Andy Overstreet, Steiner’s vice president and yard supervisor, worked closely with FMT and its TPO. “They had their own TPO do most everything, and we dealt with them,” he said. “We had no contact with the Coast Guard except for a few meetings.”

FMT officially took delivery of the boat — with its COI — on Oct. 10. “I think the TPO was the right choice,” said Overstreet. “Florida Marine tried to do everything that Coast Guard wanted them to do. The whole process worked well.”

Designed by Sterling Marine LLC, Fairhope, Ala., the David Goin is powered by twin MTU 12V4000 diesel engines, producing 1,600 hp at 1,800 rpm each. The engines are connected to 88"×67" Sound stainless steel, 4-bladed wheels through Twin Disc 5600 DR marine gears with 6.56:1 reduction ratios.

Jeff Brumfield, FMT’s director of

Steiner Shipyard

In October 2019, Steiner delivered the 100'x34'x11' towboat David Goin to Florida Marine Transporters, the Louisiana barge company’s 100th towboat.

president of STC, awarded Steiner a contract to build four 120'×34'×10'6", 3,200-hp Z-drive towboats. Many in the barge industry thought he was foolish for using Z-drives on the inland waterways. They said there was too much trash in the water that would choke the propulsion units, Z-drives were too expensive to buy and maintain, parts were too hard to come by, and so forth.

But Stegbauer stuck to his plans, and trusted Steiner Shipyard to build the boats, which they did. “[The boats] have been exceptional,” Stegbauer told WorkBoat in a 2011 interview. “I made some bold predictions on their handling and maneuverability and their fuel efficiency, and they’ve exceeded all of that. It’s an amazing thing to have a project actually come out like you hope.”

That year, 2011, high water on the inland waterways was a major concern for the barge industry. Stegbauer said his Z-drive towboats were holding up well against the challenging conditions.

“They are doing as well or better than other boats in the high water because they have a higher degree of maneuverability,” he said.

Two major concerns for any river operator who contemplates Z-drives are grounding and debris. “We have had some groundings, and they’ve survived it,” said Stegbauer. “We’ve had stuff go through the wheels, and they’ve 23

Steiner Shipyard

Ken Hocke

WORKFORCE Business at Steiner Shipyard is very good, but there are challenges. “I think that one of the biggest obstacles we face right now is personnel,” Marshall said. “We’re trying to figure out where we want to put more employees in the yard, which, by the way, is hard to do right now.” The yard currently has 90 employees.

Overstreet agreed. “It’s hard to find

NEW OWNER KEEPS IT IN THE FAMILY

W

hen Tara Steiner Marshall was a child, her family lived within shouting distance of her father’s shipyard. She spent a lot of time at the shipyard when she was growing up, long before she went to work for her dad Russell Steiner in 1990.

“I think it’s in our blood,” said Marshall, who watched her father spend much of his day running the business that supported Tara Steiner Marshall his family. “Daddy’s generation, his goal was to work all day, every day. It’s pletely. “Well, I know when I go to sleep at what it took back then. He would come home night that I’m the one who had to sign for that at eight or nine at night and we would eat $400,000 crane. The buck stops here. It’s a little harder to sleep.” then.”

What hasn’t changed is the sincere apMarshall, the new owner and president of Steiner Shipyard, said her approach is some- proach that Marshall and all Steiner employwhat different. “Now, we work too. We’ll be ees take when interacting with customers here on weekends or until nine at night if we or potential customers. “What people like need to be. But if not, I have three boys. I about us is you come and have lunch with us don’t want to miss what they’re doing if I can and you talk directly to the supervisor Andy [Overstreet],” said Marshall. “I think we’re help it. I work so I can enjoy life.”

And even when she’s not at the shipyard, accessible more than dealing with a bigger it’s doesn’t mean she can block it out com- shipyard.” — K. Hocke

kids who know what they’re doing. We would like to have a few more qualified people.” And, he added, when you find them, “we have to pay a lot more money for them now.”

Another concern, Overstreet said, is that equipment delivery has become more challenging. “Everything takes

Steiner has a contract to build 10 more towboats for Florida Marine.

24

Steiner Shipyard

survived it.”

Like any inland towboat, STC’s Zdrive propellers are subjected to a lot of wear and tear, but STC has the option to pull out an entire Z-drive unit with a crane to repair or replace. STC keeps a spare unit handy that can be dropped in quickly and the towboat is returned to service. The company can also replace the wheel when needed.

That’s the same kind of boat that Steiner is currently building for Southern Towing now. Overstreet said the boats have proven to be not just dependable but also popular with customers. “Customers request those boats is our understanding,” he said, “and they’re saving time and fuel with those boats.”

The new towboats will have a few extra bells and whistles, but the design and construction are essentially the same as the first one that was delivered in 2008. “They’re adding just a few little things, but basically we’re building the same exact boat,” said Overstreet.

more time. Now, everything is booming but nobody has equipment. Years ago, you could get a propeller in six to eight weeks. Not anymore. It is definitely more of a challenge to get your equipment here.”

Marshall said that since assuming ownership she is out in the yard more often and must be aware of everything that goes on in the business. “I used to just be in the office. I didn’t really have much interaction with what was going on out in the yard,” she said. “Now, I’m out in the yard more. Learning from Andy and I love it.”

Marshall said that 2020 is going to be a busy year for her shipyard.

“Twelve boats under contract is a lot of boats for us, but we’re up for the challenge,” she said. “I have the final decision on everything — contracts, insurance, banking and that sort of stuff.

But I decided last year that this is what I wanted, and I’m glad I did.”

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

MOTOR-SERVICES HUGO STAMP, INC. (MSHS) IS YOUR POWER AND PROPULSION PRODUCT AND SERVICE PROVIDER.

YOU MAXIMIZE PRODUCTIVITY

With full service locations in the Southeast, Gulf Coast and the Pacific Northwest, plus a network of local representatives throughout the Americas and the Caribbean, MSHS factorytrained engineers are always within reach. Available 24/7, MSHS carries an extensive inventory of FPT spare parts and is ISO 9001:2015 certified.

Where to buy?

Visit www.mshs.com or call +1 954-763-3660 Contact a Sales Representative: enginesales@mshs.com

WE BOOST EFFICIENCY For over 100 years we have engineered efficiency, combining our experience and know-how to deliver ever evolving powertrains. FPT marine engines offer outstanding innovation level, low operating costs for fuel consumption and maintenance, long durability and extreme efficiency.

Learn more at fptindustrial.com

N67 550

CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS

On TheWays

ON THE WAYS

Atlantic Wind Transfers rendering

Blount to build offshore crew transfer vessels

65' crew transfer vessels will work off the East Coast.

B

lount Boats, Warren, R.I., is building two 65'×28' (excluding fender) Chartwell 24 crew transfer vessels (CTVs) for wind farm support company Atlantic Wind Transfers.

Developed by Chartwell Marine, the vessels will be deployed in support of new wind farms off the East Coast, with delivery scheduled for 2020.

Atlantic Wind Transfers said the new boats will meet the demands of U.S. offshore wind developers, many of whom have a background in the European market.

“We want to stay ahead of the growth curve,” said Charles Donadio, CEO of Atlantic Wind Transfers, North Kingstown, R.I. “We have garnered a lot of experience and knowledge (in the European market), and we want to be ready for the next opportunity.”

Atlantic Wind Transfers said it will be able to meet these challenges with the Chartwell 24. Chartwell Marine has taken end user considerations into account to provide a CTV with all the advancements gained from operating in the European market, but tailored for the U.S., the company said.

With a 4.43' draft, the new boats will be a specialized model of the Chartwell 24, modified to comply with U.S. 26

environmental regulations and operational conditions. In particular, the vessels will be compliant with legislation that protects the migration route of the right whale off the northeastern seaboard, with a specially adapted 65' hull.

The hull has been further adapted to handle the Atlantic sea conditions.

The new Subchapter L boats will have accommodations for a crew of two to four and be able to carry up to 24 passengers (technicians) up to 150 nm offshore.

The modifications have been introduced without compromising the proven attributes that make the Chartwell 24 one of the safest and most capable vessel designs in the offshore wind market, Atlantic Wind officials said. This includes a hull configuration that minimizes “wet deck slamming,” a large, step-free foredeck and superior transit performance, Chartwell officials said.

“Based on our knowledge of the conditions off the coast of New England, we made modifications to our design to ensure optimal performance,” Andy Page, managing director of Chartwell Marine, said. “Compliance with maritime regulations is only second to the safety of personnel, so we have ensured that Atlantic Wind Transfers and its clients will benefit from a vessel that ticks all of these boxes, while www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

— Ken Hocke

Armstrong Marine delivers pilotage RIB to Mexico

A

rmstrong Marine USA, Port Angeles, Wash., recently delivered the Piloto VIII to support marine pilotage operations at the Port of Manzanillo, Mexico.

Designed by Naiad and built at Armstrong’s Port Angeles production facility, the 9.5m×3.3m (31'×11') RIB features a walk around cabin, storage cuddy, Northern Lights 6-kW generator, and seating for four. The foam collar system is coated with Rhino TuffGrip.

“Naiads are firm favorites with pilot operators who, as part of their job function, are required to go out even in rough conditions,” Naiad CEO John Cowan said in a statement announcing the delivery. “The carefully designed deep-V hull form and large fenders provide great seakeeping and ride.”

Twin Suzuki 250-hp outboards deliver 32-knot cruise and 40-knot top speeds. SeaStar electronic steering paired with an Optimus 360 joystick and Lenco Marine trim tabs are responsible for handling and maneuverability.

Piloto VIII also features flush, non-skid decks, allowing for safe and secure pilot transfers. Rigid LED flood deck lights, two forward and two aft,

Armstrong Marine

attaining the highest possible standards of safety and technical availability.”

“Our crew transfer vessel company was the first to support offshore wind here in Rhode Island, with the first and only CTV currently operating in the United States,” said Donadio. “This is another major milestone for us as we expand our operation and aim to support the local supply chain along the East Coast of the United States.”

Blount Boats built the first U.S.flagged CTV, the 70'6"×24'×4' Atlantic Pioneer, for Atlantic Wind Transfers in 2015 — which in turn was commissioned to service the first U.S. offshore wind farm off Block Island, R.I.

31' pilot RIB for Mexico.

are designed to enhance safety during nighttime operation. Additional exterior customizations include aluminum engine guards, a foredeck bollard, and battery box that doubles as an aft deck bench seat.

Inside, Shockwave S3 shockmitigating seats with folding armrests and footrests accommodate the operator plus three passengers. A Dometic A/C unit is designed to keep the cabin comfortably cool. Sliding side windows, two aft cabin bulkhead windows, and five look-up windows maximize visibility while approaching and operating alongside ships.

The Furuno/NMEA electronics package includes a NavNet TZTouch2 12" multifunction display for intuitive navigation. Communications equipment includes two Icom VHF radios and a Speco loud hailer. The vessel is also outfitted with a Catch and Lift man overboard rescue system provided

by Intelligent Sailing.

Armstrong Marine also recently delivered a new 42'×16' catamaran research vessel, the Benthic Cat, to Orca Maritime Inc. after successful launch and sea trials in Port Angeles Harbor.

Orca Maritime selected the design after Armstrong delivered the same 4216CTC model to UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography (Bob and Betty Beyster, one of WorkBoat’s Significant Boats for 2019.)

Orca Maritime is using the workboat in support of Department of Defense initiatives, environmental agencies, energy sectors, and commercial enterprise. Vessel operations will include

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

the launch and recovery of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), underwater gliders, surface and underwater sensors, remotely operated vehicles (ROV), and unmanned surface vehicles (USV). The Benthic Cat will also support surface-supplied/SCUBA diving operations and provide onboard data processing.

The catamaran features a full-width cabin with fly bridge, large aft working deck, hydraulic A-frame (5,000-lb.

SWL), Northern Lights 9-kw diesel generator, and Garmin/NMEA electronics package. The vessel is well equipped for multiday operations along the Southern California coast with two interior workstations, a four-person sleeping cuddy, head with shower, refrigerator/freezer, and 600-gal. fuel capacity.

Benthic Cat is powered by twin Volvo Penta D11 510-hp inboards paired with Volvo IPS 650 propulsors and Volvo electric steering. During sea trials the boat recorded 32-mph cruise and 37-mph top speeds. The dynamic positioning system integrates GPS navigation data with propulsion controls to automatically maintain heading and position. Joystick controls at the aft docking station and flybridge station are designed to ease handling.

Deck equipment includes the Aframe with Pullmaster PL5 hydraulic winch, a Morgan Marine 200.3 crane, Kinematics hydraulic anchor winch and 5" aft deck horizontal capstan, and 28 tie-down points for securing equipment. Rigid LED flood lights illuminate the aft deck.

27

On TheWays Inside, three Bentley’s Patriot seats accommodate captain and crew.

Benches with a flip down tabletop provide additional seating and storage.

39' RIB for shallow and deepwater operations.

— K. Hocke

Ribcraft building 39’ RIBs for the U.S. Navy ibcraft, Marblehead, Mass., has been awarded a five-year contract by the Navy to provide 11-meter (39') RIBs. Under the contract, Ribcraft will build and deliver the expeditionary mine counter measure boat. The boatbuilder has also been providing the Navy with 7-meter (23') shipboard RIBs since 2014.

The new RIBs will serve to support explosive ordinance disposal mine counter measure platoons in both shallow and deepwater operations.

To achieve this, Ribcraft will build

Ribcraft

R

two configurations for mine counter measure operations; one with an open aft deck for stowage and deployment of two combat rubber raiding craft and the other featuring a launch, recover, and handling system for deployment and retrieval of an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) which will have the capability to launch, recover and

handle two UUVs using a single davit.

“We’ve enjoyed a long and collaborative relationship with the Navy,” P. Brian Gray, president and CEO of Ribcraft, said in a statement announcing the contract. “We have a proven track record of meeting the needs of the Navy with exceptional product and service.”

BOATBUILDING BITTS astern Shipbuilding Group Inc., Panama City, Fla., delivered the Jaden Pasentine in November. The 90'×32'×10' towboat is the 70th built by the shipyard for Florida Marine Transporters LLC, Mandeville, La. Eastern delivered the DPJ II, the 69th inland towboat in the series, in August 2019. The Jaden Pasentine was constructed at Eastern’s Allanton, Fla., facility from a design by Gilbert Associates Inc., Boston. The new towboats are powered by two Caterpillar 3512C Tier 3 diesel engines each rated at 1,500 hp at 1,600 rpm, supplied by Louisiana CAT Power Systems, Reserve, La. The reduction gears are direct coupled Twin Disc MG-5600 with 6.04:1 reduction ratios supplied by Stewart Supply, Harvey, La. Electrical power is provided by twin 99-kW John Deere 4045AFM85 Tier 3 generator sets rated for 60 Hz, at 208 VAC provided by Kennedy Engine Co., Biloxi, Miss. The diesel engines comply with current EPA Tier 3 emissions control of nitrogen oxides from marine diesel engines.

Robert Allan Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia, has been awarded a contract from Modutech Marine Inc., Tacoma, Wash., to design a new version of the commercially successful RAscal 1800-Z tugs for the Navy. The award builds on the success of RAL’s Z-Tech 4500 design for the Navy which currently operates six, identified as the YT 802 Class, and has another six tugs, identified as the YT 808 Class, currently under construction. The new 63'×30'11"×11'6" RAscal tug (with an option for one more) will be built by Modutech at 28

Eastern Shipbuilding Group

E

90' towboat for Florida Marine Transporters.

its facility in Tacoma. Known as the YT 815, the tug will be very similar to 10 RAscal 1800-Z tugs that have been built

by Sanmar Shipyards in Turkey.

Austal USA delivered the 338'×93'6" expeditionary fast transport ship Puerto Rico (EPF 11) to the Navy during a ceremony aboard the ship at the company’s headquarters in Mobile, Ala. The Spearhead-class EPF, a high-speed catamaran with a 13' draft, provides high-payload transport capability to U.S. combatant commanders around the world and is known as “the pickup truck” of the fleet. The ship’s large flight deck, open mission bay and habitability spaces provide an opportunity to conduct a wide range of missions from maritime security operations to humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions. The ship, which is powered by www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

Scully’s brought two vessels to the 2019 WorkBoat Show

Scully’s two aluminum boats at the 40th International WorkBoat Show.

Main propulsion will be supplied by twin Cummins QSB-6.7 473-hp diesel engines connected to two HamiltonJet 292 waterjets. Shockwave shock mitigating seating will provide improved crew comfort in all conditions.

A critical operational requirement for these boats is that they must be transportable around the world by

land, air or sea and be able to be readily deployed from a variety of Navy ship classes.

“We’re committed to building boats that will perform in the worst of conditions while keeping our dedicated service men and women safe during their missions around the world,” said Gray. — K. Hocke

four MTU 20V8000 engines to a speed of 35-40 knots, has built in flexibility that allows it to support potential future missions such as special operations, command and control, and primary medical operations.

The Association of Maryland Pilots has ordered a new class of pilot boat from Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corp. Named the Baltimore class after the pilots’ base of operations at the Port of Baltimore, the vessel’s delivery is scheduled for April 2021. The 48'6"×15.6'×4' aluminum pilot boat will feature the Ray Hunt Design deep-V hull. It will be powered by twin Volvo Penta D13, Tier 3-compliant diesel engines, each delivering 600 hp at 1,900 rpm with a top speed of 29 knots. The engines will turn 5-bladed Bruntons nibral propellers via ZF 400A gears. The launch will be equipped with a 6-kW Northern Lights genset, and a Humphree interceptor trim-tab control system.

Robert Allan Ltd.

New Navy tug will be similar to ones built in Turkey.

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

Austal USA

Doug Stewart

S

cully’s Custom Aluminum Boats, Morgan City, La., had two of its boats on the floor of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center at the 40th International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans in December.

The 2684LC measures 26'4"×8'6", has a deadrise of 5°, twin outboards and, 80-gal. fuel capacity. There's ¼" 5086 aluminum plate on the bottom, 3/16" 5086 on the sides and 12" frame spacing, and a 70" clear opening gate.

The 20'2"×8'6" 2284VWB has 1/4" 5086 bottom aluminum plate, 3/16" 5086 bottom plate, 1/8" tread plate on deck and 1/8" tread plate double bottom, 14" frame spacing, and 12° deadrise. Fuel capacity is 80 gals.

— K. Hocke

338'x93'6" Navy expeditionary fast transport ship.

The Navy has awarded a Lockheed Martin-led team, which includes Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM), a $1.3 billion contract for the construction of four multimission surface combatant (MMSC) ships, as part of the Foreign Military Sales program. The ships will be for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Fincantieri will build the ships at the Marinette Marine yard in Wisconsin. Exact specifications of the ship were not disclosed, but the standard size of the MMSC is 118.6m×17.6m×4.3m (389'×58'×14'). The multimission surface combat ships will be powered by a combined diesel and gas (CODAG) propulsion system. They will have the ability to operate in high sea state conditions and reach a maximum speed of 30 knots, as well as a range of 5,000 nm.

29

Capacity Crowd The strong economy led to another good year for the passenger vessel industry.

By Dale K. DuPont, Correspondent

30

B

arring nasty December weather, Portland Spirit Cruises & Events was on track to have either its best year in 25 years or its second best. And sales for 2020 “are off to an excellent start,” Dan Yates, president of the Oregon dining and sightseeing cruise company, said late last year.

Even though the region is trade dependent on the Pacific Rim, the economy is holding up well.

Unemployment and interest rates are low. Both the corporate and public sides of the business have been strong. The biggest challenge for Yates — and one echoed by other operators — is finding employees, especially ones who show up for work on time.

Yates also is introducing a new route this year with the Seven Wonders of the Gorge sightseeing cruise out of the Port of Camas/Washougal, Wash., on the Columbia River east of Portland.

He’ll use the 84'×24'×4.5', four-deck aluminum Crystal Dolphin for the “15- to 20-mile run we don’t normally cover.” He figures it will take two or three years to develop the market, “but we’re excited about the opportunity.”

Yates isn’t the only one who finds opportunity in one of the strongest segments of the workboat business. The past year has seen major acquisitions by operators such as Hornblower Holdings, the growing popularity of the Great Lakes, and newbuilds for the leisure and ferry markets.

The industry’s also dealing with the aftermath of two major fatalities in the last two years and anticipating tougher inspections and possibly new regulations for some sectors. Several federal agencies are investigating the September California dive boat fire that killed 33 passengers and one crew, including the Coast Guard, which has convened a rare Marine Board of Investigation

American Waterways Inc.

Late last year, Portland Spirit Cruises was on track to have its best year in 25 years in 2019.

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

TIER 4 ENGINE MANDATE HURTS PASSENGER VESSEL CONSTRUCTION

GROWTH AND EXPANSION One company that significantly expanded its portfolio last year was Hornblower with the purchase of Entertainment Cruises, the addition of Boston Harbor Cruises as well as a second Canadian operator, and the October acquisition of London-based City Cruises, the largest tour operator on the River Thames. Companies also under the Hornblower umbrella include Hornblower Cruises & Events, New York City’s NYC Ferry, HMS Global Maritime and overnight brands American Queen Steamboat Co. and Victory Cruise Lines.

Entertainment Cruises, with 53 dining and sightseeing vessels, broadens Hornblower’s national reach from the West Coast to a larger chunk of the Northeast and Chicago.

“We’ve always been interested in growing. We’ve made a number of acquisitions along the way,” said Terry MacRae, chairman and CEO of Hornblower. They recently added a significant private equity investor, Crestview Partners, which, along with MacRae and American Queen chairman and CEO John Waggoner, own Hornblower Holdings.

They operate over a wide range of products, services and geographies.

“Our goal is to grow all of our dif-

T

he Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 4 marine engine requirement “has effectively ‘shut down’ U.S. construction of new smaller high-speed catamaran passenger vessels,” the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) has said.

“It is not technically or economically feasible to install Tier 4 engines with accompanying selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems” into such vessels, the trade group said. “The size and weight of the few Tier 4 systems now available degrade necessary vessel speed, increase fuel usage, and meaningfully cut available passenger capacity by as many as 20 passengers per trip (thereby reducing the vessel’s revenue generating ability).”

PVA’s comments were in response to an EPA proposed rule this past September to amend its marine diesel emission standards to give lobster and pilot boats and possibly other types of high-speed vessels more time to comply.

The additional time to 2022 and 2024 will allow engine manufacturers to design Tier 4 engines for high-speed vessels and vessel manufacturers to redesign their craft to accommodate the technology, EPA said. But some who weighed in suggested more time was needed given how long it takes to build a vessel even if compliant Tier 4 engines become available.

“The existing Tier 4 mandate is having the unintended effect of deterring certain passenger vessel operators from renewing their fleets by replacing older vessels with newly constructed ones,” PVA said.

Kenai Fjords Tours, Seward, Alaska, for example, has nine, 150-passenger vessels that carry nearly 100,000 passengers a year. To reduce their environmental impact, “the single most important factor would be replacing the six aging monohulls in our fleet with more modern, lightweight types,” Eric Simpson, marine operations manager said in comments to EPA. Their three All American Marine hydrofoil assisted catamarans each save about 20,000 gals. of fuel a year over their older vessels.

There is no viable Tier 4 option for their operation, he said. “The option to repower our existing vessels is beginning to seem like the only financially responsible alternative. This is unfortunate, as I be-

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

Kenai Fjords Tours

(MBI). The second MBI in two years follows an earlier one looking into a duck boat sinking that killed 17 people near Branson, Mo., in 2018.

Overall, the healthy economy has meant “operators from all passenger vessel industry market segments have reported strong 2019 seasons,” said John Groundwater, executive director of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA). “While there has been consolidation at the top of the industry, passenger vessel operators of all sizes have also reported adding vessels to their fleets as well as upgrading facilities.”

PVA’s own membership has also grown. As of December, it had added 48 new companies — an approximate 25% increase over 2018, he said.

Kenai Fjords Tours has six aging monohull vessels in its fleet. lieve this is a regressive step that will ultimately be far worse for the environment than installing Tier 3 engines in a modern catamaran.”

All American “has not been able to build nor install a single Tier 4-compliant engine in a vessel to date,” Ron Wille, business development manager of the Bellingham, Wash., company, told the EPA. Their “highly efficient catamarans have small engine rooms and are extremely weight sensitive.”

The rule change should apply “to any vessel that fits the lack of engine availability criteria, not to a single group of users,” he said. “Most high-speed catamaran vessel operators, including passenger vessel operators, will continue to operate older vessels that have poorer emissions performance due to the existing rule.”

PVA urged the EPA to expand the proposed rule so Coast Guard-inspected high-speed catamarans regardless of length can continue to install and use Tier 3 engines. “Tier 4 marine engines for these vessels are neither available nor feasible, and they are unlikely to be so in the future,” said the letter signed by PVA board president Robert Lawler of Boston Duck Tours. “Failure to adjust the existing regulation will present an insurmountable obstacle to construction of these vessels, with the unintended and unfortunate consequence that existing vessels with engines that produce more emissions will remain in service.”

A final EPA decision is expected this year.

— D.K. DuPont

31

David Krapf

Blount‘s 184' Grande Mariner (above) and sistership Grande Caribe will both be retrofitted in the fall of 2020.

ferent segments,” MacRae said. And they’re looking for other related segments, like waterfront venues where “we can bring a boat into play.”

“Both consumer and business sentiment are holding up well,” MacRae said. Hornblower expected to carry more than 30 million passengers last

DF-630 Single Lever Door

nabrico-marine.com 615-442-1300

32

WHAT WE SAY, WE DO.

year. “The U.S. is still the healthiest place in the world to invest your money.”

American Queen is part of an overnight cruise market that keeps growing with new and refurbished vessels and new itineraries.

American Cruise Lines expects its American Jazz to start cruising the Mississippi the third quarter of this year. The 190-passenger vessel is the third in the Guilford, Conn., company’s series of five new riverboats built by Chesapeake Shipbuilding, Salisbury, Md., which shares ownership with the line. ACL also is adding trips between Nashville, Tenn., and Memphis, Tenn. Passenger bookings were up 50% in 2019, and 2020 should be another strong year.

American Queen’s 245-passenger American Countess is due to begin sailing in April, the fourth boat in the riverboat line’s fleet of renovated and reconstructed vessels. Itineraries include a 15-day trip from Minnesota to New Orleans. Work on the vessel at Gulf Island Shipyards, Houma, La., included the addition of a 60' midbody to what was once the 257'×78'×14' casino boat Kanesville Queen.

American Queen’s sister brand, Victory Cruise Lines, includes the Bahamas-flagged Victory I and Victory II – 300'×50'×13', 202-passenger vessels originally named the Cape Cod Light and Cape May Light, built

by Atlantic Marine in Jacksonville, Fla., in 2001. Acquisition of the Victory brand expands its reach to the Great Lakes and beyond.

The Great Lakes are an increasingly popular destination especially for overnight cruises on smaller ships that carry up to 400 passengers.

“We’re getting calls from many expedition shipowners looking to place their ships in the Great Lakes,” said Stephen Burnett, executive director of the Great Lakes Cruising Coalition Inc., based in Kingston, Ontario.

“There’s a lot of unrest in many areas, and a lot of clients and shipowners don’t want to be there. The Great Lakes is probably the safest place in

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

COAST GUARD CRACKS DOWN ON ILLEGAL CHARTERS the world.”

In 2019, eight ships with 15,000 berths visited the Great Lakes. In 2020 Burnett expects eight ships with 16,500 berths and an additional four ships over the next five years. That’s up from 2014 when a handful of vessels, including Warren, R.I.-based Blount Small Ship Adventures, accounted for 11,000 berths. Ports on both sides of the border have freshened up their facilities, he said.

Blount has been cruising the Great Lakes since the ‘80s, said president Nancy Blount. Their most popular itinerary is the 16-day New York to Chicago trip that sails four of the five lakes and the Erie Canal — the latter possible thanks to a patented retractable pilothouse. A couple of those trips already are sold out for 2020.

“Domestic cruising is really doing well,” said Blount, who’s looking forward to a strong year for her vessels that also sail other East Coast itineraries and the Bahamas.

The 184'×40'×6'6" Grande Caribe and Grande Mariner will both be retrofitted in the fall of 2020, and then Blount plans to add a newbuild to its fleet.

NEW VESSELS Newbuilds have figured into the optimistic outlook of two other operators — one on the East Coast and one on the Gulf.

Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch, Provincetown, Mass., took delivery last year from Gulf Craft LLC, Franklin, La., of the Dolphin XI — a 114'×25'×9.5', 360-passenger whale watch vessel with three Caterpillar C32 EPA Tier 4 diesel engines and a running speed of 30 knots. The boat was named one of WorkBoat’s 2019 Significant Boats.

While his other boats still look new, a new boat “is something I always wanted to do,” said owner Capt. Steve Milliken, who’s very impressed with the Tier 4 engines. Among other pluses is no exhaust smell, and it shows the general public they’re trying to be a cleaner company. The larg-

T

he Passenger Vessel Association has urged the Coast Guard to increase enforcement of the proliferation of illegal charters that hurt licensed operators. The agency has been especially active in areas such as Miami, where it had stopped 34 vessels by early December 2019 versus 25 for all of 2018.

The trade group applauded the Coast Guard’s actions, “but the temptation for people to engage in illegal charters is so compelling that enforcement often seems to be a game of ‘whack-a-mole,’ ” Colleen Stephens, of Stan Stephens Glacier & Wildlife Cruises, Valdez, Alaska, told a congressional hearing in November.

— D.K. DuPont

POWER FACTS 650 - 925 hp Up to 800* hp @ 2,300 rpm with 2,000 hr/yr Up to 700* hp @ 2,100 rpm with unlimited hr/yr EPA Tier 3*

MARINE POWER SOLUTIONS

POWER UP The power-to-weight ratio of the all-new Scania 13-liter engine is class leading. The reliability of the engine, as well as impressive torque build-up, and immediate response, is just what is needed for demanding applications like patrol, sea rescue, pilot, and fishing vessels. Thanks to the well-proven Scania XPI system, all this is achieved with exceptional fuel efficiency and minimum noise levels.

Visit www.scaniausa.com to find your closest distributor.

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

33

Gulf Craft LLC

Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch took delivery last year from Gulf Craft of the Dolphin XI, a 360-passenger whale watch vessel.

est in his fleet of four, the Dolphin XI replaces another boat that was snapped up quickly by a New York operator.

“The boat is phenomenal,” he said.

“It’s got the power we need when we need it. The engines run smooth. It’s quiet onboard.”

His outlook for 2020 is good, and

2019 was a little better than the year before.

Farther south, Capt. Harry Julian, president of Pure Florida, a tour and charter boat operator in Naples and Fort Myers, Fla., in recent years has dealt with a menacing red tide. But that’s less of an issue now, so 2019 was

POWER FORWARD

DEC. 15 - 17, 2020

NEW ORLEANS Morial Convention Center Halls B, C, D, E & F Produced by

34 iwbs20_save_the_date_ads.indd

Presented by

2

“way better” than 2018, “and next year should be even better,” he said, thanks to a new vessel and robust economy.

Last year, Metal Shark, Jeanerette, La., delivered the Sea Flight to Pure Florida. The 40'×14', 33-passenger welded aluminum foil-assisted catamaran was designed by Jutson Marine Design. Powered by twin 440-hp Yanmar 6LY440 diesel engines coupled to HamiltonJet HJ292 waterjets via ZF 280-1 gears, the vessel has a top speed of 40-plus knots.

“The boat has more range, speed and capability to get to where the big fish are,” said Julian, whose 15 boats range from six to 149 passengers.

Two New Orleans operators are breathing new life into former casino boats.

The riverboat Louis Armstrong was expected to have started service in December with dockside events, said Warren Reuther Jr., president of Hos-

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the 2020 edition of the largest commercial marine tradeshow in North America.

Registration for the 2020 Show opens this summer!

1:57 PM www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 1/13/20 • WorkBoat

Manta Films New Orleans Steamboat Co.

pitality Enterprises, which also operates the paddlewheeler Creole Queen.

They also plan to sail under charter.

The 310' Louis Armstrong, formerly the City of Evansville, has a capacity of 3,000.

New Orleans Steamboat Co. is expected to have the sternwheeler City of New Orleans in service in January, joining the Natchez on the Mississippi for dinner and sightseeing cruises, said Matt Dow, assistant marine operations manager. The 189'×55' former Casino Rock Island can hold 1,000 passengers and the Natchez, 1,200.

“It was a pretty decent year,” Dow said of 2019. “We were very lucky not to have too many tropical disturbances.” But they did have to deal with high water on the Mississippi, which the Natchez handled well. He’s looking forward to an even better 2020, especially with a lot of conventions coming to town.

Pure Florida took delivery last year of the Sea Flight, a custom built 40'x14', 33-passenger welded aluminum foil-assisted catamaran, from Metal Shark.

New Orleans Steamboat expected to put the sternwheeler City of New Orleans into service in January.

St. Johns Ship Building Multiple Ferries Currently Under Construction

560 Stokes Landing Rd. Palatka, FL 32177 Tel: 386-456-6699 stjohnsshipbuilding.com

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

35

PortofCall

Your Source For Employment, Equipment & Services EMPLOYMENT

KIRBY INLAND MARINE IS HIRING ALL VESSEL POSITIONS Apply at:

kirbycorp.com/careers/

36

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

For Port of Call advertising, email wjalbert@divcom.com or call 207-842-5496

EMPLOYMENT

SHORE OFFSHORE SERVICES

Harvey Gulf International Marine Is now accepting applications for

Has Immediate Openings!

ALL VESSEL POSITIONS Please apply in person at our Fourchon Facility 495 Adam Ted Gisclair Road Fourchon, LA 70357

Or Apply Online at:

www.harveygulf.com Great Benefits, 401K and more Please submit resume to Jobs@harveygulf.com EOE

WORKBOAT HELPS JOB SEEKERS AND EMPLOYERS FIND THE RIGHT FIT EVERY DAY. To place an advertisement call 207-842-5616 or email questions to wjalbert@divcom.com

                  

Derrick Barge Deck Foreman Leadermen Rigger Derrick Crane Operator Deck Crane Operator Tower Operator Welding Foreman Welder (6 GR Certified) Clerk Chief Engineer Chief Electrician Mechanic Oiler Electrician Steward Night Cook Galley Hand Tug Boat Captain Able Body Seamen

Minimum 2 years offshore experience onboard a derrick barge required.

Applicants must have a valid TWIC card.

Email resume to:

jobs@shoreoffshore.com “The Newest Source For Maritime Employment”

Visit www.workboatpros.com to apply for FREE JOB ALERTS!

Recruiting for ALL WORKBOAT positions!

(251) 242-7002

◼

jobs@workboatpros.com

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

37

PortofCall

Your Source For Employment, Equipment & Services

EMPLOYMENT

MARINE GEAR

IMMEDIATE OPENINGS: Captains, Mates, Engineers, AB’s and Deckhands

Keel Coolers

Dann Ocean Towing is A leading provider of marine towing services, serving the Eastern Seaboard, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and beyond.

Trouble free marine engine cooling since 1927!

To Apply Please Visit www.DannOceanTowing.com 3670 S Westshore Boulevard Tampa, FL 33629

THE WALTER MACHINE CO, INC Tel: 201-656-5654 • Fax: 201-656-0318 www.waltergear.com

Phone (813) 251-5100

WORKBOAT HELPS JOB SEEKERS AND EMPLOYERS FIND THE RIGHT FIT EVERY DAY. To place an advertisement call 207-842-5616 or email questions or comments to wjalbert@divcom.com

Now Manufacturing and Installing Fire Retardant Bunk Curtains

We are a Custom Manufacturer of Wheelhouse Tinted Shades & Crew Quarter Blackout Shades

We custom build every shade to fit each window in our facility.

They are Incredibly durable, driven by over-sized clutches and operated by a stainless steel pull chain.

We offer measurement and installation services in Southern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. We carry $5,000,000 workers’ compensation, and liability insurance policies with U.S.L.&H. and the Jones Act.

Download our order form to purchase your shades today.

Contact: Edward Kass III | 504-615-5833 | ekass@solarboatshades.com | www.solarboatshades.com

38

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

For Port of Call advertising, email wjalbert@divcom.com or call 207-842-5496

Subchapter M Medical Kits

1-800-40-PILOT Sales@PilothouseCharts.com www.PilothouseCharts.com

BOLLARD™ BOLLARD™ AIR COOLED GENERATORS AIR COOLED GENERATORS Designed & Built for Designed & Built for the Harsh Marine Environment the Harsh Marine Environment

EPOXY C ENHANC RESISTA MORE C COOLER LOWEST

EPOXY COATING PROVIDES ENHANCED CORROSION RESISTANCE MORE COPPER MEANS IT RUNS COOLER & USES LESS FUEL LOWEST COST OF OWNERSHIP Manufactured by

800.777.0714 To locate a dealer: www.merequipment.com www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

39

PortofCall

Your Source For Employment, Equipment & Services MARINE GEAR & SUPPLIES

Marine Rubber Seals & Weatherstripping!

THEmarine.steelerubber.com MOST POWERFUL TOOL

for removing coatings and rust

R

ORE

BEF

ER

AFT

Multiple extrusion A variety of choices for hatches Rustibus®and is designed to de-scale and Rub Rail Insert Kits! cabin doors!

power brush ship decks, hatch covers, tank tops, etc. free from paint and rust!

****

Classified Advertising Contact:

USA OFFICE Ph: 832-203-7170 houston@rustibus.com

Wendy Jalbert (207) 842-5616 wjalbert@divcom.com

Seals of all shapes and sizes.

Windshield Mounting & Screw Track Cover

****

Visit Us! - Marine Equipment Tent, Booth 486

Polar Fleece Blankets/Towels Fire Retardant Meets IMO Requirements Meets USGC Requirements

Marine Mattresses Marine Industrial Bunk Beds Bunks and Curtains Lockers and Benches

WWW.CAPITALBED.COM

◼

800-579-3065

BENCHES/LOCKERS

BUNKS

CURTAINS ◼

SALES@CAPITALBED.COM

Marine Rubber Seals & Weatherstripping

BY THE FOOT - ORDER TODAY! ORE

BEF

ER

AFT

R

Hatch & Door Seals

Livewell Seals

Windshield Mounting Rubber

Screw Track Insert Seals

marine.steelerubber.com 40

Rub Rail Insert Kits

800-563-9810

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

For Port of Call advertising, email wjalbert@divcom.com or call 207-842-5496

MARINE GEAR & SUPPLIES

PERMANENTLY FIX/FLOAT YOUR BARGE

MARINE MACHINING & MANUFACTURING Your One-Stop Shop for Your Marine Drive Needs Sales and Service

Manufacturing Cost Effective, Polyurethane Foam for Flotation and Insulation in the Marine Industry (MIL-P-21929C Compliant).

• A17, A19, A22 and A22HS • C.N.C. Machined Propeller

• Save tens of thousands of dollars over replacement or repair costs.

• Insulate spaces requiring efficient temperature control (i.e. living quarters, storage to prevent freezing or storage for cooling/freezing).

• Custom Machined Shaft

Couplings up to 30” diameter

Shafting • Propeller Shafting lengths up to 36’ • Precision Shaft straightening • Propeller Shaft Repair

• Michigan Wheel Propellers

• Propeller Repair

WORLD LEADER IN BOAT SHAFTING

Uses: • Greatly extend the life of otherwise ready to retire barges, boats, docks, and more...

Sales and Service

World's Largest Stocking Distributor of AQUAMET

33475 Giftos Dr., Clinton Township, MI 48035 ◼

PH. 586-791-8800

www.marinemachining.com - www.aquamet.com SERVICES

212-729-8384

® S A M S Society of Accredited

jake@empirefoamsolutions.com www.bargerepair.com

Marine Surveyors®

See us at the WorkBoat Show, booth 659!

A SAMS Surveyor must: • Strive to enhance the profession of ®

•

BARGE PUMPS

•

SERVICES IMO ROTARY SCREW ASPHALT PUMPS BYRON JACKSON TURBINE PUMPS

• • •

Marine Surveying.

Maintain and enhance their professional Knowledge and expertise.

Conduct their business in a professional manner.

Maintain independence, integrity, and objectivity.

Avoid prejudice and conflict of interest.

Abide by a strict code of ethics and rules of practice.

www.marinesurvey.org 800-344-9077

BLACKMER ROTARY GEAR PUMPS OUR 110TH YEAR

DUVIC’S PUMPS “Greater Downtown” HARVEY, LA 70059 Box 1237 • 504-341-1654 PH/FX

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

Become a Certified and Accredited Marine Surveyor

Fishing Vessel Qualified. Complete course and examination for all vessel types and uses.

1-800-245-4425 or navsurvey.com 41

PortofCall

Your Source For Employment, Equipment & Services SERVICES

TRAINING

Coast Guard & State Pilotage License Insurance Available Coverages; Legal Defense for CG, NTSB and State Pilot Hearings; Federal and State Civil Actions Reimbursement for Loss of Wages Group Coverage Also Available

Classified and Employment Advertising Contact:

R.J. Mellusi & Co., 29 Broadway, Suite 2311 New York, N.Y. 10006 Tel. 1(800)280-1590, Fax. 1(212)385-0920, rjmellusi@sealawyers.com www.marinelicenseinsurance.com

Wendy Jalbert | wjalbert@divcom.com | (207) 842-5469 42

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

For Port of Call advertising, email wjalbert@divcom.com or call 207-842-5496

SERVICES

We Build the Ship First.

Production Lofting Detail Design 3D Modeling St. John’s, NL | Vancouver, BC | New Orleans, LA 709.368.0669 | 504.287.4310 | www.genoadesign.com

ADVERTISERS INDEX Ahead Sanitation Systems Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Karl Senner, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CV4

All American Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Konrad Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

BAE Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

MTU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Browns Point Marine Service, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Nabrico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

C & C Marine and Repair LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Panolin America Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Coast Guard Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

R M Young Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Duramax Marine LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CV3

R W Fernstrum & Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Eastern Shipbuilding Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Scania. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

FPT Industrial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

St Johns Shipbuilding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Furuno USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Tandemloc, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Twin Disc Incorporated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CV2

International WorkBoat Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Washington Chain & Supply Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

43

LOOKS BACK FEBRUARY 1960

• Another new towboat has been completed on the Greenville, Miss., waterfront. It is the 75'×24'×10' John Henry, built by Greenville Barge Construction Corp. for service on the Tennessee and Upper Mississippi rivers under the flag of Arrow Transportation Co., Sheffield, Ala. • According to company president George F. Getty

II, Tidewater Oil Co. has established a foreign exploration and production division which will direct all the company's foreign activities except those in Saskatchewan, Canada, and the Iranian consortium.

• The Maritime Administration has officially opened its Nuclear Projects Field Construction Office at Todd Shipyards in Houston. Philip Scordino, construcFEBRUARY 1970 tion

representative, will represent the agency during the construction of a B2-MA51a nuclear servicing vessel there. The craft is designed to maintain and service the reactor of the nuclear sub Savannah.

shipping facility.

• New York Mayor John V. Lind• BP has decided to set up a new say said that the city has taken over subsidiary company to handle the 20 acres of land and two piers of the manufacture and sales of protein from Brooklyn Army Terminal in a lease petroleum sources. with the Army Corps of Engineers.

Shortly after the lease was signed, the NYC Economic Development Administration, through the Department of Ports and Terminals, signed a sublease with International Terminal Operators Inc. to begin FEBRUARY 1980 operating the

• Applications are being taken for a two-year cooperative education program that leads to a Coast Guard certificate as able seaman and tankerman and a license as mate of vessels engaged in the offshore oil and mineral industry with an endorsement as operator, uninspected towing vessels. The next class will begin on March 4.

44

• Roderick H. McAllister, vice president of McAllister Bros. Inc., the worldwide tugboat company, died at the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in December 1979. McAllister was a grandson of the man who founded the company in 1864 and is credited with spreading the shipdocking operations of the company throughout the world. www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • WorkBoat

DURAMAX®

SHAFT SEAL SYSTEMS

Engineered for Optimum Sealing Performance.

The DryMax™ seal is a robust, environmentally friendly, water-lubricated stern tube seal system. Engineered to accommodate the most axial and radial shaft movement of any seal design while eliminating wear on the shaft.

Reversible DuraChrome™ mating ring gives 2X the life extending drydock intervals

Keeps seawater out of your vessel and your bilge dry. The DryMax™ engineered nitrile rubber ring rotates with the shaft and creates a hydrodynamic seal with the DuraChrome™ mating ring.

Superior sealing and wear life. The proprietary rubber polymer seal ring and the DuraChrome™ alloy mating ring have been engineered to provide optimal sealing and long wear life.

Virtually maintenance free. An inflatable seal is built into the housing allowing seal inspection and primary sealing ring replacement at sea without dry docking.

MADE IN U.S.A.

DryMax™ is ideal for vessels operating in both brown and blue water. It accommodates shaft sizes and stern tubes up to 36".

MADE IN U.S.A.

The DryMax™ seal is also available as a rudder stock seal.

For more information on DryMax™ Shaft Seal or to purchase contact: Duramax Marine at 440-834-5400 or go to DuramaxMarine.com

Duramax Marine® is an ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company

Products And Knowledge You Trust

p: 440.834.5400 f: 800.497.9283

Karl Senner, LLC is proud to supply REINTJES gearboxes to support this 4 vessel build program for Enterprise Marine Services.

The M/V Pierre Billiot is the third vessel of the series at Steiner Construction. Each vessel is equipped with a pair of REINTJES WAF 773 Reverse Reduction Gearboxes with internal hydraulic multi-disc shaft brakes and a two-station Emerson Control System, supplied through Thompson CAT. Owner: Builder: Naval Architect:

504-469-4000

|

Enterprise Marine Services, LLC Steiner Construction Company, Inc. Sterling Marine, Inc.

KARLSENNER.COM