WorkBoat August 2020

Coatings • Women and Offshore • RIBs Report ®

IN BUSINESS ON THE COASTAL AND INLAND WATERS

Distance Learning Barge industry operations under Covid-19.

AUGUST 2020

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ON THE COVER

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Crew change aboard the Campbell Transportation towboat AUGUST 2020 • VOLUME 77, NO. 8

Champion. Photo by Cody Foster

FEATURES 16 Focus: Woman’s Touch The Women Offshore Foundation is a global online resource for women who work on the water.

18 Vessel Report: Spare RIBs A look at several RIB projects around the U.S.

30 Cover Story: Masked Men The barge industry has taken several steps to protect its workers and vessels during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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BOATS & GEAR 22 On the Ways • Two new hybrid-electric ferries for BC Ferries go into service in British Columbia • First of four Navy YT-808 yard tugs launched at Dakota Creek Industries • Gladding-Hearn delivers Chesapeake-class MKII pilot boat to the Virginia Pilot Association • Austal USA delivers its 12th Independence-class littoral combat ship to the Navy • Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding completes new 150-passenger, 28-vehicle ferry for Washington Island Ferry Line • Metal Shark adds 57' welded-aluminum 52 Fearless Super Interceptor to its lineup

36 Fresh Coat Coatings companies continue to provide vessel owners with new products and choices.

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AT A GLANCE 8 8 9 10 11 12 13

On the Water: How could we not see this coming? — Part II. Captain’s Table: The Covid-19 reopening blues.

Energy Level: Offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico?

WB Stock Index: WorkBoat stocks jump 14.5% in the second quarter.

Inland Insider: Lock and dam repairs begin on the Illinois Waterway.

Insurance Watch: Protect yourself and your workers.

Legal Talk: The court must first establish jurisdiction.

NEWS LOG 14 Barge industry seeks liability protection from Covid-19 lawsuits.

14 First two offshore wind turbines installed on a federal lease.

14 New offshore wind vessel class provides Jones Act-compliant system.

www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

DEPARTMENTS 2 6 40 47 48

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

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hen it comes to Covid-19, if the U.S. response to the virus emulated the workboat industry’s, I’d be making plans for a July trip to Spain. Unfortunately, on July 1, when European nations opened their borders to travelers from several countries, the U.S. was not included.

By most measures, the U.S. response to the Covid-19 pandemic has been a disaster. Not so for the U.S. workboat industry. Based on what companies, associations and others have told us, the barge industry and other workboat sectors have been taking significant steps to protect its workers and vessels, so that business can steam ahead.

As Pamela Glass points out in the cover story (see page 30), unlike many businesses that have been forced to close or greatly reduce operations due to Covid-19, barges, towboats and tugs continue to operate without interruption, moving commodities along the rivers, coasts and Great Lakes that have helped keep the economy humming.

To do this, operators have launched safety and health protocols that are in line with state, local and federal guidelines, closed shoreside offices to work at home, invested in personal protective equipment and disinfectant materials, and implemented health screenings and new procedures for crew changes, vessel cleaning and mariner hygiene.

As a result, operators say Covid-19 infections among workers have been minimal, companies have not laid off employees, and many continue to hire.

And it’s not just barge operators who have been proactive. Just look at shipbuilder Gulf Island Fabrication.

“Our efforts in response to the impact of Covid-19 ... have been highly

David Krapf, Editor in Chief

collaborative and well-coordinated,” President and CEO Richard Heo said in a May earnings call.

The shipyard has been monitoring employee temperatures prior to entering company facilities, had them fill out wellness questionnaires, instituted workplace distancing including allowing employees to work from home, installed hand sanitizing stations and took additional actions to sanitize facilities. The company also enacted protocols for employees returning from absences.

When it comes to Covid-19 prevention and mitigation, if the workboat industry can do it, why not the rest of us?

dkrapf@divcom.com

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

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

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www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

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www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

Navigating Historic Times

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Coast Guard seeks input from mariners to improve exams

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he Coast Guard is seeking participation in a survey being conducted of mariners who hold Merchant Mariner Credentials with able seaman (AB) and lifeboatman (LB) endorsements.

The Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing has been working on an initiative to improve the quality of the content of credentialing examinations.

As part of this initiative, the Coast Guard has been conducting a Job Task Analysis to validate examination content with the real world occupational practice carried out by mariners in today’s merchant fleet.

The first endorsements being analyzed are able seaman and lifeboatman. We have consulted extensively with industry partners to collect infor-

mation on the work mariners sailing on these endorsements are engaged in, and this is an opportunity for these mariners to contribute. This survey will provide insight into their jobs and shape improvements to the Coast Guard examinations.

Mariners who hold endorsements as able seaman and lifeboatman will receive an e-mail from JobTaskAnalysis@uscg.mil containing a link to the survey and the dates the survey is open. Your link to the survey will have a unique identifier to record your responses. It is not linked to you personally and the information you provide will remain anonymous.

Your participation is encouraged for the benefit of the maritime community and the safety of the marine transportation system.

If you have questions regarding the survey please contact us at JobTaskAnalysis@uscg.mil.

Your participation in the survey is greatly appreciated. We look forward to receiving your input.

U.S. Coast Guard Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing Washington, D.C.

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

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www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

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

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On the Water

How could we not see this coming? — Part II

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By Joel Milton

Joel Milton works on towing vessels.

He can be reached at joelmilton@ yahoo.com.

eyond all of the partisan finger-pointing and blame gaming going on during this global pandemic, we clearly know that among other things, we were caught short.

We were caught short, way short, on the most basic, but critical PPE supplies needed for responding to and dealing with a pandemic of any kind. If most Americans think of pandemics as low-probability events, outbreaks in recent years of SARS, MERS, Ebola and swine flu, represent bullets we dodged, at least until Covid-19 arrived.

The preliminary short list for PPE is and has been obvious. What basic consumables might we need in massive quantities during a wide-scale outbreak of an infectious airborne (the most likely Covid-19 culprit) or blood-borne pathogen for either hospitals or field use? Let’s see … how about gloves, head coverings, booties, eye protection and the now-familiar N95 masks, and lots of them?

That would be the correct answer.

Captain’s Table Covid-19 reopening blues

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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.

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month ago, I thought that this column would be all about the resumption of passenger vessel operations on our beautiful Western Rivers.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

We are still for the most part shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. While my company, BB Riverboats, is operating some limited cruises, I don’t know when we will successfully emerge from this ordeal.

Of all the challenges we have faced over the years — recessions, storms, and high water — the coronavirus pandemic has been the most daunting.

The hardest part is all the waiting. We are waiting on the federal government to figure out the next steps in emergency or other types of assistance for small business. We are waiting for Congress to decide if or how it can assist businesses by limiting our liability from litigation related to the coronavirus. We applied to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) in March. We are waiting to hear from the SBA. I am told that the Federal Reserve’s Main Street Lending Program is opening, and when

They should be properly stored (to maximize shelf life) and at-the-ready for rapid distribution where they’re needed most. And they should not all be stored at a single national supply depot. Instead, they should be scattered around the country at multiple regional warehouse locations. This way, no single disaster, or even multiple disasters, can wipe all or most of our supplies out in one shot.

Because we all know that we must do whatever it takes and spare no effort or materiel to avoid the predictable and obvious single-point failure, right?

This isn’t a new concept. We already knew it well and we just didn’t do it. It turns out that when it counted, we weren’t close to being ready.

Embedded in the complete foolishness of allowing religious belief in mostly greed-driven economic dogma to leave the U.S. and much of the world highly vulnerable to “unforeseeable” supply chain disruptions, there’s this detail: Among many other acts of national stupidity, we allowed the offshoring of the manufacturing of most of the critical N95 masks a long time ago. In the words of the American singer-songwriter James McMurtry, “we can’t make it here anymore.”

Those turned out, for some unfortunate people, to be words to die by. it does, we will apply. But in the meantime, we continue to wait.

We are waiting for the state of Kentucky to allow us to reopen at 75% capacity or, hopefully, at full passenger capacity. But we have no assurances of when this may or may not happen. In the meantime, we are burning through resources while operating at a big reduction in passenger levels in the hope that our state government will soon make critical and necessary decisions about reopening.

We have implemented responsible Covid-19 safety measures for our customers and employees.

We have enacted reopening guidelines developed by the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) and are ready to safely operate at increased numbers.

Still, we continue to wait.

BB Riverboats and other small businesses are at a huge disadvantage because time is not on our side. We do not have huge cash reserves or endless lines of credit. We are a small, family-run business that must operate to survive.

A month or so ago, I called my entire staff together for a meeting. I told them that we face difficult times unless we are able to operate, and “let’s fight today for tomorrow and then fight tomorrow for the next day.”

I believe that if we do this we will survive. www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

WORKBOAT GOM INDICATORS

Energy Level

.

APR. '20 MAY '20 WTI Crude Oil 12.17 32.80 Baker Hughes Rig Count 17 12 IHS OSV Utilization 27.7% 25.4% WTI bpd) Price 12.1 U.S. Prod 1000s11.4* bopd U.S. Oil Production (millions Sources: Baker-Hughes; IHS Markit; U.S. EIA

JUN. '20 JUN. '19 40.60 57.35 11 26 22.6% 27.8% GOM11.0* Rig Count Util. Rate12.1 %

*Estimated

Offshore wind in waiting GOM RIG COUNT

GOM Rig Count

By Jim Redden, Correspondent

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ithin a decade, the Gulf of Mexico shelf could generate costcompetitive wind energy with two sites off Texas and another off the Florida coast. These are seen as the most likely landing spots for inaugural offshore wind farms in the Gulf, according to a government study.

Following a two-year-long investigation, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) concluded that offshore wind generation from shallow Gulf waters will be economically viable by 2030. Results of the two-phase analysis, which was funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), were released in May. The first phase of the study examined renewable energy prospects in the Gulf before identifying wind as the most viable, both economically and technically.

A subsequent site-specific analysis settled on Port Isabel and Port Arthur in Texas and Pensacola, Fla., as best for meeting the cost and related criteria for what would be the nation’s southernmost commercial offshore wind projects.

The Block Island Wind Farm off Rhode Island is currently the only commercial offshore wind facility generating electricity in the U.S. Among the engineering gaps identified, turbine blades would have to be engineered to optimize energy capture in a relatively low sustained wind environment, while any shelf-based wind farm must be designed to withstand tropical storm and hurricane conditions. According to BOEM, a key differentiator for Gulf Coast wind energy is the extensive labor and supply-chain infrastructure already in place to support the offshore oil and gas sector.

This network can address the unique demands of wind energy.

To point, Gulf Island Fabrication, Houma, La., fabricated the five jacket/

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10 5 0 1

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piles for the shallow-water Block Island project, with idled Gulf of Mexico liftboats handling the installation.

“As we seek to diversify the U.S. energy supply using ocean renewable resources, we are finding that the existing

www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

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oil and gas industries in the Gulf are able to leverage their vast ocean-based capabilities to expand their businesses and capitalize on these new energy opportunities,” NREL researcher and lead author Walt Musial said on May 6.

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WorkBoat Composite Index Stocks post strong second quarter

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he WorkBoat Composite Index ended the second quarter on an up note, posting its third straight monthly gain. WorkBoat stocks rose slightly in June, gaining about 10 points, or less than 1%. For the month, gainers topped losers by more than 2-1. In the second quarter, the WorkBoat Composite STOCK CHART

gained 221 points, or 14.5%.

Despite the strong quarter, the big “if” going forward is Covid-19. During his company’s earnings call with analysts in May, Gulf Island Fabrication President and CEO Richard Heo commented on the challenging environment his shipyard faces due to Source: FinancialContent Inc. www.financialcontent.com

INDEX NET COMPARISONS 5/29/20 6/30/20 CHANGE Operators 271.31 259.79 -11.52 Suppliers 2,735.53 2,862.40 126.87 Shipyards 2,840.35 2,660.42 -179.93 WorkBoat Composite 1,733.11 1,742.73 9.62 PHLX Oil Service Index 32.45 33.38 0.93 Dow Jones Industrials 25,383.11 25,812.88 429.77 Standard & Poors 500 3,044.31 3,100.29 55.98 For the complete up-to-date WorkBoat Stock Index, go to: workboat.com/resources/tools/workboat-composite-index/

OUR GREEN IS

YELLOW

PERCENT CHANGE -4.25% 4.64% -6.33% 0.55% 2.87% 1.69% 1.84%

Covid-19 and the decline in oil prices earlier in the quarter. “While our utilization was impacted during the quarter by the mitigation efforts implemented to keep our employees safe and healthy, overall, our efforts in response to the impact of Covid-19 ... have been highly collaborative and well-coordinated.”

Heo highlighted the actions Gulf Island has taken. This includes monitoring employee temperatures prior to entering the company’s facilities, employee wellness questionnaires, workplace distancing of employees, including allowing employees to work from home where appropriate, installation of hand sanitizing stations and additional actions to sanitize facilities, and protocols for employees returning from absences. “These efforts are being complemented by more frequent leadership walk-throughs in the yards to ensure compliance and employee wellness.” — David Krapf

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www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

Inland Insider

Lock and dam rehab begins on the Illinois

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arge lines and their customers have adopted plans to address navigation disruptions on the Illinois River that will run through the end of October. Long-anticipated closures of the river for major repairs to locks and dams was set to begin on July 1.

The Corps of Engineers, which oversees the closures and repair work, said neither the pandemic nor recent high water along the river are expected to affect the project’s schedule.

All locks along the Illinois, which is the navigable connection between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, have a single lock chamber for passing vessels. At 80-90 years old, this infrastructure is well beyond its lifespan and needs extensive repairs. The barge and agricultural industries, which have long sought the upgrades, say improvements will speed river transport times and assure lock and dam reliability.

The Corps has chosen to do a consolidated repair schedule that began in 2019 with short closures and continue this year and again in 2023 with longer shutdowns. Closures are being done simultaneously to lessen the impact on commercial barging, and to avoid spring flooding and fall harvests.

Shutdowns could last 60-120 days, depending on the work needed. LaGrange lock and dam will close from July 1-Sept. 30, Peoria Lock and Dam from July 6-Sept. 30, Starved Rock from July 1-Oct. 29, Marseilles Lock from July 6-Oct 29, and Dresden Island partially from July 6-Oct. 3 and Oct. 12-Oct. 28 and fully Oct. 4-Oct. 24.

The barge industry has been working for over a year with shipping customers on ways to keep commodities moving, and plans are in place for the closures.

“The routine conversations (with customers) have allowed us to have a deliberately planned and executed program to support their needs in the

region,” said Mason Eustis, director of operations at Canal Barge, New Orleans. “We were able to pre-position equipment into Chicago in advance of the closure and get the excess towboat horsepower off the river before the shutdown.”

Mark Knoy, president and CEO of American Commercial Barge Lines, said with long lead times, shippers and carriers have worked through logistics and inventory issues, and when pos-

www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

By PamelaGlass

Pam Glass is the Washington correspondent for WorkBoat. sible commodities are being inventoried and stored or moved by truck or rail. “I think it will be a non-event in the current scheme of things,” he said.

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Insurance Watch Protecting workers and you

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our employees are one of your biggest assets.

Experienced and quality workers are often hard to come by. When you hire a good employee, you want to do all you can to retain that person.

Part of your incentive package could be a health benefits plan managed through your business. But

By Chris what happens when an employee gets sick and the Richmond forms they filled out were not sent to your insurance company? You have a problem unless you Chris Richmond is have employee benefits liability (EBL) coverage. a licensed mariner Whether you are a small business with a handand marine insur- ful of employees or a large one with hundreds of ance agent with people on the payroll, paperwork can be submitted Allen Insurance incorrectly or misplaced by mistake. EBL insurance and Financial. He can provide coverage for your business should an can be reached employee make a claim against you for the kinds of mistakes that lead to accidental omissions on a at 800-439-4311 benefits form or a delayed enrollment in a benefits or crichmond@ program. While health insurance is what first comes allenif.com to mind, this coverage can also apply to these areas:

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IRA or 401(k) plans.

Profit sharing.

Workers’ compensation.

Vacation plans.

Social Security.

This coverage is typically added to a general liability policy, with the premium based on the limits that you decide to carry.

Equally important is employment practices liability insurance (EPLI), which provides coverage for claims made against your business based on discrimination, wrongful termination, sexual harassment or retaliation. Third-party coverage can be added for claims made by nonemployees. An important part of this coverage is for defense costs.

Whether a claim is merited or not, you will still need to defend yourself in court and this coverage can help with attorney’s fees. Often, the defense limits are included in the policy limits. Keep an eye on this and consider higher limits from the outset.

Often it doesn’t cost much more.

EPLI can be added to your workers’ compensation policy, directors and officers liability insurance, or written as a standalone.

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www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

Legal Talk

Establishing jurisdiction in maritime law

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urisdiction is an important issue.

It is about a court’s power to hear a case. But we often tend to focus on bigger things, such as whether a collision occurred because of a software glitch in an electronic chart, or whether a storm satisfied the “peril” element of a maritime salvage case. Compared to these, jurisdiction is boring.

But it should not be overlooked.

Jurisdiction actually has two parts.

The first is subject matter jurisdiction.

This means a court has authority to hear the case at hand. Under federal rules, courts look at whether a case involves a federal question: does it involve the U.S. Constitution or federal law. A case based on a federal question will get you in the door. There are also other ways.

The next step is establishing personal jurisdiction. This means a court has a “grip” on the person or company and hinges on whether the person or company is in the state, if they can be served, the nature of their contacts with the state, and so on. This is a simplification. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure cover this in great detail.

The importance of jurisdiction was recently illustrated in a federal case involving the Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps terminated a contract with a dredging company.

The company sued in federal district court for breach of contract and sought money damages. The Corps sought to dismiss or transfer the matter, arguing that exclusive jurisdiction lies in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The contractor argued that the dredging project involved a maritime contract, thus a federal district court would have jurisdiction over the matter.

The court looked at a number of issues, including the Supreme Court’s “principal objective” test. In this analysis, the court held that the purpose of the contract was to dredge a

navigable waterway and deposit sand on the beach. The court pointed out that dredging a navigable waterway is a traditional maritime activity. Since the work facilitated maritime commerce, it would give rise to maritime jurisdiction. After examining this and other issues, the court denied the Corps’ motion, holding that subject matter jurisdiction did exist in the federal district court.

This shows that before a court could

By Tim Akpinar

Tim Akpinar is a Little Neck, N.Y.based maritime attorney and former marine engineer. see the first exhibit of evidence, the court has to first establish jurisdiction over the matter.

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13

AUGUST 2020

NEWS LOG

NEWS BITTS

Barge industry seeks shield from Covid-19 lawsuits

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14

The barge industry is seeking liability protection from Covid-19.

David Krapf

he inland waterways industry has joined other businesses across the U.S. in seeking liability protection from pandemic-related lawsuits filed on behalf of workers who claim they have been sickened or died from exposure to Covid-19 while on the job.

The American Waterways Operators wants Congress to enact “targeted liability protections” for maritime employers who make “good faith efforts to abide by applicable public health guidelines in working to protect their employees from exposure to Covid-19,” Jennifer Carpenter, AWO’s president and CEO told a congressional subcommittee hearing recently.

She said the protections would be temporary and would still allow lawsuits against employers who “engage in reckless or willful misconduct.”

The barge industry is among a long list of industries that want the liability shield to be included in the next coronavirus emergency bill that Congress is considering. Regardless of precautions taken to keep employees and customers safe, barge operators and other concerns are worried about being hit with frivolous lawsuits as they reopen their businesses. Several states have implemented safe harbor protections, but these advocates want action on the national level.

Opposition comes from congressional Democrats and labor unions. They argue that businesses are doing little to protect vulnerable workers and liability protections will embolden reckless behavior. They also say that strong liability laws provide confidence to the public and consumers about business accountability.

Carpenter said AWO became concerned about the possibility of lawsuits in mid-March when several barge companies in Texas noticed advertisements

from trial lawyers seeking to represent workers in Covid-19-related cases. “We don’t want to be at the mercy of trial lawyers who see this as an opportunity to get their hooks into companies just as we’re trying to get a recovery going,” she said.

As the issue became more pressing nationally and Congress began to look at it, Carpenter said AWO wanted the barge industry to be included in any new legislation, or at least not be harmed by it.

“We’re not seeking a wholesale rewrite of maritime liability law,” she said in an interview. “We want to make sure any broader industry fix also works for the maritime industry because we operate under specific statues and have some unique liability schemes.”

Frivolous lawsuits could be extremely costly, she added, especially at a time when the barge industry, which is considered an essential industry, has heavily invested in protections and protocols to make their workplaces safe, and when barging has suffered from a drop in demand due to the global economic slowdown.

Litigation should be limited to cases in which the employer can be shown to be reckless and should have known better. “We’re not looking in any way to let off the hook unscrupulous or reckless behavior if that’s out there,” Carpenter said, because in that case the

FIRST OFFSHORE WIND TURBINE GOES UP ON A FEDERAL LEASE

D

ominion Energy and offshore wind developer Ørsted have installed the first two wind turbines on a federal lease, a milestone in what backers hope is a first step toward arrays off Virginia producing up to 2.6 gigawatts of power.

The 459'x131' wind turbine installation vessel Vole au Vent (French for “windblown”) raised the first turbine to its tower June 20 for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project. The Luxembourg-flagged Vole au Vent carried components for the two 6-megawatt generators from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to the work site 27 miles off Virginia Beach.

‘SUPERFEEDER’ DESIGN OFFERS OFFSHORE WIND SOLUTION

A

Louisiana-based offshore services firm and naval architects plan to build a new class of vessel to provide offshore wind energy developers a Jones Act-compliant system for transporting turbine components from U.S. ports to installation sites. The 408'x131'x16.4' “Superfeeder” will be a fully DP-2 vessel, propelled by three diesel-electric 2,500-kW Z-drives and two 1,200-kW tunnel bowthrusters, and capable of 10 knots cruising speed while fully loaded, according to 2nd Wind Marine LLC, Galliano, La. Designed by naval architects MiNO Marine LLC, Jefferson, La., plans call for two vessels to be delivered in 2021 to work on more than a dozen wind energy areas off the East Coast.

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

mariner needs legal recourse.

“We’re also not looking to make a permanent change to maritime law.

This is specific only to Covid-19.”

— Pamela Glass

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Women On the Water

Woman’s Touch Women who work on the water find fellowship and a supportive place online.

16

D

uring Ally Cedeno’s 10-year career at sea, mostly in the maritime and offshore energy industries, she often found herself isolated and unconnected as the only woman onboard a vessel.

The isolation often made her rethink her choices, wondering if she really belonged in the industry.

Then in 2015 she joined a ship where several other female mariners were already onboard, and they bonded and mentored each other.

“I found camaraderie and a sense of belonging that I had never known before, and I thrived on that vessel,” said Cedeno, a licensed chief mate of unlimited tonnage vessels and a dynamic positioning operator.

The 2008 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy was promoted and sent to South Korea to oversee installation of the safety and navigation equipment on the company’s new deepwater drillship that was under construction. She then became part of the crew that sailed the ship back to the U.S. At the shipyard, she found herself as the

Women Offshore

By Pamela Glass, Washington Correspondent

Ally Cedeno, founder and president of the non-profit Women Offshore Foundation. The online organization and resource center was founded in 2017.

lone woman again, and longed for the connection of female colleagues and the comfort of having supportive conversations and role models.

Cedeno figured other women mariners must feel the same way, since less than 4% of the offshore workforce is female and only about 2% of merchant mariners are women. “I realized that if I could connect with [the female mariners she had befriended] and others online, then perhaps the sense of belonging and camaraderie that I had found could be shared with others” who are either working in the industry or seeking to enter it. www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

SUPPORT GROUP FOUNDED This led Cedeno to create the nonprofit Women Offshore Foundation in 2017, coincidently about the same time the MeToo movement was taking off.

It started as a simple blog showcasing women seafarers, and has since grown into a global online resource, connecting 500 women around the world who share a vision for gender diversity and inclusion in the offshore and maritime industries.

The group now produces a popular podcast hosted by Cedeno, and offers a mentoring program, career resources, industry news and an annual conference in Houston, which transforms the online connection into in-person meetings.

Last year’s Women Offshore UNITE Conference brought together about 200 women from the U.S. and overseas, as well as a sprinkling of men, for networking and discussions of topics like leadership, work-life balance, working offshore as a mother, and job trends. A panel of men from the industry spoke about the role of men in reducing the gender gap. This year’s conference, the third annual, has been rescheduled from July to Oct. 1-2 due to the coronavirus.

It will be held at Rice University in Houston. The focus will be on how to be successful in an organization.

Women Offshore doesn’t just mean women working in the offshore oil industry or on the vessels that supply it. “This is about careers that are not on land,” Cedeno said in an interview. “We are covering as many positions as possible” that are “off the shore.”

The foundation’s epicenter is Cedeno’s home in Houston. With the help of volunteers, she updates the

Women Offshore

Cedeno wanted to take this connection global, giving women around the world the resources and support they need to confront workplace challenges, while also helping them advance in their careers. When women feel supported, respected and connected, she reasoned, they would thrive and be more likely to work long term in a male-dominated industry that is not always welcoming.

The foundation’s website features stories about women working on the water, including a cook, a roughneck on a drillship, a mudlogger in the Gulf of Mexico, and a seafarer.

organization’s digital platforms, confers with her board of directors, and often records podcasts in her closet for the best acoustics. From there she has interviewed the head of the Maritime Administration, women mariners at sea, and a recruiter for the maritime industry. She says the podcasts are an effective way to reach not only women around the world, as the episodes can be downloaded and listened to when an internet connection is weak, but also young mariners and cadets who are eager to learn what may lie ahead for them in the industry.

The website tells stories about women working on the water, including a cook, a roughneck on a drillship, a mudlogger in the Gulf of Mexico, and a seafarer who shared the “good, bad and ugly” of her career as a black female mariner. Articles explore shipboard health and wellness and navigating one’s career.

Cedeno’s goal is to help create an industry where women are no longer a minority, and where maritime and offshore companies actively practice diversity in their hiring and create respectful workplaces.

A Seattle native, Cedeno, 34, began her 10-year career on the water on cruise ships and then on dive support vessels and drillships in the Gulf of Mexico. She has taken two years off to complete her MBA at Rice, where she focused her studies and academic projects on the Women Offshore initiative. She’s hoping to enter upper management in a company while using her business acumen to expand Women Offshore.

www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

Cedeno said she would definitely recommend the maritime profession as a career choice. She suggests that those interested research companies in the field to determine how welcoming they are to women.

“More companies are becoming more public” about their diversity, she said.

“There are companies where there is a lot of support in the office, but vessel to vessel may be different.” Hiring women is important, she adds, but retaining them is, too.

During the past few months, as the world adapts to the Covid-19 pandemic and reckons with how to address racism, Cedeno has learned how relevant her organization has become.

She focused a recent podcast on employment in the maritime industry, in an effort to offer maritime academy graduates as well as those who have lost jobs during the pandemic or fear that they may be laid off, tips on how to navigate an uncertain job market.

And she knows that Women Offshore’s overarching goal — to support diversity throughout all segments of the maritime and offshore industries — is in line with the difficult debate now ongoing in the U.S. and the world about race and opportunity.

She notes that her organization has received “comments fueled by sexism and racism,” but stresses that Women Offshore “stands in solidarity with black, indigenous and people of color.”

She wrote on the website: “Black lives matter, and we will continue to use our social media platform to empower and amplify marginalized voices on the water worldwide.”

17

RIBs

Spare RIBs

New rigid inflatable boats to fight smugglers, provide autonomous monitoring, and detect mines.

By Michael Crowley, Correspondent

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M

uch of the U.S. — the world in fact — has been on edge the past several months trying very hard not to get in trouble.

That’s Covid-19 trouble where avoiding the coronavirus’ outreach requires living a somewhat restricted and potentially distressing lifestyle.

But that’s not the case for everyone — smugglers for example. “Smuggling is up worldwide because the police and other agencies are so focused on Covid,” said Bob Clark, contracts manager with MetalCraft Marine, Watertown, N.Y. “It’s like a holiday for [the smugglers].”

That has provided an opportunity for MetalCraft, because a place where smugglers have evidently been enjoying their “holiday” is near Akwesasne, N.Y., where the Mohawk Nation is divided by the St. Lawrence Seaway. Most of the Mohawk territory is on the Canada side of the border but some lies on the U.S. side.

The smuggling includes the illegal transportation of people, mostly Asians, across the St. Lawrence Seaway into the U.S. To help shut down that activity, the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service now has an 8-meter (26') rigid inflatable boat from MetalCraft that was delivered on June 18. In late June another RIB was nearly ready for delivery.

Since most of the smuggling occurs at night, it’s not surprising that a certain sense of stealth characterizes these RIBs. No bright paint colors here. The hull and console are painted a Navy gray because “the whole point of their boats was to be unseen,” said Clark.

Then to confuse smugglers — or anyone else operating on the wrong side of the law in the tribal police’s territory — the console has been designed to assume different configurations, including with the windshield down or up, the mini-T-Top up or down, and seats that fold up and down. “With the seats up, it has a militaristic look,” said Clark.

“They wanted to be able to change the profile so the boat will look different and be very hard to see at dusk and at night.”

MetalCraft is also building two 10-meter (32.8) RIBs for the Mississippi Department of Natural Resources to help deal with smuggling and fish poaching.

AUTONOMOUS VESSEL A MetalCraft RIB built for an entirely different environment and one thousands of miles away is probably the most unique RIB to come out of the upstate New York boatyard. It’s The Watcher, a www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

MetalCraft Marine

MetalCraft delivered an 8-meter rigid inflatable boat to the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service on June 18.

The Watcher, a 7-meter autonomous unmanned surveillance vessel (USV).

MetalCraft Marine

7-meter (23') autonomous unmanned surveillance vessel (USV) that is the result of a Coast Guard contract awarded to MetalCraft Marine and Spatial Integrated Systems (SIS), Virginia Beach, Va., for the purpose of demonstrating SIS’s smart autonomy system in an unmanned boat. The idea is to provide 24hour real-time monitoring of restricted marine areas for 30-day periods.

Initial testing of the USV is due to take place from July 15 to July 24, followed by a week long simulation trial on Lake Ontario. Then it will be taken to Hawaii to be released 30 miles off Oahu, There it will autonomously monitor a 20-square-mile restricted missile site for 30-day periods, all the while being monitored by SIS from Virginia Beach.

The Watcher will drift with the curwww.orca.eu rent. When needed, its SIS monitors will fire up the single 200-hp Volvo,

sending it to the other end of the range. Clark said there is “very powerful radar on board” to keep track of vessels that shouldn’t be in the area and “tons of cameras” to record interactions with other vessels. When it’s time to move a vessel out of the area, “the guy in Virginia Beach can be talking to the guy that comes in the area” via The Watcher.

The Watcher is modeled on MetalCraft’s 7-meter Interceptor RIB with a single 200-hp Volvo D3 for power. It

carries 400 gals. of fuel for the 30-day patrols. It, like the boats dealing with the smuggling operations, has a Wing collar.

Is there a market for this type of boat? Clark certainly thinks so, though he acknowledges that prior to the current arrangement with the Coast Guard, MetalCraft had never considered this market before. “But when we started working with the electronics firm from Virginia Beach, it’s like the light went www on. We totally can see the market now,” Clark said. At least half-a-dozen electronics firms have contacted MetalCraft since the Coast Guard contract was signed.

RIBCRAFT In June Ribcraft, Marblehead, Mass., was busy building its first expeditionary PROFESSIONAL mine counter measure boat (ExMCM) / MILITARY RIB for the Navy. The five-year contract

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RIBs

Ribcraft

11-meter expeditionary mine counter measure boat (ExMCM) for the Navy.

Ribcraft

calls for an estimated 48 RIBs to be built worth up to $43 million. The 11-meter (36') boats will be deployed worldwide on naval vessels to locate and dispose of mines. “It’s a new boat for the navy,” said Matthew Velluto, Ribcraft’s director of business development. “They haven’t built a specific platform for this use before.”

The Navy designed the boat and Ribcraft is building it as a deep-V fiberglass hull with an inflatable polyurethane tube around it.

The boats, powered by twin 473-hp Cummins QSB-6.7 diesels turning Hamilton 292 waterjets, will be sent out to detect mines “outside of a fleet or where it’s going into,” said Velluto. The mines locations will be marked so they can be avoided or destroyed.

There are two configurations for the 11-meter RIB. One features a single davit on the back deck to deploy and retrieve an underwater autonomous vehicle that will search for mines. Two underwater vehicles will be carried

aboard each RIB. The second model has an open deck for carrying and then deploying two small inflatable rubber raiding craft that will take crewmembers into shallow water for mine detection work.

Ribcraft built a pair of its 5.85 (meter) boats for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

The 19'4"×8' RIBs with 115-hp Yamaha outboards hit over 49 mph.

The boats are operated by one or two

Ribcraft built a pair of its 19’ 5.85 boats for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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wardens riding in Shockwave Corbin Jockey suspensions seats. The boats will be used for patrol and enforcement operations in both open and protected waters in CDFW’s southern district.

At 19', the RIBs can be easily trailered and launched along the southern California shore.

A more recent contract with CDFW has Ribcraft building 5.85 boats with 115-hp Yamaha outboards that will be used for boarding and response operations working off long-range fisheries patrol boats operating out to 200 miles.

Looking into the future, Velluto sees the development of “more options in terms of propulsion,” as potential RIB owners start to move away from conventional diesel power and gasoline outboards to being powered by diesel outboards and then electrical power. Up to this point, the consumer base has not been “accepting of it,” he said. Law enforcement, he figures, is where “it will take hold first.”

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The Island Aurora entered service on June 18.

T

he two newest ferries to go into service for BC Ferries are unlike anything else in the provincial fleet.

Perhaps most newsworthy is the power: it’s hybrid-electric.

These are the first with electric power, but not the last. BC Ferries intends to add at least four more in the near future.

With two 1,500-kW/690V generators, officially referred to as “auxiliary” power, and an 800-kWh bank of Corvus lithium-ion batteries, the new vessels can run on either diesel-electric or battery power. For now, BC Ferries says that battery power will be used 20% of the time. In the future, battery power will take over entirely, once shoreside power infrastructure is in place for high-speed recharging and additional batteries are installed in the ferry.

The Schottel azimuthing thrusters, one at each end, are turned by 950-kW electric motors. Each is an in-line, twinscrew that reduces cavitation and subsequent underwater noise, an important goal for BC Ferries.

The two new ferries, Island Aurora and Island Discovery, were designed by Damen in the Netherlands and built at Damen Shipyards Galati in Galati, Romania. Damen calls the model a “Road Ferry 8117 E3.” The 266'×55' ferries carry 296 passengers and 44 cars at speeds up to 14 knots.

22

The new double-enders will serve communities near the end of the road on Vancouver Island, on the upper reaches of the Strait of Georgia. The Island Discovery will take over the Powell River to Texada Island route, which is a 5.1-NM crossing that takes 35-40 minutes. The Island Aurora will carry cars, trucks, people (and their pets) between Port McNeill, Alert Bay and Sointula, a triangle with legs of about six miles each.

The deck design of the new ferries is asymmetric with three lanes on the main deck and a car-only lane on the side that slopes up to a high point amidships and down the other side. The enclosed passenger lounge is on the main deck under this ramped deck. “With this design,” said Mark Collins, BC Ferries president and CEO, “we have fully accessible accommodation on the main deck with no lost car lane space.”

Stairs with a chair lift provide access up to the sundeck with outdoor seating (with tables) and a heated solarium.

On the main deck, there’s a place for bikes and a heated, covered pet zone.

After being transported from Romania to Victoria, both ships were docked at Point Hope Maritime shipyard in Victoria where they got their final outfitting and starting-up www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

BC Ferries

New hybrid-electric ferries for British Columbia

First Navy 808-class yard tug launched

T

he Valiant-class Z-drive tug has apparently worked out well for the U.S. Navy. The namesake, also known

U.S. Navy

of all the systems. The yard also oversaw final inspections and will provide ongoing technical and warranty support for the new boats.

Going green meant lower carbon emissions and reducing underwater noise, both of which were critical for BC Ferries. “These hybrid-electric ferries,” said Collins, “mark a major milestone in our plan to lower emissions and be a leader in transitioning to a lower carbon future.”

The Island Discovery entered service on June 10 and the Island Aurora on June 18. —Bruce Buls

The Navy’s first Yard Tug 808-class vessel docks in Anacortes, Wash., after being launched in May at Dakota Creek Industries.

as YT-802, was built at JM Martinac Shipbuilding in Tacoma, Wash., in 2009. It was the first of six built by the now-defunct shipyard between 2008 and 2011. Martinac declared bankruptcy in 2014 and the remains of the yard were sold at auction.

Now, about a decade later, the Navy is having another batch of four built, this time at Dakota Creek Industries, Anacortes, Wash. The new series

starts with YT-808. Like its predecessors, the Robert Allan Ltd. design is part of the company’s Z-Tech series with a distinctive shape that fits the mission, which is moving Navy ships and submarines and occasionally towing barges and other vessels.

The hull measures 90'×38' with a draft of 16’. The new tugs are being powered by twin Caterpillar 3512E Tier 4 engines with selective catalytic

U.S. Navy photo

A

ustal USA, Mobile, Ala., delivered its 12th Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) to the Navy on June 26. The future Oakland (LCS 24) is the second ship delivered by Austal to the Navy in 2020. The 421'6″×103.7′ Independence-variant LCS is the most recent step in the small surface combatant evolution. An agile, high-speed, shallowdraft, focused-mission surface combatant, the LCS is designed to conduct surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and mine countermeasures missions in the littoral near-shore region, while also possessing the capability for deepwater operations. With its open-architecture design, the LCS can support modular weapons, sensor systems and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles. Austal is also under contract to build 14 expeditionary fast transport vessels (EPF) for the Navy. The shipyard has delivered 11 EPFs with an additional two in various stages of construction.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Washington Island Ferry Line announced the completion of a new passenger/vehicle ferry for yearround service to the Washington Island community across the Death’s Door The Independence-class Passage. The new LCS 24 Oakland.

124'×40', 150-pas-

www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

senger, 28-vehicle ferry, Madonna, is the largest vessel in the Washington Island Ferry fleet, allowing crews to operate a spacious second ferry with year-round capaThe 124’x40’, 150-passenger, bilities. The Ma28-vehicle ferry Madonna. donna, which has a 9’ draft, joins four additional vessels in the ferry operator’s fleet — the Arni J. Richter, the Eyrarbakki, the Robert Noble, and the Washington. All current vessels in the fleet were built in Sturgeon Bay, two by Peterson Builders Inc. and three by Bay Shipbuilding. The ferries complete 25 or more round-trips daily throughout peak season, with two daily during icebound months. Twin Caterpillar C32 main engines provide 1,600 maximum horsepower while its stainless propellers and shafts (and stout framing) make it ice-capable. In addition to its winter operational capabilities, the ferry offers added vehicle and passenger capacity throughout the year. Outdoor, upper deck seating and an indoor, climate-controlled cabin are available to passengers, along with restrooms on two decks. Bow and stern ramps with wide gates allow for easy vehicle loading. The Madonna also has an overhead of 15', Continued on page 28

23

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding

BOATBUILDING BITTS

CELEBRATING

SAFETY

Working on the waterfront requires a commitment to safety. As a leading USL&H provider, we take that commitment seriously. That’s why each year we celebrate our members with the strongest safety cultures in the business. Congratulations to our 2019 Safety Award winners.

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reduction (SCR) for emissions control.

Schottel 1012 fixed-pitch Z-drives complete the propulsion package. Like the originals, the new series will run up to about 12 knots and provide 40 tons of bollard pull.

Under water, the hull features a large skeg at one end, which could be used for indirect towing, if necessary, and otherwise provides directional stability when running or towing, which is done stern first. The bow is lower and covered with heavy fendering for ship-assist and personnel transfers.

The rounded and relatively elevated stern goes to weather better while towing from the “bow” with a hydraulic hawser winch and staple. Lines at the “stern” are controlled with an “H” bitt and hydraulic capstan.

The deckhouse on these tugs is set somewhat back from the bow to provide a larger, flatter forward deck

area. The house location also “enables the tug to get well in under the flare of a ship without fear of contacting the superstructure,” said RAL’s Rob Allan.

“It’s truly an omnidirectional boat. It’s got the same thrust in each direction and goes just as fast in each direction.”

The deckhouse is split into two sections, which are separated by an athwartships passageway on the main deck. On the aft side, the structure houses the exhaust stacks and the entrance to the engine room, effectively isolating some of the associated noise and vibration from the forward section with the accommodations, which includes a galley and mess area and four staterooms — two singles and two doubles.

The small and narrow pilothouse on top features large windows all around and facing up.

Another mission for this Navy tug

is personnel transfer, including pilot transfer. For this, an articulating hydraulic gangway is added to the back side of the deckhouse. It pivots 180° and telescopes in and out, as needed.

The first YT-808 was launched in May and will be delivered in August.

—B. Buls

Ninth Gladding-Hearn pilot boat for Virginia pilots

G

ladding-Hearn Shipbuilding delivered the Richmond, a Chesapeake-class MKII pilot boat to the Virginia Pilot Association on May 29.

It’s the ninth pilot boat the Somerset, Mass., boatyard has built for the Virginia Pilots since 1983 and the 22nd Chesapeake-class pilot boat delivered to 11 pilot associations since its introduction in 2003.

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Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding

The Richmond is the ninth pilot boat Gladding-Hearn has built for the Virginia Pilot Association since 1983.

The 55'10"×17'2"×4'11" aluminumhulled Richmond is a C. Raymond Hunt Associates design and a sistership to the Hampton Roads that was built for the Virginia Pilots two years ago. “It’s a repeat of a really good boat,” said Peter Duclos, president of Gladding-Hearn. “They were so happy with (the Hampton Roads) they didn’t want to change anything.”

The deep-V Chesapeake class MKII is designed with a pair of 700-hp Volvo Penta D13 main engines in Volvo IPS 3 propulsion pods with forward facing counterrotating propellers. That 1,400 hp from the Volvo Penta diesels was enough to kick the Richmond up to 34 knots on sea trials.

Integrated with the Volvo Penta IPS pods is a Humphree automatic

trim optimization system that should produce lower sound levels, a more comfortable ride and burn less fuel, said Duclos.

www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

The wheelhouse, with heated hand rails and surrounded by a flush, heated deck to prevent ice buildup, is set well aft with five NorSap shock mitigating reclining seats for the captain, one crewman and pilots and hosts a 16,000-Btu reverse-cycle HVAC unit.

While running out with pilots to incoming ships, the interior sound level should be no higher than 68 dBA at 28 knots. A 12-kW Northern Lights generator supplies electrical power.

Down below in the fo’c’sle is a settee berth, a 22" flat-screen TV, enclosed head, small galley and lockers and a second 16,000-Btu HVAC unit.

— Michael Crowley

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BOATBUILDING BITTS sufficient to transport high-clearance specialty equipment and large oversized loads as needed. The new steel icebreaking ferry is built to Subchapter K regulations for passenger vessels operating year round.

Metal Shark has added a welded-aluminum 52 Fearless Super Interceptor to its lineup. The 57.4'×11.5' offshore-capable, ultra-high-performance military patrol vessel has a top speed of around 70 knots. Production of the model has begun at the boatbuilder’s Jeanerette, La., production facility, with 15 vessels currently on order for overseas military and law enforcement interests. Metal Shark developed the 52 Fearless in response to growing demand among military operators for larger and faster interdiction craft with greater range and better seakeeping. The first 15 Super Interceptors are being built in a center console configuration with seating for six crew in Shockwave shock-mitigating seats beneath an integrated aluminum hard top. The vessels will be powered by twin 1,650-hp MAN 12-cylinder diesel inboard engines mated to Arneson ASD14 surface drives through ZF transmissions.

C&C

Metal Shark

Continued from page 23

Metal Shark 57.4’x11.5’ welded-aluminum 52 Fearless Super Interceptor.

The vessel has a fuel capacity of 1,000 gals., which gives the vessel 12.5 hours endurance at 50 knots.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp., Oak Brook, Ill., has awarded a contract for the construction of a 6,500-cu.-yd.capacity trailing suction hopper dredge to Conrad Shipyard, Morgan City, La. The contract includes an option to build an additional dredge. Conrad will perform the detail design and build the dredges at its Amelia, La., location based on a design provided by GLDD’s in-house engineering department in collaboration with C-Job Naval Architects. With expected delivery in the first quarter of 2023, the vessel will join the company’s existing six-dredge hopper fleet.

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Masked Men The barge industry shares lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic.

By Pamela Glass, Washington Correspondent

30

I

t’s been about four months since the inland barge and towing industry began addressing the challenges of Covid-19, and lessons learned are already emerging that will likely influence operations well into the future.

Unlike many businesses that have been forced to shutter or greatly reduce operations, barges, towboats and tugboats continue to operate without interruption, moving commodities along the rivers, coasts and Great Lakes that have helped keep the economy humming.

As “essential, critical transportation workers,” inland mariners transport energy, agricultural and construction products, while also helping the pandemic response by guiding hospital ships into harbors and moving materials used to make medi-

cal supplies and hand sanitizers.

The barge industry has taken significant steps to protect its workers and vessels. Companies have activated emergency plans that are normally deployed during hurricanes or security incidents.

They have launched safety and health protocols that are in line with state, local and federal guidelines, closed shoreside offices to work at home, invested in personal protective equipment and disinfectant materials, and implemented health screenings and new procedures for crew changes, vessel cleaning and mariner hygiene.

As a result, inland operators say, infections among workers have been minimal, companies have not laid off employees, and many continue to actively hire. www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

COVID-19 EFFECTS But while the industry has continued operations, it has not totally escaped serious fallouts from the pandemic.

Many company officials report that implementing new health and safety protocols has been very expensive, and a global economic slowdown caused by the pandemic combined with declines in energy markets occurring before Covid-19, has deeply reduced the demand for their services.

“I contrast our experience with our colleagues in the cruise ship and the passenger vessel industries, where the lights just went off,” said Jennifer Carpenter, president and CEO of the American Waterways Operators, which represents the tugboat, towboat and barge industry. “For us, it was more of a dimmer switch. Everything is moving but there’s just less of it.

Volumes are really down across the board.”

She said coal is down, not just

Capt. Randy Suttles

it won’t be black. It might be brighter in some areas, and elsewhere a little dimmer.”

Many companies, Carpenter added, have taken advantage of the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program to help businesses struggling during the pandemic. This has prevented layoffs. But generally, the barge industry is not looking for Uncle Sam to send an infusion of funds their way, but rather to do things that help strengthen the industry like funding lock and dam improvements, supporting the Jones Act, and creating greater protections from coronavirusrelated lawsuits.

While impacts of the pandemic continue to play out, the industry has begun to assess how adaptations made during the Covid-19 response might affect operations going forward. Many of the responses that companies have put into place out of necessity will likely become permanent because they have made operations more efficient and cost-effective, many observers say.

VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY Perhaps one of the biggest changes that could have staying power has been the move to digital communications. “A very positive lesson of this

Ryan Guidry

Lead deckhand Cody Chapman has his TWIC card checked by vessel tankerman Jarred Williams as he boards the Campbell Transportation towboat Champion during a crew change.

due to Covid-19 but because coal plants have been closing and demand declined during a mild winter. Petroleum movements slumped because few people were flying or driving during the past few months due to business shutdowns. When auto plants shuttered, demand dropped for steel. Grain movements seems to be the only bright spot.

“We have seen an approximate 30 percent slowdown in upbound raw material inputs into the steel industry due to the slowdown in the auto and energy industries,” said Mark Knoy, president and CEO of American Commercial Barge Line, one of the nation’s largest barge companies. “We’ve also seen a significant slowdown in chemicals and refined products due to consumer reduction in gas, diesel and jet fuel.”

Carpenter calls it “demand disruption” that will affect companies differently depending on how diversified their business is, the debt load they are carrying, and their financial situation before Covid-19 hit. More consolidations are possible, she added. “I’m not hearing a lot of fear about the bottom dropping out. It’s more of not being able to predict a big positive recovery.

We are still in a dimmer switch analogy. (A recovery) won’t be bright, but

Petroleum barge movements have dipped the past few months as the demand for air travel has dropped and driving has been reduced due to business shutdowns. There’s also been a significant slowdown in barge movements of chemicals and refined products.

www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

31

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experience has been how successfully we’ve been able to leverage technology to get us through this,” Carpenter said.

Companies are relying on meeting apps to conduct daily business, as their shoreside offices have closed and people are working from home.

With the encouragement of the Coast Guard, many are asking that audits, surveys and vessel inspections be done remotely, with companies supplying objective evidence, and inspectors “touring” vessels and meeting with crews by videoconference rather than on the boats.

AWO recently held its April board meetings virtually, instead of at a large Washington, D.C., hotel followed by lobbying visits with members of Congress. And instead of the annual summer visits in which lawmakers and their staffs come aboard inland

Barge movements of coal are down, not just due to Covid-19 but because coal plants have been closing and demand declined during a mild winter.

vessels to learn about their operations, AWO is organizing “virtual tours.”

AWO doesn’t want to do away with live events, Carpenter said, but the

success of videoconferencing could lead to more virtual events in the future. It can make meetings more accessible to those too busy or too far

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away to attend multiple-day conferences. “There’s a lot to think about, and I’m excited about having that conversation with our members and figuring out what the right balance is.”

Houston, Pa.-based Campbell Transportation Company Inc., which operates barges, towboats, four shipyards and fabrication shops along the Ohio and Monongahela rivers, is unsure if certain jobs could be done from home indefinitely, but the work-at-home experiment during the pandemic will make the company more flexible, according to Gary Statler, managing director, safety, regulatory compliance and HR. “If someone needs to work from home for whatever reason, we’ll be able to offer that to our employees more readily than we have before.”

Engagement within the company, which employs about 500, has been stronger because of technology. “It really is a different world,” Statler said, and running a company during the pandemic is much easier today than it would have been 10 years ago due to advances in technology.

Video calls with shoreside employees and mariners have become a normal part of operations now, added Peter Stephaich, CTC’s chairman and CEO, who also chairs the Waterways Council. “We’ve gotten used to it, it’s a normal thing.”

Remote work might not be for everyone, however, but it’s still important to be able to do it when necessary. “Our industry is different,” Carpenter said. “People need to be on boats, and you won’t have remote shipyards. But I think some companies will look at it for shoreside employees and there will be a continuum as they realize the possibility to save real estate costs. But other companies will say this isn’t for us, but it’s good to know that we can do it when we have to.”

At ACBL, Knoy said his company has always had remote work and is comfortable using remote technologies. Today 85% of the workforce works remotely on boats, fleets and terminals, while many customer service employees work from home. “We expect about 20-30 percent of traditional office teammates will continue to work remotely going forward,” he said.

Use of technology to perform remote inspections, audits and surveys is also becoming more common. The Coast Guard is encouraging the practice and both federal inspectors and private inspection companies are tooling up to do remote vessel and facility visits.

Remote inspections have many advantages, such as allowing inspectors to reach vessels that are in isolated locations more quickly, while also reducing vessel downtime. During the pandemic, remote technologies are safer for both inspectors and crewmembers by minimizing close contact, while also helping companies meet inspection deadlines, especially the upcoming Subchapter M compliance deadline in July.

No one believes that remote inspections will permanently replace in-person visits, as there are definite plusses in havwww.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

ing an inspector meet face-to-face with the crew and walk around a vessel. But there could be circumstances in which remote reviews are preferable and just as effective. Creating a mix of remote and in-person inspections as well as using technologies like drones should be explored further, Carpenter and others said.

OTHER CHANGES Another pandemic approach that could be used in the future is telemedicine. Companies have relied on this increasingly to screen mariners and shoreside employees for the virus and analyze symptoms. Carpenter thinks this could be a helpful, long-term tool for keeping mariners healthy, especially during the flu season now that companies have experience dealing with the coronavirus which presents similar symptoms.

“Companies have developed relationships with telemedicine providers, and what a great thing that is for an industry where you’re going to be on a boat for two to three weeks at a time,” she said. “We would be able to ramp up and deal with seasonal challenges like the flu just like we plan for high or low water. I think we’ll see long-term incremental change and improvements in how we manage health and

33

34

Cody Foster

safety going forward even after the Covid period.”

Statler of Campbell Transportation added that companies will also become more focused on worker hygiene and cleaning practices. “Our cleaning practices to make sure things are sterilized, those best practices will continue on,” he said. “And we’ll be more sensitive to someone not feeling well and not overlook that,” as both companies and employees are far more aware of the threats of contagion and the need to isolate when ill.

The industry’s vast experience with contingency planning, safety management systems and incident command structures used during hurricanes, unusual water conditions and security incidents have helped barge companies deal with the challenges posed by the pandemic, Carpenter said.

“This is a resilient industry. Companies have had to work quickly to adapt to a snowballing situation and they did so without missing much of a beat operationally,” she said. “That came from experience — some folks had pandemic plans and were able to activate and improve on them as Covid ramped up, while others didn’t have pandemic plans but had emergency response plans that they modified to respond to this situation.”

Barge companies are becoming even more focused on worker health, hygiene and cleaning practices. Some already had pandemic plans in place and others have modified emergency response plans to address Covid-19.

ACBL’s Knoy said his company regularly prepares for emergencies and that these skills and policies have been helpful during the pandemic. “The only difference in this emergency plan and practice is the invisible part of it,” he said, referring to the virus. “Otherwise, preparation, planned practices and exercises keep us prepared.”

He said he expects that lessons learned from the pandemic will lead to further refinements in ACBL’s exist-

ing response plans.

Going forward, the spike in new cases in late June will require inland companies to keep even closer tabs on the health of their workers.

With no vaccine, “We’ll be dealing with this for a long time, so we can’t let our guard down,” said Carpenter.

“We must continue with testing and social distancing because crewmembers’ health and safety is the linchpin of our operation.”

www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

THE DATES ARE IN! The 2020 edition of Pacific Marine Expo will take place Tuesday, Dec. 1 through Thursday, Dec. 3!

Check out www.pacificmarineexpo.com for the latest updates on this year’s Expo.

Be a part of the largest and longest running commercial fishing and commercial marine tradeshow on the West Coast. Source new products, catch up with old friends and stay up-to-date on the latest industry news.

DECEMBER 1-3, 2020 CenturyLink Field Event Center

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We want to take this opportunity to assure our customers that our crew at Pacific Marine Expo will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our visitors, exhibitors, partners and staff, as we always have. As details are confirmed, we will be sharing an outline of the measures we will be taking to make sure your experience at this year’s show is safe, positive and productive.

Coatings Craig Roberts of Sun Bright Coatings demonstrates how SR-17 pre-primer is applied. Once it dries the hull is painted. No sand blasting is necessary.

Fresh Coat

By Michael Crowley, Correspondent

36

W

hat’s a quick way to tell if a vessel owner is taking care of his or her boat or boats? It’s about looks — a measure of the thought that went into the original paints and coatings and the amount of time spent maintaining those coatings, whether it’s hull or topside paints or a non-skid deck coating. If you ignore those maintenance issues, it will catch up with you. The long-term costs will be painful.

Fortunately, coatings companies, like the three mentioned in this article, are periodically upgrading their products, which gives vessel owners more choices. Sherwin-Williams is one example. In May, the company introduced two enhancements to the Sher-Loxane 800 line of polysiloxane coat-

ings, a single-coat paint that provides the corrosion protection of an epoxy and the UV durability of a polyurethane topcoat. Sherwin-Williams added the options of going with a semi-gloss coating, a fastcure option, or both.

“What we know about customers in the workboat field that prefer polysiloxane products is that they are interested in maintaining the aesthetics of their vessels,” said Michael Manetta, global market director at Sherwin-Williams. The Sher-Loxane 800’s normal high-gloss finish isn’t for everyone.

The semi-gloss option gives the flexibility of toning down the gloss finish, though a certain gloss retention is a feature of both paints.

The Sher-Loxane 800 fast-cure option benefits www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

Sun Bright Coatings

Coatings companies continue to upgrade their products, giving vessel owners more choices.

Sherwin-Williams

both the vessel owner and the boatyard that does the painting. Since the fastcure option dries faster than a paint with a traditional hardener, the owner gets his vessel back in service sooner than it would otherwise, and the boatyard can move onto another paint or repair job. In addition, the Sher-Loxane 800 with the fast cure option can be applied at temperatures down to 20º Fahrenheit.

For vessel owners in colder parts of the country, such as the Great Lakes, that means there are “more days per year to paint the vessel,” said Manetta.

Anyone wanting to maintain a vessel’s appearance will be making occasional paint touch-ups. “Touch-ups are inevitable,” noted Manetta. Whether a boat is tied up for repairs at the local dock or hauled out, it is going to get dinged up, whether by welders, electricians or the boat’s crew.

Sherwin-Williams introduced another product in May — the Burst Pouch —

A Sherwin-Williams Burst Pouch, which makes touch-up tasks easier, contains both a hardener and resin.

that makes that touch-up task much easier. Dipping a brush into a can of paint for the touch–up work or getting the paint out of a spray can aren’t such good options. The paint can solution can be messy and with sprayed-on paints the color will fade fairly quickly.

The Burst Pouch delivers the same paint that was put on the boat while it was being painted in drydock. “It’s a self-contained package solution that gives OEM finish durability,” said

Manetta.

The Burst Pouch consists of two ziplock bags. One bag contains the resin and the other the catalyst, also known as the hardener or curing agent, for a total of 16.9 oz. or 500 ml. Squishing the two pouches together breaks the seam separating them, allowing the two parts to be mixed together, creating a curable coating. It is then poured into a paint pot and brushed on. It has a pot life of one to four hours before it hardens and must

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Coatings

NON-SKID COATING NCP Coatings, working with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, developed SiloxoGrip, a non-skid, non-slip commercial coating, in 2014 to replace traditional epoxy non-skid coatings.

This is a two-part polysiloxane product that requires the paint to be mixed for at least five minutes before it can be applied.

NCP, working again with the Naval Research Laboratory, is currently developing a one-part, non-skid coating, tentatively called SiloxoGrip 1K. Field testing of SiloxoGrip 1K with the Navy will start this summer and the paint should be available by the end of 2020.

“Just open the can and apply. You don’t have to mix things together,” said Randy Terrill, NCP Coatings vice president of technology and quality. Avoiding the mixing stage makes it ideal for “spot touch ups and spot repairs.”

The new coating, being a polysiloxane paint with silicon-bondage, means it provides better weathering and longerterm performance than epoxy paint.

“The silicon allows it to withstand the sun’s rays,” said Terrill, and the pigments used in the paint reduce heat buildup so the decks don’t get as hot.

“Any time you can do a one-component paint, it just makes life simpler.”

SiloxoGrip 1K is formulated to be lighter in weight than other non-skid coatings and can be applied with a roller or sprayed on. It should last three to five years under the hardest conditions and five to 10 years with light service work.

NCP Coatings also introduced a new non-skid primer called Siloxoprime.

“It’s unique. It sticks well to surfaces that aren’t perfect — steel, fiberglass and aluminum,” said Terrill.

38

NCP Coatings

be thrown out.

An alternative is a touch-up paint system contained in cartridges and applied with something resembling a caulking gun that’s been available for three years.

However, Burst Pouches are smaller, easier to store and don’t require specialized equipment. In either case, customers can order touch-up paint to exactly match their boat’s paint.

SiloxoGrip 1K, a one-part non-skid coating, can be rolled on, just like traditional non-skids.

LONGER LIFE How about doubling the life span of your vessel’s paint coatings? That’s what SR-17, a pre-primer from Sun Bright Coatings in Virginia Beach, Va., reportedly does. “It will double the life of the primer and topcoat. Whatever the paint is, it will double it,” said Sun Bright vice-president Craig Roberts.

SR-17 was developed about 18 years ago for steel boats operating in the rivers of the southern bayous where they couldn’t be sandblasted. That’s not to say that SR-17 isn’t used on sandblasted steel. In 2018 the SR-17 formula was changed to allow the coating to dry faster on sandblasted steel.

The original product was designed to turn rusted steel into a paintable surface, said Roberts. Back then a bayou vessel operator might start out by knocking heavy layers of rust off the side of a hull with a hammer then coat the hull with SR-17, let it dry, and then paint it. “There would be no sand blasting involved,” noted Roberts.

SR-17 reacts with ferric oxide, better known as rust, and turns it into an abrasion resistant and electrically inert surface. It makes the salts — sulfides, sulfates and chlorides — insoluble or non-reactive, which, Roberts said, “is extremely important (because) everybody’s painting system is penetrated by water.”

Eventually the water gets behind the paint and reacts with the salts. “That is basically the energy on the other side of

the paint that allows oxygen to oxidize the metal” and restart the corrosion process, said Roberts. It is the reason paint blisters and bubbles off steel.

However, by making sulfides, sulfates and chlorides insoluble, that process is prevented. And because SR-17 forms a very tight coating on the steel, additional chlorides, sulfates and sulfites are prevented from attaching to the metal.

Eliminating chlorides, sulfates and sulfides is what lead-based paints used to do, but SR-17, unlike the old leadbased marine paints, is not toxic and not hazardous to your health.

There’s nothing complicated about using SR-17. When it is applied, whether with a brush, roller or an airless sprayer, the steel can be dry or wet. If the steel is wet, that’s not an issue because “it goes right through water,” said Roberts. But after SR-17 has been applied and before a primer goes down, the SR-17 coating must be completely dry, “otherwise you will have a paint failure.” SR-17 takes 24 to 48 hours to dry depending on the atmospheric conditions. “The hotter and more humid it is, the faster it will dry.”

The “SR” in SR-17 stands for Skunk Rust, which accounts for the skunk on the SR-17 container. Skunk Rust was what dredgers and fishermen called the original coating. “It came about by accident but once people learn the name they can’t forget it,” said Roberts. “Paint distributors are aware of it, and told me it works. But they don’t want to carry it because it doubles the life of paint and they end up selling less paint.”

www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

We know that the WorkBoat Show is your annual chance to network, shop, connect, and get in the know among the best in the business. It is a maritime industry tradition. And through good times and bad, this is the marine industry’s show.

With many things changing in the world right now, we want you to know that the International WorkBoat Show will be held as scheduled, December 15-17th, 2020.

We also want to take this opportunity to assure you that the WorkBoat Show always has, and will continue to make the health of our visitors, exhibitors, partners and staff our absolute top priority as we continue to make preparations for the 2020 event.

For over 40 years the WorkBoat Show has been here for you and this year, more than ever, we can’t wait to host you in New Orleans.

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WorkBoat + Wind and the WorkBoat Executive Forum “Doing the Business of WorkBoats” Go to workboatshow.com for more information.

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PLC Technician Electrical Technician Mechanical Technician Pipelay Operator Deck Mechanic Offshore Const Manager Senior Offshore Const Manager Offshore Const Supervisor Barge Engineer Barge Supervisor Rigging Supervisor Rigger (incl Lead rigger) Rigger Welder ROV Superintendent ROV System Supervisor ROV Supervisor ROV Senior Pilot Technician ROV Pilot Technician HSE Advisor Medic Admin Project Admin Clerk

offshorevesseljobs@technipfmc.com 40

Apply online:

www.dannmarinetowing.com/employment

WE ARE HIRING!

Pipefitters / Plumbers Yacht Mechanic / Outside Machinist https://savannahyc.com/syc-careers We are an EEO/AA Employer

Send resume to:

careers@colonialgroupinc.com www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

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

EMPLOYMENT OFFSHORE POSITIONS WANTED Experienced Utilities, Preps, Bakers & Cooks for offshore. Must have T.W.I.C. Minimum 2 years offshore experience. Must pass drug test.

JPAAD RESOURCES STAFFING Email resumes to: j.padd206@yahoo.com

A full service shipyard in Norfolk, VA Great paying positions for shipyard repair trades people.

     

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     

EXCELLENT BENEFITS with 401(k) PLAN To apply go to:

MARINE GEAR

Insulators Carpenters Security Safety Superintendants Forman EOE/AA/M/F/D/V

www.lyonshipyard.com/careers Advertising Contact: Wendy Jalbert wjalbert@divcom.com

LAW

www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

41

PortofCall

Your Source For Employment, Equipment & Services MARINE GEAR

Subchapter M Medical Kits

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

BARGE PUMPS

IMO ROTARY SCREW ASPHALT PUMPS BYRON JACKSON TURBINE PUMPS BLACKMER ROTARY GEAR PUMPS OUR 110TH YEAR

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

In-Mar Solutions offers Wynn Marine Heavy Duty Straight-Line Wipers Wynn Type C (internal Motor) and Type D (external motor) Straight-Line Wipers offers the most advanced design in linear action window wiper systems for marine and other specialized applications. Optimum window coverage can be achieved and enhanced by utilizing a twinbladed or dual-arm/blade design.

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(225) 644-7063

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Wendy Jalbert wjalbert@divcom.com

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MARINE GEAR

Keel Coolers Trouble free marine engine cooling since 1927!

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

No deflation. No wor ries.

17’ with 90 Honda $28,900

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ALUMINUM HULLS

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43

PortofCall

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

Now Manufacturing and Installing Fire Retardant Bunk Curtains

36-inch Diameter Modular Plastic Pontoons

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

The Best Idea Since the Indian Canoe

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.

Uses: Pontoon boats, house boats,

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

Advertising Contact: Wendy Jalbert wjalbert@divcom.com

workboats—replace old steel or aluminum pontoons Heavy Duty: Molded from sturdy, medium density polyethylene (MDPF) and filled with polyurethane foam for increased stability Modular: Each bow, middle and stern modules are 10 ft. in length Displacement at full submersion:

Bow module supports gross weight of 3,100 lbs. and middle/stern each supports 4,200 lbs.

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

Sales and Service 5602 Sea Grapes Way The Village, FL 32163 Phone: 419-675-0002 info@wilsonpontoons.com

• A17, A19, A22 and A22HS • Propeller Shafting Bar Stock lengths up to 36’ • C.N.C. Machined Propeller Shafting • Precision Propeller Shaft straightening & repair

• Custom Machined Shaft Couplings up to 30” diameter • Michigan Wheel Propellers • Propeller Repair

Toll Free: 877-456-2531

www.plasticpontoon.com

W O R L D L E A D E R I N B O AT S H A F T I N G World's Largest Stocking Distributor of AQUAMET PH. 586-791-8800

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www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

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MARINE GEAR & SUPPLIES

Marine Rubber Seals & Weatherstripping! marine.steelerubber.com

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GENERATORS

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THE MOST POWERFUL TOOL

for removing coatings and rust Visit Us! - Marine Equipment Tent, Booth 486

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Rub Rail Insert Kits

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PortofCall

Your Source For Employment, Equipment & Services SERVICES

ADVERTISERS INDEX

We Build the Ship First.

360 Coverage Pros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Ahead Sanitation Systems Inc . . . . . . . 33 American Equity Underwriters . . . . 24+25

Production Lofting Detail Design 3D Modeling

Bloom Incorporated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

St. John’s, NL | Vancouver, BC | New Orleans, LA

CAIG Laboratories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Browns Point Marine Service, LLC . . . . 27 C & C Marine and Repair LLC . . . . . . . 28

Coastal Technology Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

709.368.0669 | 504.287.4310 | www.genoadesign.com

Cummins Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 David Clark Company Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Become a member of the Council of American Master Mariners and join us in supporting the U.S. Merchant Marine, the Jones Act and the Seaman’s working rights.

Duramax Marine LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . CV3 Eastern Shipbuilding Group . . . . . . . . . . 5 Furuno USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CV2 Imtra Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 International WorkBoat Show . . . . . . . . 39 JMS Naval Architects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 JonRie InterTech LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Karl Senner, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CV4

Go to:

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

www.mastermariner.org

Louisiana Cat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Mitsubishi Turbocharger and Engine America, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 MOPS Marine License Insurance. . . . . . 6

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 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

MTU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 NCP Coatings Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Pacific Marine Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Panolin America Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Pennel USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Platypus Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Research Products/Incinolet . . . . . . . . . . 9 RIBCRAFT USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 R W Fernstrum & Company . . . . . . . . . .11 Scania. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Sun Bright Coatings LLC . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Tandemloc, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

MB Brokerage Co. | MB Barge Co. | BG Fleeting Winches | Barges | Boats Cranes | Vessel Charters & Storage Chris Gonsoulin, Owner (850) 255-5266

cgonsoul@gmail.com

www.mbbrokerage.net 46

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 www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

They protect us.

Theyday. protect Every Everyus. night.

AndEvery theyday. needEvery yournight. support.

And they need your support.

HHH HHH

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

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

To learn how you can help, call (860) 535-0786 or visit our website at www.coastguardfoundation.org

LOOKS BACK AUGUST 1960

• The 57'×17'×7'6" twin-engine tug Nomad was completed recently in Jacksonville, Fla., by Diesel Shipbuilding Co. Powered by a pair of GM 6-110 diesels driving 4-bladed, 54"×40" Ellis propellers, the tug carries 5,200 gals. of fuel oil and 1,000 gals of fresh water.

Steel hull plating is 5/16" in thickness, while the deckhouse, which contains two staterooms and

a galley, is constructed of 3/16" steel plate. The pilothouse was fabricated from 3/16" aluminum sheeting.

• A contract for the construction of six 195'×35'×11' hopper barges has been awarded to Avondale Shipyards Inc. in New Orleans by Magnolia Towing, Vicksburg, Miss.

Avondale has also been awarded a contract for the construction of two

AUGUST 1970

• The St. Louis District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has placed three new 30' survey launches designed and built by the Grafton Boat Co. Inc., Grafton, Ill., into service. Named Carondelet, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, the boats have a continuous operating speed of over 25 mph, delivered by single Detroit Diesel 6V-53N engines.

The vessels are all manufactured of aluminum.

• To AUGUST 1980 meet rising

• For almost 130 miles, past steel mills, coal mines, small towns and villages, the Monongahela River flows north from Fairmont, W.Va., to Pittsburgh. Being a predominately rural and small town area, southwestern Pennsylvania relies on the Monongahela as a major industrial transportation system.

For years the mills, mines and com48

273'×41'×12'6" propane barges by Union Texas Natural Gas Corp., Tulsa, Okla. The new barges will be used for the transportation of liquefied petroleum gases. demands for water transportation of its petroleum products, Sun Oil Co., has contracted for the construction of six barges and two tugs in three southwestern U.S. shipyards.

munities with light industries have been dependent upon the river as a source of convenient and cost effective transportation, giving the region a distinct advantage over other, landlocked areas.

In recent years, the Monongahela has become more than an industrial river.

Pleasure boating, water skiing, and even fishing are becoming popular. www.workboat.com • AUGUST 2020 • WorkBoat

Engineering Cooling Systems with Superior Craftsmanship and Technology.

Trust Duramax Marine Heat Exchanger Solutions. ®

If you’re building a new vessel, repowering, or repairing a damaged heat exchanger system, you can trust Duramax Marine® to guide you every step of the way.

Duramax® cooling experts have the knowledge, experience and the latest in efficient cooling solutions. We will recommend and engineer the perfect, efficient long-lasting cooling system for your vessel.

DuraCooler® Keel Cooler One piece 90/10 copper-nickel streamlined header design for improved efficiency.

DuraCooler® SuprStak™ System Custom stacked design DuraCooler® doubles heat efficiency in half the hull space.

Duramax® Demountable Keel Cooler Expandable copper-nickel spiral tube system for steel hull vessels.

Duramax® BoxCooler In-hull protection from damage, design flexibility, and large cooling capacity, with anti-fouling prevention systems.

www.DuramaxMarine.com

Duramax Marine® is an ISO 9001:2015 Certified Company

Products And Knowledge You Trust

p: 440.834.5400 f: 800.497.9283

“With more than 65 sets of Reintjes gears in service today, our business has continued to operate safely and efficiently “With moreand thandependable 65 sets of Reintjes service today, ourWith business hasand continued to operate efficiently with reliable servicegears from inKarl Senner, LLC. Reintjes Karl Senner, LLC.safely as ourand partners, we are with reliable dependable service from KarlofSenner, LLC. With Reintjes andAmerica’s Karl Senner, LLC. waterways.” as our partners, we are confident that and we will have many more years operating success along Inland confident that we will have many more years of operating success along America’s waterways.”

- Clark Todd,Inland President, Blessey Marine Services Inc.

Waterways Journal photo

−Clark Todd, President, Blessey Marine Services Inc.

Karl Senner, LLC is proud to supply Karl Senner, LLC is proud to supply two REINTJES WAF 563 Gearboxes two REINTJES WAF 563 Gearboxes onboard the M/V Daniel Wisner. onboard the M/V Daniel Wisner.

Owner: Owner: Shipyard: Builder:

504-469-4000

|

Blessey Marine Services, Inc. Blessey VerretMarine ShipyardServices, Inc. Verret Shipyard

KARLSENNER.COM