WorkBoat February 2024

Underwater Intervention • Hybrid Vessels • Fuels & Lubricants ®

IN BUSINESS ON THE COASTAL AND INLAND WATERS

FEBRUARY 2024

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Passenger vessel operators enjoyed another good year.

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Content

FEBRUARY 2024 VOLUME 81, NO. 2

FEATURES 14 Focus: Deep Intelligence

Underwater Intervention resurfaces at the International WorkBoat Show.

20 Vessel Report: Mixed Greens

Hybrid power options continue to be developed.

26 Cover Story: Buoyant

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Bookings were strong for passenger vessel operators last year as the post-pandemic rebound continued.

BOATS & GEAR 22 On the Ways

• Steiner delivers 4,000-hp towboat to Florida Marine • Austal USA to build three 361' Navy medical ships • Gulf Craft to build 300-passenger catamaran ferry for the U.S. Virgin Islands • Washburn & Doughty deliver 6,770-hp tug to McAllister Towing • St. Johns Ship Building delivers the first of three 99' crew transport vessels to Windea CTV

30 Squeaky Clean

New products to reduce soot and clean up oil.

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AT A GLANCE 8 On the Water: The gambler — Part I. 8 Captain’s Table: Dealing with Coast Guard inspections.

9 Energy Level: Money well spent.

10 WB Stock Index: Index gains 8% in December.

10 Inland Insider: Barge operators face increasing costs.

11 Nor’easter: Wind opponents target ‘incidental take’ of whales.

12 Insurance Watch: How much is that claim going to cost me?

12 Legal Talk: The Safer Seas Act: What vessel owners should know.

NEWS LOG 13 First power from Vineyard Wind project off Massachusetts.

13 High bids at Gulf lease sale top $382 million .

13 New SOV designed to fill offshore wind vessel gap.

13 Ship carrying batteries survives fire. www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

DEPARTMENTS 2 Editor’s Watch 6 Mail Bag 32 Port of Call 39 Advertisers Index 40 WB Looks Back

ON THE COVER

The 180', 600-passenger Yacht StarShip in Tampa, Fla. Yacht StarShip Cruises & Events photo

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EDITOR'S WATCH

Getting up off the canvas

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n 1968 during a touch football game in PE class, I found myself rushing the passer — a kid who had physically matured well beyond most of us eighth graders. He threw a “bomb” the length of the field for a touchdown. Unfortunately for me, his throwing hand curled into a fist following the throw, slamming into the side of my nose, sending a spray of red across the green grass and notching a kink in my proboscis that is still there today.

I bring this up because that must have been what the owners and operators of passenger vessels felt like three years ago — a punch coming from nowhere in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic affected all sectors of the workboat industry to be sure, but none more than passenger vessels. Passenger vessels, with few exceptions, were sitting empty at the dock.

“Numerous U.S. small passenger vessel operators who operate seasonally will surely lose their entire operating season for 2020 and most likely will go into their 2021 seasons — should they actually survive — dramatically weakened financially,” the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) said in a 2020 letter to Congress.

Fast forward to 2023, and the story has thankfully changed dramatically.

“U.S. passenger vessel operators experienced excellent business conditions in domestic markets during 2023,” PVA’s Executive Director John Groundwater told WorkBoat in this month’s cover story (see page 26). ai16389015345_editwatch_BPA_2021.pdf “Dinner boat and charter operators

Ken Hocke, Senior Editor

khocke@divcom.com

have reported increasing corporate and group bookings, and the ferry industry has pointed to growing commuter traffic.”

In 2020, Troy Manthey, owner of Yacht StarShip Cruises & Events in Tampa, Fla., laid off 90% of his employees. In 2023 the company built a new 149-passenger dinner boat that is in its final stages of outfitting. In addition, Manthey said they are also refitting two riverboats at Steiner Construction Co. in Bayou La Batre, Ala. Now that’s the way to recover from a sucker punch.

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12/7/21

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WORKBOAT® (ISSN 0043-8014) is published monthly by Diversified Communications, 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 22

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Sometimes, even the rescuers need to be rescued.

IN BUSINESS ON THE COASTAL AND INLAND WATERS

WWW.WORKBOAT.COM

EDITOR IN CHIEF David Krapf / dkrapf@divcom.com SENIOR EDITOR Ken Hocke / khocke@divcom.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Kirk Moore / kmoore@divcom.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Capt. Alan Bernstein • Bruce Buls • Robin G. Coles • Michael Crowley • Jerry Fraser • Pamela Glass • Betsy Frawley Haggerty • Max Hardberger • Joel Milton • Jim Redden CONTENT SPECIALIST Benjamin Hayden / bhayden@divcom.com DIGITAL PROJECT MANAGER / ART DIRECTOR Doug Stewart / dstewart@divcom.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jeremiah Karpowicz / jkarpowicz@divcom.com

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

Sometimes, even the rescuers Give to theneed

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ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mike Cohen 207-842-5439 / mcohen@divcom.com Kristin Luke 207-842-5635 / kluke@divcom.com Krista Randall 207-842-5657 / krandall@divcom.com

Coast Guard Foundation

Danielle Walters 207-842-5634 / dwalters@divcom.com

To learn more, visit RescueTheRescuers.org

Producers of The International WorkBoat Show and Pacific Marine Expo www.workboatshow.com • www.pacificmarineexpo.com

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

Give to the

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EXPOSITION SALES DIRECTOR Christine Salmon 207-842-5530 / csalmon@divcom.com

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auseCoastthey watch Guard Foundation er us.

Because y give so much.

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www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

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MAIL BAG Coast Guard publishes small passenger vessel fire safety interim rule

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he Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CG-CVC) has published CG-CVC Policy Letter 23-03 Change 1, “Covered Small Passenger Vessel” fire safety interim rule implementation, which includes updates to reflect the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2024 (2024 NDAA).

The 2024 NDAA requires Officers in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) to delay enforcement of the means of escape requirement until April 1, 2024, for “overnight fishing charters.” In addition, the NDAA allows enforcement to be delayed until Jan. 1, 2026, for “overnight fishing charters” that have submitted plans to alter their vessel to meet escape requirements to their OCMI. “Overnight fishing char-

ters” are defined by the 2024 NDAA as a vessel with overnight accommodations for passengers that carries a passenger for hire who is engaged in recreational fishing on board. Vessel owners or operators should contact their local marine inspection office with vessel-specific questions (directory).

General questions may be submitted via CGCVC@uscg.mil.

U.S. Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance Washington, D.C.

Coast Guard updates sexual assault and harassment bulletin

T

he Coast Guard has published an update to Marine Safety Information Bulletin (MSIB) 13-23 — Coast Guard Policies to Address Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response on Vessels.

This update includes information on frequently asked questions from the public regarding changes to Title 46 of the U.S. Code (USC) to enhance vessel safety and address sexual assault and sexual harassment. In November 2023, the Coast Guard released four policy documents to provide compliance guidance. The Coast Guard is committed to fostering a safer and more respectful maritime environment through the elimination of sexual assault and sexual harassment from the workplace.

For more information, refer to MSIB 13-2023, Ch. 1. Also, see MSIB 1-23 for further information on reporting sexual misconduct on U.S. vessels.

If you have any questions regarding implementation of these new requirements, contact your local Officer in Charge, Marine Inspections (OCMI).

U.S. Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance Washington, D.C.

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www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

AT-A-GLANCE

On the Water The gambler — Part I

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BY JOEL MILTON Joel Milton works on towing vessels.

He can be reached at joelmilton@ yahoo.com.

ne of the more challenging aspects of operating tugs in the oil trades, where the standard of care is (or should be) at its highest level, is practicing the art of the assist. And it is in fact a legitimate art form in its own right: both in exercising sound judgment (deciding when you need an assist, when you don’t, and when you’re in that variable gray area between the two) and in the practical execution.

Execution itself can be divided into two subcategories: using an assist boat competently and effectively and providing the same. They are closely related but distinctly separate skill sets that must be taught and developed, preferably but not necessarily in tandem. It’s particularly important for mates to learn this as early as possible.

One of the more psychologically difficult aspects for many tug operators is what should be the relatively simple task of deciding when to use an assist boat. Simple is not the same as easy. A significant percentage among us, and especially

Captain’s Table The give and take of dealing with Coast Guard inpections

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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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ost of us know that business is an ongoing process of compromise and give and take. For those of us who make our living on the water, interacting with Coast Guard inspectors and inspections is an important facet of our complex maritime existence. In fact, it is the one area that can unexpectedly halt commerce should an inspection go poorly. That is why it is important to be prepared for each inspection and approach it professionally and with respect.

But this cuts both ways, and operators should expect the same standard from Coast Guard inspectors. If there are disagreements — and there will be — both parties should be open to discuss solutions.

When the discussions break down and the Coast Guard insists that you must make a repair, contrary to what many might think, you have options. Let’s face it, the Coast Guard is not under any pressure to reopen your business, and every minute that you are laid up costs you money.

those involved in general towing, will reflexively resist using them, even when it’s obviously elevating risk significantly to do so.

Why? Largely because of the perception (sometimes unfounded, but often very real) that either shoreside bean-counters heavily frown upon using them, regarding it as an overly cautious unnecessary and/or wasteful practice, or (and this can be an incredibly powerful force to overcome) the deeply held belief that it’s somehow a sign of personal professional weakness to use them. Real tugboaters don’t need no stinkin’ assist boats!

Right.

There’s risk, often unquantifiable, in everything we do. It’s always something of a gamble. Nothing explains the healthy instincts needed for approaching a dock with a loaded oil barge, with or without an assist, better than the brilliant songwriting and lyrics of the late, great Kenny Rogers: “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em … Know when to fold ’em… Know when to walk away, and know when to run … You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table … There’ll be time enough for countin’, when the dealin’s done … ” The first option is compromise. You may be able to come up with a solution that has not been suggested. There may be continuing disagreement. At this point many operators simply roll over and make the repair or the required change. In my opinion this often is a poor decision as it may commit you to spending dollars unnecessarily.

The next option, which is often ignored, is your right to appeal an inspector’s decision. While this may take a little more time, if you feel that you are correct, this is the proper course of action as it kicks the decision-making up to a higher level and often to a Coast Guard officer who has more experience. While my record in appeals is a little better than 55%, the money that I have saved in avoiding unnecessary repairs is significant.

As I speak with my fellow operators, I am amazed by how many tell me they are concerned about challenging a Coast Guard decision for fear of retaliation. I can tell you from my many years on the rivers, this is not true.

While I have had disagreements with my inspectors over the years, I have found them to deal with me fairly. I have learned to approach each inspection with a give-and-take attitude, always recognizing that there are options available to me if things take a wrong turn. www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

AT-A-GLANCE

Energy Level Money well spent

BY JIM REDDEN, CORRESPONDENT

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he billions being spent to increase Gulf Coast liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity will prove to be a sound investment if a recent analyst’s projection is to be believed.

Amid market volatility, at least 90 million tons per annum (MMpta) of LNG will be needed to meet growing global demand by 2035, says the energy research and consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie.

“There is no immediate cure as most supply under construction will not be available until at least 2026,” Massimo Di Odoardo, vice president of gas and LNG research, told the Wood Mackenzie Gas, LNG and the Future of Energy 2023 conference in London on Nov. 14. “As a result, buyers still face some years of high – and volatile – prices before the next wave of LNG supply rebalances the market and improves affordability.”

Over the first half of 2023, the U.S. again led the world in LNG exports, averaging 11.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcfd), nearly all from five operational terminals in Louisiana and Texas, according to the Energy Information Administration. Two new Gulf Coast terminals are expected to begin inaugural shipments this year with five more under construction with a combined 9.7 Bcfd of LNG export capacity.

The nation’s leading exporter, Cheniere Energy Inc. shipped 1,6784 trillion BTUs (TBtu) in the first nine months of 2023 from its pacesetting Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana and its Corpus Christi, Texas, facility. Both terminals are undergoing expansions.

As with 2022, Europe remained the primary destination for U.S. LNG exports, accounting for 7.7 Bcfd, or 67% of the tonnage dispatched in the first half of last year, according to the EIA. Again, the increase in cargo to Europe is largely attributed to supply disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine.

WorkBoat GOM Indicators OCT '23 WTI Crude Oil 85.49 Baker Hughes Rig Count 24 U.S. Oil Production (millions bpd) 13.0

NOV '23 74.46 21 13.2

DEC '23 71.89 20 13.2*

DEC '22 79.57 15 12.1

Sources: Baker-Hughes; U.S. EIA *Estimated

GOM Rig Count (December '22 - December '23) 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 4 0

DEC

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

“The global gas market has staged a remarkable recovery since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 but remains easily spooked,” said Di Odoardo. “The conflict in Israel/Gaza, possible pipeline sabotage in the Baltics, and the threat of strike action at Australian LNG facilities all pushed spot prices up 35% through October.”

With the winter heating season well underway, Europe’s gas supply-demand ratio was a bit unbalanced in November as withdrawals outpaced storage injections by just under 20 million cu. ft. per day (MMcfd), according to Norway’s Rystad Energy. Beginning in September, LNG imports to Europe rose steadily, reach-

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

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ing a second-half high of 2.8 MMcfd in the week of Nov. 6-12, Rystad said.

ART 90-32W | Signet Sirius 9

AT-A-GLANCE

WorkBoat Composite Index WorkBoat stocks jump 8% in December

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n December, WorkBoat stocks rose over 250 points, or almost 8%. For the month, winners topped losers by a 3-1 ratio.

Despite the big December gains to close the year, the WorkBoat Composite Index was relatively unchanged in 2023, gaining only 17

STOCK CHART

points.

In December, Arcosa Inc., whose marine division manufactures hopper, tank, and deck barges, saw its stock increase over 11%.

The Dallas-based company’s transportation products segment generated strong results, driven by volume and

Source: FinancialContent Inc. www.financialcontent.com

INDEX COMPARISONS Operators Suppliers Shipyards WorkBoat Composite PHLX Oil Service Index Dow Jones Industrials Standard & Poors 500

11/30/23 362.93 4,784.79 4,388.90 3,186.74 81.93 35,950.90 4,567.80

12/29/23 360.15 5,427.33 4,422.61 3,438.98 83.88 37,689.54 4,769.83

NET CHANGE -2.78 642.54 33.71 252.24 1.95 1,738.64 202.03

PERCENT CHANGE -0.77% 13.43% 0.77% 7.92% 2.38% 4.84% 4.42%

For the complete up-to-date WorkBoat Stock Index, go to: www.workboat.com/resources/workboat-composite-index

Inland Insider Inland barge companies face increasing costs

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BY PAMELA GLASS Pamela Glass is the Washington, D.C., correspondent for WorkBoat. She reports on the congressional committees and federal agencies that affect the maritime industry, including the Coast Guard, Marad and Army Corps of Engineers.

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aced with rising operating costs from extreme weather, navigational delays and other unforeseen events, the inland barge industry needs to pass on these additional costs to customers or face difficulties replacing aging vessels in the future.

This concern was shared by executives from several barge lines that participated in a Nov. 30 Marine Money forum in New Orleans.

While barging contracts usually deal with rising fuel costs by including escalators, there are many other risks that are not contractually addressed and are becoming an increasing financial burden on the barge business.

“What our industry has been slow to do is share the navigational risk because the cost per ton of moving dry or liquid cargo on the river system can go up exponentially from the time you are making a contract in February to the time you are actually delivering on that contract in October, which is when grain moves,” said Mike Ellis, CEO of American Commercial Barge Line.

Ellis said that some customers understand that in five or so years, barge operators face shrinking

pricing growth in both barge and steel components.

“While the barge order intake during the (third) quarter was modest, inquiries continue to be healthy. And our backlog nearly doubled on a yearover-year basis, providing production visibility well into 2024,” Antonio Carrillo, Arcosa president and CEO, said in November during the company’s third quarter conference call.

Third-quarter transportation products segment revenues were $107.1 million, up 30%. Barge revenues increased 32% and steel and components revenues increased 25%, both driven by higher volumes and pricing.

During the third quarter, Arcosa received orders of approximately $21 million for its barge maufacturing.

These orders extend the company’s backlog into the second half of 2024.

— David Krapf

fleets while demand will increase, and are willing to work with barge companies to find a solution.

For barge operators to invest, they need to have a return on that investment and the ability to share some of the risk “or there won’t be a fleet to take care of our customers.”

Ellis said ACBL introduced its first low-water clauses in 2023. As extreme weather events are becoming more common and navigational delays and expenses have increased, Ellis said these operating risks should be shared with customers.

“It will take an industry effort to make customers understand that we have to charge you for [an event] whether it happens or not and build it into a fixed rate,” he said, “or we can build in surcharges that you pay when it happens.”

In the liquid sector, major oil companies have grown comfortable with the rates and level of service they receive from barge lines without realizing “how hard it is for us to continue to provide those services,” said Clark Todd, president and CEO of Louisiana-based Blessey Marine. “The fear in our industry is that if we don’t build more assets for the next three to seven years, we will wake up and there will be a real shortage,” Todd added. “Crew shortages won’t be our problem because we’ll have more crew than we have assets to operate.” www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

AT-A-GLANCE

Nor’easter Offshore wind opponents target ‘incidental take’ of whales

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BY KIRK MOORE, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Contributing Editor Kirk Moore was a reporter for the Asbury Park Press for over 30 years before joining WorkBoat in 2015. He has also been an editor for WorkBoat’s sister publication, National Fisherman, for over 25 years.

ven as some offshore wind projects founder, other developers are pressing on with survey work and construction plans off the U.S. East Coast — and the federal permits they need because the work can affect whales and other marine mammals.

The recent “incidental take” application from New Jersey developers Atlantic Shores — a joint venture by Shell New Energies and EDF distinguishes between what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls prohibited “Level A” injury or death of marine mammals, and “Level B harassment” of animals being disturbed by survey vessel activity, according to a Jan. 5 public notice from the agency.

The application from Atlantic Shores seeks the Level B permit to continue surveying three lease sites off Long Beach Island and Brigantine Island on the New Jersey Shore — two leases near the barrier island communities, and a third farther offshore beyond ship traffic separation lanes that extend south from the New York Harbor approaches.

Atlantic Shores is now the major offshore wind project proposed off New Jersey, after the Oct. 31 decision by Ørsted to cancel its plans for Ocean Wind 1 in the face of escalating costs. In early January Equinor and bp, partners in the Empire Wind 2 project off New York, cancelled their power purchase agreement with state officials, citing the same economic factors.

Offshore wind opponents cheered those surprise moves — and are hopeful Atlantic Shores could likewise be forced to reconsider. The incidental take applications are another front in their fight.

“Here it is folks,” the New Jersey group Save Long Beach Island declared Jan. 8 on its account with X (formerly known as Twitter). “Atlantic Shores Wind request for “Takes” meaning their incidental harm & harassment of protected species.

Yet when whales die, they will say it’s not from OSW surveying.”

A series of dead humpback whales stranding on New Jersey and New York beaches in the winter of 2022-2023 swung public opinion toward more skepticism of offshore wind projects by last spring, according to university polling.

The strandings and media attention faded, but opposition groups who saw that power remain focused on challenging federal regulators on marine mammal protections. Humpback strandings from

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

Maine to Florida spiked to 37 animals in 2023, up from a previous peak of 33 in 2020, part of an “unusual mortality event” that NOAA scientists have been tracking since 2016.

NOAA and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management insist they still see no linkage between the whale deaths and offshore wind surveys in the New York Bight. Save LBI and other opposition groups assembled papers asserting that whale strandings correlated with increased survey vessel activity.

A Dec. 23 story by the Associated Press reported that “in recent months, conservatives including former President Donald Trump have claimed construction of offshore wind turbines is killing the giant animals.”

“Scientists say there is no credible evidence linking offshore wind farms to whale deaths,” AP wrote. “But that hasn’t stopped conservative groups and ad hoc ‘not in my back yard’-style anti-development groups from making the connection.”

The story prompted days of furious pushback from activists and conservative media.

“That’s true. But there’s also no evidence that smoking directly causes cancer. Nor is there evidence that more carbon dioxide directly warms the planet,” Michael Shellenberger, a wind energy critic who works with the opposition group Save the Right Whale, wrote on Substack Jan. 8. “AP is playing the exact same, deliberately misleading, game that it accuses the tobacco and fossil fuels industries of playing.”

“Associated Press Gets It Wrong: Wind Farm Contractors Acknowledge Turbines Harm Dolphins, Whales,” the conservative Daily Signal headlined a commentary by Diana Furchtgott-Roth of the Heritage Foundation.

The AP story followed a paper from Brown University that tied some local offshore wind opposition groups to conservative and libertarian activist groups with ties to legacy fossil fuel industries.

Brown student authors Isaac Slevin, William Kattrup and professor J. Timmons Roberts wrote about “deeply interwoven relationships between new grassroots-appearing, anti-offshore wind (antiOSW) groups and known fossil fuel-allied actors in the conservative movement. Though journalists have illustrated specific connections between local actors and national interests, no cohesive understanding of offshore wind opposition exists.”

They said the “report reveals how these East Coast offshore wind opponents are not solely local — they are embedded in a network of seasoned fossil fuel interests and climate denial think tanks that have perfected obstruction tactics for decades.”

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AT-A-GLANCE

Insurance Watch How much is that claim going to cost me?

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

lients often ask whether a claim they report is going to affect their premium. Insurance companies need to make a profit to remain in business — so as a matter of practice they will look at the amount of the premiums they have taken in compared to the amount they have paid out due to claims.

Insurance underwriters look to insure profitable businesses. And when I say profitable, I mean profitable to the insurance company. They want the risk to have a favorable loss ratio. A loss ratio is calculated by taking the amount paid out in claims for the last five years and dividing it by the total premium paid to the insurance company for the same five years. Insurance companies vary in their loss-ratio percentage but generally fall between 35% and 50%. If the client’s loss ratio is too high the underwriter will either not renew the policy or increase the premium.

So, where the rest of the premium go? Part of

Legal Talk The Safer Seas Act: What vessel owners need to know

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BY ILSA LUTHER Ilsa Luther is an associate in Jones Walker’s Maritime Practice Group in New Orleans. She can be reached at (504) 5828115 or iluther@ joneswalker.com.

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he risk of enduring a sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH) incident should never be thought of as an inevitable hazard of going to sea. However, a 2021 blog post by “Midshipman X,” in which a U.S. Merchant Marine Academy cadet shared her story of sexual assault aboard a U.S.-flagged ship, opened many eyes.

In response to the Midshipman X blog post, and the unacceptable prevalence of SASH violations against mariners, Congress enacted the Safer Seas Act (SSA) in 2022. SSA imposes multiple new requirements on vessel owners related to prevention and reporting of SASH violations.

To help vessel owners and mariners navigate these new protections, the Coast Guard published a Marine Safety Information Bulletin in February 2023 (see Marine Safety Bulletin 13-23).

While the “responsible entity of a vessel” should review and adhere to all requirements in the SSA, the corresponding Coast Guard regulations, the February 2023 MSIB and the policy letters, the following is a short list highlighting the key requirements of the revised law:

it goes to employee salaries, marketing, broker commissions, claims expenses, loss control visits, etc. The remainder is what the insurance company needs to operate as a business.

There are some factors that can be to your benefit when looking at your overall premium. Insurance companies like long-standing customers. If you can show more than five years of claims-free business with them then they will often take that into consideration. The insurance company will be less likely to cancel coverage due to one large claim if they have made a profit from you over the long term.

If you have multiple vessels, you should insure them all with the same insurance company. The increase in premium with one company helps your loss ratio by diluting any claims you may have.

The same goes with combining your remaining policies with one company. If you can add property, commercial auto, marine general liability, etc., with one company then they will look at the combined premium when calculating your loss ratio.

• Mandatory Reporting and Fines. The Coast Guard requires the owner, master, or managing operator of a documented vessel, or the employer of a seafarer on such a vessel — to report any complaint or incident of harassment, sexual harassment, or sexual assault to the Coast Guard through the “fastest telecommunication channel available.” Failure to report “immediately after the responsible entity of a vessel gains knowledge” of an incident subjects the responsible entity to civil penalties of up to $50,000.

• Surveillance Requirements. Documented vessels engaged in commercial service “shall maintain a video surveillance system.” The responsibility is on the owner of the vessel to install the equipment aboard the vessel before Dec. 23, 2024, or during the vessel’s next scheduled drydock, whichever is later. Notably, the vessel owner must retain all records of audio and video surveillance for at least one year after obtaining the footage. If any surveillance records become relevant to an alleged incident, the shipowner must preserve the recording for at least five years from the date of the alleged incident.

• Personnel Training. A vessel owner or employer must provide training to all employees on how to respond to SASH incidents in accordance with all applicable laws. www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

NEWS LOG

First power from Vineyard Wind project off Massachusetts coast

News Bitts High bids at Gulf lease sale top $382 million

I

n December, Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale 261 generated over $382 million in high bids for 311 tracts covering 1.7 million acres. The tracts are in Gulf of Mexico federal waters. A total of 26 companies participated in the lease sale, submitting 352 bids totaling about $442 million.

Vineyard Wind

One of the Vineyard Wind 1 turbines is delivering electricity to Massachusetts.

D

evelopers of the 806-megawatt Vineyard Wind project off Massachusetts said one of its first five turbines delivered about 5 MW into the New England grid via a cable to Cape Cod as testing continues with a goal to have all five turbines in full production early this year.

Vineyard Wind’s first power was greeted by Massachusetts political leaders who are deeply invested in offshore wind as renewable energy and a new industry for the port of New Bedford.

“This is clean, affordable energy made possible by the many advocates, public servants, union workers, and business leaders who worked for decades to accomplish this achievement,” said Gov. Maura Healey.

Export cables from the Vineyard Wind lease will interconnect to the New England grid in Barnstable, Mass., and then transmit underground cables to a substation inland on Cape Cod. When complete the array will have 62 wind turbines.

In early January, Equinor and bp, developers of the Empire Wind projects, announced they had reached an agreement with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to terminate the Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificate (OREC) Agreement for the Empire Wind 2 project — the partners’ secondphase project designed for a potential nameplate capacity of 1,260 MW. The events marked the start of another tumultuous year for U.S. offshore wind. While offshore wind advocates hail Vineyard Wind as the first utility-scale project in federal waters, the project has suffered from weather and construction delays. The first power ashore had been predicted for October, and project partners Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners said they still await ongoing testing at sea and onshore before production-level power can feed into the Massachusetts power grid.

In New York, the Empire Wind 2 cancellation is the latest move by developers to bail out of earlier agreements made with Northeast state governments, before the wind industry was hit with sharply increasing costs. — Kirk Moore

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

Midi-SOV designed to fill offshore wind vessel gap

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K-based naval architect Chartwell Marine Ltd. and Vard have unveiled a new ship design for the off shore wind market — the 180'x52.5'x14.8' Midi-SOV. The vessel is designed to address the gap between current crew transfer vessels (CTVs) and larger service operation vessels (SOVs).

The Midi-SOV was developed by Chartwell Marine in response to the demand for larger CTVs to service bigger wind turbine installations farther from shore. The vessel is designed to be Jones Act compliant and ready for construction in U.S. shipyards.

The SOV is set to debut in U.S. and European markets in 2024.

Ship carrying batteries survives fire

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ship and its cargo of lithium-ion batteries anchored in Broad Bay near Dutch Harbor, Alaska, in December after it was determined there was no immediate risk of a new flareup after a fire in the battery cargo space, Coast Guard officials said. The 410'x69'x20', 13,663-dwt Genius Star XI was carrying the batteries from Vietnam to San Diego when the fire broke out Dec. 28.

Go to workboat.com/news for the latest commercial marine industry news. #Workboat @WorkBoat

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FOCUS Underwater Intervention

The SEAmagine Ocean Pearl two-person submersible on display at the 2023 International WorkBoat Show's Underwater Intervention pavilion.

Deep Intelligence

By WorkBoat Staff

F

or those who wandered the aisles at the 2023 International WorkBoat Show (IWBS) held in New Orleans late last year, there were almost 1,000 exhibitors to visit and plenty of time for networking and checking out the latest technologies on display.

But attendees at the 43rd version of the show were also treated to a new component — Underwater Intervention (UI). After a three-year hiatus, AI co-located with the IWBS, attracting an international audience. The 2024 show, which will again feature UI, will be held in New Orleans Nov. 12-14, 2024.

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The first Underwater Intervention show took place in 1993 in San Diego.

It combined the ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) Conference and the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) Underwater Conference. That continued until 2021 when Covid-19 intervened, and the UI show was put on hold until 2022. That’s when UI officials met with IWBS staff and Underwater Intervention was added to the 2023 WorkBoat Show.

“There’s a lot of synergy between the WorkBoat Show and Underwater Intervention. We think it’s a great fit,” said Chuck Richards of CA Richards & Associates, Houston, co-chairman of

Underwater Intervention.

That explains the 2023 IWBS floorplan which had UI set up in a dedicated pavilion with 57 exhibitors. It was located next to the WorkBoat Show’s registration booth. There was some very interesting technology on display, said Steve Struble, diving consultant and the show’s commercial diving track co-chairman. “Everything from the latest diving equipment to ROVs and underwater imaging systems.”

Those same technologies were the focus of panel discussions, along with the current state-of-the-art technology in manned submersibles.

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

Doug Stewart

WorkBoat Show’s companion event has a successful return to New Orleans.

Underwater Intervention

Doug Stewart

*** Everything that occurs underwater requires a boat topside, but the connection between vessel operators and subsea service providers is one that continues to evolve.

Smaller workboat platforms are emerging as powerful contenders in mission completion operations. What specific technologies and innovations are driving this transformation?

Should a vessel operator be in the business of delivering a mission service or as a mission service enabler?

These are some of the questions that were explored and answered during the “Connecting the Present & Future of Vessel Operators & Subsea Services” conference session at the IWBS. Moderated by Bob Christ, CEO of SeaTrepid International LLC, the discussion began with a simple question about whether a vessel should be considered an ROV boat or a boat with ROV. The answer to that question needs to be determined by the primary contractor. In addition, what is the downtime? And who gets the primary reward?

“There’s no right or wrong. It’s a business strategy question,” said Christ, whose company provides observation and light work-class ROV services. “The person with the most risk has the most reward, so who eats the cost if something goes wrong?”

Christ showed slides that highlighted the crossover between ROV, survey, and boat interests, illustrating where the crossover exists with support and mission specifics.

“The risk needs to end up in the right bucket,” said Carl Annessa, executive vice president at Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. Hornbeck integrated ROVs into its boats years ago, and that integration helped sell those boats. However, it takes a lot of money to get the ROV integrated, which made vessels that were targeted for deepwater especially suited for the job. The fits and needs go beyond these types of specific vessels though.

“The market is going to be differ-

Carl Annessa, Bob Christ, and David Sheetz spoke at the ‘Connecting the Present & Future of Vessel Operators & Subsea Services’ conference session held at the IWBS.

ent, and the specifics depend on what’s driving those answers,” said David Sheetz, who as vice president is responsible for overseeing and managing C-Innovation’s Subsea Projects Group in Houston. “The driver for us to get into services was increased vessel utilization, but now it has become a leader in the group. Now it stands on its own.”

The opposite has happened with Hornbeck though. The company has stopped doing this type of integration, for multiple reasons. Ultimately, the numbers and models must make sense, and it’s easy enough to see when things aren’t right with either.

“You don’t want a five-milliondollar tail wagging a 150-milliondollar dog,” said Christ, in reference

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

to the cost of ROV integration being so much less than the overall vessel cost.

The three also discussed what it has meant to encourage clients to contract ROV services separately, how they’re in the problem-solving, not problemhaving, business, the value associated with short-term versus long-term contracts, and the importance of having the right personnel.

“ROVs are the people,” said Sheetz.

“If you’ve got kids, get them into that industry. You’re putting a person in charge of a seven-million-dollar asset. If you look across the sector, there are half the people doing as much work, if not more, so the need and demand are real.”

— Jeremiah Karpowicz

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15

FOCUS Underwater Intervention Almost 20,000 years ago, humans migrated to the Americas as the species expanded its presence around the planet. Exactly how that migration occurred, and the routes taken, remain a mystery today. But work is being done to unlock the secrets of humanity’s early days.

One project to try and solve these mysteries, specifically in southeastern Alaska, was enabled in part by Sunfish Inc. and its autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle (AUV) Sunfish.

This mission, which was supported by a NOAA Ocean Exploration Grant, was the subject of a panel session led by Sunfish CEO Albert Lopez at Underwater Intervention.

To narrow down possible exploration locations, they relied heavily on previously established hypotheses as well as oral histories passed down through indigenous communities. They landed on

Matt Collins

***

The Sunfish AUV exploration project was discussed at a panel session hosted by Sunfish CEO Albert Lopez during Underwater Intervention.

southeastern Alaska as the place where they would base their exploration.

“One strong hypothesis is that they took this coastal route called the Kelp

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Highway [a theory which speculates humans migrated along the coast of the Pacific Rim of northeastern Asia, to the Bering Strait region, down to southern South America] because it’s an ecological bridge route,” Lopez said. “It was done in stages. First, there was the continent stage where people lived in East Asia, around Japan, then the stage where they lived in Alaska. It’s just a hypothesis, but you need evidence, right? A good marine archeologist always needs evidence.”

That’s where the exploration, real-time mapping, and data collection from the Sunfish comes in. The AUV is a lightweight, person-portable vehicle with six degrees of freedom, weighing 60 kg with dimensions of 1.64m x 0.47m x 0.22m. It’s capable of multiple forms of autonomy, from full autonomy, to scripted (i.e., mapping a pre-planned path), supervised (i.e., attached to a tether with the ability to control from a base center when necessary), and remotely operational.

Equipped with multibeam simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)based sonar system as well as highdefinition cameras and lights, Sunfish collects data and can quickly transmit that data back to the operational base via fiber cable.

In his presentation, Lopez showed off some of the data they collected

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

during the mission, finding evidence of potential human civilization by detecting caves and overarching cliffs, both of which would be places in which ancient humans would settle.

Once those areas were detected, Sunfish was able to be deployed in those areas to map them in more detail and in real-time, sending back accurate point clouds which are then processed into more detailed maps. As part of the project, they also collected sediment samples using both the AUV and divers.

In addition to this archeological work, Lopez said there are other use cases for Sunfish, with its ideal use being confined overhead environments.

“This is a really nice application, to find rock shelters and things like that,” Lopez said. “We also put the AUV within aquifers to do water quality inspections and surveys. For example, we have support in northern Florida with the state to survey all the aquifers and to map nitrate sensors, which is a huge water quality issue.”

For this project, Sunfish was able to accurately map several areas around the southeastern coast of Alaska to find caves and rock shelters, potentially getting us closer to unlocking the mystery of how humanity spread, specifically throughout the Americas.

— Matt Collins

*** UI’s history stretches back to 1993 when the first version of the event was held in San Diego. However, its legacy goes back further.

This legacy, as well as the entire UI community, is connected to people like “The Unsinkable” Don Walsh and deep-ocean explorer Phil Nuytten, each of whom had a passion for underwater that they began pioneering in the 1960s.

Both men were honored as part of the “60 Years of Safe Diving Operations” keynote discussion that opened the UI program at the IWBS. 18

Jeremiah Karpowicz photos

FOCUS Underwater Intervention

Since 1993, Underwater Intervention (UI) has evolved, linked to deep-sea pioneers Don Walsh and Phil Nuytten. The men were honored in the IWBS/UI keynote, moderated

by William Kohnen.

Moderated by William Kohnen, president and CEO of Hydrospace Group Inc., the session featured several presenters who outlined where things are in various subsets of the underwater industry.

Kohnen highlighted the contributions that Walsh and Nuytten made over the decades, which was especially poignant since both passed away in 2023.

Bruce Strickrott, group manager and lead submersible pilot at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, provided an overview of the research sector submersible activity from 2022 through 2023, with updates about sub activity from all over the world.

Projects in the works for 2024 include a microplastics study in the Canary Islands and a survey of the El Hiero volcano. He also provided an update for Alvin, which visited the Titanic shipwreck in 1986 and upgraded for deeper operations.

“Alvin has 128 dives as of October of this year, and there are 110 dives planned for next year,” Strickrott said.

Patrick Lahey, co-founder and CEO of Triton Submarines, outlined some new sub technology like

the Triton 660 AVA, which enables entertainment-focused underwater experiences on a whole new level.

“All of it is a testament to what’s possible today,” Lahey said. “These are machines that we couldn’t even have imagined 20 or even 10 years ago.”

Ofer Ketter, president of SubMerge, a Costa Rica company that describes itself as experts on private personal submarine expeditions, and ROV services dedicated to underwater exploration and adventure.

Ketter discussed the four major sectors where submersibles are being used — private yachts, expedition travel companies, tourism, and for scientific/conservation.

“Manned deep ocean exploration is stronger than ever,” Ketter said. “The interest has always been there and we’re exploring what audiences of all types are wanting to support.”

Daniel Hurd, operations manager for Atlantis Submarines, which operates nine tourist submarines at seven sites in the Caribbean and Pacific, outlined the operational impacts

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

Underwater Intervention *** Aidan Thorn, business development manager of marine robotics at Sonardyne, provided an update on what it has meant to see multiple unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) launched from the E/V Nautilus. The Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute (OECI) hosted the Multivehicle Exploration expedition with the concept of operating three platforms together, one USV and two AUVs. The University of New Hampshire’s USV DriX, the University of Rhode Island’s Deep Autonomous Profile (DAP), and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Mesobot were all the coordinated underwater tools on the 18-day mission. DriX, DAP, and Mesobot were able to explore the entire water column, beginning on the seafloor around the Geologists Seamounts south of the Main Hawaiian Islands.

Deploying a single UUV from a ship can be time consuming and expensive, and it limits the amount of data that can be collected. Even where multiple UUVs can be accommodated, typically only one is deployed at a time due to the complexity.

As unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) become more advanced, they

Carli Stewart

that everything from the pandemic to recent wildfires have had on the industry. He also highlighted several tourist operations currently taking place around the world, from Vietnam to Egypt to Jamaica.

“There’s a lot of movement in this world, with plenty of ups and down,” Hurd said. “It’s a labor of love, but we’re here because we have a passion for this industry.”

The session wrapped with an update on submarine escape and rescue systems from Curt Cunningham of Global Submarine Rescue.

He provided details around what those operations look like in the U.S., Australia, India, Korea, Japan, and Singapore.

All the presentations highlighted the present and future of the submarine industry, but each made a direct connection to the legacy that Don Walsh and Phil Nuytten represent.

Walsh was able to record a message for the audience just before his passing. His approach and focus on safety have defined an industry that has enabled millions of safe dives. While tragedies force everyone to look in the mirror, he highlighted how individuals, and the entire industry can do so in a way that provides a path forward.

“Good luck and good dives,” Walsh told the crowd. — J. Karpowicz

Sonardyne's SPRINT-Nav Mini, the world's smallest hybrid acoustic-inertial technology, was on display at UI.

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

can be used as “remote shepherds” to control UUVs. This means UUV operations can be conducted without a mothership, opening new possibilities for multiple autonomous tools.

“The Sonardyne ROS driver was a key component used with Project 11 on DriX, which provided situational awareness, command, and control during the project,” Thorn explained. “Many different institutions gathered on board and witnessed both vehicles working together and communicating mapping and camera data via DriX’s acoustic relay. In real time they could see the vehicles speak the same language.”

DriX used a broadband link to communicate with the ship and a Sonardyne USBL solution to communicate and provide navigation data to the AUVs. Fugro’s remote operations capabilities are another example of this technology. They have fit its USVs with Sonardyne USBL, allowing them to position UUVs for missions.

Recently, Fugro fitted its UUV with Sonardyne’s Sprint-Nav Mini to support MBES surveys. This has opened numerous opportunities.

“The Sprint-Nav Mini is the smallest of its kind and can provide reliable surface and subsea vehicle guidance and navigation when you’re tight on space,” Thorn said.

Collectively, the multivehicle explorations surveyed midwater ecosystems associated with seamounts and gained new important information on the spatial and temporal dynamics of these largely unstudied ecosystems.

The knowledge and data collected are essential precursors for future exploration and discoveries and contribute directly to the U.S. National Strategy for Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization, Seabed 2030.

All these insights highlight how USV/UUV collaboration can be deployed to deliver valuable data results in a cost-effective, low-carbon and safe manner for multiple scientific and commercial purposes. — Carli Stewart 19

VESSEL REPORT Hybrid Vessels Elliott Bay Design Group designed the Hydrogen One towboat, which will be powered by methanol-generated hydrogen.

Mixed Greens

By Michael Crowley, Correspondent

T

he use of alternatively powered workboats is growing.

Vessel owners and operators, their interest piqued by the prospect of cost-effective, environmentally friendly propulsion, continue to seek new and potentially more efficient forms of marine propulsion.

The Hydrogen One is an example of such an endeavor.

The 100'×40' hydrogen-powered towboat is scheduled to be delivered this year. That may change since this new design is still undergoing Coast Guard certification. One thing that’s certain is that the means of propulsion has not been previously used.

Hydrogen One gets its name from the fact that the vessel will be hydrogen powered, with hydrogen generated in a way not seen before in the marine world: a so-called methanol reformer will convert methanol passing through it to hydrogen that then goes into fuel cells, which generate electricity.

“This will be the first boat in the history of the world to run off that technology,” said Mike Complita at Elliott Bay Design Group, Seattle, which designed Hydrogen One for Maritime Partners, Metairie, La. Electricity from the fuel cells can be sent straight to the

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thrusters or to charge the batteries, which then “can put more power into the thrusters, depending on how much energy they need,” Complita said. “So, if they need extra power, [they] draw from batteries and fuel cells, just like a hybrid would from diesel engines and batteries.”

Maritime Partners, who describes itself as a privately held company that provides financing solutions to the domestic Jones Act maritime trade, will charter the vessel to American Commercial Barge Line, Jeffersonville, Ind. Hydrogen One will be built at Intracoastal Iron Works, Bourg, La. The charter is tentatively scheduled to begin in June 2024.

In December, Complita said the Coast Guard “was very close” to being finished with the certification process.” The Coast Guard, he noted, was being particularly careful because this type of technology has “never been done before.” As a result, he said, it will have taken two years to get through the regulatory process.

Complita noted that one difference between the Hydrogen One and the standard diesel-powered towboat is that the engine room, which is above the main deck, needs to be about one and a half times the size of a conventional engine room because of all the equipment that’s needed and all the batteries. “You need space above deck for all the new technology, www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

Elliott Bay Design Group

Hybrid power is appearing in different forms.

where all the fuel consumption and power conversion take place.”

Thus, the below-deck space has been reconfigured for fuel storage, which has its own space issues. That’s because every type of alternative fuel is much less energy-dense than diesel.

“You usually need twice as much methanol or ammonia as diesel.” Complita said.

Though it will be breakthrough technology when the Hydrogen One is launched, Complita pointed out that the Hydrogen One is not a prototype test boat. “We are building a totally working boat,” he said, though he anticipates a four- to sixmonth break-in period before Hydrogen One begins moving commercial cargo. As with any new adventure, “there will be hiccups with it as you learn how to operate the boat. It doesn’t operate like a conventional engine. Drop the throttle, it will have its own style.”

Hydrogen One is being viewed as a new pathway into the use of alternative fuels and alternative propulsion. “There’s a line of people waiting to sign up, once they see a working version of it and have enough confidence in its reliability,” said Complita.

HYBRID FERRIES

Gilbert Associates

Senesco Marine, North Kingston, R.I., is building a pair of hybrid ferries for the Maine State Ferry Service. “They are the first-ever hybrid ferries in the Northeast,” said Senesco Marine’s Ted Williams. One will operate out of Rockland and the other from Portland.

They are Senesco Marine’s first hybrid vessels. The ferry for Rockland should be launched in the spring of 2024, while the Portland-based ferry is scheduled to be launched a few months later.

Gilbert Associates, Braintree, Mass., designed the 154'×38' Rockland ferry, the Capt. Almer Dinsmore, which will carry 250 passengers and 24 cars. At the end of December, the ferry was nearly finished. “The superstructure is built, and machinery is going in,” said Gilbert’s Jerry Gilligan.

The ferry features a BAE Systems HybriGen power and propulsion system, with a pair of 600-hp Caterpillar C-18 diesels, 150-hp electric boost motors, two Caterpillar 9.3 generators and battery banks from Spear Power Systems in Grandview, Mo.

   

   

The 154' hybrid ferry Capt. Almer Dinsmore was designed by Gilbert Associates for the Maine State Ferry Service and is being built at Senesco.

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

Blount Boats

Hybrid Vessels

In January Blount Boats was scheduled to deliver the Gripper, a 100' hybrid-ready CTV to American Offshore Services.

There’s an electric motor input to the gear and to the diesel gear. When the propeller needs full boost horsepower, the electric motor kicks in. When the boat is going slow it can be run on just electric motors, drawing from “the two generators, the batteries or a combination,” said Gilligan.

The key to the ferry’s successful operation is BAE Systems.

Its power system manages the power automatically between the diesels, the electric motors, generators, and batteries.

Gilligan said the most similar vessel to the new Maine hybrid ferries is the San Francisco Red & White Fleet boat Enhydra. The Enhydra is a 128', 600-passenger excursion boat that was the largest hybrid excursion boat when it was built in 2018. It features a lithium-ion battery-electric hybrid propulsion system.

Gilbert Associates is also working on the design for a 205'×40' Maine Department of Transportation double-ended hybrid ferry.

HYBRID-READY CTVs

In January, Blount Boats Inc., Warren, R.I., was scheduled to deliver the Gripper, the first of two 100'×36'6" hybrid-ready crew transfer vessels to American Offshore Services, Providence, R.I. The second hybrid-ready boat will be delivered this summer. The twin-hull catamaran designs are powered by four Volvo Penta IPS900 propulsion drives, 800-hp each, two in each hull.

Hybrid-ready means that the vessel has been designed for conversion to hybrid power in the future. Hence, there’s space in the CTVs that Luther Blount, project engineer at Blount Boats, said would be the engine room on a normal boat. “But it’s completely empty, nothing but a few lights.” That nearly 16-foot-long area “is basically two hull voids reserved for some point in the life of the vessel, they’ll have the option of overhauling it and putting hybrid equipment in.”

The added weight of a hybrid addition is something that bothers Blount. “It’s hard to say whether the weight penalties offset the gains,” he said. “You need a lot of power and a lot of speed, and it’s hard to get that in a hybrid system with a lot of weight. In a perfect world it would be hybrid already.”

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ON THE WAYS CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS

Steiner delivers 4,000-hp towboat to Florida Marine

Controls are from Twin Disc and the steering system from EMI Marine.

Capacities include 30,000 gals. of fuel; 10,000 gals. water; 800 gals. lube oil; and 800 gals. gear oil.

The towboat has a crew capacity of six, a USCG certification, Subchapter M compliance, and a Furuno electronics suite.

Yard foreman Kevin Oliver said that Steiner had worked closely with FMT on the previous vessels. As a result, all the bugs had been worked out during previous builds and “this boat was fairly straightforward.”

Kristy Dutsch was delivered in December 2023. The sixth vessel will be delivered later this year. — Ken Hocke

Austal USA to build Navy medical ships

Steiner Shipyard

A 4,000-hp towboat was delivered to Florida Marine in December.

S

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gears.

Ship’s service power comes from two John Deere-powered 99-kW gensets.

Austal USA

teiner Shipyard, Bayou La Batre, Ala., has delivered a steel 76'×35'×10'8" inland river towboat to Florida Marine Transporters (FMT), Mandeville, La. The 4,000-hp Kristy Dutsch was designed by Sterling Marine, Fairhope, Ala., and is the fifth boat in a six-boat contract.

“Florida Marine likes the fact that we’re a smaller yard that can tailor our building methods to their needs,” said Gregory Marshall Jr., the shipyard’s project manager/purchasing assistant.

“They also like the fact that they can depend on quick communications between us and them.”

Main propulsion comes from two Caterpillar 32B diesel engines producing 2,000 hp each. The mains connect to twin 76"×68", 4-bladed Sound propellers through Twin Disc MG-540 marine

ustal USA was awarded an $868 million contract from the Navy in December for the design and construction of three expeditionary medical ships (EMS).

The 361'×103' EMS catamarans will be built at Austal USA’s aluminum manufacturing line in Mobile, Ala., following completion of the last expeditionary fast transport (EPF), the EPF 16.

“This award is further evidence of the Navy’s confidence in Austal USA to produce highly capable, shallowdraft aluminum multihull vessels,” in-

The expeditionary medical ships (EMS) will be expeditionary fast transport (EPF) variants.

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

ON THE WAYS

BOATBUILDING BITTS 6,770-hp tractor tug will be working in New York.

McAllister Towing

terim Austal USA President Michelle Kruger said in a statement.

The EMS, an EPF variant, is designed to be a cost-effective, dedicated medical ship optimized to provide patient holding, stabilization, evacuation, and transport in support of the Navy’s distributed maritime operations (DMO), Austal officials said.

The ships will feature 223 berths for crew, 34 acute care beds, six acute care isolation beds, 14 ICU beds, six ICU isolation beds, and three operating rooms.

The aluminum ships will have a range of 5,000 nm at 18 knots (full load) and a cruising speed of 15 knots.

The EPFs are powered by a pair of 12,200-hp MTU 20V8000 diesel engines and two 29,500-hp GE LM2500 gas turbines.

The EMS design features a shallow, 15' draft, which enables greater reach and allows for direct access to small, harsh ports. The flight deck will accommodate military aircraft, including the V-22 multimission combat aircraft and H-53K helicopter.

The EMS also features a dedicated platform providing Role 2E level of care (for treatment of trauma patients, including primary surgery); a single deck arrangement optimized for trauma patient flow; high-speed transit to quickly reposition and support crisis response, combat, and rapid patienttransport operations; shallow draft enabling access to austere and degraded ports and offload sites; a large flight deck to facilitate load/unload of V-22 and CH-53 aircraft; hangar and service facilities for up to H-60 sized aircraft (organic combat search-and-rescue capability); boat operations with two 11-meter RIBs; and patient transfer from other surface vessels or direct recovery from water.

Austal USA has delivered 13 EPFs, a predecessor to the EMS design, to the Navy. The company is preparing to deliver the first EPF Flight II, the future USNS Cody (EPF 14), which features Role 2E medical capability.

Austal has two more Flight II vessels under construction. — K. Hocke

W

ashburn & Doughty, East Boothbay, Maine, recently delivered the 93’x38’ tug Grace McAllister to New York-based McAllister Towing. Main propulsion comes from two Caterpillar 3516E Tier 4 engines producing a total of 6,770 hp that power twin Schottel SRP 490 Z-drives, giving the tug a bollard pull of 85 metric tons. Combining the tug’s eco-friendly Cat engines with Markey Machine winches on the bow and stern makes the U.S.-built Grace one of the most advanced and powerful shipdocking tractor tugs serving the Port of New York, according to McAllister. The Grace joins a fl eet of certified low emission vessels, including the Ava McAllister and Capt. Brian A. McAllister in New York.

Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corp., has delivered a second Chesapeake-class highspeed pilot boat to the Mobile Bar Pilots (Alabama Pilot Inc.), Mobile, Ala. Delivery of its first Chesapeake-class launch for the Mobile Bar Pilots, Dixey, was in 2017. The 53.6'×17.8' all-aluminum pilot boat has a draft of 4.6'. Designed by Ray Hunt Design, the deep-V hull is powered by twin

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

Caterpillar C-18 diesel engines, each delivering 671 hp at 2,100 rpm. The boat has a top speed of 25 knots. A Humphree interceptor, with automatic trim optimization, is installed at the transom. Diesel capacity is 800 gals., which should provide a range of at least 380 miles at a speed of 20 knots, GladdingHearn said.

Seaspan Energy, North Vancouver, British Columbia, is celebrating the new year with the launch of its first of three 7,600-cu.-meter LNG bunkering vessels, the 370'×61' Seaspan Garibaldi, named after Mount Garibaldi. The vessels will each have a design speed of 13 knots. The first two LNG bunkering vessels will be delivered in 2024 and the third in 2025. The vessels are being built by Sinopacific Off shore & Engineering (CIMC SOE), Shanghai, an experienced smallscale gas carrier shipyard with over 30 LNG gas carrier deliveries. For the design of the LNG bunker vessels, Seaspan worked closely with Vancouver, British Columbia-based Vard Marine Inc. to incorporate emerging technologies resulting in a decrease in emissions and underwater noise, the company said.

23

ON THE WAYS

104', Subchapter K boat will be built in Louisiana.

LNG bunkering vessel is named after Mount Garibaldi in British Columbia.

St. Johns Ship Building

The design is focused on safe, efficient, and economical refueling of multiple ship types with an ability to transfer to and from a wide range of terminals. The design will allow the vessel to engage in ship-to-ship LNG transfer and coastal and short-sea shipping operations.

St. Johns Ship Building, Palatka, Fla., has delivered the Windea Courageous, the first of three 99'×33'×5' Jones Act-compliant Incat Crowther crew transport vessels (CTV) for Windea CTV LLC, a partnership of Hornblower Wind and MidOcean Wind. The vessel will service Vineyard Wind 1, and is currently onsite in New Bedford, Mass., supporting the construction of the project. The building of the series of Incat-designed vessels signals the official launch of St. Johns Ship Building’s new focus on constructing high-speed aluminum vessels.

The groundwork for this focus on supporting the construction of Jones Act-compliant CTVs was laid more than two years ago through multiple facility modifications and the acquisition of new production equipment such as the installation of a CNC router for processing of non-ferrous metals and composite materials, St. Johns said.

The 99' crew transport vessel is currently working off the coast of Massachusetts.

24

Gulf Craft to build 300-passenger ferry for the US Virgin Islands

I

ncat Crowther has partnered with Gulf Craft LLC, Franklin, La., to design and build a new Subchapter K 104'3"×28'x9'10" aluminum passenger ferry for the U.S Virgin Islands.

Construction of the new 300-passenger ferry began in November.

The ferry will service the busy tourist and commuter route between Red Hook on St. Thomas, and Cruz Bay on St. John. Currently, two other Incat Crowther-designed 89.6' vessels service this route.

The new ferry will be capable of transporting a full load of 300 passengers at speeds of up to 28 knots. Main propulsion will come from twin Caterpillar C32 ACERT Tier 4 diesel engines producing 1,199 hp each. The mains will connect to two fixed-pitch props.

“Incat Crowther has a proven track record of designing and delivering tailored passenger ferries for operators throughout the Caribbean,” Incat Crowther USA managing director Grant Pecoraro said in a statement. “Our team of naval architects understand that no two routes are the same. Our digital shipbuilding process enables us to carefully focus on specific operational requirements to ensure our designs are tailored specifically for local conditions, existing dockside infrastructure, and with the operator and its customers in mind.”

The air-conditioned main cabin provides seating for up to 202 passengers, including five dedicated wheelchair accessible spaces.

Two ADA-compliant bathrooms and a fully enclosed luggage room are also provided on the main deck level, along with integrated side boarding ramps for a safe and efficient boarding experience.

The vessel’s upper deck will transport up to 100 passengers in outdoor seating, while the vessel’s wheelhouse provides the captain with an excellent line of sight and 360° visibility. Wing helm stations are also provided for the captain to ensure safe docking of the vessel.

The commissioning of the new ferry adds to Incat Crowther’s growing footprint in the Caribbean.

Ship’s service power will come from two 65 kW-generators.

Tankage will include 2,000 gals. of fuel, 500 gals. fresh water, and 400 gals. urea, needed for Tier 4 compliancy.

No completion date was announced. — K. Hocke www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

Incat Crowther

Seaspan Energy

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COVER STORY

Buoyant

Passenger vessel operations continue to rebound.

L

ast year was a good year for passenger vessel operators in all sectors and all regions of the country.

Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) Executive Director John Groundwater said dinner and excursion boats are seeing increased bookings, and the return of lucrative corporate business is helping. Ferry service has also increased with business and recreational travelers seeking access to a host of locations.

The rebound is encouraging for operators that a few years ago were struggling to survive Covid lockdowns that put the industry into a holding pattern that many thought could turn into a death spiral. Determination, hard work, and tenacity have paid off with operations now at or above 2019 levels.

“U.S. passenger vessel operators experienced excellent business conditions in domestic markets during 2023,” said Groundwater. “Dinner boat and charter operators have reported increasing corporate and group bookings, and the ferry industry has pointed to growing commuter traffic. In addition, several small U.S. overnight cruise and ferry opera-

tors are building new vessels, which is a sign of industry health.”

BB Riverboats offers sightseeing excursions and dinner cruises on the Ohio River in Cincinnati aboard two dieselpowered, sternwheeler riverboats — the 200', 1,000 passenger Belle of Cincinnati, and the 500-passenger, 100' River Queen. “The state of the excursion boat business, even the overnight business, is pretty good,” said owner and former PVA president Alan Bernstein. “In my opinion the industry is in pretty good shape.”

As an operator with over 50 years of experience, he understands the issues that affect both passengers and operations.

He said safety remains his top concern. Reflecting on recent fires in the sector including the Conception tragedy, Bernstein has kept a positive outlook. “Actually, a lot of the factual things that come out of a bad fire help operators learn,” he said. “If you take the information and learn from it that’s good. If you say, ‘that won’t happen to me,’ that’s bad.”

Bernstein said operators and passengers are more aware

The Belle of Cincinnati and River Queen sternwheelers, owned and operated by BB Riverboats located across the Ohio River from Cincinnati in Newport, Ky.

26

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

RDNichols photo

By Arnie Hammerman, Correspondent

and taking steps that help with fire prevention and onboard safety. BB Riverboats is part of the Coast Guard’s Streamlined Inspection Program (SIP).

This program includes self-inspections and ensures that vessels operate in a continual state of compliance.

He said he would like to see more operators take part in the SIP program.

“I like the program for many reasons.

It makes the masters and leadership onboard better aware of their duties and responsibilities.”

Bernstein said he has no immediate plans to expand his current fleet but is always looking, particularly at boats that he can refit. He didn’t rule out the possibility of a newbuild if the circumstances were right.

Portland Spirit Cruises and Events (American Waterways Inc.), which operates four vessels on the Willamette River in Portland Ore., also had a very good year, with hiring concerns never materializing, said Dan Yates, president of American Waterways. His company’s four dining and sightseeing vessels range in size from a 150', 500-passenger Subchapter K boat to a 45', 35- passenger jet-driven 45-knot adventure boat.

“We started the year concerned about hiring but wound up having minimal problems with it,” said Yates. “A year and a half ago we started a mentoring program that has been successful. We assign every new employee a mentor who helps them through their first months. That has increased retention and reduced recruiting.

“Business-wise, we have seen a solid return of group business and corporate business. We expect to see convention business decline slightly in 2024 without conventions rescheduled from the pandemic. We are hoping our corporate and local clients will make up for it as the majority of our business is locally focused.”

Yates said he is currently looking at either building a new boat or buying an existing one. “I have been shopping aggressively while waiting for a couple of external issues to resolve themselves.

We are in growth mode.”

Brad McClain photo

COVER STORY

Portland Spirit Cruises enjoyed another good operating year with group and corporate bookings continuing to rebound.

The company recently repowered its jet boat and plans to repower the other three vessels in its fleet. “The Capital Construction Fund process has been terrific for us,” Yates said. “It has allowed us to lay out a five-year plan to repower every vessel in our fleet. Now we don’t have to take out a loan on these projects. We can do it by building up our capital construction funds.”

Yates said he plans to replace all the engines “with straight-up diesels and just make them modern and cleaner.”

The CCF program encourages construction, reconstruction, or acquisition of vessels through the deferment of federal income taxes on certain deposits of money.

Yates said he has explored alternative power options but isn’t convinced that current technology delivers the energy needed for dinner boats like his that use a lot of electricity for both operations and cooking.

“In the future we might be able to go to some diesel hybrid system, but so far I have not seen one that I am comfortable with,” he said. “I have also been very intrigued with hydrogen, but it is just not proven at this point. Right now, we are planning on replacing the engines with straight-up diesels and just make them modern and cleaner.” Thus, the company can reduce its carbon footprint without adding financial risk

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

until new technology is developed and proven, Yates said.

EMISSION STANDARDS

San Pedro, Calif.-based Catalina Express operates a fleet of passenger vessels that connect the mainland to Catalina Island, 22 miles off Southern California. They operate eight vessels — four have a capacity of 149 passengers and four range in capacity from 300 to 450 passengers. Half of the boats are fast catamarans, and the other half are monohulls.

President Greg Bombard said the company had a very strong year. “Operations between the mainland of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Dana Point, and Catalina Island have returned to pre-pandemic numbers. We beat 2019 numbers in both 2022, our best year ever, and 2023.”

Bombard said the biggest challenges his company faces are the making the changes needed to meet California emissions standards now and in the future.

“We have been upgrading like everyone here in California as quickly as we can. We started upgrading (EPA) Tier 2 vessels to Tier 3, which we have been able to do in most cases. We have a couple of vessels that unfortunately aren’t going to be able to make that transition because of engine size and 27

Nichols Brothers Boat Brothers

COVER STORY

The Catalina Jet, one of four fast catamarans operated by Catalina Express, can carry up to 450 passengers from Los Angeles/Long Beach to Catalina Island.

configuration.”

The heavier Tier 3 engines with taller exhaust and turbocharger placements prevent the repowering of some of Catalina Express’s monohulls without breaching decks and taking up passenger areas.

“We are struggling with vessels that are in great shape, midlife, that continue to operate well, but are not going to be able to continue to operate in the near future with their existing power under the new regulations,” Bombard said. “Dealing with that has been a real challenge. We are looking at laying up new keels, building new boats for the ones that are going to have to be replaced.”

Bombard is working on a new design with Incat to replace some of the vessels that can’t be effectively repowered.

They are also waiting on the Californian Air Resource Board (CARB) to provide clarification on options and timing soon because replacing vessels is a long process, especially with limited shipyard availability.

Bombard said he is open to alternative propulsion technology, but uncertain if the current technology can be cost effective and meet the needs of their high-speed operations.

“It’s in R&D and that’s great, it needs to happen” he said. “But for us in the private sector we can’t build a ves28

sel if we are not sure if it is going to be able to get out there and perform. There is a lot of money involved in these new vessels.

“We have to keep the ticket price in line for families, commuters and people that have to go back and forth.

We know there is a lot of development going on and no doubt in the next ten years something will happen that will tip the scales.”

Like Yates, Bombard said he is also keeping an eye on the hydrogen boat in San Francisco as well as other projects.

But the company is sticking with traditional propulsion systems, at least until the new technology is further proven.

NEWBUILDS

Yacht Starship Cruises & Events in Tampa, Fla., operates 14 vessels. In addition to its fleet of four dinner cruise vessels ranging from 125 to 600 passengers, the company operates seven pirate-themed water taxis, an excursion boat, and a jet-powered, 108-passenger thrill boat, the 2,800-hp Bay Rocket.

Troy Manthey, president and CEO of Yacht Starship, said that business has bounced back to above pre-Covid levels, which helps reinforce the decision to add a new vessel to its fleet.

The company recently built the Craft, a 150-passenger dinner boat, at Hardrock Marine Service, Lafitte, La.

The 130'×30' vessel, powered by twin 175-hp Volvo Penta D-4s, is specifically designed for downtown Tampa’s 12' bridges. The Craft is in its final stages of outfitting.

“We’re hoping to add her in February,” said Manthey. “She’s a very unique vessel with only 10 feet of air draft. Think of a Viking River Cruise style. She’ll be the first American boat we are aware of with an open kitchen and gas cooking.

“With food cooked to order we’ve designed this vessel to compete with the finest restaurants in Tampa. We’re very excited about it. We will deliver a craft culinary and cocktail river journey.”

Manthey said they are also refitting two riverboats — the Julia Belle Swain, a 122.5', 149-passenger, 98-ton steam powered sternwheeler, and the Spirit of Peoria (renamed Capitol), a 160', 385-passenger, 275-ton diesel powered paddlewheeler. The boats are being refitted at Steiner Construction Co., Bayou La Batre, Ala. The Julia Belle will continue to be steam powered, but the shipyard will add some auxiliary diesel propulsion. “We put new boilers on and new generators, updated everything, but the engines are 1915 authentic Western River steam engines,” said Manthey.

The Capitol refit should wrap up in March, with the Julia Belle Swain to follow in May. The vessels will enter service in a yet-to-be-disclosed location this spring. “We’re hoping to debut the steamboat at the [Great Steamboat] race against the Belle of Louisville.”

Fire Island Ferries has also seen business improve since the pandemic ended. The company operates a fleet of ferries and water taxis out of Long Island, N.Y., serving Bay Shore and other communities along Fire Island’s Great South Bay. In 2023 the ferry operator took delivery of the 70'×23' car ferry Fire Island Maid built by Metal Shark and designed by Elliott Bay Design Group. The new multipurpose vehicle ferry features a steel hull and aluminum superstructure and is equipped

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

with a hydraulic ramp for loading and unloading heavy equipment. The reinforced deck can support fully loaded concrete trucks and general cargo up to 100,000 lbs.

The company is currently repowering the 400-passenger, 85' Explorer built in 1991 by Gulf Craft. Its original twocycle, 600-hp Detroit Diesel 12V71TI engines are being replaced with new 650-hp John Deere four-cycle Tier 3 6135SFM85 engines at Shellfish Marine, West Sayville, N.Y. Fire Island Ferries has also applied for an EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant that will allow the company to repower six more vessels with up to 18 new engines. By replacing older powertrains, the company modernizes its fleet while helping to improve the global footprint of the Fire Island National Seashore.

“Replacing one of our 400-passenger ferries would cost around $4.5 million,

Yacht StarShip Cruises & Events

COVER STORY

The 2,800-hp, jet-powered 108-passenger thrill boat Bay Rocket is operated by Yacht StarShip Cruises & Events.

and they are good boats with years of useful life left in them. Spending a half million dollars or less modernizing the engines for cleaner operations and

better fuel economy makes more sense both economically and for the environment,” said Dave Anderson, general manager at Fire Island Ferries.

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BOATS & GEAR Fuels and Lubricants

Squeaky Clean

Darryl Brooks photo

Products to reduce soot and clean up oil unveiled at WorkBoat Show.

By Michael Crowley, Correspondent

I

t doesn’t matter what publication you are reading, what you’re listening to on the radio or what you are watching on the computer screen, it’s hard to ignore climate change.

There’s been an increasing emphasis on the need to lessen adverse climate impacts and reducing particulate matter emissions is part of that process.

Hybrid and all-electric vessels are two ways the maritime industry tackles the climate issue by reducing fuel consumption and thereby reducing emissions. Another is treating fuel for lower particulate matter emissions 30

with a product that’s also designed to reduce engine maintenance.

One company maritime operators have been turning to in that regard is Fuel Ox, Asbury, N.J., and its flagship product, Fuel Ox. The Fuel Ox fuel additive with its combustion catalyst component breaks up clumps of fuel molecules, letting the molecules interact much more thoroughly with air in the engine’s combustion chamber.

This allows more of the fuel to be burned, thereby reducing the black smoke and soot that otherwise would be created. “That reduces soot by over 50 percent,” said Fuel Ox CEO Rand Taylor.

Fuel Ox

The 5,500-hp tug Arkansas on the Savannah River in Georgia.

This 16-oz. bottle of Fuel Ox treats 1,250 gals. of diesel, good for a 40-foot or smaller boat. The one-ounce compartment on the left will treat 80 gals. of fuel.

That level of soot reduction is achieved at combustion temperature of 600°, which, Taylor said, “no one else does.” Others are more in the 900° range. The lower temperature

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

NEW PRODUCT B3C’s Oil Lock is a super absorbent that instantly ab

hydrocarbons capture, creating Fuelsthrough andmolecular Lubricants that immobilizes the hydrocarbon, which is convert

ABSORBS Oil Lock immobilizesAND spills SOLIDIFIES in water or on landCRU by co hydrocarbons (like fuel) into a solidOIL, matrix.BENZ Once a JET FUEL, HEATING under pressure. ThisLUBRICATING solid matrix, and any remainin SOLVENTS, OIL, KE (until removed). Oil Lock also reduces or eliminates risk of fire or explosion. Finally, oil lock is hydroph hydrocarbon and will not absorbAND water. Many waste INSTANTLY ABSORBS SOLID SOLIDIFIER pass EPA 9095 (Paint Filter Test) as well as TCLP. PETROLEUM SPILLS HYDROCARBONS THROUGH MO

OIL LOCK

25 percent more fuel catalyst than the product currently available,” Taylor said. “That’s enough to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions even SUPER more.”

HYDROCARBON

Shifting focus from the atmospheric PRODUCT APPLICATIONS: down to earth, there’s a new offering Common applications include spills at marinas, oil when it comes toDESCRIPTION: cleaning up water emergency and spill response, remediation of conta PRODUCT and deck-level petroleum spills. It’s B3C’s Oil Lock is a super absorbent that instantly absorbs and solidifies oil and other called Oil Lock, a super-hydrocarbon ABSORPTION CAPACITY: hydrocarbons through molecular capture, creating a non-leaching, low volumetric barrie solidifier that was introduced at the Crudeis Oil, Diesel into Oil, aHeating Oil, etc………….......... that immobilizes the hydrocarbon, which converted solid matrix.

International WorkBoat Show in Solvents, Gasoline and Other Highly Refined Produc New in December by in B3C presence of detergents asliquid in the case of “synthetic”or motor oils, can OilOrleans Lock immobilizes spills water orNote: on the land by converting petroleum capacity of this product. Please contact us for more information.

Fuel Solutions, Conway, hydrocarbons (like fuel)S.C. into a solid matrix.

Once absorbed, Oil Lock will not leach, even Diesel and oilThis spills nor- and any remaining oil lock material will float indefinit underfuel pressure. solidarematrix, mally dealt with, be Oil it on deck at (until removed).

Lock alsoorreduces or eliminates flammable vapors to reduce the the risk dock, to contain and oil lock is hydrophobic, meaning DIESEL it will only absorb the of by firetrying or explosion.

Finally, absorb the spill with a kitty-litter type hydrocarbon and will not absorb water. Many wastes when FUEL treated SPILL: with B3C’s Oil Lock w product.

B3C9095 Fuel(Paint Solution’s pass EPA FilteralternaTest) as well as TCLP. tive is Oil Lock. “It will absorb like 10 times more than kitty litter and is PRODUCT APPLICATIONS: a lotCommon cheaper,” said Greg include Allen, B3C applications spills at marinas, oil rigs, fueling locations, shops, refineri Fuelemergency Solutions and vicespill president. response, remediation of contamination and more.

When Oil Lock is spread over a CAPACITY: spillABSORPTION on land or in the water, it turns Crude Diesel Oil, Heating Oil, etc…………...................…up to 11 times its weight diesel intoOil, a “rubberized solid chemiGasoline OtherheHighly Refined Products………up to 7 times its weight cal Solvents, matrix that doesn’tand leach,” Note: presence of detergents in the case of “synthetic” motor oils, can significantly reduce the absorption said.

Atthethe same time, it aseliminates capacity of this product. Please contact us for more information. flammable vapors that cause fires.

Oil Lock only absorbs hydrocarbons, not water, and will float indefinitely, SOLIDIFIED DIESEL absorbing up to 11 times its weight.

It can be skimmed from the water’s

BY OIL LOCK: FUEL SPILL: B3C FUEL SOLUTIONS surface and is land-fill safe.

PHONE: 843. 347. 0482 Allen said he had given samples FAX: (866) 929-7173 to a vessel operator at the WorkBoat B3CFuel.com Show who subsequently ordered bags of Oil Lock for each of his vessels and for his company’s office facilities.

A second B3C Fuel Solutions product on display at the WorkBoat Show for the first time that drew a lot of attention was Mechanic In A Bottle – Hydraulic Oil Fit & Stabilizer. “It takes emulsified hydraulic fluid that’s useless and doesn’t work right and reThe Oil Lock product release shows what an oil spill looks like once Oil Lock has been verses all that,” said Allen. “It cleans added. it right up.”

For our F B3C FUEL SOLUTIONS Though lube oil might look clean, it sion bond and puts the water back to phone ca PHONE: 843. 347. 0482 right, the still contains FAX: water(866) and929-7173 at some point, the state it was in, and the oil clears Or enter the oil becomes emulsifi ed. Mechanic up,” he said. “It now has the proper B3CFuel.com in any w In A Bottle works with all oils, Allen viscosity and is useable again. No one said. “Our product breaks the emulelse in the world can do this.”

www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

B3C Fuel Solutions photos

provides a more thorough fuel burn that reduces soot, which is unburned fuel. Reducing soot also means the engine’s particulate filter that removes soot from the exhaust gas is less likely to get clogged. The same goes for the exhaust gas return that funnels exhaust back to the engine to be reburned. At the same time there’s improved fuel efficiency. “Usually, it is in the five-to-seven percent better fuel efficiency group,” said Taylor.

When you add Fuel Ox with combustion catalyst to fuel, it is generally an effortless procedure, with no precise measuring needed, said Taylor.

A gallon of Fuel Ox will treat 10,000 gals. of fuel. Simply pour the amount needed into the fuel tanks. “It mixes on its own,” he said. “Mixing is not a big issue.” Most of the competition is 1 gal. to 1,000 gals. or 1 gal. to 2,000 gals., said Taylor.

Why stop there? Just add Fuel Ox’s Infinity Lube Liquid Friction Eliminator to the vessel’s engine oil to reduce engine wear. “Wear metals are what kills your oil,” said Taylor.

“It’s the wear metals that mix with the oil and cook in the oil that create toxic chemicals, as well as wear down metal itself.” That toxic brew doesn’t lubricate as it should and must be replaced.

In terms of lubricants, another Fuel Ox offering, Infinity Lube Super Spray, is a popular product for external mechanical systems. It’s a 100% plant-based spray that “treats metal and case-hardens it in place” utilizing the natural friction of moving parts.

The friction “creates the heat that’s used to infuse carbon and nitrogen out of plant protein directly into metal,” said Taylor. In the process, both friction and wear are reduced.

In late January, Taylor said Fuel OX will introduce an “improved and more powerful catalyst in the fuel additive” that’s been in development for three years. Fuel Ox had been limited as to how much catalyst could be mixed with the fuel additive. But after “changing the chemistry of the product slightly, the new Fuel Ox features

31

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www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

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Please apply online at:

www.goldenalaska.com Promote your job listing in the upcoming WorkBoat issue!

attention engine room personell!

QMED-Oilers & UL Assistant Engineers Earn some extra cash and learn about the dredging industry!

Join Weeks Marine, Inc. on our hopper dredges and receive a

$3K SIGN-ON BONUS!

We are an industry leader offering competitive daily rates, a generous benefits package, along with stability, room for growth culture. h and a family-first f

EEO/M/F/D/V EEO/M Please visit the Careers link located on our home page to submit your resume.

www.weeksmarine.com

Contact: Wendy Jalbert wjalbert@divcom.com WM RESOURCES STAFFING L.L.C.

Seeking Offshore Positions Experienced Riggers, Painters, Cooks & Galleyhands for Offshore.

Must have T.W.I.C. Miniumum 2 years offshore experience. Must pass drug test.

Email Resumes to:

wmresource206@yahoo.com www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

Cooks & Galleyhands For Offshore in U.S. Gulf of Mexico TWIC Required

(985)-851-0727

5450 West Maine St., Houma LA 70360

33

PORT OF CALL Employment, Equipment & Services Offshore Positions Wanted Experienced Riggers, Painters, Cooks & Galleyhands for Offshore.

Must have T.W.I.C. Miniumum 2 years offshore experience. Must pass drug test.

JPADD RESOURCES STAFFING Email Resumes to:

j.padd@yahoo.com

Dann Ocean Towing

NOW HIRING! As our fleet continues to grow, we are looking for experienced wire boat:

- Captain - Mates

Captains, Mates, and ABs J.E. McAmis is hiring for dredging and marine construction projects in the Pacific Northwest.

If interested please email resumes to

scott@jemcamis.com and copy to Captain Doug at

acecrabber@yahoo.com

OFFSHORE WORKERS NEEDED!

Cooks, Utility Hands, Galleyhands & Riggers All applicants must have: TWIC card Water Survival T Huet & Safe Guard certification. Positions require travel and set schedules.

Send resume to

tandnb16@gmail.com

- Engineers - AB Deckhands

We Offer:  A company committed to safety  Competitive Day Rates  Equal Time Opportunities  Paid Travel

Apply online: www.dannoceantowing.com Email: hiring@dannoceantowing.com Phone: (813) 251-5100

Promote your job listing in the upcoming WorkBoat issue!

Contact: Wendy Jalbert wjalbert@divcom.com

McAllister Towing, “Leading the Way” for over 150 years, Has positions available:

Captains, Mates, Engineers, AB & OS Deckhands  Captains: Need a minimum of 200 Ton Near Coastal

EMPLOYMENT SPECIAL These packages include print, online and digital newsletters. We have over 27,000 qualified digital subscribers.

Call or email Wendy today!

207-842-5616 wjalbert@divcom.com

1 MONTH

1 - 3" Print Ad in 1 issue 1 - Month on WorkBoat.com 4 - Job Watch E-news Posts

ONLY $395 2 MONTHS

 Mates: Need a minimum of 200 ton Near Coastal

License with Mate of Towing, 1600 ton preferred, with a valid TWIC, USCG Medical Certificate, NY harbor experience is preferred. Coastwise towing experience on wire tugs and /or Tractor tug experience is a plus

 Engineers: Need a valid MMC, TWIC, USCG Medical

Certificate, We prefer a Licensed Engineer with Tug experience, but will consider unlicensed personnel that have tug experience.

2 - 3" Print Ad in 2 issues 2 - Months on WorkBoat.com 8 - Job Watch E-news Posts

ONLY $695

34

License with Master of Towing, 1600 ton preferred, with a valid TWIC, USCG Medical Certificate, NY harbor experience is preferred. Coastwise towing experience on wire tugs and /or Tractor tug experience is a plus

Send resumes to: revans@mcallistertowing.com or employment@mcallistertowing.com Or apply online at: https://www.mcallistertowing.com/aboutmcallister/employment-opportunities

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

PORT OF CALL SE EK IN G QUA LI FIE D & E X PE RI ENC ED PER SO NNE L to work on our subsea construction fleet.

AVAILABLE POSITIONS

 Master  Senior Chief Officer  Chief Officer  Second Officer  Chief Engineer  Second Engineer  Third Engineer  Fourth Engineer  Electro-Technical Officer  Electrician  Instrument Technician  Bosun  Able Seafarer  Able Seafarer (Engine)  Welder

 Crane Operator  Crane Technician  Materials Coordinator  Chief Pipelay Engineer  Fitter  Technician Supervisor  Hydraulic Technician  PLC Technician  Electrical Technician  Mechanical Technician  Pipelay Operator  Deck Mechanic  Deck Coordinator  Offshore Const Manager  SR Offshore Const Supervisor

 Offshore Const Supervisor  Offshore Operations Engineer  Deck Supervisor  Rigging Supervisor  Assistant Rigging Supervisor  Rigger (incl Lead rigger)  Rigger Welder  ROV Superintendent  ROV Senior Supervisor  ROV Supervisor  ROV Senior Pilot Technician  ROV Pilot Technician  HSE Advisor  Medic Administrator  Offshore Administrator

Send resumes to:

offshorevesseljobs@technipfmc.com

Seeking Experienced Offshore Personell Utility Hand/Cooks/Housekeeping wanted for offshore work. Rotating hitches of 12 hour days, 28 days on then 14 days off.

https://cardinal.bamboohr.com/jobs

Passenger Vessels for Sale

Must have the following: RIG PASS/SAFE GULF HUET MMC BOSIET TWIC

3 yrs offshore utility experience.

Applicants will also be required to pass a USCG Merchant Mariner Physical and a USCG DOT Drug Test

FERRY AND EXCURSION T CLASS

2006 52’ 46PAX Chesapeake Deadrise ‘OSPREY’ $330,000 2005 52’ 46PAX Chesapeake Deadrise ‘HERON’ NEW TIER III CAT 18’s $850,000 1989 147PAX LYDIA ‘PEREGRINE’ REFIT EXTENSIVELY 2011/2020 $2.25M All located in Richmond CA Call to Discuss: 415-488-7722

Taylor@RifkinYachts.com See listings at: www.rifkinyachts.com

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

82' - 147 Passenger- Lydia

35

PORT OF CALL Employment, Equipment & Services The Alutech and OP Series Chairs & Deck Rails

Greater Quality. Greatest Value. www.alu design.no www.alu-design.no

Alu Design offers a standard product line in addition to the option for customization to suit specific needs. Sleek modern design and maximum utility and comfort are emphasized. No matter whether you call it a pilot chair, helm chair, navigator chair or operator seat, we have the chair for your application.

In-Mar Solutions offers a complete line of Alu Design & Services chairs and deck rails.

www.inmarsolutions.com 

info@inmarsolutions.com

(225) 644-7063

THE MOST POWERFUL TOOL

for removing coatings and rust

Rustibus® is designed to de-scale and power brush ship decks, hatch covers, tank tops, etc. free from paint and rust!

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

Coast Guard & State Pilotage License Insurance License Defense & Wage Loss Group Coverage Available

Agent - MOPS Merchant Officers Protective Syndicate

Keel Coolers

Trouble free marine engine cooling since 1927!

R.J. Mellusi & Co.

(212) 962-1590 - FAX (212) 385-0920

29 Broadway, Suite 2400, New York, NY 10006

THE WALTER MACHINE CO, INC Tel: 201-656-5654 - Fax: 201-656-0318

www.waltergear.com

POWERING THE FLEET FOR 60 YEARS! BOLLARD GENSETS OFFER LOW COST OF OWNERSHIP, AND LOWER OPERATING TEMPS AND FUEL CONSUMPTION THANKS TO THE INCREASED USE OF COPPER. CUSTOM SPECS AVAILABLE. DESIGNED AND BUILT BY MER EQUIPMENT.

(206) 286-1817 www.merequipment.com 36

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

PORT OF CALL SIMPLE. RUGGED. RELIABLE.

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

Sales and Service

• 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

KIENE Cylinder Pressure Indicators for measuring diesel engine firing pressures...

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

33475 Giftos Dr., Clinton Township, MI 48035 ◼ PH. 586-791-8800

• Easy to use—simple and reliable.

• Reduce maintenance costs.

• Improve engine availability.

• Use to balance cylinders.

• Pinpoint engine problems.

• Optimize fuel consumption.

• Fits any standard indicator valve.

• Recommended and used by

www.marinemachining.com - www.aquamet.com

major engine builders.

• Minimal investment to monitor

engine condition..

Call or e-mail for info!

1-800-264-5950 info@kienediesel.com www.kienediesel.com

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

WANTED - 180' Offshore Supply Vessel BUYER IS ACTIVELY SEEKING 1970S-1980S U.S. FLAGGED / BUILT OFFSHORE SUPPLY VESSEL 4 Bedrooms

2 Living Rooms Current certificates / COI not required.

Laundry Room Preferred dimensions are 180' 200' LOA, 2 Kitchen beam 38' or greater. Laid up vessels will be Guest Room 3 Bath Rooms considered based on current condition.

Moss Point, MS | marty.daniels@oceanfleetservices.com | 228-281-2866

We are a Custom Manufacturer Now of Wheelhouse Tinted Shades & Manufacturing and Installing Crew Quarter Blackout Shades Fire Retardant We custom build every shade to fit each window in our facility.

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

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

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

Bunk Curtains

Download our order form to Contact: Edward Kass III purchase 504-615-5833 your shades ekass@solarboatshades.com today! www.solarboatshades.com

37

PORT OF CALL Employment, Equipment & Services

Marine Mattresses

Polar Fleece Blankets/Towels

Marine Industrial Bunk Beds Fire Retardant

Bunks and Curtains

Meets IMO & USCG Requirements

WWW.CAPITALBED.COM

◼

BUNKS

CURTAINS

800-579-3065

◼

MATTRESSES

SALES@CAPITALBED.COM 36-inch Diameter Modular Plastic Pontoons The Best Idea Since the Indian Canoe

Uses: Pontoon boats, house boats,

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.

Showcase your product in the next edition of WorkBoat and reach a targeted audience. Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with industry professionals and enhance your visibility.

Contact: Wendy Jalbertwjalbert@divcom.com

10207 Napier Drive Rosharon, TX 77583 Phone: 419-675-0002 info@wilsonpontoons.com

Toll Free: 877-456-2531

www.plasticpontoon.com SMITH BROTHERS, Inc.

TUGS/BARGES FOR RENT

Barges sized from 8’ x 18’ to 45’ to 120’. Also “Shugart sectional barges. “Truckable Tugs” here.

www.smithbarge.com Galesville, MD 20765 - (410) 867-1818 Keith Aschenbach keitha@mcleancontracting.com

38

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

PORT OF CALL

ADVERTISERS INDEX Advanced Mechanical Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Ahead Sanitation Systems Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Airmar Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 All American Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 BAE Systems Ship Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CV2 Browns Point Marine Service, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 CAIG Laboratories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Coast Guard Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 International WorkBoat Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Karl Senner, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CV4 McDermott Light & Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Robert Allan Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 R W Fernstrum & Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Subsalve USA Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Yank Marine Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CV3

EMPLOYMENT SPECIAL These packages include print, online and digital newsletters. We have over 27,000 qualified digital subscribers.

Call or email Wendy today!

207-842-5616 wjalbert@divcom.com

1 MONTH

1 - 3" Print Ad in 1 issue 1 - Month on WorkBoat.com 4 - Job Watch E-news Posts

ONLY $395 2 MONTHS

2 - 3" Print Ad in 2 issues 2 - Months on WorkBoat.com 8 - Job Watch E-news Posts

ONLY $695

www.workboat.com • JANUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

39

LOOKS BACK FEBRUARY 1964

• The one positive thing Congress did for waterways operators before taking its short Christmas-New Year holiday, was to pass and send on to the president the $4.4 billion omnibus public works bill. Of special interest was the $1.1 billion in funds contained in the bill for the Corps of Engineers civil works program.

• Billed as “the largest vessel of its

type in the world,” the 342' rail-car barge Kenai was put into service in late December, immediately following its launching at the Pacific Coast Engineering Co.’s yard in Alameda, Calif.

The barge has a capacity of 42 rail cars.

• Epoxy coatings have found a place in flour storage and transport, according to Protective Products Corp., Gulfport, Miss., which has been testing

the epoxies for the past five years. The company has coated two river barges carrying bulk flour.

FEBRUARY 1974

• The Port of Los Angeles plans to spend an estimated $118 million on construction projects over the next 10 years, according to a report submitted to the Board of Harbor Commissioners

by Harbor General Manager Bernard J. Caughlin. The two largest proposed projects are a $30 million supertanker terminal capable of berthing oil carriers of up to 50,000 dwt, and an estimated $11.8 million in improvements to the existing Outer Harbor oil terminal.

• Barge construction between 1966

and 1971 ranged from 600 to 900 annually. In 1972, the number of newbuilds was an estimated 1,400. Shipyards are fully booked through 1975. If the record 1972 barge building volume is sustained, the four-year total of barges built, 1972 through 1975, could top 5,600. On Jan. 1, 1972, the Corps of Engineers reported that the Mississippi River System barge fleet totaled 16,775 barges of all types.

FEBRUARY 1984 • The Office of Transportation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has reported that as of Dec. 19, 1983, the Soviet Union had purchased 775,000 metric tons of wheat. This purchase, along with recent purchases by the Peoples Republic of China, should keep transportation demand for grain respectable during the winter months, according to the USDA. • Jeffboat Inc. recently began 40

construction of a 300' showboat to be delivered to Opryland USA in Nashville, Tenn., by the spring of 1985. The vessel will have three decks and feature a 1,000-seat theater and a 730-seat restaurant.

• Following months of investigation, the Coast Guard ruled that the sinking of the semisubmersible Ocean Ranger was caused by an electric malfunction of the ballast control console. www.workboat.com • FEBRUARY 2024 • WorkBoat

Over 60 Years of Experience in Quality Shipbuilding, Vessel Repairs & Reconfigurations Yank Marine, Inc. has built and repaired thousands of boats: private yachts, commercial and fishing craft, military vessels, and a large array of USCG-certified passenger vessels.

Lifting Capacity up to 903 US Tons

(2) Full-Service Shipyards

200’ Berthing/Loading Dock

Yank Marine Services, LLC

Yank Marine, Inc.

487 Main Street, Dorchester, NJ 08316 Phone: 856-785-0100

Mosquito Landing Road, Tuckahoe, NJ 08250 Phone: 609-628-2928

• 50 ton Marine Travelift

• 75 ton Marine Travelift • 300 ton Marine Travelift

• 820 metric ton Marine Travelift!

Recently Delivered

Under Construction

Steel Vessel Construction & Repair

www.yankmarine.com • bjyank@yankmarine.com

KarlSenner-Workboat-REINTJES-DecAd-PRESS.pdf

1

PROPELLING EXCELLENCE Karl Senner, LLC provides the maritime community with the highest quality marine propulsion equipment. Premium products backed by superior support allow Karl Senner’s customers to optimize vessel performance, safety and reliability.

C

M

Y

CM

KARLSENNER.COM | 504-469-4000 MY

SERVICES New Orleans, LA Channelview, TX Paducah, KY Seattle, WA

SALES CY New Orleans, LA CMY Seattle, WA Boston, MA K Montreal, QC

REINTJES Hybrid Gearbox with PTI, Boost, and PTO capability.

Full Electrical Integration also

available from Karl Senner, LLC.

10/11/1