WorkBoat May 2024

Depth Charge

Getting energy needs from both the top and bottom of the sea.

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16 Focus: 'Pockets of Rust' Commandant commits to eradicating culture tolerant of harassment.

20 Vessel Report: Hot Commodity Fireboats, typically powered by economical outboards, are much in demand.

28 Cover Story: Oil's Well/Wind Cramp

Offshore wind is providing little competition to oil and gas production so far/Developers regroup after 2023 setbacks.

BOATS & GEAR

24 On the Ways

• Breaux Brothers delivers new 49-passenger excursion boat to Hawaii • Blount Boats delivers CTV to American Offshore Services

• Gulf Island completes new 495-passenger ferry for Texas

34 Expansion Plan

Markey Machine strengthens market share with JonRie acquisition

AT A GLANCE

8 On the Water: Learn the vernacular.

8 Captain’s Table: Warm weather brings waterways headaches.

9 Energy Level: World waking up to need for more power.

9 Inland Insider: Inland river transportation vital to U.S. agriculture exports, new study says.

11 Tech Watch: Bridge allision looked like a possible cyberattack.

12 Legal Talk: Providing shipboard medical care

12 Insurance Watch: Learn from 'near miss' events.

14 Scramble to reopen Baltimore channel after bridge collapse.

14 Hurricane forecasters foresee very active 2024 season.

14 Captain's complacency led to Mississippi bridge strike.

14 Two crew perish in cruise ship explosion.

10 Nor'easter: Baltimore bridge collapse shows U.S. ports vulnerable.

SAVE THE DATE

NEW ORLEANS

Morial Convention Center, Halls B, C, D, E & F

Apples and oranges

Have you ever heard someone say, “That’s really comparing apples to oranges”?

That may be what some will say when they read this month’s cover story (see page 28), where we try to compare oil and gas production with offshore wind production.

President Joe Biden wants the U.S. offshore wind industry to be producing 30 gigawatts of electrical power by 2030 — enough to power 10 million homes. That would be the equivalent of about 16,920 bbls. of petroleum per hour or 384,000 bbls. of oil per day.

By comparison, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) says the U.S. consumes approximately 20 million bbls. of petroleum per day.

According to 2023 EIA statistics, if every bit of the residential electricity in this country were produced by wind power, it would be less than enough to meet half of U.S. home energy needs.

“Offshore wind energy is measured in megawatt-hours, but the power is variable. So hypothetically, if we have 30-GW online and operating, the instantaneous output is changing every second,” said Walter Musial, chief engineer, Offshore Wind Energy, National Renewable Energy Laroratory, Golden, Colo. “Because the wind resources vary geographically, seasonally, and daily, we think in long-term averages, which are usually expressed in terms of a ‘Capacity Factor’.”

“The capacity factor for a wind turbine is the total actual energy produced annually divided by the total energy it could produce annually if it ran continuously at its maximum power rating.

Ken Hocke, Senior Editor khocke@divcom.com

“For a turbine operating in the North Atlantic, accounting for losses due to turbine-to-turbine interference, downtime, electric losses due to power transmission and so forth, the net capacity factors are expected to around 45%,” he said. “It will be lower in regions to the south and higher up north because the winds are better in the North. So as a rough assessment of energy from 30 GW of Offshore wind (30,000 MW) the math is simple: 30,000 MW x .45 x 8760 hours/year = 118 million MWh/ year.

“By comparison, according to the EIA, Massachusetts consumed almost 51 million MWh in 2022.”

As an English major, that makes my head hurt. I’ll put it this way. I have both apples and oranges in my house most of the time. Both have their bene ts.

More industry. Less impact.

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Because they watch over us. Because they give so much. Give to the Coast Guard Foundation Sometimes, even the rescuers need to be rescued.

Sometimes, even the rescuers need to be rescued.

To learn more, visit RescueTheRescuers.org

Because they watch over us. Because they give so much. Give to the Coast Guard Foundation

To learn more, visit RescueTheRescuers.org

Krapf / dkrapf@divcom.com

Ken Hocke / khocke@divcom.com

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PROJECT MANAGER / ART DIRECTOR Doug Stewart / dstewart@divcom.com eremiah Karpowicz / jkarpowicz@divcom.com

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MAIL BAG

Resumption

of

billing TSMS option user fees and new user fee amounts for all inspected towing vessels

OnDec. 28, 2023, the Federal Register published the User Fees for Inspected Towing Vessels Final Rule (User Fees FR). Accordingly, the USCG Finance Center (FINCEN) will resume billing for inspection user fees, at the new amount, for Towing Safety Management System (TSMS) option vessels as of March 27, 2024. Additionally, the new inspection user fee amounts for all towing vessels affected by the User Fees FR will be updated and effective as well.

Div. G, Sec. 231 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (FY22 Omnibus) of March 15, 2022, prohibited the Coast Guard from charging inspection user fees to TSMS option towing ves-

sels until the requirements of Sec. 815 of the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018, Public Law 115– 282 (CGAA 2018) were met, including the update of TSMS option inspection user fee. With the publication of the User Fees FR, the Coast Guard has met all requirements of Sec. 815 of the CGAA 2018.

Therefore, effective March 27, 2024, the USCG FINCEN will resume charging vessel inspection user fees for towing vessels using the TSMS option and begin billing under the new fee amounts for all other towing vessels as indicated below.

The annual fee schedule for 46 CFR subchapter I towing vessels will be: Inspection Type: Coast Guard option is $2,747; ACP option is $1,850; SIP option is $2,260. The annual fee schedule for 46 CFR subchapter M towing vessels will be: Inspection Type: Coast Guard option is $2,184; TSMS option is $973.

MSIB 04-22 Suspension of USCG Inspection Fees for TSMS Option — Subchapter M Towing Vessels is hereby cancelled.

Please send questions regarding vessel inspection fee payment, billing, appeals, and refunds to the USCG Finance Center (FINCEN) via FINSMB-CustomerService@uscg.mil or visit https://www.uscg.mil/ ncen/VIF for more information.

Commandant , U.S. Coast Guard Inspections and Compliance Directorate

Something on your mind?

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

BY JOEL MILTON

On the Water

Learn the vernacular

Inthis installment of assist-tug work I will cover some terminology, and the use thereof. Strict standardization of terminology is always the “gold standard” but proves to be elusive, whether you have a conventional tug or a Z-drive tractor helping you. So be careful what you ask for.

Typical usage with conventional tugs usually starts with the term “clutch” (ahead or astern, with either or both engines) which will yield the minimum power available when the engine controls are engaged to the detents. Need less than that? Modify it with “in-and-outs” or “little bumps.”

Z-drive tractors are different. When you ask for power, ahead or astern, the operator swings the drives accordingly, and more power can be delivered via increasing azimuth-angles, rpms, or some combination of both. Many tractor operators are trained using “minimum” as the command that is the functional equivalent of “clutch.” You will get

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.

Captain’s Table

Warm weather brings waterways headaches

Aswarm weather approaches, we mariners typically look forward to pleasant days on the water as we move away from freezing temperatures, high water, ice flows and other navigational hazards. While we eagerly await all that comes with new seasons, we are also cautiously aware that our waterways will once again become crowded with a wide variety of pleasure craft and private boats of all shapes and sizes.

I am a supporter of the pleasure boating community, but I am a firm believer in the need for training and education as recreational boating numbers continue to increase nationwide. While many of these boaters are responsible, the lack of understanding of basic navigational rules of the road among the boating public continues to amaze me. As one who has been on the water for many years, there often seems to be a consistent lack of common sense when it comes to safe recreational boating practices.

As mariners, we witness many dangerous situations from the pilothouse. Recently, here in Cincinnati I saw three, eight-man racing sculls

your best results by adopting and using the term. And the tractor-equivalent for “in-and-outs” is called “feathering.”

Between “clutch” or “minimum” and “hooked up” the amount of power is generally described using fractions, and your mileage may vary greatly. If you know the general handling characteristics and horsepower or bollard-pull of your assist tug, you should have a fair idea of what that will translate into power-wise, but it also depends greatly on the operator of the assist tug and what they interpret those power levels to be.

For tractors in North America and the Caribbean, the officially suggested terms are “dead slow” (10%), “easy” (25%), “half” (50%) and “full” (100%).

The reality is that it’s far more art than science between the control stops.

An old favorite that I learned from a captain from Boston brings some needed humanity into it. Wanting more power, he would good-naturedly bark “Gimme some more pizza!” In the context of the circumstances, working with someone he knew well, there was no doubt about what he meant.

practicing on the Ohio River when the river stage was 37 feet, the pool stage was 26 feet, the current speed was 4.2 mph. and the water was very cold. This was a training session for high school teenagers which I felt was particularly dangerous given the river conditions.

There was one aluminum safety boat which was following the rowers during their practice. Had the racing scull overturned, these teenagers would have been in high, fast, cold water heading down river without life preservers. The chances of survival in these conditions would be very bleak. Luckily, the unthinkable did not occur this time, but what about the next time that they venture out to practice on a busy commercial waterway. This to me demonstrates a real lack of common sense.

Many of us refer to weekends on our waterways as the “waterway circus.” We just don’t know what the next “act” is going to produce. As a master, I have had recreational boaters cut across my bow during my dinner cruise, anchor in the channel, and attempt to run circles around my vessel during our sightseeing cruise. The professionalism of licensed mariners has helped avoid real accidents involving recreational boaters.

What is the answer? While I think there is no simple answer, a needed first step is at least mandatory state boater education for all recreational boaters.

Joel Milton works on towing vessels. He can be reached at joelmilton@ yahoo.com.

Energy Level

World waking up to need for more power

BY G. ALLEN BROOKS, CORRESPONDENT

The miracles of artificial intelligence are quickly becoming fears for utilities. The idea AI can imitate your speech, write your term paper, or solve problems your brain can barely comprehend has us wondering what its limitations are. The technology could run your household more efficiently and reduce your utility bills while giving you more leisure time. Sounds great.

Besides AI, crypto mining and data centers are boosting power consumption. The International Energy Agency says data centers consumed 460 terrawatt-hours of electricity in 2022, which could rise to more than 1,000 TWh by 2026. A study by Grid Strategies connecting the dots of major utility future electricity consumption forecasts showed that “grid planners nearly doubled the 5-year load growth forecast.” The most telling point of that report was the conclusion that “the U.S. electric grid is not prepared for significant load growth.”

The grid is unprepared. For decades, power consump -

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.

tion grew less than 1% a year. The rate of growth today is such that consumption is doubling in five years. We need more generation along with additional transmission and distribution lines. However, our grid is old, which requires much of it to be replaced or upgraded as we are adding significant new capacity.

The grid’s other problem is reliability. We have added significant amounts of renewable energy capacity which are intermittent and often produced a long distance from population centers needing electricity. This challenges grid operators. They are forced to keep existing fossil fuel power plants operating as a backup for the part-time wind and solar power sources because the grid demands an instantaneous supply/demand balance. Since grid operators have little warning of wind and solar power outages, idling fossil fuel plants quickly can deliver the needed electricity supply.

Inland Insider

The “electrify everything” push associated with decarbonizing our economy alerted utilities to the need for more power. The explosion of data centers, crypto, and AI has super-sized the electricity growth problem. Grid operating risks and power costs will rise. Natural gas will be the savior fuel and delivered by our domestic petroleum industry. about 875,000 bushels — equivalent to almost 1,000 trucks.”

Inland river transportation vital to U.S. agriculture exports, new study says

Weoften take the waterways for granted, so every once in a while, it’s important to do a reality check and take a closer look at the role the inland system plays in the economy.

The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service recently published an updated report that uses data to show the importance of barge transportation to agriculture, reporting that barges carry about half of all U.S. grain destined for export.

The report, “A Reliable Waterway System is Important to Agriculture” says that over 4% of the nation’s freight tonnage, and 8% of ton-miles, use a waterway. For some commodities like grain, fertilizer, coal and petroleum, the tonnage percentage is much higher. In 2020, for example, 6.6 million tons of fertilizer moved along the inland rivers. Fertilizer is important to grow corn, which in turn is used to produce animal feed and ethanol.

“The waterway system is the most costeffective and environmentally friendly mode of transportation for moving agriculture products for export,” the report said. “A 15-barge tow can hold

There are two major river systems in the country — the Mississippi River System that includes the Mississippi, Arkansas, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee rivers and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and the Columbia-Snake River System that includes the Columbia and Snake rivers. Together they comprise 12,000 miles of rivers, canals and other inland and coastal waterways that are managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

In 2020, barges moved 46% of grain exports.

Ports along the Mississippi River, Texas Gulf and East Gulf are the center for agricultural exports along the East Coast, handling 55% of export grain, while Pacific Northwest ports accounted for 24% of export grain in 2023. These grains include soybeans, rice, soybean oil, corn and wheat. Most of these commodities are headed to China, Mexico, Japan, and Egypt.

For agricultural imports, the top ports receiving shipments from abroad are New York, Philadelphia, Houston, Savannah, Ga., and Los Angeles.

The report highlights the impacts of waterway draft problems and temporary river closures caused by drought and low-water conditions over the past year, that can cause congestion. delays, spoilage, higher transport costs, and more.

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.

Nor’easter

Baltimore bridge collapse shows U.S. ports vulnerable

Thecatastrophic ship allision and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge March 26 could bring new scrutiny of safety and ship assist requirements for large container vessels calling at increasingly busy U.S. ports.

The 984’x157’ Dali was outbound from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, with 21 crew and two pilots on board when the allision happened around 1:29 a.m.

Video of the ship’s approach and impact showed the Dali’s lights going dark minutes before impact, coming on and darkening again, as black smoke plumed from the ship’s stack.

The images led mariners and news media alike to suggest the Dali suffered a sudden power failure, and the crew was struggling to recover control. Traveling at 8 knots, the ship veered slowly to starboard, striking a main pier of the Key bridge and collapsing the span — sending a crew of

six contractor workmen falling into the Patapsco River, Maryland of cials said.

A mayday call from the Dali pilots alerted the Maryland Department of Transportation just in time — around 90 seconds — for Maryland Transportation Authority police to start stopping traf c onto the bridge approaches, saving lives, said Gov. Wes Moore. But on the video, ashing yellow lights could still be seen on the road crew’s vehicles, just before the bridge deck plummeted.

“You never thought you would physically see the Key Bridge tumble down,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott said during a press conference.

The sudden loss of power, affecting steering and propulsion, came at a critical moment. Photos of the Dali showing its port side anchor chain paid out, and the burst of exhaust smoke shown on the allision video, suggest the pilots and crew were attempting to back down and arrest the vessel.

A day after the disaster, National Transportation Safety Board investigators were back on board the Dali, examining the vessel’s data recorders and interviewing crew. The sequence of their departure from the Dundalk terminal and progress toward the bridge will be critical to the NTSB’s work.

BY BENJAMIN HAYDEN

Tech Watch

Bridge allision looked like a possible cyberattack

WhenI rst saw footage of the containership Dali’s allision with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, I immediately thought it was a cyberattack.

Cameras from Vessel Traf c Service show the ship’s lights go out twice before the collision, and despite my dissection of the events leading to the incident from a computer screen 450 miles away, special agent William J. Delbagno, who heads the FBI’s Baltimore eld of ce noted in a press conference, “There is no speci c or credible information to suggest there are ties to terrorism in this incident.”

So much for my theory. Still, I feel this is a topic worth discussing. Though this incident has not been linked to cybersecurity failure, the aftermath could have easily been the result of one.

Shipping is becoming more reliant on digital solutions for the completion of everyday tasks. A

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vessel has technology out ts for bridge control systems, operations security, propulsion and power, network security, communications, safety systems, navigation, physical security, crew network, loading and stability, shipping network, and supply chain. As the industry becomes more digitized, critical systems onboard vessels are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. Break each of those categories down further into segmented inputs and you have dozens of ways that hackers can in ltrate your onboard systems.

Understanding distinctions between industrial control systems (ICS), operation technology (OT), cyber-physical systems (CPS), and the Internet of Things (IoT) will help distinguish a company’s speci c cybersecurity system requirements.

My focus here, linking cybersecurity precautions to the Baltimore incident, pertains to the similar outcomes of operation technology being hacked. That is, hardware or software that invokes a change through direct monitoring of physical devices, particularly in production and operations. IT attacks can lead to data theft. OT attacks could lead to asset damage, environmental impacts, personnel injury, and death.

Whether you’re powering an offshore service vessel, a passenger vessel, or an inland pushboat, Louisiana Cat has the right engine for your hard working fleet. We focus on you, the customer, and the reliability, safety and profitability of your business. Let us help you navigate every waterway. Visit us online to request an engine quote for your next project: www.LouisianaCat.com/Marine

Ben Hayden is a Maine resident who grew up in the shipyards of northern Massachusetts. His passion for storytelling came about on a freelance film that highlighted businesses, farmers, and fishermen while sailing up the coast of Maine.

BY TIM AKPINAR

Tim Akpinar is a Little Neck, N.Y.based maritime attorney and former marine engineer. He can be reached at 718-224-9824 or t.akpinar@verizon. net

Legal Talk

Protecting those who don’t have a voice in the maritime community

Cruise ships operate in a very different world from tugs, towboats, and inland passenger vessels. But a recent 11th Circuit Court of Appeals decision dealing with medical care aboard a cruise ship raised legal issues that may be of interest to all commercial vessels.

The case involved a passenger who suffered a heart attack aboard a large cruise ship. Early into the cruise, he woke up with stomach pain. He went to the ship’s infirmary after dinner. Tests showed he was having a heart attack, and he was moved to the ship’s intensive care unit.

After a remote medical consult, shipboard doctors felt the patient should stay aboard for treatment. For about 36 hours, ship’s medical staff monitored the passenger. At Miami, the passenger was taken to a hospital. Surgeons implanted four stents, and he later had a pacemaker installed. He sued the cruise line for failing to diagnose and properly manage his condition, and for not evacu-

BY DANIEL J. HOERNER

Daniel J. Hoerner is a maritime attorney with Mouledoux, Bland, Legrand & Brackett LLC. He can be reached at 504-595-3000 or dhoerner@mblb. com.

Insurance Watch

Learn from 'near miss' events

Anaccident near miss, also referred to as a close call, or near accident, is an event that happens in a shipyard or on board that has the potential to cause injury or damage, but luckily doesn’t. Imagine someone almost getting hit by a swinging crane hook — that would be a near miss. By recognizing and recording these close calls, shipyards and vessel operators can learn from them and prevent future accidents.

The best in the business track accident near misses for a very important reason: Prevention. Near misses are warnings, pure and simple. By tracking these close calls, employees can identify weaknesses in safety protocols before an accident happens. These brushes with disaster reveal root causes. Was it a faulty procedure? A communication breakdown? Uneven training? By understanding the why, you can take corrective actions to prevent similar situations from happening again.

Talking openly about near misses is also a feature of a proactive safety culture.

Employers in shipyards and on vessels (or any

ating him from the ship.

The courts had to determine whether the cruise line was negligent. This is essentially the core of a medical malpractice lawsuit. Did the medical provider meet a certain standard of medical care? The lower court instructed jurors to apply a standard of ordinary, reasonable care under the circumstances. The cruise line argued that the instructions should have been about a standard of care for a maritime environment. The courts ruled in favor of the passenger.

The decision shows that vessel operators can be held to high standards when it comes to providing shipboard medical care. There are 200,000ton cruise ships operating with medical facilities that rival those of rural hospitals. But what about smaller commercial vessels?

A new generation of small commercial vessels may carry well-stocked infirmaries, complete with defibrillators and other sophisticated equipment. But I’ve seen small boats with medical departments that are nothing more than a tin of bandages and a few aspirin tucked away in the galley next to a box of Pop-Tarts.

[This column first appeared in the July 2023 issue of WorkBoat.]

workplace, really) can encourage near-miss reporting through a two-pronged approach: Fostering a culture of safety and making the reporting process convenient and positive. This takes leadership commitment to prioritizing safety and being visibly involved in safety initiatives, as well as a willingness to address concerns.

Making the most of near misses also requires a no-blame environment. Employees should feel comfortable reporting near misses without fear of punishment or being seen as incompetent. Emphasize that near misses are valuable information for improvement, not opportunities to assign blame.

Recognize and appreciate employees who report near misses. This can be done through public praise, rewards programs (avoiding rewards based on quantity of reports), or simply by expressing gratitude. Encourage open communication about safety.

Provide an easy-to-use reporting system, whether it’s paper forms, a mobile app, or an online portal. Make sure it’s accessible both during and outside work hours for better recall of events. Offer options for anonymous reporting if employees prefer it. This can help those who are still hesitant to come forward as you build this culture.

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Crews on board harbor vessels, patrol boats, fire/rescue craft, offshore service vessels, tugs, and other workboats must perform a variety of complex operations. Wind noise, loud engines and pounding through rough waters can make boat crew communication extremely challenging.

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Scramble to reopen Baltimore channel after bridge collapse News Bitts

Afederal task force mobilized after a March 26 ship allision brought down the Francis Scott Key Bridge aims to have the deepwater channel into Baltimore open again by the end of May, according to the Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers.

The 985' containership Dali suddenly lost power as it approached the bridge and struck a main pier at 1:29 a.m. A warning from the ship pilot enabled police to block traf c heading onto the 1.2-mile span, but six workers making repairs on the bridge deck died in the collapse.

By April 4, a Coast Guard-led joint command opened two emergency channels for shallow-draft barges and tugs, with Army Corps plans for a third 35' depth to accommodate barge container service and some ro-ro vessels to move cars and farm equipment, a key category for the Port of Baltimore.

The agencies mobilized East Coast heavy-lift cranes, including New York-based Donjon Marine’s Chesapeake 1000 and Weeks Marine’s Weeks 533, to lift bridge wreckage

“First — our rst priority is to reopen the port,” President Joe Biden said April 5 after viewing the bridge wreckage and stranded container ship Dali. “This is one of the nation’s largest shipping hubs. And it’s the top port in America both in importing and exporting of cars and light trucks — the number one.

“I call on Congress to authorize this effort as soon as possible,” said Biden. “We will support Maryland and Baltimore every step of the way to help you rebuild and maintain all the business and commerce that’s here now.”

Corps engineers “are aiming to reopen the permanent, 700-foot-wide by 50-foot-deep federal navigation channel by the end of May, restoring port access to normal capacity,” according to a Corps announcement.

Active 2024 hurricane season predicted

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season could bring 23 named storms and 11 hurricanes, likely to be fueled by record-warm Atlantic sea surface temperatures and shifting conditions in the equatorial Pacific, Colorado State University researchers said in their annual spring forecast. That compares to an average 14 named storms and 7 hurricanes during 1991-2020. Key factors include an anticipated shift away from El Niño warmwater conditions to La Niña cooling in the Pacific in late summer, which can bring winds across North America favorable for hurricane development.

Captain's complacency led to Mississippi bridge allision, NTSB says

Aveteran

Mississippi River towboat captain’s 45 years of experience led him to inattention during a routine bridge transit, resulting in the tow contacting a bridge pier and $2 million in damage, the National Transportation Safety Board reported April 2. The captain said his attention lapsed after rounding the river bend above the bridge, and too late “realized that I was way off my marks.”

Two crew perish in cruise ship explosion

Two crewmen died March 22 in an explosion and steam release in the engineering spaces of Holland America Line ’s Nieuw Amsterdam cruise ship in the Bahamas. Third engineer Joseph Terrado and wiper Wawan Gusnawan “were reportedly installing fi lters when a steam compensator, unrelated to their duties, exploded," according to attorney Jim Walker of the law fi rm Walker & O’Neill , South Miami, writing on his website cruiselawnews.com.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is using $60 million in emergency funding for the federal response. Biden announced that another $8 million in grants will go for infrastructure improvements at Sparrows Point, where ships were still calling at the 3,300-acre Tradepoint Atlantic tract below the Key Bridge crossing. — Kirk Moore

Jay Fleming Photography

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore occurred following an allision with a container ship.

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‘Pockets of Rust’

Commandant commits to eradicating culture tolerant of harassment.

By Pamela Glass, Washington Correspondent

Faced with chilling reports of sexual misconduct and harassment allegations by women at its academy that occurred over decades, and the failure to properly respond to them, the Coast Guard has proposed policy and cultural reforms to improve accountability, respect, and transparency.

These reforms will make clear that all military members found to have committed sexual assault or sexual harassment will be fired from the service.

At issue is “Operation Fouled Anchor,” an internal report in 2020 that examined 102 allegations of sexual assault and harassment at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., between 1990 and 2006. It concluded that the school often mishandled cases, didn’t investigate them, and failed to provide a safe environment or instill a culture that discouraged such harmful behaviors. As a result, abusers were not held accountable, and victims were not treated

with respect or offered assistance. And then top-ranked Coast Guard officials, concerned about the reputation of the school and the Service, kept it all secret.

A source close to Fouled Anchor leaked the report to CNN last summer, apparently emboldened by the network’s coverage of similar alleged sexual abuse brought by a female cadet while training on a commercial ship during the Sea Year program at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMC) in Kings Point, N.Y.

Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, who was not leading the Coast Guard at the time of the investigation, directed a 90-day review of policies, practices and the Service’s culture concerning sexual harassment and assault. At a Senate hearing on the report and subsequent coverup last July, Fagan said she was aware of Fouled Anchor, but didn’t know the “totality” of the probe until CNN started asking questions.

“We failed to disclose it in 2020,” Fagan told senators.

Petty Officer

3rd

Class

Matthew Thieme

The U.S. Coast Guard Academy is situated along the Thames River in New London, Conn.

“I’m the commandant now, and I’m committed to that not happening again. And I’m committed to moving forward in a manner that is consistent with transparency.” She acknowledged that there’s a culture within the Coast Guard that “is permissive and allows sexual assault, harassment, bullying and retaliation,” and that there are “pockets of rust” in the organization that need to be eliminated.

“We’re got a lot of work to do” she said.

An “Accountability and Transparency Review” was released in November, and Fagan mandated 33 initial organizational changes aimed at preventing sexual assault and harassment, holding perpetrators accountable, improving accountability at the Coast Guard Academy, supporting victims, and encouraging them to come forward, improving training at all levels and creating a work atmosphere that fosters respect for others.

In public speeches and before Congress, Fagan and other top-ranking officials have apologized to victims and acknowledged the challenge ahead of restoring trust and accountability.

“We’re focused on restoring trust,” Vice Adm. Paul F. Thomas, deputy commandant for mission support, told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on March 6. “We have lost trust with this committee, with the American public and with our workforce.”

He said the Service is implementing changes using a different approach from how things were done in the past. Instead of focusing exclusively on sexual assault and harassment that involves only a minority of Coasties, Thomas said the Service will emphasize its core values and address the “spectrum of behaviors” that could lead to sexual misconduct. This will be approached from the bottom up, rather than from top management down. “Our culture needs to be owned by our most junior people,” he said.

Thomas said progress has been made in fulfilling some of the recom-

"The way these assaults were handled at the Coast Guard Academy is the same way they were handled at the Merchant Marine Academy, the Naval Academy and other military academies...."

− J. Ryan Melody, Founder Maritime Legal Solutions

mendations. As of February, five have been completed (including administering a service-wide survey on harassment and discrimination and holding a senior executive accountability and transparency summit), nine were close to completion, 14 will require six months to a year to complete, and the rest will need more time.

In addition to these changes, the Coast Guard has clarified punishment so that all military members found to have committed sexual assault or sexual harassment will be fired from the service. An officer will be separated for “moral or professional dereliction,” while enlisted members will be separated for misconduct. Previous policy did not specifically state that committing sexual assault or sexual harassment was a singular reason for separation.

“We are strengthening our ability

Coast Guard Academy

to hold people accountable,” Adm. Thomas told House lawmakers.

Other reforms involve increasing the number of behavioral health professionals and launching a “Safe to Report” policy that ensures that victims who report sexual assault or harassment are not punished under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for “collateral misconduct” that occurred at the time of the incident. Such offenses include underage drinking, violating curfew or having an unacceptable or prohibited relationship.

The new policy, which Congress is trying to codify into law, also protects bystanders who intervene to prevent or disrupt an assault. The changes respond to the fear expressed by many victims that they could face repercussions for other conduct if they reported an incident.

The Coast Guard has also hired an “Enterprise Victim Advocate,” the first in the military, who will focus on victim support, and is crafting a new training program presented at different career points that will emphasize the Service’s core values.

To improve transparency and accountability, reforms include better training for Special Victims’ Counsels who guide victims through legal processes and speeding up Freedom of Information Act requests by victims of sexual assaults seeking docu-

Adm. Linda L. Fagan, commandant of the Coast Guard, speaks to guests during the 2024 State of the Coast Guard Address in Washington, D.C., March 20, 2024. The State of the Coast Guard Address speaks to the vision for the service.

FOCUS Coast Guard Academy

ments important to their cases. Many of these changes are in response to testimony of four former and current Coast Guard members who spoke at a Dec. 12 hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

But not everyone is convinced that effective cultural change will occur, and that abusers and Coast Guard officials involved in the coverup will eventually be held accountable.

The response so far from the Coast Guard has been an effort in “damage control, changing the subject and not pursuing those responsible,” said J. Ryan Melogy, a former mariner and attorney who founded Maritime Legal Solutions, which represents maritime employees in sexual assault and harassment cases, and has been conferring with congressional committees probing the Coast Guard.

Despite strong condemnations and anger over the coverup, Congress has generally been lax in pushing for accountability, Melogy said, because there’s not much political will to reform the Coast Guard, shake up its leadership and openly criticize a Service that generally has favorable public support for its lifesaving, narcotics busting and maritime watchdog duties. Lawmakers need to probe more deeply into how the investigation began and which high-ranking officials were aware of and agreed to the coverup, he said.

So far, legislation put forth in Congress and recommendations under the Coast Guard’s 90-day review do not come down hard enough on accountability, Melogy said. He and others, including Denise Krepp, a former Coast Guard officer and former Maritime Administration chief counsel, believe Congress should issue subpoenas to those in charge at the time, including former Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz, now retired, and Fagan, who in 2020 was Commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area to determine who knew what and, when. Melogy suggests that those involved in the coverup who are no longer in the

Service should be called back into active duty, have hearings before a Court of Military Justice and suffer the humiliation of a court-martial should that be determined the punishment.

Without accountability, “nothing will really change the culture of coverup at the Coast Guard,” said Melogy, who represents the USMMA cadets. “Congress should see this as not an isolated event and not limited to the Coast Guard. The way these assaults were handled at the Coast Guard Academy is the same way they were handled at the Merchant Marine Academy, the Naval Academy and other military academies. They need to look at the broader problem in our government of covering things up and there being no accountability.”

Fagan also needs to be asked why the Coast Guard has not been sharing complete documentation with Congress, sending in response to a Senate request only redacted documents of the decision-making process, Melogy said.

Meanwhile, five different congressional committees and the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General have launched inquiries. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., ranking member, have been particularly critical with their ongoing probe and promise ac-

countability.

The Coast Guard has been enacting reforms and new policies on sexual misconduct for decades, but the problem persists. “Sexual assault and harassment remain an ongoing issue” — even after the Fouled Anchor report, Heather MacLeod, director, Homeland Security and Justice at the General Accountability Office told a May 6, 2023, House hearing. She cited Coast Guard Anti-Harassment & Hate Incident data that showed from September through April 2023, Service members reported 263 alleged incidents of sexual harassment of which 62% were substantiated.

On other fronts, the Coast Guard has made strides in accepting women into its ranks and making it easier for them to serve and progress, for example by offering more liberal maternity leave.

The student body at the Coast Guard Academy is now about 40% female and the percentage of women overall serving in the Coast Guard is inching up. Females make up about 15% of the 40,000-member workforce, but this is still lower than the 30% that some say is necessary for changing an organization’s culture. More women are also moving into higher officer positions, berthing for women is being added to newly constructed vessels, and Fagan made history when she was named the first female Coast Guard Commandant and the first woman to head a military service.

Members of the Coast Guard Academy Regimental Staff stand in formation during a change of command ceremony at the Coast Guard Academy, April 27, 2023.

Petty

Officer

3rd

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Matt

Thieme

VESSEL REPORT Fireboats

Hot Commodity

Fireboats, typically powered by ecomomical outboards, are much in demand.

By Michael Crowley, Correspondent

Whether it be a township, city, or county, of cials from areas throughout the U.S. are taking delivery of new reboats. In many instances, the new vessels, often partially paid for with government grants, are also used for search-and-rescue and patrol duties.

METALCRAFT MARINE

In early March, MetalCraft Marine, Kingston, Ontario, had ve of its 43/44s (that’s MetalCraft Marine’s FireStorm 40, measuring 43'1"x14'4"), under contract and a sixth was about to be sold to the Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department, which will use it for security as well as reboat operations.

The Fire Storm 40 design is extremely popular. “It’s been selling like a train,” is how MetalCraft Marine’s contracts

manager Bob Clark puts it — ever since it won the 2020 WorkBoat magazine Boat of the Year award. Since then,

“We’ve never had less than three of them on order at any given time,” said Clark. “So much of the success of that boat is directly related to WorkBoat magazine.” The design gets its 43/44 moniker because “it can be made a little longer or shorter without any real costs attached,” said Clark.

What’s new is that the 43/44 reboat now has an outboard option. The rst 43/44 to be powered with outboards came out of MetalCraft’s metal shop in mid-March and should be going to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, this summer with triple Yamaha 300-hp outboards mounted across its transom. The driving force for the outboard option is “cost per horsepower,” said Clark. “There are many

reasons but [cost] that’s the biggest; it’s dramatically less with outboards.”

A contributing factor is the lack of service for inboard engines in certain areas. “The ability to get service for diesels engines seemed to get harder and harder,” said Clark. A servicing issue recently arose on a Caribbean island for one MetalCraft boat, and then another issue arose on another Caribbean island. "We were blown away that Cummins did not have service all through the Caribbean, only in Puerto Rico,” Clark said. MetalCraft had to y their own team from Miami to the Caribbean.

The FireStorm 40 reboat going to St. Thomas, will be out tted with a new monitor design from Elkhart Industries, Elkhart, Ind. It’s a 3,000-gpm stainless steel monitor that requires a 4" waterway; it’s a bee er version of Elkhart 2,000-gpm monitor that also uses a 4" waterway. The new monitor “is a big step because the 2000 was a tremendous monitor,” said Clark. The next most powerful Elkhart monitor is 5,500 gpm, which requires a 5" waterway. The reach of the 3,000-gpm monitor is 307'. “You get a big ow,” noted Clark after MetalCraft tested the new monitor’s delivery. The 2,000-gpm monitor reached out to 294'.

Another popular reboat model is the 32'x10'6" Stanley Custom Aluminum Boats landing craft (MetalCraft and Stanley have been partners since 2017 and each builds the other’s boats.) MetalCraft sent two Stanley 32s to Jacksonville, Fla., just before Christmas and a third one is currently being built at MetalCraft. They are powered by twin Mercury 350-hp outboards and are equipped with Elkhart 2000-gpm monitors.

SILVER SHIPS

In early March, a 30'x10' reboat hull with a walk-around cabin design was being lofted at Silver Ships, Theodore, Ala., for the Cape Coral (Fla.) Fire Department.

“It’s the second one for them,” said David Hunt, Silver Ships director of business development. The rst reboat for Cape Coral was also a 30-footer but it was a closed center-console design.

The yard is also building a 34'x12' En-

32-footer for Jacksonville (Fla.) Fire Rescue.

deavor design reboat for the Abington Volunteer Fire Department in Gloucester County, Va.

The Abington re boat will have a Seakeeper gyroscopic stabilizer. Hunt describes it as “a very large, very heavy gyro” that can be used “to stabilize the boat, so it doesn’t rock. It makes for a more comfortable ride,” he said.

The crew on the 34' reboat going to Abington, Va., will also be protected from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, with an over-pressurized cabin ltration system. “They can shut the doors and turn up the cabin ltration system to protect against chemical warfare. It’s also good for an environment with toxic industrial chemicals,” Hunt said. Funding for the boat came from a port security grant managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to “enhance security and provide critical technologies at our ports.”

Silver Ships expanded its Endeavor line of vessels recently with the delivery of a reboat to the Norfolk Fire-Rescue in Norfolk, Va. Initially it was envisioned as the standard Endeavor 30'x10'. Then it became apparent that 30 feet wasn’t enough boat, so “it was decided to lengthen it to create more capability,” said Hunt. That led to a 32'x10' design

and a new model within the Endeavor line. The Norfolk 32-footer is a multimission reboat that provides 1,000-gpm re ghting support for the city of Norfolk and the Port of Virginia, both on the water and by supplying water to shore.

Twin 300-hp Yamaha outboards power the 32-footer to speeds up to 46 mph. The cabin’s fully enclosed pilothouse

32-footer for Norfolk (Va.) Fire-Rescue

Silver Ships

VESSEL REPORT Fireboats

is equipped with an over-pressure air ltration system for operating in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear environments. That boat was funded by the Department of Homeland Security.

SAFE BOATS

Safe Boats, Bremerton, Wash., is building a 38'x12' aluminum reboat with a full cabin for an, as-of-now, unnamed customer in New York. Normally the Safe Boat 38-footer would have a 10' beam but the extra two feet “gives us a lot more deck space,” said Troy KnivilaRitchie, Safe Boats’ marketing and sales specialist. The back deck is also wider than usual with dive tank storage and a 2'6"x3' cutout near the transom on the port side with a dive ladder. Beneath the deck will be a 1,000-gpm Darley re pump that will feed water to a remote Task Force Tips (TFT) rooftop monitor and a second TFT manually operated

Powered by four 300-hp Yamaha heavy-duty outboards, the 38-footer should get where it’s going in good time. In addition, it features improved visibility thanks to larger cabin windows and larger spotter windows that will bene t searchand-rescue missions as well as enable more aggressive re ghting. The crew will be seated in four Shoxs shock-mitigated seats or at the workstation behind the helm.

The aluminum hull is being built with the Safe Boats SAFEXDR-2 collar system with an additional row of rubstrake material and bow-mounted push knees. Recently delivered reboats from Safe Boats include two 29-footers. One is a T-top for the City of Panama City (Fla.) Fire Department. This boat has a manual re monitor on the forward deck, fed

The other 29-footer, which went to the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Of ce, has a walk around cabin and a 500-gpm re pump and a remote monitor on the bow. In this case, “ re ghting is a secondary capability,” said Knivila-Ritchie. “They just wanted to have the capability. It’s used for search and rescue and law enforcement.”

Prior to their delivery, both of these 29-footers “made an appearance at the (International) WorkBoat Show in New Orleans last year,” said KnivilaRitchie.

38' fireboat is being built for New York owner.

State Of The Art Marine HVAC Systems Since 1995

CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS

Breaux Brothers delivers new 49-passenger excursion boat to Hawaii

Breaux Brothers Enterprises, New Iberia, La., delivered the 67'x17'x7.5' Pride of Maui, to owner Scott Turner’s Pride of Maui, Walluku, Hawaii. Breaux Brothers also designed the 49-passenger aluminum catamaran, giving the boat a 4' draft.

“This boat is actually the Pride of Maui ‘Elua, which means two in Hawaiian,” Vic Breaux, the shipyard’s vice president, said from the wheelhouse of the new boat as it made its way to the Bahamas. “We built the rst Pride of Maui 30 years ago, and that boat is still running.”

When reminded that the Bahamas was the opposite direction of where the boat was to be delivered, Breaux said, “Yeah, we have to put her aboard a carrier to get her to Hawaii. But the price to haul from the Bahamas instead of Florida, where the closest carrier is, was much cheaper.”

Main propulsion comes from twin John Deere main engines, producing 650 hp at 1,800 rpm each. The diesel engines are connected to ZF wheels through Twin Disc gears. The propulsion package gives the new boat a running speed of 18 knots.

“I could have built the boat in California, but the quality and craftsmanship this yard gives me was worth it,” said Turner. “They built the rst Pride of Maui, and we couldn’t be happier with it. It’s the best built boat on the island of Maui.”

Ship’s service power comes from two Northern Lights gensets and the electronics suite is from Garmin. Turner said the boat will be used for a number of different excursions including tours, snorkeling, whale watching, weddings and more. “Even with the added transportation costs, it’s worth it,” he said, “and it’s the only air-conditioned tour boat on the island. Everything on this boat is high-end.”

Pride of Maui is USCG classed, Subchapter T. It was delivered in mid-April 2024. — Ken Hocke

Blount Boats delivers CTV to American Offshore Services

Blount Boats, Warren, R.I., of cially launched the 101'x36.7' Gripper, the latest crew transfer vessel (CTV) built to serve the U.S.’s offshore wind sector.

Owned and operated by American Offshore Services (A-O-S), Gripper is a Jones Act-compliant aluminum catamaran built to support Ørsted and

Eversource’s growing portfolio of offshore wind farms in the Northeast U.S. The Rhode Island-made, Rhode Islandcrewed ship will be berthed at Ørsted’s operations hub at Quonset Point.

A-O-S, a partnership between Swedish CTV operator Northern Offshore Group (N-O-G) and U.S.-based investment firm OIC, is basing its U.S. operations out of the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) in downtown Providence, R.I.

Designed by Incat Crowther with a 5.7' draft, Gripper is the rst crew transfer vessel built to service Ørsted and Eversource’s 704-megawatt Revolution Wind project, Rhode Island’s rst large-scale offshore wind farm. It will also support the South Fork Wind and Sunrise Wind projects in New York.

The new boat is one of ve new CTVs that have been completed or are currently being built in Rhode Island for Ørsted and Eversource, and the rst of two that will be owned and operated by A-O-S and built at Blount Boats.

Main propulsion comes from four Volvo Penta IPS engines that give the new boat a running speed of 22 knots.

Breaux Brothers Enterprises

New excursion boat went to Hawaii via the Bahamas.

Owned and operated by American Offshore Services the Gripper is a Jones Actcompliant aluminum catamaran.

The forward cargo deck measures 114 sq. meters and the rear cargo deck measures 40 sq. meters

The boat has accommodations for six crew and seating for 24 passengers.

“As America’s offshore wind industry scales up, we need U.S.- agged vessels that can quickly and safely transport our wind technicians to project sites offshore,” Patricia DiOrio, SVP, head of offshore project development Americas for Ørsted, said during the launching ceremony. “We welcome Gripper and its well-trained, Rhode Island-based crew into service, and we look forward to continuing to work alongside our local partners to advance our mission of providing clean, reliable power in Rhode Island and beyond while driving local job creation and investment.”

Gripper was delivered March 1.

“We’re proud to have spent decades at the center of Rhode Island’s illustrious shipbuilding sector, and Gripper represents the next chapter in this legacy,” said Marcia Blount, president of Blount Boats. “This locally made, locally crewed ship will support our state’s growing offshore wind sector — and the rewarding and well-paid careers that come with it — for decades to come.”

— K. Hocke

Gulf Island completes new 495-passenger ferry for Texas

TheTexas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) recently christened its new 293'x66'x16' doubleended hybrid ferry, the Esperanza Andrade. The vessel was designed by The Shearer Group (TSGI), Houston, and built by Gulf Island Fabricators, Houma, La.

The vessel will provide a 2.7-mile transit service between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula. Running at 13.5 knots, the new ferry will average 18 minutes per run.

“TSGI is proud to have collaborated with TxDOT for this truly transformational vessel, the Esperanza Andrade,” a TSGI representative told WorkBoat “This ferry is not only the largest in

BOATBUILDING BITTS

Louisiana-based

boatbuild-

er Metal Shark has announced the debut of the 30' Prowler, a military craft combining multiple technologies designed to meet the current and near-future warfighting requirements of the U.S. military and its allies. Merging autonomous, amphibious, and semi-submersible capabilities with the performance and seakeeping characteristics of a slender deep-V monohull surface craft, Prowler has been designed to address operational challenges identifi ed by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The company is also debuting Frenzy, designed as a high-performance, low-cost, amphibious micro-USV (unmanned surface vessel) with a payload carrying

capacity of up to 14 lbs.

Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Miss., announced in March the successful completion of acceptance sea trials for the amphibious transport dock Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) in the Gulf of Mexico. The vessel marks the fi nal transition ship of Flight I before Ingalls transitions into serial production of the landing platform dock Flight II line. In a collaborative eff ort involving shipbuilders, the U.S. Navy, and industry partners, the trial demonstrated the ship’s capabilities, including running at full power and executing precise steering maneuvers. Main propulsion comes from four ColtPielstick diesel engines producing 40,000 hp. The 25,000-ton vessel is capable of 22 knots.

Master Boat Builders Inc., Coden, Ala., has successfully delivered the 109’ tug Tortuga, the latest tugboat to join Seaside LNG/ Polaris New Energy ’s expanding fl eet. The Tortuga will operate out of Jacksonville, Fla., alongside its sister vessel, Polaris. The Tortuga is powered by two Caterpillar 3512E Tier 4 diesel engines, producing 2,000 hp each. The vessel also features two Berg Z-drive thrusters (MTA 523) and Beacon Finland JAK

30' USV built for military purposes.

Four Colt-Pielstick diesels power

Ingalls-built Richard M. McCool Jr.

ON THE WAYS

TxDOT’s eet, but also the rst domestic U.S. hybrid ferry vessel currently in service under Subchapter H. The delivery of this vessel demonstrates TSGI’s continued commitment to pioneering designs and setting industry standards.”

The ferry is the largest and the fastest in the TxDOT eet, able to accommodate 495 passengers and 70 cars or eight 18-wheel trailers on its 293'x66' vehicle deck. When fully loaded, the vessel weighs 2,180 tons.

Esperanza “Hope” Andrade is outfitted with diesel-powered and electrical engines and Siemens Energy’s BlueDrive PlusC power and propulsion system.

Main electrical generation comes from four Caterpillar C18’s, each rated at 596 kW. Propulsion motors include two 1,200 kW Siemens motors, one per Voith Schneider Propeller (VSP) unit. Each VSP 26RS was built with custom blades.

Siemens Energy’s BlueVault Energy Storage System uses a lithium-ion battery designed to maximize life, performance, and safety, with a total of 1.44 MW-hours of energy storage. The system can store surplus power while the ferry is in operation and dispatches it on-demand.

Fuel capacities include 6,000 gals.

of fuel, 1,066 gals. lube oil, 175 gals. hydraulic oil, and 146 gals. degreaser. Freshwater capacity for the new ferry is 6,226 gals.

The vessel is named after the rst female chair of the TxDOT and rst Latina secretary of state, Esperanza Andrade, who was present at the christening ceremony. — Ben Hayden

BOATBUILDING BITTS

coupler system.

According to multiple reports, Conrad Shipyard LLC, Morgan City, La., is building a new 151'×49'×14' yard, repair, berthing, and messing (YRBM) barge for the U.S. Navy. The YRBM barge is an American Bureau of Shipping A1 accommodations barge that provides pier-side living accommodations capable of berthing 199 mixed-gender personnel, messing for 300, and space for medical offi ces, classrooms, workspaces, laundry rooms, storerooms, and lounge areas.

Aloha Marine Lines has added a new barge to its fl eet to serve customers in the Seattle to Hawaii trade lane. The Makani Loa was built at Gunderson Marine & Iron, Portland, Ore., and launched there on March 2. The Makani Loa is a sister barge to the Kamakani and Namakani barges which were added to the fl eet in 2020. Together, they represent Aloha Marine Lines’ family of Makani Class barges and will continue to maintain regular, bi-weekly barge service between Seattle and Hawaii. The Makani Class barges are 438'x105' with a deadweight capacity of 16,900 tons. They are fi tted with high binwalls which help to keep freight secure while minimizing the amount of lashing needed for each voyage.

The Makani Loa will serve the Seattle to Hawaii trade lane.

Aloha Marine Lines

Oil’s Well

Offshore wind is providing little competition to oil and gas production so far.

Ken Hocke, Senior Editor

President Joe Biden wants the U.S. offshore wind industry to be producing 30 gigawatts of electrical power by 2030 — enough, the administration says, to power 10 million homes. That would be the equivalent of about 16,920 bbls. of petroleum per hour or 384,000 bbls. of oil per day.

By comparison, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) says the U.S. consumes approximately 20 million bbls. of petroleum, including oil and natural gas, per day.

Indeed, according to 2023 EIA statistics, if every bit of the residential electricity in this country were produced by wind power, it would be less than enough to meet half of U.S. home energy needs.

Nearly all of the crude oil that is produced in or imported into the U.S. is refined into petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, and jet fuel. Liquids produced

from natural gas processing are also consumed as petroleum products, according to the EIA.

So far, there are no plans to import wind energy into the U.S., even if that were possible.

Consequently, offshore wind will not unseat oil and gas production as the prime source of energy production in the U.S. anytime soon, certainly not by 2030.

In fact, big oil is pulling back on some of its offshore wind involvement. According to Reuters, Shell pulled out of a South Korean floating offshore wind project in February to concentrate on more profitable ventures.

Last summer, Shell’s CEO Wael Sawan told the BBC, “The reality is the energy system of today continues to desperately need oil and gas,” he said. “I think what would be dangerous and irresponsible [would be] to actually cut out oil and gas

Offshore oil and gas platforms in the Port of Galveston, Texas.

production so that the cost of living — as we saw just last year — starts to shoot up again.”

BP, meanwhile, had aimed to reduce emissions by 35% to 40% by the end of the decade, but in March 2023 scaled back the declaration to a 20% to 30% reduction target. Both oil giants have stated the transition to renewable energy must be a more gradual process with oil and gas carrying the load for now.

LEASE SALES

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in January released final revisions to its bid adequacy procedures.

The updated rules are designed to ensure that U.S. taxpayers receive fair market value from Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas lease sales.

BOEM intends to begin using the revised procedures to evaluate lease sale bids received as part of the 2024-2029 National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program.

The revisions include the following:

• Update BOEM’s methodology for measuring adequacy of bids for OCS oil and gas lease sales to enhance clarity and transparency.

• Discontinue the use of tract classification, which has had minimal impact on the procedural analysis of fair market value.

• Include other, minor changes to clarify and streamline processes.

BOEM published its proposed revisions in the Federal Register and received over 15,500 public comments.

The final Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale — 261 — not subject to the new revisions was held in late December 2023. The sale generated over $382 million in high bids for 311 tracts covering 1.7 million acres in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. A total of 26 companies participated in the lease sale, submitting 352 bids totaling about $442 million.

Under a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans, BOEM included lease blocks that were previously excluded due to potential impacts to the Rice’s whale population from oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico.

Revenues received from offshore oil and gas leases (including high bids, rental payments, and royalty payments) are directed to the U.S. Treasury, certain Gulf Coast states (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama) and local governments, the Land and Water

Conservation Fund, and the Historic Preservation Fund.

Lease Sale 261 offered 13,482 unleased blocks on 72.7 million acres in the Gulf’s Western, Central and Eastern Planning Areas.

The $382 million is a substantial increase over the $264 million in high bids for 313 tracts covering 1.6 million acres in federal waters of the Gulf in March 2023.

LEGAL COMPLICATIONS

As far as offshore oil and gas production is concerned, getting the energy from out there to in here is not only expensive but also subject to state, federal and maritime law.

“Maritime law applies to vessels, maritime commerce, and maritime personnel. However, what a ‘vessel’ is and who a ‘seaman’ is in the offshore energy context is not readily apparent,” said Grady Hurley, partner in and co-leader of the maritime litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution team and co-chair of the energy, environmental and natural resources industry team for New Orleans law firm Jones Walker Ltd. “Although 1 USC 3 describes everything that floats as a vessel, floating platforms such as spars, tension-leg platforms [TLPs], and floating production units that are fixed and anchored to the seabed for extended periods are not considered vessels engaged in maritime commerce and thus

Valerie Johnson

Doug Stewart

Edison Chouest Offshore and Jackson Offshore OSVs prepared for offshore duties at Port Fourchon, La.

subject to OCSLA (Outer Continental Shelf Land Act) for determining rights and remedies.”

Hurley said OCSLA applies federal law, which may be supplemented by the law of the adjacent state when there are legal inconsistencies. Maritime law applies to liftboats, jack-up rigs, and various offshore service vessels engaged in maritime commerce. “In the offshore context, not everything that oats is a vessel and not every offshore worker on a vessel is a seaman.”

Offshore operations can be legally complex. Hurley cited the case of Earnest v. Pal nger Marine USA.

“In Pal nger, the simple question was whether a contract to inspect and repair lifeboats af xed to a TLP located on the OCS was a maritime contract. Factually,

Wind Cramp

after the lifeboats were inspected and repaired by Pal nger Marine on a Shell TLP, a corroded lifting cable failed during a drill, causing a lifeboat to fall from the platform and cause injury and death,” he said. “Contractual indemnities and choice-of-law provisions in the master service contract would be void if state law applied and enforceable if maritime law applied.”

Turns out the Fifth Circuit ruled the TLP was not a vessel and the platform lifeboats were vessels and “that OCSLA provided federal question jurisdiction; and that…the focus of the repair and maintenance contract involving a lifeboat, whether af xed or not, was maritime even if the lifeboat was not engaged in maritime commerce,” said Hurley.

Developers regroup after 2023 setbacks.

By Kirk Moore, Contributing Editor

South Fork Wind, an array of 12 turbines 35 miles east of Montauk, N.Y., became the rst fully operational offshore wind energy project in U.S. federal waters March 14 — a milestone for the edging U.S. industry after months of developers' backing out of other once-heralded projects.

With a maximum nameplate rating of 132 megawatts, South Fork Wind by partners Ørsted and Eversource is from the early generation of U.S. offshore wind planning.

It was rst approved by New York’s Long Island Power Authority in 2017 and is much smaller than the 806 MW Vineyard Wind project under construc-

tion off Massachusetts. That agship project for New England powered up the rst ve turbines in February.

Despite weather delays, progress on Vineyard Wind continued apace in spring 2024, with up to 26 vessels active in the area, including crew transfer and installation vessels, shing boats chartered as safety vessels, and tugs, according to daily updates from Vineyard Wind of cials.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul hailed the South Fork news: “With more projects in the pipeline, this is just the beginning of New York’s offshore wind future, and I look forward to continued partnership with the Biden Administration and local leaders to build a clean and resilient energy grid.”

That of cial expression of enthusiasm was understandable. South Fork’s startup came ve months after New York of cials in October agreed to adjust previous power purchase agreements for the Beacon Wind and Empire Wind projects.

New York’s decision came after moves in August by Avangrid, Shell New Energies and Ocean Winds North America to pay termination fees and abandon earlier power purchase agreements with Connecticut and Massachusetts for their plans in southern New England waters.

Besieged by in ation, escalating equipment and supply chain problems, the developers insisted the earlier rate structures were simply not viable any longer.

With their ambitions for offshore wind power apparently at dire risk, the governors of six Northeast states — Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland — appealed to the Biden administration. They warned the halcyon days of offshore wind optimism were closing.

“Instead of continued price declines, offshore wind faces cost increases in orders of a magnitude that threaten states’ ability to make purchasing decisions,” the governors warned in a Sept. 13 letter to President Biden.

The South Fork Wind project off New York became the first fully operational offshore wind energy project in U.S. federal waters on March 14.

“These pressures are affecting not only procurements of new offshore wind but, critically, previously procured projects already in the pipeline.

“Absent intervention, these nearterm projects are increasingly at risk of failing. Without federal action, offshore wind deployment in the U.S. is at serious risk of stalling because states’ ratepayers may be unable to ab-

sorb these signi cant new costs alone.”

The biggest shock came on Halloween, when Ørsted abruptly announced it was dropping its Ocean Wind 1 and 2 projects planned off New Jersey.

A month later at the International WorkBoat Show, Gulf of Mexico offshore operators who work in offshore wind said they anticipated a slowing, but not a stopping of the U.S. market.

“I think the industry at least from the perspective of the U.S., is going to take a year off,” said Carl Annessa, executive vice president of Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc.

HOPE IN 2024

By spring 2024, offshore wind advocates could nd some hope in green shoots. In late February New York conditionally awarded two offshore wind projects in its fourth offshore wind solicitation, offering better power purchase prices for the 810-megawatt Empire Wind 1 project by Equinor and the 924 MW Sunrise Wind project by partners Ørsted and Eversource

Avangrid Inc. received federal approval April 2 for the New England Wind project. The record of decision from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management opened the path for approving a construction and operations plan in July 2024 for the two-phase, 2-GW project bordering the Vineyard

Vineyard

BUOYANCY

The first GE Haliade-X turbine components for Vineyard Wind were moved from the port of New Bedford Sept. 6, 2023, by Foss Maritme on the 400' deck barge Marmac.

Wind lease.

“With this federal approval, New England Wind stands apart as the most advanced and shovel-ready offshore wind opportunity in the Northeast region,” said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra.

Despite the industry uncertainty of 2023, boatbuilders kept busy building the new U.S. support eet. American Offshore Services (A-O-S), Blount Boats, Warren, R.I., Ørsted, and Eversource launched the 101' Gripper, a crew transfer vessel (CTV), the rst crew transfer vessel built to service Ørsted and Eversource’s 704-megawatt Revolution Wind project, along with the South Fork and Sunrise Wind projects.

The new boat is one of ve new CTVs that have been completed or are currently being built in Rhode Island

for Ørsted and Eversource, and the rst of two that will be owned and operated by A-O-S and built at Blount. Gripper is owned and operated by A-O-S in a partnership between Swedish CTV operator Northern Offshore Group and the U.S.-based investment firm OIC. A-O-S is basing its U.S. operations out of the Cambridge Innovation Center in downtown Providence, R.I.

As BOEM and wind developers try to advance, offshore wind critics sharpen their attacks. South Fork Wind was one of the earliest and most bitterly fought projects and continues to generate intense controversy in southern New England.

The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council said “the location of the SFW project on Cox’s Ledge, an area known for its biological diversity,

is in our view one of the worst possible locations for this project.” The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and South Fork developers settled on a later plan reducing the number of turbines to 12 and shifting locations to avoid what were thought to be the most critical bottom habitat areas for sh.

The Rhode Island-based group Green Oceans assembled a coalition of shermen and other coastal residents to le a new federal lawsuit in January challenging BOEM’s wind energy approvals as violating a wide range of federal laws.

“The government already admits they will have adverse impacts on the health of our sheries, navigation safety, historic resources, endangered species, and environmental justice populations,” said Elizabeth Quattrocki Knight, co-founder and president of Green Oceans when South Fork was switched on. “Yet, not a single academic study of real-world data has ever proven any bene ts to climate change,” she said.

While Ørsted’s Ocean Wind projects are gone from the New Jersey scene, the Atlantic Shores project pushes on. The joint venture of Shell New Energies US LLC and EDF Renewables North America would be rated for 1,510 MW and take the forefront of New Jersey’s renewable energy ambitions.

It would also be highly visible from shore — within 8.4 miles of Long Beach Island resorts. The local opposition group Save Long Beach Island calls the planned array within sight “the closest-to-shore large turbine wind project in the world.”

On the West Coast, BOEM nalized wind energy areas off Oregon, and visual impacts are being protested by Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians.

“We believe it is our inherent right to have the ability to see across our viewsheds, as this direct connection is integral to our cultural practices and traditional way of life,” said Tribal Chief Doug Barrett.

The new 101' CTV Gripper is owned and operated by A-O-S, a partnership between Swedish CTV operator Northern Offshore Group (N-O-G) and U.S.-based investment firm OIC.

THE FUTURE; UNDERWAY.

The cutting-edge of commercial marine meets a 44-year maritime industry tradition at The International WorkBoat Show. As the maritime industry embraces innovation, The WorkBoat Show remains at the forefront, driving progress and propelling the industry forward.

Join us in November alongside Underwater Intervention to experience the dynamic synergy between the commercial marine and subsea industries.

IN BUSINESS Markey Machine

Expansion Plan

Markey Machine strengthens market share with JonRie acquisition.

By Michael Crowley, Correspondent

In early October 2023, Markey Machine acquired JonRie InterTech, making JonRie a division of Markey Machine. Although the two companies were competitors in the workboat deck equipment market, they have been cooperating in the after-market for the last few years. For example, Markey Machine was doing servicing jobs for JonRie, which helped the two companies become more familiar with each other.

With the acquisition, Markey and JonRie complement each other, enabling Markey Machine to offer a wide range of deck equipment from two manufacturers.

“There was a clear sense of complementary,” said Markey Machine’s Scott Atkinson, vice president of business development, suggesting a driving force that helped pull the two companies together. That’s opposed to Markey acquiring JonRie solely for its patents or technology.

“We are at a stage where there’s a lot of interaction on design questions, a cross-fertilization,” said Atkinson. The

core focus is the workboat, he said, adding, "there’s de nitely a discussion of new designs,” he added.

The company is starting to look at markets that in recent years it hadn’t strived to be in, such as dredges.

Meanwhile, driven by customer demand, Markey over the past decade has increasingly provided electric winches instead of hydraulic ones. Conversely, JonRie has chie y been supplying hydraulic winches, with electric ones provided only rarely. A complementarity is evident in this division of approach between the two.

In terms of developing markets for Markey Machine, expect an increasing emphasis on markets outside the U.S. In that regard, it’s noteworthy that Markey’s Agile Concept electric towing winch was on the short list for the International Tug & Salvage Innovation of The Year award in May 2023 at Rotterdam, Holland.

The Agile Concept was introduced in the fourth quarter of 2022 for Signet Maritime, Ingleside, Texas, whose two new Robert Allan-designed 103' 4"x45'6"x15'7" Rotortugs, the Signet

Sirius and the Signet Capella, would be dealing with deeper-draft VLCC tankers in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Agile Concept is based on Markey’s DEPC-52 that was in use at the time, but Signet wanted winches that were lighter than the DEPC-52 and with a reduced longitudinal footprint, while retaining Class III escort winch features.

“They asked for a serious weight reduction, and we gave them that,” said Atkinson. The answer was the DESF52 Agile 200-hp electric escort winch on the bow, which came with a 16.4% weight reduction. In addition, reducing the winch’s fore-and-aft dimension allowed the gear box to be moved for a more compact installation alongside the winch. The Agile Concept winch was also given a new level-wind system.

On the tugs’ stern is a TESF-32 Agile 200-hp electric towing winch.

“We are quoting a lot of work right now and de nitely getting the feeling that the future looks quite good for the Agile Concept design,” said Atkinson.

The Signet Sirius and the Signet Capella with the Agile Concept winches shared WorkBoat magazine’s Boat of the Year award for 2023. The Markey winches will be resubmitted for the 27th International Tug & Salvage Innovation of the Year contest in Dubai, May 21 to 23, 2024.

Beyond the Agile winch concept, Markey’s JonRie division is developing a new winch for weight-critical, shallowdraft tugs that will feature a lightweight Markey winch base. A Hagglunds CA 140 series hydraulic motor will power the main winch drum, while the levelwind reel will be driven by a CAB 40 Hagglunds radial-piston motor. The winch is due to be introduced this year.

PLACEMENT

Markey winches have been placed on or are scheduled to be placed on a number of high-pro le vessels.

• eWolf — Crowley’s much anticipated 82'x40'x17'9" eWolf, the rst all-electric, ship-assist harbor tugboat in the U.S., was built in Coden, Ala., by Master Boat Builders. Crowley says the new tug will generate 178 fewer

Front and center on the bow of the 103' tug Signet Sirius is Markey Machine’s DESF-52 Agile 200-hp electric escort winch. Signet Sirius and sistership Signet Capella were the first tugs to be outfitted with the new winch.

tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), 2.5 tons less of diesel particulate matter and 3,100 metric tons less of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the rst 10 years of its operations — the equivalent of removing 350,000 gals. of gas from use, according to EPA calculations. On deck is a Markey DEPC-48, 50-hp electric render/recover winch.

• Seaway Trident — The Seaway Trident, powered by a pair of 660-hp Caterpillar C-18s turning Schottel SRP 210 Z-drives, was designed by Glosten and built by Washburn & Doughty, East Boothbay, Maine, for the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The tug’s major role is keeping the St. Lawrence Seaway navigable by maintaining the locks and aids to navigation, which requires a lot of winter ice work. The compact 60'x28'x10'6" tug also works with the larger Seaway Guardian to move buoy barges, derrick barges and periodically pulls the lock gates for maintenance work. Seaway Trident is equipped with

a Markey DESMG-18 headline winch.

Gulf LNG Tugs — Construction contracts for four new 98.5'x42.6' Z-Tech tugs went out last fall from Gulf LNG Tugs, Brownsville, Texas, to Master Boat Builders and Sterling Shipyard, Port Neches, Texas. The yards will each build two of the Robert Allan Ltd.-designed vessels. The new tugs and are expected to have a bollard pull of approximately 87 tons, with a pair of Schottel SRP 510FP thrusters, 9.2' xed-pitch propellers and two EPA Tier IV-compliant Caterpillar 3516E main engines, delivering 3,500 hp at 1,800 rpm. A Markey DEF-48A, Class III — 100-hp winch will be tted on the forward deck for escort operations.

• Moran Tugs — Moran Towing Corp., New Canaan, Conn., awarded a contract to Master Boat to build a pair of 86'x36', 5,100-hp tugs that will have a bollard pull of over 55 metric tons. The tugs will feature two Caterpillar 3512E Tier 4 main engines, each producing 2,549 hp, along with two Kongsberg US 205S FP thrusters, and a Markey DEPC48 bow winch. The tugs will be the rst that Master Boat will build for Moran. But the shipyard didn’t have to wait long for another Moran contract. Moran has hired the company to build a pair of 92’x40’ escort tugs. Those boats will be delivered by mid-2025.

Glosten

The Seaway Trident is equipped with a Markey DESMG-18 headline winch.

The eWolf features a Markey DEPC-48, 50-hp electric render/recover winch.

This position handles and/or oversees vessel navigation, docking, and assumes command of the vessel were directed by the master. The mate under direction from the captain/vessel master will be directly involved with the daily management of the deck crew, to ensure daily duties are carried out in an efficient timely manner onboard their vessels.

For full job description and to apply go to: https://www.goldengate.org/district/careers/

Western Towboat Co. is searching for a Lead Gear Tech to join our team working in our Ballard shipyard. If you are a versatile marine mechanic with experience working with z- drive tugs, then this could be the next step in your maritime career.

https://www.workboat.com/resources/ jobs-

Wheelhouse positions: Captain, Mate, Purser Engine Room positions: Chief Engineer, 1st Assistant, 2nd Assistant, Oiler, Fishmeal Technician

Galley positions: Chief Steward, Cook, Prep Cook, Galley Assistant, Housekeeper Deck positions: Bosun, Deck Boss, Deckhand, Deckhand Trainee

Factory positions: Baader Technician, Surimi Technician, Quality Control, Foreman, Factory Mechanic, Processor

Need To Fill All positions aboard DP2-Construction Support Vessel

• MASTER STCW II/2 Master 3000 Tons and Unlimited DP Certificate

• CHIEF MATE STCW II/2 Chief Mate 3000 Tons and Unlimited DP Certificate

• MATE STCW/OICNW II/1 and Unlimited DP Certificate

• CHIEF ENGINEER STCW IIl/2 CE 3000KW/ 4000HP

• ASSISTANT ENGINEER STCW lll / 1 OlCEW

• DECK FOREMAN 3+ Yrs experience in deck supervisory role

• BOSUN STCW II/4, II/5, VI/2, VI/6 AB Unlimited

• ABLE SEAFARER DECK STCW II/5, STCW II/4 AB Unlimited

• ABLE SEAFARER ENGINE STCW ll/5 , STCW II/4 Oiler/Motorman

• CRANE OPERATOR API Operator LicenseKnuckle Boom

• Wiper - OS License

• OS/RIGGER Qualified Rigger API RP2D or Equivalent

• COOK Food Safety Certificate

• GALLEY HAND Food Safety Certificate

• ELECTRICIAN Minimum 5 Yrs Mechanical/ Electrical Experience on all Vessel Types (DP2 & Conventional)

• CONSTRUCTION SUPERINTENDENT –5 + Yrs Industry Experience – Current Offshore Certifications

• ROV SUPERVISOR 5+Yrs Industry Experience with 360+ Days In Senior Pilot Tech Role and Current Certifications

• ROV PILOT TECH 150-hurs Piloting Experience/180+ Days Offshore as Pilot with Current Certifications Must have DP -2 DSV experience, current mariners’ credentials, certifications & physical. Send resumes & copies of credentials to: SSR2-JOBS@HYDRAOC.COM

 Captains: Need a minimum of 200 Ton Near Coastal 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

 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.

Send resumes to: revans@mcallistertowing.com or employment@mcallistertowing.com

Or apply online at: https://www.mcallistertowing.com/about

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Contact: Wendy Jalbertwjalbert@divcom.com

LOOKS BACK

MAY

1964

• Two contracts totalling more than $400,000 have been awarded by the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners to provide a much-needed facility for frozen commodities and to purchase girder rail for a planned international shipping terminal.

• First of its kind, the shallow-draft dredge Merritt was recently launched at Wilmington, N.C., by the Corps of

Engineers. The 107'10" dredge was speci cally designed by the marine design division, Corps of Engineer District, Philadelphia, for use in the many shallow inlets and small harbors in eastern North Carolina where it is impractical to use pipeline dredges.

Originally a World War II Navy YSD59 Aircraft Recovery boat, the vessel was converted by Wilmington Ship-

MAY 1984

yard under contract to the Wilmington District. The Merritt has a draft of 4'6".

MAY

1974

• Andrew Martin Sea Service put its rst boat, the Rhonda Martin, a 180' oceangoing supply boat, to work in the North Sea. Her sisterships — Andrea Martin and the Edwina Martin — were to be delivered this month. The Rhonda is powered by a pair of 16-645E1 Electro-Motive Diesels supplied by Stewart & Stevenson. The engines, mated with Reintjes gears supplied by Karl Senner Inc., develop 3,800 hp. Coolidge 84"x78" propellers in Kort nozzles complete the power pack.

• Moss Point Marine, Escatawpa, Miss., recently launched the fourth vessel in a ve boat contract with Argosy Offshore Ltd. and has announced the signing of a contract for the construction of two new vessels for Nicor Marine, New Orleans. The recently launched 140'x32'x11' utility boat Argosy Mate and its soon-to-be launched sistership Argosy Chief are powered by two Detroit Diesel 16V-92 engines

coupled to Twin Disc gears with 5:1 reduction ratios.

• Bell Aerospace Textron was recently awarded a contract by the U.S. Navy for the construction of six Landing Craft Air Cushioned (LCAC) vehicles worth an estimated $102 million. All six vehicles will be built at Bell's production facility in New Orleans, Bell Halter Inc., and are scheduled for delivery in 1986.

• The barge industry is making its greatest contribution ever to the expanding economy of the nation and has excellent prospects for increasing its services even more. Towboat, tugboat, and barge operators are moving a larger share of the nation's total freight load and are preparing for an even more important role in the future. Freight movement on the inland waterways totalled 597,255,337 net tons for the year.

“Shaver Transportation has been working with Karl Senner, LLC since 1989. Time is testament to the reliability of their products and support, being amongst the best in the industry.”

JON LUND | VP ENGINEERING | SHAVER TRANSPORTATION

Onboard Karl Senner, LLC supplied two REINTJES WAF 873 / 7.087:1 Reverse Reduction Gearboxes with internal hydraulic multi-disc shaft brakes, temperature control valves, torsional couplings, and a two station control system.

Shipyard: Florida Marine Shipyard & Repairs, LLC Owner: Shaver Transportation Co.