Houston Pilots

Houston Pilots Accept 45 ft. Fresh Water Draft

Effective immediately, the Houston Pilots will accept vessels with drafts up to 45 ft. (13.7 m) in fresh water. In the wake of the crisis along the U.S. Gulf Coast, the Houston Pilots are foregoing a previously scheduled phased-in approach to larger vessels, as the maritime industry needs to divert many deep draft loaded vessels from ports affected by Hurricane Katrina. The Houston Pilots are comprised of 81 pilots; including two deputy pilots still in training.

Houston Pilots Association To Christen M/V Bayou City

The Houston Pilots Association will christen the pilot boat M/V Bayou City at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 12, at the Port of Houston Authority's Sam Houston Pavilion located at 7300 Clinton Drive. Annette Edmonds will officially christen the vessel during a ceremony that will be attended by more than 200 invited guests, including PHA Chairman Jim Edmonds, Vice Chairman Kase Lawal, Commissioner Steve Phelps, Commissioner Jim Fonteno, Commissioner Jimmy Burke, Commissioner Cheryl Thompson-Draper,

Houston Ship Channel Project Complete

HOUSTON -- The Port of Houston Authority (PHA) last Thursday welcomed congressional leaders, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and more than 300 other invited guests to celebrate the completion of the widening and deepening project expected to further fuel the port's remarkable growth. "This project has benefited from a great home-team," said PHA Chairman Jim Edmonds. "The support of our partners in Congress and the

Fog Closes Ship Channel

Fog closed the Houston Ship Channel on Monday morning, the Houston Pilots association said. Pilots stopped boarding ships at 8 a.m. CST (9 a.m. EST/ 1400 GMT), bringing traffic to a halt, and the fog had not dispersed some four hours later at midday, an official said. The closure of the channel had not yet resulted in a big backlog of ships waiting to enter or leave the channel, he said. The Houston Ship Channel is a busy 54-mile (90 km) waterway lined with oil refineries and petrochemical

New Members of NOAA’s Hydrographic Services Review Panel

NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco recently appointed nine new members to the Hydrographic Services Review Panel, a federal advisory committee that gives NOAA independent advice for improving ocean and coastal navigation products, information, data and services.   “Optimizing the benefits of navigation services and products is a priority for the agency,” said Margaret Spring, chief of staff for NOAA and the agency’s representative to the Committee on the Marine

Sea Floor Surveys Support Texas Maritime Trade

This winter, NOAA will begin a year-long survey of the sea floor in the Port of Houston and Galveston Bay navigational areas, to aid efforts to bring more trade, more cargo, more jobs, and more economic benefits to the Houston area. The navigation survey team arrived in Galveston this week, to begin pre-survey preparations with mariners and federal partners. "With bigger ships, crowded sea lanes, and more uses of ocean areas

Port of Houston Deepening Project Hits Legal Snag

The Port of Houston Authority Commissioners voted recently to appeal the U.S. District Court's January 25 ruling that the Port should pay for the removal and relocation of pipelines to accommodate the widening and deepening of the Houston Ship Channel. "We believe Congress clearly specified in 1996 that pipeline owners, not the taxpayers of Harris County, should pay for the removal and relocation of pipelines needed to widen and deepen the Ship Channel," said Port Chairman James T. Edmonds

Houston Welcomes King of Norway

Port of Houston Authority Chairman Jim Edmonds, the PHA commissioners and staff on Wednesday, March 2, hosted a welcome reception for His Majesty King Harald V of Norway aboard the M/V Star Gazer as the vessel toured the Houston Ship Channel. The reception also was attended by several shipping industry executives and local elected officials. As he congratulated Norway on the centennial celebration of its independence

GRL launches ROVolution 4.0

General Robotics Limited (GRL), introduced Version 4.0 of it ROVolution ROV pilot training and mission planning simulator that uses real-time dynamic and hydrodynamic modelling to give pilots a highly realistic experience of subsea operations. ROVolution now includes a comprehensive Pilot Training Metrics module to improve the measurability and consistency of pilot training and assessment. An instructor can use the built-in tools to give him an objective measure of key pilot competencies

Panama Canal Administrator Presents Expansion Program

Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano presented the Panama Canal Expansion Program during his recent visit to Lamar University, in Beaumont, Texas. During the conference, Quijano highlighted the impact of the Panama Canal Expansion on the U.S. Gulf ports, focusing on those located in Texas. “An important number of the vessels of various segments that transit the Canal today have as port of origin or destination the U.S. Gulf ports