Towing Vessel News

A steel cutting ceremony has been held for a new RAsalvor 6500 at Rizhao GANGDA Shipbuilding (Shandong Port) in Shandong Province, China.Designed by Robert Allan Ltd. for Smit Lamnalco, Australia, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the new emergency towing vessel will provide first response capability in the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait – some of the most precious marine environments in the world.The vessel is also intended to provide aids to navigation services and other marine services in the region.

The Coast Guard recently investigated an engine room fire on board an inspected towing vessel which led to the discovery of issues with the  maintenance and installation of fire detection systems on board multiple towing vessels. During the investigation, several towing vessels were discovered to have defective heat detectors installed in their engine rooms. These detectors had been recalled by the manufacturer in 2019 for failure to activate within their listed temperature range.

About 150 feet of a degraded dock in Chalmette, Louisiana, collapsed into the water in 2023 after a barge contact, but it was unlikely to have sustained the force of a typical docking anyway, a National Transportation Safety Board investigation has concluded.The towing vessel Ovide J was maneuvering two loaded crude oil barges to the Chalmette Refinery crude oil dock on April 25, 2023, when the starboard barge contacted the transfer platform on one of the dock’s dolphins.A 2017 inspection report found major deterioration on the dolphin…

A captain and barge company managers not identifying the crane they were towing was too high to pass under the Mackinac Bridge near Mackinaw City, Michigan, led to the crane hitting the bridge, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded.On May 7, 2023, the towing vessel Nickelena was transiting the Straits of Mackinac, while towing a deck barge transporting a crawler crane, when the crane boom struck the main span of the Mackinac Bridge. The contact bent the crane boom backwards…

Surging water from the Mississippi River led to a 2023 barge strike on a gate at Algiers Lock in New Orleans, the National Transportation Safety Board has reported.On July 4, 2023, the towing vessel Kitty was pushing two loaded tank barges into the Algiers Lock during low water conditions. The tow surged within the lock chamber and the lead barge struck one of the lock gates. The contact did not result in any injuries or pollution. Damage to the lock gate was estimated at $2 million.Before the contact…

A towing vessel was pushing a barge loaded with aggregate when it allided with a bulk liquid transfer terminal pier on the Columbia River. The Coast Guard’s marine casualty investigation determined that the operator fell asleep at the helm, resulting in more than $1.5 million in property damage to the barge, handling equipment, and the facility. The incident occurred near a pipeline that could have discharged 25,000 gallons of synthetic diesel into the waterway.The investigation also identified the failure of the Pilothouse Alerter System as a key contributing factor.

The more than half decade that has passed since the inception of the subchapter M towboat rule affords an up-close-and-personal look at how it is going. The scorecard is a mixed bag.More than six years ago, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) began inspecting towing vessels for compliance with the new towboat rules; specifically, 46 CFR Subchapter M. It has been a long road to compliance with many starts and stops, and much learning on both sides of the law.Has it been a success? If success is measured by Certificates of Inspection, then yes.

A famous racecar driver once deadpanned, “That which is in the rearview mirror is not my concern.” Here in the inland marine industry, we also like to keep our eyes on the forward horizon, but it is also instructive to look back every now then, especially with measurable metrics at our fingertips. Fortunately, the American Waterways Operators (AWO) and the U.S. Coast Guard collaborate annually to measure such important things.On August 5, 2024, AWO and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)…

Baker Marine Solutions is unveiling its newest towing vessel design and the International WorkBoat Show.The BMS 1882 - A 6000 HP Inland Towboat is designed for the inland waterway and transportation market.At a length of 170ft, the design boasts accommodation for a 10-person crew while providing ample living, recreation and leisure spaces to ensure crew comfort and habitability.Powering this 6000HP vessel can be achieved in both a hybrid diesel electric design or standard traditional design.BMS 1882 is named in honor of the largest diesel towboat currently operating on the Mississippi River…

A new RAmparts 2300 series tug designed by Robert Allan Ltd. and built at Estaleiro Rio Maguari (ERM) in Belém, Brazil was delivered to Sulnorte Serviços Maritimos in August 2024. SN Cariri is the seventh RAmparts 2300 built by ERM in recent months.The RAmparts 2300 series features compact yet powerful Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) tugboats measuring around 23 meters in length. Despite their small size, they are equipped with high-performance twin diesel engines driving azimuthing thrusters—that deliver exceptional maneuverability and significant bollard pull…

A deckhand at the helm of a towing vessel had fallen asleep before the tow struck a dock near Clatskanie, Ore. last year, according to a report published by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Tuesday.The deckhand of the towing vessel Cindy B was experiencing the effects of fatigue while at the helm on Nov. 12, 2023. The towing vessel was pushing the loaded deck barge St. John up the Columbia River when the tow gradually moved to starboard out of the channel and struck the Port Westward Beaver Dock.The deckhand fell asleep during the end of his scheduled night watch…

Fifteen crew members have been rescued from an offshore supply vessel (OSV) that went up in flames off the coast of South Africa.The fire reportedly broke out and grew out of control in the messroom aboard the Marshall Islands registered vessel AM Pride on Thursday, in an ocean area approximately 48.5 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay in South Africa's Western Cape province, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) said.The Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC)…

A towing vessel that flooded and partially sank last year on the Lower Mississippi River near Ascension Paris, La. was found to have holes in its hull, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a report this week.The 1964-built towboat Uncle Blue, owned and operated by Alexis Marine, was towing one empty barge on March 26, 2023, when the vessel began flooding and partially sank. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported.Salvors worked for four days to remove 1,400 gallons of fuel from the vessel and refloat the towboat.

The pilot of a towboat that struck an industrial cargo pier near Saint Rose, La., last year had fallen asleep, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday.The pilot of the Marquette Transportation owned and operated towing vessel John 3:16 was experiencing the effects of fatigue during his watch on September 12, 2023, while navigating the Lower Mississippi River. NTSB investigators concluded the pilot had less than two hours of continuous sleep before taking the watch…

The sinking last year of a towing vessel in the Atlantic Ocean was due to a lack of watertight integrity, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday.Jackson Creek Marine's Jacqueline A was transiting the Atlantic Ocean from Virginia to a shipyard in Harvey, La., where the 1981-built vessel was to be brought into compliance with the U.S. Coast Guard's Subchapter M regulations. It began taking on water on August 8, 2023, while off the coast of South Carolina. The three crewmembers—a captain…

Mobile, Ala. based Cooper Marine announced it has added the 4,200-horsepower towing vessel David J. Cooper Jr. to its fleet.This vessel, built in 1977 and formally named American Pharaoh, was acquired from Turn Services, based in new Orleans.Now homeported in Mobile, the 120-foot-long towboat will be used for transporting cargo on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Cooper Marine said.The vessel is equipped with twin Caterpillar 3516 diesel engines with Reintjes WWAF873 gears delivering its propulsion.

A barge tow struck a mooring cell on the Ohio River last year after encountering a strong outdraft current above the McAlpine Dam during high-water conditions, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday.The 103-foot-long towing vessel Queen City, Owned and operated by C&B Marine Equipment, was transiting the Ohio River with 11 barges in tow when the tow struck the Vane Dike at the arrival point for the McAlpine Locks and Dam in Louisville, Ky., on March 28, 2023. The tow broke apart…

An obstructed check valve on a bilge pump led to the flooding and partial sinking of a towing vessel last year while moored at a shipyard near New Orleans, the National Transportation Safety Board reports.Marquette Transportation's vessel Joanne Marie was found partially submerged a day and a half after being moored and deactivated at the Bollinger Quick Repair Shipyard on the Harvey Canal. The vessel was unattended at the time. No injuries were reported and damage to the vessel was over $176…

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is seeking to fill 18 vacancies on the National Towing Safety Advisory Committee, which advises the Secretary of Homeland Security, via the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on matters relating to shallow-draft inland navigation, coastal waterway navigation, and towing safety.The Coast Guard said it will consider applications for the following 18 vacancies:Seven members to represent the barge and towing industry, reflecting a regional geographic balance.One…

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sea Dog (WPB 87373) sustained damage during the crew’s inbound transit from sea to the St. Marys River, Monday, the Coast Guard (USCG) said.The damaged cutter moored in Fernandina Beach, Fla., with assistance from additional Coast Guard assets and a commercial towing vessel, the USCG said.There were no reported injuries, damage to other vessels or environmental impact, and navigation remains unaffected, the agency added, noting the incident is under…

A towing vessel pilot incorrectly recalling the agreed-upon passing arrangement led to tows colliding last year in the Mississippi River, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.According to the Inland Navigation Rules, when two vessels are meeting or crossing, each vessel shall signal its maneuvering intentions by using the vessel’s whistle or VHF radio. About 20 minutes before the 19-barge Big D tow and 42-barge Carol McManus tow met at the bend near Fort Adams…

Signet Sirius, the first of two ART 92-32W Rotortugs was recently delivered by Signet Maritime at their Pascagoula Shipbuilding and Repair facility. This is the first ART Rotortug that Signet has built and operated in their fleet. Designed by Robert Allan Ltd. in collaboration with RotorTug BV, the Advanced Rotortugs (ART) incorporate the patented triple Z-drive Rotortug propulsion layout, featuring omni-directional maneuverability, and the benefits of a fully redundant and precise propulsion machinery configuration.

Analysts and commentators are quick to point out that fossil fuels will power maritime equipment, and indeed dominate the fueling marketplace, well into the future. However, they will do so alongside new fuels, and new technologies, that will be introduced to the maritime sector in the coming years. In its September, 2023 report “Beyond the Horizon: View of the Emerging Energy Value Chains”, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) explains that, “During the recent 80th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80)…