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Towboats News

24 Oct 2024

Golding Barge Line Commissions New Towboat

(Photo: Golding Barge Line)

Vicksburg, Miss. based Golding Barge Line has commissioned its newest vessel, Scott Golding, built by Vessel Repair, in Port Arthur, Texas.The new towboat features a pair of Mitsubishi EPA Tier 4 engines supplied by Laborde Products, each delivering 1,260 HP at 1,600 RPM.“Golding Barge Line is proud to welcome our first Mitsubishi propulsion system to the fleet. The experience with Laborde Products has been exceptional,” said Austin Golding, President of Golding Barge Line. “These Tier 4 engines are not only environmentally friendly but also extremely efficient…

22 Oct 2024

US Exporters Race to Ship Soybeans as Looming Election Stokes Tariff Worries

© EJRodriquez / Adobe Stock

U.S. soybean export premiums are at their highest in 14 months, as grain merchants race to ship out a record-large U.S. harvest ahead of the U.S. presidential election and fears of renewed trade tensions with top importer China, traders and analysts said.Nearly 2.5 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans were inspected for export last week, including almost 1.7 million tons bound for China, the most in a year, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data released on Monday.But while this export flurry is a bright spot for U.S.

08 Oct 2024

Towboat Deckhand Was Asleep at Helm When Barge Struck Dock

Cindy B and St. John underway after the contact with the Beaver Dock. (Source: Columbia Pacific Bio-Refinery)

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…

07 Oct 2024

Holt Lock Reopens After Temporary Fix

(Image: USACE)

The Holt Lock on the Black Warrior River in Holt, Ala., has reopened after being closed earlier this year due to concerns about its structural stability.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed the lock on June 22 after the Mobile District engineering team conducted an initial stability analysis that identified cracks and leaks in the lock's infrastructure."The analysis, which utilized known data and certain assumptions, revealed critical stability issues with the monolith structure of the Holt Lock," the Corps said at the time of the closure.

30 Sep 2024

Pacific Maritime Towboat Repowered

(Photo: Pacific Maritime Group)

Pacific Maritime Group said its harbor towboat S. Bass has recently completed a full repower at Bay Ship in Alameda, Calif. and is back in action in San Diego, Long Beach and the Bay Area.The repower involved installing new EPA Tier 3 Mitsubishi S12R-Y3MPTAW engines, and Twin Disc 540 transmissions which were supplied by Dee Finley Diesel Repair, and installed new exhaust, water coolers, custom critical grade mufflers, aftercooler, reservoir system, propeller shafts and dripless shaft seal system that were designed and manufactured by Bay Ship.The 60-foot S.

13 Sep 2024

Jefferson County Port Authority Buys Land for New Mississippi River Terminal

(Photo: Jefferson County Port Authority)

The Jefferson County Port Authority (JCPA) has finalized the purchase of approximately 18 acres along the Mississippi River in Herculaneum, Missouri, in a $20 million deal with Riverview Commerce Park, LLC (RCP). This acquisition marks the establishment of the first publicly owned terminal facility in Jefferson County and is set to drive substantial infrastructure advancements and port development in the region.“It has taken significant time, effort and collaboration over the last two years to make this deal a reality,” said Derrick Good, President of the JCPA Board of Directors.

12 Sep 2024

USACE Opens Channel for Commercial Navigation at Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3

A towboat pushes barges through the newly-opened navigation channel at Elizabeth Locks and Dam. (Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District opened a 100-foot-wide navigation channel for commercial vessels through the center of the dam at Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 near Elizabeth, Pa. The first commercial navigation vessel passed through the channel on Thursday, September 5.“Opening the navigation channel ahead of schedule was a significant achievement,” said Col. Nicholas Melin, commander of the Pittsburgh District.The Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 has been operating since 1907…

29 Aug 2024

Towboat Sank Due to Hull Deterioration -NTSB

Uncle Blue partially sunken. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

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.

21 Aug 2024

Pilot Was Asleep at the Helm When Towboat Hit Louisiana Pier

John 3:16 underway on an unknown date before the contact. (Source: Marquette Transportation)

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…

13 Aug 2024

Towboat Sank Due to Watertight Integrity Issues

A rescue swimmer assists crewmembers into the water during the Jacqueline A sinking. (Photo: North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad)

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…

12 Aug 2024

ACBL Promotes Piccioni to Business Development VP

George Piccioni (Photo: ACBL)

Jeffersonville, Ind. based marine transportation company American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) announced it has promoted George Piccioni to vice president of business development.As ACBL's senior director of business development since 2016, Piccioni has helped to maximize the company's land holdings and assets, including leading the $1 billion transformation project at the site of its former Jeffboat shipyard.In his new VP role, Piccioni will continue these functions while also assuming an expanded leadership position, with Michael Shea, market analyst, reporting to him.

05 Aug 2024

USACE Gives Update on Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3

(Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District said it is expediting the opening of a 100-foot-wide navigation channel through the dam at Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 near Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, by August 28.On July 15, the Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 staff near Elizabeth, Pa., discovered an issue with the water level in the primary lock chamber. The district implemented a 7-foot-draft restriction.The navigation industry continues to utilize the lock chamber…

01 Aug 2024

Old Hickory Lock Drained for Maintenance; More Than 50 Cracks Found

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District recently drained Old Hickory Lock for scheduled maintenance and repair. This is a view of the lock July 19, 2024. It is scheduled to reopen for navigation Aug. 3, 2024. (USACE Photo by Braden... (Braden Simmons)

The Old Hickory Lock on the Cumberland River is scheduled to reopen to commercial marine navigational the coming days after being drained for inspection and maintenance.Workers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District recently closed and dewatered the 70-year-old lock to examine the condition of its components under the river's surface.Joe Adawag, civil engineer technician with the Nashville District Navigation Branch Lock Section, said equipment mechanics have…

30 Jul 2024

Turn Services to Acquire Marine Fueling Service

© gchapel / Adobe Stock

One of the United States' largest fleeting and shifting companies, Turn Services, headquartered in New Orleans, announced it has reached a deal to acquire Marine Fueling Service, a Texas-based provider of marine support services.Owned by the Bean family for over six decades, MFS provides fleeting, shifting, towing, boat charter, fuel, and lube services, both dockside and midstream in the Golden Triangle area and the Intracoastal Waterway (ICWW) in Texas.Located at the intersection of the ICWW…

17 Jun 2024

Electrical Issues Close Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam

(Photo: USACE)

Electrical issues have forced the closure of a lock and dam on the Upper Mississippi River near Minneapolis, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' St. Paul District announced on Monday.The Corps said its crews are working to fix the issues, which are affecting the fourth dam gate at the Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam.The Corps said the lock and dam will be closed to vessel traffic until further notice but that it hopes to resume service as soon as possible.

24 Jun 2024

Southern Devall Names Verloka Director of Cargo Stewardship & Fleet Allocation

Andrey Verloka (Photo: Southern Devall)

Sulphur, La. based marine transportation company Southern Devall announced it has appointed Andrey Verloka as its new director of cargo stewardship and fleet allocation.“In his new role, Andrey will be instrumental in ensuring that our cargo operations are executed flawlessly according to customer instructions whileminimizing risks to both cargo and equipment,” said Alfred Devall, executive vice president, commercial operations.Verloka will also be responsible for the strategic allocation of assets, based on specific cargo and voyage requirements.

22 Jul 2024

Cooper Marine Adds Towboat David J. Cooper Jr.

David J. Cooper Jr. (Photo: Cooper Marine)

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.

21 Jun 2024

ACBL Announces Reorganization Plan

(File photo: ACBL)

Jeffersonville, Ind. based marine transportation company American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) announced a reorganization of its business units and leadership team.The company, a leader in U.S. inland barge transportation, said the moves are "designed to enhance and optimize operational efficiency, customer satisfaction and ensure successful execution of ACBL’s fleet strategy".Patrick Sutton, who previously served as chief operating officer (COO), will assume the new role of senior vice president (SVP) of fleet development and strategy…

26 Jul 2024

Towboat Fire Damage Limited by Crew's Quick Response

Desperado (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

When a fire broke out in the engine room of a towboat in Louisiana, the situation could have easily escalated to become much worse, but the quick actions of the vessel's crew helped to contain the blaze and limit the damage significantly, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.The vessel Desperado was transiting in Lake Salvador near Bayou Perot, La., on February 17, 2023, when a ruptured hydraulic hose spraying fuel on a hot engine sparked a fire on board. An attempt to extinguish the fire with portable extinguishers proved unsuccessful…

22 Jul 2024

Towboats: Pathways to Decarbonization

(© steheap / Adobe Stock)

There are many forces pushing stakeholders across the global maritime industry to decarbonize.In the U.S. inland waterways, regulations aren’t one of the main drivers—at least not at the moment, according to Mike Complita, principal and vice president of strategic expansion at Elliott Bay Design Group, a naval architecture firm.Speaking on a panel at the IMX trade show in Nashville, Complita said proposed rules from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) are “driving massive change on the West Coast”…

16 Jul 2024

US Offshore Player Laborde Marine Enters the Inland Market with New Division

(Photo: Laborde Marine)

Laborde Marine, a New Orleans-based offshore support vessels (OSV) operator, announced it is entering the U.S. inland marine market with the creation of a new division to provide towing and pushboat services.LabMar Inland will initially charter Ivy Steiner, a 2,000-horsepower pushboat newly built by Steiner Construction in Bayou La Batre, Ala. The 78-foot-long vessel has a 34-foot beam and max draft of 8 feet, six inches. It is powered by twin Cat C32 engines, each providing 1…

23 May 2024

Strong Outdraft Current Caused Ohio River Tow Strike

Barges IN995423 and IB1938 against the lower dam gates. IB1913 is receiving methanol from IB1938 through a cargo transfer hose. (Background source: U.S. Coast Guard)

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…

24 May 2024

Senate Environment & Public Works Committee Passes WRDA 2024

File photo: Lock and Dam 25 (Photo: USACE)

The U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee marked up and passed its Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024, in a move seen as a major win for inland waterways infrastructure.Several outcomes in Section 109 of the Senate WRDA 2024 bill provide the ability to accelerate project completion, setting up a far more efficient future for the navigation construction program, according to Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI), which advocates for a modern, efficient and…

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