NOVEMBER 22, 2015—Naval architectural and marine engineering firm The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI), Seabrook, TX, will join with Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities (PRCC) and Clean Fuels Clean Rivers (CFCR) to conduct a
Designed by Robert Allan Ltd., Vancouver, BC, Canada, the Triton is the result of the successful operation of the first two Z-Tech 2400 tugs, Chloe K and Zeus, which were built for G & H Towing. The Triton also incorporates the lessons learned during 5 years of operation of eight previously built larger Z-Tech 7500 class tugs, starting with Thor in 2007. Those tugs are all operate by G&H Towing. The Triton is expected to be delivered before the end of 2015.
Joseph D’Isernia, Eastern Shipbuilding’s President, hosted the launching ceremony. Lisa Nigro, wife of Mike Nigro, VP of G & H Towing, christened the vessel, breaking the traditional bottle of champagne on the tug’s hull.
The Triton has an overall length of 80 feet, beam of 38 feet 3 in., depth of 15 feet 9 in., and operating draft of 16 feet 10 in. The propulsion power for the tug is supplied by two Caterpillar 3516C Tier 3-compliant diesel engines, each rated at 2,575 hp at 1,600 rev/min. The Triton has two Schottel SRP 1215 fixed pitch Z-drives for propulsion, with an expected bollard pull of 66 tonnes. Other equipment includes a Markey Machinery Fairleader 50-hp electric hawser winch. The tug is classed ABS +A1, Towing Vessel, AMS and Escort Service ABS Loadline (SoC), Statement of Compliance.
G&H Towing Company is the owners’ onsite representative and agent during the engineering, construction and delivery of the eight tugs for both Suderman & Young and Bay Houston. G&H Towing Company will operate the vessels after delivery.
POSSE, the naval version of the HECSALV naval architecture software package from Herbert-ABS Software Solutions LLC, is being used by the UK MoD Salvage & Marine Operations Team for Heavy Lift to monitor these complex heavy lift operations and ensure the blocks arrive safely at the assembly yard. MoD and the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage have supported the development of new POSSE tools for drydocking and heavy lift analysis for a number of years, and the new features have proven their value on these complex block movements around the UK.
Lower Block 04 (LB04), a large aft block weighing 11,200 tonnes and measuring 86m x 38m x 23m, was rolled onto a barge in Govan, Glasgow using 498 SPMT (Self Propelled Modular Transporter) axles. A detailed POSSE model that included both the barge and the roll-on loads was used to evaluate the heavy lift plan and to monitor the on board operation every step of the way. This lift was in a tidal zone, so the timing of ballast operations, roll-on, and the tide were critical. MoD needed a tool to evaluate the lift if the planned timing could not be maintained because of tide prediction errors, SPMT problems, pump failures, and other unforeseen issues. As axles of the SPMTs came aboard during a rising tide the team quickly evaluated the current state of the operation by entering the current ballast, roll-on position, and observed drafts into the POSSE system to make sure the operation was on schedule and working within a safe zone. The MoD team also used POSSE’s recent time sequence tool enhancements to quickly look ahead to make sure the operation would be safe until completion.
The barge with the block fastened securely was then towed to the float-off site near the Rosyth assembly yard. The barge had to ballast down, ground the stern for stability, and fully submerge its deck to a draft deep enough to float the large block off. Stability becomes very critical in these operations as the heavy lift barge’s main deck submerges and the barge loses waterplane area. POSSE was used once again by the MoD team to evaluate and monitor the operation. The float off procedure was analyzed using POSSE’s new 2-body heavy lift tools using a model that included detailed LB04 geometry, detailed barge geometry, and a simplified model of the support blocks and the ground. The pumping sequences to ground the barge were pre-modeled, and the on-site team was able to rapidly rerun the sequence during all stages of the operation to evaluate any last minute changes to the plan and react to unforeseen problems.
Herbert-ABS sets the standard for leading edge stability, load management and emergency response software solutions for the marine and offshore industries. A joint venture between Herbert Engineering Corporation and the American Bureau of Shipping, Herbert-ABS supplies marine and offshore software products that include LMP-Offshore (offshore load management), CargoMax (shipboard trim, stability and loading) and HECSALV (salvage engineering and design). Herbert-ABS is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Glasgow, Shanghai, Singapore and Busan.
The first two boats, named Chincha and Tupac, are now under construction at the Wuxi Shipyard in China, for SAAM’s Peruvian affiliate Tramarsa, with others soon to follow.
In addition to the design, Robert Allan Ltd. also provided a complete structural steel parts package developed from the design drawings prepared for this project. Parts were defined and nested using ShipConstructor software, complete with part identification code, suitable as input to the shipbuilder’s NC burning code.
The 24.4 m long x 11.25 m beam RAmparts 2400-W Class tugboat is a twin Z-drive, diesel-powered tug, designed for maximum efficiency in the performance of ship-assist and terminal support operations. The hull form and layout have evolved through the extensive experience of the designers. Ship-handling is performed over the bow using a high-performance, split drum hawser winch.
The tugs will also provide firefighting capability and have up to date accommodations for a crew of six in two single and two double cabins.
The design complies with ABS requirements for the following notations: ✠A1, , ✠ AMS, Towing Vessel, UWILD, Fire-fighting Vessel Class 1 Particulars of the RAmparts 2400-W design are as follows: Length overall
NOVEMBER 11, 2015 — Norwegian ballast water treatment system (BWTS) specialist Optimarin says it has become the first UV system supplier to meet the most stringent USCG marine water requirements, positioning it
The vessel is one of two sister vessels being built under a two vessel contract signed with Bouchard Transportation, Inc. in August 2014. Morton S. Bouchard and sister vessel Frederick E. Bouchard each measure 130 feet by 38 feet by 22 feet and is classed by ABS as +A1 Ocean Towing , Dual Mode ATB, USCG Subchapter C. On completion, both tugs will be equipped with an Intercon Coupler System. Deliveries are expected in January and May 2016 respectively. The vessels will enter into Bouchard Transportation’s fleet service in New York, N.Y.
This most recent launch follows the September launch from the Moss Point shipyard of another ATB tug for Bouchard, the 10,000 hp M/V Donna J. Bouchard.
Also equipped with an Intercon Coupler, Donna J. Bouchard, is classed by ABS as +A1 Towing Vessel, Dual Mode ATB, USCG Subchapter M.
She will be paired with barge B.No.272, which is currently under construction at VT Halter Marine’s Pascagoula, MS, shipyard to comprise the second ATB unit built for Bouchard Transportation as part of its major expansion program.
“Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc. is happy to announce yet another successful launching of a state of the art ATB tug built by VT Halter Marine. The launching of the M/V Morton S. Bouchard Jr. is a special event within the Bouchard Family, for the vessel is named after the father of President/CEO, Morton S. Bouchard III, who wanted his father’s name to always remain on the waterfront for which he dedicated his entire fife to. The original tug, Morton S Bouchard Jr., which was also built by Halter, was earlier renamed as The Bouchard Boys and continues to operate with Bouchard Fleet,” said Morton S. Bouchard III President and CEO, Bouchard Transportation.
“The successful launching of both vessels, the M/V Morton S. Bouchard Jr. today and the M/V Donna J. Bouchard in September is an indication of the commitment to the continued relationship with Bouchard Transportation. We are pleased and proud to celebrate this important milestone in the life of any vessel, and we look forward to having these superb tugboats join the Bouchard Transportation fleet,” said Jack Prendergast, CEO, VT Halter Marine
The NTSB said yesterday that the Curve 21 remote operated vehicle (ROV) was used to identify the wreck found off the Bahamas at a depth of about 15,000 feet as that of the TOTE ship that went missing on October 1 during Hurricane Joaquin.
The NTSB has contracted with the U.S. Navy to locate the El Faro, document the wreckage and debris field and recover the voyage data recorder (VDR).
The Curve 21 ROV documented both the port and starboard sides of the vessel.
The vessel is oriented in an upright position with the stern buried in approximately 30 feet of sediment.
The navigation bridge and the deck below have separated from the vessel and have not been located. The team has reviewed sonar scans of the nearby debris field and has not identified any targets that have a high probability of being the missing navigation bridge structure.
The voyage data recorder has not been located.
Future plans are to redeploy the Orion side scan sonar system to generate a map of the debris field to locate the navigation bridge structure.
The sponsor of the Commissioning Ceremony was Karen W. Penale, Real Estate Administrator – Western Region, New York Power Authority – Niagara Project.
Breaking the traditional bottle of champagne, she declared “I name this tugboat Joncaire II. May God bless here and all who will sail on her.”
Joncaire II and its sister vessel will be used to service winter operations at the Niagara Power Plant in Buffalo, NY. They will augment and replace aging vessels that are used for the installation, removal, and maintenance of the Lake Erie-Niagara River Ice Boom and for various associated marine construction projects.
Construction for the first tug began last April. The second tug is scheduled for delivery in late-2017.
The new tugs are specially reinforced with heavy stems and shell reinforcement for operations in seasonal ice. The design of the conventional drive tugs includes elevated pilothouses for improved visibility when maneuvering and a spacious work deck aft to facilitate ice boom connections.
In 2010, Great Lakes Shipyard built the New York Power Authority’s new 80′ x 34′ Ice Boom Operations Barge, which incorporates a Terex 80-ton pedestal mounted lattice boom crane.
KEEL LAYING
The tug commissioning was followed by a separate ceremony, marking the keel laying of a new 3,400 H.P. tugboat to be built for Regimen de Pensiones y Jubilaciones del Personal de la Empresa Portuaria Quetzal, Guatemala, Central America. Representing the owner at the ceremony was Eduardo De Jesus Paiz Lemus, Presidente Junta Administrador.
Congresswoman Marcy C. Kaptur, U.S. Representative of the 9th District of Ohio, the principal speaker, commended the Company indicating that “We are fortunate to have a company like Great Lakes – their industry is the gift that keeps on giving. They are [through their education programs] passing on skills to the next generation, who will keep this country great.”
Congresswoman Kaptur also paid compliments to the company’s team – paying special recognition to Ronald C. Rasmus, President of the Great Lakes Group.
She highlighted the significance of the achievement, “To create here, in the heart of America, a shipyard; a place that faces global competition every day, is no small achievement. It is extraordinary. Look at all of the suppliers that benefit from your efforts.”
The tugboat is being built under a contract awarded this August. It will be another of the company’s HandySize Class 3,400 HP twin-screw tugboats and will be used for harbor towing operations in Puerto Quetzal; a growing commercial cargo, container, and cruise port on the Pacific coast of Guatemala.
The buyer, Regimen de Pensiones y Jubilaciones del Personal de la Empresa Portuaria, is a pension benefits plan for port employees and retirees who operate a commercial tugboat service in the port under a Port Authority franchise for the purpose of ensuring future retirement benefits.
Representing the Regimen at the ceremony was Eduardo De Jesus Paiz Lemus, Presidente Junta Administrador, who inscribed his signature on the keel plate declaring that “The keel has been truly and fairly laid.”
The HandySize Class tug was designed by Jensen Naval Architects & Marine Engineers, Seattle, WA.
Set for delivery next year, the tug is specifically designed for harbor work and coastal towing. It is 74-feet long with a beam of 30 feet, and a design draft of 11.5 feet. It is to be built to American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) standards and its Cummins QSK-50 main diesel propulsion engines, each rated at 1700 BHP@ 1600 rpm meet US EPA Tier III emission regulations delivering superior fuel economy, durability, and reliability.
In recognition of the significant achievement for a U.S. domestic shipyard in competitively concluding a foreign sale, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and the U.S. Embassy, Guatemala City, was represented at the ceremony by Antonio Prieto, Sr. Trade Specialist, who was credited by the company with facilitating the transparent negotiations and sale.
The two, 120-foot long, 35-foot wide tugboats, which will be used for tow operations, will be powered by two Caterpillar 3516C, 2447 BHP at 1600 rpm main engines with Reintjes reduction gears turning two NautiCAN fixed-pitch propellers with fixed nozzles.
The vessels will also have two C7.1 Caterpillar generators for electrical service, one TESD-34 Markey tow winch, one CEW-60 Markey electric capstan and one Smith Berger Town Pin.
“Jensen is proud to have been chosen as the design firm on this project and looks forward to seeing the vessels through from concept to completion,” said Johan Sperling, vice president, Jensen Maritime. “We will embed a full-time Jensen designer in the shipyard for the duration of this project to help with system design and to ensure that the tugboats are built to exacting specifications.”
Keels will be laid for both vessels this fall with complete vessel delivery scheduled for May and November 2017. Both vessels will be fully classed by ABS and compliant with U.S. Coast Guard, as required, at delivery.
On February 13, 2015, El Faro successfully completed the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) class and statutory surveys, meeting all rules and regulations as applicable. All deficiencies identified were rectified prior to completion of the surveys. None of the deficiencies were associated with El Faro’s main propulsion systems.
The annual inspection of El Faro, required by the United States Coast Guard (USCG), was completed by qualified USCG inspectors in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 6, 2015.
In June 2015, a qualified ABS surveyor examined and tested the main, auxiliary and emergency systems as part of the continuous machinery survey program and found them to be satisfactory.
TOTE told investigators that El Faro was scheduled to be removed from the route between Jacksonville and San Juan and redeployed to the U.S. West Coast where it would operate between Washington State and Alaska. In August, in order to prepare for this operational change, TOTE began to make modifications to the vessel while underway under the supervision of an additional chief engineer. Work on these modifications was performed by welders and machinists over many voyages, including during the accident voyage.
On September 11, 2015, TOTE received permission from the Coast Guard to shut down one of the ship’s two boilers so it could be inspected by an independent boiler service company during a voyage between San Juan and Jacksonville. As a result of the inspection, the boiler service company recommended service to both boilers during an upcoming drydock period that had already been scheduled for November 6, 2015. The boiler was returned to service following the inspection.
Interviews of relief crew and company management indicated that onboard safety drills were consistently conducted on a weekly basis. These included lifeboat drills for all crewmembers to ensure that all on board understood their responsibilities in an emergency.
Investigators interviewed two pilots that had guided El Faro in and out of the Port of Jacksonville; both reported that the vessel handled similarly to other vessels of its size and type.
The vessel’s terminal manager reported that El Faro met stability criteria when it left Jacksonville.The company’s procedures called for some cargo on the ship to be “double lashed” regardless of the weather expected to be encountered during the voyage. The vessel stevedores reported that prior to El Faro’s departure on the accident voyage, the cargo was secured in accordance with those procedures.
Before El Faro departed Jacksonville, Tropical Storm Joaquin was predicted to become a hurricane and a marine hurricane warning was issued by the National Hurricane Center’s Advisory #8 at 5:00 pm EDT on Sept. 29.
At about 8:15 pm EDT on Sept. 29, El Faro departed Jacksonville, Fla., for San Juan, Puerto Rico.
At 1:12 pm EDT on Sept. 30, the captain emailed a company safety official that he intended to take a route south of the predicted path of the hurricane and would pass about 65 miles from its center.
In an advisory issued at 2:00 am EDT on Oct. 1, the National Hurricane Center predicted seas of 30 feet with sustained winds of 64 knots (74 mph), increasing to 105 knots (121 mph) as the El Faro approached the wall of the eye of the hurricane.
In a recorded satellite phone call to the company’s emergency call center at 7:00 am EDT, the captain told the call center operator that he had a marine emergency. He reported that there was a hull breach, a scuttle had blown open, and that there was water in hold number 3. He also said that the ship had lost its main propulsion unit and the engineers could not get it going. The operator then connected the captain with the Designated Person Ashore (DPA). The DPA told investigators that the captain had communicated similar information to him that was provided to the call center operator, and also that the captain had estimated the height of the seas that El Faro was encountering to be 10 to 12 feet.
The USCG received electronic distress alerts from three separate sources on El Faro: the Ship’s Security Alert System (SSAS), the Inmarsat-C Alert, and the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB).
According to electronic alert system data sent by the vessel at 7:17 am EDT on Oct. 1, its last reported position was about 20 miles from the edge of the eye of the hurricane.
The USCG did not have direct voice communications with El Faro, only electronic distress alerts.
The NTSB investigators that traveled to Florida have returned to continue work on the investigation from NTSB headquarters in Washington.
The NTSB contracted with the U.S. Navy to locate the ship, document the wreckage on the sea floor and recover the voyage data recorder.
The USNS Apache, a fleet ocean tug, was outfitted with specialized equipment for this mission, and departed Little Creek, Virginia, at about 4:30 pm EDT on October 19. In addition to the Navy crew, the NTSB investigator-in-Charge, Tom Roth-Roffy, is on Apache with representatives from the USCG, TOTE and ABS, all parties to the NTSB investigation.
The Apache is estimated to arrive at the last known position of El Faro on Saturday, October 24, to begin the search for the ship and to recover the voyage data recorder. Once the search operation begins, it is expected to take at least two weeks.
The length of the operation will depend on the circumstances encountered.Updates on the search for the vessel and the accident investigation will be issued as circumstances warrant.
