FEBRUARY 19, 2016—Family-owned petroleum marine transportation company Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc., Melville, NY, christened the 250,000 bbl Articulated Tug Barge unit M/V Donna J. Bouchard and B. No. 272 yesterday at ceremonies
FEBRUARY 3, 2016 — Here’s another of those marine accident investigationts where the summary does not portray the full horrors in the actual report itself. Released February 1 by the Transportation Safety
JANUARY 28, 2016 – The Vane Brothers Company, Baltimore, MD, has taken delivery of the Elizabeth Anne, the first in a series of eight 4,200 horsepower tugboats. All eight Elizabeth Anne Class
JANUARY 14, 2016 — The State University of New York Maritime College, Fort Schuyler, NY, is to confer the honorary degree of doctor of science degree on Morton S. Bouchard III, the
JANUARY 14, 2016 — The American Waterways Operators, the national trade association for the tugboat, towboat and barge industry, has promoted Jennifer Carpenter, its Executive Vice President, to the position of Chief
The vessel, built by Vigor Industrial’s Portland, OR, shipyard, follows towboat Crown Point, which began operations along the Columbia Snake River in May 2015.
Like the Crown Point, the Granite Point is a custom-built, environmentally-friendly towboat that was specifically designed by naval architects and marine engineers CT Marine, Edgecomb, ME, to serve Tidewater’s customers.
“Granite Point performed exactly as we wanted it to during its river trials earlier this month,” says Marc Schwartz, Maintenance & Engineering Manager at Tidewater. “We are ready for the Granite Point to team up with Tidewater’s current fleet of 16 towboats to provide our customers with the highest quality river transportation.”
Named for the granite cliff in Washington, about 20 miles southwest of Pullman along the Snake River, the towboat was built to the same specifications as the Crown Point and forthcoming sister vessel, the Ryan Point.
Measuring 102 ft by 38 ft, with a depth at full load of 11 ft, the Granite Point has a hexagonal wheelhouse with floor-to-ceiling windows on all six sides. The hexagonal design continues to the main deck, which features a galley, a media room, and a health and fitness facility.
“Tidewater understands that the ability of our crew members to cope with operational risk factors, like frequent sleep disruptions and heavy workloads, depends on their level of endurance,” says Bruce Reed, Chief Operations Officer and Vice President of Tidewater. “The responsibility for maintaining a high level of crew endurance rests with us. Therefore, all three towboats incorporate a comprehensive sound and vibration control package designed by Noise Control Engineers of Billerica, Massachusetts. The noise levels register at less than 60 decibels in the quarters during vessel operation, which is equivalent to the sound of an air conditioner.”
“When you are in the wheelhouse, which is three decks above the engines, you would really need to concentrate to hear the engines at all,” says Brian Fletcher, Tidewater Port Captain who piloted the Granite Point through river trials.
“You couldn’t ask for a quieter tug, nor a better tug in tight situations. It turns on a dime.”To meet the challenges of maneuvering barges through swift-moving currents, high winds, and eight navigation locks along the CSR System, CT Marine designed an enhanced steering system utilizing four main steering and four flanking rudders. Coupling the steering system with two Caterpillar 3516C Tier 3 engines, the design team was able to increase the margins of safety and efficiency.
“The Granite Point can ‘get up and go’,” says Josh Nichols, Assistant Port Captain, “but there is an ease and steadiness to it.”
“The up-front work paid off,” says Bob Curcio, Tidewater CEO. “The vessels are fuel-efficient, ecologically-responsible, and are giving our Captains and crews exactly what they’d asked for.”
“We are proud to have worked with Tidewater on Granite Point. Like its sister ship Crown Point, this vessel sets new standards for future towboat design. It will serve our community well for decades to come,” says Corey Yraguen, Vigor Executive VP of Fabrication.
TECHNICAL PARTICULARS
The Granite Point is powered by two Caterpillar 3516C EPA Tier 3 certified diesel engines each producing 2,240 BHP at 1,600 RPM. The engines drive two 92″ x 100″ fixed pitch, stainless steel propellers through CT28 Kort Nozzles. The vessel is capable of a service speed of 8 knots.
Electrical power is provided by two C7.1, Tier 3 generators, rated at 480 V, 200 kW at 1,800 RPM. The generators are controlled through an automatic transfer system that ensures the vessel will recover from a generator power loss in less than 30 seconds.
Deck machinery includes seven Patterson WWP 65E-7.5, 65 ton electric deck winches, with pilot house remote operation and local push button control stations on the main deck. Each winch has Samson 1 3/8″ Turbo 75 Synthetic Line.
To minimize power usage, variable frequency drives were used in all major rotating machinery applications and LED lighting was employed in both interior and exterior lighting applications.
The vessel is fitted with a Kidde NOVEC 1230 fire suppression system. Centralized fire detection and alarms cover both the machinery spaces and accommodations.
The 5,450 dwt chip barge was built as a flat deck barge by West Gulf Marine Works in Galveston, TX in 1988 and brought around to the West Coast by Zidell Marine of Portland, OR. The barge was constructed with ½” plate deck, hull and bottom plate with two longitudinal and six transverse bulkheads forming 21 watertight compartments. In the late 1990s, Dunlap fitted the DT-250 with a 237′ long x 65′ wide steel chip bin. It installed a new wood wear deck in 2014.
Island Tug & Barge is renaming the barge ITB-253 and plans to shorten the present 22′ high bin walls and remove the existing wood wear deck, replacing it with concrete and rebar which will also increase the barge’s existing 1,500 lb/sq.ft deck load.
The barge is classed ABS +A1 Barge, Unrestricted Service through February 2018 and carries an International Load Line Certificate.
Marcon acted as sole broker in the sale and has represented the buyers in dozens of sales and purchases. It has also worked with Dunlap for many years and sold its 3,000 HP tug Suiattle earlier this year.
Marcon has brokered twenty-nine sales and charters to date this year, including seven ocean deck barges totaling 34,964 dwt. Several additional sales are pending.
DECEMBER 3, 2015—Privately held Blessey Marine, Harahan, LA, moves liquid bulk cargoes on the U.S. inland waterways using a fleet of 10,000 to 30,000 double-hull tank barges. It transports everything from residual
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 Wärtsilä Mobile LNG solution has been developed for challenging locations where pipelines and large-scale LNG receiving terminals are not feasible, or where the quantities of LNG needed are smaller. It is well-suited for shallow water areas where access for larger vessels would not be possible without major jetty constructions or dredging operations.
The all-in-one solution includes a jetty-based LNG receiving system receiving system, LNG storage and a regasification barge. The barge can be used in combination with a fixed or floating power plant with an installed capacity of up to 250 MW, which is ideal for many medium-sized communities. Its capacity can be ramped up by floating a second barge next to it
Compared to constructing conventional land-based terminals in difficult soil conditions and areas with an undeveloped infrastructure, the barge can mean a significantly lower capital investment (capex) and faster delivery. And, being mobile, it can be easily re-located giving it a high resale value.
The Wärtsilä Mobile LNG solution will make LNG available to new consumer segments, and will benefit both utilities and end-users. The flexibility of location it provides can bring clean energy to areas that have only limited or no access to a national electrical grid.
“Wärtsilä’s solutions support the entire gas value chain, from drilling and production, to delivery, liquefaction, regasification, storage, and power generation. This latest innovation is one more important step towards completing our LNG infrastructure offering. Most existing facilities are geared for larger-scale users, whereas the Wärtsilä Mobile LNG offers a flexible and mobile option for small to medium requirements,” says Timo Koponen, Vice President, Flow and Gas Solutions, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.
The LNG is transferred by a small scale LNG carrier.
