OP-ED: Freezing the Jones Act

 

It was a nasty winter, even by Alaskan standards. The city of Nome, Alaska was in trouble.  A late November storm blocked a scheduled shipment and the city was running out of fuel.  In an Arctic winter, fuel is as precious as blood.  It powers more than cars and trucks, it runs generators to light up the 24 hours of darkness and it burns in boilers for heat when the outside temperatures regularly hit -50 degrees.  Without fuel, all human life stops; and Nome’s tanks were running dry.  The solution to the crisis lay in the belly of a Russian ice-strengthened tanker sailing just offshore.  The problem was that her cargo of life-sustaining gas and diesel was loaded in Dutch Harbor Alaska, and a U.S. law designed to protect domestic shipbuilding was preventing her from completing the mission.  Recognizing the urgency, Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, issued a one-time waiver of the Jones Act and the Renda steamed into Nome Harbor to deliver the fuel. 

As changes in Arctic continue to unfold, incidents such as the one in Nome will become more common.  In addition, the pace of change in Arctic has found the U.S. unprepared to assert her claims and to defend fragile ecosystems and populations.  The Nome incident illustrates a stark choice for the U.S.: change how the country protects its domestic shipbuilding, or cede the Arctic to its geopolitical rivals.    

The Jones Act requires that any ship carrying passengers or cargo between two U.S. ports must be built in the U.S., crewed by U.S. nationals, and owned by a U.S. company.  The Act dates back to the 1920’s but the idea of protecting a domestic shipbuilding industry from foreign competition is as old as the country itself. The First Congress of the United States levied heavy tariffs on goods delivered on foreign ships.  The Act serves that important role today; however, the economic reality is that Jones Act compliant ships are expensive to build and expensive to operate.  So to maximize profits, large ships in the international trade are flagged in countries with favorable laws and tax treatment.  Such “flags of convenience” create strange outcomes as cruise ships that pick up vacationers in Miami must first stop somewhere outside of the U.S. before discharging their passengers.  Foreign flagged tankers, loading crude in Valdez may take that crude to a foreign port where it is pumped ashore, modified slightly, then reloaded on to the same ship before that ship sets sail for a U.S. refinery.  

Opponents of the Jones Act point out the inefficiencies created when non-compliant vessels seek to skirt the law.  They argue that the trade protection measure makes coastwise shipping prohibitively expensive as shipbuilders in the U.S. must operate under more expensive environmental and labor regulations.  Similarly, the U.S. ownership requirement cuts off sources of capital to build those ships.  Without the Jones Act, the argument goes, we could use international competition and realize benefits and efficiencies of moving freight over water.  For example, we could put containers on barges that service coastal cities, thereby removing thousands of trucks from the already choked and crumbling interstate highways.  

Proponents of the Act cite jobs and national security interests.  During World War II the U.S. shipbuilding industry saved the world from fascism by building Liberty Ships faster than German submarines could sink them.  Today, the market for Jones Act compliant vessels supports thousands of good paying jobs and preserves skills that would desperately be needed should the world face a similar crisis.  The decline in domestic manufacturing under the auspices of free trade serve as a warning to those looking to open U.S. shipbuilding to foreign competition.

The Arctic presents a different problem.  As the ice recedes, human demands in the Arctic will increase.  Just this year, 1,000 passengers aboard the cruise ship Crystal Serenity sambaed and bunny hopped their way through the once impassable Northwest Passage.   As a result of increased economic activity, settlements in the Arctic will grow.  More people in the Arctic means more demand for ice class ships to resupply villages and outposts.  More shipping also means increased demand for search and rescue and spill response.  As demand for icebreakers and ice class ships increases, there are few Jones-Act certified ships to fill the need.  In contrast, countries such as Finland have an excess of icebreaker capacity.  Those ships, however, cannot operate between U.S. ports in the absence of a Jones Act waiver from the Department of Homeland Security.     

In addition to support for economic activity, presence in the Arctic is critical for political reasons.  Conditions in the Arctic are changing faster than most expected and wherever the ice recedes, it leaves behind a geopolitical vacuum.  As the ice pulls back from the shore, it will expose trillions of dollars in natural resources.  More importantly, it will uncover fragile and delicate ecosystems and leave indigenous populations exposed to potential exploitation.  Russia has already staked its claim to a vast undersea territory stretching almost to the North Pole.  In the last few years, Russia has been quietly rebuilding its fleet of Soviet era icebreakers.  Today, Russia has scores of ice class ships, six nuclear powered icebreakers, and three more heavy crushers on their way.  China, with no territory in the arctic, has two icebreakers with a third on the way.  The United States, a country with the world’s most powerful and well equipped military, has one heavy icebreaker, and it is 40 years old.  Congress has allocated funds for a second ship, but construction will not start until 2020 and the ship will not see ice until 2025.  Protection of the environment and native people in the Arctic will require a U.S. presence and a U.S. presence will require icebreakers now.    

Typical Jones Act problems involve competition between foreign and U.S. flagged ships.  But with little or no U.S. ships to fill the need, the Jones Act forces a choice between using a foreign flagged vessel or nothing at all.  As the situation in Nome demonstrated, that is not a choice when lives, the environment, or a critical national interest is at stake.  The current administration can fix this. The Secretary of Homeland Security, using executive authority, can and should grant a temporary waiver for all ice class vessels operating from the Aleutian Islands in the south to the Canadian border in the north and in all U.S. points above the Arctic Circle, until such time as an equivalent Jones Act compliant vessel becomes available.  Such a rule would allow the U.S. to immediately defend her geopolitical interests by freeing up the one available icebreaker.  While the waiver is in place, existing foreign vessels could develop and test markets for commercial shipping with ice breaking capabilities.  If it appears the market will bear the increased cost of a U.S. flagged ship providing those services, U.S. shipbuilders will build a ship and enter the market.  When the U.S. ships move in, the waiver is lifted and the U.S. will protect that market under existing law.  In this way, the rule would actually promote domestic shipbuilding by allowing other countries to highlight areas for growth while minimizing risks.  Such a rule would also encourage efficiency and innovation without compromising or threatening existing jobs. 

As President Lincoln said in his 1862 address to Congress “the dogmas of the past are inadequate to the stormy present.” The Arctic presents opportunities and challenges not seen by western countries since the days of Columbus.  In times of crisis, we can, and should, look critically upon institutions fostered in a different time and for a different reason.  The Secretary of Homeland Security recognized this crisis and granted a waiver for Nome.  The Secretary should now do the same for the rest of the Arctic.

Remembering El Faro: One year on

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Training and Retaining

One of the biggest concerns in shipping is finding and retaining qualified mariners. This is further exacerbated by the downturns in the oil and bulker markets, where vessels are being laid up or sold for scrap, leaving crews to find work where they can, possibly outside of the industry. Even before these mariners actually get their jobs, there is a plethora of regulatory barriers to obtain the original Certificate of Competency for officers, and even numerous hoops to jump through for the unlicensed as well. The 2010 Manilla Amendments to the STCW and the Maritime Labor Convention of 2006 have created further requirements than seen previously.

First and foremost a mariner must obtain a Transportation Worker Identity Credential (TWIC). In the past, mariners background checks were conducted by the USCG. Now the TWIC card reduces the Coast Guard need to conduct said checks, since the TSA is doing so. An original TWIC costs $128.00 out of the prospective mariner’s pocket, before they even have credentials or a job. At this point we are going to focus solely on the U.S. Mariner. Although STCW has standardized much of the training, the implementation in different countries can be vast.

The second step, and sometimes the most difficult to complete is the mariner physical. One would think that it is as easy as walking in to your family doctor’s office, handing them the form, and doing the physical. Unfortunately many doctors are not equipped to deal with the more specific items such as the color vision test. If your doctor cannot do this, then going to the eye doctor may suffice, but call ahead. Yours truly has found that not all eye doctors’ offices have the requisite tests that the Coast Guard wants. It is best to go to an OSHA clinic or a doctor who conducts FAA pilot physicals. The entire medical requirements can be found in NVIC 01-14.

The next step is to have a drug screening. Not any drug screening is acceptable. This must be done in accordance with 46 CFR 16.220, filled out on the appropriate DOT form and submitted to a USCG approved testing facility. This can range from $50 to $150 depending on your location. Many civil service drug tests do not count for the USCG requirements.

With the addition of an entry level rating application and the fees totaling $140 for MMC issuance and evaluation, a mariner is ready to begin looking domestically for a job. At this point the prospective mariner has possibly spent well over $400 of their own money, just to get a credential to work on board. What can an Able Seafarer expect to make? The monthly minimum according to the ILO is $614.00. Now on a U.S.-flag vessel, this low of a wage likely will not be seen. But U.S. seafarers working on foreign-flag vessels may see this.

This, however, is only the beginning. Gone are the days where an Ordinary, or even a Mess man could work their way up the hawse pipe all the way to Captain, without having to take an inordinate amount of classes and jump through bureaucratic hoops.

The next rung on the ladder to advancement is the Rating Forming Part of a Navigational or Engineering Watch. In order to accomplish this the candidate must either have a Qualified Assessor sign off on certain competencies. This is in addition to the required six-month sea time. Another option for the seafarer is to complete a training program approved by the USCG that includes two months of sea time. The price of this course? Anywhere upwards of $1,000.00.

After that, one can either go to a Maritime University, Union Training Center, local Captains School or acquire the requisite sea time and have the competencies signed off on in order to become a vessel officer. Either way the process takes several years of hard work, study, and dedication. In the end it is all worth it. But once you reach officer level, the workload to upgrade that license increases substantially. We will also touch on customer specific requirements for the training of crew and officers.

When I graduated SUNY Maritime in 1997, the school had not fully implemented STCW 95 in to the curriculum yet. Therefore, after graduation, myself and many of my classmates stuck around for a few weeks to complete these requirements. Nowadays the STCW requirements are included in to the curriculum and the cadets graduate ready to sail. From there however, the price of ambition can be high as we will see. Once upon a time officers would sit for each and every upgrade to their license. Now, at least on the deck side, a Third Mate only needs sea time to upgrade to Second Mate. Engineers are far more complicated as the type of plant must be taken into consideration. Plus, I am a deck officer, so I’m a little biased on the subject.

Upon upgrading to Second Mate, this officer must now go through a large amount of training to upgrade to Chief Officer. If the prospective Chief Officer has someone willing to sign off on their Celestial Navigation and Advanced Navigation competency sheets, they have just shaved 80 hours off of their training. If not, then the prospect may be taking close to 450 hours of training. This can be up to 12 weeks of classroom time. The cost? Upwards of $10,000.00. This is before paying the Coast Guard their fees for examination, evaluation, and license issuance. If the mariner is lucky their employer or union sponsors them for this training. As a former union sailor, I had no out of pocket costs for this training. If the mariner does not have a sponsor for this training, the price tag is quite substantial, especially in a market such as this, where jobs are becoming more and more scarce.

One would be led to believe that there could not possibly be any more training required after this. This is not necessarily the case. Management officers are often required to have undergone the Medical Person in Charge training and Fast Rescue Boat. Of course there is also the specialty training that needs to be taken in certain trades such as Person in Charge for Tankers, or Liquid Carriers, Crowd control and Crisis Management for those working passenger vessels. Those officers working for Military Sealift Command may be required to take Small Arms, Chemical, Biological, Radiological Defense Officer (CBR-D), and a manner of other courses dependent on the vessel the mariner will sail upon. These extra courses can total another month or two of the mariner’s off time.

There is a fair proportion of the maritime industry with personnel who have never spent any significant time at sea. That in it of itself is not a problem; not all jobs require seagoing experience. For many however, the mariner is viewed as a tool and not a person who has hopes, dreams, and aspirations. These mariners spend on average six months a year on the ship. Some may trade coastwise, some international

If six months is spent on the ship and then contract requirements or career ambitions require further training, a mariner can only have a total of a few weeks off each vacation to spend with family, friends, and loved ones. I am not proposing that we reduce the educational requirements. I believe that we will see a downward trend in accidents across the board in the coming years due to increased training. But other measures need be considered by ship owners and managers in order to allow the mariners to have a fair amount of time off to do the things that life may require of them and get that much needed rest in order to return refreshed and ready for work. If we are to retain the talent that is required to crew the vessels, than we must remember their humanity.

Bollinger delivers FRC 18, USCGC Joseph Tezanos

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Tugs & Barges: Evolving with the market

Engineering company GTT has more than 50 years’ experience in the design of membrane cargo containment systems, but one project underway right now in Orange, TX, is quite unique. That’s because it’s the first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunker transport barge in the United States.

One of 118 GTT projects currently underway worldwide, the tank barge is taking shape at Conrad Orange shipyard, Aziz Bamik, General Manager of GTT North America, told delegates at Marine Log Tugs & Barges 2016 Conference & Expo held last month in Seattle. While Conrad has decades of experience building all types of tank barges—dirty oil, products, chemicals, and LPG—this is the first time that it is building a vessel with one of GTT’s Mark III Flex membrane tank technology. Following a certification process, Conrad signed a license agreement with GTT back in January 2015 to construct the Mark III Flex.

Designed to operate in inland waterways, bays, harbors, and U.S. coastal waters, the new 2,200 m3 tank barge will be used to refuel TOTE’s two 3,100-TEU LNG-powered containerships. The barge will travel about a mile from its mooring facility to fuel the two Orca Class containerships, which operate out of the Port of Jacksonville, FL to San Juan, PR. The barge is designed not as an Articulated Tug Barge unit, but rather to be towed by hawser wire, pushed or maneuvered by hip, says Bamik.

In anticipation of increasing demand for LNG as a marine fuel, Bamik also mentioned to the conference audience that GTT North America was working with Conrad on a larger Articulated Tug Barge unit that will have a capacity of 4,800 m3, with two GTT Mark III Flex Cargo Containment System tanks. The 319 ft x 62 ft barge would have cold LNG delivery with onboard reliquefaction.

COMING DEMAND FOR LNG
The interest in LNG as a marine fuel seems to have waned in the U.S. with the drop in the price of oil. As of today, five vessels burn LNG as fuel in the Jones Act market. Besides TOTE’s two containerships, the Harvey Power, the third in a series of six dual fuel Platform Supply Vessels for Harvey Gulf International Marine, New Orleans, recently entered service in the Gulf of Mexico under charter for Shell. Next year, Crowley Maritime will take delivery of two Commitment Class Container Roll-on/Roll-Off (CONRO) ships for Puerto Rico. Those are being classed by DNV GL. All the other Jones Act LNG fuelled vessels are being built to ABS class.

Additional LNG Ready classed tonnage delivered or being built by General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego and Philly Shipyard Inc. in Philadelphia could grow the LNG-fueled Jones Act fleet if converted in the future. TOTE is also converting its two Orcas Class RO/RO ships for Alaska service in Singapore.

Globally, there are about 77 gas-fueled vessels in operation and another 79 confirmed newbuildings as of March 2016, according to Anthony Teo, Technology and LNG Business Development Manager, North America, DNV GL. “There are about another 50 LNG Ready vessels have been contracted,” Teo told delegates. He said that DNV GL estimates there will be 360 LNG fuelled vessels in operation by 2020.

The widespread adoption of LNG as a fuel, Teo pointed out, was is being hindered by the lack of gas fuel bunkering facilities in ports.

A panel of naval architects, liquefied natural gas reliquefaction technology providers, and regulators discussed more in-depth the current hurdles hindering the expansion of the adoption of LNG as a marine fuel for the tugs and towboats in the Jones Act market.

Panelist Rafael Riva, Marine Business Development Manager, ECA, Lloyd’s Register pointed out that the technology was well proven in Europe. The first LNG tugs, for example, were built in Turkish shipyard Sanmar for Norway’s Bukser og Berging AS and have been in service for Statoil AS since 2014. The DNV GL class tugs are equipped with lean burn gas engines from Rolls-Royce and Rolls-Royce azimuthing thrusters.

The LNG powered propulsion systems does require more space. The Shearer Group’s Engineering Manager Joshua Sebastian, PE, mentioned the complexities of integrating the necessary fuel tank, piping, and control systems required to burn LNG on the smaller towboat platform. Sebastian’s company, naval architectural firm The Shearer Group, has been contracted for the conversion of a 65-foot-long conventional diesel-powered towboat to burn LNG.

LNG-powered tugs also require small volumes of fuel with a dedicated delivery solution. Fueling can be accomplished either via tanker trucks, shore LNG storage tanks, portable gas fuel tanks or ship to ship or barge to ship transfer.

Panelist John Dwyer, Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection/Chief, Inspection Division at USCG Sector Puget Sound, provided the regulatory view on the development of LNG as a marine fuel in the U.S.

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a number of policy letters and guidance on the design and operation of ships using LNG as a marine fuel, as well as ships and facilities transferring LNG as fuel. The U.S. Coast Guard has addressed designs and facilities on a case-by-case basis.

Waller Marine’s Beau Berthelot pointed out that his company has worked on a number of refueling solutions. Waller Marine, for example, has been granted an Agreement in Principle (AIP) by ABS for a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) and regasification articulated tug barge concept. The vessel has the ability to load LNG from existing LNG terminals, liquefaction facilities or traditional LNG carriers and transport the LNG to existing tanks, traditional LNG carriers, trucks or marine vessels using LNG as a fuel. The barge also is equipped for regasification of LNG directly to a pipeline or to a power plant. An additional feature will be the use of natural gas as a fuel in the dual fuel engines of the tug to drive the tug-barge unit.

The benefit of the LNG Articulated Tug and Barge Regas Vessel (ATB RV) is that it allows LNG to be moved and delivered more efficiently on a small-scale basis in locations where large LNG infrastructure would be cumbersome, costly and time consuming.

Another possible solution for small footprint applications mentioned by panelists David Grucza, Director, Drilling and Marine U.S., Siemens, and Michael Walhof, Sales Director, Distributed LNG Solutions, Dresser-Rand, a Siemens company, was Dresser-Rand’s LNGo system is a modularized, portable natural gas liquefaction plant. This point-of-use production plant is a standardized product made up of four packaged skids: a power module, compressor module, process module and a conditioning module. The natural gas consumed powers the unit and is also used as the process refrigerant to eliminate complexity and maintenance.

SHIPYARDS CONTINUE TO BE BUSY
Meanwhile, U.S. shipyards continue to book orders for conventionally powered harbor tugs and Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) units. The continued orders for ATBs, in particular, are in response to transport refined products in the U.S.

Just last month, Gunderson Marine, Portland, OR, secured an order to build two 82,000 bbl, 430 foot-long oceangoing tank barges for Harley Marine Services, Inc., Seattle.  The tank barges will be part of an ATB unit.

Gunderson last built a barge for Harley Marine in 2009.  Construction on the barges will begin this year, with delivery of both vessels set for the second half of 2017. 

As of press time, Harley Marine Services was negotiating with a Gulf Coast shipyard for the construction of the ATB tugs that would be coupled to the tank barges being built by Gunderson.

Over the past nine months, Gunderson Marine has delivered two 578 ft ATB oceangoing barges for chemical and oil service for Kirby Offshore Marine.

For its tank barges, Kirby Offshore Marine took delivery of two 10,000 hp ATB tugs from Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Whidbey Island, WA. Speaking at Marine Log Tugs & Barges 2016, Nichols Brothers Boat Builders President & CEO Gavin Higgins said that ATBs enjoy several cost advantages over coastal tankers when it comes to moving refined products. Crew costs are far less, nine crew vs. 18 crew. Additionally, ATBs are more ship shape, offering speed advantages over towed tank barges.

The shipyard has also signed a contract with Kirby for two line haul tugs, as well as two 8,000 hp ATB tugs based on a design by naval architect Robert Hill of Ocean Tug & Barge Engineering. The companion tank barges are being built by Vigor.

FINCANTIERI BAY SHIPBUILDING
Fincantieri Marine Group’s Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS), Sturgeon Bay, WI, has delivered the Articulated Tug Barge unit (ATB) Barbara Carol Ann Moran and the 110,000-barrel ocean tank barge Louisiana to Moran Towing Corporation, New Canaan, CT.

The 5,300-HP, 121-foot ATB tug Barbara Carol Ann Moran is certified ABS Class +A-1 Towing Service, +AMS, and is equipped with state-of-the-art navigation and communications technology. The Louisiana is 468 ft x 78 ft.

The ATB unit will work the East Coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico.

This is the shipyard’s third delivery to Moran under a 2014 contract, with a tank barge delivered in May of 2015, and another ATB—the tug Leigh Ann Moran and tank barge Mississippi—delivered December 1, 2015.  

VANE BROTHERS SERIES AT ST. JOHNS
Vane Brothers, Baltimore, MD, continues to invest in new tonnage. It has a long running newbuild program at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, MD, where it is constructing a series of 3,000 hp ATB tugs and has now added the second of eight 4,200 horsepower tugboats from St. Johns Ship Building, Palatka, FL.

The new tug, Hudson, is the second of Vane’s Elizabeth Anne Class, under construction at St. Johns Ship Building. Lead vessel of the class, the Elizabeth Anne, was delivered in January, while the third in the series, the Baltimore, is set for completion this summer.

The new tug will be paired with the Double Skin 601, the first in a new series of 55,000 bbl barges and will be followed later this year by the Double Skin 602, both built by the Conrad Deepwater South Shipyard in Amelia, LA.

“Our ongoing fleet construction program ensures that we have state-of-the-art equipment available to service all of our customers’ needs with the utmost safety and efficiency,” says Vane Brothers President C. Duff Hughes.

Designed by Frank Basile, P.E., of Entech Designs, LLC, Vane Brothers’ Elizabeth Anne Class tugboats are close cousins to the Basile-designed Patapsco Class tugboats, 15 of which were produced between 2004 and 2009.

Measuring 100 feet long and 34 feet wide, with a hull depth of 15 feet, the model bow Hudson is powered by two Caterpillar 3516 Tier 3 engines, each generating 2,100 horsepower at 1,600 rev/min. Two John Deere PowerTech 4045, 99 kW generators deliver service power to the boat, while a third John Deere 4045 teamed with an Allison transmission drives the chain-driven Intercon DD200 towing winch. The Elizabeth Anne also has Reintjes marine gears supplied by Karl Senner, LLC, Kenner, LA.

The Hudson features the latest in solid-state, Simrad electronics and handsomely appointed, mahogany upper and lower pilothouses, as well as spacious accommodations for up to seven crew members.

Meanwhile, the Double Skin 601 is configured and outfitted in a nearly identical fashion to the most recent 55,000 bbl Vane Brothers barges that were delivered in 2015 by Indiana-based Jeffboat Shipyard. Like them, the Double Skin 601 is equipped with an 8,600 BTU thermal fluid heating system, vapor control system and cargo tanks coated with International Interline 994 Epoxy Novolac. However, the Double Skin 601 has a raised forecastle bow design, which provides additional reserve buoyancy.

The DS-601 and its sister, the DS-602, are both fitted with two fixed boom pedestal cranes each, Model F1-65, with a 65-foot boom length supplied by Techcrane International, Covington, LA.

Primarily tasked with towing petroleum barges engaged in the North Atlantic coastwise trade, the Hudson has joined the Elizabeth Anne among more than 20 vessels that are part of Vane’s Delta Fleet, based in Philadelphia. The DS-601 is also a new Delta Fleet member.

NEW TUG FOR SEA VISTA
In early April, BAE Systems Southeast Shipyards, Mobile, AL, launched the first of two 12,000 hp ATB tugs for Sea-Vista ATB, LLC.

One of the interesting features of the tug M/V Sea Power is that it has two independently controlled and operated hydro-dynamic Van der Velden Barke rudders. Independent Proportional Steering will allow the rudders to be actuated either independently or synchronized. The rudders were supplied by Dutch company Van der Velden Marine Systems (VDVMS) in conjunction with its U.S. representative Ships Machinery International, Inc. (SMI).

Van der Velden says that tank tests showed that rudder design was extremely effective for this type of vessel. This ATB tug will have enhanced maneuverability and excellent course keeping stability. The efficiency provided by this high technology rudder solution will result in significant savings over the life of the vessel.

The 43m x 14m ATB tug, with a draft of 6.75m, is designed by Seattle-based Guido Perla and Associates, Inc. (GPA). The tug’s power is supplied by two 4,640 kW main engines and three 250 kW main generators, with a standby emergency generator of 150 kW. The vessel uses a pin connector system between the tug and the barge and fully complies with ABS Under 90 m Rules, Maltese Cross A1 AMS ACCU Towing Vessel, SOLAS, USCG Subchapter I.

“We are pleased that our client selected this state of the art rudder system for their new vessel,” said SMI Vice President Arthur Dewey, and “we are confident that their faith in Van der Velden rudders will be rewarded over the long haul.” Van der Velden reports that the Sea Power is the only vessel of its kind in the U.S. at present time.

The tug will have exceptional maneuverability, with two independently controlled and operated hydrodynamic Van der Velden Barke rudders. Independent Proportional Steering will allow the rudders to be actuated either independently or synchronized.

Van der Velden has done a lot of work to facilitate the installation of these rudders into a hull and worked closely with Guido Perla Associates Inc. and BAE Systems to assure a smooth transition from initial design to final installation.

GPAI Chairman Guido Perla commented, “Van der Velden provided excellent technical support and on time delivery of design documents that helped us develop the engineering and design for the installation of their steering system. Their coordination with our staff was prompt and to the point. We appreciated their support.”

Van der Velden says that the key driver behind the Barke rudder is its innovative and sophisticated progressive high lift design, offering unsurpassed maneuvering and course-keeping performance, as well as smooth operational comfort. The progressively operating flap linkage system is contained in a fully enclosed, grease-lubricated Barke housing. This results in minimum wear on the linkage components and eliminates the problems caused by contact with floating objects.  

Another set of Barke high-lift rudders will be installed on a second ATB tug before this summer.

BARGE FOR PROVPORT
Conrad Shipyard, Amelia, LA, recently delivered a 300-foot long x 72-foot wide rake/box barge with a deck rating of over 6,000 pounds per square foot to ProvPort, Providence, RI, according to naval architect JMS Naval Architects, Mystic, CT. The crane barge design allows for the easy loading and unloading of cargo from ships to the dock or from ship to ship.

JMS Naval Architects, Mystic, CT, engineered and designed the crane barge for the State of Rhode Island that will be used for stevedoring operations at ProvPort Inc.

ProvPort is a nonprofit public-private partnership, formed in 1994, which owns and operates the municipal port of the City of Providence, RI. ProvPort is New England’s premier deep-water multimodal facility for international trade and domestic distribution and one of the busiest ports in America’s northeast.

JMS designed the barge to carry and operate the facility’s 440-ton Liebherr LHM 550 mobile harbor cranes. The barge is ABS classed A1 with notation “Deck Barge,” uninspected and unmanned. JMS also created the technical specification documents to utilize for the solicitation of shipyard bids and provided owner’s representative services during the construction of the barge at Conrad Industries.

The contract was funded by the State of Rhode Island’s Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) II grant program award managed by the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation. The grant was created by Congress in the 2010 Transportation Appropriations Act and allowed the purchase and installation of the barge and two high performance harbor cranes. The new stevedoring equipment will modernize and enhance the port’s ability to continue its existing bulk material operations while expanding its capabilities to accommodate container operations; thus alleviating demand on the Port of Boston—the only existing container port in New England. The new crane barge will be critical for the port which has relied on 30-year-old rented crane barges that have been prone to breakdowns and have been out service for prolonged periods. The crane barges are estimated to remove on average 1,000 trucks per week off the northeast corridor highway system—one of the most congested in the country.

NEW HARBOR TUGS FOR BAYDELTA, MCALLISTER
Jensen Maritime, Seattle, is designing tractor tugs for both U.S. East Coast and West operators. One is for Vessel Chartering LLC, a wholly owned dividsion of BayDelta Navigation. The new tug is powered by a pair of 3,385-horsepower Caterpillar 3516 EPA Tier 4 engines and is the third tugboat designed by Jensen Maritime with engines meeting EPA Tier 4 requirement.

The tug was designed without ballast tanks, eliminating the need for ballast water discharge and therefore ballast water treatment systems. To maintain proper trim, the vessel will transfer fuel, as necessary.

The tug is being built by JT Marine Inc. shipyard in Vancouver, WA, for delivery in second quarter 2017.

Jointly developed by Vessel Chartering and Jensen, the 110-ft x 40 ft tug has the ship assist and escort capabilities of smaller harbor tugs, while delivering the improved towing performance and increased range of larger ocean-going tugs.

The design offers the flexibility to support ship escorts, assists and towing, with the escort capability being enhanced to provide support for assisting the large, 18,000 TEU containerships expected to make an increasing number of West Coast port calls.

With an electrically powered, double drum tow winch aft by Rapp USA and an electrically powered hawser winch forward by Markey Machinery as deck machinery, the vessel will be capable of a 93-to-95 short-ton bollard pull. Both winches’ electrical power will remove any chance of a hydraulic oil spill on deck.

The tug is designed to carry up to 123,000 gallons of fuel, 4,300 gallons of fresh water, and up to 4,500 gallons of urea, which is used in the main engine exhaust Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR) treatment system used to meet EPA Tier 4 emissions requirements.

On the East Coast, McAllister Towing, New York, NY, has contracted with Horizon Shipbuilding, Inc., Bayou La Batre, AL, to build it two new 100 ft x 40 ft new escort tugs.

The tugs will be powered by 3516E EPA Tier 4-compliant Caterpillar engines with Schottel SRP4000FP propulsion units producing 6,770 hp and 80 metric tons bollard pull.

The tugs will be the 31st and 32nd tractors and the first Tier IV tugs in McAllister’s fleet.

They will be ABS classed Maltese Cross A-1 Towing, Escort Service, FiFi 1 and Maltese Cross AMS.

The hull has been designed by Jensen Maritime for enhanced ship docking abilities in addition to direct and indirect escorting and the tugs have been designed and simulator tested to assist new Post-Panamax and Ultra-Large Vessels.

Towing machinery will include a Markey asymmetric render-recover winch on the bow and a Markey tow winch with a spool capacity of 2,500 ft of 2¼ in wire on the stern.

MARCON BROKER FOR NEW DESIGN TUG
Purple Water Ltd. has appointed Marcon International, Inc., Coupeville, WA, as exclusive broker to handle the shipyard licensing for construction of an innovative new tug in the Americas.

Called the Giano tug, the compact double-ended tug has a high displacement tunnel hull form, two large structural keels and a straight-line controllable pitch thruster configuration designed and built solely for ship handing.

With intuitive in-line handling controls, the tug can produce 55 tonnes (70 tonnes) of bollard thrust and pull in all directions at full power with true 360 degree maneuverability, while maintaining a 0 degree list – plus a side-stepping speed of 7 knots – from full ahead to full speed sideways in 10 seconds.

The tug works equally well from the bow or stern and is fitted with 75 tonne escort winches fore and aft.

The design is claimed to has the highest stability numbers of any escort tug afloat, not only in its own 24 m compact class, but also compared with the 32 m escort terminal class.

Two separate engine rooms, a separate generator room and a double hull with integral “W” heavy duty fendering and patented underwater fenders provide a high level of safety, and allow the tug the unique capacity to side thrust and push at full power without listing, while assisting vessels in confined spaces

The Gianotug design is patented over 40 countries.

After four years of research and development, the first tug of this class, is now available in Italy for shipowners and shipyards interested in licensing and building the design to inspect and experience a “hands-on” demonstration of the tug’s capabilities.

Built by Chinese shipbuilder Guangdong Bonny Fair Heavy Industry, the 25.75 m x 13.02 m x 5.20 m depth / 5.30 m Giano is powered by twin 1,678 kW CAT 3512C-HD diesels developing a total power of 4,562 HP at 1,800 RPM.

A Schottel SRP-3000 azimuthing drive with a controllable pitch prop is mounted in a straight line at each end, with the tunnel hull specifically designed to eliminate propeller interference.

Topside access and ultra-short shaft lines allow for main engine removal in a few hours.

The U.K. flagged Giano is classed LR +100A1, Escort Tug, FiFi-1 (2,400 cu.m/h) with water spray, Unrestricted – MCA WB Area 1 (up to 150 miles from safe haven). While this first vessel has a 55 tonnes bollard pull, the unified design allows for both 55 tonnes and 70 tonnes bollard pull versions to be built.

USCG set to pare Qualship 21 flag state list?

MARCH 29, 2016 —The U.S. Coast Guard looks set to trim the number of flag states on its Qualship 21 list. The Republic of the Marshall Islands registry reports that at an

From Conversation to Implementation: Maritime and Port Cybersecurity

It’s the year 2016 and the worldwide community continues to ride a wave of technology that streamlines many aspects of our everyday lives. Communications, travel, healthcare, recreation, and commerce, you name it — reliance on computer systems and networked solutions remain at the forefront of growth and development. While technological innovation has long been a critical catalyst for growth, it is commonly viewed as a double-edged sword. When innovation drives a market, so does risk.

In recent years, headlines have been littered with the words “cyberattack” and “data breach.” From the world’s largest companies and governments, to the average online shopper, we all must face the reality that motivated, capable, and persistent cyber threats exist; and the potential for theft, damage, and disruption on a global scale is real.

Running parallel with technological innovation, the global maritime transportation system is going through its own period of growth and change. A clear example of this was witnessed by onlookers on December 31, 2015, as the container ship Benjamin Franklin cleared the Golden Gate Bridge on its way to the Port of Oakland, CA. With a draft of 52’ and just 20’ to spare from the Golden Gate, the Benjamin Franklin, along with its 18,000 containers, became the largest container ship to ever call upon a U.S. Port. Accommodating larger vessels means expanding not only the waterways, but also the capabilities and capacities of the terminals and people tasked with handling the cargo.

“Among the greatest concerns that impacts both military and civilian realms is cybersecurity. Today, we have a billion devices that are accessing the Internet. Our economies are entangled in this Internet sea, and it’s an outlaw sea… At some point, there needs to be a very global conversation on this challenge.” – James G. Stavridis, Navy Adm., NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe and Commander of U.S. European Command

Coupled with brick and mortar type infrastructure projects, port facility and vessel owners/operators are increasingly turning to and relying on technology to meet supply chain demands. As technology enhances efficiency, cyber-related vulnerabilities in the maritime transportation system continue to be exposed. In response to this evolving cyber risk landscape, governments and maritime-related authorities/organizations worldwide are working to develop strategies and legislation in support of a common approach to cybersecurity and network preparedness.

The U.S. Government’s Approach to Maritime Cybersecurity
In June 2015, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) published its vision for operating in the cyber domain. With the below mission statement, the USCG officially outlined a strategy for defending cyberspace that both enables operations and protects infrastructure.

“We will ensure the safety of our cyberspace, maintain superiority over our adversaries, and safeguard our Nation’s critical maritime infrastructure.”

In October 2015, congressional members of the House Homeland Security Committee, Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, held a hearing to discuss the USCG’s cybersecurity strategy and the current status of cybersecurity at U.S. ports. Witnesses included representatives from the USCG, the U.S. Government Accountability Office; the Port of Long Beach, California; and the Ports of Brownsville and Harlingen, Texas. Witness testimonies revealed cybersecurity challenges faced by ports and maritime facilities related to cyberattack reporting, information sharing, and mitigation planning.

On the heels of the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee Hearing, the House of Representatives unanimously approved a port cybersecurity bill (H.R 3878) on December 18, 2015. Dubbed the “Strengthening Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Coordination in Our Ports Act of 2015,” the bill solidifies the USCG as the lead agency charged with managing port-wide cybersecurity, and establishes requirements for integrating cybersecurity with port security activities currently in place as a result of the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) and International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) code. Although stopping short of imposing new regulations, the three sections of H.R. 3878, the titles of which are provided below, echo the internationally common themes of risk-based decision making and enhanced information sharing in its approach to cyber risk management.

The Global Conversation
Published in 2011, the first report on port cybersecurity prepared by the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) sought to gauge current capabilities and establish a baseline for maritime cybersecurity amongst its members. Key findings included a lack of maritime cybersecurity awareness and related policies as well as a need for a common cybersecurity strategy and best management practices.

The ENISA report strongly recommends a risk-based approach and assessment of maritime-specific cyber risks; expanding maritime regulations and policies beyond just physical aspects of security and safety; as well as better information exchange and statistics on cybersecurity.

While more prescriptive than the U.S. approach, the general adherence to information sharing and risk-based decision making highlights Europe’s contextual alignment with strategies, frameworks, and legislation both in the U.S. and international maritime communities.

From Conversation to Implementation
If conversation was the leading factor in determining network preparedness, we would be well on our way to securing critical infrastructure worldwide. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The challenge for many organizations is not identifying the cybersecurity problem, but rather determining the most advantageous solution to addressing their competing needs for system protection, system accessibility, and systems reliability and resiliency. To help facilitate the planning process and ensure its effectiveness, an organization must fully understand and base decisions on their cyber risk profile.

In February 2013, President Obama issued Executive Order 13636: Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity. The order required the development of a voluntary, risk-based Cybersecurity Framework to include a set of existing standards, guidelines, and practices to help organizations manage their cyber risks. The resulting framework for improving critical infrastructure cybersecurity, created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), provides a structure that organizations, regulators, and customers can use to create, guide, assess, or improve comprehensive cybersecurity programs. Created through public-private collaboration, the framework provides a common approach to cyber risk management that is both cost-effective and grounded in addressing the business needs of an organization. Adherence to the NIST cybersecurity framework is increasingly becoming a requirement for organizations who wish to do business with or receive funding from the United States Government.

Given the interdependencies that exist within the maritime community, the process of hardening cyber defenses and creating resiliency cannot end at any one fence line or network perimeter. Organizations can no longer view their information technology groups as separate support mechanisms, and should instead integrate them more broadly with operations, business development and emergency/crisis management teams.

Collaboration and information sharing is a must, and as such, entities like the U.S. Coast Guard, FBI, and U.S. Cyber Emergency Response Team (US-CERT) provide multiple platforms and tools to aid in not only conducting assessments, but facilitating collaboration between public and private sector representatives across the United States. Groups such as InfraGard (FBI) and U.S. Coast Guardß Sector Area Maritime Security Committees are currently engaging with members of the maritime community to address cybersecurity realities and develop partnerships forged by mutual benefit.

As this trend continues to evolve the maritime industry must stay active in the conversation. With recent cyberattacks allegedly targeting GPS-based navigation and communications systems, the necessity for confronting cyber vulnerabilities as one industry, rather than as separate entities is clear.

 

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