Weekly News Summary for January 7-13, 2008:
Security is not a moneymaker, but lack of security is a huge risk to the nation, said Edward “Ned” Peak, the coordinator for the Lower Mississippi River Portwide Strategic Security Council (PSSC).
“We’ve got to have security or we risk losing the entire operation,” Peak told The Waterways Journal in announcing a Round 7 grant request to upgrade security systems for the PSSC from the Department of Homeland Security.
The PSSC was initiated two years ago by Judge Joel Chaisson, chief executive officer of the Port of South Louisiana, to develop a “cohesive and consistent security layer around the entire port complex to ensure continued operation despite threats from terrorists and natural disasters.”
The regional port complex stretches for nearly 300 miles and includes the LMR southernmost ports of Baton Rouge, New Orleans, St. Bernard, Plaquemines and South Louisiana. It is the largest port complex in the world.
“The upgrade will include existing high technology security and monitoring systems to continue to handle nearly one-half of all U.S. exports and nearly one-quarter of all U.S. petrochemical cargo,” Peak wrote in the grant request….
The U.S. Coast Guard called off the search for the captain of the towing vessel Gate-Way after the boat sank early January 2 near Norco, La., on the Mississippi River.
“We’re no longer actively searching. We have a search model we use. We enter factors: age, water temperature. We searched three to four times longer than the model said survivability was for someone, and we called off the search,” said Petty Officer James Harless.
The water temperature was 49 degrees when the captain fell in from inside the boat’s cabin. The search lasted 12 to 13 hours. The depth of the river at the location the boat sank was 40 to 70 feet. At press time, a vessel owned by a private company was on its way to begin salvage operations.
The names of the captain and the rescued crewmember were not released before the WJ went to press. The other crewmember was rescued by the towing vessel Secretariat and taken by Upper Saint Rose Fleet to a relative’s home….
Rededication ceremonies were held December 18 for the refurbished Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Berwick Bay at the Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit in Morgan City, La.
The $900,000 upgrade includes moving the situation room from another wing in the building to one adjoining the VTS center, doubling its floor space, upgrading the 10 kw. backup generator to 60 kw. and increasing the on-hand supply of diesel for the generator from three to six days.
The adjacent rooms allow VTS operators to maintain situational awareness without interruption, but keep incident responders close. The electrical system was completely rewired, and sound-deadening walls were installed to allow for conversations in the room that did not interfere with VTS operators, a problem in the old facility.
An 800-pound uninterruptible power supply (UPS), dubbed the “800-pound gorilla,” was installed to maintain power if there is a power outage, until the generator is on line and up to speed, explained Lt. Cmdr. Rick Paciorka, chief of waterways. Paciorka was one of the moving forces in the upgrade project that was begun under the command of Capt. Terry Gilbreath and completed under Capt. J. Scott Paradis, who now serves as captain of the port (COTP) of Morgan City.
Combined with a newly installed $1.1 million tower that houses cameras and radar and provides system redundancy, the Ports and Waterways Safety System (PAWSS) monitors AIS signals out to 40 miles….
Ohio Valley Marine Service, Henderson, Ky., has placed the 1,700 hp. Gentry B in service following its recent delivery from Rodriguez Bros. Boat Builders Inc.
The Gentry B is the third boat built for the regional towing firm, beginning with the delivery of the Kelle B in 1999, followed by the Vivian B in late 2002. The newest boat shares the same basic 70- by 28- by nine-foot hull dimensions and layout as its predecessors, although the superstructures on the latter two boats are a little wider than the original boat, according to Ohio Valley spokesman Lee Nelson.
“We’re always trying to make the boats more comfortable,” he said, explaining the company’s desire to meet the requirements for new “crew endurance management” guidelines. Extra sound-deadening material and equipment location are two examples of the efforts being made to improve the quality of life aboard, Nelson said.
“We’ll always find something to improve,” he added.
Rodriguez Bros. Boat Builders Inc. has constructed more than 230 vessels at its Bayou la Batre, Ala., shipyard since it began in 1977. Although well-known for its fishing boats, the yard has also delivered many other commercial vessels, including offshore supply vessels, general cargo vessels, lugger tugs, lift boats, an excursion boat, and a custom yacht, along with 18 tugs and six towboats….
Capt. H. Paul Striegel, 88, of Paducah, Ky., died January 1 at Lourdes Hospital, barely two weeks after receiving the first River Legend award from Seamen’s Church Institute. Affectionately nicknamed “Capt. High Pockets” or “Tall Paul” by his peers, the lanky octogenarian was a popular and well respected life-long riverman who many considered a mentor or role model when they began their careers.
Capt. William “Buck” Lay, recently retired president of B&H Towing, Inc. which renamed a towboat in Striegel’s honor, said he first met the captain in the early 1960s while still a deckhand on one of the Canal Barge Company boats where Striegel was a trip pilot. “I lost a personal friend, and the industry lost a good friend also. He will be missed,” Lay said.
“I’ve known Paul for more years than I knew my dad,” said Mark Knoy, president, AEP River Operations. “He’s always been a mentor of mine. We didn’t always have pleasant conversations. Paul was always a stickler for doing things right and for that I always admired him.”…
The Waterways Journal encourages letters to the editor.
Have something on your mind?
Send letters to: jshoulberg@waterwaysjournal.net.
(Please indicate whether or not your letter is intended for publication.)
