Weekly News Summary For March 19-25, 2007:
Coming into the Inland Waterways Conference March 7 at Cincinnati, industry officials already had expectations of an eventful year in the barge business. In addition to the usual alphabet soup of initiatives and activities—WRDA, TWIC, etc.—there is the ongoing drought in the Missouri River basin, the looming shortages of vessel employees, and the specter of proposed new user fees on the industry.
By the time the conference wrapped up March 9, however, attendees realized there was even more on their plate for this year than they’d expected.
For one thing, an administration proposal to transfer the responsibility for bridge administration from the Coast Guard to the Maritime Administration proved to be very controversial. The Coast Guard reported a spike in vessel casualties in January. And if that wasn’t enough, attendees got plenty of information to chew on about new technologies in use and being developed in the industry.
The Inland Waterways Conference, always a key meeting on the industry calendar, has grown steadily in stature and importance over the last few years. This year’s edition gained some additional cache when, for the first time, the sitting U.S. maritime administrator addressed the conference.
Sean Connaughton, who was sworn in as the head of the Maritime Administration last September, spoke on the second day of the conference and outlined some major changes planned for his agency….
SCF Marine announced an agreement with the Waxler family, in Memphis, Tenn., to acquire 16 tank barges, eight towboats and river front real estate.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the Waxlers, and we are looking forward to working with them and their employees to develop business further. The business will continue to be operated under the name ‘Waxler Transportation’ from offices in Memphis, Tenn.,” said Tim Power, president of SCF Marine.
Ted Waxler, president of Waxler Towing Company, said: “We are delighted to join forces with SCF and continue building the business started by our grandfather more than 50 years ago. Our experience in this market, combined with the SCF platform, will allow the company to expand, providing additional opportunities for our employees and the same service to our customers.”
SCF Marine is a full service barge line, controlling more than 1,000 barges on the inland waterways. SCF is a division of SEACOR Holdings Inc., a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange….
The Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) submitted comments to the docket, strongly urging that the proposed rule regarding the cost to receive a replacement Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) be based on actual costs.
“The user fee should be based on actual, demonstrable costs that are required to identify the cardholder,” explained PVA in its comments. “The portion of the fee dedicated to ‘future technology’ should be stricken from this rule. It is essentially collecting fees for features that have not yet been invented.”
The TWIC program is a Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Coast Guard initiative that provides a credential to maritime workers requiring unescorted access to secure areas of port facilities, outer continental shelf facilities, and vessels regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act, or MTSA, and all Coast Guard-credentialed merchant mariners. An estimated 750,000 individuals will require TWICs….
Ingram Barge Company has begun a massive refurbishing and repowering project, expected to herald the beginning of a new life for four veteran towboats. The veteran workhorses will gain 30 feet in length, another deck and almost 2,000 extra horsepower. When completed, the vessels will be 180 by 50 feet and will be rated at 9,000 hp.
When built by Nashville Bridge Company in 1977 and 1978, the Alice I. Hooker, Eileen Bigelow, Hortense B. Ingram and Patricia I. Hart were rather distinctive in their appearance because of their relatively short length (150 feet) compared to their 50-foot beam. All four vessels were designed for a contract to move double-string unit tows which had to meet lock-size restrictions along the Illinois River.
Work has already begun at James Marine in Paducah where the Patricia I. Hart has been stripped of its engines and gears along with all interior bulkheads and insulation in preparation for major surgery that will add 30 feet to the hull and an extra deck that will drastically alter the boat’s profile. The vessel’s three GM 12-645E7B engines and Falk reduction gears will be replaced with new General Motors 12-cylinder 710G engines and Lufkin gears to boost power from 6,840 hp. to 9,000 hp.
Design Work
Design and engineering for the modification project were provided by renowned naval architect Corning Townsend of CT Marine, Edgecomb, Maine. While the vessel was on drydock recently, Townsend took final measurements to establish the exact point where the hull will be dissected. Measurements were also taken in preparation for the construction of support cradles to support the separated hull sections during the project….
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