Features – Page 2 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

01 Jun

COVID-19 – Shipping Braces for a New Era

Pacific MaritimeFeatures

By Jim Shaw The outbreak and spread of COVID-19 around the world has affected shipping to various degrees and the immediate future for most sectors, outside of tankers, looks bleak. The cruise industry has been particularly hard hit with all ships, well over 400, out of operation and laid up at a cost expected to total more than $1 billion. Carnival Corporation alone, with more than 100 vessels under its various brands, is estimating a “hot” layup cost of between $2 and $3 million per ship per month while nearly full crews are kept on board. And even moving to…

01 Jun

Regional Report: Los Angeles and Long Beach

Pacific MaritimeFeatures

By Karen Robes Meeks As the novel coronavirus shutters businesses and public spaces across the country and the world, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and their supply chain partners press on to keep vital goods and commerce flowing. And while port authorities and related businesses are exempt from California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay at home order because they are considered essential, these entities are no less affected by the COVID-19 health crisis. Both ports are seeing cargo numbers tumble from the same time a year ago, while related businesses such as American Marine Corp. anticipate reduced revenues.…

01 Jun

Treasure Island Ferry Terminal and Breakwater Construction

Pacific MaritimeFeatures

By Wendy Fisher Power Engineering Construction Company (PEC), a heavy civil and marine contractor based in Alameda, CA, is underway on construction of the new Treasure Island Ferry Terminal. There are two major components of the terminal being designed and built simultaneously by PEC. One is the over-water ferry terminal itself – which marries up to a land-based transportation hub at the entrance to Treasure Island. The ferry terminal is made up of a fixed concrete pier, a gangway, and a steel float; the terminal will support both regional ferries and water taxis. The second component of the project is…

01 Jun

West Coast Maritime Construction

Pacific MaritimeFeatures

By Kathy A. Smith While much of the world is in forced isolation, the maritime construction industry continues to work on essential projects needed to keep the infrastructure functioning at the interface of land and sea. In California, American Marine Corporation (AMC) is working on the Everport project at Berths 226 through 236 at the Port of Los Angeles’ Evergreen facility, as part of a modernization upgrade. Working as a subcontractor to Manson Construction, AMC will repair approximately 1,250 linear feet of concrete piles. These underwater repairs are required due to piles that have been cracked, spalled, or broken over…

01 May

Trade with Alaska And Hawaii: American Marine’s Hawaii Operations

Pacific MaritimeFeatures

American Marine Services Group’s relationship with the Hawaiian islands spans more than three decades. In the 1970s, American Marine Corporation – under the name of American Divers – built a business that encompassed the marine construction industry, acquiring tug boats, barges, and crew boats. Meanwhile in 1985, Pacific Environmental Corporation (PENCO) was making a name for itself as Hawaii’s first commercial operator dedicated to oil spill cleanup, a go-to company. Since then, PENCO has been involved in every major spill cleanup in the Pacific and grew into a full-scale marine and land-based cleanup contractor, as well as other services. Today,…

01 May

Trade with Alaska And Hawaii: Essential Services Spur Expansion

Pacific MaritimeFeatures

In Alaska and Hawaii, maritime companies operate as a vital link to communities geographically separated from the contiguous 48 states. Whether it is delivering everyday essentials such as food and fuel or the necessary materials to build hospitals and schools, these maritime firms use their know-how and resources to move what’s vital in a timely manner to areas that are at times tough to reach by vehicle. Here’s a look at some West Coast maritime companies and how they’re serving the regions of Alaska and Hawaii: Cook Inlet Tug & Barge Cook Inlet Tug and Barge – the longtime marine…

01 May

Greening Ports: What it Means in a Cleaner World

Pacific MaritimeFeatures

By Gordon Feller So far, 2020 has shown that “sustainability” is no longer just a buzzword. Intersecting trends have converged to create new levels of urgency regarding sustainability and the greening of ports. Ports continue to operate under heavy pressure to “green” their operations and the activities connected to their ports. These pressures are being exerted by governments, the public-at-large, media, and the larger and smaller businesses that have decided to make a priority of reducing their environmental effects. Within logistics, transport creates the largest environmental footprint, but the volume of emissions can vary greatly, depending on the mode of…

01 Apr

Marine Propulsion – Modern Marine Engines

Pacific MaritimeFeatures

By Jim Shaw Marine propulsion, the means of making a ship move, has become an increasingly complex segment of the maritime industry over the years as more power is squeezed from less fuel and new environmental regulations impact acceptable engine exhaust emissions. The size and power output of the largest marine diesels has also continued to increase, with Germany’s MAN Energy Solutions having developed the MAN B&W 14K98ME-C7 engine which can generate 115,000 BHP (84,280 kW) at 104 rpm, making it the most powerful marine engine to date. Like most modern marine diesels, the MAN B&W engine is considered more…

01 Apr

Propulsion

Pacific MaritimeFeatures

By Peter Marsh Since Harley Marine became the first adopter of Tier 4 marine engines of more than 600 kW (805 hp) in 2017, the towboat industry on the West Coast has fallen behind the rest of the US as operators on the Gulf and East Coasts have been specifying high-speed engines from Caterpillar with SCR or medium speed from GE with Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) only. However, 2020 looks like the year when Northwest yards finally begin installing Tier 4’s as standard equipment. Nichols Brothers Boat Builders has the distinction of being the first Northwest yard to fit MTU…

01 Apr

Company Profile: Alaska Logistics

Pacific MaritimeFeatures

Karen Robes Meeks For 17 years, Alaska Logistics has been a steady mainstay as a service provider that difficult-to-reach villages rely on in Western Alaska. Since its inception in 2003, the company has grown from an office with a handful of employees and rented equipment to a fleet of its own assets and more than 50 employees at the height of its busy season, including consolidators, crew members, schedulers and talliers. From May through October – its usual busy season – the company is open at least 12 hours every day at its main yard in Seattle and on delivery…