February 26, 2021 By Waterways Journal
Conrad Shipyard hosted a steel-cutting ceremony February 5 at the company’s Deepwater South shipyard in Amelia, La., to officially launch the construction of a 6,500-cubic-yard trailing suction hopper dredge for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (GLDD).
The dredge is scheduled for delivery before the end of the second quarter of 2023.
“The steel-cutting for this new hopper dredge is an important milestone for Great Lakes as we strategically invest in our fleet capacity to meet the nation’s maritime infrastructure needs,” GLDD Chief Operating Officer David Simonelli said during the steel-cutting ceremony. “We are proud to partner with Conrad in the construction of this state-of-the-art Jones Act-compliant vessel, which, when operational, will rebuild and protect our shorelines, deepen and maintain shipping channels and help restore Louisiana’s eroded barrier islands and marsh
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Fireboats are Basically an Insurance Policy
Maritime Activity Reports, Inc.
“Fireboats are basically an insurance policy.” -Meeting minutes, Southeast Texas Waterways Advisory Council (SETWAC).
Developments in America’s coastal ports are causing officials to closely review maritime safety operations and equipment. Fireboats draw a lot of attention. The reference here is to big fireboats – 40-50 feet, crewed by specially trained firefighters, outfitted with the equipment required to confront and take on a range of waterway emergencies. [CBRN is a frequent acronym used with these fireboats: Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear operations.]
Big, new energy projects stand out as prime examples of new and significant port hazards. Consider the map from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) showing some of the major energy projects under regulatory review (Figure 1). And it’s more than just cargo pushing up risk. Vessels are bigger and traffic is heavie