Ocean Sun. Photo courtesy Bollinger Shipyards

Bollinger Shipyards on Friday said that it has delivered the Ocean Sun, the third of four Ocean Class tugs for Crowley Maritime Corporation and the first that is DP2.

The first two Ocean Class vessels, the Ocean Wave and Ocean Wind, are classed as DP1 and were delivered in Q4 2012. The vessels are twin-screw, steel-hulled tugs with an overall length of 146 ft, beam of 46 ft, hull depth of 25 ft and design draft of 21 ft. Both vessels have been busy in support of energy projects in the U.S. Gulf for a major customer in the global oil and gas industry.

At 156 feet in length, the Ocean Sun is 10 feet longer than the first two vessels and is rated at a whopping 10,880 HP. The vessel is outfitted for long-range, high-capacity ocean towing, rig moves, platform and floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit tows, emergency response and firefighting.

The Ocean Class is designed to have a minimum bollard pull of 150 metric tons, and range for the vessels is approximately 12,600 nautical miles at 15 knots free running.

“These new boats will be workhorses for our valued upstream energy customers and for companies and government entities needing long-range, high-capacity, ocean towing along with salvage and emergency response support,” said Crowley president and CEO, Tom Crowley, following delivery of the Ocean Wave in September.

All four vessels were built at Bollinger Shipyards in Amelia, La.

The final vessel in the Ocean Class, Ocean Sky, is currently preparing for sea-trials and a summer 2013 delivery.

Carib Energy’s president, Greg Buffington, will join Crowley as vice president of Carib Energy. Photo: Crowley Maritime Corporation

Crowley Maritime announced Wednesday the purchase of natural gas supply and logistics company, Carib Energy, marking Crowley’s entry into the LNG market.

Founded in 2011, Florida-based Carib Energy was the first company to receive a small scale, 25 year LNG export license from the U.S. Department of Energy for LNG transportation from the U.S. into Free Trade Agreement countries.

Crowley says its overall strategic focus on the LNG market will span several of its diversified business lines and the purchase of Carib Energy provides an induction into the emerging energy market from which the company can grow its concentration on LNG transportation.

“Crowley has a myriad of business lines, each with overlapping expertise perfectly positioned to develop a strong footprint in the LNG market,” said Tom Crowley, company chairman and CEO. “Whether it’s designing the next LNG bulk transport vessel, transporting ISO tanks via Crowley’s regularly scheduled liner service, arranging special carriage via our global logistics network or providing project solutions for LNG discovery and extraction; Crowley has the service portfolio to provide turnkey solutions within the LNG space.”

As a result of the acquisition, Crowley has formed Crowley LNG services group within Crowley’s petroleum services business unit. The new unit is being headed up by Vice President of Business Development Matt Jackson, who reports to Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager, petroleum services. The new unit will serve the LNG market through LNG vessel design and construction; transportation; product sales and distribution, and full-scale, project management solutions.

“The Carib Energy acquisition is an exciting opportunity for Crowley to utilize a combination of its core competencies including marine solutions, logistics planning and execution and associated technical and project management capabilities in an area that is by all measures growing rapidly both within the U.S. and abroad,” said Grune. “We look forward to playing a pivotal role with both new and existing customers as they strive to provide safe and reliable LNG distribution assets and services.”

The acquisition of Carib Energ provides Crowley an immediate book of business for the supply, transportation, and distribution of LNG via 10,000 gallon ISO tanks, Crowley said in a statement.  While Carib Energy has a pending DOE application to supply LNG transportation services into non-FTA countries, its current licensing allows them, and now Crowley, to supply cost-efficient, environmentally friendly LNG from the U.S. to both commercial and industrial customers within the Caribbean and Central and South America.  Carib Energy is also cementing its involvement in future LNG fuel bunkering for ships transiting between the U.S. and Caribbean markets.

As part of the Carib Energy acquisition, Greg Buffington, the company’s president, will join Crowley as vice president of Carib Energy, reporting to Jackson. Buffington will continue to develop and expand the company’s Caribbean and Central America opportunities for small-scale LNG applications.  His experience is deeply rooted within the international propane gas industry where he spent 31 years in varying capacities. He was the founder of EFG Industries, an international supplier of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) equipment, engineering and plant construction.

“We are very pleased to welcome Greg to the Crowley family,” said Jackson.  “He shares our understanding of the exponential business potential for LNG as well as our corporate values. He knows our ‘One Crowley, One Team’ approach will allow us to leverage a multitude of experience towards a common goal of success within this vastly untapped energy market.”

Crowley’s Vice President of Procurement, Wendy McDonald, had the honor of christening the tug Liberty. Photo: Crowley Maritime Corp.

Eleven years after the launch of its first Articulated Tug-Barge (ATB), Crowley Maritime Corporation has christened its 17th and final ATB as part of a $1 Billion, decade-long ATB construction program undertaken by Crowley to expand the company’s U.S.-flag petroleum services fleet.

The tugboat and 330,000-barrel petroleum tank barge, named Liberty and 750-3, respectively, were christened during a ceremony Thursday at the VT Halter Marine Shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

“We set out to offer customers the safest, most reliable petroleum transportation services many years ago by pairing our operational expertise with these safe and innovative vessels,” said Tom Crowley, company chairman and CEO. “It fills us with great pride and satisfaction to see our vision come to fruition, and to deliver for our customers.”

More than 70 guests, including vessel crewmembers, representatives from VT Halter Marine and Marathon Petroleum joined Crowley in celebrating this milestone, which included the time-honored tradition of breaking a champagne bottle over the hull of each vessel. Crowley’s Vice President of Procurement Wendy MacDonald had the honor of christening the tug, Liberty, while Marathon Representative Kathleen Peiffer christened the barge, 750-3.

The Liberty/750-3 is the third in its class to be built for Crowley. The first, the Legacy/750-1, was christened in November 2011 and the second, the Legend/750-2, was christened in Tampa last year. Both vessels are currently at work along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The 750-Class barges have a capacity of approximately 330,000 barrels and are 45,000 deadweight tons and 600 feet in length. All three barges were built by VT Halter Marine in Pascagoula. The 16,000 horsepower tugs, Legend, Legacy, and Liberty, were constructed by Dakota Creek Industries, Inc. in Anacortes, Wash.

Crowley’s ATB fleet also includes four 550-class, 155,000-barrel ATBs, and ten 650-class 185,000-barrel ATBs. In recent months Crowley has also added two U.S.-flag, 330-000-barrel product tankers to its petroleum fleet.

Carriers currently use 17 vessels to provide shipping services, including 5 self-propelled containerships and 12 container barges that are pulled by tugboats, with an average age of 30 years for containerships and about 27 years for barges. Photo courtesy Crowley

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released its long-awaited findings from a study examining the affects of modifying the Jones Act for shipping goods between the U.S. and Puerto Rico following concerns by shippers that the law is driving rates higher, leading to an adverse impact on Puerto Rican consumers.

The Jones Act requires that goods transported between U.S. ports be shipped on U.S. built, owned, operated, and crewed vessels. In conducting their report, the GAO, which is an independent government agency, examined maritime transportation to and from Puerto Rico and how the Jones Act affects trade, along with any possible effects of modifying the application of the Jones Act in Puerto Rico.

What the study found was pretty much as to be expected; determining the “cost” of the Jones Act is a complicated issue, not to mention a slippery slope.

“The effects of modifying the application of the Jones Act for Puerto Rico are highly uncertain, and various trade-offs could materialize depending on how the Act is modified,” the GAO stated in its findings.

GAO says that Jones Act requirements have resulted in a ‘discrete shipping market’ between Puerto Rico and the United States, which consists mostly of four main carriers – Crowley, Horizon Lines, Sea Star Line and Trailer Bridge – providing regularly scheduled and reliable container service.

In its findings, the GAO says there is a lack of available data to verify or validate shippers’ claims that freight rates are lower for foreign carriers on international routes than those of Jones Act carriers on domestic routes, given the number of determining factors that influence freight rates and product prices.

“Freight rates are set based on a host of supply and demand factors in the market, some of which are affected directly or indirectly by Jones Act requirements,” the report states. “However, because so many other factors besides the Jones Act affect rates, it is difficult to isolate the exact extent to which freight rates between the United States and Puerto Rico are affected by the Jones Act.”

The study found that while average freight rates of the four major Jones Act carriers dropped as much as 17% between 2006 and 2010, the drop did coincided with the onset of the recession in Puerto Rico and therefor decreases in demand.

The GAO also explored the ‘what ifs’ of an exemption of the Jones Act, either in full or part, which did not help shippers’ claims.

“Under a full exemption from the Act, the rules and requirements that would apply to all carriers would need to be determined,” the findings said. “While proponents of this change expect increased competition and greater availability of vessels to suit shippers’ needs, it is also possible that the reliability and other beneficial aspects of the current service could be affected.”

Any modifications also raise concerns over the effects on the U.S. merchant marine and the U.S. shipbuilding industry, both of which are beneficial to national security.

“Furthermore, because of cost advantages, unrestricted competition from foreign-flag vessels could result in the disappearance of most U.S.-flag vessels in this trade, having a negative impact on the U.S. merchant marine and the shipyard industrial base that the Act was meant to protect.”

Citing MARAD data, the report said up to 1,400 mariners were crewed full-time on Jones Act vessels in Puerto Rico in 2011, including on offshore service vessels, harbor tugs, ferries, and barge services in addition to the Jones Act vessels named in the study.

The report only touched upon Jones Act dry and liquid bulk cargo vessels, which also operate in the market. “Some shippers report that qualified bulk-cargo vessels may not always be available to meet their needs,” the GAO said in the findings.

The study was mostly hailed by the U.S. maritime industry trade group, the American Maritime Partnership.

“GAO disproved charges that the Jones Act raises prices for consumers in Puerto Rico,” AMP said in a statement shortly after the release of the report.

“As such, GAO’s report confirmed that previous estimates of the so-called ‘cost’ of the Jones Act are not verifiable and cannot be proven. The GAO report demonstrates that many of the most pointed criticisms of the Jones Act came from individuals or groups that did not offer data to back up their concerns,” AMP added.

AMP said the GAO study is important because it gives a rare, detailed look into the Jones Act and is prepared by an independent government agency.

Speaking to the study, Secretary of the Maritime Alliance of Puerto Rico, José F. Nazario, also commented: “GAO’s study has found that shipping prices have dropped dramatically over the last two decades and consumers have benefited from regular, reliable service.”

“It also validated that the Jones Act enhances national security,” Nazario added.

The importance of the study was also highlighted by the president of the Hawaii Shippers Council, Michael Hanson, given its implications to Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific territories. The Hawaii Shippers Council is expected to release a full critique of the findings.

The GAO did not make any recommendations in the report.

A full copy of the report can be found on the GAO website. 

The 45,800 dwt, Florida. Image: Crowley

Crowley Maritime Corporation christened its newest tanker Wednesday during a ceremony at the Aker Philadelphia Shipyard and says it will soon put the 330,000-barrel ship to use in the U.S. Gulf for a major energy customer. This U.S.-flagged tanker is the second of two American-built, operated and crewed tankers Crowley purchased last year from Aker.

More than 100 guests gathered to celebrate the vessel’s christening, which was performed by Nina Glende Johnsen, the wife of Aker President and CEO Kristian Rokke.

The Florida, which will provide 50 American seagoing and shore-side jobs, will soon be placed into service delivering domestic oil to U.S.-based refineries. The tanker Pennsylvania, which was purchased from Aker and delivered in September, is currently at work in the U.S. Gulf.

“Adding these new tankers to our fleet allows us to continue providing our customers with diverse and modern equipment to transport their petroleum and chemical products in a safe and reliable manner,” said CEO Tom Crowley. “I recall that one of my grandfather’s missions for the company included making investments that would not only help the company grow, but also provide jobs for people, which is something we have carried on to this day, and why we continue to support the Jones Act and our U.S. shipbuilding partners, including Aker.”

Both tankers can carry 330,000 barrels of petroleum products and chemicals. The Veteran-Class design is based on the proven Athenian Class 46,000 DWT product tanker from Hyundai Mipo Dockyards and was modified to conform to U.S. registry and U.S. coastwise trade requirements.

The U.S.-flag vessels are the 13th and 14th in the Veteran-class built at Aker, and the eighteenth vessel overall. With a length of 183.2 meters, a breadth of 32.2 meters, and a depth of 18.8 meters, the tankers come in at 45,800 deadweight tons with a draft of 12.2 m. Powered by the first Tier II large-bore engines, MAN-B&W 6S50MCs, the speed of the Pennsylvania and the Florida is expected to average 14.5+ knots. In addition to being double-hulled with segregated ballast systems, safety features also include water and CO2 firefighting systems, as well as a foam water spray system.

Aker Philadelphia Shipyard President and CEO Kristian Rokke remarked, “We are thrilled to have delivered the Florida to Crowley. This delivery represents the conclusion of a tremendously successful series of fourteen tankers that over 1,000 men and women have worked on for the last eight years. This never would have been possible without the support and confidence of our customers, our industry partners, and the City and Commonwealth.”

Crowley has a long history of transporting petroleum products and chemicals by tankers and articulated tug barges (ATBs). As of this year, Crowley owns and operates 17 ATBs, which include 155,000-barrel, 185,000-barrel and 330,000-barrel capacity tank vessels.

Aker Philadelphia’s current backlog now consists two 115,000 dwt crude oil carriers for SeaRiver Maritime, Inc., Exxon Mobil Corporation‘s U.S. marine affiliate. Both of these crude oil tankers are scheduled for delivery in 2014.

Image (c) Crowley, click for larger

The crew aboard Crowley Maritime Corporation’s tugboat Guard recently performed a heroic rescue of a man who was struggling to stay afloat in the waters outside of San Francisco Bay.

The rescue took place during the early morning hours of Wednesday, October 31, while the tugboat was standing by outside the Golden Gate Bridge, waiting to escort a tanker into San Francisco Bay’s anchorage. Crowley’s Perry Overton, captain of the Guard, noticed the man treading water a little more than a mile and a half from the bridge. Working quickly, the crew tossed the man a life ring and Crowley’s Chief Engineer Keith Madding donned a survival suit and entered the frigid 55 degree waters to help the fatigued man climb the Guard’s emergency ladder. Once aboard, the crew removed the hypothermic man’s wet clothing and wrapped him in warm blankets until the Coast Guard arrived and could perform other life-saving treatments.

Following the rescue, the Guard resumed escort duties on the tanker, bringing it to its destination as scheduled.

Ranger Shannon Jay, of the National Park Service at Golden Gate National Parks in the San Francisco Bay area, who is assisting the San Francisco Police Department in the investigation of this incident, said of the Crowley crew:

“These guys are heroes and without a doubt saved that man’s life. In the 20-plus years of my career, I have never seen such a professional rescue by non-professional-rescuers.”

Additionally, he said that the event should be considered “a tribute to the training they received and also to the crew for quickly and diligently using their training. They are true heroes.”

The Guard’s crew has been nominated by the National Park Service for a Citizen’s Award for Bravery, which is an honor awarded by the secretary of the interior in Washington DC.

“On behalf of everyone here at Crowley, I want to congratulate this brave crew for putting their training to good use to perform the vital measures needed to save this man’s life,” said Crowley’s Rocky Smith, senior vice president and general manager, petroleum distribution and marine services. “These crewmembers are true heroes and deserve to be recognized for their service.”

The crew aboard the Guard, which is a member of Crowley’s marine services fleet, is fully trained and prepared to respond to a variety of incidents. In addition to meeting defined regulatory training requirements, the company’s crewmembers participate annually in the Crowley Safety Program, a custom training event designed exclusively for mariners. The program provides training in cold-water survival tactics, shipboard fire fighting, medical incidents and other relevant topics give the mariners the skills and confidence they need to survive in emergency situations. Within the past year, the Guard’s crew members participated in an additional in-water training that required the use of immersion suits to better understand techniques for man-overboard and other water rescues.

In 2006, another Crowley crew aboard the Guard was also recognized for responding to a remote house fire on Vashon Island, Wash.

The Guard is one of two Crowley tugs equipped with emergency response capabilities in the San Francisco Bay area.

Image (c) Crowley

Image: Crowley

The first of Crowley’s four ocean class tugs, Ocean Wave, completed its first job earlier this month by removing a grounded containership from the northern coast of Cuba on behalf of Titan Salvage, Crowley’s emergency response, marine salvage and wreck removal arm.

Titan, along with Houston-based T&T Marine Salvage, was awarded the contract from Cuban salvage company, Antilliana De Salvemento, to assist with the removal of the stricken M/V Hansa Berlin containership that quietly grounded along Cuba’s coast during Tropical Isaac late this summer.

M/V Hansa Berlin aground in Cuba.

Following the grounding, Titan’s salvage master was on scene in less than 24 hours, Crowley’s government services team worked with U.S. and Cuban authorities to complete all necessary Customs documentation in advance, and the solutions team readied the Ocean Wave for the 48-hour transit from Orange, Texas, to the site of the project in Cuba.

The stricken vessel, towed by the Ocean Wave, was successfully removed from the coastline and delivered to port in Havana, Cuba, in early October, Crowley says.

“This successful project is a testament to the power of Crowley’s total capabilities,” said the company’s Todd Busch, senior vice president and general manager, technical services. “We leveraged many of our unique company assets – such as the Ocean Wave – our collective experience, and our long-standing relationships with the Cuban authorities and Antilliana De Salvemento to complete a challenging job quickly in a location where many others would be unable to work. Not only were we able to work as a team, but we performed the job quickly and without harm to the environment or any people. It was an excellent example of what Crowley can do in emergency response situations, in some of the most challenging locations in the world.”

Crowley’s Crowley’s ocean class tugboats, including the Ocean Wave, Ocean Wind, Ocean Sun and Ocean Sky, are ideally suited to work with Crowley’s 455 series high-deck strength barges, which measure 400 feet long by 105 feet wide (121.92 meters by 32 meters). These tugs are outfitted for long-range, high-capacity ocean towing, rig moves, platform and floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit tows, emergency response and firefighting. The Ocean Wave was christened, along with sister vessel,Ocean Wind, last week in New Orleans, La.

An Ocean Class tug. Photo: Crowley

Crowley Maritime Corp. on Thursday christened the first two of four tugboats in the ocean class series, Ocean Wave and Ocean Wind, during a ceremony in New Orleans, La.

Ray Martus, Trish Martus, Christine Crowley and Tom Crowley. Photo: Crowley

On hand at the ceremony were vessel sponsors Christine Crowley, wife of Tom Crowley, chairman president and CEO, and Trish Martus, wife of Ray Martus, new construction director for Crowley subsidiary Jensen Maritime, who performed the time-honored tradition of christening the vessels. The ceremony was also attended by more than 250 guests, including friends and employees from Crowley and representatives from Bollinger Shipyard, of Amelia, La., where the vessels were constructed.

Crowley says that the launch of the new Ocean class of tugboats, which also includes Ocean Sun and Ocean Sky, further solidifies the company’s standing as an industry leader in ocean towing, salvage and offshore marine support for the upstream energy industry. The tugs are ideally suited to work with Crowley’s new 455 series high-deck strength barges, which measure 400 feet long by 105 feet wide (121.92 meters by 32 meters), and will be outfitted for long-range, high-capacity ocean towing, rig moves, platform and floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit tows, emergency response and firefighting.

Both the Ocean Wave and Ocean Wind are scheduled to begin work this year in the U.S. Gulf for a major customer in the global oil and gas industry.

“We are raising the bar in terms of reliability, power and environmental friendliness with the addition of these tugboats,” said Crowley. “These new boats will be workhorses for our valued upstream energy customers and for companies and government entities needing long-range, high-capacity, ocean towing along with salvage and emergency response support. The investments we are making will serve the needs of these customers for many years to come.”

“We are thrilled to take delivery of these state-of-the-art tugboats and to be able to put them to work for major customers in the global oil and gas industry,” said Todd Busch, senior vice president and general manager, technical services. “Our customers today expect best available technology, safety and cost effectiveness when it comes to the design and operation of innovative new vessels to meet their transportation requirements and that’s just what we are providing them.”

These next generation tugs are 146 (Ocean Wave and Wind) and 156 (Ocean Sun and Sky) feet long, 44 feet wide and have a draft of 21 feet. They are designed to have a minimum bollard pull of 150 metric tons, and range for the vessels will be approximately 12,600 nautical miles at 15 knots free running. They will be outfitted with twin-screw, controllable-pitch propellers in nozzles and high lift rudders for a combination of performance and fuel economy.

The tugs also feature dynamic positioning technology (DP-1 and DP-2), Caterpillar-supplied main engines and generators that are all EPA Tier II compliant and can be upgraded to meet future environmental standards for cleaner emissions. Additional environmental protection is provided by the tugs’ double-hulls, which are designed to prevent any overboard discharges of fuel or fluids.

Safety is of paramount importance the new Ocean class. The newly designed tugs will feature waterfall style winches, shark jaws and retractable pins that can all be controlled from the pilothouse, keeping the deck clear of personnel and reducing the risk of accidents. The tug design also features ergonomic accommodations and comforts proven to minimize fatigue and reduce injuries amongst crew.

“We are continuing to make the investments necessary to address the needs of our customers for best-in-class, modern and environmentally friendly equipment,” said Busch. “Crowley and Jensen have always been industry leaders in tug design, technology and performance, and these new vessels are a reflection of our continued commitment to that. Moreover, they will provide our crews with ergonomic accommodations and comforts needed to minimize fatigue and injuries.”

The boats will hold Green Passports, which inventory materials present in a vessel’s structure, systems and equipment that may be hazardous to health or the environment. The Green Passport is regularly updated and maintained and is eventually passed by the owner to the vessel recycling yard at the end of the ship’s life, to enable the yard to formulate a safe and environmentally sound way of breaking the vessel.

The tugs will meet all SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) and ABS criteria including ABS Fi-Fi 1 firefighting standards, and will have the capability to support salvage and rescue towing opportunities, as well as the U.S. Navy’s SUPSALV Contract.

Other vessels in Crowley’s industry-leading build program include the recently completed tenth and final 650 class articulated tug barge tank vessel (ATB) and three new 750 class ATBs, the Legacy/750-1, Legend/750-2 and Liberty/750-3. Crowley has invested more than $1 billion in new tugs, high-capacity barges and ATBs as part of this program.

The remaining Ocean class vessels are being constructed at Bollinger Marine Fabricators, LLC, in Amelia, La., and are scheduled for delivery in 2013.

The Ocean Atlas was boarded by local police, members of Venezuelas’ drug enforcement agency, and individuals claiming to be INTERPOL agents shortly after tying up in Maracaibo, Venezuela on Wednesday, August 29. The officials claimed that they had received a tip that the vessel was smuggling drugs from the United States.

A search of the Ocean Atlas failed to turn up drugs, but authorities detained the ship after finding weapons used by the vessel’s security team during a recent transit of the Gulf of Aden.

MV Ocean Atlas is owned by Intermarine and operated by Crowley. Image via Intermarine

The weapons were locked in the Captain’s safe and had been declared prior to arrival, yet this did not stop authorities from returning September 6th with a police van and arrest warrants for the entire crew. A crew member reports that after being held at gunpoint for 3 hours, Captain Jeffrey Michael Raider convinced the authorities to accept his arrest if the other crew members were allowed to remain on the vessel.

Morale continued to decline until September 6th, when a crew member contacted gCaptain and news of the incident was posted to the gCaptain Forum.

Mainstream media attention quickly followed, encouraging US State Department officials to make their first visit to the detained vessel the following day.

M/V Ocean Atlas, one of four heavy-lift vessels of Intermarine’s U.S.-flag heavy-lift affiliate, U.S. Ocean, is operated by Crowley and manned by AMO union officers and SIU crew. The 8,000 DWT vessel, with 400 metric tons lifting capacity, is particularly well-suited for the movement of project/heavy-lift and military cargos. The Ocean Atlas sailed to Venezuela with 15 crewmembers aboard.

The incident follows the August detention of an unnamed U.S. citizen attempting to enter Venezuela from Colombia whom President Hugo Chavez said may be a “mercenary.” The U.S. and Venezuela diplomats have clashed ever since Chavez, a self-declared “anti-imperialist,” came to power 13 years ago. Chavez, who faces elections on Oct. 7, accuses the U.S. of having supported a 2002 coup against him.

“The disturbing aspect of the matter in Venezuela is the possible politicization by the Chavez regime of the world-wide trend toward criminalization of the master and officers. This has occurred before in that state in similar circumstances such as in the cases of the B Atlantic (2007) and the Astro Saturn (2008) which seem similar in some respects to this case.” said CAMM member Dr. John A. C. Cartner, a world recognized maritime security expert and author of the book The International Law of the Shipmaster. “These are well-worn ways toward arresting first, asking questions later and in some cases waiting a year or more before moving toward charge and trial or release.”

In the weeks following the incident, gCaptain contacted INTERPOL and learned that the organization prohibits agents from boarding ships or conducting field work of any kind. The organization warns all ships to be aware of any individuals claiming to be INTERPOL agents.

The vessel was finally released on September 14th and sailed directly to the Dominican Republic to replenish supplies and allow the crew to step off the gangway for the first time since the vessel departed Houston one month earlier. It was also noted that Captain Raider is in good spirits and was treated well throughout the period of his arrest.

Ocean Wave. Image (c) Crowley

Crowley Maritime Corp. said Wednesday that it has taken delivery of the tug, Ocean Wave, the first of four high-bollard-pull Ocean Class tugboats under construction at Bollinger Shipyards in Amelia, La.

“Taking delivery of this first ocean-class tug is a significant milestone for Crowley and our customers who will benefit from its use on their projects,” said Tom Crowley, company chairman, president and CEO. “These Jensen Maritime-designed towing vessels – three of which are under construction at Bollinger – are a new generation of powerful, high-tech and environmentally friendly workhorses for Crowley that will further solidify our standing as an industry leader in ocean towing, salvage and offshore marine support for the upstream energy industry.”

Crowley’s Ocean Class tugs are modern ocean towing twin-screw vessels with controllable pitch propellers (CPP) in nozzles, high lift rudders and more than 150 MT bollard pull. The first two Ocean Class vessels, the Ocean Wave and Ocean Wind, are classed as Dynamic Positioning 1 (DP1) tugboats and are twin-screw, steel-hulled tugs with an overall length of 146 ft, beam of 46 ft, hull depth of 25 ft and design draft of 21 ft. The second two tugs of the class, Ocean Sky and Ocean Sun, will be classed as DP2 and will be 10 feet longer.

The second Ocean Class vessel, Ocean Wind, is expected to be delivered later this year.

“These new boats will be workhorses for our valued upstream energy customers and for companies and government entities needing long-range, high-capacity, ocean towing along with salvage and emergency response support,” said Crowley.

The tugs will be ideally suited to work with Crowley’s new 455-series heavy lift deck barges, which measure 400 feet by 105 feet and offer increased stability for loads up to 4,200 pounds per square foot. Additionally, the tugs will be outfitted for, and capable of, rig moves, platform and Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit tows, emergency response and firefighting. These Ocean class vessels will also have the capability to support salvage and rescue towing opportunities. Additional Ocean Class vessel specs can be accessed online here.

Ocean Wave Builders Trials

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Read: Ocean Wave Particulars