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Historic tugboats struggle to stay afloat

By: GLENN GRIFFITH, The Saratogian
09/02/2008

The two boats tied up in the Mohawk River at the end of Terminal Road make an odd sight. An aging tugboat rides low in the water alongside what appears to be a floating railroad boxcar. Rather than a rail car, the rectangular red vessel is actually Pennsylvania Railroad Barge No. 399, a 1930s-era covered barge once used for hauling dry goods.

Angry Camper Shoots at Tug Boat

Reported by: Web Producer
Tuesday, Sep 2, 2008 @05:15pm CST

A Henderson man faces numerous charges after investigators say he fired several shots at a tug boat on the Green River. The incident occurred early Tuesday morning.

help me

greetings!!! i am a licensed captain in boca grande florida. i am DESPERATELY trying to locate william (bill) white. i believe he lives in venice florida. his age is approximately 55 years. he has an unlimited license, i believe, and used to run barges for fpl into port tampa years ago. i need to contact him for a personal reason regarding a relative. if there is anyone out there who can help me please contact me @ cjf4inboca@yahoo.com, or, call my cell phone @ 941 286 7685. any assistance renderd will be greatly appreciated. fair winds and following seas! john foster

Tugboat captain arrested after collision

By Robert Zullo
Staff Writer

Published: Friday, August 22, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, August 22, 2008 at 3:46 p.m.

Emily Schwarze/Staff
James Laughlin�s 28-foot skiff was hit by a tugboat Thursday in lower Dulac, a collision that resulted in the tugboat captain�s arrest on multiple charges.

DULAC � A 38-year-old Lockport tugboat captain was arrested Thursday after he allegedly passed out at the wheel, ran his boat onto a mud bank and struck a docked fishing vessel in Bayou Grand Caillou.

Ronnie Stevens, the captain of the Trey Paul, a push boat hauling two barges loaded with oilfield equipment, is charged with second-offense DWI, hit and run and reckless operation of a boat. Stevens is also charged with possession of Zaliphen, a sleeping medication and a schedule IV controlled dangerous substance, authorities said.

Barge Hits Casco Bay Bridge

PORTLAND HARBOR (NEWS CENTER) -- The barge, towed by a tugboat, hit the bridge's fender system.

It happened shortly before seven o'clock Wednesday morning. The Coast Guard says no one was hurt and there appears to be just minimal damage to both the bridge and the barge.

Tugboat Caused Mississippi River Oil Spill, Tanker Captain Claims

Date Published: Thursday, August 14th, 2008

The captain of a tanker involved in last month�s Mississippi River oil spill said that the tugboat Mel Oliver was to blame for the collision that caused the disaster. During a hearing in New Orleans yesterday, Captain Jan Stefan Bjarve said that just before the collision, the Mel Oliver, towing a barge loaded down with 419,000 gallons of oil, unexpectedly turned into the path of his tanker, the Tintomara.

TITAN Salvage Removes Accommodations Block from Sunken Ship, New Flame, in Gibr

(Pompano, Fla.; August 13, 2008) TITAN Salvage, Crowley Maritime Corporation's salvage and wreck removal company reported today that its salvage team on site in Gibraltar responding to the wreck of the bulk ship New Flame took a major step forward in the project last week when salvors removed the wreck's 600-ton accommodations block.

Mississippi River Oil Spill Barge Finally Hauled Away

Date Published: Monday, August 11th, 2008

The barge responsible for last month�s Mississippi river oil spill has finally been removed from the water. With the barge finally gone, attention will likely shift to the Coast Guard�s investigation into the July 23 spill. A hearing into the incident is scheduled to begin tomorrow, and several crew members from a tugboat and tanker involved in the accident are slated to testify.

Normal speed allowed on 20 miles of Miss. River

The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS, LA. -- Ships and boats can once again travel at normal speed on the 20 miles of the Mississippi River nearest the Gulf of Mexico, the Coast Guard said Wednesday.

'It's like moving an egg'

Constellation will be carefully pushed to commissioning ceremony

By Scott Calvert | Sun reporter
August 8, 2008

Mark McCluskey's thousand-horsepower tugboat, which usually hauls oil barges all over Baltimore Harbor, is set to gently nudge and prod an especially precious vessel this afternoon: the 154-year-old sloop-of-war Constellation.