Voyage plans and intensifying storms — Part I
As we enter the final stretch of the Northern Hemisphere’s official hurricane season, I warily…
Protection and safety — Part V
So, what actually distinguishes a best practice from a good practice? Or what differentiates a…
Protection and safety – Part IV
Done correctly, a Towing Safety Management System (TSMS) is detailed enough to provide clear and…
Protection and safety – Part III
Understanding what a Towing Safety Management System (TSMS) is all about — and what it…
Protection and safety for mariners — Part II
One thing that never seems to change over the years is the typical response to…
Protection and safety for mariners — Part I
If you are currently active in the U.S. Merchant Marine, theoretically you now have more…
The tragedy of the towboat Ricky J. Leboeuf — Part II
When reading the tight narrative in the NTSB’s marine accident report about the 1,800-hp towboat…
Open door policy – Part IV
Finally, we get to the story of the 1,800-hp towboat Ricky J. Leboeuf, which capsized…
Open door policy – Part III
It’s a fact that tugs and towboats don’t sink every day. It’s a somewhat rare…
Open door policy — Part II
So, if you accept the National Transportation Safety Board’s determination that rapid down-flooding of the…