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January 16, 2006 -- Vol. 6 Issue 3 Written by Jack R. Simpson (unless otherwise noted), owner of J.R. Simpson & Associates, Inc. and contributing editor to The Waterways Journal.
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 In This Newsletter:
Thought For The Week
“Facing it, always facing it. That’s the way to get through. Face it.” — Joseph Conrad A Personal Note From Jack
 Numerous opinions about the recovery of New Orleans have been published since Katrina made her unwelcome visit. Some opinions, as I said editorially in the January 16 issue of the “The Waterways Journal” reflect feelings of the heart, while others are more objective.
We have heard from the National Urban League, which said it would oppose any recovery effort that did away with the poorer neighborhoods. We’ve heard from those who believe putting neighborhoods back into the same dangerous fishbowl and in harms way would be foolish. We’ve heard that it could take decades to make the Nola levee system really safe (of course, some of these evaluations came when they still thought it was a Category 4 storm). And my own opinion was basically that there should be no mad rush to rebuild without prioritizing the various phases of the project. Levee repair would be one phase. Debris removal would be another. Rebuilding certain less damaged areas would certainly be one phase. The question remains, would it be sensible to rebuild housing in harms way before the levee system is made safe? A friend recently visited New Orleans and spent several days driving around with others to evaluate the damage. He was shocked at the extensive damage that took place. Just removing the debris could take years, he suggested. “You’ve got houses on top of cars…cars on top of houses, he said.” I’m hoping that out of the trip will come a first-hand message from one of the participants that will speak in detail about their findings. It occurred to me that there must be hundreds of thousands of tons of metal that could be salvaged. Maybe giving away the metal to companies willing to remove it at their own expense to gain the salvage profits might be a consideration. Wood and some other materials can be burned…but where? No easy problem to solve, this Gulf Coast hurricane business. The sheer magnitude of it is frightening. And Mississippi, for example, considers itself to be a forgotten victim. From the news reports one could easily assume that. Newsletter News
The reason we change boat names in all-caps to upper and lower case is that all caps frequently trigger spam blockers and prevent delivery of B&B. So regardless of journalistic tradition, it is best to use just upper and lower case letters for boat names — actually for everything.) Web Site News
Christmas package specials will continue through the end of January. For Those Inclined To Pray
 We have modified the steps for joining our Prayer Circle. If you visit the Prayer Circle link on at www.littleriverbooks.com, you will find that those who sign up are completely anonymous. We do not ask for first names nor states of residence. Joining is as simple as providing an email address to which we can send future prayer requests. Each prayer request list includes a link for including requests.
By joining our Prayer Circle, you can tap into the prayerful support of circle members wherever they are. Membership and prayer requests are open to everyone.
On The Waterfront
Towboat Brimstone Heavily Damaged By Fire at Vicksburg  The drydocked towboat Brimstone was heavily damaged by an engine room fire on January 11, at Vicksburg, Miss., fire officials said, but there were no injuries reported. It took about an hour to put out the fire. Yazoo River Towing owns the 4,000-hp. vessel, which it bought in 1992 from Mississippi Marine Transport Company, Jackson, Miss. The vessel is 156 by 38 feet. She was built by Parker Bros. Shipyard in Houston, Texas, and powered with F-M 38D8 1/8 diesels. No other details were available. Trinity Industries To Build Barges For Ingram Trinity Industries, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, announced over financial newswires on January 12 a multi-year agreement under which its Trinity Marine Products subsidiary will build dry-cargo barges for Ingram Barge Company. Though there were no terms given, Trinity’s chairman, president and CEO Timothy R. Wallace, said the company is pleased to enter into the agreement with Ingram. Consol Energy Inc. Subsidiary To Purchase Towing Firms USA Consol Energy Inc., has announced via company news an agreement to purchase through a subsidiary, Mon River Towing and J.A.R. Barge Lines, LP, from The Guttman Group. Closing is expected later this month. Consol Energy’s river and dock operations currently handle about 11 million tons of coal annually with its five towboats and nearly 300 barges. After the purchase, the firm will have 18 towboats and more than 650 barges with the capacity to transport 24 million tons of coal annually. Mon River Towing also transports petroleum products, coal, limestone and other bulk commodities to various locations along the navigable rivers of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky. J.A.R. charters motor vessels and barges to other river transportation firms along the inland waterways. Consol Energy is expected to continue these services. For more information about Consol Energy, go to www.consolenergy.com. President Casino, St. Louis, Sues Columbia Sussex, Claims Extortion President Casino, Inc., in St. Louis, Mo., is suing Columbia Sussex (of Kentucky) for backing out of its deal to buy President Casino, the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” reported on January 13th. In 2004 Columbia Sussex had agreed to buy the President Casino operation for $57 million out of the bankruptcy court. Due to concerns over whether it could be able to get a license from state regulators, Sussex dropped out of the deal. President Casino claims that is a breach of contract and also claims that Sussex raised parking fees from $1.50 to as high as $25 as leverage to force President to buy the parking lot at unfavorable terms. President spokespersons said it made it impossible for any of the casino’s patrons to use the lot. Columbia Sussex says it is surprised by the lawsuit and that it believes it has done everything possible to become owners of the President Casino. President wants Sussex to pay the difference between what Sussex had agreed to pay and what President is eventually paid for the business. President has been under bankruptcy protection for three years. Condensed News Tidbits From “The Waterways Journal” – American River Transportation Company has acquired Garvey Marine from White International, is now operating all of the former Garvey Marine locations, has taken over all of Garvey’s former equipment, and has hired 98 percent of the former employees. – The $366 million 110- by 800-foot lock at Marmet Locks and Dam on the Kanawha River remains on schedule for lock operations to begin in 2008 and for the project to be completed in 2009. – The Rock Island Engineer District reports that upper Mississippi Lock 20, Mile 343.2, was to be closed to navigation from 7 a.m. on January 12 (in order to make bushing repairs) and remain closed till 5:30 p.m. yesterday, January 15. Lock 22, Mile 301.2, is set to close at 7 a.m. on January 18 and reopen on January 19 at 5:30 p.m. It will also be closed from 7 a.m. on January 24 till 5:30 p.m. on January 25. In both cases, the closings facilitate the installation of miter-gate machinery adjusting appurtenances. – Bisso Marine Company has successfully refloated a 440- by 136-foot drydock, an effort made more complicated because a 120,000-bbl. barge was on the drydock when the storm surge from Hurricane Katrina pushed it aground. Parts of the four-section drydock were sunk, while others were grounded. The effort required four “pull-barges” to get the drydock back on the waterway. – Bludworth Shipyard is constructing two 2,400 hp. towboats for Republic Barge Transportation Company. They will be powered by twin Cummins KTA38-M2 engines, developing 1,200 hp. each at 1,800 rpm. The first of the 84- by 30-foot towboats is due this spring. Feds Tell American Boat Company, Alton, Ill., To Shape Up Or Ship Out The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warned American Boat Co. on January 6 that its commercial permit to operate its barge repair and salvage company on the Mississippi River near Alton, Ill., is at risk due to several alleged violations. Environmentalists have complained for years that the facility is an eyesore. The Corps’ St. Louis District sent a letter to William Abbott of Godfrey, Ill., owner of the riverfront area leased to American Boat, saying that during a recent inspection it was found that the company is failing to comply with the terms of the 1993 permit. The Corps warned that if “immediate corrective action” is not taken, the agency “will initiate steps to suspend all ongoing activities.” Jim Bensman, conservation chairman of the Alton-based Piasa Palisades Group of the Sierra Club, agreed with the action and said, “Perhaps it will make them clean up their act. This is not an appropriate place for a floating junkyard.” (Editor’s note: Anyone who has driven passed the site knows that Bensman speaks the truth. The place is an unsightly mess.) Minor Incident Closes GIWW For A Few Hours It’s quite simple. The pole attached to the barge rivermen were trying to push under a bridge near Lafitte, La., on Saturday was too tall. It struck the bridge, snapped off, and dropped into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Coast Guard officials said. The GIWW was closed for about seven hours then reopened with some restrictions. The plan was to close it again Sunday to retrieve the pole. During the brief closure, only vessels with a draft no deeper than 11 feet were allowed to pass. Divers confirmed that the tip of the submerged pole was at a depth of 11.5 feet. You can contact the editor directly at jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com. advertisement
The River School - Deck and engineer licenses, radar observer, tankerman, fire and water safety courses, video programs. Travel classes in convenient locations. (800) 238-7113 www.riverschool.com From Our Readers
 (Editor’s note: My first impulse was to print only David Massie’s response to the mystery boat. Then I realized how different responses were. Each was informative in its own way. So I am printing them all.) Re: Mystery Boat B&B January 9, 2006 You’ve probably already got a lot of emails identifying this mystery boat. T’aint no mystery at all. This is the former Army Corps of Engineers side-wheel dredge Mitchell which Alan Bernstein of BB Riverboats, Covington, Ky., bought several years ago and resurrected as the USS Nightmare which he uses every Halloween season. I’ll have to dig through my files for her complete history but it seems to me that she was idle for several years at Kansas City and once broke away during a flood and was damaged and then sold to Alan. Alan used the former Engineer’s boat Wakerobin for the same purpose and leased her to the Pittsburgh-based Gateway Clipper fleet for the same purpose. When I was talking to Gateway Clipper earlier this year about a boat named the Good Ship Lollipop, they mentioned that the Wakerobin had sunk a couple of years ago. David Massie aka boat historian Re: Mystery Boat 1/9/06 The identity of the side-wheel boat, pictured by Ron Richardson is the former dredge Wm. S. Mitchell. She was “much in the news” during the big flood of 1993 when she broke loose on the Missouri and slammed into a bridge, doing much damage to her superstructure at the stern. Film footage of the wild ride was shown on nearly all the TV news networks. She was later purchased by BB Riverboats for use as a “haunted boat” attraction in conjunction with the former Lighthouse Service steamer Wakerobin, which sank during high water in 2004 and was subsequently scrapped. Capt. Alan Bernstein saved the hull, had it foamed, and plans to use it for outdoor dining alongside his Mike Fink (formerly the steam towboat John W. Hubbard) restaurant at Covington, KY. On another subject, thanks to Dan Owen and Jack for info on the Becky Thatcher. Indeed, it came as a “shock” to find the Becky up for auction on EBay! I’ve bought many boat pictures, post cards and books on there [Ebay], but I just don’t think I can swing buying the “real thing”! It will be interesting to see where the Becky might go next. With the Goldenrod showboat tied up and idle in the Illinois River at Kampsville, the Lt. Robert E. Lee closing up at Kimmswick and the Becky Thatcher for sale at Marietta, it would be something to get all them back for the very bare St. Louis waterfront! Keith Norrington New Albany, Ind. Re: Mystery Boat 1/9/06 The photo sent in by Ron Richardson is the dustpan dredge William S. Mitchell. This was is the dredge that was located at Kansas City, Mo., and broke free during the flood and in passing under the bridge, stern first, tore down her stacks, and messed up the aft boiler deck. John Miller Re: Mystery Boat 1/9/06 The photo “this vessel” appears to me to be is the poor old dredge [William S.] Mitchell. she is the sister ship of the Black at Dubuque. She has had a hard life since she left the Corps — up to Kansas City, two or three groups tried to save her as a museum, down the Missouri and up the Ohio, more museum efforts. She was a Halloween spook house for a while. I didn’t know she was still afloat. Her stacks are gone, but there is plenty left to identify her. Carl Hugh Jones Lincoln, Neb. Re: Capt. J. B. Goode Article on Boat Vibrations I’m trying to locate an article on boat vibrations by Captain J. B. Goode. David Bolino responded to it and got it published. It was written back in 2003. I’d appreciate any information you might come up with on this subject. I’m very interested in the information and journeys the barges make. I have a very special friend on the River Wildcat. His calls and conversations are quite interesting. I’ll be waiting for your response. Mary Schmidt Union, Mo. From B&B: Is this it? This Letter ran in “The Waterways Journal” on March 27, 2000, under the heading: Crew Comfort A hot topic in the trade journals has been the inability of inland towboat companies to attract and retain entry-level employees. Overlooked is that entry-level employment in most industries has a high turnover rate. Another factor management won’t mention is the vessels themselves. It is frequently mentioned the industry is competing against Wal-Mart and McDonald’s for new employees. If this is true, the competition has a tremendous advantage over towboats; McDonald’s doesn’t shake, rattle and roar. Wal-Mart employees’ ears don’t ring when they go home. It takes time to adjust to the noise on towboats and new employees who can’t sleep think twice about making a second trip. The competition does not have an unfair advantage. Is noise reduction black art or is it a question of money? Some large-horsepower new-builds have effectively reduced noise and vibration. But pilots at two major carriers on the Ohio River have told me their recently constructed vessels (less than eight years old) are plagued with severe noise and vibration. Vessel crew get lame explanations for the racket some boats make. Get real-men walked on the moon in 1969; noise/vibration dampening isn’t rocket science. Apparently, employee turnover is not factored in construction, but it must weigh heavy in the life cycle costs of a towboat. (If marine architects were forced to make drawings on the galley table of a boat shoving full ahead we would see quieter boats.) A little investment in making towboats more livable would significantly increase employee retention. Surely modern marine engineering can make new and existing vessels more comfortable to ride, at a reasonable cost. River transportation companies are searching for remedies to their crew-retention problems. A little investment in noise/vibration dampening will go a long way. Note: the author sends this letter from the mv. Universal Trader, the most comfortable towboat he has ever worked. Capt. J. B. Goode Bethel Park, Pa. (Editor’s note: If it isn’t what you are looking for, we need more clues.) Re: Drums and Red Flags While looking through some of the boat photos I have come across two items I don’t understand! Would you be kind enough to explain? #1 Drum - some kind of device on the front of barges/what for/how often used? #2 Red Flags - what does it mean when it says “he was pushing two red flag barges” Respectfully Yours, Weldon Rickman  Editor: As for the drums, Weldon found his own answer in our Photo Center under “D”. The device he is talking about is actually a bowthruster named Drum: “The bow thruster Drum, which was on the head of the Daniel Stapp tow, was photographed at the 52-mile bend of the Port Allen Route on July 23, 2003. Copyright Thomas Waller.”
A red flag, according to the late Capt. Jack Ross in his book “As They Say On The River”, is a “signal displayed on a tank barge carrying inflammable cargo, or which is empty but not yet gas free.” We have the book available on our web site. Re: Red Flag (another definition) A “red flag” is just a slang word for any tank barge. The red flag is actually a steel or metal permanently fixed attachment easily seen to indicate that it is a tank barge and certain procedures, like no smoking, must be observed. Dan Owen Boat Photo Museum Welcome to our U.S. Inland Waterways Site Ring!
Site Name: Jazzou Jones Plays Riverboat Ragtime URL: http://www.jazzou.com Owner: Jazzou Jones Description: Jazzou Jones, Cruise Director and Ragtime pianist aboard the legendary steamer Delta Queen offers wonderful ragtime entertainment, news, photos and river-related music CDs for sale. Photo Center
 Among the photo contributions this week is the tanker Barcor, shown northbound on the Brussels-Charleroi Canal in Belgium. The photographer is Koos Fernout, who lives aboard a converted Dutch barge in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He says, “My family name is a typical skippers name. In fact I was born on my father’s barge.” Koos maintains a web site at http://koosfernhout.blogspot.com, where he says we can learn a lot more about his background if we care to visit. He regularly posts barge-related things there as well. He says it is a “highly recommended feast for the eye.” The engine-room fire on the Brimstone gives us a chance to remind you again of a view of the boat we’ve had in the Photo Center for some time. It shows the vessel passing Ashland, Ky., in 1993 and was posted by Joe E. Brown. There is also a second view on the sight, posted by Thomas Waller. From what we’ve seen on the chat lines, the Brimstone fire brought back lots of memories about the old boat. From Leon Puckett, we have the Mr. Cole, Big Daddy, Jarred Cemac, and Tampa Bay; from John Miller, the Jack D. Wofford and Dreama Kaliber; and from Jesse Lybarger, the City of Natchez, Cooperative Ambassador, Gene Herde, Helen Lay and James K. Ellis. Next week we will feature at-this-time-unknown number of pictures of the Cape Girardeau, Gordon C. Green, Sternwheeler and River Queen — all the same boat and built and the last steamboat built by Howard Shipyard, Jeffersonville, Ind. If the boat, originally the Cape Girardeau, has had any other names, please let us know at jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com. Recipe Box
Do you have a good recipe you’d like to share? Submit your recipes here! The Book Beat
We are told that the “Inland River Guides” for 2006 will be available to us late this week. So we are now accepting orders. Our price remains $60 plus S&H. Order now and yours will be among the first to be shipped when they come in.  2006 Inland River Guide - Compiled and pubished by The Waterways JournalSoft cover. Comb binding. Nonfiction: This book is a river-industry, marketplace tool containing alphabetized lists of the various businesses involved in the overall scheme of water transportation, including: barge and towing companies; terminals; fleeting, harbor and tankermen services; shipyards/repair facilities; marine contractors, including dredging; refuelers and boat stores; equipment and freight brokers and other professional services; divers, salvage and pollution control; distributors and manufacturers services; government agencies, associations; and miscellaneous listings such as lock statistics and bridge clearances. Updated book published annually. This book is a must for anyone in the marine business. Our Price: $60.00 (plus S&H) Missouri River Books: Those interested in reading about the history of commercial navigation on the Missouri River have a large choice: “The Conquest of the Missouri”, “Steamboat Legacy”, “Steamboat Treasures”, “Steamboat Kid”, “Grab a Bush”, and “For Wood and Water: Steamboating on the Missouri River from Saint Louis to Fort Union, Dakota Territory 1841-1846.” The latter is a fun little book written by old-time Missouri Rivermen who discuss the myths and tales of the Missouri. The rest are all highly detailed books that trace the history of Missouri navigation, and are good additions to any library. The Gift Shop
Get More Visitors To Your Web Site - Join The U.S. Inland Waterways Site Ring!
This is a web ring owned by Little River Books. It is dedicated to those who work, rest, or play on the inland waterways of the United States. Owners of commercial and private sites can apply to join, bringing together as many waterways related sites as possible. Sign up (FREE), put the code on your page, and watch your hits skyrocket! Let’s see if we can make this one of the biggest and best river site rings on the web. Benefit from other river sites’ traffic and gain new visitors. If you sell a river-related product on your site, this is the ring for you! (You must add the site ring graphic and code onto your website.) Check out the sites currently in the ring and their hit statistics as a direct result of being in the site ring. Tow Talkin'
January 16, 2006 By Kathy Flippo  As I write this on Thursday, January 12th, the sun is shining and it is 58°. Now this is Iowa in January! It ain’t supposed to be like this! I do appreciate the sun though, as we had a three-week stretch without it. The sun shining and sparkling on my American flag in the front yard makes me think of the American flags that fly from masts on every towboat of every size on our Inland Waterways.
One day my dear husband called at three in the morning (His motto? If I’m up, everyone is up!) and said, “Can you meet the boat at the Kaskaskia Lock at noon? And bring us newspapers, five gallons of milk, and a half-dozen or so tennis balls.” “Tennis balls?” I knew right then and there that he’d lost his…to continue reading, click here. See you on the Web, Jack Little River Books jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com Don't forget to visit our website! |
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