In This Newsletter:

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  Quote of the Week

"I'm not a complete idiot - some parts are missing."

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  A Personal Note From Jack

Color Me Perplexed!

As you can see in our "On The Riverfront" report below, the Coast Guard is still investigating a power failure that occurred on the Elizabeth M in September. The truth of that report apparently is not in question. If the vessel suffered a power failure thought to be serious enough to warrant a Coast Guard investigation, would one not assume that the port captain for the company operating the boat would be aware of it? And if the port captain were aware of it, would it not also be safe to assume that the incident should be given some consideration before allowing the vessel to attempt to lock through at Montgomery Locks considering the serious high-water problems? One of the survivors of the June 9 sinking told the press that the company told them to go ahead and lock through, even though other professional rivermen told them not to attempt it. The Coast Guard hearing that commences today (January 31) may or may not confirm whether such an order was given. So far, we have only the world a crewman who plans to sue over the incident.

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Though it is not directly related to boating, a report Monday about funds perhaps going astray in Iraq does impact all of our pocketbooks. It was reported that some $9 billion, turned over to Iraq officials in 2003, cannot be accounted for. I suggest that after the shameful way our government has treated the budget of the Corps of Engineers and our deteriorating waterways system, perhaps there is a major problem with store-minding. With so much criticism about our entry into the Iraq scene, our federal storekeepers should be super sensitive about accounting for every dollar. But experience tells us that Washington has squandered big bucks many times over the years and is rarely held accountable. The $9 billion would go a long way toward solving waterway problems. Perhaps they will get lucky and find the money.

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In the matter of inland waterway needs, the Maritime Administration is beginning what is described as a condition and performance report and needs assessment. The agency has received $1 million to undertake the review.

Other needs and performance assessment activities include a project by the Inland Rivers Ports & Terminals Inc. to develop and inland waterways marketing plan. The last omnibus bill also funded two $750,000 studies. One study, by the Coalition of Alabama Waterways Assn., which includes five state river valley associations plus the Alabama State Port Authority, will analyze the feasibility, opportunities and mechanics of expanding container-on-barge service on Alabama waterways. The other, a joint effort by the University of Minnesota-Duluth and the University of Wisconsin-Superior, will explore "improved mobility and regional supply-chain efficiency" on the Great Lakes, including possible short sea shipping routes.

As I pointed out in today's "waterways Journal" editorial, judging the value of tributary waterways does not rest solely with volume. Arkansas Congressman Mike Ross recently emphasized that the "value" of the cargo itself represents a realistic measure of importance. He pointed out that without tributaries, the major waterways would not see nearly as much volume. Arlene L. Dietz, director of the Corps' Navigation Data Center, said tributaries account for about two thirds of the traffic on the entire inland waterways, or 65.8 percent of the total tonnage and 56.4 percent of the trip ton-miles. The Office of Management and Budget has tried frequently to zero-fund channels moving less than a million tons a year. But the Corps of Engineers has maintained that tributaries that originate or terminate a cargo should be credited for the entire barge trip. The bottom line is that OMB is striving to cut civil works funding even more.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that if the government continues to fix waterways structures only as they fail, the system will continue to deteriorate and foreign powers challenging us for our world trade business will gain additional footholds in the marketplace. One major fallacy with this strategy is that lock failure has repercussions. Failure means just what it says. Something has failed. When locks fail, river traffic must be routed through the other lock. If the second lock is a smaller auxiliary lock, it results in delays and financial losses that ultimately build up to millions of dollars. One can never predict the length of time that a lock will be done until Corps inspectors can get to the scene to evaluate the situation. By that time losses have already been incurred. If there is no "other lock", the losses are greater.

Planned maintenance-and the Corps is very good at it when it has the funding-allows the luxury of planning repairs and downtimes during off-season periods whenever possible and giving towboat companies advance warning so better utilization of the remaining locks can be realized. This type of planned maintenance can prevent unexpected breakdowns that are costly to the economy and put an extra burden on shippers and transporters alike.

Under present, deteriorating conditions the waterway system is not reliable. Without reliability, it is difficult to sign long-term contracts so that both shippers and transporters can operate on an even keel. Unfortunately, according to David V. Grier of the Institute of Water Resources, "Long-established programs for advance maintenance of principal lock components have essentially given way to a fix-as-fail policy, and even then the fix may take weeks or even months to complete."

"Capitol Currents", official publication of the Waterways Council, reports that the Corps has counted at least 12 lock malfunctions in the last 18 months. As one example of the time it takes for repairs, the auxiliary lock at Mel Price Locks and Dam failed in October; the massive gates have now been moved to a Corps repair yard in St. Louis. Hopefully they will be back in service before the summer recreation season. The problems are getting so bad that waterway users are becoming alarmed, the Council reports.

Mike White, the Corps operations chief, points out that we can have all of the operational and technical advances we want, but if we don't get smart about how to maintain the [waterways] infrastructure, we will kill the goose that lays the golden egg. "If you don't have reliability there, you can't make business commitments and decisions."

B&B readers are aware that efforts have been made in recent years to develop reliable container-on-barge service on the waterways. The major effort is being made on the Lower Mississippi. Given good weather and good water, service can be pretty reliable in the Lower. But if such an undertaking were to take place on a reach of the river where unreliable locks become part of the equation, the effort can be defeated before it even gets a good start.

Adequate financing for waterways and a will to maintain and modernize them is a must for all of us. Now that the Chief of Engineers has endorsed 1,200-foot locks at five Upper Mississippi River dams and at two sites on the Illinois, perhaps the projects will get underway one year soon. During the initial 15 years of the project, about $2 billion would be spent on lock construction and another $1.6 billion on environmental projects.

Sorry to say it, but there are no guarantees, and this is just another case where we have to just STAY TUNED!

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  Newsletter News

Bitts & Bytes will now come to your "e-door" in a nicer HTML format. If your email program cannot accept HTML, the newsletter will automatically come across as text only. You should not have to do anything to keep receiving B&B. If your email program CAN receive HTML format but you wish to receive the newsletter in text-only format anyway (due to a slower connection perhaps), please drop us an email at jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com to be placed on a text-only subscribers list. Otherwise, you will receive it in the new format.

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  On The Water Front

The Elizabeth M Had A History, Says Coast Guard

The Elizabeth M, key in the issue of the fatal January 9 accident where the vessel and six coal barges were swept against Montgomery Dam on the Ohio River (ultimately resulting in the death of three crew and the presumed death of a fourth) had a history that could be a factor in the mishap. (The boat and three barges sank after being swept through the dam gates. (See B&B archives for January 17 and 24 for details.)

According to the U.S. Coast Guard the vessel experienced a power failure on September 24. Few details are available because that failure is still under investigation, according to the "Pittsburgh Tribune-Review" last Thursday. Further, The Coast Guard reportedly is investigating a December 31, 2004, oil spill involving the boat.

The Coast Guard was to begin a four-day hearing into the sinking of the Elizabeth M. The boat is still lodged below the dam and will remain so until the river level drops enough to allow salvage crews to work safely.

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Coast Guard Activates River Plan

The story of the sinking of the Elizabeth M on the Ohio River at Montgomery Locks and Dam apparently is not lost to many. On the 26th of January, the U.S. Coast Guard activated the Mississippi River Crisis Action Plan, which places restrictions on river traffic within six miles above and six miles below Baton Rouge. On January 26, the Mississippi was two feet above flood stage. River traffic is being monitored around the clock until the river drops below the flood stage of 35 feet.

(Editor's note: Hopefully the existence of high water and strong currents will be THE major factor in deciding whether or not boats should operate in a certain stretch of a waterway. Decisions have to be based on more than the financial bottom line.

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Coast Guard Plans To Close Loophole in Maritime Laws

Last week we reported how the tanker Athos I struck two objects on the bottom of the Delaware River on November 26, causing a gash in its hull and an oil spill that was estimated on January 19 to cost $94.5 million to clean up. During the resulting Coast Guard hearing, investigators made another discovery.

Not only had the ship struck two objects rather than one (as earlier thought) but ship operators are not, by law, required to report when they lose hazardous objects in navigable waterways. The way the law is written, it says they "may" report them.

This loophole was made known by the Coast Guard at a congressional hearing in Philadelphia. Upon hearing the remarks of Rear Adm. Sally Brice-O'Hara as she explained the gap in the law, Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo (R-NJ), chairman of the subcommittee on Coast Guard and maritime transportation, said, "I can assure you that will be remedied."

Divers that inspected the site of the mishap discovered a large, heavily corroded anchor, an 8 by 4-foot concrete slab and a cast iron piece of pump housing. The National Transportation Safety Board has matched paint on the concrete slab to paint on the hull of the Athos I. Tests have also linked red paint on the piece of pump housing to the hull. Blue paint was found on the anchor, but its origin was not determined.

Investigators are still trying to piece together what happened.

In an interesting aside, it is revealed that the ship drew 36.5 feet, while the objects were around 40 feet down. But investigation revealed that the vessel listed, sending one side deep enough to strike the objects below and go aground.

The gash in the Athos I hull measured six feet long and two feet wide. It allowed the escape of some 265,000 gallons of oil.

As followers of river news already know, under present law, single-hull ships will be phased out by 2015. Committee members at the hearing were wondering whether or not they should ban single-hulled vessels from the Delaware River.

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Making Up For Lost Time

With all of the high-water incidents occurring around the waterways in recent weeks, we know we missed a few. Among them was a barge breakaway at Vicksburg.

The "Vicksburg Post" reported on January 25 that some barges from an American River Transportation tow of 29 barges scattered after the tow struck Pier 3 of the U.S. 80 bridge over the Mississippi. A witness at Vicksburg said he saw the tow trying to maneuver a bend in order to straighten up to make the bridge. He said it never made the turn and appeared to get caught in the current. The tow struck the pier, snapping wires and scattering the grain barges.

Three of the barges were taking on water. Ergon Marine crews were on the river all night making repairs, the "Post" reported.

Whenever tows strike a bridge pier, the bridge superintendent notifies Kentucky City Southern Railway to stop trains so engineers can check for structural damage. The piers are covered with 15 feet of concrete officials said.

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An Effort To Fatten The Kitty

While we won't report the goings on in great deal, an effort will be made on March 8-9 during the 2005 Budget Summit, sponsored by the National Waterways Conference, to fatten the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers budget for civil works. The event takes place at Jury's Washington Hotel.

The summit provides an opportunity for industry leaders to meet in Washington, D.C., where they can bone up on the latest waterway trends, evaluate President's Bush's budget and review prospects for a Water Resources Development Act in 2005.

In addition to hearing feature presentations during the morning sessions on both days, the schedule during the afternoons will allow time for attendees to meet with their congressional delegates. During those visits they can spell out local waterway concerns and explain why the waterways system is important to their businesses.

The budge summit is an annual NWC event. For additional information, contact NWC staff at phone: 703/243-4090, or fax 703/243-4155 in Arlington, Va. One can also register online at www.waterways.org if you wish to attend. (We assume it's open to all waterways supporters.)

(Editor's note: One doesn't need a long memory to remember that efforts to pass a water resources development act were not successful last year. How successful Budget Summit delegates are during their Washington visit may provide an advance clue as to how big the 2005 battle will be to increase the civil works budget.

To learn more about the National Waterways Conference, click here.

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  Questions From Our Readers

Needs Info On Boat

Hello to all, and I'm new to this wonderful web site. A good old friend used to work on the towboat (Arkansas Traveler) many years ago. Would anyone have information and pictures, or name changes of the towboat. I worked as a cook and mechanic on the (VIRGINIA)many years ago. I was able to get some information of the fate of the (VIRGINIA). Thank you for letting me post this message.

Dave Bove

(Editor's note: The 2005 "Inland River Record" reveals three boats named Arkansas Travel in the "Former Names" section. So we are pursuing the matter from this end. (Remember B&B's First Commandment: Help someone cuz someday you may need help yourself.)

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Our Boat Specialist Responds

I think you can eliminate the Arkansas Traveler, now Susie B 287485 because it was just a small contractor boat owned by Dravo.

The Arkansas Traveler that got all of the publicity for being the first commercial tow pusher up the Arkansas was the one originally the Mollie J in 1967 to Southeastern in 1968 to Arkansas Traveler in 1997 to Jesse James.

The other one was built as Arkansas Traveler then in 1980 to Buckles in 2003 to Judith McDaniel.

Dan Owen
boatphotos@mindspring.com

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  Crossing the Bar

This is taken from the January 28, 2005, "Omaha World Herald" and my long association with Capt. L. Raymond Holland. - Carl Hugh Jones.

Marjorie A. Holland, 87, died in Nebraska City on January 25, 2005. She was the wife of (and kept the home fires burning for) Capt. L. Raymond Holland, who spent his career on the river with the Corps of Engineers. Holland was part of the crew that brought the John Ordway down from the Fort Peck Dam construction. He served on Corps towboats and dredges and spent some time in partial retirement on excursion boats out of Brownville, Neb., where earlier the family ran a boat store and marina in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He also served as the first curator for the retired Corps dredge Captain Meriwether Lewis 1977-1981 and helped found the River Rats Reunion.

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  Boat Photo Center

Thirteen pictures (one collage) grace the new postings for the Boat Photo Center this week. They include: the Sherman Waxler, Dan McMillan, Wayne P. LaGrange, Miss Kathy and E. Bronson Ingram, posted by Jesse Lybarger; the Robin B. Ingram (and an eagle) from Ed Rahe; three views of the Esso Louisiana from Dan Owen and the Boat Photo Museum; and three French towboats, Urgence, Tage, and Olympe from Francois Manouvrier of Dreux-France.

Enjoy!

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  The Book Beat

Don't forget that we now have available immediately the 2005 editions of two of the most popular books among rivermen and river operators.

The 2005 "Inland River Record" is the boat book that keeps us all up to date on what is happening to the diesel and steam vessels on the Mississippi River system and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and tributaries in operation as of June 30, 2004. It has been published annually since 1945. This year it contains 1,011 changes that occurred since the 2004 book was published. Most significantly, they include 541 ownership or company name changes. They also include a multitude of boat spec changes. It sells for $35 plus S&H.

Published more recently is the 2005 edition of the "Inland River Guide", a book that helps us sort out all of the great number of marine industries and related firms that base their existence on water transportation. In recent years the news has been filled with company mergers and boat sales. The pages of the "Guide" reflect those changes, in addition to providing vital statistics such as bridge clearances and lock locations. Separate sections provide listings for barge and towing companies, terminals, fleeting and harbor services, shipyards and repair facilities, marine contractors, refuelers and boat stores, brokers and professional services, divers, salvage and pollution control, distributors and manufacturers' services, government agencies and associations, etc. The book sells for $60 plus S&H.

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  Nautical Gift Shop

The Weems & Plath Porthole Clock/Thermometer/Hygrometer:
This three-in-one instrument features a clock with second hand, as well as a hygrometer and thermometer. A forged porthole-style brass ring holding a thick beveled crystal is mounted to a mahogany finished case. The battery operated precision quartz movement is easily accessible from the rear of the clock. AA battery operated, precision movement. Thermometer reads in Fahrenheit and Celsius. Hygrometer shows percentage of humidity in the air. Click here for more info.

Little River Books is an authorized dealer of Weems & Plath.

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  For Those Inclined To Pray

Join our Prayer Circle so that you can tap into the prayerful support of the circle members. At this mailing we have 24 members representing eight states. Membership and prayer requests are open to everyone. The activity of the Prayer Circle is confined totally outside of our weekly newsletter, with the exception of this portion All arrangements must go through jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com. To learn about the prayer circle click here.

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  Tow Talkin'

By Kathy Flippo

January 31, 2005

Crew changes are interesting to say the least. In any that I've been connected with Plan A usually wound up down around Plan G. In towboating, we don't have ETA's like airlines do. We operate on the GTA system; Guesstimated Time of Arrival.

One memorable change for Pat was to be at Cape Girardeau, Mo., at the shipyard. The Mv. Audrey Fouts would be going northbound by there at 8 a.m. Yeah, right. That meant we either went down the night before and stayed in a motel or got up at 3:30 a.m. and out the door by a quarter of four, thermoses of coffee in hand. This time we decided to get up early and go. By the time we were eastbound... to continue reading this column, click here.


See you on the Web,


Jack
Little River Books
jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com
Don't forget to visit our website!