Portland Inks Propane Export Terminal Deal

By Mark Edward Nero

The Port of Portland said Sept. 2 that it has an agreement in place with Pembina Pipeline Corp. to develop a rail-served propane export facility that could be up and running by early 2018. Pembina plans to construct and operate the facility on land adjacent to the east end of the port’s marine Terminal 6 in Rivergate Industrial District.

Private investment is estimated at more than $500 million dollars; the project represents one of the largest single private capital investments in the city’s history.

“The city is committed to growing our economy on the land we already have, and holding industry to very high environmental and public safety standards,” Portland Mayor Charlie Hales said. “We welcome this investment and these jobs in Portland. This proposal meets these goals.”

Pembina, based in Calgary, Alberta, is one of Canada’s leading providers of transportation and logistics for the North American energy sector; the company has experience in building propane facilities and safely transporting and storing propane in both Canada and the US.

“Signing an agreement with the Port of Portland is a tremendous start to making this project real. It marks the beginning of consulting with government and stakeholders,” Pembina’s President and CEO, Mick Dilger, said.

The propane export facility is designed to receive about 37,000 barrels of propane daily. It’s anticipated that most of the propane would be exported to Asian markets, to be utilized for various residential and industrial purposes.

“After saying ‘no’ to coal and ‘not now’ to crude by rail, we are confident that we are saying ‘yes’ to the right partner at the right time,” Port of Portland Executive Director Bill Wyatt said. “Propane has an excellent track record as a clean and safe alternative fuel.”

It is estimated that the project would generate between 600 to 800 temporary construction jobs and about 35 to 40 new, permanent positions to operate the terminal. Additionally, an estimated $3.3 million in annual tax revenues would go to the City of Portland, $2.4 million to Multnomah County and $3.1 million to Portland Public Schools annually.

“It is not an overstatement to say this would be transformative not only for the port’s bottom line, but for the significant influx of city, county and state tax revenue supporting our region.” Wyatt said. “We already handle exports of potash and wheat from Canada, and we’re excited to serve as the gateway for this new cargo type from our neighbors to the north.”

Three Anchorage Port Expansion Finalists Chosen

By Mark Edward Nero

The Port of Anchorage says that after a weeklong series of meetings, it has narrowed down its list of designs to complete a long-planned expansion of the port to three. However, the designs will not be publicly released until one is recommended for approval in November, according to the office of Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan.

The port of Anchorage began a week-long collaborative Concept Planning Charrette in mid-August to identify and refine concept designs for the port modernization project, which has been in the works for more than a decade. The project was overseen by the US Maritime Administration until the US Army Corps of Engineers took control in May 2012.

The expansion was originally estimated to cost $360 million and was supposed to be finished by 2011. Instead, cost estimates have jumped to about $1 billion and climbing and completion isn’t expected for another decade.

The five-day Concept Planning Charrette was a workshop that involved key stakeholders directly in identifying operational constraints, known risks and user priorities. Over 50 individuals representing port users and vessel operators, technical and subject matter experts and port and Municipality of Anchorage leadership participated in the meetings, which was conducted by a program management consultant team, led by engineering firm CH2M HILL, which serves as expansion’s current project manager.

By the conclusion of the event, the port had identified three preliminary design concepts from the viewpoint of technical experts and port users.

“This is a critical step in preparing the port for the future,” Mayor Sullivan said. “Alaska needs a modern, reliable port to ensure dependable cargo service for Southcentral Alaska and beyond for decades to come.”

The port is expected to develop the concepts to a preliminary 15 percent design level by November 2014, at which time a recommended concept design is to be presented to the city for approval.

New LB Harbor Commissioner Nominated

By Mark Edward Nero

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia nominated a former California deputy attorney general for a seat on the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Sept. 2.

The nominee is environmental attorney Tracy Egoscue, who now heads the Long Beach-based Egoscue Law Group. Egoscue is known for having achieved one of the largest Clean Water Act settlements in California history – $5 million – against the City of Los Angeles in 2004. The lawsuit, which she filed in 1998 as head of the nonprofit environmental group Santa Monica Baykeeper, forced the City of LA to accept responsibility for more than 3,600 spills that occurred between 1988 and 1998. The settlement required that Los Angeles replace 488 miles of sewer lines, clean 2,800 miles of sewers annually and increase the sewer system’s capacity.

Egoscue also previously won a $2.5 million settlement against the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts in 2006 relating to five years of overflows from the Sanitation Districts’ wastewater collection system between January 2001 and September 2006.

Egoscue also previously served a stint as executive officer of the LA region of the state’s Regional Water Quality Control Board, quit in May 2010 after less than three years on the job.

She also currently sits on the Board of the California League of Conservation Voters.

If confirmed, Egoscue would assume the seat on the board formerly held by Susan Anderson Wise, who stepped down from the harbor board July 14.

Port Tech Expo Set for Sept. 17

By Mark Edward Nero

Federal Maritime Commission Chair Mario Cordero and the executive directors of the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports have been named as speakers at the fifth annual PortTechEXPO taking place in the LA waterfront area on Sept. 17.

The PortTechEXPO is an annual gathering now in its fifth year that is hosted by PortTech LA. During the event, technology companies can connect with business prospects at Southern California’s ports and explore opportunities.

This year’s event features demonstrations, interactive displays and new advancements in environment, energy, transportation and security technology solutions.

The event’s scheduled for 8 am to 3 pm at Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles, a large-scale craft marketplace located at 110 East 22nd St. in San Pedro.

Speakers during the morning session include Cordero, Port of LA Executive Director Gene Seroka and Port of Long Beach Executive Director Jon Slangerup. Also during the event, San Diego County-based TransPower is set to become the first-ever recipient of the event’s Advancing Innovation Award, which recognizes PortTech LA client companies that have excelled in moving from concept to production. TransPower’s fleet of heavy-duty, zero-emission vehicles, including drayage trucks and yard tractors, will be showcased at the expo.

More information on the event, including registration fees or how to become a sponsor or exhibitor, can be found at porttechla.org, or by calling event organizer PortTechLA at (310) 519-1801.

Southern Yards on Recovery Pace

By Jim Shaw

Southern shipyards have been on a fast-paced recovery from the recession and the future looks bright, with both domestic and export contracts filling order books. However, a question mark remains over the giant Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Avondale complex on the Mississippi River near New Orleans, which has ended its shipbuilding days but has not yet geared itself to another occupation. In April, HII announced that it would be exploring redevelopment of the site with Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, LP, a firm that has acquired American Petroleum Tankers and State Class Tankers, with the idea of evaluating "best-use" opportunities for the facility. A few months later HII purchased UniversalPegasus International Holdings (UPI), a leading provider of engineering and project management services to the energy sector. According to a HII spokesperson, Beci Brenton, the acquisition of UPI, which is expected to generate between $225 million and $250 million in sales this year, is "aligned" with HII's efforts to move into the oil and gas industry. HII has also acquired the S.M. Stoller Corporation, which provides environmental and technical support to the nuclear power industry, but whether either company will help breathe new life into the Avondale yard, now down to less than 500 employees, remains to be seen. In the meantime, the US Coast Guard has awarded a fixed-price incentive firm target contract valued at approximately $497 million to HII for production of the seventh National Security Cutter (NSC), Kimball (WMSL 756), at its Pascagoula, Mississippi yard, with production to begin early next year.

Cutters at Pascagoula
HII's Pascagoula facility currently has three NSCs in production: Hamilton (WMSL 753), which is scheduled for delivery later this year and will mark the first of two NSCs planned to be home-ported in Charleston, South Carolina; James (WMSL 754), scheduled for delivery in 2015, and Munro (WMSL 755), to be handed over in 2016. Kimball is expected to follow by early 2018. In all, the Coast Guard plans to acquire eight NSCs, with three already delivered, including Stratton (WMSL 752), which embarked on its first operational deployment earlier this year.

The 4,500-ton displacement ships, which are considered the most technologically sophisticated cutters ever built for the Coast Guard, measure 418-feet by 54-feet and have a top speed of 28 knots. Designed for worldwide operation, they have a range of 12,000 miles and sufficient endurance to perform 60- to 90-day patrols while manned by a crew of over a hundred. In addition, the combined diesel/gas turbine propelled vessels have been fitted with an aft launch and recovery area for two rigid hull inflatable boats and a flight deck large enough to accommodate a range of manned and unmanned rotary wing aircraft.

VT Halter Marine
While HII's Avondale yard has left shipbuilding the VT Halter Marine facility at Pascagoula, Mississippi has been steadily moving towards large ship production following its completion of the 382-foot ferry Kennicott for the Alaska Marine Highway System in 1998 (under Halter ownership) and the 579-ft auto carrier Jean Anne for Pasha Group in 2005.

Over the past 12 months it has taken delivery of a new 546-foot floating drydock and completed a multimillion-dollar "south yard" expansion project at Bayou Casotte. Last year the shipbuilder was awarded a $350 million contract to construct two Container Roll-On/Roll-Off (Con/Ro) ships for Crowley Maritime Corporation, with deliveries scheduled for mid- and late-2017. Designed by Wartsila Ship Design, and to measure 720 feet by 106 feet, the twin vessels will be powered by MAN B&W 8S70ME-GI8.2 main engines giving a speed of 22 knots.

Beyond the two Crowley Con/Ros, VT Halter is nearing completion of the 21,132-dwt Con/Ro vessel Marjorie C for Pasha Hawaii Shipping Company. This 692-foot by 106-foot ship will be capable of carrying 1,400 TEU's and 2,750 automobiles on Pasha's service between the US mainland and Hawaii when delivered later this year. Just handed over has been the ocean-going articulated tug/barge (ATB) tug Denise A. Bouchard, completed by VT Halter's Moss Point yard for New York's Bouchard Transportation Company. Measuring 112 feet by 35 feet, the 4,000-hp tug has been equipped with an Intercon coupler system and is being paired with one of Bouchard's existing 80,000-bbl ATB tank barges for operation along the Atlantic coast. The New York company is awaiting two further ATB units from Halter, the tug Kim M. Bouchard and barge B. No.270 and the tug Donna J. Bouchard and barge B. No.272.

Late Deliveries
In the military sector, VT Halter shipped out the first two of four Fast Missile Craft (FMC) it has been building for the Egyptian Navy, with the high-speed vessels loaded aboard the heavy-lift ship Combi Dock III at Pensacola, Florida in May. All four ships, including lead units ENS S. Ezzat (682), and ENS F. Zekry (684), are based on Vosper International's Ambassador Class III design and have been classed by the American Bureau of Shipping. Egyptian crews were trained at the Pensacola Naval Air Station and the ships, which will be armed with Harpoon missiles, are to be employed to protect the Suez Canal. The original contract for these vessels was awarded to VT Halter's predecessor company more than a dozen years ago but a number of delays have been experienced in the program.

A somewhat shorter delay period has been experienced by the US Navy's new Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey ship Maury (T-AGS 66) which was to have been delivered earlier this year. In May, Matt Leonard, a spokesman for Naval Sea Systems Command, said that the construction project has experienced "recent shipbuilder delays," and that VT Halter has proposed a revised delivery schedule to the Navy, which is currently under review.

Built as a somewhat longer vessel than its sisters, the 353-foot by 58-foot Maury has been given an additional 24 feet in length over the previous designs in order to accommodate a central moon pool for deployment and retrieval of autonomous underwater vehicles. It is anticipated that Maury will eventually replace one of the Navy's older survey ships, USNS Sumner (T-AGS 61), with the latter moving on to the US Special Operations Command.

BAE Systems
At Mobile, Alabama the BAE Systems yard continues to move deeper into large ship construction and now has a 353-foot-long subsea support vessel under construction for Oceaneering International after completing a 613-foot tanker last year. The subsea ship, which will be fitted with a 250-ton active heave compensated crane for underwater construction and maintenance work, will be DP-2 rated, US-flagged, and have accommodation for up to 110 personnel. It will also be equipped with a satellite communications system capable of transmitting streaming video for real-time work observation by shore personnel in connection with two Oceaneering work class remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to be carried. Delivery is expected within the first half of 2016.

The Mobile yard is also finishing two 288-foot by 62-foot DP-2 platform supply vessels (PSVs) for Gulfmark Offshore and has options for two more. Delivery of the first 8,160-hp PSV is expected later this year and the next in 2015. These boats are being finished to a MMC Ship Design & Marine Consulting design. In addition, BAE's Mobile yard is completing a 8,500 cubic yard capacity trailing suction hopper dredge for Weeks Marine while its Jacksonville, Florida facility has delivered the 252-foot by 60-foot offshore vessel Breeze to Jackson Offshore Operators as the first of four similar ships.

These Guido Perla-designed vessels have a total deadweight capacity of about 3,500 metric tons and feature an integrated Rolls-Royce diesel-electric propulsion package employing Rolls-Royce's Azipull thrusters. The second boat of the series is expected to be delivered in September while the third and forth will follow in 2015. Each of the US Jones Act PSVs will be used to support Jackson's expanding business base in the Gulf of Mexico.

Rodriguez Shipbuilding
One of the nation's largest builders of shallow-draft tugs, Rodriguez Shipbuilding Inc, of Bayou LaBatre, Alabama has finished the 75-foot by 28-foot model bow tug Sea Cypress for Morgan City-based Garber Bros. Inc. and Sea Cypress LLC. The new boat has a total of 2,000-HP generated by three 660-HP six-cylinder Cummins QSK19 marine engines, each turning a propeller through Twin Disc MGX5222 gears with 6:1 ratios. The triple screw configuration, somewhat common on the Gulf, allows the design to maintain a shallow ten-foot molded depth and, depending on load conditions, operate in as little as eight feet of water.
Built similar to the company's earlier delivered tug Sea Oak, Sea Cypress features an elevated aluminum pilothouse providing a 38-foot eye level view to the operator. It has also been set up for both pushing and towing operations. For the latter, the boat has been fitted with SMATCO deck equipment, including a waterfall type winch that can also be used for anchor handling. In towing operations, the stern winch allows the tug to make up to barges for pushing by way of a bridle running through stern deck rollers and side deck rollers. A total of 37,000 gallons of fuel, 6,700 gallons of water and 300 gallons of lube oil can be carried while accommodation has been arranged for up to six persons. A second boat for Garber, the lugger tug Sea Otter, is expected to be handed over later this month and, like Sea Cypress, is powered by Cummins QSK19 diesels, although in this case driving propellers set in tunnels to achieve a shallower six-foot operating draft.

Horizon Shipbuilding
Another Bayou La Batre builder, Horizon Shipbuilding, once known as Owen-Short Marine, has delivered the 140-foot by 42-foot towboat Phillip Bob to Florida Marine Transporters (FMT) after having finished an earlier sister, Brent Ice, in January. The latest vessel, designed by John Gilbert, is fitted with two Cat C-280 6-cylinder engines of a combined 5,400-HP driving Sound propellers through Lufkin gearboxes while two Cat C-9 generators support ship's power. The vessel's steering system has been provided by EMI while fire suppression and detection systems came from Hiller Systems. The 140-foot boat, which accommodates a pilot, master, engineer, and six crewmembers, is being followed by a smaller 120-foot vessel, with more orders expected to follow.

To keep up with demand, Horizon has acquired 22 acres of land, including 3,000 feet of waterfront, three production bays, and multiple launch ways, directly across the Bayou from its main yard. Once operated by Offshore Trawlers, the new facility is expected to triple the company's production capacity and will specialize in aluminum boatbuilding as well as government work. Horizon, which currently has about 400 employees, is using the new facility, now known as the "West Yard," to build a large series of 41.7-foot crew boats for an unspecified customer while the East Yard is finishing an 80-foot towboat for Florida Marine Transporters. The latter order carries an option for two further vessels.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group
In neighboring Florida the Eastern Shipbuilding Group has risen to become one of the Gulf Coast's most successful and busiest yards, with a large number of recent deliveries for both domestic and foreign owners as well as an extensive order backlog. In May, the company delivered the 90-foot by 32-foot James Dale Robin to Louisiana's Florida Marine Transporters (FMT) as the second of a five-boat option exercised by FMT last year. This series of towboats originally began with a 25-vessel contract signed in 2006 but has expanded to become the largest single series towboat construction program in US history, with the latest vessels being completed to a design furnished by Gilbert Associates of Boston, Massachusetts. These are also the first of the series to feature EPA Tier 3-compliant main propulsion engines and generators.

The James Dale Robin is powered by twin Caterpillar 3512C Tier 3 diesel engines, rated at 1,500 hp at 1,600 rpm, that have been provided by Louisiana Power Systems. These drive through direct-coupled Twin-Disc Model MG-5600 reduction gears with a 6.04:1 ratio furnished by Stewart Supply of Harvey, Louisiana. Kennedy Engine Company of Biloxi, Mississippi provided the boat's two 99kW John Deere 4045AFM85 99KW Tier 3 generator sets, with the diesels complying with current EPA Tier 3/MARPOL control of emissions of nitrogen oxides from marine engines.

Export Orders
Within the same week that James Dale Robin was delivered, Eastern christened and launched the 4,500-dwt platform supply vessel Bravante VIII for Boldini S.A., Bravante Group of Brazil. The 284-foot by 60-foot boat is the fourth in a series of five, with the first unit, Bravante V, delivered last year. The second vessel, Bravante VI, was delivered in February and the third, Bravante VII, will be handed over as soon as it completes regulatory trials. All of the vessels in this export series are ABS A-1, SOLAS/IMO, FFV-1, DPS-2, AC diesel-electric powered and feature four Cummins 16-cylinder turbo-charged IMO Tier II diesels, each rated at 1825 kW at 1,800 rpm. Cummins also furnished four Marathon Model 744 690VAC main generators per vessel.

Main propulsion power is provided by two 690VAC electric motors driving twin Schottel combi-drive single fixed-pitch propellers in nozzles rated at 2,500 kW at 750 rpm each for a total of 6,700 HP. Schottel also provided two STT 4 fixed pitch reversing tunnel thrusters rated at 1,180 kW at 1,170 rpm, each operated by directly coupled Hyundai 690VAC electric motors. GE Energy Power Conversion furnished the complete integrated diesel-electric package, including the thruster drives, motors, control systems, DP system, switchboards, motor control centers, automation and navigation/ communication electronics. The vessels are capable of a maximum speed of 14 knots and have a cruising speed of 12 knots.

Eastern's next big project will be the construction of an ATB trailing suction hopper dredge for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company (GLDD) of Oak Brook, Illinois using an Ocean Tug & Barge Engineering base design. GLDD had originally ordered the ATB dredge from Signal International in 2012 at a projected cost of $94 million but the order was later cancelled. This led to the new order with Eastern, one which is expected to cost about $140 million. This amount is inclusive of the costs associated with certain equipment and materials to be provided by GLDD and will be subject to a final adjustment based on the actual steel weight of the finished vessel.

To be named GLDD302, the ATB dredge will consist of a 433-foot by 92-foot trailing suction hopper "dredge barge" and a 158-foot pushtug powered by two MaK 12M32C-T3 diesel engines producing 15,662 BHP. Other equipment on the tug will include two 2,500-kW main generators, 6,600 VAC shaft generators, a 730-kW Caterpillar C32-T3 auxiliary generator, and a 550-kW Caterpillar C18-T3 emergency generator.

The barge unit, to have a hopper capacity of 14,920 cubic yards, will incorporate two 5,000-HP EMD ME20G7C-T3s for its power needs while two 800-HP Schottel STT2 electric, fixed-pitch bow thrusters will be mounted for extra maneuverability. To be delivered in 2016, the ATB unit will be the first of its type in the world and is expected to be employed along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.

Seattle Port Picks Next CEO

By Mark Edward Nero

The Port of Seattle Commission has selected the port’s next CEO. Ted Fick, a Tacoma native with decades of experience leading manufacturing organizations across the country, was chosen to take the helm when current CEO Tay Yoshitani retires next month.

“Ted has the right combination of skills and dynamic leadership to help the Port of Seattle thrive in the globally competitive environment ports face today,” Port Commission Co-President Courtney Gregoire said in a statement announcing the move. “He brings the fresh perspective and breadth of experience we need to help our region generate new jobs and economic growth.”

Fick has over 25 years of leadership experience in major manufacturing and transportation organizations – including oversight of international operations. He spent many years working in the Puget Sound region’s manufacturing and industrial community, beginning at his family’s Tacoma-based company, Fick Foundry. He then spent many years at PACCAR, one of the Pacific Northwest’s primary manufacturers holding leadership positions in both PACCAR and their division Kenworth.

He left the Pacific Northwest in 2000, and has since held multiple leadership positions in transportation and manufacturing companies. Most recently, he served as CEO of Polar Corp., a $475 million trailer and component parts manufacturer in Minnesota. In that job, he oversaw three operating divisions, multiple manufacturing plants and a workforce of over 2,000 represented and non-represented employees.

“Ted’s experience across multiple facets of the supply chain, coupled with an ability to manage organizations through growth and change, make him the right leader at the right time,” Commission Co-President Stephanie Bowman said.

Commissioners must vote on Fick’s appointment in public session; the vote’s scheduled for their next meeting, on Sept. 11, when Fick will be introduced to the community.

Fick is expected to begin work at the port Sept. 29, 2014.

“I am honored to join the Port of Seattle, an organization I’ve depended on, worked with and admired throughout my career,” Fick said in a statement. “I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the highly-skilled team of people that keep the port humming every day, and I can’t wait to join them as we work together to generate 100,000 more jobs for the Puget Sound region.”

The Commission began a nationwide search for a new CEO in early 2014. Current CEO Tay Yoshitani, who joined the port in 2007, retires Sept. 30, 2014.​

PMA, ILWU Reach Partial Agreement

By Mark Edward Nero

Although they’re still locked in negotiations, the Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union say they’ve reached a tentative agreement on one aspect of their contract talks: health benefits.

In a joint statement released Aug. 26, the two sides said that the agreement on health benefits is subject to agreement on the other issues in the negotiations. The parties say they’ve agreed not to discuss the terms of the tentative agreement while negotiations continue.

“Maintenance of health benefits is an important part of the contract being negotiated between employers represented by the PMA and workers represented by the ILWU,” the joint statement reads in part.

Talks on a new labor pact began May 12 and are still ongoing.

The previous six-year labor pact, which covered almost 20,000 longshore workers at 29 ports up and down the West Coast, expired at 5 pm on July 1, but although no contract extension has been ratified, both sides have agreed to keep operating under the provisions of the recently expired contract for the time being.

Although there are no signs of a union strike or management lockout looming, there’s a history of contentious talks between the PMA and the ILWU, which represents dockworkers in California, Oregon and Washington.

Neither the 2008 or 2002 talks were resolved until after the contracts’ expirations. Last month, however, the ILWU ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement with several multinational grain companies that operate export terminals in the Pacific Northwest.

Vigor Completes Ferry Repowering

By Mark Edward Nero

A repower of the M/V Columbia ferry has been completed in Portland by Vigor Marine, according to Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG).
 

EBDG, which has a long history of assisting ferry operators with services such as transportation studies, concept designs, capital budgets, security improvements and mid-life refurbishments, provided design services and ongoing owner support services for the M/V Columbia’s repower.

The Columbia was designed by EBDG’s predecessor firm Lockheed Shipbuilding, for the Alaska Marine Highway System, a ferry service operated by the Alaska state government.

“We’re intimately familiar with the vessel and its systems,” EBDG Project Manager Matt Williamson said. “The main engines were at the end of their useful life and the AMHS opted for replacing them, along with replacing or upgrading drive train components and auxiliary systems where it made economic sense.”

Williamson said that EBDG’s strong familiarity with the Columbia made his company “the natural choice” as the designer for this repowering project.

The Columbia has been the Alaska Marine Highway System’s flagship vessel for nearly 40 years, linking a number of inside passage communities. The 418-foot vessel can accommodate 625 passengers and features two vehicle decks with capacity for 134 vehicles.

Its homeport is in Ketchikan, Alaska.

Disabled Tanker Arrives at SF Port

By Mark Edward Nero

Mixed-products tanker Pine Galaxy, which was disabled when a fire in the main engine room occurred about 700 miles west of Cape Blanco, Oregon and left it without propulsion, arrived at the Port of San Francisco for repairs Aug. 27.

Commercial tugs towed the 10-year-old ship to safety into the port with an escort by the Coast Guard Cutter Pike and the crew of a Coast Guard Station San Francisco 45-foot response boat. The Pine Galaxy is currently undergoing repairs and inspection at a shipyard in San Francisco.

The ship experienced the fire in its machinery shop, located in the engine room, in mid-August while traveling from Los Angeles to South Korea.

The blaze resulted in the death of one crewmember.

The fire was extinguished using installed firefighting systems, however, the ship sustained damage to its generators, leaving the crew with minimal battery power and left the ship without power or propulsion.

There were no reports of damage to the Bahamian-flagged ship’s cargo tanks, fuel tanks or hull, however.

The Coast Guard, along with several federal, state and local agencies, formed a safety team with the ship’s owners to coordinate the ship’s safe arrival.