Vancouver USA Evaluating Potential HQ Site

By Mark Edward Nero

The Port of Vancouver USA said Feb. 9 that it is analyzing its Terminal 1 waterfront redevelopment as the potential site for its new headquarters.

During its Feb. 9 meeting, the port’s Board of Commissioners unanimously directed staff to begin evaluating a potential move to Terminal 1. Staff is expected to evaluate the waterfront site along with other options, including Centennial Industrial Park and port-owned property along Northwest Lower River Road, adjacent to Cadet Heating.

An upgrade is needed because port’s staff has doubled in size as business has grown and expanded. It has outgrown its current headquarters, which consists of four separate buildings. The main building, located at 3103 Northwest Lower River Road, has been added onto several times and has limited space and remodeling options.

The port said it hopes to build a modern facility that consolidates staff, facilitates better communication and teamwork, and improves connectivity with the community.

The port plans to be an anchor for a new 85,000 square-foot office building, occupying about 25,000 square feet on one or two floors.

“We want to be the tenant that anchors the first office building at Terminal 1, enabling other companies to locate there and attracting more employers and talent to Vancouver,” port CEO Todd Coleman said.

In accordance with board direction, staff is to report back to the commission and work with a developer to complete its waterfront design for submittal to the City of Vancouver. Approval from the city is required before the port can begin construction on the hotel and multiuse building.

Staff said it expects to complete its analysis and report back to the Board of Commissioners this fall.

Puget Sound Maritime Achievement Award

By Mark Edward Nero

The 2016 Puget Sound Maritime Achievement Award Selection Committee is accepting nominations for this year’s award to be announced at the Seattle Propeller Club’s May Maritime Festival breakfast.

Nominations must be received by April 14, 2016 and may be e-mailed to rberkowitz@trans-inst.org. Nominations should include specific achievements of the candidate, particularly those impacting the Puget Sound maritime community, and a brief biography of the nominee. Industry segments represented by past recipients include steamship lines and agents, shipyards, tug and barge operators, marine architects, passenger and fishing vessel operators, port authorities, stevedores, and organized labor. Several paragraphs about the nominee are sufficient.

Feel free to contact Rich Berkowitz at (206) 443-1738 with any questions about the award nomination.

Containership Detained at Port of Tacoma

By Mark Edward Nero

On Feb. 4, US Coast Guard reports officers from Sector Puget Sound discovered significant safety violations during an inspection of the 685-foot Liberian-flagged container ship Westwood Robson at the Husky Terminal in the Port of Tacoma.

The vessel, which is managed by Germany’s Hammonia Reederei, and crew are required to remain in port until deficiencies have been corrected to the satisfaction of Coast Guard inspectors.

The Coast Guard says that during the inspection, Port State Control examiners observed excessive oil in the bilge holding area, oil-soaked lagging present throughout machinery spaces and clogged oil drains, creating a significant risk of fire.

Also, mechanical issues included deteriorated fittings that contributed to oil and coolant leaks as well as inoperable oil purifiers.

“We are continuing to monitor the Westwood Robson after discovering safety violations, and working with the crew and appropriate authorities to ensure that the issues found are corrected before the ship resumes operations,” said Capt. Thomas Griffitts, deputy commander of Sector Puget Sound.

During a Port State Control exam, the Coast Guard conducts an extensive inspection of onboard systems, including fire protection, life saving, machinery, navigation, and pollution control. Examiners also assess the crew's ability to respond to emergencies.

A vessel determined to be in violation of standards can be detained and required to remain in port until it can proceed without presenting a danger to the crew or an unreasonable threat of harm to the maritime environment.

Port of NY/NJ Sets Cargo Volume Record

By Mark Edward Nero

The Port of New York and New Jersey exceeded its previous record for annual cargo volumes in 2015 by more than 10 percent, the Port Authority revealed Feb. 8.

The port handled 6.37 million TEUs last year, an increase of 10.4 percent over 2014, when the previous annual record was established.

NY/NJ was busiest on the East Coast last year with nearly 30 percent of the total market share. It was also the third-busiest port in the US in 2015, after the Port of Los Angeles (eight million TEUs) and Port of Long Beach (seven million TEUs).

NY/NJ said its 2015 increase in port activity was fueled by an 8.4 percent jump in import loaded containers, going from 2.94 million imported TEUs in 2014 to 3.21 million TEUs in 2015.

According to data, China was the port’s the top import country last year, with 1.01 million import TEUs, followed by India with 196,956 import TEUs and Germany with 189,622 import TEUs. The top import commodities are furniture, apparel and clothing, and machinery parts.

There were reported 2,251 vessel calls at NY/NJ in 2015, down 7.4 percent from 2014. The port attributes the fewer vessel calls to much of the cargo arriving on larger ships.

ExpressRail, the Port Authority’s ship-to-rail system serving New York and New Jersey marine terminals, also set a new record in 2015, handling 522,244 containers, an increase of 12.2 percent over 2014, the previous best year for rail activity.

The port also reported a 21.5 percent increase in vehicles handled in the port last year – from 392,704 vehicles handled in 2014 to 477,170 handled in 2015.

Vigor Wins $14 Million USNS Overhaul Contract

By Mark Edward Nero

Portland-based Vigor Marine has been awarded a $13.99 million contract for a 45-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and drydocking of the USNS Amelia Earhart.

Work is expected to include clean and gas free tanks, voids, cofferdams and spaces, flight deck non-skid renewal, salt water ballast tank preservation, main engine overhaul, main diesel generator inspection and cleaning, annual lifeboat certification, galley and laundry ventilation system cleaning, docking and undocking, propeller shaft and stern tube inspections, bow thruster propeller polishing, sea valve replacement, and underwater hull cleaning and painting.

The contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $14.29 million.

Work is scheduled to be performed in Portland, and is expected to be completed by May 15.

The USNS Amelia Earhart, which was launched in April 2008, is a 689-foot long (210 meters) 16,446-dwt vessel and has a top speed of 20 knots. It is designed to deliver ammunition, food, fuel and other dry cargo to US and allied warships at sea.

It typically carries a crew of 124 civil service mariners and, at times has an additional complement of military personnel, as well as two helicopters.

Rise in Incorrectly Declared Dangerous Goods

By Mark Edward Nero

Global shipping company Hapag-Lloyd said Feb. 8 that it registered considerably more incorrectly declared dangerous goods in 2015 than it did in 2014.

A special safety software program developed jointly by Hapag-Lloyd’s IT and dangerous goods experts identified 4,314 incorrectly declared dangerous goods cases last year, an increase of 65 percent on the previous year’s figure of 2,620 cases.

Hapag-Lloyd’s dangerous goods experts looked into more than 236,000 suspicious cases picked up by the safety software in 2015, as opposed to more than 162,000 in 2014, an increase of about 46 percent.

Hapag-Lloyd’s Watchdog is a special safety software that continuously checks cargo data to identify anything conspicuous.

Ken Rohlmann, head of Hapag-Lloyd’s dangerous goods department, said there are two reasons behind the sharp increase.

“Firstly, the volume of cargo shipped by Hapag-Lloyd increased considerably last year due to the company’s merger with CSAV’s container business. Secondly, there was a sharp rise in (safety software) findings following the devastating dangerous goods explosion in the port of Tianjin in mid-August,” he said.

Many ports drastically tightened their dangerous goods guidelines in the wake of the incident; some even prohibited dangerous goods from being processed at all.

Oakland Terminal Operator Files Chapter 11

By Mark Edward Nero

Port of Oakland terminal operator Outer Harbor LLC, which until early January was known as Ports America Outer Harbor, said Feb. 1 that it is filing for bankruptcy. The announcement comes two weeks after Outer Harbor revealed that it would be closing its Port of Oakland terminal in March.

In a Chapter 11 petition filed in US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, Outer Harbor listed both assets and liabilities of between $100 million and $500 million.

“We’re deeply disappointed in the action today by Ports America,” Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle said in a prepared statement. “They made a decision to close their business in Oakland. Since then, we’ve been negotiating with them in good faith for a smooth, orderly transition that protects the interests of shipping lines, cargo owners and others who depend on the terminal. It’s a shame they’ve taken this step.”

Outer Harbor, which had run of five marine terminals at the port, was about six years into a 50-year lease with Oakland.

Ports America said Jan. 19 that it intends to terminate its 50-year lease at Oakland’s Outer Harbor terminal for “business reasons,” according to the port. Although Ports America has said it would continue with business as usual for 30 days, vessel and cargo-handling operations are expected to cease after that, then the terminal itself would close down within 60 days.

Port officials have promised to keep cargo moving efficiently after Ports America leaves, and that vessels would be rerouted to adjacent terminals after the shutdown occurs.

“We’ll find a home for all of the cargo that was going to Ports America Outer Harbor,” Lytle said.