Waterways Journal

We’re back at the Inland Marine Expo 2025 in Nashville for another “Inland Marine Insight Podcast,” presented by HealthWorks Medical! This episode features Michael Breslin, Senior Director of Safety & …

When considering a career in the maritime industry, many young people are drawn to the wheelhouse first. There’s no denying the appeal of standing between the sticks of a towboat. …

Hines Furlong Line Inc., with corporate offices in Nashville, Tenn., and an operations base in Paducah, Ky., has taken delivery of a new towboat it has in turn bareboat chartered …

HS Marine Propulsion’s new propeller design has an edge over the competition, literally. Engineers have been working on the Edge propeller design for the better part of a decade, earning …

Explosive blasting to remove the old lock walls at Monongahela River Locks and Dam No. 3 near Elizabeth, Pa., is estimated to be 50 percent complete. Crews began removing lock …

In the quiet hum below decks—far from the wheelhouse windows and the open river sky—work the hands and minds that keep our nation’s inland arteries flowing. These men and women …

August 15, 2025 The Department of Transportation (DOT) is inviting the public to provide input into the development of its strategic plan for fiscal years 2026 to 2030. Comments, which …

Indiana River & Rail Terminals recently managed the barge-to-truck transloading of specialized tanks at Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon. The two, 51-ton specialized tanks were built in the Houston, Texas, region …

Pipe manufacturer Welspun Tubular LLC announced plans on August 11 for a $150 million expansion of its Little Rock Port facility, a project expected to create 300 jobs. A formal …

One of the advantages of going directly into the maritime business instead of college is the ability to make a significant income without incurring student loans. But even maritime training …

Joesph M. Tyson, 63, beloved husband, father, brother, dear friend and Canal Barge Company legend passed away on August 1 in New Orleans. Tyson dedicated his life to the maritime …

Construction began within the past few days on a riverboat excursion pier in Paducah, Ky., funded in part by a 2019 federal Better Utilizing Investments To Leverage Development (BUILD) grant. …

Port executives, economic developers and state representatives from Louisiana have long described the five deep-water ports of the Lower Mississippi River—composed of the Port of Baton Rouge, the Port of …

A coalition of powerful interests is lining up to oppose a proposed merger between two of the nation’s largest Class 1 railroads, Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS). Opponents …

Johnny Holt was already a painter and a welder in 1988 when he began decking for Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based Parker Towing Company at the suggestion of his father-in-law, Capt. Bill Archie, …

It’s been a busy summer for Mike’s Inc. After several decades of calling Upper Mississippi River Mile 198.8 home, the East Alton, Ill. shipyard has officially moved. The Mike’s Inc. …

Marquette Chief Engineer James Carnes comes from a long-standing river family, with a father and grandfather who were both river captains and pilots. But he resisted the river’s call until …

“I started in June of 1980 when I stepped on my first towboat, and I’ve been here ever since,” said Warren Clay, shipyard project manager for Canal Barge Company. “Worked …

It’s a rare feat for a single individual to be associated with the same towboat for 28 years, yet that is how long Vern Gore has been the chief engineer …

After spending more than 30 years as a welder, Mike Fanshier was looking for a change. He found it as part of a new career at Riverview Tug Service about …

For David Wiley, the dream to work on the river started as a boy watching his brother-in-law work as a “deckineer” on the Tennessee River. “I lived right on the …

For more than 30 years, deckhands, tankermen, pilots and captains have come and gone on the mv. Charles Southern, a 3,600 hp., twin-screw towboat owned by Sulphur, La.-based Southern Devall. …

They may not spend a watch in the wheelhouse or appear in line-handling reels on TikTok, but they’re nonetheless indispensable to the 24-hour movement of towboats on the nation’s waterways. …

Rear Adm. Will Watson relieved Rear Adm. David Barata August 1 to become the new commander of the Coast Guard’s Heartland District. The ceremony took place at the National World …

Day one of the 120th Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association (GICA) Seminar featured a pair of sessions focused on waterway infrastructure and federal funding. Tracy Zea, president and CEO of Waterways …

Paul Matthews has resigned as executive director of the Port of South Louisiana (PortSL), the port announced August 6. Matthews had held that role since January 2022. According to the …

A Southern Devall towboat has become the first on the Mississippi River to deploy an artificial intelligence system designed to enhance safety and operational efficiency. Mythos AI recently installed the …

The state of Louisiana and the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (LaTIG), the group charged with approving funds from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement for coastal restoration projects in the …

Capt. James William Bennett, a native of Ashland City, Tenn., died July 23 at the age of 88. Bennett was a former manager, tankerman and pilot for Wooten River Service …

Capt. Warren Nevels Jr., a native of Vicksburg, Miss., who was a boat captain for Ergon Marine for more than 27 years, died July 29 at the age of 67. …

Last week this column began looking at the Sohio Cleveland, built in 1949 by St. Louis Ship for the Sohio Petroleum Corporation of St. Louis. The boat, which measured 150 …

August 8, 2025 The Senate easily confirmed the nomination of veteran congressional staffer Adam Telle to serve as the 14th assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works. Submitted by …

August 29 will mark the 20-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the most devastating storms ever to hit the U.S. mainland. Katrina ranks as the costliest hurricane in U.S. …

In this special episode of the “Inland Marine Insight Podcast,” presented by HealthWorks Medical, we’re on the floor at the 2025 Inland Marine Expo in Nashville, sitting down with James …

Top leaders of a key House committee unveiled a bipartisan bill to provide the “most robust legislative reform” of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in decades. H.R. 4669, the …

The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is already here, but if you work on or near the water, your job looks to be safe. Last week we mentioned widely reported remarks …

The last column detailed the dedication of the Greenup Locks and Dam that featured a towboat parade. This week we will look at one of the boats that led that …

At its July board meeting, the Greater Lafourche Port Commission (GLPC) announced it approved the payment and acquisition of a 743-acre tract from the state of Louisiana, paving the way …

The New Orleans Engineer District held a change of command ceremony July 25 at its district headquarters on Leake Avenue in the city’s Black Pearl neighborhood, with Col. Scotty Autin …

Legacy Of Innovation: The Past And Future Of VMI Inc. VMI Inc. has long been an enduring presence in the dredging industry. Based in Cushing, Okla., and originally founded in …

For eight years, 40 of the industry’s future leaders have been honored at the Inland Marine Expo with the “40 Under 40” award, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions …

The National Maritime Center announced new application status and credential verification tools during a July 25 change of command ceremony in Martinsburg, W.Va. Rear Adm. Wayne Arguin Jr. presided over …

The interim guide wall was completed and the main navigational chamber reopened the evening of July 24 at Wilson Lock and Dam at Tennessee River Mile 259.4 near Florence, Ala. …

Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company (GLDD) recently celebrated the launch of the Acadia, the first U.S. flagged subsea rock installation device (SRI) that is Jones Act compliant. The Acadia …

Seattle-based Manson Construction Company was awarded a $39 million firm-fixed-price contract from the New Orleans Engineer District for use of a self-propelled trailing suction hopper dredge. Work will be conducted …

Bollinger Shipyards announced July 28 that it has begun contract negotiations with the U.S. Coast Guard for the construction of at least 10 additional Fast Response Cutters (FRCs). The “One …

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced July 29 the outcome of its investigation into a May 9, 2024, allision between the tow of the mv. Joe B. Wyatt and …

The Propeller Club, Port of New Orleans, will name Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as the club’s 2025 maritime person of the year. The award will be presented during the club’s …

After an earlier request failed to produce a workable list of nominations, the Department of the Army published a second notice requesting nominations to serve on the Inland Waterways Users …