Second ECO Class Jones Act product carrier in
American Petroleum Tankers series christened
Volume 46, Number 5
May 2016
Photo: General Dynamics NASSCO
Attending the christening of the Magnolia State April 23 at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, Calif.
were (left to right) Chief Engineer Thomas Balzano; David Cawley, Crowley director, engineering – tankers – petroleum
services; Chief Mate Bob Wirtanen; Chief Engineer Dan Picciolo; AMO National Executive Vice President Danny Shea;
and Captain Robert Cates.
Plan Trustees modify AMO DC Plan
formula for ISLS recipients
Page 2: The joint union-employer trustees of the American Maritime
Officers Defined Contribution Plan have revised the Plan’s benefit calculation method for participants who received in-service lump-sum distributions from the defined benefit AMO Pension Plan.
On Saturday, April 23, General
Dynamics NASSCO hosted a christening
ceremony for the second ECO Class tanker
for American Petroleum Tankers (APT)
under construction at the company’s shipyard in San Diego. U.S. Representative
Scott Peters spoke at the ceremony, and the
ship’s sponsor, Trang Cormack, christened
the ship with the traditional break of a
champagne bottle alongside the ship.
American Maritime Officers represents all licensed officers aboard the
Magnolia State and the Lone Star State, the
first ship in the series, and will represent the
officers aboard the remaining ships in the
APT series under construction at General
Dynamics NASSCO.
The Magnolia State is the second of a
five-tanker contract between NASSCO and
APT, which calls for the design and construction of five 50,000 deadweight ton,
LNG-conversion-ready product carriers
with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity. The
610-foot-long tankers are equipped with a
new ‘ECO’ design, which will provide a
very significant improvement in fuel efficiency. Upon delivery, the Magnolia State
will join the ranks as one of the most fuelefficient and environmentally friendly
tankers in the world.
“The revolutionary ECO Class provides our customers with an alternative
option for transporting product that is costeffective and friendly to the environment,”
said Fred Harris, president of General
Dynamics NASSCO. “Like the Magnolia
State, each ship designed and constructed at
NASSCO is built with pride and ownership.
Our shipbuilders know they’re not just
building a product tanker — they’re building a vessel that helps fuel our economy.”
“We look forward to taking delivery
of our second ECO Class tanker from
NASSCO. This is another example of
American Petroleum Tankers’ commitment
to building our fleet and servicing our customers. And we thank NASSCO for their
continued support, which paved the way for
this important milestone to be achieved,”
said Robert Kurz, vice president of Kinder
Morgan Terminals and president of
American Petroleum Tankers, a Kinder
See Magnolia State ◆ Page 12
Crowley takes delivery of Louisiana,
third Jones Act tanker in series
Page 4: Crowley Maritime Corp. April 15 took delivery of Louisiana,
the third of four new Jones Act product tankers being built for the
company by Philly Shipyard, Inc. The four tankers are constructed
with the potential for future conversion to LNG propulsion.
Page 6: First USCG Marine Board of Investigation on El Faro
Copyright © 2016 American Maritime Officers
■
[email protected]
MEBA vote targets union’s troubled financial state
2 • American Maritime Officer
By Paul Doell
National President
In a 90-day
secret ballot referendum that concluded April 18,
members of the
Marine
Engineers’ Beneficial
Association approved
by-law
amendments that
provide for a
quarterly
dues
increase, a four-year term of elective
office and a reorganization of the union’s
Gulf Coast operation.
The MEBA dues hike — voted upon
only by MEBA members already paying
the highest rate — amounts to $50 per
quarter, bringing the annual total from
$400 to $600. This fixed sum is in addition to six percent of the gross amount of
each vacation benefit payment each
MEBA member receives each year.
A report in the April 21 edition of
MEBA’s online Telex Times news weekly
described the dues increase as “modest,”
but it did not note the dues assessments
deducted from vacation benefits.
“The increase was necessary so that
the union’s overriding mission — to represent the membership through contract
enforcement and job preservation — is not
negatively impacted,” the Telex Times
report said.
A notice mailed to all MEBA members and posted on the MEBA website
during the referendum said the membership dues increase can “help counteract
the financial toll on the union taken by
inflation, cost of living growth and membership decline.”
May 2016
The official resolution proposing
the MEBA membership dues increase in
October 2015 said these three driving factors had “acted to financially impact the
value of our current annual dues receipts.”
The resolution warned: “Due to existing
budget outlays, and without a union dues
revenue increase, the MEBA will have to
consider further reductions in personnel
and outports, which would impact member representation and services.”
MEBA had operated “over the past
12 years” with “a budget in varying status,
either close to cost-neutral, in surplus or at
a deficit, by utilizing union revenue,
investment income and reducing costs,”
the resolution noted. “MEBA has managed to operate more efficiently by controlling costs through reductions in headquarters and outport rent, outport locations, outport operating hours, MEBA personnel, travel costs, IT/communications
costs and other administrative costs.”
We’re flattered to find the MEBA
administration applying the new
American Maritime Officers model of
cost containment and consolidation in its
effort to stabilize the MEBA treasury.
But one difference is that AMO
achieved balance and financial security
while rescinding a 2015 membership dues
hike and ruling out a dues increase in
2016. Membership dues in American
Maritime Officers — set rates determined
by area of employment (deep-sea, Great
Lakes and inland waters) and by shipboard position in the deep-sea and Great
Lakes sectors, with no assessments from
vacation benefits at any level — remain
the lowest among AMO, MEBA and the
International Organization of Masters,
Mates and Pilots.
Moreover, AMO since January 2015
has had no need to tap “investment
income” for operating revenue. Indeed,
our union is adding to its investment and
savings accounts while holding fast to a
growing operating budget surplus.
Nor does AMO rent its headquarters
space — our union owns its principal
office in Dania Beach, FL, with no mortgage or other debt tied to the property.
Job dispatch systems reflect another
distinction held by American Maritime
Officers among the three unions. AMO
members are assigned to jobs from their
homes by telephone, with job openings
and registration lists posted daily to a
secure members-only section of the AMO
Dispatching website.
By contrast, MEBA and the MM&P
are encumbered by a network of hiring
halls and the costs associated with them
(mortgage or rent, maintenance, insurance, property taxes, utilities and salaries)
— costs borne significantly by MEBA and
MM&P employers under reimbursement
agreements. Members of MEBA and the
MM&P must register for work in person
at one of these halls — some of which are
operated jointly by the two unions — and
stand by on scene for jobs that may or may
not open.
There is more that sets our union
apart favorably from MEBA and the
MM&P, but the point is made clearly
enough here, and in the remarkable opportunities ahead for American Maritime
Officers — for new jobs, for additional
operating revenue and for additional
employer contributions to AMO Plans,
especially in the growing Jones Act product tanker fleet. The edge is ours, and
we’ll wield it wisely.
Terms of office in MEBA
The MEBA membership referendum also yielded a longer term of elective
MEBA’s realignment
Under the administrative reorganization approved in the referendum,
MEBA’s Gulf Coast vice president will
relocate from New Orleans to Houston,
and a branch agent will be assigned to
Tampa. New Orleans will be deemed “an
informational port,” said the resolution
proposing the realignment.
As always, I welcome comments and
questions on any topic from all AMO
members and applicants for AMO membership. I can be reached at headquarters
at 800-362-0513 or 954-921-2221 (extension 1001) or on my cell at 954-881-5651.
fundamental flaw.”
The AMO Defined Contribution
Plan paralleled a strategy to restore full
funding to the defined benefit AMO
Pension Plan, and it was established “as
a permanent way to ease retirement
planning and enhance security for all
AMO members and their families,”
Doell continued.
When
the
AMO
Defined
Contribution Plan was established, many
AMO members believed that active inservice lump-sum pension recipients
should have been excluded from the new
retirement fund. Their case was that lumpsum recipients had gained substantially
from the one-time payments from the
AMO Pension Plan, that they were partic-
ipants in the AMO 401(k) and Money
Purchase Benefit Plans and that they had
remained in their jobs, with steady income
from wages and vacation benefits.
“At the time, there were varied
interpretations of the governing law,
one of which was that excluding a specific class of active AMO members
from the AMO DC Plan could have
been viewed as discriminatory,” Doell
said. “This debate continues today. But
this law clearly allows revision of the
benefit calculation method — there is
no equivocation, no room for conflicting opinion or interpretation and no risk
of discrimination complaints. This is
what the AMO Defined Contribution
Plan trustees agreed to — and why they
agreed to it — with respect to in-service
lump-sum pension recipients.”
Notice of the AMO Defined
Contribution Plan’s revised “points” formula and individual statements were
mailed by AMO Plans Executive Director
Steve Nickerson to all active in-service
lump-sum recipients the week of April 4.
Trustees modify AMO DC Plan formula
for in-service lump-sum recipients
The joint union-employer trustees
of the American Maritime Officers
Defined Contribution Plan have revised
the Plan’s benefit calculation method for
participants who received in-service
lump-sum distributions from the defined
benefit AMO Pension Plan.
Under the revised formula — effective May 1, 2016 — all AMO DC Plan
participants who drew in-service lumpsum distributions from the AMO Pension
Plan will earn AMO DC Plan credits only
for service following the dates of the
lump-sum benefit payouts. These participants will lose no AMO DC Plan benefits
accrued before May 1, 2016.
AMO Defined Contribution Plan
“points” for all participants through
April 30 had been based on participant
age at the start of the calendar year,
years of AMO service and credited
Seafarers International Union service
where applicable. These criteria still
apply to AMO DC Plan participants who
had not qualified for or received in-service lump-sum payments under an
option eliminated when the traditional
AMO Pension Plan was frozen under
federal law in December 2009.
“This benefit calculation modification represents a significant overdue
reform in the AMO Defined Contribution
Plan,” said AMO National President Paul
Doell, chairman of the AMO Plans
Boards of Trustees. “It addresses what
many AMO members see reasonably as a
POSTMASTER—Send Address Changes To:
American Maritime Officers — ATTENTION: Member Services
P.O. Box 66
Dania Beach, FL 33004
office — from three years to four, beginning with the terms of officials to be elected later this year. These extended terms of
official jobs in MEBA will commence on
January 1, 2017.
Four-year terms of office would
“provide more stability to the MEBA by
making the union’s election cycle more
practical,” said the official resolution calling for longer official incumbency.
“The MEBA currently undergoes an
officers’ election every three years, a
process encompassing most of the election year at large cost,” the resolution
explained, citing credential and tally committee expenses, the cost of an impartial
administrator, and the printing and mailing of ballots.
“Three-year terms continue to complicate the union’s relationship with
employers and give an advantage to our
competitors who enjoy longer terms,” the
resolution added. It said the conforming
amendment to the MEBA by-laws to
allow for four-year terms “will help
strengthen MEBA and save us money.”
Elected officials in American Maritime
Officers already serve four-year terms.
American Maritime Officer
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Official Publication of American Maritime Officers
601 S. Federal Highway
Dania Beach, FL 33004
(954) 921-2221
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Published Monthly
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Senator Mazie Hirono receives 2016
Champion of Maritime Award
May 2016
The American Maritime Partnership
(AMP) in March presented U.S. Senator
Mazie Hirono (D-HI) with the 2016
Champion of Maritime Award.
Senator Hirono is recognized for her
long-standing support of and commitment
to the men and women of American maritime in her work on the Senate Armed
Services Committee and as a ranking
member of the Armed Services
Subcommittee on Seapower and Energy.
Senator Hirono understands the critical role the domestic maritime industry
plays, not just in Hawaii, but also in the
nation’s economic, national and homeland
security.
“America’s maritime industry is
vital to our island state, accounting for
thousands of jobs and infusing $1.8 billion
into Hawaii’s economy each year. A
strong domestic maritime industry is critical to accessing the goods local families
need to lead productive, healthy lives, and
that’s why I will continue to advocate for
the Jones Act and other measures that support this vital segment of our economy
and national security,” said Senator
Hirono. “Mahalo to the American
Maritime Partnership for this distinguished award, and for its work in ensuring that our maritime industry continues to
be a source of prosperity for our nation.”
“Since our nation’s founding, the
U.S. maritime industry has provided hundreds of thousands of Americans with
quality family wage jobs. It has also made
significant contributions to the overall
economic health of our country,” said
Dale Sause, President and CEO of Sause
Bros. “As we celebrate our 50th anniversary serving the Hawaiian Islands, we are
grateful for Senator Hirono’s tireless support of both the Jones Act and the skilled
manufacturers who are the backbone of
American advancement and innovation.”
“Senator Hirono’s unwavering support for the domestic American maritime
industry and unwavering leadership in the
Senate underlines what a champion of
maritime should be,” said AMP Chairman
Tom Allegretti. “As ranking member of
the Armed Services Subcommittee,
Senator Hirono understands the value of
sustaining a strong maritime industry, and
because of her hard work in the Senate, it
is our pleasure to honor her with the
Champion of Maritime Award.”
The following article was released
by the American Maritime Partnership, a
coalition of which American Maritime
Officers Service is a member and which
American Maritime Officers supports.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The
Lexington Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank, released a white paper on
March 24, 2016 stressing the critical role
that the American maritime industry and
the Jones Act play in strengthening U.S.
border security and helping to prevent illegal immigration.
As the paper notes, the land border
of the U.S. is dwarfed by its 95,000 miles
of national shoreline. Domestic transportation on this ‘liquid highway’ operates
under the Jones Act, which requires ships
traveling between U.S. ports to be
American crewed, American owned, and
American built. The new paper warns that,
without the Jones Act, most of America’s
major cities in nearly 40 states could be
exposed to foreign threats.
“The task of securing U.S. seaports
and foreign cargoes is daunting by itself. It
makes no sense to add to the burden facing
domestic security agencies by allowing for-
eign-owned ships operated by foreign crews
to move freely throughout America’s inland
lakes, rivers and waterways.”
The report reinforced the critical
need for the Jones Act to secure a robust
American Maritime Officer • 3
The American Maritime Partnership
is a coalition of which American Maritime
Officers Service is a member and which
American Maritime Officers supports.
New Lexington Institute paper calls Jones Act vital to
U.S. border security, preventing illegal immigration
Were the Jones Act not in existence,
the Department of Homeland Security
would be confronted by the difficult and
very costly requirement of monitoring,
regulating and overseeing
foreign-controlled, foreign-crewed
vessels in coastal and internal waters.
AMO aboard Jones Act tanker Texas
The Jones Act tanker Texas is escorted in Port Everglades, Fla. by the
Seabulk Towing ship docking modules New River and St. Johns in April. The
Texas is operated by Intrepid Personnel and Provisioning and is manned in
all licensed positions by American Maritime Officers. The New River and St.
Johns are manned by AMO.
shipyard industrial base and skilled
mariners necessary to uphold our nation’s
defense sealift capability, but it also
asserted that the law’s benefits to homeland security should not be overlooked.
“The requirement that all the officers and fully 75 percent of the crews of
vessels engaged in cabotage be U.S. citizens goes a long way to reducing the risk
that terrorists could get onboard or execute an attack on a U.S. target. In effect,
there is a system of self-policing that
reduces the requirement for law enforcement and homeland security organizations
to expend time and effort to ensure that
these vessels and crews are safe to traverse U.S. waters. Were the Jones Act not
in existence, the Department of Homeland
Security would be confronted by the difficult and very costly requirement of monitoring, regulating and overseeing foreigncontrolled, foreign-crewed vessels in
coastal and internal U.S. waters.”
American Maritime Officers members working aboard the Jones Act tanker
Texas in April, here in Port Everglades, Fla., included Third Mate Brook
Mueller, Third Assistant Engineer Robert Hannigan, Captain Craig Lindahl,
Third Mate Tobias Gassman, Chief Engineer Chuck Benson, Chief Mate Art
Davis, Chief Engineer Tim LeClair and First A.E. Bryan Dittmar. The Texas,
the second in a series of new tankers built for Crowley Maritime Corp., is
operated by Intrepid Personnel and Provisioning and is manned in all
licensed positions by American Maritime Officers.
Crowley takes delivery of Louisiana, third tanker in
series capable of being converted to LNG power
May 2016
4 • American Maritime Officer
The following article was released
April 15 by Crowley. American Maritime
Officers represents all licensed officers
working aboard the tankers built for
Crowley Maritime Corp. by Philly
Shipyard, Inc.
Crowley Maritime Corp. took delivery April 15 of Louisiana, the third of four
new, Jones Act product tankers being built
for the company by Philly Shipyard, Inc.
(PSI), the sole operating subsidiary of
Philly Shipyard ASA. The delivery marks
another high point for Crowley’s petroleum
services group as its tankers are at the forefront of the industry for their potential
future conversion to LNG propulsion.
Louisiana, which is 50,000 dead
weight tons (dwt) and capable of carrying
330,000 barrels of product, is scheduled to
be christened in New Orleans on May 5.
Crowley’s fourth product tanker is under
construction at PSI, and delivery is planned
for third quarter 2016.
Louisiana joins sister ships Ohio and
Texas, which were received by Crowley in
2015, as the first-ever tankers to receive the
American Bureau of Shipping’s (ABS)
LNG-Ready Level 1 approval. The
approval allows Crowley to convert the
tanker to liquefied natural gas (LNG)
propulsion in the future.
“The Louisiana’s delivery continues
to enhance the services we are able to provide to our petroleum customers,” said
Crowley’s Rob Grune, senior vice president
and general manager, petroleum services.
“We celebrate new tonnage and the
advanced technology, but most important to
us and to our customers are the highly
trained men and women of Crowley who
are committed to transporting their fuel in
the safest, most reliable way possible.”
“Milestones like today show we can
deliver solutions that reinforce the value of
the Jones Act vessels and American-built
and American-crewed trade,” Grune said.
The new 50,000-dwt product tankers
are based on a proven Hyundai Mipo
Dockyards (HMD) design that incorporates
numerous fuel efficiency features, flexible
cargo capability and the latest regulatory
requirements. The vessel is 600 feet long
and is capable of carrying crude oil or
refined petroleum products, as well as various chemical cargoes.
“We are proud to deliver another
Philly-born tanker, the shipyard’s fifth
tanker for Crowley and 23rd vessel in
total,” remarked Philly Shipyard’s
President and CEO Steinar Nerbovik. “On
behalf of the men and women who built
her, we are honored knowing that the
Louisiana will be another safe and quality
addition to Crowley’s fleet that will serve
its mariners and our nation’s waterways
for decades to follow.”
Crowley’s marine solutions group is
providing construction management services for the product tankers. The company
has an on-site office and personnel at the
Philadelphia shipyard to ensure strong
working relationships with shipyard staff
and a seamless construction and delivery
program. Crowley routinely provides shipyard construction management services for
third-party clients as well.
Photo: Crowley Maritime Corp.
experience the same reliable and dedicated
service they have with Crowley today, but
also will have the added benefit of lower
emissions once these two ships join the
Crowley fleet,” said Jose ‘Pache’ Ayala,
Crowley vice president, Puerto Rico.
“Crowley is making a significant investment in the Puerto Rico trade to provide
faster transit times while continuing with
the ability to carry and deliver the containers, rolling cargo and refrigerated equipment our customers count on.”
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a
stable gas that is neither toxic nor corrosive and is lighter than air. It is the cleanest fossil fuel available, netting a 100 percent reduction in sulphur oxide (SOx) and
particulate matter (PM), and a 92 percent
reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx). LNG
also has the ability to significantly reduce
carbon dioxide (CO2), a contributor to
greenhouse gas emissions, as compared
with conventional fossil fuels.
Designing, building and operating
LNG-powered vessels is very much in
line
with
Crowley’s
overall
EcoStewardship© positioning and growth
strategy. The company formed an LNG
services group in 2015 to bring together
the company’s extensive resources to provide LNG vessel design and construction
management; transportation; product
sales and distribution, and full-scale, project management solutions.
These Commitment Class Jones Act
ships are designed to travel at speeds up to
22 knots while maximizing the carriage of
53-foot, 102-inch-wide containers. Cargo
capacity will be approximately 2,400
TEUs (20-foot-equivalent-units), with
additional space for nearly 400 vehicles in
an enclosed RO/RO garage.
The Jones Act is a federal statute
that provides for the promotion and
maintenance of a strong American merchant marine. It requires that all goods
transported by water between U.S. ports
be carried on U.S.-flagged ships constructed in the United States, owned by
U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents.
Photo: Crowley Maritime Corp.
Crowley reaches milestone with
setting of LNG engine for El Coquí
The following is excerpted from an
article released March 29 by Crowley.
American Maritime Officers will represent
all licensed officers aboard the
Commitment Class ships.
Crowley Maritime Corporation
reached another critical milestone with the
recent setting of the main engine onto El
Coquí, the first of two new Commitment
Class ConRo (combination container and
roll-on/roll-off) ships that will be powered
by liquefied natural gas for use in the ocean
cargo trade between Jacksonville and
Puerto Rico.
“This state-of-the-art engine technology will add efficiency while continuing to reduce impacts on the environment, one of Crowley’s top priorities,”
said John Hourihan, senior vice president
and general manager, Puerto Rico services. “Utilizing this green technology is
just another way we are demonstrating
our commitment to the people of Puerto
Rico, our customers and the environment. It also bears mentioning that neither of these ships, which have been
designed specifically for the Puerto Rico
trade, gets built without the Jones Act —
a federal statute that provides for the promotion and maintenance of a strong
American merchant marine.”
A video showing the progress of setting the engine may be viewed online:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYyTY44zn0&feature=youtu.be.
The engine was placed using a series
of heavy lifts by 500-ton cranes in the shipyard of VT Halter Marine, a subsidiary of
VT Systems, Inc., where El Coquí (ko-kee)
and sister ship, Taíno (tahy-noh), are under
construction. The engine has a total weight
of 759 metric tons and measures 41 feet
high, 41 feet in length, and 14.7 feet wide.
“Customers will not only be able to
Congressman David Joyce receives GLMTF’s
Great Lakes Legislator of the Year Award for 2016
May 2016
Ohio Republican Congressman
David Joyce has been named a 2016
Great Lakes Legislator of the Year by the
largest labor/management coalition representing shipping on America’s Fourth
Sea Coast. The Great Lakes Maritime
Task Force (GLMTF) annually presents
the award to legislators who have promoted shipping on the Great Lakes and
St. Lawrence Seaway. Rep. Joyce
received his award at a ceremony in
Washington, D.C. on April 12.
“Rep. Joyce’s deep appreciation for
Great Lakes shipping stems from having
two major ports in his district, Ashtabula
and Conneaut,” said Thomas Curelli,
president of GLMTF in 2016. “Countless
family sustaining jobs are created by the
cargo that moves across the docks in
Ashtabula and Conneaut.”
“Rep. Joyce has also been a tireless
advocate for adequate icebreaking
resources,” said Brian Krus, 1st vice
president of GLMTF and senior national
assistant vice president of American
Maritime Officers. “Back in February
2015 a U.S.-flag laker bound for
Conneaut became icebound for five days
and the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker dispatched to free it was unable to get the
vessel moving. Its last cargo of the season had to be cancelled. Rep. Joyce
knows jobs hang in the balance when
cargo can’t move during the ice season.”
The dredging crisis has also had
Congressman Joyce’s full attention. “The
largest vessels calling on Ashtabula and
Conneaut forfeit about 270 tons of cargo
for each inch of loaded draft lost to inadequate dredging,” said James Weakley, 2nd
vice president of GLMTF and president of
the Lake Carriers’ Association. “The efficiencies of Great Lakes shipping are the
foundation of the Midwest economy and
Congressman Joyce has been laser-focused
on bringing more dredging dollars back to
the Lakes.”
The award also recognizes Rep.
Joyce’s commitment to international
shipping via the St. Lawrence Seaway.
“Northern Ohio businesses have direct
and efficient access to world markets
because of the Seaway,” said John D.
Baker, 3rd vice president of GLMTF, and
president emeritus of the ILA’s Great
Lakes District Council. “Imports and
exports are key to the future.”
With his selection as a Great Lakes
Legislator of the Year, Rep. Joyce
becomes the tenth Ohio legislator to
receive the award since its inception in
1998. Previous recipients are Sen. John
D. Glenn (D); Rep. Louis B. Stokes (D);
Rep. Steve LaTourette (R); Sen. Mike
DeWine (R); Sen. George Voinovich (R);
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D); Rep. Stephanie
Tubbs Jones (D); Rep. Betty Sutton (D);
and Rep. Bob Gibbs (R).
Founded in 1992, the Great Lakes
Maritime Task Force promotes domestic
and international shipping on the Great
Lakes. With 84 members, it is the largest
coalition to ever speak for the Great
Lakes shipping community and draws its
membership from both labor and management, representing U.S.-flag vessel
operators, shipboard and longshore
unions, port authorities, cargo shippers,
terminal operators, shipyards and other
Great Lakes interests. Its goals include
ensuring Lakes dredging is adequately
funded; construction of a second Poesized lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan;
American Maritime Officer • 5
building a second heavy icebreaker for
Lakes service; protecting the Jones Act
and other U.S. maritime cabotage laws
and regulations; maximizing the Lakes
overseas trade via the St. Lawrence
Seaway; opposing exports and/or
increased diversions of Great Lakes
water; and expanding short sea shipping
on the Lakes.
At left: Ohio Republican
Congressman David Joyce (right)
speaks with Great Lakes Maritime
Task Force President Tom Curelli and
Andrew Strosahl of the Transportation
Institute in Washington, D.C., where
the Legislator of the Year Award was
presented on April 12.
AMO aboard the
Lake Michigan
car ferry Badger
The coal-fired steamship Badger
prepares for the season in
Ludington, Mich. in April.
American Maritime Officers members working aboard the Badger
in April included Chief Engineer
William Kulka, Second Assistant
Engineer Andrew Vervelde, Third
Assistant Engineer Exodus Phyr
(who recently earned his license
after preparing for U.S. Coast
Guard license exams at STAR
Center), and Senior Chief
Engineer Charles Cart. With them
is AMO Senior National Assistant
Vice President Brian Krus. The
Badger is operated by Lake
Michigan Carferry under contract
with AMO.
U.S.-flag cargo movement on Great
Lakes more than doubles in March
U.S.-flagged Great Lakes freighters
moved 1,747,111 tons of cargo in March,
more than double the total of the same
period the previous year. The March
cargo float was also on pace with the
month’s five-year average, the Lake
Carriers’ Association reported.
Iron ore cargoes totaled 1,362,768
tons, again more than double the volume of
March in the previous year.
Coal cargoes totaled 133,155 tons,
basically a repeat of the previous year.
Limestone cargoes dipped slightly to
68,275 tons, but shipments of cement more
than tripled in volume compared with the
previous year, rising to 182,913 tons.
Year-to-date, U.S.-flag carriage
stood at 4,068,869 tons at the end of
March, an increase of 8 percent compared
to the same point in 2015. Iron ore cargoes were up 16 percent, but coal cargoes
had dipped 56 percent. Limestone cargoes
had increased 26 percent and cement shipments were up 71 percent.
Fruitvale Hills. His first job as master was
in 1983 aboard the Sealand Consumer. He
last sailed as master aboard the same ship
in 1991.
“Throughout his many years of service in MM&P, Tim earned the respect of
maritime labor and industry,” said
American Maritime Officers National
President Paul Doell. “He was a gentleman and a leader, and he served his mem-
bership well.”
Brown
received the
Admiral of the
Ocean
Seas
Award in 2002,
the Outstanding Friend of
Seafarers
Award in 2004
and the Father
M a u r i c e
Lalonde Spirit of the Seas Award in
2012. In 2009, he was admitted to the
Port of New York and New Jersey’s
International Maritime Hall of Fame.
Captain Timothy A. Brown,
president emeritus of MM&P
Captain Timothy A. Brown, president emeritus of Masters, Mates &
Pilots, passed away April 10 at the age
of 73. Brown was elected president of
the union in 1991 and served until his
retirement on January 1, 2013.
Brown joined MM&P in 1965
and served in the U.S. merchant
marine during the Vietnam War. His
first vessel with MM&P was the S/S
NTSB search locates voyage data recorder from
El Faro; another mission needed to recover device
May 2016
6 • American Maritime Officer
The following is excerpted from articles released April 27 and April 26 by the
National Transportation Safety Board
(NTSB). On April 26, the NTSB announced
the voyage data recorder had been located
by the search team working onboard the
Atlantis. The NTSB’s landing page for the
El Faro investigation with links to the complete articles and additional information,
images and video is available online at
http://go.usa.gov/cuDfV.
WASHINGTON (April 27, 2016)
— The investigative team aboard the
research vessel Atlantis who located the El
Faro’s voyage data recorder Tuesday has
determined it will not be possible to recover
the VDR during the current mission.
The team of investigators and scientists aboard Atlantis collaborated with
investigators at the National Transportation
Safety Board lab in Washington and determined that, given the VDR’s proximity to
the mast and other obstructions, recovery of
the VDR cannot be accomplished with the
equipment currently available on the ship.
Video and photographic images
revealed that the VDR appears to remain
attached to a steel beam connected to the
mast structure.
“Now that we have been able to see
just how the VDR is oriented relative to the
mast structure, it’s clear that we’re going to
need specialized deep-water salvage recovery equipment in order to bring it up,” said
Brian Curtis, acting director of the NTSB
Office of Marine Safety. “Extracting a
recorder capsule attached to a four-ton mast
under 15,000 feet of water presents formidable challenges, but we’re going to do
everything that is technically feasible to get
that recorder into our lab.”
Although there is not yet a confirmed
timeframe for the launch of the VDR
retrieval effort, investigators are hopeful
that the logistics can be coordinated so that
the mission can be completed in the next
several months.
The current mission will continue to
gather imagery of the El Faro hull and
debris field until successfully completed.
Atlantis is expected to depart the site April
30 and arrive in Woods Hole,
Massachusetts, May 5.
In October and November of 2015, the
NTSB conducted an initial search mission to
locate the sunken vessel and conduct an initial survey of the debris field. The data collected during that mission were used by
investigators to plot “high probability”
search zones for the current mission. Those
data proved reliable and resulted in the location of the mast and VDR in one of the zones.
WASHINGTON (April 26, 2016) —
The cargo ship El Faro’s voyage data
recorder was located early Tuesday morning in 15,000 feet of water, about 41 miles
(36 nautical miles) northeast of Acklins and
Crooked Islands, Bahamas, by a team of
investigators and scientists using remotely
operated undersea search equipment.
The investigative team is comprised of specialists from the National
Transportation Safety Board, the U.S.
Coast
Guard,
Woods
Hole
Oceanographic Institution and TOTE
Services, the operator of El Faro.
U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of
Investigation on sinking of El Faro
This report was submitted by
American Maritime Officers National Vice
President, Inland Waters, David Weathers,
who will also attend the second session of
U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of
Investigation hearings on the sinking of El
Faro. The hearings are scheduled for May
16 to 27 in Jacksonville, Fla.
JACKSONVILLE,
FLORIDA
(FEBRUARY 16-26, 2016) — Following
is a report on the Marine Board of
Investigation. Captain Danny Robichaux
and myself attended on behalf of AMO.
The Marine Board was made up of
mostly USCG, led by Captain Jason
Neubauer, Chief of Investigations from
USCG HQ. The Board had two USCG
attorneys assigned, along with several
USCG officers and several civilians — one
a lead investigator (this man had investigated Deepwater Horizon), and another, an
expert in salvage (who carried multiple
degrees in naval architecture to include a
doctorate from MIT), who leads the USCG
Salvage Engineering Response Team. The
Board also included several members from
the NTSB investigation — Lead
Investigator Tom Roth Rocky sat on the
Board every day. Numerous other members of the NTSB investigative team sat on
the Board in a rotating fashion, apparently
depending on their area of expertise and
the witness being questioned.
This cooperation between USCG and
NTSB was described as an effort to minimize the overlap between the two agencies’
respective investigations — the two investigations are supposedly independent and
will issue separate reports. The Marine
Board will be held in two parts. The part
just completed was only a preliminary
investigation into the background of the
incident and vessel — there will be a follow-on Board in mid May to investigate the
actual incident. With the recent finding of
the SVDR (vessel’s black box), there will
hopefully be a lot more information avail-
able about the actual incident.
The Board was open to the public.
Several of the families of the AMO El
Faro crew members attended for at least
some of the proceedings — we were fortunately able to provide some support for
these families at a very difficult time.
Numerous plaintiffs’ attorneys attended as
well, in addition to a variety of individuals
who had some interest in the event — various marine consultants, and company
staff from Crowley (which is headquartered in Jacksonville).
TOTE senior management — Phil
Greene Jr. from TOTE Services, Inc. (the
TOTE entity that operated the El Faro and
with which AMO has contracts), Tim
Nolan from TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico
(Sea Star Lines until about two weeks
before the El Faro incident), and Anthony
Chiarello, head of the parent TOTE organization — all attended for most of the
Board. TOTE hired numerous attorneys
from high profile national firms. K&L
Gates and Holland and Knight provided
representation for the TOTE company
officials and for the TOTE AMO employees who testified; several other law firms
assisted in this.
An attorney represented Mrs.
Theresa Davidson, wife of Captain
Michael Davidson, from Blank Rome.
This attorney, who was also trained as a
deck officer/naval architect, did a very
good job at ensuring that Captain
Davidson was not maligned by any of
the witnesses.
The Board itself was set up on a
dais, with Parties of Interest seated on
floor level at either side. Parties of Interest
were defined as TOTE, Mrs. Davidson,
American Bureau of Shipping, and
Herbert Engineering (which did much of
the stability calculations/software for the
El Faro’s stability computer), and were all
afforded an opportunity to question witnesses. No questions were entertained
from the public attendees.
The Board questioned witnesses
continuously for the approximately twoweek period from about 0900-1730 or
1800 most days, with a 45-minute lunch
period, to include Saturday, Feb. 20. Most
of the questioning was verbal, with some
small amount of visual presentations to
discuss the El Faro’s course lines, etc. The
original call to the Emergency Call Center
by Captain Michael Davidson was played.
Captain John Lawrence, TOTE’s
Designated Person Ashore, described his
conversation with Captain Davidson —
this was the last time any contact with the
El Faro was made. One point made by
Captain Lawrence was the calm evidenced
by Captain Davidson and Second Mate
Danielle Randolph during this last call —
there did not sound to be any impression
of impending disaster on the vessel,
although there was concern.
Numerous facts appear to have been
established during the investigation’s testimony. A lot of attention was paid to how
the vessel’s stability was checked by
TOTE, Inc. and TOTE Maritime Puerto
Rico — approximately three solid days or
more spread across numerous witnesses
were spent on this topic. GM and GM
margin were of great interest — stability
calculations were done ashore by the
cargo planners, and then double-checked
by the ship’s staff. The El Faro had been
converted from her original Roll-On/RollOff cargo capability to be able to load containers as well — there was considerable
discussion on the ramifications of this
conversion. Comparison of the vessel’s
loading computer program, Cargomax,
with the Stability and Trim Booklet issued
when the vessel was new were made, with
respect to how these two means of checking stability were used.
The Alternative Compliance Program
to substitute for full USCG inspections was
reviewed thoroughly — the Board seemed
At about 1 a.m. EDT, the team aboard
the research vessel Atlantis located the El
Faro’s mast where the VDR was mounted.
After examining numerous images provided by undersea search equipment, the team
positively identified the VDR.
“Finding an object about the size of a
basketball almost three miles under the surface of the sea is a remarkable achievement,” said NTSB Chairman Christopher
A. Hart. “It would not have been possible
without the information gained during the
first survey of the wreckage and the equipment and support provided by Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, the National
Science Foundation, the U.S. Coast Guard,
the U.S. Navy, the University of Rhode
Island, and the many other partners
involved in this effort.”
The type of VDR mounted on El
Faro is capable of recording conversations and sounds on the ship’s navigation
bridge, which could provide investigators
with important evidence as they seek to
understand the sequence of events that led
to the sinking.
to have some questions regarding the ACP
program, but testimony from USCG officers confirmed that the USCG does not
have the personnel or expertise to replace
the role of the class societies in the ACP and
inspection programs. Many questions were
asked about the Polish riding gang and their
role on the ship.
Another main topic for the Board
was the lack of any nautical oversight by
TOTE. TOTE does not employ traditional
port captains — there seemed to be an
underlying concern from the Board about
this lack of support. Numerous questions
were also asked about TOTE’s selection
process for the masters for the new LNGpowered Marlin Class vessels, which are
replacing El Faro and her sister ship, El
Yunque. None of the existing TOTE captains in the Puerto Rico service were
selected for the new vessels — to include
Captain Michael Davidson.
Weather routing, or lack thereof,
was a point the Board discussed at some
length, along with what weather information was available when to the vessel’s
staff. The weather forecasts for Hurricane
Joaquin were found to be full of errors —
the El Faro’s intended route should have
put the vessel on the back side of the
storm, which was not supposed to develop
fully until much later than it actually did.
A small but important point about
the open lifeboats on El Faro was made —
I would anticipate that the regulations
requiring covered boats on new construction may be applied to all vessels at some
point in near future.
TOTE representatives established
several points through their testimony.
The vessel masters have complete authority over routing and schedule — there was
no pressure to sail to make a schedule. The
company did ask for accurate information
on arrival times to schedule shore side
labor to load and unload the ship. These
points were confirmed by both numerous
shore side staff and Captain Earl Loftfield
from sister ship El Yunque. The propulsion
plant was regarded as reliable, although
the boilers were due for some routine
maintenance in an upcoming yard period.
See El Faro ◆ Page 7
May 2016
Liberty Eagle delivers food-aid to Jordan
Today, while alongside the discharge
berth in Aqaba, Jordan, there was a ceremony on the dock dedicated to the arrival of
our aid cargo delivered by our good ship,
M/V Liberty Eagle. Following the ceremony we were privileged to host a reception
for the dignitaries and their entourage. The
two most notable attendees were U.S.
Ambassador to Jordan, Alice G. Wells, and
Her Excellency, the Minister of Industry,
Trade and Supply, Maha Ali. It is with great
honor I relay to you their overwhelming
gratitude towards our fine Vessel, Officers
and Crew. Chief Steward Willie Frink prepared a stunning display of finger foods and
refreshments to entertain the entourage
while Chief Officer Michael Parks escorted
the dignitaries to the bridge for a photo session. I received countless compliments on
the condition of our ship, both inside and
out. They also expressed that they were
impressed with our hospitality and visit
preparations. As quickly as they all came,
they were gone, and we resumed cargo ops
and business as usual. It was a memorable
event and I feel so proud that we were an
integral part of the mission of providing
humanitarian aid at this time.
Captain Jarrett
Podaski (third
from left) and
Chief Mate
Michael Parks
(left) welcome
Jordan’s Minister
of Industry, Trade
and Supply Maha
Ali (fourth from
right) and U.S.
Ambassador to
Jordan Alice
Wells (fifth from
right) onboard the
Liberty Eagle.
Captain Jarrett Podaski
Master, M/V Liberty Eagle
April 10, 2016
El Faro
Continued from Page 6
Phil Greene Jr., President of TOTE
Services, was very complimentary of
the AMO and SIU crews on board. He
further gave kudos to the respective
union training facilities. The Board did
have a line of questioning on how much
follow-on training the vessel officers
receive, which Greene put on the union
training centers.
Cargo loading and securing were
discussed as well with various witnesses.
The cargo was always secured for heavy
weather as a routine — this way, the shore
side labor would never have to return for
extra work/time securing if the weather
became an issue.
One major point was made regarding the SVDR (black box). The SVDR had
been inspected for the Safety Radio
Certificate annually — the technician at
the most recent El Faro inspection had
NOT changed the pinger battery at the
inspection — so it was most likely dead
and was certainly expired when the vessel
sank. This had to increase the difficulty in
finding the SVDR on the sea floor to a
very high level. Grumman Sperry, whose
subcontractor did this inspection, did not
look very good on this topic.
I tracked some of the media coverage regarding the Board. Much of it was
written with an eye to good headlines
(as much press coverage of anything is)
and the accuracy of the facts described
varies widely.
One surprise when watching the
Board’s proceedings was the lack of marine
knowledge exhibited by some of the questioning. Some of the board members were
very knowledgeable on certain areas, but in
terms of awareness of how merchant ships
operate, lacked some basic knowledge in
areas that were somewhat fundamental. I
think this highlights how the USCG has
been stretched very thin on a wide variety
of missions and stepped away from the
marine expertise once held — this service
has been asked to do a lot with an ever
decreasing level of funding and support.
There was some jockeying
between ABS and USCG regarding who
was actually responsible for inspection
regimes, approvals for changes in vessel
construction, etc.
CONCLUSIONS
I would anticipate some changes
in regulations and procedures coming
out of this Board at some point, possibly years from now after both NTSB
and USCG investigations are completed
and reports issued.
•Increased oversight of inspections
by USCG and enhanced oversight of the
class societies, which themselves will be
stiffening how their inspections are done
(this is already happening from empirical
reports from AMO vessels and ABS surveyors I have come into contact with on
our vessels)
•Increased examination of stability
calculations and the underlying assumptions by class societies and USCG
•Enhanced Marine Safety staffing
American Maritime Officer • 7
Shipment of
U.S. wheat
arrives at
Port of Aqaba
U.S. Ambassador to Jordan
Alice Wells joined the nation’s
Minister of Industry, Trade and
Supply, Maha Ali, at the Port of
Aqaba to welcome the arrival of the
second wheat delivery of 47,500
metric tons through the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Food
for Progress program, The Jordan
Times reported in April.
The U.S. food-aid cargo was
delivered by Liberty Maritime
Corporation’s Liberty Eagle, which
is manned in all licensed positions by
American Maritime Officers.
According to a statement from
the U.S. embassy in Amman, the first
shipment of the wheat grant, which
combined with the second shipment
totaled $25.1 million, arrived in
February, The Jordan Times reported.
According to the report, this
is the third U.S. wheat grant in the
past five years. Jordan imports
more than 96 percent of its wheat,
as domestic production covers only
4 percent of demand.
The Food for Progress program helps developing countries
and emerging democracies modernize and strengthen their agricultural sectors.
by USCG to support the above
•Further requirements for follow on
training for ships’ officers — stability and
weather may be likely topics
•Review of watertight integrity features on vessels — watertight door sealing
and operation, etc.
•Open lifeboats, which were originally recommended to be removed by
1991 after the Marine Electric sinking,
will likely be banned at some point in
near future
•Use of weather routing services
may become mandatory, or at least
enhanced weather reporting/information provided to vessels may become a
requirement
In terms of what AMO officers
can do now, I would strongly recommend examining EVERY process and
procedure on board vessels for potential
improvements.
This is a very brief summary out of
the 11 days of testimony and 100-plus
pages worth of notes. Please send any further or more specific questions.
May 2016
8 • American Maritime Officer
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American Maritime Officer • 9
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Medical Courses
Elementary First Aid — Prerequisite for MCP within preceding 12 months
Saliva Screening Test — QEDs only
1 day
1/2 day
Medical PIC Refresher — Note: MSC approved
3 days
25 July
10 August
Please call
8 August
training towards management level (1A/E — Chief Eng.) upgrade started ON OR AFTER 24 March 2014, you
must adhere to this new program of training. Completion of both required and optional courses listed below will
include all Task Assessments required by NVIC 15-14. By completing the series, no expiration limitation will be
placed on your STCW credential. See STAR Center’s website for full details: https://www.starcenter.com/stcw2010-engine.upgrade.html
5 days
4 July
5 days
8 August
10 days
11 July
STCW Upgrade Task Assessment — General Engineering
& Procedure (E135 as amended) — OPTIONAL: Tasks can
be signed off onboard
5 days
25 July
STCW Upgrade Task Assessment — Motor (E120 as
amended) — OPTIONAL: Tasks can be signed off onboard
STCW Upgrade Task Assessment — Steam (E121 as
amended) — OPTIONAL: Tasks can be signed off onboard
3 days
1 August
STCW Upgrade Task Assessment — Gas Turbine (E122 as
amended) — OPTIONAL: Tasks can be signed off onboard
5 days
15 August
5 days
22 August
ERM (E050 as amended) — REQUIRED (unless
previously taken for gap closing or original license)
Upgrade: Electrical, Electronics & Control Engineering
(Management Level) (E133 as amended) (UPGRADE with
tasks)
5 December
16 November
Engine Upgrade — STCW 2010 — Management Level (NVIC 15-14) — If sea service or
Leadership & Managerial Skills (G500 as amended) —
REQUIRED
14 November
Radar Courses
Radar Recertification
1 day
2, 3, 27 June
ARPA
4 days
28 June
Radar Recertification & ARPA
5 days
Please call
Original Radar Observer Unlimited
5 days
Please call
7, 8 July
8, 9 Sep
7, 8 November
Engine STCW / Original Engineer Training Routes — Engine STCW training routes are aimed
at Great Lakes members wishing to transition to deep sea. Original engineer training is available to members,
applicants and sponsored students seeking an original license.
Advanced Fire Fighting
5 days
16 May
31 October
EFA/MCP
4 days
10 May
11 October
Basic Safety Training
Proficiency in Survival Craft (Lifeboat)
Basic Electricity (original engineers only)
Original 3 A/E Preparation and Exams
5 days
4 days
10 days
A/R
23 May
31 May
6 June
20 June
24 October
17 October
7 November
28 November
NOTICE: AMO members planning to attend the union’s Center for Advanced Maritime Officers’ Training/STAR Center in Dania Beach, Florida—either to prepare for license upgrading or to undergo specialty training—are asked to call the
school to confirm course schedule and space availability in advance.
NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY AS TO STUDENTS: The Center For Advanced Maritime Officers Training (CAMOT) and Simulation Training Assessment and Research Center (STAR), established under the auspices of the
American Maritime Officers Safety and Education Plan, admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin or sex to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the Center.
It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin or sex in administration of its educational policies, admission policies and other programs administered by the Center.
May 2016
10 • American Maritime Officer
AMO NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
DANIA BEACH, FL 33004-4109
601 S. Federal Highway
(954) 921-2221 / (800) 362-0513
Paul Doell, National President
([email protected])
Extension 1001 / Mobile: (954) 881-5651
FAX: (954) 926-5112
Charles A. Murdock, National Secretary-Treasurer
([email protected])
Extension 1004 / Mobile: (954) 531-9977 / FAX: (954) 367-1025
Joseph Z. Gremelsbacker, National Vice President, Deep Sea
([email protected])
Extension 1009 / Mobile: (954) 673-0680 / FAX: (954) 367-1029
Marie Doruth, Special Assistant to the National President
([email protected])
Extension 1017 / Mobile: (954) 290-8109
FAX: (954) 926-5112
Dispatch: (800) 345-3410 / FAX: (954) 926-5126
Brendan Keller, Dispatcher ([email protected])
Extension 1061 / Mobile: (954) 817-4000
Robert Anderson, Dispatcher ([email protected])
Extension 1060 / Mobile: (954) 599-9771
Member Services:
Extension 1050 / FAX: (954) 367-1066 / [email protected]
OFFICES
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20024
490 L’Enfant Plaza East SW, Suite 7204
(202) 479-1166
(800) 362-0513 ext. 7001
Paul Doell, National President
([email protected])
Extension 7004 / Mobile: (954) 881-5651
J. Michael Murphy, National Vice President, Government Relations
([email protected] / [email protected])
Extension 7013 / Mobile: (202) 560-6889
T. Christian Spain, National Assistant Vice President, Government Relations
([email protected])
Extension 7010 / Mobile: (202) 658-9635
FAX: (202) 479-1188
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19113
2 International Plaza, Suite 336
FAX: (610) 521-1301
Chris Holmes, Contract Analyst
(cholmes@amo‐union.org)
(800) 362‐0513 ext. 4002 / Mobile: (856) 693‐0694
UPDATE CREDENTIALS, DOCUMENTS, TRAINING RECORDS
Secure File Upload: https://securetransfer.amo-union.org/
E-mail: [email protected]
Questions: (800) 362-0513 ext. 1050
Earl H. Leyda — U.S. Coast Guard veteran,
retired STAR Center engineering instructor
Earl H. Leyda, 77, of Cape Coral, Fla. and Middle Bass Island, Ohio, died March 31,
2016. He was preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Debra Leyda, and is survived
by his wife, June, and children Karen, Craig and Laura Leyda.
Earl was a retired veteran of the Coast Guard. He was the first of two men to receive
the Coast Guard medal for heroic actions on March 18, 1958.
He was head of the Engineering Department and an instructor at STAR Center in
Toledo, Ohio, and taught marine engineering courses there for approximately 20 years.
TOLEDO, OH 43604
The Melvin H. Pelfrey Building
One Maritime Plaza, Third Floor
(800) 221-9395 / FAX: (419) 255-2350
John E. Clemons, National Vice President, Great Lakes
([email protected])
Mobile: (419) 205-3509
Brian D. Krus, Senior National Assistant Vice President
([email protected])
Mobile: (216) 571-9666
Michelle Moffitt, Dispatcher
([email protected]) / Mobile: (419) 481-3470
GALVESTON, TX 77551
2724 61st Street, Suite B, PMB 192
David M. Weathers, National Vice President, Inland Waters
([email protected])
(800) 362-0513 ext. 2001 / Mobile: (409) 996-7362
FAX: (409) 737-4454
SAN FRANCISCO / OAKLAND, CA 94607
1121 7th Street, Second Floor
Oakland, CA 94607
Daniel E. Shea, National Executive Vice President
([email protected])
(510) 444-5301 / (800) 362-0513 ext. 5001 / Mobile: (415) 269-5795
FAX: (954) 367-1064
NEW ORLEANS / COVINGTON, LA 70434
P.O. Box 5424
Covington, LA 70434
Daniel J. Robichaux, National Assistant Vice President
([email protected])
(954) 367-1036 / Mobile: (985) 201-5462 / FAX: (954) 367-1062
STAR CENTER
STUDENT SERVICES/LODGING AND COURSE INFORMATION
2 West Dixie Highway
Dania Beach, FL 33004-4312
(954) 920-3222 ext. 201 / (800) 942-3220 ext. 201
Course Attendance Confirmation: (800) 942-3220 ext. 200
24 Hours: (954) 920-3222 ext.7999 / FAX: (954) 920-3140
SERVICES
FINANCIAL ADVISERS: THE ATLANTIC GROUP AT MORGAN STANLEY
(800) 975-7061 / www.morganstanleyfa.com/theatlanticgroup
MEDICAL CLINIC
2 West Dixie Highway
Dania Beach, FL 33004-4312
(954) 927-5213
FAX: (954) 929-1415
AMO Coast Guard Legal Aid
Program
Michael Reny
Mobile: (419) 346-1485
(419) 243-1105 / (888) 853-4662
[email protected]
AMO PLANS
2 West Dixie Highway
Dania Beach, FL 33004-4312
(800) 348-6515
FAX: (954) 922-7539
LEGAL
Joel Glanstein, General Counsel
David Glanstein
437 Madison Ave. 35th Floor
New York, NY 10022
(212) 370-5100 / (954) 662-9407
FAX: (212) 697-6299
Monthly Membership Meetings
Regular monthly membership meetings for AMO will be held during the week
following the first Sunday of every month at 1 p.m. local time. Meetings will be
held on Monday at AMO National Headquarters (on Tuesday when Monday is
a contract holiday). The next meetings will take place on the following dates:
AMO National Headquarters: June 13*, July 5 (Tuesday)
*This meeting was rescheduled for one week later than the original date.
Reminder to participants in the AMO 401(k), Money Purchase Benefit and Defined Contribution Plans
Newport Group smart phone app available
• Apple users: Download the NewportGroup.com app on iTunes
• Android users: Search for NewportGroup and download the app
Defined Contribution Plan investment reallocation
The balances in the accounts of participants in the AMO Defined Contribution
Plan are growing. Many participants have either logged into the plandestination.com
website and reallocated their balances into individual age and risk appropriate portfo-
lios, or have contacted our Morgan Stanley financial advisors for assistance. Those
participants who have not yet reviewed their plans should take a minute and review
their investments.
Morgan Stanley 800-number help line
Many AMO Plans participants have called (800) 975-7061 and spoken to our Morgan
Stanley advisors. Whether it’s the AMO retirement plans, retirement planning, asset allocation, investments, college funding or family wealth management, feel free to call them at
any time for assistance.
May 2016
M/V Capt. David I. Lyon honors namesake
The following article by Bill Mesta,
Military Sealift Command Public Affairs,
was published in the March 2016 edition
of Sealift. It is reprinted here with permission. The M/V Capt. David I. Lyon is
operated by Sealift, Inc. and is manned in
all licensed positions by American
Maritime Officers.
The crew of Military Sealift
Command’s Air Force container ship,
M/V Capt. David I. Lyon (T-AK 5362),
hosted a remembrance ceremony in
honor of the vessel’s namesake, Naval
Support Facility, Diego Garcia’s harbor,
Dec. 27, 2015.
U.S. Air Force Capt. David I. Lyon
was killed in action in Kabul,
Afghanistan on Dec. 27, 2013 while
serving in support of Operation
Enduring Freedom.
“On May 23, 2014 the U.S. Air
Force chose to honor our fallen hero by
naming the latest Air Force Afloat
Preposition Fleet Ship after him,” said
Capt. David Steiner, M/V Capt. David I.
Lyon’s master. “A fitting tribute to an Air
Force logistician and true American
patriot who paid the ultimate sacrifice in
service of his country.”
“Captain Lyon answered the call
by saying ‘send me’ and exemplified
the Air Force core value of ‘service
before self,’” added Steiner. “It is clear
that Captain David Lyon was a special
person even as a young lad. His mother,
Jeannie, relates, ‘David was very determined as a boy. If he got it in his mind
to do something, there was no way he
wasn’t going to do it.’”
“By all accounts David Lyon was a
Photo: Military Sealift Command
Capt. David Steiner, master on the M/V Capt. David I. Lyon, addresses the crew
during a memorial ceremony held to honor the ship’s namesake.
determined and focused individual who
worked hard to achieve his goals. Which
in military speak, we call ‘accomplishing
the mission,’” said Capt. Paul D. Hugill,
American Maritime Officer • 11
Commodore, Maritime Prepositioning
Ship Squadron 2.
“When one chapter ends by the loss
of earthly life, other chapters are opened
based on the impacts and effects that person made while on earth, the people that
are affected, the places that are trod and
the missions that are accomplished,” said
Hugill. “We are now standing on another
chapter of Captain David I. Lyon’s story.
This ship carries forth the mission that
David Lyon started in life.”
“As an Air Force logistics officer,
Capt. Lyon’s primary mission was to
ensure the forward deployed warfighters
had everything they needed to carry the
fight to the enemy,” added Hugill. “In this
new chapter, the M/V Capt. David I. Lyon
has the same mission. The men and
women of M/V Capt. David I. Lyon also
carry the spirit of their namesake because
they routinely, on a day-to-day basis, keep
this ship 100 percent ready to ensure the
warfighter has everything needed to carry
any fight to any enemy. It is a fitting tribute to a young American hero.”
The memorial ceremony culminated in the ‘Ringing of Eight Bells’ to symbolize the ‘End of Watch’ for Capt. Lyon.
“Capt. Lyon volunteered to join
Combined Special Operations Task
Force-Afghanistan to be a force for good,
a force for change, in a war-torn country,” said Maj. David Witt, U.S. Air
Force, Pacific Air Forces. “It is only
befitting this vessel carry forth his name.
While David helped project change into
an unstable region, this vessel brings that
capability of the U.S. Air Force to wherever the world requires.”
At the conclusion of the ceremony,
M/V Capt. David I. Lyon sounded its
ship’s whistle and invited other ships in
the harbor to follow suit.
May 2016
12 • American Maritime Officer
Maersk Peary
conducts CONSOL
training with MSC
oiler USNS
Rappahannock
The U.S.-flagged tanker Maersk Peary
conducted consolidation (CONSOL)
training at full speed with Military Sealift
Command underway replenishment oiler
USNS Rappahannock on March 25 in the
South Pacific. The CONSOL training
involving the Maersk Peary and USNS
Rappahannock provided the opportunity
to train crew members during daylight
hours and at night. Training included
hose connection and disconnection, and
changing course during the operation.
The Maersk Peary is operated under
MSC charter by Maersk Line, Limited
and is manned in all licensed positions
by American Maritime Officers.
Magnolia State
Continued from Page 1
Morgan, Inc. subsidiary.
In December 2014, Rep. Peters signaled the start of construction of the
Magnolia State. In June 2015, California
State Assemblywoman and former Speaker
Toni Atkins laid the keel.
“San Diego’s shipbuilding industry
currently supports as many as 14,000 local
jobs,” said Rep. Peters. “Part of this is due
to the Navy’s rebalance to the Pacific, but
it’s also due to significant private contracts
such as this one. The Magnolia State created good jobs for San Diegans and will provide a safe, more efficient, and cleaner way
transport fuel across the ocean. It was an
honor to be present at the start of its construction, and it’s an honor to see her off.”
The construction and operation of
the new ECO Class tankers are aligned
with the Jones Act, requiring that ships
carrying cargo between U.S. ports be built
in U.S. shipyards, further protecting hundreds of thousands of American jobs and
almost $100 billion in annual economic
impact as a result of the domestic
American maritime industry.
The Magnolia State, along with others in the ECO Class, are the first in the
Jones Act fleet to obtain a PMA+ Notation,
representing compliance with one of the
highest standards of human factors in engi-
Photos courtesy of Maersk Peary
AMO member Captain Everett Hatton, master on the
Maersk Peary, observes the approach of the MSC
underway replenishment oiler USNS Rappahannock.
neering design. The PMA+ Notation is created to facilitate safe access to vessel structure and spaces in ways that are rooted in
the fundamentals of human ergonomics.
The ships were designed by DSEC, a
subsidiary of Daewoo Shipbuilding &
Marine Engineering (DSME) of Busan,
South Korea. The design incorporates
improved fuel efficiency concepts through
several features, including a G-Series MAN
ME slow-speed main engine and an optimized hull form. The tankers will also have
dual-fuel-capable auxiliary engines and the
ability to accommodate future installation
of an LNG fuel-gas system.
Attending the sponsor’s dinner for the Magnolia State April 22 in San Diego, Calif. were (left to right) Joey Halverson,
Kinder Morgan-American Petroleum Tankers machinery inspector; Vice President of Kinder Morgan Terminals and
President of American Petroleum Tankers Robert Kurz; American Petroleum Tankers Senior Project Manager David
Farrell; Chief Engineer Thomas Balzano; American Petroleum Tankers Vice President Philip Doherty; Crowley Director of
Labor Relations Jack Craft; American Maritime Officers National Executive Vice President Danny Shea; David Cawley,
Crowley director, engineering – tankers – petroleum services; and Captain Robert Cates.