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Harbor Tug And Barge Elects Bedient VP The Harbor Tug and Barge Com- pany, widely diversified water transportation firm wi'th headquar- ters in San Francisco, has an- nounced the election of Lester C. Bedient to the position of vice president, in charge of all the firm's California operations. In making the announcement, Albert D. Elledge, president of the company, said: "Mr. Bedient is largely responsible for the great strides this firm has made in de- veloping our passenger vessel op- erations, and his wide knowledge of tugboats and of the water trans- portation industry has proved in- valuable to the company. It was under his general management that the Red and White Fleet, now well- known to San Franciscans and tourists alike, has grown from two small sightseeing boats to one of the largest cruise vessel operations in the world." Mr. Elledge went on to say that in addition to supervising the firm's various tug, barge, ferry and cruise boat fleet operations in San Fran- cisco Bay and its many tributaries, the newly elected vice president will be in charge of ever-expand- ing operations in southern Cali- fornia. Through an affiliate, Harbor Carriers, Inc., the company oper- ates tour boats in Los Angeles- Long Beach Harbor and offers regularly scheduled daily excur- sions from Long Beach to Catalina Island. A new 700-passenger cruise vessel for use in southern California waters will soon be launched at a Stockton shipyard. Lester C. Bedient Mr. Bedient, who worked his way up through the ranks, joined The Harbor Tug and Barge Company in 1929 as a machinist and carpen- ter's helper in the firm's tugboat maintenance and repair shop. He became a towboat deckhand in 1931, and one year later took over as operator of the vessel. After op- erating tugboats for over the next 11 years, he moved to the opera- tions department in 1943, serving first as a dispatcher and later in various other capacities before tak- ing over as operations manager in 1947. Mr. Bedient, a member of sev- eral maritime clubs and associa- tions, has been very active in the affairs of The American Water- ways Operators, Inc., an organiza- tion dedicated to the welfare of the small vessel commerce of the na- tion. He served as West Coast reg- ional vice president of that group in 1971. Columbian Rope And Subsidiaries New Name (Steermaster at head of Chotin toiv—Bayou Sorrel Bridge.) 36 'The Cordage Group' The Columbian Rope Company's Cordage Division, incorporating five long-established and well- known names in cordage manufac- turing, has been reorganized to op- erate as "The Cordage Group," president Legare R. Hole has an- nounced. The full range of cordage prod- ucts previously offered under five different names will now be mar- keted under the new identity, Mr. Hole said. Besides Columbian Rope, other time-honored rope company names that became part of The Cordage Group are Plymouth, Whitlock, Fitler, and Cating. These firms had been acquired by the Columbian Rope Company since World War II, culminating in Columbian's pur- chase of the Plymouth Cordage Company in 1965. "This new identity will enable The Cordage Group to give its dis- tributors more effective marketing support, and will clarify the presen- tation of our product line to the many cordage markets that we serve," Mr. Hole said. Maritime Reporter/Engineering News Steermaster. A bow steering system. Steermaster is a new bow steering system designed to make operations on inland waterways safer, more efficient, and more profitable. In use by major transportation companies, including Chotin Transportation, Radcliff Ma- terials, Thomas Marine, Dixie Carriers and Magnolia Marine, it has proved to be the "most important advance in waterway transportation in this century." PERFORMANCE. The Steermaster is a maneuvering assist system for vessels operating in light and loaded conditions. It steers the vessel at low and high running speeds with precision maneuverability and steering control at all speeds, in all passing situations, and in crosswinds. It substantially reduces underway time for all types of tows and has created marked im- provement in the safety of operations. THE JACKSON NOZZLE. We use a fluid reaction device in the Steer- master called the Jackson Nozzle to overcome the head of water built up at the bow of the vessel. It moves water through its tunnels at volumes up to 450,000 g.p.m., creating the necessary forces to turn the head of a tow in any direction immediately at high running speeds. SAFETY IN CARRIER OPERA- TIONS. Safety in operations on in- land waterways has improved tremen- dously because the Steermaster pro- vides complete control of a tow in passing, maneuvering, adverse current, and cross wind situations. Steer- master goes exactly where you point it. Most important, this capability will reduce inland waterway accidents —and resultant pollution problems—- dramatically. (The safety records of those vessels using the Steermaster have been extraordinary.) EFFICIENCY. The Steermaster has reduced underway time for carriers. It cancels the effect of winds on a tow, eliminating windbound conditions, cuts the time needed to navigate curves and bends, and gives you complete control over current when approaching bridges. The system is simple im- mediate-response control from the wheelhouse; there are no protruding skegs, propellers, or shafts, and tows can be docked in close quarters with the powerful side thrust of the steering vessel. All system components are backed up by duplicate equipment for continuous operation and are com- pletely interchangeable for easy main- tenance and service. The Steermaster is a revolutionary bow steering system for river towboats. Please write or call us for complete information and specifications. We'll be happy to arrange a demonstration. TheWateijvays Company 3512 Metairie Heights Road New Orleans, Louisiana 70002 504/837-4696 Test drive a Steermaster. It's the only bow steering system in the world. It's the only way to handle a tow.
