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Workboat Report • Marine Propulsion Olympic Engine Selection Evokes Thoughts Of "Green" When Olympic Tug & Barge was founded in 1987, owner Harley Franco had environmental responsibil- ity on his mind. Early major oil tanker disasters south- east of Nantucket, Mass., near Galveston, Texas, and off the coasts of England and Mexico were influencing the future of the oil transportation industry. So Franco committed himself to growing his business by assem- bling a "fleet of the future" built around the most envi- ronmentally friendly technology he could afford. Today, parent company Harley Marine Services over- sees a combined fleet of more than 40 vessels. Olympic Tug & Barge began as a vessel bunkering operation, leasing a tugboat and barge to transport the bunker barges from ship to ship. "It was difficult for a start-up company in such a capital-intensive business to afford the best technology. There was a lot of World War II tonnage out there," says Franco. "But one of the things we did was get a full-time safety and compli- ance officer to continually inspect, audit and enforce. For a small business, that was a big commitment." Then, in 1989, the single-hull supertanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Alas- ka's Prince William Sound, spilling 11 million gallons of oil. The huge slick eventually spread over 10,000 square miles of Alaska's coastal seas and as far as 600 miles from the reef. "Exxon Valdez was a shocker and eye-opener, particularly being so close to our base in Seattle," Franco recalls. "It made everybody in our industry jump on the bandwagon to prevent spills resulting from ground- ings or collisions. But back then, a double-hull ship was a concept that most everyone thought was too expen- sive and not practical." By 1992, Olympic Tug & Barge expanded its fleet to three barges and four tugs operating in the Puget Sound. In 1994, further growth came with new oil operations on the Colum- HMS MARINE HARDWARE INC. Serving the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Naval Ships Since 1987 In Stock: Stainless Hinges, Washroom Dispensers, High-Security Locks WASHROOM HARDWARE SMOKE- GARO FURNITURE HARDWARE CONTAINMENT CURTAINS Register with us at www.hms-marine-hardware.com get tree shipping with your next order e-mail: hmsmarine@erols.com HMS Marine Hardware Inc. Valley Stream, NY tel: 516/825-8296 fax: 516/568-2057 Circle 265 on Reader Service Card November, 2000 SUPERIOR ENERGIES INC. TEMP-SET® INSULATION COVERS MANUFACTURING AND CONTRACTING Removable Reusable Temp-Set Insulation Covers, Manifolds, Turbos, Silencers, and complete Exhaust Systems. • Reduce engine room temperature • Lower engine room noise • Easy to assemble • Coast Guard Compliant ACOUSTICAL INSULATION ASBESTOS ABATEMENT TURN-KEY JOBS Let us take care of all your insulation and abatement needs WANT SUPERIOR QUALITY WANT SUPERIOR SERVICE CALL SUPERIOR ENERGIES INC. 1-800-BUY-SEI-1 P.O Drawer 386, Groves TX 77619 Telephone: (409) 962-8549 Fax (409) 962-4027 Website: www.insulationsei.com Circle 341 on Reader Service Card bia and Willamette Rivers in Oregon, and dry bulk transportation and deck barge services a year later. In the aftermath of the major oil disasters, the emerg- ing use of tanker escort services in restricted waters sparked the development of agile, maneuverable trac- tor tugs that offer greater bollard pull than traditional pusher tugs. Franco saw this opportunity and moved into the ship assist business in 1998 by purchasing r ii 1 "if: 10 ' 1 ill 1 Smart Pneumatic Level Sensor with Generic 4 20mA Output The Bubbler is an electro-pneumatic level trans- mitter that allows remote level measurement using a 4-20mA analog output. The lack of air pressure poses no operational problems, due to an auto- matic one-way valve which closes as soon as the pressure drops below 1 bar, this prevents back flow in the bubbling line towards the transmitter. Over pressure is also protected against by an automatic one-way valve. • It's the size of a grapefruit • Explosion proof housing • Accuracy .3% full scale • Automatic over-pressure valve • Automatic stop valve for air failure • Automatic cleaning of bubbling line • Connection for pressurized tanks • 2 pair 24 VDC and 4-20mA cable • Top or side mount Many Options • Call today for more information! 732.382.4344 732.388.5111 fax emsmarcon@aol.com e-mail http://www.emsmarcon.com ELECTRONIC MARINE SYSTEMS, INC. 800 Ferndale Place Rahway, NJ 07065 Circle 246 on Reader Service Card 31
