Double The Power

With the addition of its second mobile harbor container crane, Port Manatee now has double the lifting power to meet increasing customer needs.

The white 168-foot-long boom of Port Manatee’s second mobile harbor container crane is lifted into place by its sister crane Big Joe and another crane as the $4 million Gottwald HMK 6407’s construction nears completion.

After installing the 460-ton crane’s cables and completing interior electronics work, stevedoring company Logistec USA Inc. says it expects the crane to be certified operational in August.

The purchase of the second crane is the result of a public private partnership between the Manatee County Port Authority and Logistec. The two also partnered for the purchase of the port’s first mobile harbor container crane in 2007.

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Piece By Piece

The trusses of Martin Marietta’s new high-speed conveyor system at Port Manatee are laid piece by piece as the nearly mile-long system is constructed.

Crews working on Martin Marietta Materials’ new high-speed aggregate conveyor system eased a 112-foot-long, 23,000-pound section of the conveyor into place this week with the help of a 60-ton hydraulic crane. The piece crosses over Eastern Avenue at North Dock Street and runs parallel to the port’s rail line.

Crews are also working hard on Martin Marietta’s new 20-acre aggregate yard and terminal, which will connect to Berth 5 when the nearly mile-long system is complete in September.

Martin Marietta plans to import granite and limestone for road-building and creating asphalt and concrete.

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Sophie’s Choice

Trucks load-up with granite from the M/V Sophie Oldendorff at Port Manatee’s Berth 4 thanks to a temporary conveyor system that was installed after the ship’s onboard equipment was damaged in a fire.

After a massive fire damaged its unloading boom and conveyor system in mid June, the 742-foot Liberian-flagged M/V Sophie Oldendorff successfully discharged more than 32,000 tons of granite at Port Manatee earlier this month.

A mechanical failure may be to blame for the fire that broke out onboard the ship June 15^th while docked at the Port of Tampa. Because of the extensive damage to its conveyor equipment and the configuration of the dock where it was, the crew was unable to complete the ship’s discharge of granite in Tampa.

After receiving word about the ship’s predicament, the Manatee County Port Authority assisted, working with all of the interested parties to allow the ship to dock at Port Manatee and unload the product for Martin Marietta, one of the port’s newest customers and tenants.

“Oldendorff Carriers is very appreciative of the efforts and professionalism provided by everyone who helped expedite the discharge,” said Capt. Paul Jeffrey, senior cargo superintendent for Oldendorff Carriers.

Stevedoring company Liberty Terminals assisted in setting up a temporary discharge system for the vessel with trucks moving the material to a location on the port where it’s ready for distribution.

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Coast Guard Discusses Deepwater Horizon

U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Sean Reilly, left, talks with Port Manatee Propeller Club President Peter Hamlin about the Coast Guard’s response efforts regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill before addressing the club’s members earlier this month.

Cmdr. Sean Reilly, chief of prevention at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, spoke to the Port Manatee Propeller Club at its July 8^th meeting.

Reilly is the Deepwater Horizon response deputy branch director for the St. Petersburg branch of the Florida Peninsula Command Post.

He explained that the Coast Guard conducts surveillance and uses computer projection models utilizing information such as wind, wave and weather data to predict where the Deepwater Horizon spill zone will be up to 72 hours in advance. Coast Guard response operations are based on these projections. The Coast Guard has been monitoring the Gulf coast daily by land, air and sea for signs of oil contamination.

Reilly said, ships entering Tampa Bay are advised to inspect for oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill. As part of Sector St. Petersburg’s Commercial Deep Draft Vessel Evaluation and Cleaning Plan, any vessel effected by the spill will be decontaminated at a pre-determined location before being granted entry into Tampa Bay. So far, no cargo vessels entering Tampa Bay have been effected by the oil.

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Big Showing at Showcase

Judy Peterson, Sandy Gilbertson and Jay Andrews of Turner Tree and Landscape gather at their booth during the Manatee Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Ship Shape Showcase event held at Port Manatee July 15^th. Several hundred chamber members, port employees, tenants, guests and exhibitors gathered at the cruise terminal for an evening of networking, music, free appetizers and door prizes. Free port bus tours were available throughout the event. More photos are available online.

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Ad Space Available Now

Port Manatee’s 2011 Official Directory, currently in production and set for publication in January is now accepting advertising reservations. This will be the 11^th edition of Port Manatee’s award-winning directory, which is one of the many valuable tools used for marketing the port community worldwide.

The annual directory is a comprehensive guide that includes contact information and helpful articles detailing the advantages of Port Manatee, its tenants, and users. Colorful photos and bright graphics highlight the many successes of the port’s customers. And, there is an easy-to-read summary of the port’s facilities and operational specifications.

The 2011 book will include the business directory and detailed port facilities map. It will also include an expanded section on the Tampa Bay region and an in-depth feature article about the port’s history as it celebrates its 40^th anniversary.

For more information or to reserve advertising space now, contact Communications Manager Jill VanderPol at jvanderpol@portmanatee.com.

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