Shipshape is a nautical term that most likely originated in the mid-1600s with the British Royal Navy. From the British Dictionary, "shipshape" is defined as "according to the fashion of sailing a ship where neatness is a priority and the rigging must be serviceable and stored properly". The phrase generally refers to neatness, originating out of necessity to ensure safety while underway.

How does this relate to barges?

As with any vessel, a barge needs to be kept in shipshape fashion. Since every piece of equipment that is exposed to the marine environment is subject to deterioration, a continual sequence of inspections, maintenance and repairs are required to be completed by the crew and the maintenance personnel.

Sire Inspections

All Higman barges undergo a series of scheduled SIRE inspections. SIRE stands for: Ship Inspection REport. It is a worldwide inspection regime that uses specially trained inspectors to look at oil tankers, chemical tankers and red flag barges. The inspections are based on a standardized set of questions and requirements known as the SIRE Vessel Inspection Questionnaire (VIQ). The owners of the vessels are given the opportunity to respond to any discrepancies observed during the inspection and then it is released to interested parties such as oil companies. Higman's customers all review these questionnaires and make their chartering decisions based on the outcomes.

Before the SIRE inspector comes onboard, a pre-SIRE inspection is completed by Higman personnel. The pre-SIRE should pick up any discrepancies and have them corrected before the real thing.

Here are some of the discrepancies that have been found during our pre-SIRE barge inspections and are the responsibilities of the deck crew.

Drips need to go!

Housekeeping issues:

Oil drips beneath pump engines, in heater houses and other locations: these discrepancies will be written up every time. A small drip of diesel can spread out and stain the deck. Make cleanup easy by keeping up with drips as they appear and stopping leaks when they show up.
Mooring lines properly stowed: How are your lines stowed on deck? Are they properly flaked or coiled in places where they are not a tripping hazard and can readily be deployed without kinking when needed? Good seamanship means properly stowed lines.
Trash on Deck: How does trash accumulate on the decks of barges? Somehow it does. Debris washed aboard, Dr. Pepper cans left by shore tankerman and ratty discarded mooring lines can make a deck look bad. Clean up your decks on a regular basis!
Packing Glands on deck cargo valves: Are these glands showing leaks at the valve stem? Keep the packing glands in good shape and properly tightened. Use WD-40 on packing gland nuts so they can be easily tightened when needed and to keep corrosion to a minimum.
Scupper Plugs: Are all scupper plugs in place and in good shape? Replace as needed. If threaded, keep the threads from corroding beyond a point where they will not seal.
Winch Conditions: Grease those winches. Deck winches seem to be one of the most abused pieces of equipment on the barge. A little grease once a week, along with some touch-up paint to fight corrosion will have them ready when you use them.
Void hatch cover dogs: frozen and difficult to remove dogs found on void tank hatches must be freed-up or replaced. Here the can of WD-40 routinely sprayed on the dogs can make a difference.
Mail Boxes: Clean out the mailbox and discard any DOI's more than thirty days old. MSDS are required for the current cargo only, all others can be discarded.
Stenciling: Sun, salt water and foot traffic can fade our/wear out a stencils found throughout the barge...... hatch covers, gauge points, a cargo hoses, the vapor line......there are plenty of stenciled points on a barge that must be kept up. Check the condition of your stenciled areas on a regular basis and freshen up the ones that need it. Don't forget to have the proper dates and service stenciled on all cargo/fuel hoses.
Drip Pans: Don't be caught with product sitting in a drip pan. Company policy requires drip pans are emptied prior to each transfer.

This hatch needs new stenciling!

Other Barge issues:

Original DOI....the original DOI should be onboard, not the copy. Don't forget to sign the original DOI when completing the transfer.
Ongoing Maintenance needs. Keep up with the Outstanding Maintenance Needs Barge Report so Maintenance is fully aware of what is required on the barge.

New Year's Resolutions - Part 2

FITNESS

1. Take the stairs.

It is not as expensive as joining a gym or as time consuming as training for a triathlon, but over time, this little life change could pay big dividends. For many people, the biggest challenge will be finding stairs to climb. On a towboat you could use the stairs/ladder to walk from the engine room to the top of the wheelhouse a few times a day as a start. If you work on the upper floor of an office building, you might start with one trip up and one trip down your first day, instead of using the elevator Make sure you go up and down to work different sets of muscles. Keep track of how many flights you climb so you can add more every day. Quicken the pace if you want to increase your heart rate. And if you want to work those glutes (butt), skip a step. "You will feel the burn."

2. Learn to jump rope.

There's a reason why every boxing movie ever made shows an aspiring champion jumping rope. "You won't find a better total body workout. It works your heart, upper body and legs...its old school. Jump ropes are inexpensive and portable. A towboat is a perfect place for jumping rope due to the limited space. An added plus: The cool factor. Learn to do it well and people will want to watch and maybe even try it.

3. Get outside.

Open the door and go for a walk. The first step is always the hardest. You have to get off the couch and get the blood pumping. Start off walking a mile if not just to the corner and back. When you master that distance, walk faster, then longer. The great thing is that you are outdoors, and while you are out there you will see friends, neighbors, and people doing all sorts of things. Maybe you'll decide to start a program together.

4. Pump iron.

Muscle burns more calories than fat. The best way to build muscle is to pump iron and you may not need much of it to help you tone and build muscle. While some people like to lift weights while watching television, you should find a quiet place where you can focus on form. It might help to hire a trainer and learn the basics, once you know the basic technique, you can lift on your own. But don't get hung up on how much you're lifting. Just be consistent. "Something is always better than nothing,

Learning from Incidents

Keep Clear of the Snap back Zone

Mooring safety is everyone's responsibility onboard. From the Captain to the Deckhand, the entire crew must always be on top of their game when working with lines under tension. The following incident review was sent to us by Shell Shipping and Maritime, Americas, as part of their "Shell Reflective Learning Series on Mooring Safety" (DECEMBER 2014). Though described from a ship prospective, the dangers are just as potent in an inland tow operation.

What happened?

A Chief Officer (C/O) was fatally injured during a mooring operation while bringing the vessel alongside.

How and why it happened:

The forward mooring team on the forecastle consisted of the C/O, Bosun and an Able seaman (AB). The C/O was standing on a small bulwark platform on the starboard side. The C/O was leading the team and also operating the mooring winch remote control levers located close by. The bow thruster and engines were being used to maneuver the vessel alongside without tugs. The forward spring line was sent ashore and was being used to assist with positioning the vessel.

The Master warned the mooring team on the portable VHF radio that the engine would be working ahead and that all personnel should stand clear of the forward spring but the C/O remained at his location near the winch remote control unit. Due to the engine order ahead, the vessel moved forward causing the forward spring to come under very high tension and suddenly parted. The broken rope end snapped back violently and hit the C/O on the head and neck, fatally injuring him.

Findings:

The C/O failed to move away from the snap back zone even after being warned by the Master as he was operating the winch.

The Master assumed the C/O moved clear of the spring line snap back zone.

Reflection:

Questions for discussion

How do you make sure that all mooring team members understand what are the snap back zones?
What controls are in place to ensure snap back zones are kept clear by everyone?
How is it ensured that winches are operated from areas clear of the snap back zone?
What do you do to ensure the person supervising the operation does not get involved in another task?
How you do ensure you have sufficient resources for every mooring activity on your vessel?

Thanks to Rob Smith, Marine Assurance Advisor, Shell Trading US Company for this incident review.

Safety & Vetting Spotlight

First Aid Lockers

Each towboat is provided with a properly equipped first-aid and medical supplies locker. This locker will be located where reasonably accessible by crewmembers. The Captain (or his designate) will be responsible for periodically inspecting and maintaining the first-aid and medical supplies.

Periodic checks of the supplies are done during Pre-SIRE and SIRE inspections. A best-practice is to write the expiration date on the outside of the box of any items that have an expiration date. This allows for a quick and easy check by crewmembers during quarterly towboat inspections.

Write expiration dates on boxes to easily check if expired

9 Volt Battery Danger

How to store them

Your smoke alarm warns of low batteries so you grab a package of 9 volt batteries and change them. The extra batteries, of course, get thrown into your junk drawer.

This can be a fire hazard

to your home, or vessel, if you do not take some simple precautions.

9 volt batteries are unlike most other household batteries because both terminals of the 9V are on the same side of the battery casing. Since the terminals of 9 volts are in close proximity to each other, it only takes a small piece of metal to cause the battery to arc. A small piece of metal could be another 9 volt battery, a piece of steel wool, or maybe a spare key. Once there is a spark, all the fire needs is fuel, like a piece of paper in a junk drawer.

There are some easy precautions to take when storing 9 volt batteries:

If the battery comes with a plastic cap, do not remove it until you use the battery
If there is no cap, place a piece of electrical tape over the terminals
Keep the batteries in the original packaging so they can't touch another piece of metal
Don't store 9 volts with other batteries

This is a real danger that has caused the destruction of many family homes. A quick check of your junk drawer may save your home or vessel.

For a short video on this click here

2015 Wheelmen's Seminar Registration Deadline

JANUARY 31 is the deadline to register for an upcoming Wheelmen's Seminar.

Attendance at a Wheelmen's Seminar is required for all Pilots, Relief Captains and Captains.

Dates for the seminars were carefully selected with thought given to the best advantage for all Higman crew change schedules. The dates chosen minimize the amount of riding over and maximize the number of wheelmen who can attend. Please work with your crewmembers so everyone will be able to attend.

2015 Wheelmen's Seminars:

March 18-19

March 30-31

April 8-9

CYPRESS BEND RESORT IN MANY, LA

To reserve a place, please click here to email your information to Janis or Kelly. Be sure to include your name, vessel name, guest's name if you will bring one, and any special requests. Special requests are handled on a first-come, first-served basis.

This year, the seminars will again be held at Cypress Bend Resort located at 2000 Cypress Bend Dr, Many, LA 71449, phone: 318-590-1500.

Advanced Pilothouse Management Endorsement

Captain Robert Anderson of the M/V Potomac sent an email to the Training Department last year after he attended Advanced Pilothouse Management, the 3-Day Simulator Course, at Seamen's Church. He was pleasantly surprised by his training experience at this session. Remember, this can be a positive training event to help you in your waterway career, also.

"I just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for talking me into going to the simulator class. It's so hard to go to things like that because, AGAIN, you're sacrificing time away from your family for work. I really didn't want to go. I always feel like I never get enough family time because of my job. However, I learned a lot and I feel like it was time well spent. I was really surprised at how much I got out of that class.

Thank you,

Robby "

Reminder: This course is a Higman requirement for all Wheelman to attend once every five years. Simulator training dates are listed at the end of this, and every, Training Newsletter.

How Do I...?

Some Helpful Questions and Answers

1. How do I change my direct deposit information?

You can change your direct deposit information at any time. You need to submit an original voided check or original documentation from your bank along with the Direct Deposit Authorization Form located on www.higmanboats.com under the Miscellaneous Section. Click on Office Forms.

2. How do I add/delete dependents on my insurance?

You can add new dependents or remove dependents from your plan within 30 days from the event by completing the Insurance Enrollment Form found on www.higmanboats.com under the Miscellaneous Section. Click on Office Forms. In addition, remember to update your W-4 for taxes also located under Office Forms.

3. How do I get another medical or dental insurance card? I lost mine.

You can print new cards at any time by going to the carrier website and registering.

Medical: www.Meritain.com Group # 12924 and use your social security number.

Dental: www.GuardianAnytime.com Group # 344565 and use your social security number.

Eat This, Not That - Side Dishes

Steakhouse Favorites

Creamed spinach and mashed potatoes. These two dishes are notorious for their high fat content due to the cream and butter used. They probably would do more harm than the red meat. Here are two lighter versions.

Creamed Spinach:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup chopped onion

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Pinch of nutmeg (a little used spice that adds loads of flavor)

12 ounces of fresh baby spinach

1 Teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1. Heat a large nonstick saut� pan over medium heat. Add the butter to the pan, and when it is melted, add the garlic and onion. Season with salt and pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender. About 4 minutes.

2. Raise the heat to high and add half the spinach. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Toss and stir the spinach as it cooks down. When there is enough room in the pan, add the remaining spinach. Continue to cook, stirring often until the spinach is tender.

3. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the spinach and stir until combined. Continue to cook the spinach until the liquid has thickened. Remove pan from heat. Add the yogurt and stir to coat the spinach. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg if desired, and serve.

Before: After:

Fat 21.0 g 5.0 g

Calories 294 90

Sodium: 229 mg, Carbohydrates: 9 g, Cholesterol: 13 mg

Mashed Potatoes:

Nonstick cooking spray

2 1/2 cups roughly chopped cauliflower

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Spread the cauliflower out on the baking sheet. Season with Salt and pepper. Top the cauliflower with another sheet of foil, roll up the edges to form a sealed packet.

2. Roast the cauliflower for 20 minutes, Remove the top foil, be careful of the steam, and continue roasting another 15 to 20 minutes until tender.

3. In a bowl or food processor, combine the cauliflower with the yogurt. Puree until the mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste if desired, and serve.

Before: After:

Fat 30 g 3.0 g

Calories 390 48

Sodium: 181 mg, Carbohydrates: 5 g, Sodium: 181 mg

Best Practices

Every boat has good ideas

Good ideas need to be shared, refined and become "Best Practices." A "Best Practice" is defined as a method or technique which shows results superior to those achieved with other means, and for that reason, becomes used as a benchmark. In addition, a "Best Practice" can evolve to become better as improvements are discovered.

This column is dedicated to sharing the best practices developed while operating your tow. Each issue we aim to outline a "Best Practice" sent in by the fleet. Share your Best Practice by sending to Gordie.

This week's "Best Practice" is from the M/V KYLE A SHAW:

To help keep track of maintenance items on boats and barges, first notify wheelman on watch of problem. If it something that maintenance de partment needs to handle, notify scheduler's and port captains so arrangements can be made. If the crew handles the problem, we keep a log of any maintenance that was done, who did the work, and date it was done no matter how small of a job or if it was Higman personnel or outside contractors.

This has helped us keep track of work done and if it was routine maintenance or not. The log also helps us keep track of "tendencies". If we keep having the same problem we can look back and see what's been done and who did it. That way when we called out maintenance personnel we can show them the history of that problem. We have also used the log to identify bad work by vendors.

The crew keeps a log book one for the boat and on for the barges. All work is logged in, dated, and initialed no matter how small. Even ship yard work is kept track. Part of crew change routine is to make sure the log is kept up so the oncoming crew members can review it. That way items will be passed on and the new crew knows what to look for. I believe this has helped stay up to date on maintenance issues and saved the company money because of less down time "trying to figure out what the problem is". This is a tool that the crew has use in incident investigations.

Everything is written down. As the saying goes, "IF IT IS NOT WRITTEN DOWN, IT NEVER HAPPENED".

Rose Point Tip of the Week

Save the file

During a voyage, an oncoming tow with an agreement to pass on the "one", gets a little too close on your side of the channel and there is a glancing blow. Hopefully there is only minor damage, but there will be an investigation with the USCG and all interested parties.

Typically an attorney representing Higman will ask for a copy of the Rose Point Voyage Recorder file. Rose Point ECS has a powerful voyage recorder capable of recording all of the navigation data recived from your instrument ports.

Here is how to find and save the voyage recorder file from the collision.

Click in the Main Menu blue drop-down box on the upper left hand side of the screen.
Click on "Options"
Click on the "View Files" box to show the voyage data files
- o Voyage files are listed by time and date.
- o Right click on the file name you want to save.
- o Select "Save As"
- o Select a location to save the file. A convenient location to place it is on the "Desktop"
- You can use a travel drive to transfer it from the Rose Pint computer to your company computer to allow it to be sent by email.

Rules of the Road Questions

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND A vessel transferring cargo while underway is classified by the Rules as a vessel __________.

a. restricted in her ability to maneuver
b. in special circumstances
c. not under command
d. constrained by her draft

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND In a crossing situation on open waters, a sailing vessel shall keep out of the way of all the following vessels EXCEPT a vessel __________.

a. not under command
b. restricted in her ability to maneuver
c. engaged in towing
d. fishing

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND While underway in fog, you hear a vessel ahead sound two prolonged blasts on the whistle. You should __________.

a. sound two blasts and change course to the left
b. sound only fog signals until the other vessel is sighted
c. sound whistle signals only if you change course
d. not sound any whistle signals until the other vessel is sighted

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND To determine if risk of collision exists, a vessel which is fitted with radar must use __________.

a. radar scanning
b. radar plotting
c. compass bearings
d. All of the above

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND Which lights shall a 200-meter vessel exhibit when at anchor?

a. In the forepart of the vessel, a 225-degree white light
b. In the after part of the vessel, a 112.5-degree white light
c. Working lights to illuminate the decks
d. In the forepart of the vessel, a 112.5-degree white light

Nautical Trivia

The Ships of the second Texas Navy... the S/V ZAVALA

The Texan steamship, Zavala was purchased for the second Texas Navy after the Texas Revolution. She was the first steamship-of-war in the Texas Navy.

The Zavala was built in 1836 as a passenger steamship named the Charleston serving the Philadelphia-Charleston route. In 1838, the Texan Navy purchased the Charleston for $120,000 and renamed it Zavala in honor of Lorenzo de Zavala, the first Vice President of the Republic of Texas.

Capt. A. C. Hinton was her first commander in the Texas Navy. Capt. John T. K. Lothrop took command of the Zavala on 4 March 1840 and led her on her only campaign. After the successful Texas revolt, other parts of Mexico had rebelled against the regime of Santa Anna, including the Yucatan peninsula. President Lamar was determined to assist the rebels in their struggle with Mexico City. So, on 24 June 1840, the Zavala accompanied by Commodore Moore's flagship, the sloop-of-war Austin, and three armed schooners, slipped out of Galveston Bay and turned south across the Gulf to the Bay of Campeche near the Yucatan Peninsula

During the cruise off the Yucatan, Zavala never engaged the enemy directly, but she proved invaluable in the only action that the flotilla saw on 20 November 1840, the steamship towed Moore's flagship, Austin and the schooner San Bernard 90 miles up the San Juan Bautista River to Villahermosa, the seat of government control in the state of Tabasco. The squadron had made a deal with federalist rebels to drive the centralistas out for $25,000, the first $10,000 to be paid up front. The federalists agreed. Soon the small flotilla pointed their guns at the city and then sent troops into the seemingly deserted capital. Commodore Moore encountered a man bearing a white flag on a tree branch, and when he ascertained that this was the Mayor, the Texas commodore demanded $25,000 or he would level the town. The Mayor asked if silver would be acceptable, and upon receiving an affirmative reply, delivered the ransom. The commodore set sail with his booty and used the money to repair and outfit his ships.

Returning to her homeport in Galveston, Zavala encountered a terrible storm and ran out of coal, forcing the crew to burn anything they could put their hands on to avoid losing her in the storm. Badly damaged, Zavala was laid up in Galveston harbor awaiting repairs, which due to the state of the Republic's finances were not forthcoming. With the election of Sam Houston in 1841, the navy was no longer a priority and Zavala was allowed to deteriorate. In May 1842, she was in such poor condition that Zavala was eventually scuttled to prevent her sinking.

Stern Shots

Tony Wood, Captain of M/V Baffin Bay, takes time to help train deckhands before heading home to be with family

Captain "Junior" Risinger of M/V Three Rivers came by to share a photo of his magnificent hunting success!

M/V COLT CLARY in for supplies at the Peninsula Office on the first sunny day in a long time.

Tankerman Noah Mitchem has become an expert with flat black paint and the running lights.

Relief Capt Billy Coates works the Pre-Sire inspection on the M/V COLT CLARY.

Dates to Remember

2014 Tankermen Seminars

Complete for 2014. The next sessions will start in July 2015.

2015 Wheelmen's Seminar

First Session	Mar 18-19
Second Session	Mar 30-31
Third Session	Apr 8-9

2015 Advanced Pilothouse Management at SCI

First Session	Apr 27-29
Second Session	Jun 1-3
Third Session	Jun 15-17
Fourth Session	Jul 20-22
Fifth Session	Aug 10-12
Sixth Session	Sep 21-23

To schedule training please email Kelly or Janis - or call Janis at 281-864-6010.

CBT Certificates earned by Higman employees to date during 2015: 0....system shut down for yearly maintenance, will be up soon.

DO ALL CREWMEMBERS HAVE ACCESS TO THE HIGMAN TRAINING NEWSLETTER?

PLEASE MAKE SURE A HARD COPY IS PRINTED AND MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE CREW.
Add your email address with the "Join our Mailing List" button (left side near top) to get your own copy!

Answers to this weeks Rules of the Road: A,C,B,D,C

Have a great and safe week!

Sincerely, Gordie, Kelly, Janis and Dennis

GORDIE KEENAN
KELLY CLEAVER

JANIS ANDERSON

DENNIS ZINK

� 2014 HIGMAN MARINE SERVICES, Inc.