[QUOTE=USMM707;81949]Nvermind…get what your saying now. So Kirby owns what Dixie became?[/QUOTE]
Kirby has owned Dixie Carriers since the 70’s, that was there first offshroe company. Kirby almost put them out of business about 10 years ago because they did not want anything to do with offshore red flag units. Now ten years later they are buying everybody. Dixie Carriers used to be a big division of kirby now it is just 4 boats hauling coal for florida power. The Avenger and commander were both sold in the late 90’s because of the decision to get out of the red flag business. Now they got them both back.
I thought the same thing. But with the concern over Vane being next, the rumours are running rampant. According to some, Kirby will soon be the only colors sailing the waters.
Its not healthy or wise to let any company become too big in any industry. History shows that and its why we have antitrust laws. Kirby is already far too big inland and its past time for government regulators to step in. Kirby is as big as they should be allowed to get outside. Healthy competition is necessary.
As I hear it, Kirby isn’t bad to work for, but the wages are very low compared to industry standards. Tugs have not seen the huge wages that the OSV sector has, and tug wages are now quite low in relation to historical purchasing power. Tug wages need to rise to considerably. The last thing we need is Kirby with a monopoly pushing wages down.
I heard a rumor that Kirby is going to be scraping some of the K-Sea equipment if they find they require too much work at the next shipyard period. Also it looks like K-Sea did to Kirby what Maritrans did to K-Sea. When K-Sea bought out Maritrans’ Eastern Fleet they thought they were getting the best of the best and were surprised at the shape some of the barges were really in.
As for Kirby, I just hope that the crews on the K-Sea and Allied boats do not get screwed over and have their wages cut.
[QUOTE=tugsailor;81968]Its not healthy or wise to let any company become too big in any industry. History shows that and its why we have antitrust laws. Kirby is already far too big inland and its past time for government regulators to step in. Kirby is as big as they should be allowed to get outside. Healthy competition is necessary.
As I hear it, Kirby isn’t bad to work for, but the wages are very low compared to industry standards. Tugs have not seen the huge wages that the OSV sector has, and tug wages are now quite low in relation to historical purchasing power. Tug wages need to rise to considerably. The last thing we need is Kirby with a monopoly pushing wages down.[/QUOTE]
Kirby has already been in trouble with the guvment with thier inland fleet. They bought out about 10 or 12 different companies in the last 15 years and they told them to stop they already had monopoly after they bought Hollywood marine. They did for a couple years but they are right back at it again.
My step father is a captain on the inland side there. Has been there for about 30 years. Suprisingly they do have a good benefit package. The wages are low for the new guys. The only reason my step father stayed with them so long is because when he started the wages were high on the tugs. Kirby gives a cost of living increase raise every year, based on a percentage of what you make. So if you can hang in there 15 years or more you actually do pretty well.The wages are very low now for the new guys though, which makes it tough for people to stay. Plus Kirby is one of the few companies that actually still has a pension plan plus you get to put money in the 401K. He has a nice retirement set up for him which will be happening in the next year or two. He has been there so long Joe Pyne has already said they are going to name a boat after him when he retires.
That Maritrans equipment that K-Sea purchased in Dec. 1999 was in excellent shape. Maritrans was the standard in those days, kind of like Crowley is today. The only negative was the barges were primarily single skin. That equipment and the wealth of experienced mariners that came with the equipment, put them on the map. They went from a little primarily bunker barge company to a major Northeast coastwise player overnight,with that purchase.What was undervalued was the Captains with 50 years experience (Vernon Elburn), real Engineers (not dipstick jockeys), experienced multi-grade, multiple load big barge tankerman, and professional career deckhands (not pilots’ kids). Try finding employees like that these days!
[QUOTE=USMM707;81948]Allied does not own the Dixie Avenger, or Pacific Avenger. The boat is in Los Angeles right now loading…with a Kirby barge. Boat was owned by Sea Coast after Dixie, then K Sea now Kirby. The boat was never owned by Allied??[/QUOTE]
DIXIE AVENGER. Man, who can ever forget Captain Walt?
[QUOTE=cmakin;82002]DIXIE AVENGER. Man, who can ever forget Captain Walt?[/QUOTE]
You know his goof ball son is still there. Old man Walter stayed on that boat almost his entire life, retired then dies 9 months later. What a shame.
Did you ever hear the story of the Dixie Avenger side swiping the ship going into Tampa. Old Walter went out on a loaded gasoline barge and put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. Crazy bastard
The colliosion put a nice crack in the hull of the barge, and I guess the friction started the fire.
[QUOTE=ChiefRob;82005]You know his goof ball son is still there. Old man Walter stayed on that boat almost his entire life, retired then dies 9 months later. What a shame.
Did you ever hear the story of the Dixie Avenger side swiping the ship going into Tampa. Old Walter went out on a loaded gasoline barge and put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. Crazy bastard
The colliosion put a nice crack in the hull of the barge, and I guess the friction started the fire.[/QUOTE]
Capt. Walter was truly legendary in the coastwise hawser tug trade back then. I did meet him when I was with ABS, but only knew him by reputation when I was sailing.
Oh I just rememberd that Dixie Carriers owns one of the replica Christopher Columbus sailing ships. I don’t remember which one they had to buy, the Nina, Pinta, or Santa Maria. It was in Aransas pass, Walter turned the barge loose to get in the notch. The wind grabbed the barge because it was empty, before he could get around to the stern of the barge, it had already smashed on of the small sailing ships that was at the little marina, across from the intersection ot the ICW, and the ship channel. Classic Walt for you.
[QUOTE=ChiefRob;82009]Oh I just rememberd that Dixie Carriers owns one of the replica Christopher Columbus sailing ships. I don’t remember which one they had to buy, the Nina, Pinta, or Santa Maria. It was in Aransas pass, Walter turned the barge loose to get in the notch. The wind grabbed the barge because it was empty, before he could get around to the stern of the barge, it had already smashed on of the small sailing ships that was at the little marina, across from the intersection ot the ICW, and the ship channel. Classic Walt for you.[/QUOTE]