Just listening to the radio in NY Harbor and the COTP has been calling all Bouchard Tugs anchored in the harbor telling them to depart no later than 1800 tomorrow. We’ll see where this goes.
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And so it begins…
They have since told them that they should all go tie up to a dock due to gale force winds on Thursday. It’s supposed to blow up by then but it’s pretty off to have the COTP to only order one fleet to tie up. I’m anchored in the harbor and no one told us to leave and they didn’t call any other company in Bayridge. Something is going down.
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Womp womp
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In foreign countries when the Port State Control calls all the boats from the same company or the same flag to the dock for some odd reason it usually means it’s shakedown time & equipment, documents or people are about to be confiscated.
Saves the Marshall’s from having to find a ride out
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They have a few boats still tied up down here in Tampa too and the word on the street is they are 7 days late on paying what crew they do have working
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They got paid yesterday
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Bouchard probably got their tax refund early
There used to be a law that allowed US mariners to receive 2 days wage for every day wages were not paid after the end of a voyage following a certain time. Perhaps they were nearing that time?
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Tugboats are normally exempt from federal double wage penalties for late payment. Some states, however, do have double wage penalty provisions that can apply to tugboat employment.
Sometimes it’s not too unusual for a little mom and pop company to miss payroll, but it extremely unusual for that to happen with a big company. When a big company misses payroll that’s a very bad sign.
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Around November 4th I heard ABS gave BTC 30day notice of terminating service (first time in US history).My opinion is the USCG has apparently stepped in and brokered a few extensions as they try to switch all the hardware over the DNV. I have heard they are having a very hard time keeping up with vendor payments and hence maintenance is not getting done. It is reported the office staff is at a bare bones level, and they are subject to USCG mandated SMS audits every 2-3 months… My guess is they just lost there DOC again, DNV is not fully onboard yet and there is very little revenue being generated.
I just hope there is a stocking “Dark Horse” out there somewhere waiting to buy the hardware and get it safely back to work.
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