Among transportation planners, “resilience”, describing the ability to bounce back from adversities, both economic and other, has become a top consideration as we increasingly must “expect the unexpected.” The U.S. waterway system, covering the network of inland rivers and coastwise waterways, has seen a mix of good and not so good.
The inland waterway system, flowing through the United States heartland, is a microcosm of all that has been happening in 2020: trade tensions, infrastructure issues, shifting trends in fuel consumption and the pandemic that has gripped us since the winter months. Shortly after the initial coronavirus outbreak here in the U.S.
Five Damen vessels have made their way across the Atlantic Ocean on a unique voyage to Canada. Early this year, Damen Shipyards Group signed a contract with Ontario-based Doornekamp Construction for the delivery of a Shoalbuster 3209. The vessel was formerly part of Damen Marine Services’ charter fleet. What seemed an ordinary ship sale contract was, in fact, just the beginning.