Yacht Manufacturer Settles Suit Filed By Sailor's Widow
Cape Fear Yacht Works recently agreed to settle wrongful death and related claims filed by Linda Stone. Stone's husband, Roger Stone, was killed when the 38-foot racing yacht Cynthia Woods capsized during a 2008 regatta in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Cynthia Woods was manufactured by Cape Fear Yacht Works and donated to Texas A&M University by Galveston billionaire and Texas A&M graduate George P. Mitchell. Mitchell's son owns and operates Cape Fear Yacht Works.
According to investigation reports, a Texas A&M University-Galveston Sea Aggie sailing team, including safety officer Roger Stone, were en route from Galveston to Vera Cruz, Mexico, as part of a regatta when the 5,000-pound lead keel of the Cynthia Woods broke apart. The vessel promptly capsized and later sank. Stone was killed, but his crewmates survived, spending some 26 hours adrift before being rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Cosco Busan collision in 2007, which caused a major environmental disaster, was attributed to pilot error and incompetence. The pilot in that accident was taking prescription medication and failed to notify his employer. The collision with the Bay Bridge caused nearly 58,000 gallons of oil to spill into the San Francisco Bay. Millions of dollars were spent on clean-up operations and local fishermen were deprived of their livelihoods when the fishing season was postponed as a result of the accident.
Proper lookouts, use of technology designed to detect vessels, and the competence of crew members can prevent vessel collisions. If safety precautions like these are not taken and injuries occur, it is possible the employer may be held responsible.
Fishing does not have to be a dangerous activity, but it often involves injuries and deaths, including drowning accidents, explosions, fires, and other vessel-related accidents. In 1998, the Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Act was passed to improve safety standards in the lucrative, but dangerous fishing industry. The U.S. Coast Guard enforces the regulations of the Act, which involves helping rescue crew members after a vessel is lost. These regulations require that vessels engaged in commercial fishing activities have safety equipment on board, including life rafts. Boats must be equipped with flares, survival kits, and personal flotation devices.
The worker, Pedro Perez, was employed by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company in Galveston County back in the sixties. According to the lawsuit filed by a .jpg)
According to Steiner's 
The enhancements are expected to bring in more than $400 million in extra revenue for the port and could lead to the creation of more than 2,000 jobs. That is good news, not only for the port and its maritime workers, but also for the larger Galveston community..jpg)
Soon after Ike, the district used its own funds to make temporary repairs to the bridge; FEMA assured the district it would be reimbursed for money spent on repairs by mid March. That was before FEMA realized it may not be responsible for the funding after all.
Fortunately, there were no injuries on board the Gilchrist. Fires on a water craft are often linked to explosions; the fire on the Gilchrist appears to have ignited in the engine. This can happen due to improper maintenance of the fuel system. Fires can also break out due to electrocution, when the vessel comes in contact with a live power line.
It appears that the drilling company was negligent in providing a safe working environment for Jesus Perez. The opening of the platform that Perez fell into, according to the lawsuit, was the result of misplaced grading; the drilling company was responsible for making sure that such potential hazards were absent from the platform.
Galveston County Navigation District No.1 paid Texas Gulf Company $1.5 million to repair the bridge, but in early February the project was shut down due to shortage of funds. A local contractor Lamson Nguyen has agreed to take up the task of filling potholes on the bridge free of cost. However, the fact is that the 50-year-old bridge is in need of permanent repairs. The district has no funds available to continue the work and has requested $6 million from the .jpg)
The ports will receive $4 million each from the .gif)
New infrastructure will also add to the efficiency of cargo shipping operations from the industrial plants on Chemical Row. Port of Beaumont's investment of the federal funds is expected to create hundreds of jobs, in addition to increasing the capabilities of the port by at least 50%. The Orange County property will include deep access capabilities, as well as development of a new dock. The port will not depend solely on federal funds to finance these ambitious new infrastructure projects. According to Chris Fisher, Port of Beaumont's executive director, the total funding from the Economic Development Administration is $134 million and has been distributed to other Texas ports, as well as ports in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and New Mexico..jpg)
to report for work at a plant 
for close to 7.5 hours before help arrived. The investigation found that the accident was caused because of the pilots' slow response when the first engine failed. The board concluded that the slow response was probably due to high stress levels because of the timing of the crash - one week after hurricane Katrina made landfall. The chaotic conditions soon after Katrina hit caused delays in the communication network at Houston Helicopters Inc, the company that operated the helicopter. According to the Board's report, there were several violations at Houston Helicopters Inc. which contributed to the delayed rescue efforts. Post Katrina, other offshore helicopter operators serving drilling companies in the Gulf of Mexico made alternative arrangements, so they could continue supporting helicopter flights. Houston Helicopters Inc., however, failed to make any substitute arrangements. Instead, management at the company recommended that pilots use their own cell phones to transmit important flight information to the control center. The board also found that although Houston Helicopters Inc. had a record of 8 accidents, 3 incidents and at least 18 FAA surveillance violations, there were no follow ups made to check if the company was in compliance with rules regarding alternate methods of flight following procedures. 
