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DLS Insights

The DLS is here to provide insights and comments on issues and topics as they relate to marine asset and appraisal  

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Cash, Coal, and Corporations

While corporate lenders, shippers, and charterers are moving towards more eco-friendly operations, problems with green financing are growing. Stricter lending requirements are going into effect faster than owners can produce their long-term compliance plans. Banks do not want to end up with loans on stranded assets that can no longer earn money to pay their debt. A vessel with a low level of compliance becomes essentially unemployable.
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The Inland River Scene & Revisiting Tugboats 101

As we have seen in worldwide marine commerce, and in commerce in general, the inland trade has been bouncing around a bit like an EKG strip. Weather patterns and international conflict have affected the grain trades, coal trade, and inverted some of the petrochemical trade. The world economy has stifled steel production and shipping and has had a knock-on effect on coal and ores.
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Looking into the Domestic Picture

I have been writing these blogs for two years now, analyzing the future of the marine industry. My intent is to help decision-makers address and prepare for forecasted changes. Now, I would like to shift my focus to various topics concerning domestic coastal, harbor, and inland marine operations.
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The WASP Sting

WASP, or Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion, remains a hot topic in the maritime industry as key players contemplate their strategy towards lowering greenhouse emissions. This plays into the same conversation as alternative fuels. Primary corporate entities behind wind power are COSCO, MOL, Cargill, and K Line. It is not surprising that three of these are large Asian shipping companies that have had several decades of experience in wind assist.
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Skinning A Cat Part 2

I have written several blogs on the hottest subject in the green battle: the fuels of the future and how they are being received by ship owners and operators. LNG is still a shaky option because of its current high cost and nowhere near zero-emissions
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Skinning A Cat

This 2-part blog looks at various ways to potentially reach mandated GHG emission levels aside from new construction, and what this new technology means to marine surveyors, appraisers, and lenders.
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Who’s In Charge Here?

As pointed out in past blogs, technology is advancing at a swift pace powered by ecological regulations and ESG investments; however, laws (particularly Admiralty laws) can’t advance at such a pace. The state of maritime law as it pertains to these new areas of the marine industry is very important to lenders, lessors, and marine underwriters. What does the insurance policy cover and who is/are the beneficiaries? How can a lender protect their position? Here are some things to consider:
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What To Do About CO2

In many previous articles, I have written about the marine industry reacting to the CO2 emission reduction standards required for 2030, 2040, and the final Zero Emissions of 2050. These articles have been about the competition among alternate lower emission fuels (such as LNG and ammonia), changes in hull designs (to include rudders and propellors), improvements in dual-fuel engines, wind assist, and how all of these changes will be funded.
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Another Look at the Fuel Gauge

First, a look at the current leader, LNG. Even though the World Bank came out against LNG encouraging owners to skip LNG and concentrate on hydrogen-based fuels. We’ll get into hydrogen as a fuel later in this edition. The World Bank’s reasoning is that LNG is not that clean because of methane slip. Methane slip is not a term we hear too often
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BITS AND PIECES

With rapid technology changes and the endless flow of fascinating R&D press releases, some of the updates I wrote just three months ago are already old news. As one purpose of this blog is to help people not entirely in the maritime industry to keep up, here are some of the latest innovations (or proposed innovations) in maritime design and marketability
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MY GREEN IS BETTER THAN YOUR GREEN

I’ve been writing a lot about the ecological movement and the greening of merchant ships. DLS Marine is deeply involved in the appraisal side of the marine survey business and a good number of the readers of this blog are involved in maritime lending or insurance. The greening of the world’s fleet involves huge amounts of money.
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The Fuel on the Hill

Petroleum is still here and will be prominent, although fading, for a few more decades. Due to an interesting combination of world events and reactions to these events, the oil industry has new life. Oil is closing in on $100 a barrel in some areas.
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In Honor of 2021

As we begin a new year, I’d like to do a recap on the topics I discussed in 2021. Just about every subject matter has shifted, some like a glacier and others at, for the marine industry, flank speed
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The U.S. and Short Sea Shipping

Ships, on a cost-per-ton mile, are the most efficient way to move large quantities of material, raw or finished. But ships are useless unless they have somewhere to load and unload cargo.
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White Oil

The growth of lithium for use in batteries is phenomenal, as the number of products using lithium-based batteries grows in addition to the size of these batteries.
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Green Ships DLS Marine Survey & Appraisal

Do Green Ships Have a Nuclear Future?

The amount of money being put into meeting the 2050 air cleanliness goals of the Paris Accords and the IMO is staggering. Every week we read more news items and long reports on studies and research and experiments on new technology.
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Off Shore Wind Farm DLS Marine Appraisal and Valuation

So, What About Offshore Wind Farms?

We are headlong into the new world of wind power. Not so new if you consider that Hero of Alexandria (20 AD-70 AD) invented a windmill that pumped a bellows attached to a pipe organ. (And he invented the first vending machine – it dispensed holy water). The first windmill to provide electricity was built in 1887 by a Scottish inventor, James Blyth, to power his home.
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DLS Marine - US Join The Green Wave

Will the U.S. Join the Green Wave?

This month I look at the new administration’s first proposed bill that affects the oceans and shipping, an intro to a new cargo carriage idea that is not so new, and how diesel exhaust scrubbers are currently doing in the marketplace.
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LNG Is Here: How Is It Impacting The Industry?

Where is LNG as the fuel of choice for the maritime industry? DLS Marine Surveyor Norm Laskay discusses the current switch to LNG, its impact on air cleanliness, and the ever-important roles of crew members, surveyors, appraisers and classification societies.
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Do appraisal methods commonly used internationally meet acceptable standards?

The standards that are taught in academia are the three approaches to value. They each have strengths and weaknesses. In the absence of comparable sales, and even with comparable sales being available, lenders have gone to the income approach or, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method.
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Will Staycations Save the Domestic Day Cruise Passenger Business?

The blue water overnight passenger business is comatose. Will a vaccine make 2021 a profitable year? Or at least a break even year? Right now it looks like the industry might not even resume anything that might be called “service” until the second quarter of 2021.
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Keeping Score – Are You Green Enough?

Maritime vessel owners and operators are being pressured by international authorities and port state regulations to comply with regulations forcing vessel operations to be “clean”. That is, sea transport producing greatly reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced spread of invasive bio species through ballast water treatment and clean hulls, and reduction of overboard wastes.
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Is One Section of River Traffic Fading Away?

I recently received a question on the market for river service open hopper barges. The answer starts with information from the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA). EIA statistics show that the Capacity Weighted Average Construction Cost of solar voltaic generators has fallen about 50% between 2013 and 2018. Offshore wind generator costs are down 27% and natural gas 17%.
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Staying Ahead of Technology

Looking into the not so distant future there are new concerns for surveyors, owners and lenders. LNG powered vessels are being launched almost weekly. There is also a push by engine manufacturers and shipyards to have standard fuel oil powered vessels retrofit to Liquefied Natural Gas.
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Marine Business Owners: $11.5MM Estate Tax Exemption is at Risk

Potential pending changes to the estate tax starting Jan 1, 2021 could significantly impact net worth. While the window is closing there is still time for DLS Marine and The McLean Group to provide you with a business or estate valuation to lock in current exemptions and tax rates.
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A Look at the Tier 4 World

Due to the price of oil and COVID-19, there are vessels in lay up all over the world. Taking a vessel out of service can be both a short term and long term decision. The short-term call is usually the simple – it will cost more money to run than it will make.
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Modern Marvels Meets Deep Sea Salvage

Last September, the Korean cargo ship Golden Ray capsized outside of Brunswick, GA with over 4,000 cars on board. After months of preparations, Versamarine’s heavy lift vessel VB-10,000 will soon cut up and remove the Golden Ray from inside St. Simons Sound.
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Vessel Lay Up…At What Cost?

Due to the price of oil and COVID-19, there are vessels in lay up all over the world. Taking a vessel out of service can be both a short term and long term decision. The short-term call is usually the simple – it will cost more money to run than it will make.
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Kenner Hendrix Advances to Accredited Member of the ASA

DLS Marine is pleased to announce Kenneth “Kenner” Hendrix, NAMS-CMS has earned the Accredited Member (AM) credential in the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) under the Machinery & Technical Specialties discipline.
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Long Green for Long-Lived Greens

DLS Marine surveyors and appraisers have always been current with what has been going on in the marine industry. As members of the National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS) and the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), it is necessary for all of us to learn and amass continuing education hours in order to renew our certifications.
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Today it’s Cash Flow. Tomorrow Oil Flow?

On an adjusted dollar value basis oil hasn’t been this cheap in over thirty years. Fuel is the biggest single expense for vessel operators so this should be a blessing. Even the shock of IMO 2020 low sulfur fuel regulations have been greatly softened with the difference between high sulfur and low sulfur fuels dropping to a small gap. Only in today’s economic climate it is not the blessing it could be.
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DLS Marine Builds Remote Survey Vehicle to Access Confined Spaces

A long-time customer of DLS Marine recently came to us with a knotty problem. The customer had 6 large pieces of marine equipment arriving at an East Coast port from the Middle East. The equipment was loaded on the cargo deck of a semi-submersible heavy lift ship.
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NAMSGlobal Appoints Ave Boudreaux, Marine Surveyor for DLS Marine, as Treasurer for 2020-2022 Term

DLS Marine is pleased to announce that An International Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMSGlobal) has appointed Ave Boudreaux, Marine Surveyor for DLS Marine based out of Houston, as Treasurer for the 2020-2022 term.
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DLS Introduces Marine Business Valuation Services

We are proud to announce a new strategic relationship with The McLean Group (TMG), one of the top middle market business valuation firms in the nation. Business owners in the marine industry can confidently rely on decades of marine asset appraisal and valuation experts.
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IT’S THE ECONOMY (AND COVID-19 AND TECHNOLOGY AND REGULATORY CHANGES) STUPID

“It’s the economy, stupid.” James Carville coined this very famous and often quoted remark in 1992 when he pointed out during an election year that it was the economy that was most important to voters.
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Bedlam in the Time of COVID-19

Bedlam is defined as a scene of uproar and confusion. The term comes from the St. Mary Bethlehem Hospital in England which long after its beginning became an asylum to treat the mentally ill.
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Response to Coronavirus

We have been closely monitoring the impacts on our community and industry and are taking steps to keep our team, our clients and our community healthy. We have enabled all of our employees to work remotely through this period, but will still remain accessible 24/7.
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Matt McDaniel DLS Marine Survey and Appraisal

Matt McDaniel

Hull & Machinery Surveyor

Areas of Expertise:

  • Hull and Machinery
  • Damage Assessment and Repairs
  • Condition
  • Inspections
  • Project Management

Memberships / Professional Certification:

  • NAMS-CMS

Background:

Matt began marine surveying in 2014 and has experience with damage causation, reviewing transit plans, new construction, cargo transfers, salvage operations, on/off charters, and general condition surveys. He joined the Hull & Machinery department at DLS in 2019.

mmcdaniel@dlsmarine.com
Jessie Page DLS Marine Survey and Appraisal

Jessie Page

Hull & Machinery Surveyor

Areas of Expertise:

  • Hull and Machinery
  • Diesel Technician
  • Marine Repair and Fabrication
  • Engine Causation Analysis
  • Equipment Damage
  • Vessel Conditions and Safety

Professional Certifications:

  • NAMS-CMS

Certified Specialist in Caterpillar diesel engines to include:

  • Small Engine Fuel Systems
  • Medium Engine Fuel Systems
  • Engine Diagnostics
  • Electronic Sensors and Control Logics
  • Electric and Electronic Troubleshooting
  • 3500 A/B/C Diesel Engine Master Mechanic I MUI/MEUI

Background:

Jessie joined DLS in 2021 with extensive experience in the marine industry. Jessie began his career as a shipfitter, machinist, and propulsion machinery installer at a shipyard. He then spent ten years as a diesel technician doing everything from routine mechanical repairs to complete engine overhauls and dynamometer testing. Jessie specializes in engine failure analysis and recognizing improper maintenance and installation. He is able to make recommendations regarding failure causation and potential imminent failures. Jessie transitioned to marine surveying in 2016 and is now a part of the DLS Hull & Machinery department.

jpage@dlsmarine.com

Ave P. Boudreaux

Marine Surveyor

Areas of Expertise:

  • Hull and Machinery
  • Project Management Supervisor (QC) – overseen numerous construction and delivery schedules for vessels
  • Extensive knowledge of U.S. Coast Guard and ABS rules and regulations for vessel construction and repair

Education:

  • Rolls-Royce Z-Drive Failure Analysis Seminar
  • Flex-Core and Aluminum Welding Course
  • Extensive training in engine, gear, and shaft alignment
  • Extensive training in vessel repair and new construction

Memberships / Professional Certification:

  • NAMS-CMS

Background:

Mr. Boudreaux has 15 years experience with offshore supply vessels, crewboats, and anchor handling tugs. During this time, he served 8 years in vessel repair and new construction, 3 years in vessel operation and logistics, and 4 years as a vessel port captain.

Mr. Boudreaux served over 3 years as a marine surveyor performing numerous types of surveys in the marine industry prior to joining DLS.

 aboudreaux@dlsmarine.com

Norm Laskay - DLS Marine Valuation

Norman F. Laskay

Of Counsel

Mr. Laskay joined Stickney, Dufour & Associates, Inc. in 1988 as a partner. He is now of Counsel. He became a Marine Surveyor in 1974, having gained prior experience in steamship agency, bulk cargo handling and vessel operations. He has been involved in many aspects of marine surveying including hull, machinery and cargo, both inland and ocean. Since becoming an Accredited Senior Appraiser of commercial marine equipment, he has been active with the American Society of Appraisers’ International Machinery and Technical Specialties Committee. He has written a comprehensive exam for the Commercial Marine Appraisal specialty and has written a 30-hour course for the American Society of Appraisers on appraising commercial marine vessels and yachts and is the lead instructor.

Areas of Expertise:

  • Commercial Marine Appraisal
  • Hull Damage and Repair
  • Cargo Loading, Securing and Trip in Tow Preparation

Education:

  • Maine Maritime Academy Graduate
    B.S. in Marine Transportation
  • Continuing education credits in Law, Appraisal, Marine Survey, and Diesel Repair.

Professional Certification/Memberships:

  • NAMS Regional Board of Directors Member 1989-1994
  • American Society of Appraisers – Chapter Treasurer 1991-1994
  • American Society of Appraisers – Chapter President 1994-1995
  • Mark Twain Club (Charter Member)
  • Machinery and Technical Specialties International Committee 1995-Present

Publications

  • The Journal of the International Machinery & Technical Specialties Committee of the American Society of Appraisers “TUGBOAT DESIGN 101” Vol 13 No. 2 Fall 1996
  • The Journal of the International Machinery & Technical Specialties Committee of the American Society of Appraisers “KEEPING AN EYE ON YOUR MARINE ASSET” Vol 13 No. 3 Winter 1996
  • Marine Money, The Ship Finance Publication of Record “ASSET BASED APPRAISAL:, Vol. 21, No. 3, May/June 2006 Wrote the chapter on Marine Asset Appraisal for the American Society of Appraisers text book: “VALUING MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF APPRAISING MACHINERY AND TECHNICAL ASSETS” Second Edition. In 2008, revised the chapter for the future Third Edition and wrote an accompanying Work Book section.

Email: nlaskay@dlsmarine.com

  

Harry Ward President DLS Marine

Harry Ward

President

Harry Ward is the President of Dufour, Laskay & Strouse, Inc. Harry is a US Navy veteran and has spent much of the past decade in the maritime industry in sales, finance and general management. He has extensive experience in asset and business valuation and is working to maintain DLS leadership in marine appraisal and survey for another 50 years. Harry is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and served as a helicopter pilot and survival instructor through multiple tours of duty. He has an MBA from San Diego State University.

Areas of Expertise:

  • Fleet and Vessel Appraisals
  • Marine Business Valuation
  • Transaction Support – Due Diligence
  • Transaction Support – Marine M&A Advisory
  • Digital Inspection – Marine and Offshore Wind

Education:

  • U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD – 1991, Bachelor of Science
  • San Diego State University, San Diego, CA – 1999, MBA with emphasis in Finance

Licenses and Professional Associations

  • FINRA Licenses, Series 63 and 79 (Investment Banking)
  • American Society of Appraisers, AM
  • Certified Exit Planning Advisor, CEPA (Business value assessment and strategy development