Bollinger delivers ice-class ATB to Crowley
Bollinger Shipyards has delivered a new ice-class articulated tug-barge (ATB) to Crowley Maritime that will transport fuel to some of Alaska’s most remote communities.
The Alaska-class ATB tug Aveogan and its 100,000-barrel barge Oliver Leavitt will work under contract to Petro Star, an Alaska-based refiner and fuel distributor. Crowley subsidiary Jensen Maritime Consultants designed the vessels that meet ABS Ice Class D0 and IMO Polar Code standards. Crowley Fuels will operate the vessel.
“We are pleased to take delivery of this high-performance ATB, Aveogan/Oliver Leavitt, and look forward to getting her up to Alaska to begin serving our partners at Petro Star,” said Rocky Smith, senior vice president and general manager, Crowley Fuels. “We congratulate the men and women at Jensen who designed the vessel and the team at Bollinger Shipyards who built it.”
Propulsion comes from twin 3,500-hp GE Tier 4 diesel engines paired with Schottel z-drives. The 128-foot tug and 400-foot barge pair up through an Intercon coupler system. The tug also has a newly designed freshwater ballast system that eliminates the need to discharge ballast water.
Eastern Shipbuilding cuts steel for second offshore patrol cutter
Eastern Shipbuilding has begun construction on the second Coast Guard offshore patrol cutter (OPC) and is ordering components with a long lead time for the third ship in the new Heritage class.
Eastern, based in Panama City, Fla., holds a contract to build up to four of the 360-foot OPCs. The vessels will replace existing 210-foot and 270-foot medium endurance cutters in the Coast Guard fleet. The service plans to build up to 25 of the ships.
Construction on the lead OPC, the future Argus, began last year. Steel cutting for the second ship, Chase, preceded the keel laying scheduled for next year. The third ship in the series is the future Ingham.
The new cutters will perform national security and border protection missions from a larger, more capable platform. The vessels fill a niche between the fast response cutters that work closer to shore and the national security cutters that patrol the open ocean. The OPCs have highly advanced combat systems, helicopter decks and three “over the horizon” small boats that can be launched rapidly.
MarAd announces $19.6 million in small shipyard grants
Twenty-four small U.S. shipyards will share in $19.6 million in grants from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd), the agency announced recently. The money, awarded through the Small Shipyard Grant Program, is intended to help modernize these facilities.
“Small shipyard grants play a significant role in supporting local communities by creating jobs for working families,” said Maritime Administrator Mark Buzby. “These shipyards are a tangible investment in our nation’s maritime infrastructure and the future of our maritime workforce.”
Government data shows American shipyards support 400,000 jobs that pay $25.1 billion in wages, delivering $37.3 billion in gross domestic product to the broader U.S. economy. These grants are intended to support the yards vying to compete for global shipbuilding and repair work, MarAd said.
Click here for a full list of grant recipients and how they intend to spend the money.
Louisiana yards deliver first Tier 4 NYC ferries
The first Tier 4 vessels in the NYC Ferry fleet will soon enter service.
Breaux Brothers Enterprises of Loreauville, La., and Halimar Shipyard of Morgan City, La., recently delivered two 95-foot aluminum catamarans, one from each yard. Designed by Incat Crowther of Australia, the 354-passenger ferries are the first in the fleet with Tier 4 Moteurs Baudouin engines that use a selective catalytic reduction system to cut emissions.
NYC Ferry has four more 85-foot ferries under construction at Metal Shark and Gulf Craft in Louisiana, as well as another 95-footer at St. Johns Ship Building in Florida. When all five are finished, the NYC Ferry fleet will have 38 boats, representing a massive project that has supported dozens of suppliers and vendors and a handful of shipyards over the past four years.
Greater New York has been hit hard by COVID-19, bringing normal life to a halt and reducing transit demand significantly. Officials expect ferry ridership to rebound once the pandemic eases.
Metal Shark Alabama delivers first towboat
Florida Marine Transporters has taken delivery of a 120-by-35-foot towboat from Metal Shark Alabama. Stephanie Pasentine is the first newbuild to leave the former Horizon Shipbuilding yard since Metal Shark acquired the facility.
The tug is powered by two Caterpillar 3512 Tier 3 engines delivering 2,011 horsepower each through Twin Disc gears and 100-by-69-inch stainless-steel propellers. It has accommodations for nine crewmembers. John W. Gilbert Associates of Boston designed the vessel.
Metal Shark, which specializes in aluminum vessels, acquired Horizon in 2018, not long after its bankruptcy. The shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Ala., has two more 120-footers under construction for Florida Marine Transporters, as well as a z-drive tugboat for North Carolina’s Department of Transportation.
Washburn & Doughty delivers Eileen McAllister
Maine shipbuilder Washburn & Doughty recently delivered the 6,772-hp ship assist and escort tugboat Eileen McAllister to New York-based McAllister Towing.
The 93-by-38-foot tugboat, which also was designed by Washburn & Doughty, will work in Port Everglades, Fla., along with sibling tug Tate McAllister. Eileen McAllister left the Maine shipyard in early April and arrived in Port Everglades in mid-April.
“Eileen McAllister was constructed specifically to meet the needs of handling the ever-increasing size of vessels calling into Port Everglades," said Capt. Chuck Runnion, McAllister Towing's Port Everglades vice president and general manager.
The propulsion package on the new tug consists of twin Tier 4 Caterpillar 3516s delivering 3,386 hp paired with Schottel z-drives. Markey winches are installed forward and aft.
MetalCraft delivers patrol boat to Port of Los Angeles
The Port of Los Angeles has taken delivery of an Interceptor-model patrol boat from MetalCraft Marine of Kingston, Ontario.
The vessel has military-grade chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) detection capability that allows crews to detect harmful cargoes before ships enter the busy port. It also can operate in seas up to 17 feet, allowing the boat to continue its duties in rough weather offshore.
Propulsion comes from two 480-hp Cummins engines paired with Konrad outdrives. The wheelhouse electronics package includes a Furuno Timezero navigation system along with 16- and 24-inch displays that allow the operator to view CCTV, infrared camera and navigation data on the same screen.
