Crowley christens Barge 455-3 in Portland, Oregon

(PORTLAND, OR — October 19, 2007) Crowley Maritime Corporation Saturday christened and launched barge 455-3, the third heavy-lift 455 series flat-deck barge to be built and delivered to Crowley this year by Gunderson Marine in Portland, Ore.

Barges 455-3, 455-2 and Marty J, all delivered this year, are 400-feet long by 105-feet-wide deck and are engineered for handling project work for the offshore energy industry, primarily in the Gulf of Mexico. Each, with its 105-foot width and 25-foot depth, offers increased capacity and stability for transporting large cargoes.  

The barges also have a uniform deck load capability of 4,200 pounds per square foot, allowing Crowley to carry the larger offshore structures, which are now being planned and engineered for deepwater projects. The barges can be used in other regions as well, including Alaska, where Crowley has regularly performed summer sealifts to the North Slope.

“We’ve worked closely with our customers over the past few years to understand their needs and to design and engineer these high-capacity vessels to meet those needs,” said Tom Crowley, Jr., chairman, president and CEO. “These barges, combined with our high-horsepower tugs, skilled crews, and naval architects and engineers, can provide energy companies, their contractors and subcontractors with safe, efficient solutions to their offshore project challenges.”

By Professional Mariner Staff