OSV stacks keeping Gulf quiet; Jones Act cargo ships gain spotlight
In a familiar refrain, it was tough to find torches burning at Gulf Coast shipyards during the past year.
Professional Mariner - American-Ship-Review 2020
Offshore wind generates orders for Jones Act workboats
While the market for new workboats is virtually nil along the Gulf Coast, hope is in the wind for shipbuilders in the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast.
Icebreakers cometh for US, Canada as Arctic opens wide
As Polar Star, America’s only operational heavy icebreaker, faltered again mechanically on its annual resupply mission to Antarctica last winter, lawmakers were finally voting to do something about it.
Year at a glance
August 2019 • Canada announces that it will obtain six new icebreakers under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, opening the door for a third shipyard to join the NSS with Irving and Seaspan. • Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Interlake Steamship…
2020 Ship of the Year: Pyxis
With the sun rising, Pyxis made its way up the Napa River and docked at the Vallejo Ferry Terminal.
Pyxis specifications
Owner/operator: Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) Blue & Gold Fleet, San Francisco, Calif. Designer/builder: Advanced Multihull Designs, Sydney, Australia/Dakota Creek Industries, Anacortes, Wash. Dimensions: L: 143’ B: 39.5’ D: 5.4’ Mission: Passenger ferry Crew size: Four Hull: Aluminum catamaran Propulsion:…
Rodanthe
On a blistering June day, a sizable crowd gathered in the shade of an outdoor shelter fronting the Hatteras Ferry Terminal on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
Rodanthe specifications
Owner/operator: North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division, Havelock, N.C. Designer/builder: Elliott Bay Design Group, Seattle, Wash./Bollinger Shipyards, Amelia, La. Dimensions: L: 183’ B: 46 D: 4’6” Mission: Passenger/vehicle ferry Crew size: Six Hull: Steel monohull Propulsion: (2) Caterpillar C18…
National Geographic Venture
Some cruise ships are so packed with amenities that guests never want to leave. National Geographic Venture is designed and outfitted for passengers to get off the vessel and explore their surroundings.
National Geographic Venture specifications
Owner/operator: Lindblad Expeditions, New York, N.Y. Designer/builder: Jensen Maritime Consultants, Seattle, Wash., and Jamestown Metal Marine Services, Boca Raton, Fla. (interior)/Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Freeland, Wash. Dimensions: L: 238’ B: 44’ D: 10’ Mission: Cruise ship Crew size: 50 Hull:…
Virginia
The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) designed its first purpose-built research ship with the present, and the future, in mind.
Virginia specifications
Owner/operator: Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, Va. Designer/builder: JMS Naval Architects, Mystic, Conn./Meridien Maritime Reparation, Matane, Quebec Dimensions: L: 93’ B: 29’ D: 9’ Mission: Fisheries and oceanographic research vessel Crew size: Five Hull: Steel monohull Propulsion: Cummins…
Half Moon Clipper
Amid the oil industry downturn in the Gulf of Mexico and the corresponding grim economics visited upon aluminum crew boat builders in south Louisiana, Breaux Brothers Enterprises of Loreauville put a new twist on the market.
Half Moon Clipper specifications
Owner/operator: Holland America Line, Seattle, Wash. Designer/builder: Breaux Brothers Enterprises, Loreauville, La. Dimensions: L: 105’ B: 24’ D: 5’6” Mission: Crew boat Crew size: Four Hull: Aluminum monohull Propulsion: (3) Baudouin 8M26.2 P2 800-hp main engines (3) ZF 40-by-38-inch…
Brazos Pilot
On two ride-alongs aboard Brazos Pilot, rough sea conditions did not hinder the new pilot boat from making the sea buoy at the entrance to the harbor at Freeport, Texas.
Brazos Pilot specifications
Owner/operator: Brazos Pilots Association, Freeport, Texas Designer/builder: Metal Shark, Jeanerette, La., and Donald L. Blount and Associates, Chesapeake, Va./Metal Shark Dimensions: L: 64’ B: 19’ D: 4.5’ Mission: Pilot boat Crew size: Seats six, sleeps two Hull: Aluminum monohull Propulsion:…
Crew/supply boats
U.S. shipyards will produce only a few offshore supply vessels (OSVs), which are considered the lifeline to oil and gas rigs, this year.
Ferries/excursion
Ferry operators on all U.S. coasts have expanded their fleets over the past year with sleek, cleaner-running vessels that meet the rising demand for new commuting options, particularly in the largest cities.
Fire/pilots/patrol
Building activity in the fireboat, pilot boat and patrol boat sectors was slow but steady during the past year.
Research/survey
It took more than nine years, but Canada has taken delivery of the first ship constructed under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.
Megayachts
Rebuild, repair, repaint, refit. These seem to be the buzzwords of the year in North America’s private megayacht sector.
Top 50 index 2020
This register lists vessels of interest to professional mariners completed by North American shipyards in the year ended Sept. 1, 2019.
