Page 38: of Marine News Magazine (April 2020)

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SHIPBUILDING REPORT

Activity has continued at VT Halter Marine in Pascagou- We continue to build law enforcement vessels for multiple la, Miss., where four U.S. Navy Auxiliary Personnel Light- agencies, including multiple orders of our 26- and 28-foot er-Small berthing barges, the QLNG 4000 and its tug, the Relentless center consoles standardized for the Florida Fish

Q-Ocean Services, which together form an industry-?rst off- & Wildlife Conservation Commission. We will soon be an- shore lique?ed natural gas (LNG) bunker articulated tug and nouncing multiple additional law enforcement customers, barge (ATB), oceanographic research ship T-AGS67 and two we will be announcing the construction of another new pilot

LSVs for an unidenti?ed customer are presently under con- boat, and we will deliver a 158-foot catamaran excursion ves- struction. In the engineering stage is the long-awaited Polar sel to a private client.

Security Cutter for the U.S. Coast Guard. “At our Alabama yard, which specializes in the construction “Customers are getting more cost conscious and expect to of steel vessels, we will deliver the ?rst of our series of 120- by achieve lower system-lifecycle costs,” VT Halter CEO Ron 35-foot inland tow boats for Florida Marine Transporters, as

Baczkowski told Marine News before oil prices dropped and well as an 80-foot Z-drive tugboat for North Carolina DOT.” the coronavirus outbreak swept across the U.S., but custom- While shipbuilding has continued at Metal Shark, Allard ers’ need for lower costs may become an even greater in the said, “The economic impact of the COVID-19 situation months ahead. “As a ship designer and builder, VT Halter has made us acutely aware of how many of our second and

Marine’s focus has been on developing vessels that require third-tier suppliers are located overseas, or depend on overseas less manning, consume less fuel, allow a longer mean time supply. Already we have seen a disruption of internationally between repairs, better coatings and protection, and built-in sourced materials. However, we will continue to react quickly, diagnostic maintenance.” to innovate, and to leverage our engineering capability, seri-

Conrad Shipyard, which delivered more than 60 vessels alized production methodologies, and economies of scale to for commercial and government customers in 2019, is also support our customers through the challenging times ahead.” up and running. The yard’s current backlog includes tank “I think it would be foolish to think that, medium-term, and deck barges, offshore tugs and two 6,000-horsepower the economic impacts of current events will not cause some towboats currently under construction. Robert A. Sampey level of disruption to our industry. Long term, I think the cur-

II, Vice President Business Development, Conrad Shipyard, rent events will drive a continued push for increased Ameri- said, “We continue to pursue the inland vessel market as can manufacturing and supply independence.” Allard added.

evolving customer needs, and new regulations drive changes Great Lakes Shipyard has been able to continue building to the design of these vessels. . . Other evolving markets that the fourth, ?fth and sixth vessels in a series of Damen Stan we continue to pursue are the LNG bunkering market and 1907 Ice Class tugs for The Great Lakes Towing Company. wind farm support equipment.” Pennsylvania is in the commissioning phase and will enter ser-

Over the last six months, Metal Shark has delivered more vice in April 2020, followed by Wisconsin slated for comple- than 100 vessels to customers in the U.S. and abroad, and the tion by mid-summer and the sixth, yet-to-be-named vessel company continues to build for militaries, state and local law scheduled to be completed in Spring 2021.

enforcement agencies, ?re rescue operators, passenger vessel Kirsten Buccigrossi, Director, Marketing & Communica- operators, pilot associations and more. tions, The Great Lakes Group, said additional work looms on “The rapid onset of COVID-19 and the precipitous drop the horizon: “With the implementation of Subchapter M, we in the cost of oil have created question marks in many sec- foresee the potential for signi?cant tugboat construction and tors,” said Metal Shark Co-owner and CEO Chris Allard. repair work, generally needed for operators to comply with the “We see our government work remaining solid, and, so far, new regulations. Also, many government agencies (i.e., U.S. our commercial business has remained strong, with continued Coast Guard, Geological Survey, Army Corp of Engineers, etc) interest and no cancellations.” have been appropriated sizable monies for major infrastructure “Among our key aluminum projects currently underway investments and assets renewals, which include new construc- are a wide range of military vessels varying in size from the tion, major overhaul, and repair project for their ?eets.” mid 20-foot range up to a series of 85-foot patrol vessels. Master Marine has delivered two towboats in the past six

In 2020 we will announce a naval ?eet order for high-speed months, with seven Tier 3 1,600-horsepower Subchapter M offshore interdiction vessels larger than 50-foot. We continue approved design towboats for towing and ?eeting markets un- to add ?reboat customers at a rapid pace. Among the 15- der construction. Steven Authement, Director of Business De- plus ?reboats currently under contract, we’ve got two 50-foot velopment Inland & Gulf Region, said he expects shipyards ?reboats under construction for Miami Dade Fire Rescue, to remain busy for a number of reasons, including operators and a 70-fott ?reboat being built for Canaveral Fire Rescue. having to meet engines emissions regulations and Subchapter

April 2020 38 MN