Page 67: of Marine News Magazine (November 2020)

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VESSELS

Southwest Shipyard Delivers 250-foot Tank Barge

The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI) said it was contracted by the builder to develop the barge design. The barge was de- signed to ABS Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels for Service on Rivers and Intracoastal Waterways and appli- cable rules by the U.S. Coast Guard for barges Subchapter

D & O products on rivers. It features six cargo tanks, two

The Shearer Group, Inc.

Houston’s Southwest Shipyard has delivered a 250’ x 54’ S6B3-429BPU Tier III Cargo Pump Engines, a reinforced ice x 12’-6”, 23,000 BBL tank barge that will primarily be framed bow, generator and HPU house, hydraulic cargo hose used to deliver jet fuel to support the U.S. Navy assets. handling cranes, and an air conditioned tankermans shed.

Bay Shipbuilding Delivers Self-unloading Barge to VTB

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding has delivered a newly built self-unloading barge to VanEnkevort Tug & Barge for op- eration on the Great Lakes. The new barge, named Michi- gan Trader, measures 740 feet in length, 78 feet in beam, and 45 feet in depth. The barge has a 265-foot unloading boom and capacity for up to 37,000 long tons of cargo.

David Groh, president of VanEnkevort Tug & Barge, said Michigan Trader will be the fourth self-unloading

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding barge in the company’s Great Lakes ? eet. The barge will Utilizing materials and parts from suppliers across the be the 10th in the VTB ? eet, with services on the Great Midwest, the project’s supply chain includes local suppliers

Lakes, Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. such as Broadwind Heavy Industries of Manitowoc, Wis.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding’s vice president and gen- which built the Michigan Trader’s 265-foot boom. Northern eral manager, Todd Thayse, noted that the Sturgeon Bay, Machine & Repair Inc. provided its hatch covers, and Ma-

Wis. has always provided repair services to VTB and built rine Travelift in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. manufactured the cargo the hull for its ? rst new tug the Joyce VanEnkevort. hatch crane along with many more local parts and services.

First Upgraded 47 MLB Delivered to USCG

Current in-service MLBs are approaching the end of their original 25-year service life. In August 2019 the Coast

Guard awarded Birdon America a $190 million contract to extend the 47 MLBs for an additional 20 years. The West

Coast SLEP activities are being performed at All American

Marine, and work for vessels on the other side of the coun- try will take place at an East Coast shipyard from 2022.

Birdon America

The U.S. Coast Guard accepted the ? rst upgraded 47- Birdon designed the 47C con? guration of the 47 MLB for foot Motor Lifeboat (47 MLB) as part of the MLB Service performance, crew safety and ergonomics and fuel econo-

Life Extension Program (SLEP). The ? rst article vessel will my. The systems are designed to reduce total ownership cost undergo a four-month operational assessment at the Na- and improve reliability and maintainability. Powered by twin tional Motor Lifeboat School in Ilwaco, Wash. diesel engines and a standard v-drive/shaft/propeller propul-

The 47 MLB is the Coast Guard’s standard lifeboat, de- sion system con? guration, the 47C meets Coast Guard tech- signed to weather hurricane force winds and heavy seas, capable nical requirements and exceeds requirements in the areas of of surviving winds up to 60 knots, breaking surf up to 20 feet fuel economy and noise. The boat is ? tted with new consoles, and impacts up to three Gs. And, if the boat should capsize, it navigation systems, ? re suppression systems, crew seating, self-rights with all equipment remaining fully functional. lighting, power generation and electrical system components.

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