Page 32: of Marine News Magazine (July 2025)

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Boatbuilding

Backlog Builds

The bigger yards have, by necessity, diversi? ed beyond on different programs.” In his remarks, Bordelon stressed traditional building of tugs and barges for commercial the importance of the Jones Act, saying: “Frankly, with- work. Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG), with yards in out it, we’d be gone.” the Florida Panhandle, has a quartet of 7,000 horsepower Nevertheless, the outlook for vessel builders can be de- escort tugs under construction for Saltchuk Marine, with scribed as cautious; Conrad Shipyard, a listed company

Tier 4 Caterpillar engines, each vessel out? tted with a pair (OTCMKTS: “CNRD”), had told investors in a Spring of Schottel SRP 510 azimuth thrusters in a Robert Allan 2025 ? ling, “In the ? rst quarter of 2025, we have encoun-

RApport 2600 design. Importantly, these boats, set to tered new steel tariffs, rising steel prices, an unclear in? a- operate by subsidiary company Foss in West Coast ports tion outlook and shifting U.S. trade policy and foreign following anticipated 2026 deliveries, will meet the en- policy….” adding that “These factors contribute to a more vironmental standards set by the California Air Resourc- uncertain outlook for the remainder of the year. es Board (CARB). Dredge construction is also in ESG’s Conrad, with yards in Louisiana and Texas, received an wheelhouse; a hopper dredge for the U.S. Army Corps of $8.4 million contract from the US Army Corps of En-

Engineers (USACE) is currently under construction, with gineers for construction of a deck barge to be used at a an expected delivery in 2027, and the yard recently signed facility near Memphis, Tennessee, after delivery. It has a deal with industry leader Dutra for a newbuild trailing also recently scored a contract worth $29 million with the suction hopper dredge for 2028 delivery. U.S. Navy, to build an accommodation barge at its Ame-

Bollinger, with more than a dozen facilities around the lia, La. yard, to be deployed at a U.S. Navy base in Japan

U.S. Gulf, has diversi? ed as well. In a recent panel appear- following its 2027 delivery. This follows up on a previous ance at Marine Money Week, 2025, in New York, Ben barge delivery to the Navy in 2024. The Jones Act panel

Bordelon, the yard’s President and CEO, said “We build at Marine Money, where Bordelon participated, was one for the government, and we also do a lot of commercial of several following up on keynote remarks by Senator work. We’ve seen peaks and valleys over the past 40 to 50 Mark Kelly (D- Arizona), one of the bipartisan sponsors years that have devastated the shipbuilding industry,” he of the SHIPS for America Act was a big topic at Ma- said. He also referred to challenges in the work? ows, say- rine Money. Senator Mark Kelly (D- Arizona), one of the ing “In between the valleys, we are substituting workers bill’s sponsors, provided Day 1 keynote remarks. Many commentators have questioned whether a desired resur- gence of deep sea shipbuilding in U.S. yard,- the focus of the legislation (a “heavy lift”, in the words of multiple speakers), might bene? t yards building vessels working the rivers and harbors. James Lightbourn, CEO of capi- tal arranger Cavalier Ship Finance, and a keen observer of the maritime capital markets, told Marine News: “Simply put, the SHIPS for America Act is not written for the do- mestic boatbuilding sector. The construction cost premi- um for building tugs, barges, and workboats domestically is generally in the 2-3x range, while the ratio is closer to 5x for building larger ocean-going vessels domestically.

While there could be some indirect bene? t to the do- mestic boatbuilding sector through grants earmarked for smaller shipyards, those sums pale in comparison to what has been budgeted to support the construction and op- eration of internationally trading vessels.”

The workboat side of the business, has been moving in

Laborde Products 32 | MN July 2025