Page 16: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 1991)

Bayou La Batre (continued) sion to choose Steiner Shipyard was greatly influenced by observing first hand the quality of workmanship given to the work vessels currently under construction there. I figured that if a yard paid that much atten- tion to quality and detail on a com- mercial workboat, it was the builder we were looking for."

Mr. Agra's wife, Holly, who has been of inestimable value to the business began her career in the tourism industry working for Mar- riott, at their northern Illinois amusement park, Great America.

She began working in the boat busi-

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The Discovery Island, one of three offshore supply boats built by Steiner Shipyard for Seacor. ness in 1978 and was soon director of sales and marketing, where through her many innovative con- cepts she was able to increase sales significantly. She became an active member of the National Association of Passenger Vessel Owners in 1983 and served as president for the year of 1990.

Proof positive of the determina- tion and abilities of the Bayou La

Batre shipbuilding industry is that 16 shipyards exist there today . . . quite a feat considering the devas- tating downturn in the industry in the 80s, and a gigantic feat consider- ing the national average of survi- vorship.

Among these is Johnson Ship- building & Repair, Inc., which re- cently relocated to a larger facility in order to compete for construction of the larger type vessels that to- day's market demands. Since 1986 when their operation began, they have delivered a total of 20 fishing trawlers to buyers throughout the

U.S. and Canada. Today there are ready to enter the workboat, pleas- ure boat, and custom-designed ves- sel markets of the world. With the dock space available at their new facility, they have the capability of performing dockside repairs to ves- sels in the 200-foot length category.

Frank Johnson, owner and opera- tor of the yard says he feels the future for the Bayou's shipbuilding industry lies in the larger, deeper draft vessels and workboats.

Another yard adding newbuild- ing dimensions to its fish trawler image is Rodriquez Boats, Inc., which was founded in 1976 by Jo- seph Rodriquez Sr. In 1977, op- eration was taken over by his son,

Joseph Jr., and to date they have delivered 75 vessels, of which 63 were for the shrimp and fishing industry. In 1990, with diversifica- tion in full swing, Rodriquez Boats built workboats and aluminum fish- ing vessels. Currently their workforce consists of 60 employees.

In recent years, their specialties have included aluminum vessels and tug boats of all types. As of this writing, all the construction plat- forms at their yard are full.

LaForce Shipyard, Inc., owned and operated by Frankie LaForce, is located near the mouth of the big bayou and is presently converting a 65-foot steel oil supply boat to a 95- foot fish tender. The project re- quires the addition of a 30-foot mid- section. At completion, the tender will serve Alaskan fish processing plants. This will be the yard's sec- ond such conversion and extension job to have been completed within 90 days. The first was delivered to its homeport in early February.

Of the 52 fishing vessels built by

LaForce, 35 were delivered to East

Coast buyers in New Jersey, New

York and Rhode Island.

One shipyard specializing in ves- sel repairs and renovations is

Gazzier Shipyard, Inc., owned and operated by Richard (Pud) and

Donna Jean Gazzier. Among the most successful, not to mention challenging jobs undertaken by Mr.

Gazzier was the complete renova- tion of eighteen 86-foot steel fishing vessels sold to Mexico. What made the feat so remarkable was the time it took to accomplish the job ... just 18 days. At the request of Geophysi- cal Services, Inc., a subsidiary of

Texas Instruments, Gazzier built two 80-foot steel seismographic vessels for use in shallow water.

One is being readied for seismo- graphic soundings in Lake Mara- caibo, Venezuela. These vessels are owned by Gazzier and both were utilized in recent years in plotting and charting the extensive gas find- ings in and around the Mobile Bay area. The yard also reclassified and placed back into service a 180-foot oil supply vessel.

Not all yards have found it neces- sary to diversify, yet certainly hav- ing this capacity is Ocean Marine,

Inc., owned and operated by J.L.

Howard. This yard has delivered 261 fishing vessels to customers in the U.S. and abroad since starting operations in 1972. One hundred and thirty of those vessels went to

Nigeria, six to Honduras and one to

India. Last year the yard delivered nine vessels.

Although Bayou La Batre is gradually moving away from wooden and small steel shrimp trawler con- struction, the needs of small boat owners are not being ignored. Yards like Randall's Boat Repair estab- lished within recent years special- izes in small boat haul-out, painting and repair.

Multi-repair, conversion and res- toration are the specialty of Bayou

Marine Products & Services, Inc., (continued) 18 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News