Page 27: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 1993)

i\ will benefit all vessel owners ho utilize the bayou, because at s present depth, the debris col- cted on the bottom frequently re- ilts in damage to the vessel's pro- ellers and rudders.

Jack Mott, general manager of

Rodriguez Shipyard, Inc., is also ptimistic about the future, feeling hat the deeper channel will make t possible to build a much larger •ariety of vessels than are being milt now. In the past year most of

Rodriguez's contracts have been rom foreign markets, but Mr. Mott eels that a deeper channel will pro- vide increased opportunity in the domestic work boat and specialized vessel market. Since May of 1991 the yard built 21 shrimp and fish- ing vessels, one of the largest being the Pacific Monarch, a 125- by 34- by 13.5-foot steel crabber-longliner homeported in Seattle.

In talking to the shipyard owner,

Joe Rodriguez, Jr., it was learned that a private corporation in Mos- cow, Russia, has made a deposit along with a letter of intent for 137- foot steel longliners to be used off the Siberian coast. The exact num- ber was not divulged, but the order is proof of how far the reputation of the Bayou boat builder has spread.

Since 1991, Johnson Shipbuild- ers, Inc. has managed to stay afloat by courting foreign markets. Among other projects over the previous two years, the yard has built new boats for the Marshall Islands. In early 1992 the company launched a 99- by 26- by 13-foot steel longliner, the

Paradise Queen, to be used for tuna fishing off the coast of the Marshalls.

The vessel's owner, Miyoshi

Tanaka of Japan, had seen a boat just like the Queen and upon in- quiring about it, was told it was built by the Johnson brothers in

Bayou La Batre. Mickey John- son, a cousin of Frank and Chris, says it is possible that more orders from Mr. Tanaka will be forthcom- ing.

Steiner Shipyard, Inc., with its modern and highly-sophisticated technological capabilities, has been anticipating the channel deepen- ing. Located at the very end of the

Bayou deepening project, it is equipped to take on new construc- tion and repair of larger vessel than are presently able to enter the shal- low 12-foot depth. It is estimated that vessels up to 260-feet in length and 50-feet wide will be able to navigate the 18-foot deep channel.

Steiner Shipyard, once a giant in the trawler industry, is still build- ing shrimp boats, but the largest part of its revenue now comes from a diverse range of work boats and related marine equipment.

The yard has also achieved a worldwide reputation for conver- sions, the most recent a 190- by 38- by 14-foot seismograph vessel be- ing converted to a luxurious 450- passenger sea-going pleasure ship, which will soon be operating off the coast of Savannah, Ga. Andrew

Overstreet, design engineer and bid preparer for the shipyard, says that the current 12-foot channel depth has severely limited Steiner in its bidding for government con- tracts.

August, 1993

Tara Steiner, general manger of

Lighthouse Marine Supply, one of the bayou's largest marine suppli- ers, and operating in conjunction with Steiner Shipyard, says that be- coming a port facility will definitely be a boon to the supply business in the local area. The demand created by more and larger vessels arriving and departing should increase sig- nificantly, she said.

Master Marine, Inc., along with its subsidiary Master Marine Re- pair, is looking forward to the deeper channel. Bret Dungan, chairman of the Bayou La Batre Port Author- ity, says that even though the shrimp industry is in a state of decline, the seafood processing industry could benefit greatly should this become a seaport. Noting that about 60 per- cent of the seafood being processed in the Bayou is trucked in from Mi- ami, New Orleans and Texas ports, he proposed that the product be shipped directly into Bayou La

Batre. According to Mr. Dungan, this would serve three purposes, including: reducing transportation costs; eliminating the need for double handling of a perishable product; and creating export opportunities.

He feels strongly that owners of smaller class oceangoing vessels would prefer a port designed to ac- commodate their vessel's size and capacity rather than much larger and deeper draft ports such as Mo- bile. Further, the high percentage of raw seafood importation for pro- cessing strongly endorses the favor- able local labor market and modern

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