Page 54: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2013)

The Shipyard EditionVigor Industrial has emerged as a lead- ing consolidator of shipbuilding prowess on the U.S. West Coast, and the company continues to invest in new capability and infrastructure. ?Over the past year there has been a marked increase in vessel fabrication opportunities of all kinds, in-cluding for ferries, tugs, barges, and Þ sh-ing vessels,? said Vince Piscitello, VP of Sales, Marketing and Business Develop-ment. Earlier this year Vigor signed an agreement to build the largest ß oating drydock in the United States, and con-struction is currently underway. The new drydock will allow Vigor to service larger ships, up to and including any of the cruise ships operating on the West Coast and Military Sealift Command?s Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo/ammunition ships. Vigor?s Alaska Ship & Drydock is also underway with a number of improve-ments in cooperation with the Alaska In- dustrial Development and Export Authori- ty and other partners. Less than a year ago, the Ketchikan yard opened a new 70,000 sq. ft. ship assembly hall, and a new $10 million steel fabrication shop is currently in the works. While investment in facilities and ma-chinery is essential in today?s modern shipyard, leaders in the Þ eld such as Vigor recognize the value of workforce development and retention, and a central value at Vigor is ?Jobs Matter.? Much more than a simple slogan though, the shipyard launched two initiatives: Harbor Island training center: an industrial skills training center at its Seattle shipyard; and Pathways to Manufacturing, where Vigor provided seed money for a pilot program that helps high school students learn both in-demand industrial manufacturing skills in addition to ?soft skills? such as job in-terview techniques and public speaking. A few of the recent vessels to grace the building and repair ways at Vigor facilities include:? Olympic Class 144 Car Ferries (Se-attle): Washington State?s two newest fer- ries, the Tokitae and the Samish, are 362.5 x 83 x 24.5 ft. draft; 144 vehicle ferries currently under construction at Vigor?s Seattle shipyard. The Tokitae will remain pier side as teams Þ nish Þ nal work includ- ing painting, outÞ tting of passenger areas and system testing. The Tokitae is set to be completed in early 2014 and the Samish is scheduled for completion in early 2015. Scheduled completionis 2014 and 2015 respectively. ? F/V Arctic Prowler-Longliner (Ket-chikan): Alaska Ship & Drydock is cur- rently fabricating the 136 x 41 x 26.25 ft., 16,300 cu. ft. freezer Arctic Prowler freez- er longliner. Designed by Jensen Maritime consultants, the Arctic Prowler will Þ sh for PaciÞ c black cod in Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. It?s powered by two 1000- hp MTU main engines, with three 300-kW generators. The Arctic Prowler is the Þ rst vessel to be constructed in ASD?s new 70,000 sq. ft. assembly hall. It is sched-uled for completion this fall.? Split Hull Hopper Barge (Portland): This 242 x 54 ft., 4,050 cu. yd. dump barge is being built for American Construction Co. It will be used to dredge 770,000 cu. yds. of material from Aberdeen?s inner harbor. The barge features an advanced sealing mechanism to prevent leakage in environmentally sensitive areas. It is scheduled for completion this fall.? Iliuliuk Bay Deck Barge (Portland): Constructed for Harley Marine, the 250 x 70 ft. Iliuliuk Bay Deck Barge was de- signed to accommodate a 230 ton lift ca-pacity Manitowoc 4100 crawler crane. The vessel will transport cargo between Dutch Harbor and Akutan, and is sched- uled for completion this fall.Vigor Industrial Vigor?s new  oating drydock will reportedly be the largest in the U.S. Tokitae, a 362.5-ft. Olympic Class 144 Car Ferry. ?Looking ahead, we expect to see in-creasing demand for new build and major re t projects as the economy im- proves and more customers look to up- grade their  eets,? said Vince Piscitello, VP of Sales, Marketing and Business De-velopment. ?Some of the major growth areas over the next year include com- mercial  shing, offshore oil and gas, and tugs and barges.? Vigor?s Seattle Shipyard . 54 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News ? AUGUST 2013 MR #8 (50-57).indd 54MR #8 (50-57).indd 548/2/2013 8:50:10 AM8/2/2013 8:50:10 AM