Page 63: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2024)

*)0$! 1(%05 * !."+.)*!?

+.( ?.!*+3*! (! !.%*).%*!* 3%*$".%0%+** /!.2%%*#?

,.+1 (5/! %*!00(!?/$%*#0+*?

?1/0+)).%*!3%*$!/* /,!%(05 !-1%,)!*00%(+.! 0+0$!1*%-1!

*!! /+"5+1.2!//!(?1.(!#5%/ 1%(0+*/0.!*#0$?.!(%%(%05? 1.%(%05?

* !*#%*!!.%*#!4!((!*!?

l ? oats which he dubbed the “twin tube.” This design was suc- ceeded by a progression of larger and more complex vessels resulting in a quantum expansion of the shipyard. Blount

Boats of note over the last 75 years.

¦ In the 1970’s Blount designed and built offshore supply vessels for the U.S. oil industry. The largest of these vessels at 192 feet long were equipped to carry 3,900 cubic feet of drilling mud in six tanks, 350,000 gallons of drill water and had a deck cargo of 640 long tons.

¦ The Le Bateau dinner boat, built in 1972, is believed to be the ? rst to operate in the U.S., launching the excursion dinner boat segment of the cruise industry in America. Dur- ing the 1980’s, a group of “Spirit Class” dinner boats were constructed with three decks designed for cruising major

U.S. harbors.

In the 1990’s, three small ship cruise vessels, each car- ¦ rying up to 100 overnight guests, were built for Blount fam- ily sister company, Blount Small Ship Adventures (BSSA), a niche cruise operator. Blount designed and engineered re- tractable pilot houses to permit low bridge clearance, bow ramps to allow beach landings, and glass bottom boats.

In 2016, Blount completed the ? rst U.S. ? agged crew ¦ transfer vessel for Atlantic Wind Transfers for service to

Deepwater Wind. The shipyard is licensed by South Boats,

IOW, UK for building offshore wind crew transfer vessels.

MR #11 (50-65).indd 63 10/25/2024 2:55:35 PM