Page 53: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2026)

SHIP REPAIR | BAYONNE DRY DOCK phasizes developing employees inter- Together, those assets give the com- requires management to recognize and nally as the business expands. pany several ways to serve a ? eet fac- address those exposures before they

The approach is particularly important ing increasing maintenance demands. become problems. "What it really for a yard handling a varied workload. But the economics remain challeng- comes down to is having a manage-

Repair projects demand experienced ing, particularly in the New York met- ment strategy that addresses each of personnel who can adapt to different ropolitan region. your exposures and what’s required to vessel classes, regulatory requirements Woerner believes sustainable growth successfully mitigate them." and unexpected technical problems.

Magas, whose background in- cludes work with K-Sea and Kirby, was brought into BDD ahead of the mobile boat hauler operation to help establish the management expertise required for the new business.

Woerner said that kind of prepara- tion is essential as a shipyard grows.

Expansion creates additional expo- sure in manpower, regulatory compli- ance, quality assurance and project execution. "All of those elements need to scale up with your revenue growth," he said. The challenge is not simply at- tracting more contracts. It is ensur- ing that the organization can execute them pro? tably and safely.

For BDD, that has meant expand- ing capabilities while developing the personnel and management systems needed to support them.

The national discussion about re- building U.S. maritime capability of- ten concentrates on new ship construc- tion, additional shipyard capacity and the enormous investment required to expand the ? eet. Bayonne Dry Dock's experience offers another perspective.

Existing repair infrastructure can contribute more to ? eet readiness when supported by targeted equip- ment investments, skilled personnel and operating practices that reduce maintenance delays.

BDD's 1,092-foot graving dock pro- vides capacity for major government vessel overhauls. Its mobile boat hauler handles a growing volume of smaller military, government and commercial vessels. Its deepwater berths allow work to begin before a ship enters dry dock.

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