UPDATES

With a deep-V hull designed by Ray Hunt Design, the new allaluminum launch measures 52.6 feet overall.

Gladding-Hearn Delivers New Maryland Pilots Launch

THE ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND PILOTS has taken delivery of its fourth Chesapeake class launch from GladdingHearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, Somerset, Mass.

Since the Chesapeake class pilot boat was introduced by Gladding-Hearn in 2003, 22 have been delivered to 12 pilot associations throughout the United States.

With a deep-V hull designed by Ray Hunt Design, the new all-aluminum launch measures 52.6 feet overall, with a 16.8 feet beam and a 4.8 feet draft. Powered by twin Volvo Penta D16, EPA Tier 3-certified diesel engines, each producing 641 bhp at 1800 rpm, the vessel’s top speed is over 26 knots. The engines turn 5-blade Bruntons NiBrAl propellers via ZF500-1-A gearboxes.

A Humphree interceptor trim control system, with its Automatic Trim Optimization, is installed at the transom. The launch is equipped with a 12kW Northern Lights genset and 100% LED lighting.

The vessel’s wheelhouse, with a small trunk, is installed amidships on a flush deck.

With electrically heated forward-leaning front windows, the wheelhouse is equipped with five NorSap shock-mitigating reclining seats, a baggage rack and control console.

The forecastle includes a Porta-Potty, split upholstered settee/bunk, lockers for tools and safety gear and a custom immersion suit rack.

The vessel’s interior is heated and cooled by two 16,000 btu reverse-cycle HVAC units, in addition to a 2,000 Watt 240 V AC heater in the wheelhouse and in the forecastle.

An aft ladder leads to hinged boarding platforms on the roof.

A control station is at the transom, along with a hydraulically powered J-Basket rescue system for pilot rescue operations.

MBARI Orders New Research Ship

THE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM RESEARCH INSTITUTE (MBARI) has selected Freire Shipyard in Vigo, Spain, to build a new state-of-the-art research vessel. It is to be named R/V David Packard, in honor of MBARI’s founder, Silicon Valley pioneer David Packard, who founded Hewlett-Packard (HP) in a Palo Alto, Calif., garage with Bill Hewlett, and whose philanthropic endeavors included funding the creation of the Monterey Bay Aquarium in 1984.

Three years later, he founded MBARI as an independent institution committed to pursuing cutting-edge ocean science and engineering programs. Funding for the new vessel comes from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

The R/V David Packard will be 50 meters (164 feet) long and 12.8 meters (42 feet) wide with a draft of 3.7 meters (12 feet). It will support a crew of 12, plus a science crew of 18.

It will replace the R/V Western Flyer, MBARI’s flagship research vessel, which will be retired in fall 2022 with the arrival of the new vessel.

Planning for the vessel began in 2009, when MBARI’s marine operations team engaged Seattle headquartered Glosten to design it. For the past three years, MBARI’s marine operations team has worked closely with Glosten’s team of engineers to refine the design specifications.

Glosten provided the design and specification services for the shipyard bid package and assisted in the bid review process. As construction gets underway, Glosten will provide the on-site construction team for MBARI, providing MBARI continuity through the life of the ship.

The final design work will get underway this spring, with keel laying at Freire expected by November 2021 and the vessel’s launch in September 2022. Construction should be complete in May 2023, when the vessel will depart Spain for its journey to its homeport of Moss Landing, Calif.

Docking a Dive Boat is a First For Navy’s Oldest Floating Dry Dock

THE NAVY’S MID- AT LA NT IC REGIONAL MAINTENANCE CENTER (MARMC) in Norfolk, Va., used its floating dry dock Dynamic (AFDL 6) to dock a dive boat on April 15.

Delivered in 1949 by Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., the Dynamic is the Navy’s oldest floating dry dock, but this was its first use to drydock a dive support vessel. Dynamic routinely docks Landing Craft Utility (LCUs) and other flat-bottom craft. Docking the round-bottom dive boat could lay the groundwork for Dynamic to potentially broaden its docking capabilities in the future.

Dive Support Boat 1103, attached to the MARMC’s Dive Locker, will undergo emergent repairs in Dynamic, ensuring the boat will be operational again in the most efficient timeframe.

To prepare for the docking, stakeholders worked together to provide measurements and dimensions in order to create blocks that fit the contours of the round-bottom dive boat to ensure stability while in the dock.

“We had to disassemble our original block build that we use for LCUs, tear down the hard wood towers and rebuild six towers from scratch for the round-bottom vessel to make sure they were beveled to fit the bottom of the dive boat.” said Dynamic’s 1st Lt., Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jeffrey Devlieger.

InterManager: We’ll Source Seafarer Vaccinations Ourselves

Frustrated by the lack of progress and slow pace of international efforts, ship management trade association InterManager says it will work separately to obtain COVID-19 vaccines to protect seafarers and keep international trade routes open.

According to InterManager, the association—whose membership includes most of the world’s leading ship managers—will now work on sourcing vaccinations separately through legitimate channels to enable its members to vaccinate their seafarers as soon as possible and to support others within the maritime industry to do the same.

The UN has designated seafarers as “essential workers” but so far only 58 countries have followed this directive and are prioritizing seafarers to enable them to travel to and from vessels. In addition, vast numbers of seafarers originate from developing countries where the official rollout of vaccinations are hampered by the availability of vaccines, thus compounding the problem.

Mark O’Neil, president of InterManager, stressed that InterManager will continue to collaborate and give full support to the IMO and fellow shipping industry NGOs in sourcing vaccination for seafarers. However, he expressed his disappointment at the slow speed of international efforts.

“Sitting back and waiting for these bureaucratic institutions is only part of the solution,” said O’Neil.

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BIZ NOTES

BOLLINGER BUYS GULF ISLAND’S SHIPYARD DIVISION

Gulf Island Fabrication Inc. has sold the assets of its Shipyard Division along with certain long-term vessel construction contracts to Bollinger Shipyards LLC for approximately $28.6 million.

According to Gulf Island, the transaction includes the Shipyard Division property and assets in Houma, La., including all four of the division’s dry docks. In addition, the transaction includes the long-term contracts and all related obligations for the construction of three research vessels for Oregon State University and five towing, salvage and rescue ships for the U.S. Navy.

Among exclusions from the transaction were the contracts and related obligations for the construction of two 40-vehicle ferries for the North Carolina

Department of Transportation, a 70-vehicle ferry for the Texas Department of Transportation, and two multi-purpose service vessels for Hornbeck Offshore Services that, says Gulf Island, are subject to dispute.

“The addition of the new Houma shipyard further strengthens our position within the U.S. defense industrial base as a leading shipbuilder and vessel repair company,” said Ben Bordelon, CEO and president of Bollinger Shipyards. The new Bollinger Houma facility encompasses 437 acres on the west bank of the Houma Navigation Canal, of which 283 acres is unimproved land that is available for expansion.

The four dry docks included in the sale are a 15,000-short-ton dry dock, a 4,000short ton dry dock, a 3,000-short-ton dry dock and a 1,500-short-ton dry dock.

GAC OPENS RHODE ISLAND OFFICE

GAC North America has opened a new shipping office in Providence, R.I., to augment its position as a service provider for the U.S. offshore wind industry while strengthening its support for existing LNG, LPG, CPP and husbandry customers in the area.

It is the 18th office in GAC North America Shipping’s network covering ports across the United States, offering a range of services including ship agency, bunker fuels supplies, hub agency and protecting agency.

CMA CGM ORDERS 22 MORE SHIPS

Marseille headquartered CMA CGM Group reports that it has signed an order with Chinese shipbuilder CSSC for 22 new ships. • Six LNG-powered containerships with a capacity of 13,000 TEUs; • Six LNG-powered containerships with a capacity of 15,000 TEUs; and • 10 VLSFO-powered containerships with a capacity of 5,500 TEUs.

The company says that the order is aimed at accommodating market growth.

The vessels are expected to join the CMA CGM fleet between 2023 and 2024.

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ATLANTIC WIND TRANSFERS POSITIONS FOR GROWTH

Rhode Island-based offshore wind crew transfer vessel (CTV) owner and operator Atlantic Wind Transfers (AWT) is to use DNV’s seamless Fit for Purpose program and has retained classification society DNV to pursue integrated Safety Management System and ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certification.

AWT’s president Charles Donadio, sees the company’s fleet of CTVs growing five-fold over the next five years from its current two vessel fleet, with the business expanding to the West Coast as the industry grows. He sees the company’s management system certification as an integral part of that growth plan.

SHEARWATER GEO SWOOPS

ON POLARCUS SIX

Six seismic acquisition ships previously operated by Polarcus until its lenders took possession of the, have been acquired by Bergen, Norway, headquartered Shearwater GeoServices Holding AS. Polarcus went into liquidation after its lenders took possession of the vessels. Polarcus’s sole other ship, the Vyacheslav Tikhonov, which is on bareboat charter to a unit of Sovcomflot, was previously acquired seismic company PXGEO.

Shearwaters entered two transactions with Tiger Moth AS, a company affiliated with Woodstreet, to take over assets previously owned by Polarcus. The six ships were acquired for $127.5 million, while streamers and related seismic equipment were acquired in a $50 million transaction.

Shearwater says he transactions are being financed through a new $107.5 million vessel loan facility provided by DNB and GIEK of USD 107.5 million and a convertible loan from Rasmussengruppen AS in the amount of $85 million, with $15 million of the convertible loan available for general corporate purposes. Shearwater is owned by Rasmussengruppen AS, GC Rieber Shipping ASA and Schlumberger.

BIZ NOTES

US WATERCRAFT LICENSED TO BUILD SEAARK MARINE PORTFOLIO

Hubert, N.C., based US Watercraft reports that it has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement to utilize the complete SeaArk Marine portfolio of commercial fire fighting, military, survey, and workboats.

SeaArk Marine’s Dauntless and Commander series of aluminum fire and patrol vessels, both feature the deep-v hull form developed by Ray Hunt Design, which will consult with US Watercraft on engineering and design for all next-generation SeaArk Marine models.

The SeaArk Marine brand, which began as the MonArk Boat Company in 1959, the company developed over the years into separate commercial and recreational lines. The popular recreational brand SeaArk Boats remains a separate entity while the SeaArk Marine models will be sold exclusively under the US Watercraft brand.

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