News Bitts

Coast Guard evacuates crew from disabled tug

The Coast Guard rescued seven people from a disabled tugboat in mid-January as it and its barge tow drifted 30 miles off Ocean City, Md.

The 103’x30’ tug Legacy was underway from the Dorchester Shipyard on Delaware Bay in New Jersey to Guyana, towing a 290’ barge, when a 1,000’ tow line became entangled and fouled the tug’s starboard propeller, according to a Coast Guard report.

Port of South Louisiana to buy former Avondale Shipyard property

As 2023 begins, there is already plenty on the plates of shipyards around the U.S.

There were several unconventional new barges that were being built last year, including a new yard, repair, berthing, and messing (YRBM) barge built by Conrad Shipyard LLC for the Navy, a 416' LNG bunkering barge underway at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding for Crowley, and Kirby Corp.’s venture into the offshore wind industry providing barge transportation for offshore wind turbines.

Looking at some of the major projects underway at shipyards in early 2023, we see similar innovation and adaptation to current markets. Whether it’s building with sustainability goals in mind, meeting new demand, setting new bars in Jones Act-compliant building, or updating training vessels for maritime academies, there’s no shortage of new designs being built at U.S. shipyards and no shortage of work.

A year ago, construction began at Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, Wis., on the largest LNG bunkering barge ever built in the U.S. This 12,000 m3-capacity barge will be the largest Jones Act-compliant vessel of its kind, with delivery to Crowley scheduled for late this year.

In October, St. Johns Ship Building held a keel laying ceremony at its Palatka, Fla., shipyard, marking the start of construction for the second Incat Crowther 30 CTV. These 98' Jones Act-compliant CTVs will be operated by Windea CTV LLC in support of U.S. offshore wind development. The first series of vessels under construction are expected to be used in support of the Vineyard Wind I construction project, south of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

In 2019, Marad awarded TOTE Services a contract for the national security multimission vessel (NSMV) program. TOTE then awarded Philly Shipyard a contract to construct up to five NSMVs.

In 2020, construction of cially got underway. TOTE, Philly Shipyard, and Texas A&M University, cut steel in January on the fourth 524'5'×88'7" NSMV for the Texas A&M Maritime Academy in Galveston, Texas. — Matt Collins

The Port of South Louisiana has signed an agreement with T. Parker Host Inc. to purchase Avondale Global Gateway for $445 million. The 254-acre global logistics hub along the Mississippi River was formerly the site of Avondale Shipyard. T. Parker Host has transformed Avondale Global Gateway into a multimodal commerce center. The property is located within the Port of New Orleans.

$20 million in small shipyard grants available from Marad

Marad announced in January the availability of $20 million in fiscal year 2023 funding to help modernize small U.S. shipyards, including workforce training. Applications for grants are due by Feb. 27, 2023. Additional information is available by contacting David M. Heller, associate administrator for business and finance development, Maritime Administration, Room W21-318, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20590; David.Heller@ dot.gov.

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