Industry News – Page 9 – Professional Mariner

Gladding-Hearn repowers launch for Charleston pilots

A Massachusetts shipyard has repowered a pilot boat with the latest iteration of what was a milestone technology a decade ago. Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Dulcos Corporation, recently delivered Fort Ripley, which has been in service in Port Charleston for 10 consecutive years. Built in 2014 as a collaboration between Ray Hunt Design and Gladding-Hearn, the all-aluminum 65-foot Fort Ripley was built for the Charleston Branch Pilots, and was…

Eastern Shipbuilding Group recognized for safety record

One of the most diverse vessel construction companies in the U.S. was bestowed an award by an insurer for its outstanding safety record. Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc. (ESG) was awarded a 2024 AEU Safety Award for the company’s strong commitment to safety in the workplace. The accolade is presented by the American Equity Underwriters, Inc. — the leading provider of…

St. Johns Ship Building delivers third CTV for WINDEA

A Florida shipyard has delivered another Jones Act-compliant vessel for a U.S. offshore wind farm. St. Johns Ship Building delivered WINDEA Reliance, the third and final vessel in a series of 98-foot aluminum crew transfer vessels (CTVs) built for WINDEA CTV LLC, a partnership between MidOcean Wind and Hornblower Wind. WINDEA Reliance rounds out a newbuild program that includes WINDEA…

NOAA installs PORTS sensors in Honolulu

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that it has installed and activated another set of marine navigation sensors in the Hawaiian Islands, which is expected to facilitate the efficient flow of commercial traffic, among other benefits. NOAA said in late May that the first Physical Oceanographic Real-time System (PORTS) at Pearl Harbor-Honolulu, Hawaii, is now operational. “Installed by NOAA’s…

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries leads initiative to commercialize onboard 3D printing

The world’s largest shipbuilding company has developed an onboard 3D printing shop capable of creating metal parts while underway on the ocean. South Korea-based HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) said it successfully tested its printer in a simulated offshore environment. This new technology, which is expected to go into commercial operation in December, represents a tipping point for maritime additive manufacturing, or fabricating a…

Gunderson to build 4 barges for Tidewater operations on Columbia River

An Oregon-based fabricator has partnered with the largest inland marine transportation company west of the Mississippi River to build four new barges. Vancouver, B.C.-based Tidewater Transportation and Terminals recently finalized a contract with Portland, Ore.-based Gunderson Marine and Ironworks for the construction of four new liquid refined product barges. Designed by Elliott Bay Design Group of Seattle, the new barges will…

Partnership aims to create long-range electric-hybrid ships

A multinational ship owner and operator and a U.S. marine battery manufacturer have partnered to develop the world’s longest-range plug-in hybrid-electric vessel. AET, a Southeast Asian-owned operator of crude and clean petroleum tankers, recently signed an agreement with Alabama-based Fleetzero, a modular-marine battery manufacturer, to retrofit a lightering support vessel (LSV) with its plug-in hybrid-electric system. While there’s been a flurry of…

Crowley marks milestone in LNG service to Puerto Rico

The first U.S.-flagged LNG carrier has begun transporting U.S.-sourced liquefied natural gas to Puerto Rico. The Crowley-owned American Energy, a 900-foot, 34.4 million-gallon capacity LNG tanker, has begun operations with regular service between the U.S. Gulf Coast and Puerto Rico. Crowley has entered a multiyear agreement with Naturgy; Crowley will supply the Spanish multinational utilities company’s facility in Penuelas, Puerto Rico.…

Canada contracts 2 new heavy polar icebreakers

In early March, the Canadian government announced the planned construction of two new polar icebreakers as part of the country’s long-term renewal of its Navy and Coast Guard vessels via its domestic shipbuilding sector. The Canadian government awarded a $3.15 billion contract to Seaspan Shipyards in Vancouver, B.C., and $3.25 billion to Chantier Davie Canada in Quebec to build two 500-plus-foot heavy polar…

Gladding-Hearn delivers 10th launch to Virginia pilots

A Massachusetts shipbuilder has delivered yet another pilot boat to an East Coast association. In late March, Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corp. delivered a brand-new, all-aluminum, 58-foot-long-by-18-foot-wide high-speed pilot boat to the Virginia Pilot Association. It’s the 10th vessel built by the Somerset, Mass.-based Gladding-Hearn since 1983. The new launch, named Old Dominion, was designed and outfitted for service at the VA Pilot Association’s Hampton Roads harbor station…