Chesapeake Shipbuilding delivered the 100-passenger American Eagle to American Cruise Lines. The ship is the first in a new series of “Coastal Cat” vessels featuring a hybrid catamaran hull form.
Bollinger Shipyards began cutting steel at Bollinger Mississippi for the future USCGC Polar Sentinel, which will be the first heavy icebreaker built in the United States in a half-century.
September 2023
Philly Shipyard announced delivery of Empire State VII, the first of five new national security multi-mission vessels (NSMVs), to SUNY Maritime. The five ships will be assigned to America’s state maritime academies.
Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding began construction on a 289-foot service operation vessel for a Crowley-ESVAGT joint venture that will house and transport technicians to maintain U.S. offshore wind farms on the East Coast.
October 2023
Eastern Shipbuilding Group christened and launched USCGC Argus (WMSM 915), the U.S. Coast Guard’s first Heritage-class offshore patrol cutter, before a crowd of more than 3,000 people.
All American Marine launched the 52-foot aluminum research vessel Gannet for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, which is located off the Georgia coast.
November 2023
The Water Emergency Transportation Authority in California announced a partnership with Wartsila on a series of fully electric high-speed ferries for San Francisco Bay. The first of the zero-emissions ferries could enter service in 2026.
Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding announced the delivery of a 52-foot Chesapeake-class pilot boat to the government of Bermuda’s Department of Marine and Port Services. Plans came from Ray Hunt Design.
December 2023
Incat Crowther announced a contract to design a 104-foot catamaran ferry for the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands. The vessel is under construction at Gulf Craft in Franklin, La.
The Federal Transit Administration announced $220 million in funding to support and modernize passenger vessel operations in the U.S. and its territories. The Alaska Marine Highway, for instance, received nearly $93 million to replace an aging ferry.
January 2024
Gladding-Hearn received a contract for a 300-passenger high-speed catamaran from Yankee Freedom, which will use the vessel to carry passengers between Key West, Fla., and Dry Tortugas National Park. Delivery is set for 2026.
Eastern Shipbuilding Group announced an agreement to build two ultra-high-spec, 400-class multi-purpose support vessels (MPSVs) for Hornbeck Offshore Services. The first delivery should happen in 2025.
February 2024
Ship owners anounced plans to invest nearly $120 million toward annual maintenance of the U.S.-flagged fleet of “lakers” that carry ore and other bulk cargoes on the Great Lakes.
Metal Shark sold its 32-acre Alabama shipyard to Birdon and announced an expansion of shipyards in its home state of Louisiana amid steady demand from government and commercial customers.
March 2024
The U.S. Maritime Administration announced $500 million was available in the 2024 fiscal year through the Port Infrastructure Development Program to modernize American shipyards.
The Texas Department of Transportation christened its new 293-foot, double-ended and hybrid-electric ferry Esperanza “Hope” Andrade, which was built in Louisiana by Gulf Island Fabricators.
The containership Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland, causing the span to collapse. The incident caused billions of dollars in damage and spurred new questions about maritime safety and regulations. Six highway workers also died in the incident.
April 2024
Royal IHC and Kalypso Offshore Energy signed a letter of intent to build the first Jones Act-compliant cable lay vessel for the offshore wind market.
Sea Machines Robotics announced the launch of the 23-foot unmanned and autonomous work boat Selkie. The first vessel in the series, Selkie 7, is powered by the company’s SM300 autonomous command and control system.
May 2024
Bollinger Shipyards announced a contract with United Launch Alliance to build a 356-foot ship that will transport Vulcan rockets from an Alabama factory to launch sites in Florida and California.
Edison Chouest Offshore and Orsted christened ECO Edison, the 2025 American Ship Review “Ship of the Year,” during a ceremony held in New Orleans. The vessel entered service in Rhode Island soon afterward.
The U.S. Navy christened USNS Robert E. Simanek, the fifth 784-foot ship built by General Dynamics NASSCO for the U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Sea Base program. A sixth ship in the series is scheduled for completion in 2025.
June 2024
The South Korean conglomerate Hanwha announced plans to buy Philly Shipyard for $100 million from its majority owner Aker ASA of Norway. The agreement is expected to close in late 2024.
July 2024
St. Johns Ship Building announced the delivery of Atlantic Resolute, the first of two new offshore wind crew transfer vessels for Atlantic Wind Transfers, which operates from Quonset Point, R.I.
Leaders in the United States, Canada and Finland announced their intent to create the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or ICE Pact, to collaborate on the production of polar icebreakers and other capabilities.