Professional Mariner – August/September 2025

Blakeley to build third Tier 4 z-drive tug for Crescent Towing

A maritime parent company’s shipbuilding and towing divisions are partnering again to build a new ship-assist tug to serve on the Mississippi River. Crescent Towing and Blakeley BoatWorks, both subsidiaries of the Mobile, Ala.-based Cooper Group, are collaborating to build the third in a series of 6,000-hp z-drive tugs. Designed by Crowley Engineering Services, Crescent Towing’s newest escort vessel —…

Schottel to equip Bollinger-built rocket ro-ro

One of the biggest names in marine propulsion will equip a new U.S.-built vessel designed to carry rockets, or launch vehicles. German manufacturer Schottel will equip a new ro-ro cargo vessel for United Launch Alliance (ULA). SpaceShip is currently under construction at Bollinger Shipyards in Amelia, La., and will transport Vulcan rockets from a factory in Decatur, Ala., to Cape…

Silver Ships delivers 3 survey boats to Army Corps

In June, Alabama-based Silver Ships delivered three new survey vessels to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Savannah, Ga., district. The new vessels will support navigation efforts in Georgia waterways, including surveying channel conditions, monitoring dredging activities and detecting underwater obstacles in the waterways, Silver Ships said. The vessels, which were dedicated and launched at a commissioning ceremony in…

Incat to design renewable diesel Catalina ferry

An Australian-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm specializing in aluminum catamarans has entered a partnership with a Southern California ferry operator to conceive of a renewable diesel-powered ferry as part of the Port of Los Angeles’ ambitious emissions reduction project. Global digital shipbuilder Incat Crowther has been commissioned by Catalina Express ferry service to design a 160-foot, low-emissions passenger…

SCA honors 14 shipyards with annual safety awards

The national association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance and repair industry announced its annual member safety awards for the 2024 calendar year, recognizing 14 shipyards for their achievements in safety. The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) recognized shipyards from Ketchikan, Alaska, to Jacksonville, Fla., for “setting the benchmark for prioritizing the industry’s greatest asset — its people — while strengthening…

FMT delivers Mitsubishi-powered towboat to Maritime Partners

One of the largest providers of maritime assets, vessel leasing solutions and construction financing across the inland river system, Gulf Coast and beyond has added a new towboat to its inland portfolio. In early June, Maritime Partners, a private maritime finance and asset leasing firm specializing in U.S.-flag/kind-of-Jones-Act vessels, added M/V Joan Pluck to the company’s bareboat charter and vessel…

Jack Tanner Towing adds Serodino-built towboat

An Illinois-based towing company and a Tennessee shipyard have teamed up to launch a powerful new tug. Jack Tanner Towing Co. recently took delivery of the 60-foot, 1,368-hp Super Tiger workboat Miss Hazel, adding a new asset to its fleet. Built by Serodino Inc. in Chattanooga, Tenn., the vessel is powered by twin Mitsubishi S6R engines, each delivering 684 horsepower…

St. Johns to build dive support vessel for U.S. Navy

A Florida shipyard has been awarded its first U.S. Navy shipbuilding contract to construct a dive support vessel (DSV). In May, St. Johns Ship Building was commissioned by the Navy to build a DSV that will serve critical operational roles for the Navy, including support for specialized diving and underwater support as well as operations and training, St. Johns said.…

Austal USA launches first steel ship at Mobile yard

An Alabama-based shipyard launched its first steel ship in June and the first of three in a series, and one of several dozen navy ships the yard has produced in its history. Austal USA launched USNS Billy Frank Jr. (T-ATS 11) on June 14, marking the first steel product to come off the company’s automated steel panel line. The new…

Autonomous vessels continue to outpace the regulatory and insurance frameworks meant to govern them

One is mapping the seabed near St. St. Petersburg, Fla., searching for information that might predict hurricane risk. Another can ferry up to eight passengers on sightseeing tours near Dubai. Some carry trash to transfer stations through the canals of Amsterdam. One stretches 260 feet and has a capacity of 120 typical container units, and it transports fertilizer from one…