Great Lakes Shipyard completes winter work on American Courage
The American Steamship Co. laker American Courage departed Cleveland March 23 after two months of layup at Great Lakes Shipyard. The shipyard was contracted by American Steamship to perform winter work services on the vessel. Such work included miscellaneous steel work, generator maintenance, main drive unit maintenance, and other various repairs and maintenance.
American Courage is the last of three lakers to complete their winter work at Great Lakes Shipyard this season. Interlake Steamship Co.’s ATB Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder was the first, and Inland Lakes Management’s SS Alpena was the second; both departed in early March.
New medium response boat from Kvichak for N.Y. Police Department
In March, Kvichak Marine Industries of Seattle delivered the third 44.5-foot response boat medium to the New York Police Department Harbor Unit. The first two were delivered in April 2010 and August 2012.
Both have been engaged in maritime security and law enforcement work along with search and rescue operations in the New York metropolitan area.
These all-aluminum vessels were designed by Camarc Design, a British firm, and are powered by Tier II compliant twin MTU Series 60 engines rated for 825 bhp each, coupled to Twin Disc MG5114SC marine gears and Rolls-Royce Kamewa FF375S waterjets.
A full cabin provides crew protection from the elements. The boat is equipped with a robust navigation system, heat and air conditioning, shock mitigating seats and a communication system capable of communicating with other maritime security units.
Vigor completes overhaul of Seattle fireboat
Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Guido Perla & Associates Inc. (GPA) announced the completion on time and within budget of a major renovation of the fireboat Chief Seattle at Vigor Industrial’s yard in Everett, Wash.
The 96.5-foot Chief Seattle, built in 1984, replaces Alki, built in 1927, as the city’s primary freshwater fireboat. The overhaul is expected to extend Chief Seattle’s service life by about 20 years.
GPA developed contract specifications and plans and assisted the City of Seattle to administer the refurbishment of the fireboat to NFPA 1925 Type II standard. This included a new superstructure and pilothouse with an emergency command center, complete replacement of electronic navigation and communication equipment, plus an infrared surveillance system, a new medical treatment room, crew day room and head, as well as a new rescue boat and boat recovery system.
The renovation also included the replacement of three 1,012-hp propulsion engines with pump drives with two 1,522-hp propulsion engines, reduction gears, shafts and propellers.
The work included replacing two 715-hp fire pump engines with four 2,500-gpm pumps and installing a new firefighting system with foam capability. That system includes one new motorized fire monitor, two refurbished under-wharf motorized monitors, three manual monitors and three hose manifolds.
Chief Seattle is now equipped with systems, engines and pumps capable of pumping 10,000 gpm compared to 7,500 gpm before the overhaul. The vessel now has a top speed of 22 knots.
FMT orders four 30,000-barrel tank barges from TY Offshore
TY Offshore LLC announced that FMT Industries, one of several companies within the Florida Marine Group, has ordered four additional 30,000-barrel tank barges. The barges are 297.5 feet long with a beam of 54 feet.
With this new order and options for additional barges, TY Offshore will build up to 34 barges for FMT Industries. TY Offshore has already delivered six tank barges of the same class. The barges are being built at TY Offshore’s Gulfport, Miss., facility.
Kvichak to build new launch for Columbia River Bar Pilots
Kvichak Marine Industries was awarded in March a contract to build a self-righting 72-foot, all-aluminum pilot boat for the Columbia River Bar Pilots of Astoria, Ore. The boat is to be called Astoria.
The boat was designed by Camarc Ltd. Carmac and Kvichak teamed up on two earlier boats for the bar pilots, Columbia and Chinook.
The pilots operate the vessels over the bar at the mouth of the Columbia River. Known for its extreme weather and turbulent waters, the Columbia River bar is where the Columbia River collides with the Pacific Ocean. The resulting conditions require reliable, stable and at times self-righting pilot boats that can safely transport pilots to and from the vessels that navigate across the bar.
Power for the 75.5 foot by 21.5-foot Astoria is provided by twin MTU 16V2000 M70 marine diesel engines rated for 1,410 bhp at 2,100 rpm and twin ZF 3050 electric shift transmissions. The engines are coupled to a pair of Hamilton 651 waterjets. Top speed is 29 knots. Cruising speed is about 25 knots.
OSV Red Dawn launched at Eastern Shipbuilding
Red Dawn, the first of 10 Hasmax offshore supply vessels for Hornbeck Offshore Services, was launched at Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s Allanton Road facility in Panama City, Fla.
Red Dawn is the first of four Hosmax 300 offshore support vessels under contract. The six other vessels under contract are larger 302-by-64-by-26-foot boats designated Hosmax 310 offshore support vessels.
The first Hosmax 300 vessels measure 292 feet by 64 feet by 24.5 feet and are ABS classed and certified as DPS-2. The diesel‐electric propulsion systems include twin z-drives.
STX Canada Marine provided the design for both vessel types, based on the very successful and proven Eastern Shipbuilding Tiger Shark-class series.
Bollinger delivers fast response cutter to Coast Guard
Bollinger Shipyards Inc. delivered Margaret Norvell, a fast response cutter (FRC) for the U.S. Coast Guard.
The cutter was delivered to the 7th Coast Guard District in Key West, Fla., and will be stationed at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami.
The 154-foot patrol craft is the fifth vessel in the Coast Guard's Sentinel-class FRC program. To build the FRC, Bollinger Shipyards used a proven in-service parent craft design based on the Damen Stan Patrol Boat 4708. It has a flank speed of 28 knots, state-of-the-art command, control, communications and computer technology, and a stern launch system for the vessel’s 26-foot cutter boat. The Coast Guard took delivery March 21 in Key West, Fla., and is scheduled to commission the vessel in New Orleans in June.
