VT Halter Wins Historic $746m CG Contract
VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula, MS has emerged the victor in one of the most prized and coveted shipbuilding contracts in recent memory, a $746m deal to build the Coast Guard's lead Polar Security Cutter. If two additional ship options are exercised, the total deal could approach $2B.The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, through an Integrated Program Office (IPO), awarded VT Halter Marine Inc., of Pascagoula, Mississippi, a fixed price incentive (firm) contract for the Detail Design and Construction (DD&C) of the Coast Guard’s lead Polar Security Cutter (PSC).
YANMAR America’s Commercial Marine Division Adds Three Repower Centers
YANMAR America’s Commercial Marine Division has announce the addition of three new Repower Centers to its distribution network: Kennedy Engine in Biloxi, Mississippi; Sun Power Diesel in Dania Beach, FL and Todomar in Colombia.“YANMAR is looking to add local market experts to our distribution network. Kennedy Engine, Sun Power and Todomar are a good match due to their regional knowledge of applications and customers in terms of needs and expectations,” commented Terry Wallace…
Three Generations Backed by Four Mitsubishi Engines
The female dynasty of Vidalia Dock and Storage are no strangers to the Murky Mississippi, nor the advantage of a Mitsubishi powered vessel. When it came to repowering the Sonny J., Vidalia Dock knew right where to go.Purchased in early 2018, the vessel was fitted with a pair of 600HP Cummins K19 engines. With the goal of EPA Tier compliance and engine reliability, Laborde Products provided two fully mechanical Mitsubishi S6R-Y3MPTAW Tier III engines for the 65x24 vessel; these engines are rated 684HP @1800RPM each with Twin Disc 7:1 transmissions.
Interview: Volvo Penta's Ron Huibers
As Volvo Penta continues its strategic penetration of the commercial maritime sector, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News checks in with Ron Huibers, President, Volvo Penta of the Americas. When we first met with you a few years ago, Volvo Penta was in the early stages of a strategic move into the commercial maritime sector in North America. Please update your progress. Historically, we have been strong in the marine commercial markets outside of North America. Five years ago…
Thordon to Eqip New Class of Towboat
Thordon Bearings, of Burlington, Ont., has received an order to supply four comprehensive shipsets of stern gear for a new class of towboat.The four boats are being built by U.S. shipyard Master Marine of Bayou La Batre, Ala., for Waterfront Services, based in of Cairo, Ill.. The new vessels have been designed to meet the requirements of Subchapter M, a set of federal rules recently introduced by the U.S. Coast Guard, relating to the inspection requirement for towboats, including seaworthiness standards and safety protocols.The 67ft x 28ft boats…
Maritime to Get Biggest Bang for VW Settlement Bucks
Imagine a settlement over falsifying emission levels in another transportation sector dropping money onto your deck. Who knew? But it’s true. The $2.9 billion settlement fund Volkswagen agreed to capitalize for distribution across all 50 states, tribal lands and Puerto Rico, as a result of “dieselgate,” its criminal dodging of required auto emission levels, presents an unparalleled opportunity to maritime companies that want to move their noxious diesel engines up a couple of EPA notches, and stick someone else with close to half the bill or more.
Canal Barge Orders Becker Flap Rudder Retrofit
The U.S. office of Becker Marine Systems announced the order for a retrofit of another set of Becker Flap Rudders placed by the Canal Barge Company, Inc. Canal Barge Company is a family-owned, independent marine transportation company headquartered in New Orleans. Chosen for retrofit is the 140-ft. boat Eugenie P. Jones, built in 1975 by the Dravo Corporation. She is a sister vessel of the Susan L. Flap Rudders since June of 2014. Canal Barge Company also has one more set of Becker Flap Rudders on order for a third sister boat.
Canal Barge Orders Another Becker Flap Rudder
The US office of Becker Marine Systems has announced the order for a retrofit of yet another set of Becker Flap Rudders placed by the Canal Barge Company, Inc. Founded in 1933, Canal Barge Company is a family-owned, independent marine transportation company headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chosen for retrofit is the 140-foot vessel Eugenie P. Jones, built in 1975 by the Dravo Corporation. She is a sister vessel of the Susan L. Stall that has been successfully running the Becker Flap Rudders since June of 2014.
GE Marine Gas Turbines Selected for US Navy, Coast Guard
GE’s Marine Solutions said its LM2500 family of aeroderivative marine gas turbines have been selected to power two newbuild surface combatants for U.S. Navy and Coast Guard programs. Specifically, two LM2500+ gas turbines will power Bougainville (LHA 8), the U.S. Navy’s newest multi-purpose amphibious assault ship. Construction is expected to begin shortly according to shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries. GE LM2500+ gas turbines also power first-in-class USS America (LHA 6) and Tripoli (LHA 7).
Z-Drive Collaboration on the Inland Waterways Expands
American Commercial Barge Line’s leadership and early adoption of ZF Marine’s z-drive propulsion technology underscores a growing trend on the inland waterways. American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) has been around a long time – since 1915, to be exact – and along the way has developed into one of the dominant players in the inland marine transportation industry. With a passion for safety and a green footprint, ACBL has always embraced technology and innovation. That point was obvious when it made the decision to outfit at least 15 of its towboats with ZF Marine’s Z-drive systems.
US Navy: Bigger is Better, but at What Cost?
The U.S. Navy has a balanced fleet, but it wants to grow bigger and better. Will the budget allow both? Maritime Reporter's March 2017 cover story on the U.S. Navy was all about the numbers. There exists several plans to grow the fleet beyond the current number of 308 ships, the Mitre recommendation of 414 ships, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment 340-ship proposal, and the Navy’s decision to grow the fleet to 355 ships, and the Trump administration’s 350. With so many numbers being bandied about, there are even more suggestions on how to get there.
Volvo Penta Appoints Midwest Marine Sales Partner
Further building its network of Power Centers and distribution partners to support its commercial marine business in North America, Volvo Penta of the Americas has appointed Interstate Power Systems as a strategic commercial marine partner for Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and upper Michigan. Interstate Power Systems was founded in 1957 and currently has four primary divisions providing products and services at more than 20 locations across the upper Midwest. Volvo Penta…
Southern Illinois Transfer Orders Harbor Tug
Barbour JB Shipyard of St. Louis has laid the keel for a new harbor tug that will be powered by Veth Z-drives. The purchase agreement was signed at the Inland Marine Expo, St. Louis, by Kurt Johnson, Southern Illinois Transfer president and owner of the vessel; Guido Davids, Veth Propulsion area sales manager; and Tim Batten, Twin Disc director of global marine sales. Twin Disc is the distributor for Veth Propulsion in the US, exclusive of the Gulf Coast region. The tug has a planned length of 68' and beam of 28'. It will be powered by twin 750 hp Cummins diesels and Veth VZ-700 Z-drives.
Ecoshield Coating Option for ZF Thrusters
ZF Marine Krimpen is applying Subsea Industries’ Ecoshield hard coating to the nozzles and underwater components of its azimuth thruster units supplied to vessels operating in inland waterways. The Netherlands-based company, a division of Germany’s ZF Group, is using Ecoshield on thrusters supplied to a number of U.S.-based customers to reduce operational wear and tear in brown waters such as the Mississippi River. The solution was found in Antwerp, in 2015, when ZF approached…
Becker Marine Systems Establishes Itself in the US
For more than two years, Becker Marine Systems has been represented by a branch office in Houston. During this time, the Hamburg-based ship supplier has worked to position itself in the North American market, generating numerous orders for the company’s various product ranges. “We have been able to significantly improve the degree of familiarity with Becker throughout the North American region and in the meantime have received a number of new orders“, said Walther Bauer, Director of Sales & Projects at Becker Marine Systems.
USCG Awards Polar Icebreaker Contracts
The U.S. Coast Guard awarded five firm fixed-price contracts for heavy polar icebreaker design studies and analysis Wednesday. The contracts were awarded to the following recipients: Bollinger Shipyards, LLC, Lockport, Louisiana; Fincantieri Marine Group, LLC, Washington, District of Columbia; General Dynamics/National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, California; Huntington Ingalls, Inc., Pascagoula, Mississippi; and VT Halter Marine, Inc., Pascagoula, Mississippi. The combined total value of the awards is approximately $20 million.
Tech File: Vesconite Rudder Bushings
South American river tugboats need robust rudder bushings: some 20 tug boats on the Parana River, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, have been equipped with Vesconite rudder bushings. In the challenging waters of South American rivers, tugboat owners began ordering Vesconite’s proprietary thermoplastic rudder bushings starting in 2014. Convinced that the material – which is wear resistant, self-lubricating, environmentally-friendly, requires no grease, and easy to machine and fit – was more suitable than the bronze that has traditionally been used in the application…
Rodriguez Towboat For Mid-River
Over the years, Rodriguez triple-screw shallow-draft towboats have won a following in the shallow waters of the Mississippi River estuary. Many of these boats are the distinctive aft-cabin Lugger-type of vessel. Recently Mid-River Terminals of Osceola, Ark. has taken delivery of a new design towboat from Rodriguez. With a conventional forward-house pusher configuration, the new 70- by 30-foot MV Dianna Lynn utilizes the same propulsion as the Lugger tugs. This is composed of three in-line six-cylinder Cummins QSK19 engines, each delivering 660 HP.