BLOUNT INDUSTRIES
Blount-Barker Shipbuilding Formed
Blount-Barker Shipbuilding Corporation was recently formed and James A. Barker has been named the President and CEO. Blount-Barker, based in Warren, R.I., specializes in the design and shipbuilding of tugboats, cruise ships, high-speed ferries and dinner and passenger vessels. The new company takes over the activities of the Blount Marine and Blount Industries entities, and operates as a separate corporation. As part of the new venture, Mr. Barker assumes management of Blount's shipyard and personnel, with the option to purchase the operations should they be sold in the future. "Jim Barker brings complementary experience that will greatly enhance the capabilities of the new Blount-Barker venture," said Luther H. Blount, founder of Blount Marine and Blount Industries. Blount, 84, will remain active in the day-to-day shipyard operation for Blount-Barker. "Through this new venture, we intend to maximize the superior naval architecture design and shipbuilding capabilities of Blount Marine and Blount Industries," said Jim Barker. "We also plan to expand into larger commercial vessels in the coming years," he added. Blount Marine was founded in 1949 by Luther Blount, and today extends over six acres in Warren with a staff of more than 50. Blount Marine has been a leading innovator in the shipbuilding industry for more than half a century. Luther Blount holds 21 U.S patents for numerous inventions, including the stern trawler and the net/drum technology.
Blount Completes Dinner Vessel
M/V Horizon, a 600-passenger dinner cruise vessel, was delivered to Pegasus Yacht Cruises of New York by Blount Industries. Measuring 161 ft., Horizon boasts a welded steel, single chine hull with three enclosed dining decks. All superstructure above the second deck is 100 percent aluminum construction. New Jersey-based Robinson Interiors designed Horizon with old world ambience in mind - its dining room features varnished cherry wood paneling and trim.
Delivery: Blount Delivers 130-ft. CAT
The 442-passenger, fast catamaran Atlanticat was delivered to it's hailing port of Portsmouth, NH, recently. The vessel, built for B.B.O., LLC will be operating as Acadian Whale Adventures out of Bar Harbor, Maine and used for off shore whale watching during the summer months and commuter service in Key West, Fla., during the winter. The 7,200 hp aluminum catamaran is powered by (4) Cummins KTA-50 engines; ZF4600D gears with (2) Cummins ONAN 95 Kw generators supplying the ships service
Rhode Island: Open for Business
Rhode Island’s economic assets include a surprising number of prominent and lesser known maritime firms. A recent media tour hosted by the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC) highlighted the Ocean State’s key role(s) in the nation’s maritime industry. As the state of Rhode Island – along with everyone else, so it seems – works to revitalize a struggling local economy
Blount Donates Cruise Ship to Three Colleges
According to reports, three colleges will share a donation from philanthropist and shipbuilder Luther Blount -- a 175-ft. cruise ship. Blount announced he will give the ship, called the Niagara Prince, to Rhode Island College, Roger Williams University and Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston when it retires in the fall. Blount graduated from Wentworth in 1937 with a degree in machine construction and tool design
Blount Boats Awarded Four Vessel Contract
Blount Boats, Inc. received Notice of Award to design and construct four 75-ft passenger vessels for the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific. The vessels will be built to meet the USCG Subchapter 'T' for operation between the Marshall Islands of Kwajalein, Rio-Namur and Ennubirr Island on a Protected Waters Route for the Kwajalein Range Service, LLC, a contractor to the U.S. Army. The 150-passenger mono hull boat will be constructed of welded Corten steel with an aluminum
Blount/Barker Delivers New Tug
The new 85-ft. tug, Mister T built by Blount/Barker Shipbuilding was delivered to its port of New York City on December 11. The vessel, which will be used for harbor and ocean towing of bulk material barges, is a 2,400 hp twin screw tug powered by two Cat 3512 engines; 4:1 twin gears and two kW generators will supply ships service power. The tug is keel-cooled and equipped with two four-blade propellers measuring 78 in. in diameter
Blount Boats Delivers Sister Ship to Wendella
The 89-ft steel excursion boat, Linnea built by Blount Boats for Wendella Sightseeing Company was completed and accepted on July 20, 2010. The vessel was delivered to Chicago via Erie Canal and began service on July 30th. The delivery for the Linnea is especially timely on account of the fact that Wendella Sightseeing, Chicago’s original tour boat company is celebrating its 75th season as one of the city’s premier sightseeing and tourism venues.
Blount-Barker Signs Contract for Whale Watch Catamaran
Blount-Barker Shipbuilding signed a contract with a B.B.O., LLC of Portsmouth, New Hampshire for the construction of a 124 ft. Whale Watch Catamaran for operation in Bar Harbor, Maine. The vessel designed by Crowther Multihulls of Sydney, Australia will operate both seasonal whale watch tours and high-speed commuter service. The 124 ft. x 36 ft. catamaran designed with a main, mid and upper deck will accommodate 444 passengers at a loaded operating speed of 40 knots
Blount/Barker Pens Contract For Marine Tug
Blount/Barker Shipbuilding signed a contract with Buchanan Marine, New Haven, Conn., for the construction of an 85 ft. (25.9 m), 2,400 hp all welded, Twin Screw tug. Powered by twin CAT 3512 engines, twin disc gears and two 65 kW generators, the tug's hull and superstructure plans have been contracted via Bristol Harbor Marine Design, which will utilize CAD/CNC technology for all lofting and cutting. The tug will be keel cooled and equipped with two
HiPer Craft Forum 2013: New Speakers Announced
The American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) will host the High Performance Craft (HiPer Craft) Forum on June 19-20, 2013 at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center in Norfolk, Va. Government and Industry Speakers Include: • CAPT Dan Shultz
DLBA Promotes Jeffrey Bowles
Donald L. Blount and Associates, Inc. (DLBA), a naval architecture and marine engineering company, is pleased to announce the promotion of Jeffrey Bowles to the position of Technical Director. Jeff graduated from Webb Institute in 2000 and went on to attain his Masters degree (with
Piracy Protection Boat Launched by Zyvex Marine
Zyvex Marine launches LRV-17 Long Range Vessel, the first to be constructed of nano-composite materials Vessels of this design are to be deployed by private security firm for piracy protection off the coast of Africa. The advanced Long Range Vessel is designed for fuel efficiency and rough
Cruise Ship Returns to Erie Canal
Grande Mariner was Stranded on Canal System During 2011 Flooding. The M/V Grande Mariner, a 96-passenger cruise ship that was stranded for more than two months because of flooding in 2011, today returned to the Erie Canal for a new season of cruising America's most storied waterway.
Blount Boats to Manufacture US-flagged Catamarans
Blount Boats, Inc. has been appointed by South Boats Special Projects, Ltd., based at Cowes on the Isle of Wight, England, to be the exclusive shipyard to manufacture U.S. flagged aluminum catamarans of South Boats designs for the U.S. wind farm industry
Hatchell Joins Donald L. Blount and Associates
Donald L. Blount and Associates, Inc. (DLBA), a naval architecture and marine engineering company, announced that Gordon Hatchell has recently become the newest member of our firm. Robert Bartee, Vice President and C.O.O., states, "With 40 years of a broad array of managerial and technical
New Equipment at Blount Boats
Blount Boats has made significant upgrades to its physical plant thanks mostly to a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation¹s Maritime Administration. These grants benefited a number of shipyards around the country and were made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Blount Boats Awarded Contract for Casco Bay Ferry
Blount Boats, Inc. has been awarded a contract by the Maine Department of Transportation to build a 110-ft passenger ferry for the Casco Bay Island Transit District. The design specifications are similar to the Aucocisco III, which were developed by Seaworthy Systems
Shipbuilding Career Day at Old Dominion
The Shipbuilding Repair and Maritime Career Day Event 2010 was held in the Ted Constant Convocation Center on March 30 in Norfolk, Virginia. About 700 students and 70 teachers from different schools in Hampton Roads area participated in this daylong event
Cayo Largo Deployed to Assist Haitian Relief
Puerto Rico Maritime Transportation Authority (PRMTA) deployed the 300 passenger / 300 ton cargo vessel, M/V Cayo Largo to Barahona, Dominican Republic to assist in the humanitarian effort for Haiti. The vessel, which was designed and built by Blount Boats, Inc. of Warren, R.I
Navy Prepositioning Ship Bound for Haiti
U.S. Navy Maritime Prepositioning Ship USNS 1ST LT Jack Lummus is loading cargo at Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 18-19 in support of international disaster relief efforts underway in Haiti following the Jan. 12 earthquake.
Record Attendance for SNAME 2009
Challenging economic conditions didn’t stop a record number of industry professionals from attending The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) 2009 Annual Meeting and Expo. The three-day event (October 21-23) drew more than 1,150 to the Providence
Blount Contract for Chicago Tour Boat Company
Blount Boats, Inc. has signed a contract with Wendella Sightseeing Company, Inc. to construct an 89 by 30-ft steel excursion vessel. This vessel will be a sister ship to the M/V Wendella (Hull 320) built by the Blount shipyard in 2007. The vessel was designed by Timothy Graul Marine Design
Mini-Cruise Ships Sold
Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Wa. reported that the sales of the two U.S. flag mini-cruise ships Wilderness Discoverer (ex- Mayan Prince) and Wilderness Adventurer (ex- Spirit of Adventure, Caribbean Prince) have concluded. Both vessels were sold by creditors JPMorgan Chase to private
Blount Delivers Vessels
The 165 x 45-ft. 300 ST Class cargo/passenger ferry, M/V Cayo Largo built by Blount Boats, Inc. for the Puerto Rico and Municipal Islands Maritime Authority was accepted for delivery to Fajardo, on July 23. The Cayo Largo will also deliver the 45x17-ft. M/V La Plena, also built by Blount Boats