Geo Shipyard News

Geo Shipyard, Inc. has built and delivered a new Survey Catamaran Vessel, Blake, for David Evans and Associates Inc.’s Marine Services Division in Gulfport, Mississippi. The newbuild, delivered in October, features wave-piercing bows, Tier 3 Cat diesels, twin 55-kW generators, a full suite of survey instrumentation, an A frame for towing astern, a DTI survey winch and a stainless steel hydraulically operated survey strut with a moon pool and hydraulically operated door through the wing deck to lower the strut for side scanning. There’s also a bow crane for side scanning in shallow water.

David Evans and Associates, Inc.’s Marine Services Division commissioned its new 82-foot hydrographic survey and scientific vessel Blake in a ceremony held in the vessel’s homeport of Gulfport, Mississippi. At the ceremony, U.S. Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi broke a Champagne bottle across the Blake’s bow. In addition to remarks by the Senator, Rear Admiral Gerd Glang, the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Coast Survey and the U.S. National Hydrographer, and Mayor of Gulfport William Gardner Hewes spoke to attendees.

Geo Shipyard Inc, New Iberia, La, delivered the R/V Apalachee, a 64x21x9’, aluminum catamaran for Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, St Teresa, Florida. Designed by Fyffe Yachts with NC lofting by Eli Ring, VP of Advance Fabricating, both of Kemah, Texas, the 48 passenger T-boat will support a verity of research missions in the Gulf of Mexico. DeJong and Lebet, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida provided construction oversight and plan review. Power for the new boat is supplied by a pair of John Deere 6135 SFM engines rated at 500 hp at 1…

Designed by Fyffe Yachts with NC lofting by Eli Ring, VP of Advance Fabricating, both of Kemah, Texas, the 48 passenger T-boat will support various research functions in the Gulf of Mexico. Power for the new boat is supplied by a pair of John Deere 6135 SFM engines rated at 500 hp at 1900 rpm from Allemand Industries, Harvey, La. The six cylinder engines turn Twin Disc MGX-5114 SC gear boxes, Driveline Service of Portland shafts and ZF 36-inch diameter nybral four-blade propellers.

The Crew Boats Hoover and Truman , a pair of 36-ft catamaran crew boats were built for Axxis Drilling company to service their inland and near shore drilling rigs. The vessels were designed by Morrelli and Melvin Design & Engineering group in Long Beach, Calif. The boats have seating for 13 passengers. The seats were built and furnished by Sterlings Upholstery in New Iberia, Louisiana. The aft two seat backs on the port side fold down to form a day bed for the captain to rest between trips. The vessel has two roof top HVAC units for comfort and are powered by a Kohler 5 KW generator.

The Redlinger and the Elton, both 60-ft Hysucraft (hydrofoil supported catamarans), are survey vessel sister ships designed and built for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. They are serving the Portland Oregon district. Redlingers mission is in Portland along the Columbia River. Eltons mission is in Astoria and out to the Columbia Bar. The vessels have a top speed of 35knots with a cruising speed of 30 knots at 80% power. They can survey at up to 15 knots but typically their work is done at 10 knots. The vessels are designed by Viking Fast Craft Solutions, LLC., Staunton Ill.

A party fishing boat is not your usual passenger vessel. It is a vessel outfitted for people to whom fishing is more sport than recreation and catching the "big" ones represent a mental and physical challenge. To accommodate these sportsmen takes a special boat with accommodations for anglers who may spend one-two nights on the vessel. Geo Shipyard, New Iberia, La. just delivered a 68-ft. by 27-ft. catamaran party fishing boat with facilities for 83 fishermen on day trips and 40 on overnight voyages. Williams Party Boats, Inc of Galveston, Texas is owner of the vessel. In business since 1946, the company is operated by third generation owner Capt. Johnny Williams. The vessel is named Capt. John for Williams' father. One of the major features of the vessel is its 25-knot speed.

The tightening of port security in the United States has impacted practically every vessel that operates in U.S. harbors. That includes the small, often-forgotten pilot boats that transport state licensed pilots to vessels entering a harbor or waterway. With recently imposed security measures mandating large ships wait further outside a harbor or waterway, pilot boats in some cases must travel twice as far before the pilot transfer can take place, according to Winn Willard of C. Raymond Hunt Associates, Boston, Mass., designers of pilot boats with 25 years experience in the field. Gladding Hearn, Somerset, Mass. is one of the busiest shipyards in the nation.

As noted elsewhere in this issue, evidence abounds of a pickup in oil and gas exploration, drilling and production. The latest example is the delivery of a seismic vessel to a company that was incorporated in 2003 specifically for geophysical work. The company is Global Geophysical Services, Inc., of Houston, Texas. The company went to Geo Shipyard, New Iberia, La. for a 70 x 22-ft. catamaran-style seismic source vessel. "In the past, we specialized in seismic boats and our company name is derived from our concentration on geophysical vessels," said David LeCompte, president of the company. The vessel is equipped with a pair of large compressors enabling it to operate air guns that gather seismic data from the Gulf of Mexico.