The American Shipbuilding News

Americraft Marine, one of the maritime subsidiaries of Libra Group that owns and operates a Jones Act shipbuilding facility in Palatka, Fla., has announced the appointment of Peter Fetten as Chairman of Americraft.A seasoned leader with four decades in the marine engineering and shipbuilding sectors, Fetten will help shape the strategic direction of Americraft Marine as it works to advance U.S. shipbuilding and the demand for Jones Act vessels. Americraft Marine's St. Johns Ship Building…

It’s a big deal when a U.S. president visits an American shipyard, and these trips always send a message. When President Obama spoke at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding in 2013, he warned of the consequences of sequestration. President Trump’s 2020 speech at Fincantieri Marinette Marine touted a $5.5 billion naval contract that gave a welcome boost to the Wisconsin shipyard and its supply chain partners. Most recently, President Biden traveled to Philadelphia’s Philly Shipyard…

President Joe Biden traveled to Philadelphia on Thursday to attend a steel cutting ceremony for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation's new offshore wind rock placement vessel, touting his administration’s clean energy agenda and job creation efforts as the U.S. builds up its offshore wind industry. "The clean energy future we’re building all across America will be transformational,” Biden said during the ceremony at Philly Shipyard. “Thousands of families will rely on good jobs these projects create…

Norway-based gangway supplier Ulmatec has secured a contract to supply a 32-meter motion-compensated gangway and logistics support systems for the next US-built Jones Act service operation vessel.This 260-foot vessel will be built for Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) by North American Shipbuilding, an ECO affiliate. The vessel is a sister design to the “ECO Edison,” the first U.S.-built Jones Act service operation vessel (SOV), and will feature spacious cabins and facilities for 60 technicians. It will serve the growing offshore wind industry in the U.S.

Norway-based gangway supplier Ulmatec has secured a contract for the supply of a 32-meter motion compensated gangway and logistics support systems for ECO Edison, the first U.S.-built Jones Act service operation vessel (SOV). This 260-foot vessel will be built for Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) by North American Shipbuilding, an ECO affiliate, and will be able to accommodate 60 technicians. Once complete, the vessel will immediately provide operational support out of Port Jefferson…

My first visit in 2007 to the American Society of Naval Engineers’ (ASNE) Multi-Agency Craft Conference (MACC) was an eye-opener. Having built a naval architecture career with frigates, destroyers and other large naval and commercial ships, I was eager to learn of the smaller craft used by the U.S. Navy and other government and military bodies. As my flight into Norfolk, Va. descended over Chesapeake Bay, I gazed in amazement as a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) raced toward Virginia Beach, slowed, glided up the beach and into its shore base.

America is home to some of the finest shipbuilders in the world. This industry is becoming increasingly vital to our national security as we seek to build a larger Navy capable of confronting China. Unfortunately, our shipyards are aging and are too small to expand our fleet at the pace that is needed. As lawmakers consider what to include in an upcoming infrastructure bill, I am leading a bipartisan effort to provide a significant boost to infrastructure at our nation’s shipyards.My proposal…

Finnish welding and production automation company Pemamek said it delivered a new welding robot station to Edison Chouest Offshore's (ECO) LaShip shipyard in Louisiana.The newly commissioned PEMA VRWP-C robot station is a compact solution to automatize micro panel welding, but also other small-to-medium-sized constructions. The system is based on PEMA WeldControl 200 which enables easy weld path creation and robot programming.“The beauty of the PEMA VRWP-C is that it is fast to commission and easy for the customer to learn to use it…

The American shipbuilding scene, filled with participants constructing all manner of vessels, has been navigating through stormy times (lately, yards along the Gulf Coast have literally been dealing with storms). The orders for newbuild, repair and conversion projects continue to flow in—albeit at a reduced pace—and the boats and ships go down the ways into the water, but the overall panorama has seen tremendous sea changes as the business has shifted.Maritime businesses worldwide have been grappling with currents both internal and external.

Congressman John Garamendi and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker reintroduced the Energizing American Shipbuilding Act (H.R.3829), that seeks to revive domestic shipbuilding and maritime industries by requiring that increasing percentages of liquefied natural gas and crude oil exports be transported on U.S.-built, flagged and crewed vessels.The bill would require 15% of LNG exports to be carried on US-built ships by 2041 and 10% of crude oil exports to be carried on US-built ships by 2033.If enacted, the bill is expected to spur the construction of dozens of ships, supporting thousands of good-paying jobs in American shipyards, as well as the domestic vessel component manufacturing and maritime industries.According to an estimate from the Shipbuilders Council of America…

As the North American offshore wind model evolves, it is clear that fit-for-purpose, Jones Act compliant and Arctic ready tonnage will need to be part of the equation. If so, we’ve got that box checked, with a little help from Europe.As of September 2018, the Walney Extension off the United Kingdom is the largest offshore wind farm in the world at 659 megawatts. There are at least 70 major wind farms, each with hundreds of wind turbines, each generating as much as 10 megawatts in offshore England, the North Sea, Russia and China.

Maritime Challenges in the 116th Congress.The 116th Congress, with its now Democrat-controlled House and 110 newly-elected members, faces a choice. On one hand, Congress can continue to pursue the status quo, supporting U.S.-flag vessel operators and domestic port infrastructure development through existing programs, with suboptimal results. On the other, the 116th Congress can choose to be bold. It can recognize that the U.S.-flag fleet, with only 83 vessels operating in international trade, clearly requires new mechanisms of support.

National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday to commission its new panel line, which expands steel production capabilities for the construction of commercial and government ships in San Diego.The American shipbuilding company with three shipyards located in San Diego, Norfolk, and Mayport said in a press release that the new panel line enables distortion-free welding of plates as thin as five millimeters to produce lighter, more energy efficient ships.The cutting-edge facility uses hybrid laser arc welding and numerically controlled robots to mill, seam and weld steel panels in a highly automated production line.

Jensen Maritime, Crowley Maritime Corp.’s Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering company, has provided the detailed design for an initial four, with an option for six additional, Tier IV tractor tugboats being built by Nichols Brother Boat Builders for Foss Maritime.The 90-short ton bollard pull tugs are based on Jensen’s popular Valor tugboat design, of which 9 have been successfully built and deployed to date and an additional five remain under design/construction. Once delivered, the Foss tugs will be deployed along the U.S.

Choosing the ‘top stories of 2018’ was, this year, a difficult task. Many compelling story threads played out, dramatically impacting the North American waterfront, and in particular, the workboat sector – each in their own unique way. Read on to find out how and why.Autonomous Vessels: Ready or Not, Here They ComeFuturistic, remote-controlled autonomous marine vehicles aren’t coming. They are here. As the pace of change quickens, autonomous vessels are already providing service and value on the water. Out ahead of the rulemaking process, autonomous technology providers already churn out not just prototypes and designs, but also countless workboats, many already in service.

Florida based Aeolus Energy awarded Ulstein the design contract to develop the first ever Jones Act compliant offshore wind Service Operations Vessel (SOV), said a press release from Norway-based Ulstein Group ASA.The contract marks Ulstein’s entry into the U.S. offshore wind market and serves as Aeolus’ initial investment toward a fleet of vessels including cable ships, crew transfer vessels and hotel ships, all to be constructed by U.S. shipyards.The vessel will be a customized version of Ulstein’s SX195 design developed to meet the specific requirements of Aeolus Energy and U.S. Coast Guard. The project starts with customizing the SX195 design, to optimize the new walk-to-work vessel for operations in U.S.

Vessel Construction Manager Will Deliver National Security Multi-Mission Vessel. Today, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) released a Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit for a Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) to deliver a new class of training ships referred to as a National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV). The VCM selected by MARAD will contract with a qualified shipyard to ensure that commercial best practices are utilized in delivering the NSMV on time and on budget.“A new multi-mission vessel built by an American Shipyard will not only create new jobs…

There’s a shipbuilding resurgence underway in Canada that’s being driven by a long-term multibillion dollar government initiative to rebuild the federal fleet of Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard vessels and breathe new life into the country’s shipbuilding industry. Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards is an active player.Under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), the Vancouver, B.C. shipbuilder was selected in 2011 to deliver several types of large non-combat vessels for the Navy and Coast Guard…

I was honored to be present in South Philadelphia on June 30 to witness the christening of the largest container ship ever built in the United States. It was built by Philly Shipyards for shipping company, Matson, Inc., and was named for the former Hawaii senator, war hero, and long-standing maritime champion Daniel K. Inouye. At a time when the U.S. maritime industry is fighting to keep its place among international competitors, this event was a momentous occasion. Built for the Hawaii trade…

Texas ranks third among all states for domestic maritime jobs with Houston ranked second among all U.S. cities for its contribution to the U.S. maritime industry, according to a new study PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for the Transportation Institute and released by the American Maritime Partnership (AMP), the voice of the U.S. domestic maritime industry. The domestic maritime industry, comprised of the vessels which move cargoes between American ports, pumps $8 billion annually into the Texas economy, and provides 39,190 Texas maritime jobs, with $2.3 billion in worker income.

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), a national trade association representing the nation’s shipbuilding and repair industry is hosting a fly-in beginning today. More than 85 members of SCA will participate to share the strength of America’s shipbuilding and repair industry, outlining the critical role our nation’s shipyard industry plays in sustaining jobs and protecting national and economic security. Currently U.S. shipyards are experiencing dramatic growth as a result of the shale oil revolution, which has produced record levels of new vessel construction, orders and deliveries.

The shipbuilding and ship repairing industry has always been a core strength of our nation. It has enabled the United States to protect and project its prosperity, power and influence internationally. A book in my office signed by shipbuilder William Webb illustrates the point. Mr. Webb inherited his father’s shipyard in 1840 and built over 130 of the fastest clipper sailing vessels; he later built the largest and most celebrated steamships of his era. Those were glory years for the U.S. maritime industry, an era when the shipping industry was synonymous with American sovereignty.

With familiar faces, new partnerships and Houston office, Damen widens its North American profile with a flurry of new work orders. With a flourish and a flurry of new business, Damen’s new U.S.-based office officially opened in Houston, Texas on July 1, 2016. Registered as Damen Area Support North America BV Co., it has been established to provide a local presence and work hand-in-hand with the North American market, offering a full range of ready built, standard and custom design vessels as well as the products and services of Damen Shipyards group ‘License to Build’ program.