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North River News

17 Feb 2022

Strong Demand for Police and Fire Boats with More Orders on the Horizon

Endeavor Series 30-foot vessel built by Silver Ships for the Bayport Fire Department in Bayport, N.Y. (Photo: Silver Ships)

Today, despite an abundance of market challenges and supply chain headaches, many of America’s police and fire boat builders are in possession of the shipyard holy grail: a healthy backlog.Dave Hunt, business development and project manager for Theodore, Ala. based Silver Ships said vessel orders from police and fire agencies have been on the rise and that the expectation is that this trend will continue. “Between vessels delivered and in production, we have seen a year over year increase steadily since 2017; particularly the last two years.

26 Jun 2020

Shipyard Profile: North River Boats

A 27’ Alaska Fish & Game patrol boat (Photo: North River Boats)

One of the United States’ largest and most productive heavy-gauge aluminum boat builders has been humming along at its recently expanded manufacturing facility in Roseburg, Ore.Last spring, North River Boats added a new 33,750 square foot manufacturing building to house all commercial and large boat recreational fabrication. Additional remodeling of the existing factory was completed shortly after to expand small boat fabrication. The yard relocation of its canvas/upholstery shop and received new paint preparation bays…

09 Nov 2018

Workboat Design: MultiMission Vessels have adaptable platforms

24 Workskiff M Series multi-mission vessel with walk around pilot house for the Tulalip Indian Fish and Game Agency for fisheries management, law enforcement, search and rescue and fire fighting. Naval architecture and marine engineering by Boksa Marine Design.

Drug interdiction. Crew transport in hostile waters. Law enforcement. Rescue operations. Passenger vessels. Today’s MultiMission Vessels (MMVs) are a diverse collection of workboats characterized by adaptable platforms, customized with standard accessories.A larger budget for electronics and multiple, smart, navigational screens and MDTs challenge the interior configuration of already crowded MMVs, increasingly built with matching FEMA port security grant funds for joint venture operations.More monohull patrol vessels monitor illegal fishing…

22 Jun 2017

North River Boats: Delivering Flexibility & Customized Output

Diversification is the key at Oregon-based North River Boats. Listening closely to the customer’s needs recently won the day on a multi-hull U.S. Navy contract, but that’s not all that’s happening in Oregon. Roseburg, Ore.-based North River Boats has, over time, thrived by delivering one of the most diverse vessel portfolios in North America. Those offerings include both domestic and foreign deliveries, as well as recreational, commercial and military hulls. And, if that formula has taught them just one thing, then that metric would be that different customers need different features. And, for a firm known initially for cranking out a well-known brand of nearly identical recreational craft, it has also learned that flexibility in design and offerings can also win the day.

03 May 2017

North River Boats Charts its Future as Newly Formed ESOP

Photo: North River Boats

North River Boats, one of the largest private employers in Roseburg, Ore., has new partners – more than one hundred of them. CEO Brent Hutchings informed his entire company of a newly formed employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) that will help him transfer over time a third of his ownership to eligible employees – the vast majority of his team of 131. The structure, Hutchings says, helps share the privately held company’s success with the people who deserve it most, reflecting the true spirit of North River Boats.

06 Apr 2016

North River Boats Thrives in a Challenging Build Market

North River Boats’ formula for success: anchored in a diverse portfolio and customer base. Tucked away in Roseburg, Ore., North River Boats began simply enough in 1974 by building jet powered boats to run shallow, technical white water rivers. Over time, the company also developed a solid reputation for jet boat designs. Later, as sport fishing regulations, seasons, and species evolved, North River expanded to build deep vee outboard powered recreational boats to fish larger rivers, estuaries and the ocean. The firm is also known for another reason: its diversified production of hulls, delivered to an equally wide range of clients, both domestic and foreign.

19 Jun 2015

Competition, Quality and Demand Come Together

Silver Ships

Combat, Patrol and Law Enforcement Vessels Meet Multiple Missions with varied business plans. U.S. firms building patrol, combat and law enforcement craft are weathering government budget cuts by strengthening ties with clients and public agencies. These unique boats remain in demand because of terrorism, crime, wars, piracy and fire, and most serve multiple missions. As maritime nations beef up their defense capabilities, U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) programs help builders do business overseas.

19 Aug 2014

Great North River Tugboat Race and Competition

Photo: Working Harbor Committee

More than 15 tugboats are expected to participate in the Working Harbor Committee’s annual Great North River Tugboat Race and Competition Sunday, August 31 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The race features nose-to-nose pushing contests and a line-throwing competition by tugboat crew members. Immediately following the water competitions will be a spinach-eating contest and a tattoo competition on Pier 84 in Manhattan. A spectator boat, provided by Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, will…

29 Apr 2014

Working Harbor Committee to Present Salvage Program

In a special program in Manhattan on May 6, the Working Harbor Committee presents a timely, educational and entertaining program that answers the question: What happens to a ship after it sinks? Unfortunately, some ships come to grief. Witness the tragic sinking of the South Korean ferry Sewol on April 16, or the doomed cruise ship Costa Concordia that ended up on the rocks off Giglio, Italy in 2012. When there is trouble on the water the marine salvage industry arrives with divers…

19 Mar 2014

On Patrol: North River Boats

ALMAR by North River Boats of Roseburg Oregon recently built and launched the first of three 29 x 10 ft. Liberty Walk Around vessels destined for the San Francisco area. The Liberty family of boats features a Wing Hybrid Foam/Air Fender protecting the exterior perimeter of the boat. Capable of speeds greater than 46 knots, this is a high speed craft designed for pursuit, quick maneuvering and excellent sea keeping capabilities. The first of these boats was built for the San Francisco Fire Department and will serve as a rescue platform working near the Golden Gate Bridge.

23 May 2013

Budget Battles Bumping Backlogs?

Bollinger-built Margaret Norvell on builder’s trials off Grand Isle Louisiana.

Patrol And Combat Builders Fret About Budget Cuts But See Bright Spots. So far; so good. U.S. companies building patrol and combat craft aren’t happy about federal, state and city budget cuts but say they do see positive, demand-side factors. Much of their overseas business depends on the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. The FMS, which transfers defense equipment and services to other nations, is retrenching now, however. Here at home, states and municipalities have fewer funds, grants and matching grants to pay for patrol vessels, builders say.

25 Sep 2012

Visual Communications and Maritime Safety

Working on the high seas exposes all marine workers to life-and-death situations that landlocked individuals rarely face. One brief mistake or equipment failure can literally sink the ship. To prevent catastrophic losses, international rules and regulations, port authorities and insurance companies govern maritime safety for all types of vessels. Proper sea vessel and marine labeling improves safety by clearly marking all hazards, pipes and equipment. Labeling also explains proper maintenance and directions for startup procedures.

02 May 2011

Almar, North River Boats Delivers Fire Boat

Photo courtesy North River Boats Inc.

Almar by North River Boats Inc. of Roseburg, Ore. announced the recent delivery of a 30-ft by 10-ft Sounder / Fire Boat. This boat was built to NFPA 1925 standards and the fire suppression system was UL Certified prior to delivery. The boat is equipped with twin Honda 225 hp four stroke outboards for its main propulsion system and powers the 30-ft vessel at greater than 32 knots. A single 200 gallon fuel tank supplies the propulsion engines, fire engine and genset. A raised aft deck provides ample working area for the crew and houses the 8.1L 375 hp engine and 1,500 gpm Darley fire pump.

02 May 2011

Almar by North River Boats Recent Completions

Almar by North River Boats Inc. of Roseburg, Ore. 1.)  This is the fourth boat in a series of five 33-ft X 10-ft Sounder Pilot House built for Hydrographic Survey use. This boat is powered by twin Yanmar 315 hp diesel engines and Hamilton 241 water jets with a top speed of over 31 knots and a fuel capacity of 200 gallons. The pilot house is equipped with two Coleman Seamach air conditioning units, a stand up head with electric toilet and wash basin for the comfort of the crew. The vessel is also equipped with a Ray Marine RAY 430 Hailer, Motorola Pro 5100 VHF radio, Motorola Pro 5100 UHF radio, Furuno FA150 AIS system, Ritchie Voyager D84 compass, and L.E.D. Courtesy lights.

29 Apr 2011

Almar, North River Boats Delivers Fire Boat

Photo courtesy North River Boats Inc.

Almar by North River Boats Inc. of Roseburg, Ore. announced the recent delivery of a 30-ft by 10-ft Sounder / Fire Boat. This boat was built to NFPA 1925 standards and the fire suppression system was UL Certified prior to delivery. The boat is equipped with twin Honda 225 hp four stroke outboards for its main propulsion system and powers the 30-ft vessel at greater than 32 knots. A single 200 gallon fuel tank supplies the propulsion engines, fire engine and genset. A raised aft deck provides ample working area for the crew and houses the 8.1L 375 hp engine and 1,500 gpm Darley fire pump.

29 Apr 2011

Almar by North River Boats Recent Completions

Photo courtesy North River Boats Inc.

Almar by North River Boats Inc. of Roseburg, Ore. 1.)  This is the fourth boat in a series of five 33’ X 10’ Sounder Pilot House built for Hydrographic Survey use. This boat is powered by twin Yanmar 315 hp diesel engines and Hamilton 241 water jets with a top speed of over 31 knots and a fuel capacity of 200 gallons. The pilot house is equipped with two Coleman Seamach air conditioning units, a stand up head with electric toilet and wash basin for the comfort of the crew. The vessel is also equipped with a Ray Marine RAY 430 Hailer…

16 Nov 2010

Passenger Vessel Market Looks up in NY/NJ Harbor

Artist rendering of the Hornblower Hydrogen Hybrid (H3) (Image courtesy Statue Cruises)

“Securitay, Securitay — Molinari departing Whitehall bound for St. George.” Twenty-four hours a day, in NY/NJ harbor the VHF bridge-to-bridge Channel 13 crackles a non-stop symphony of thousands of “security calls.” It is a veritable orchestration by captains of the Staten Island Ferry, dozens of water taxis crossing the North River or streaking up Buttermilk channel, tug boats and barges, container ships coming ʻround Bergen Point, sea-going palaces leaving three cruise ship terminals as well as dozens of passenger vessels, motor and sail, jostling for camera angles at the Statue of Liberty.

27 Aug 2010

Annual Great North River Tugboat Race

<p>Fifteen to 20 tugboats, the maritime 18-wheelers that normally dock ships and push barges, will roar down the Hudson River Sunday morning, September 5, as they vie to be named the fastest boat in their class. The race typically draws thousands of spectators, which is one of the reasons the tug companies enjoy participating. <br /> <br /> &ldquo;New Yorkers sometimes forget they are surrounded by water and that there is a whole maritime industry working here. This tug competition is the one time a year people can really see what we do,&rdquo; said Craig Rising of McAllister Towing and Transportation, one of the largest and oldest tug companies in the country. It is also a field day for the tug crews, many of whom bring their families aboard.

24 Nov 2003

Vessels: Year Two A Tale of Tugs of Two Cities

It's been a year since MarineNews linked the dual tugmeets of the first week of September, one in New York City, the other upstate, at Waterford. Coupled, they make an interesting study, for their differences as much as their similarities. The tugs of New York City come in all sizes, but are typically large. Just as New York is a city of (many) skyscrapers, so it's a city of (many) monster tugboats, as harbor craft go. Waterford, a few miles north of Albany, is the gateway to the Erie Canal - is actually on the canal. While New York State's canals have renewed potential for commercial service, they're known most widely as recreational attractions for people who drive (many) large and pricey boats.

09 Feb 2004

Feature: Bye, Bye Redbird

Some people hate the subways. During rush hours at least, bodies are crushed unwilling and unwelcome into an unwanted intimacy, violating a million years of biological and emotional evolution. People utilize the subways, even appreciate the subways as the fastest way to get around. During non-rush hours, they're even attractive in their utilitarian way, and yes, there are subway fans and enthusiasts - the biggest concentration, perhaps, on the staff of the New York City Transit Authority itself. But to the riding public at rush hour, they're the monument to alienation, to being alone in a crowd, to urban isolation. They're the archetype of doublethink - you imagine you're a free spirit, even in this claustrophobic crush. If existentialists are not born, surely here they are made.

05 Apr 2004

Anyone Want to Restore a Tugboat?

You'd think it would be easy to start a tugboat museum. First, get an old tugboat. Clean-up some rust with a pad of coarse steel wool, slap-on a coat of paint, and presto, you're ready to sit in the booth and sell tickets. Everyone would applaud your efforts because, first, everyone loves tugboats and all they represent - solid construction and earnest purpose, hard work and benevolent contributions to civilization. And second, because old tugboats, all spiffied-up, are handsome sights, an alluring environmental decoration wherever they're found. And third, because the design of tugboats, like most of society's tools, has undergone great change, and the old ones are dying-off fast. You'd think everyone would support your labors at preserving a noble cultural heritage.

10 May 2004

What is in John Garner's Pocket

You don't really know a boat until she's hauled. Plying her trade on the water, her best half's submerged out of sight. We think we recognize her - "oh, there's Odin," or "Shelby Rose," or "Twintube" - but what are we seeing? The lines of the deckhouse, the shape and placement of the wheelhouse, the arrangement of the stacks? These are the parts known as the superstructure - "super," in this case, meaning simply "upon." It's a little like saying we recognize someone by his hat. The boat's defining structure starts at the main deck and goes downward from there. What little we see of it is low on the horizon. There's the deck's line, along with a smattering of bulwarks.

04 Jun 2004

New York's New Faces

How many vessels entered New York Harbor for the very first time in the past year or two? Oh, probably a million. And probably most of them kept going, up the North River, out the East River, up to beantown or clamtown in one direction, cheesetown in another. Stop for a snack in New York, it's Boar's Head 24x7. Forty-eight hours later, it's catfish. Near everything, there are a lot of good reasons to come to New York, and a lot of good reasons to leave. A lot of good reasons to stay too, sometimes. Quite a few new faces have done just that, making New York Harbor all the handsomer. We thought we'd look a few over. At least four of the boats are new builds, arriving since May 2003; the others are acquisitions to enlarge and upgrade their fleets' capabilities.

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