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Larry Pearson News

30 Sep 2003

Feature:SEMCO Builds World's Largest Liftboat

Lift boats are the unglamorous vessels of oil and gas well servicing industry. They travel to the job site with three large cylindrical legs rising 150-250 ft. above the waterline. Once onsite, lift boats lower their legs to the seabed and raise their hull up to 100 ft. above the waterline to be even with the structure they are servicing to provide a stable platform for workers to transit from the lift boat to the project in which they are working. These versatile vessels can serve through the entire life of a oil or gas well from driving casing to provide a "path" for a jackup rig to drill through construction of the platform, repair and renovation of the platform to plug and abandonment of the well.

23 Oct 2003

Feature: Getting on an Even Keel

Without much fanfare, VT Halter Marine, Gulfport, Miss. is completing a number of very large and capable vessels for both commercial and U. S. Government interests. The company seems on track with the objectives set last year by CEO Boyd E. "Butch" King to add additional projects to their two shipyards located in the Pascagoula, Miss. area. For example, the company will christen the Oscar Dyson October 17. This is a very unique Fisheries Survey Vessel for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a Federal Government agency. The vessel is 208 ft. long with a 49-ft. beam and a relatively deep 28-ft. hull that has a maximum draft of 19 ft.. The Oscar Dyson has a steel, ice-classed hull with an aluminum deckhouse and is anticipated to run at 14 knots.

23 Oct 2003

Feature: N. Carolina Adds Two New Ferries

The State of North Carolina has been very good to shipbuilding companies along the Gulf Coast. In the last 10 years, nearly a dozen ferries have been built or substantially modernized in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas. In just the past two years, the second largest state ferry system in the nation has built two 180-ft. car/passenger ferries and substantially renovated two additional vessels. The two new ferries are literally carbon copies of each other. "They were built from the same set of plans, so it is difficult to get two vessels any more similar than that," said Dan Noe, manager of quality assurance for the North Carolina Ferry Division.

12 Nov 2003

Crew Boats: GulfCraft Trifecta for Trico

It was inevitable. For several years now crew/supply boats have been following, almost in lock step their "big brothers," the supply boats, with technical and other innovations. Drop down bow thrusters, DP-1 systems, better crew accommodations and advanced radar systems are just a few of the features first introduced on supply boats and now available on crew/supply boats. The next step in this evolution is the introduction of automated monitoring, control and alarm systems on crew/supply boats. Trico Marine, Houma, La., is now operating three 155-ft. by 28-ft. crew/supply vessels that feature what is believed to be the first ever state-of-the-art automation system on this vessel type. Gulf Craft, Patterson, La., built the three identical vessels.

12 Nov 2003

Marine Software: What’s New?

There are a number of computer programs and hardware that promises to make marine vessels more productive and interactive. For example, Maxsea, Marstons Mill, Mass. has a module that connects their chart plotter to the sensors of a dredge to record the vessel's track. The track can be displayed on the chart plotter and the data collected can be directly exported in the ASC II format for use by other data processing software. The seabed outline is displayed "live" in 2-D and 3-D and the data is recorded. Need a tough bulkhead-mounted PC? Comark of Medfield, Mass. has a unit with the enclosure made of marine aluminum with an epoxy powder finish and is rated for a Nema 12 environment.

12 Nov 2003

Marine Software: Computer Software Keeping Barges on Track

"It's all about information and how you use that information, "said Michael Thibodaux, founder and CEO of Information Technology Systems, LLC (ITS) of Luling, La. Founded in 1997, ITS was established to develop advanced software solutions for the marine transportation industry. Thibodaux, a veteran with National Marine (purchased by ACBL), and his staff of 13 have developed a spectrum of software products for the inland waterways industry that includes barge tracking, fleet management and vessel support. "Our software systems are of significant value to both barge operations and barge management sides of the business," Thibodaux added. " Helping a barge company to increase their fleet utilization is one of the main advantages of our information products," Thibodaux said.

24 Nov 2003

Vessels: What’s in Store for 2004?

The 2003 workboat construction market had its ups and downs and at best has given mixed signals about 2004 and beyond. Among the various workboat vessel segments, passenger vessels, excluding ferries and inland waterway vessels such as tugs and push boats, are in a static mode. Vessels will be built in 2004, but at a pace constant with years past. Some markets such as the building of patrol boats and other vessels with national security implications appear are sure bet winners for 2004 with several shipyards with large contracts that have deliveries stretched out for two years or more in some cases. Another market that continues to grow is high-speed aluminum passenger ferry and the slower passenger/vehicle ferries.

24 Nov 2003

Vessels: Tall Stacks Draws 800,000 to Queen City

Every four years the excursion vessel segment of the commercial marine industry stages one of the largest festivals in the United States, yet except for the vessels that participate in it, little is known about this event. It overshadows the Workboat Show but receives little attention in the marine press. From an attendance standpoint, if this event were the World Series of Baseball, the Workboat Show would be T-ball for five-year olds. The event is called Tall Stacks and is held on the Ohio River every four year in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 2003 event was the fifth such Tall Stacks event and was attended by over 800,000 people during a five-day period in mid-October.

18 Dec 2003

People & Company News: Kings of the Crewboat

Family businesses are not only numerous in the offshore vessel owners arena, but among the shipyards that build these boats as well. Gulf Craft, owned by the Tibbs family, is an excellent example of a company that has been building aluminum boats during the last five decades and has prospered under two generations of family ownership, and is positioned for a smooth transition to the third generation. The shipyard is located in Patterson, La., along Bayou Teche. The yard was founded by Scott Tibbs in 1965 and began by building small aluminum vessels of all kinds. By the early 1970's, Gulf Craft built its first crew boat for Norman McCall Boat Rentals, a 75-ft. vessel named the Joseph Alan.

18 Dec 2003

Repair & Conversion: Gaming Boat to Live Again

The building of commercial vessels is very much a boom and bust business. Those of you that have been around for a while remembers the oil and gas boom days of the late 1970's and the bust that followed in the 1980's. Most of the southern shipyards did not actually recover from those dog days until the late 1980's when passenger vessel owners started ordering excursion/dinner boats in significant numbers. Typically these vessels had two or even three enclosed passenger decks with passenger capacities in the 450-600 range. Following on this mini-boom was the emergence of the gaming boat, actually an excursion boat with slot machines.

14 Jan 2004

Feature: Two if by Sea

As you read this, there are two beautiful new Skipperliner luxury charter vessels "wintering" in New Orleans and will be available for tours during the annual PVA Maritrends meeting in early February. After that they will complete their delivery run down the Mississippi River, into the Gulf of Mexico through the Panama Canal and up the West Coast of the United States to southern California. Their trip began 1500 miles upriver at Skipperliner's factory in Lacrosse, Wisc. in December. Pacific Avalon Yacht Charters of Newport Beach, Calif. owns the two vessels and will put both of them into service this spring. The 128-ft. Ambassador will work out of the homeport of Newport Beach, while the 148-ft. Majestic will dock in San Diego, Calif.

14 Jan 2004

Feature: It's About Time and Money Willamette Star "Stretch"

About a year ago Dan Yates, president of American Waterways, Inc., (dba Portland Spirit) of Portland, Oregon had a pleasant, yet vexing problem. His fleet of three dinner cruise vessels was doing good business, but he needed a vessel that could seat 100-140 passengers for a meal function. His fleet included the Crystal Dolphin that held 50 people for dinner, the Willamette Star with a 70 person seated capacity and the 350 passenger (540 for cocktails) Portland Spirit. "We were turning away business that was ideal for a 100-150 passenger vessel. Our Crystal Dolphin was too small and the Portland Spirit too large," Yates reported. "To capture this business our decision came down to buying a new vessel that would seat 100 plus for dinner or rebuilding and lengthening the Willamette Star…

14 Jan 2004

Feature: The Jewel of the Industrial Canal

The Industrial Canal in New Orleans is aptly named. Connecting a tributary of Mississippi River with Lake Pontchartrain, it is much like a boulevard of broken dreams. Remnants of old shipyards, coffee-roasting facilities operating at half capacity and areas where the oil boom flourished and died dot the banks of the canal. Trinity Yachts, that has suddenly become the 800 lb. Gorilla of the megayacht business. Trinity Yachts was once a part Friede Goldman Halter Company, that corporate experiment that proved you couldn't put an oilrig builder and a boat builder together and get a company that meshes together. Trinity Yachts and was one of the first pieces of the company to be sold off.

14 Jan 2004

Feature: Passenger Vessels : What's in Store in 2004?

The passenger vessel market is a classic mature marine market. Segments of it are doing well, while other parts have literally died. For example, the overnight segment of the market saw one substantial vessel delivered in 2003 with none on the horizon for 2004. The Empress of the North, a 360-ft. sternwheeler was put into service in September working the West Coast-Alaska route. Now that ice is a problem in Alaska, the vessel is working the Columbia River system in the Northwest U.S. The vessel was the largest vessel ever built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Freeland, Wash. and is owned by American West Steamboat Company, Portland, Ore. Developing overnight service is the most difficult part of the passenger vessel industry to get established.

09 Feb 2004

Feature: Designing People

Few would argue with the notion that a healthy commercial marine industry needs new naval architects entering the business of designing and engineering ships and offshore structures. New naval architects bring new technology and a fresh way of looking at old problems. The University of New Orleans School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NAME) produces a dozen or so people per year who have mastered this very difficult subject. At any given time UNO has about 145 people enrolled in the NAME program leading to a Bachelor's degree, the most students in any program of its kind. The school also offers Master's and Doctorate degrees in the field. There are currently 18 students in the MS program and three in the aspiring Ph.D candidates. The first Ph.D was graduated in May 2003.

10 Feb 2004

Feature:Oscar Dyson Launches New Era at NOAA

With the launching and first of the year completion of the 208-ft. vessel Oscar Dyson, a new era has also been launched at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Typically the recipients of hand-me-down vessels from other services, the $39.3 million Oscar Dyson is the first new vessel the NOAA has received in over 30 years. Dedicated to fisheries research, the vessel is the first of at least two and maybe four built for NOAA by VT Halter Marine, at their Moss Point, Miss. shipyard. The Oscar Dyson was one of a number of ships that was caught in the Friede Goldman Halter bankruptcy two years ago and work was suspended during the shutdown and transfer of this project to the successor company, VT Halter Marine.

05 Mar 2004

Feature: Guiding the Gas

Many workboats in the marine industry are called upon in supply or assist roles. The entire offshore vessel industry is based on a supply function to oil and gas drilling operations or the resupply of production platforms. The tugboat industry is most often characterized as small vessels assisting very large ships in docking, undocking and other harbor movements. The growth of these vessel companies and their operations depends on the economic vitality of the larger industry they serve. Right now the hottest new market being served by tugs is in the assistance of very large Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) tankers to dock and undock. As is the case in other marine support operations, the growth of tugs to assist LNG tankers depends on the basic health of LNG transport.

05 Apr 2004

Vessels: Big Cat Express: A Very Fast Sea Trial

It's 8:30 a.m. as the Big Cat Express saddles up to the dock at the Port of Morgan City, La. It is Sea Trial day for the big quad engine catamaran ferry. No question she is waterjet powered as the tops of the blue "buckets" of the four Hamilton Jet 651's break the surface of the water at the stern. Just above the buckets are the exhausts, large four stainless steel pipes that curve downward toward the water. About 25 pickup trucks and my Ford Taurus wait the arrival of the 150-ft. by 34-ft. vessel. Painted gleaming white, the three-deck vessel looks like it was built for speed. Today we will find out just how fast it can travel. Emerging from the vehicles were several executives from Gulf Craft, Inc.

05 Apr 2004

Vessels: Of Christenings, Cajuns and Crawfish

Of all the Cajun customs in south Louisiana, boat Christenings go back, way back to shortly after the Cajuns arrived from Acadia in Canada in the 1700's. The pursuit of food during these early hard years revolved around the bountiful rivers and streams that were full of fish, but also oysters and shellfish, mostly shrimp and crawfish. Even though these early boats were little more than small wooden canoes, made of plentiful cypress, the Cajuns were a religious people, so boat blessings and Christenings were common. Now, fast forward to March 10, 2004 on the banks of Bayou Teche at Breaux Brothers Enterprises shipyard in Loreauville, La. Breaux Brothers is a major builder of aluminum crew/supply boats in the 150-165 ft. range.

05 Apr 2004

Vessels: Fewer, but More Capable OSVs Being Produced in Gulf Shipyards

As noted in the accompanying article the Gulf of Mexico is in the midst of a drilling malaise. The days when southern shipyards routinely turned out 50-60 supply boats and an equal number of crew/supply vessels is over at least for the time being. The last three years has seen an unprecedented number of OSVs joined the fleets of Tidewater, Hornbeck, Otto Candies, Edison Chouest and other major offshore operators. Leevac Shipyards is a prime example. For the last four years they have built almost exclusively for Hornbeck Offshore Services, producing a number of 200-260 ft. very capable supply boats including four 240-ft. platform supply vessels in 2003. Today their order book includes a huge casino boat and a large 445-ft. by 78-ft. tank barge, but no OSVs. Quality Shipyards, Houma, La.

05 Apr 2004

Market Report: When Will the Turn Around Come?

It seems to be a soap opera without an end. "It is crazy…makes no sense at all," is a common observation. If you are in the oil and gas business, the number one question is, "When is the drilling going to pickup?" It is a question without an answer…at least through the first quarter of 2004. "Normally when prices are low and oil rises about $25 a barrel and gas goes above $2.50 per million cubic foot, everybody goes back to work," noted Roy Breaux, Jr., president of Breaux Bay Craft, Loreauville, La. a leading builder of crew/supply boats. "We drill ourselves out of recessions, but not this time, at least not yet" Breaux said. Breaux echoes the sentiment of almost everyone in the industry "The answer must lie in Houston because that's where the decisions on when to drill come…

10 May 2004

More Sets of Eyes

Closed circuit television (CCTV) has become a common system on most supply boats serving the Gulf of Mexico. One company that makes extensive use of CCTV on its vessels is Hornbeck Offshore Services, Mandeville, La. This is a serious commitment as the company is in the process of adding a complete CCTV system to six 220-ft. supply vessels recently purchased from the Candy Fleet, Morgan City, La. "We use CCTV to accomplish several things," said George McCoy, vessel group manager with Hornbeck. "They are used to document loads, to monitor high risk operations, monitor restricted areas, promote safe work practices and to record any unusual incidents that occur aboard or around our vessels," McCoy added. The CCTV system used on board large vessels such as the 240-ft.

10 May 2004

Military, State Orders Buoy Patrol Boat Market

Even before the events of 9/11, the patrol boat market for the Navy, Coast Guard and individual state law enforcement departments was very active. For example, in the 1980's Bollinger built 49 Island Class Patrol boats and 10 years later built 50 smaller patrol vessels also for the Coast Guard. These assets were immediately deployable to counter terrorism threats after 9/11. But with the entire nation on alert, it was obvious that the more sets of eyes and ears we could put on our 95,000 mile coast line the more secure we would be. In the last two years, hundreds of smaller patrol boats have been built specifically to increase security around ports and other facilities across the nation. The Navy has been very active ordering vessels to patrol Navy bases and other military installations.