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Bay Shipbuilding Company News

16 Jun 2022

Master Boat Builders Building Second Tug for PNE

The MBB-built tug Polaris was handed over to Polaris New Energy, LLC earlier this year. (Photo: Master Boat Builders)

Coden, Ala. shipbuilder Master Boat Builders, Inc. on Thursday announced the construction of a new 4,000-hp tug for PNE Marine Holdings, LLC. Slated for delivery in 2023, the new tug is the sister ship to Polaris, which was handed over to Polaris New Energy, LLC earlier this year.The sister ship to Polaris will be coupled with a barge currently under construction at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Company and will form a Jones Act-compliant articulated tug barge (ATB) to help fuel…

25 Apr 2017

Nearly Half of Interlake Fleet Fit with Scrubbers

Photo: Interlake Steamship Company

The M/V Mesabi Miner has sailed from Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., becoming Interlake Steamship Company’s fourth self-unloading bulk carrier to be outfitted with exhaust gas scrubbers. Interlake became the first U.S.-flag fleet to test freshwater scrubbers on the Great Lakes in April 2015 after pioneering the emission-reduction technology on its M/V Hon. James L. Oberstar. In 2016, the company outfitted its first thousand foot vessel, the M/V James R. Barker, and its 826-foot M/V Lee A. Tregurtha in its second phase of exhaust gas scrubber implementation.

22 Nov 2016

‘The Best Kept Secret in Shipbuilding’

Caring for the Great Lakes fleet: during the winter months is a core business for Bay Shipbuilding Company. Pictured, the 2015 Winter Fleet. (Photo: Bay Shipbuilding)

In 2009, Italian shipbuilding giant Fincantieri S.p.A, purchased the assets of the Manitowoc Marine Group; which included Bay Shipbuilding Company. Located in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., Bay Shipbuilding was the “feather in the cap” with their long history in U.S. commercial shipbuilding and repair. Can you share with us your background and area of responsibility? I’ve been the Vice President and General Manager of Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding since assuming the role in August of 2012.

22 Jun 2016

Scrubbers Installed on Another Great Lakes Bulker

M/V Lee A. Tregurtha (Photo: Interlake Steamship Company)

The Interlake Steamship Company’s M/V Lee A. Tregurtha sailed today from Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, Wisc., becoming the shipper’s third self-unloading bulk carrier to be outfitted with exhaust gas scrubbers. Interlake became the first U.S.-flag fleet to test scrubbers on the Great Lakes in April 2015 after pioneering the emission-reduction technology on its M/V Hon. James L. Oberstar. Earlier this month, the M/V James R. Barker sailed as the fleet’s first 1,000-footer with scrubbers. “With the Lee A.

13 Jun 2016

Interlake Steamship Continues Scrubber Upgrades

M/V James R. Barker (File photo: The Interlake Steamship Company)

The M/V James R. Barker sailed Sunday from Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, Wisc., becoming Interlake Steamship Company’s first 1,000-footer and its second self-unloading bulk carrier to be outfitted with exhaust gas scrubbers. Interlake became the first U.S.-flag fleet to test scrubbers on the Great Lakes in April 2015 after pioneering the emission-reduction technology on its M/V Hon. James L. Oberstar. “Implementing this innovative scrubber system on our 1…

09 Sep 2014

Energy Markets Buoy U.S. Shipbuilding

McAllister Towing marks its 150th anniversary this year, and the company’s fleet includes more than 75 tugs serving the U.S. East Coast from Maine down to Puerto Rico. Pictured are Buckley McAllister, President; Brian McAllister, Chairman; and Eric McAllister, Chief Operating Officer.

Proliferation of energy related transport continues to drive commercial U.S. As the United States aims towards energy independence by the end of this decade, domestic shipyards and vessels owners are reaping rewards from this most unexpected turn of events. Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, has been the main (and well publicized) culprit in the rapid turn of events. While the proliferation of gas has been widely known for years, the presence of oil, in quantity, was a pleasant…

18 Jul 2014

Kirby Awards ATB Contracts to Bay Shipbuilding

Photo courtesy of Bay Shipbuilding

Bay Shipbuilding Company (BSC) of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, a subsidiary of Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG), has been awarded a contract to build two 155,000-barrel capacity barges and two 6,000 HP tugs for Kirby Corporation. The vessels are to be operated as Articulated Tug-Barge (ATB) units and will haul petroleum and chemical products domestically. The first ATB unit is scheduled for delivery in the Fall of 2016 and the second unit will be delivered in Summer of 2017. Kirby Corporation…

14 Jul 2014

Bay Shipbuilding Awarded USCG Repair Contracts

Hollyhock (WLB-21)

Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG) subsidiary, Bay Shipbuilding Company (BSC) of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, has been awarded a USCG contract for drydock repairs to the United States Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock (WLB-21) and a second USCG repair and sustainment contract for the icebreaker Mackinaw (WLBB-30). Hollyhock is a Juniper Class Seagoing Buoy Tender measuring 225-feet long. The Mackinaw is a 240-foot heavy icebreaker for operations on the Great Lakes. Both ships were built by FMG subsidiary, Marinette Marine Corporation (MMC), and launched in January 2003 and November 2005 respectively.

19 Apr 2012

House Adopts Amendment Addressing Great Lakes Dredging Crisis

Toledo, Ohio – The end of the Great Lakes dredging crisis came a step closer to reality yesterday when the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4348 and included a provision which could lead to substantially increased funding for Great Lakes dredging. The amendment directs that all funding collected in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund be spent on dredging each year. Currently, the Fund has a $7 billion surplus. More than 16 million cubic yards of sediment clog Great Lakes ports and waterways because funding for dredging has been inadequate for decades. “Passage of H.R. 4348 with the Boustany amendment represents further progress in requiring that the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund monies all be spent on dredging each year…

27 Sep 2011

Bay Shipbuilding Begins Steel-Cutting on Tidewater PSV

Photo courtesy FMG

Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG) announced that its Bay Shipbuilding Company started steel-cutting on two 92.4-meter (303’) platform supply vessels (PSVs), of the MMC 887 LH PSV Design from MMC Ship Design of Poland, for New Orleans, La.-based Tidewater Marine, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tidewater Inc. The deepwater PSVs are state-of-the-art diesel-electric Z-drive propulsion vessels with redundant dynamic positioning (DPS-2), polar class 7 (Ice Class PC 7), firefighting class 2 (Firefighting Vessel Class 2), and ENVIRO ABS notations.

11 Aug 2011

Siemens to Supply Propulsions Systems for PSVs

Siemens Industry, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to equip two platform supply vessels (PSVs) with its diesel electric propulsion solution at Fincantieri Marine Group's Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, WI. A Tidewater Inc. subsidiary will construct the vessels. The two deepwater PSVs will be outfitted with Siemens Blue™ multi-drive low-voltage propulsion system which improves reliability due to failsafe features that will help the vessel owner lower maintenance costs, and increase efficiency and operational ease for the vessel and crew. The ships' advanced design will also decrease fuel consumption, resulting in reduced emissions of harmful greenhouse gases.

22 Mar 2011

Bay Shipbuilding to Build PSV for Tidewater

Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG) announced that its Bay Shipbuilding Company will build two 303-ft Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs) of the MMC 887 LH PSV Design from MMC Ship Design of Poland for New Orleans, La.-based Tidewater Marine, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tidewater Inc. The Deepwater Platform Supply Vessels, to be built at FMG’s shipyard Bay Shipbuilding Company, located in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., will be state-of-the-art vessels with diesel-electric z-drive propulsion, dynamic positioning 2 (DP-2) system, polar class 7, fire-fighting class 2 (FFV 2) system, and ENVIRO. Other contract terms were not disclosed. The first platform supply vessel is scheduled for delivery in the 4th Quarter of 2012…

22 Mar 2011

Lakes Leaders Declare Dredging State of Emergency

The Administration’s proposal to slash the Great Lakes dredging budget by 32 percent in FY12 has the Great Lakes shipping industry declaring a State of Emergency. The Administration’s proposed appropriation for Lakes dredging next year will remove the smallest amount of sediment since the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started keeping records more than half a century ago. As a result, only 11 of the 83 U.S ports on the Great Lakes will be dredged. “Never in my 51 years in this industry have I seen such a total abandonment of the Federal government’s responsibility to maintain the Great Lakes Navigation System,” said John D. Baker, President of Great Lakes Maritime Task Force, the largest labor/management coalition ever to promote shipping on America’s Fourth Sea Coast.

07 Mar 2011

O’Hern Joins Donjon Shipbuilding Team

Patrick J. O’Hern has joined Donjon Marine Co., Inc.’s Shipbuilding and Repair as a consultant. He brings more than 35 years of shipyard experience in the Great Lakes region to this position as a result of his longtime employment at Bay Shipbuilding Company located in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., where he last served as Vice President and General Manager.   “We are pleased to announce the addition of Pat O’Hern and we welcome his experience and history of success to the Donjon management team.  Under Pat's leadership, many vessels constructed within the Great Lakes were built specifically for a number of coastal markets, so his success in both fresh and salt water markets is noteworthy,"  said J. Arnold Witte, President and CEO, Donjon Marine Co., Inc.

09 Feb 2011

Miller Named Great Lakes Legislator of the Year

A commitment to ending the dredging crisis on the Great Lakes has earned Congresswoman Candice Miller (R-MI) an award as 2011 Great Lakes Legislator of the Year from the largest labor/management coalition representing workers and industries dependent on shipping on America’s Fourth Sea Coast. Rep. Miller, who represents Michigan’s 10th District in the House of Representatives, will formally receive the award from Great Lakes Maritime Task orce (“GLMTF”) in Washington on February 9.

23 Nov 2010

Employment Peaking at Great Lakes Shipyards

When the 1,000-ft-long Great Lakes freighter Edwin H. Gott arrived at Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, it marked the beginning of the busiest time of year for Great Lakes shipyards. This project and other annual winter maintenance work on U.S.-flag Great Lakes ships will provide jobs for more than 1,200 men and women at U.S. shipyards around the Great Lakes. The Gott, one of the largest U.S.-flag vessels working the Great Lakes, is having new engines installed this winter that will increase its fuel efficiency and significantly reduce its air emissions. The vessel, built in Sturgeon Bay in 1978, carries iron ore from the Twin Ports of Duluth…

08 Aug 2010

Fincantieri, New Bay Shipbuilding Company VP

Marinette Marine Corporation (MMC) a Fincantieri company, welcomes Gene Caldwell as the new Vice President and General Manager of Bay Shipbuilding Company, a member of the Fincantieri Marine Group. Caldwell’s resume includes shipbuilding experience in multiple facets of the Ship Building Industry including vessel and rig repair, new commercial and government vessel construction, project management, contract negotiation, sales & marketing, safety, QA/QC and financial reporting. Prior to joining FMG, he held a senior management position with Signal International, LLC.

05 Nov 2009

Fincantieri Invests in U.S. Yards

Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A is investing and committing more than $40m in 2009-10 facility improvements at its mid-tier United States shipyards, Marinette Marine Corporation (MMC) and Bay Shipbuilding Company. The currently approved improvements are the beginning of a five-year $100m plan to modernize the shipyards to support the construction of the U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and other government and commercial projects. “We are honoring the commitment we made when we bought the U.S. yards,” said Giuseppe Bono, Fincantieri’s CEO. “We are not just transferring our experience in designing and building complex vessels. Through these capital expenditures, which also will benefit our other U.S.

30 Apr 2009

GLMTF Says USACE Shorted Region on Stimulus

The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force said the Great Lakes came up short when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decided how to divvy up the $4.6b Congress gave it for job creation and infrastructure improvements under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Corps allocated only two percent of its stimulus dollars to the Great Lakes, leaving navigation and environmental projects in America’s heartland high and dry. The Task Force said the eight Great Lakes states received $94m for Lakes projects out of the $4.6b Congress gave the Corps, despite the fact cargo movement can top 200 million tons a year and supports hundreds of thousands of family-sustaining jobs.

29 Apr 2009

No Stimulus Funds for New Soo Lock

The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) has expressed its disappointment that the second Poe-sized lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan did not receive any Federal stimulus dollars. GLMTF stated that Congress has strongly supported the project, authorizing the lock at full Federal expense in 2007, and approving tens of millions of dollars in Federal construction funding, including $17 million recently in the FY09 Appropriations Bill. “It is incomprehensible that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not include the new Soo lock in projects that will be funded from its share of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA),” said Donald Cree, President of Great Lakes Maritime Task Force, the largest coalition promoting waterborne commerce on the Great Lakes.

01 Apr 2009

Higgins, Great Lakes Legislator of the Year

Congressman Brian M. Higgins (D-NY) has been honored for his support of Great Lakes shipping by the largest coalition representing the industry. The Congressman was named Great Lakes Legislator of the Year by Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF). Rep. Higgins will formally receive the award at GLMTF’s 14th Annual Briefing for the Great Lakes Delegation in Washington on April 2, 2009. “As a native of Buffalo, Congressman Higgins has long understood that Great Lakes shipping is an asset to be treasured,” said Don Cree, President of GLMTF and President of the Toledo (Ohio) Port Council.

31 Mar 2009

New Great Lakes Icebreaker

Legislation authorizing construction of a new icebreaker for the Great Lakes is being applauded by the Great Lakes shipping community as key to the industry’s future. H.R. 1747, the Great Lakes Icebreaker Replacement Act of 2009, was introduced in the House of Representatives on March 26 by Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-MN). “The Great Lakes are in desperate need of another modern icebreaker,” said Don Cree, President of Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) and President of the Toledo (Ohio) Port Council. “Most of the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking assets are nearing the end of their productive lives. As a result, freighters have been experiencing significant delays and even suffering extensive damage.

16 Dec 2008

Largest Potential Lakes Project in Generation

Congress is considering the possible funding of the construction of a new lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, a half-billion dollar undertaking that would rank as the largest navigation infrastructure project on the Great Lakes in a generation. Construction of a new lock at “the Soo” would bring up to 250 jobs annually to northern Michigan and continue for a decade. Estimated cost of the lock is about $475m. One economist has likened the economic impact of lock construction to opening an automobile plant in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Funding could come either through a massive stimulus bill or appropriations bills that will be considered by Congress as early as January. The new lock has been in the planning stage for two decades, but now is ready to move forward once funding is secured.