Billy News

Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA held a keel laying ceremony for USNS Billy Frank, Jr., marking the official start of construction on the U.S. Navy’s eleventh Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T-ATS 11).Ship sponsor Peggen Frank and her husband, William Frank III, authenticated the keel by welding their initials into a keel plate that will be welded to the hull of the ship. They were assisted by Brandon Auld, a four-year Austal USA veteran A-class structural fitter.Local community leaders…

Bollinger Shipyards announced it has christened the USNS Navajo (T-ATS 6), the lead vessel of the U.S. Navy’s new Navajo-class of towing, salvage and rescue (T-ATS) ships.During a ceremony on Saturday, Arlando Teller, Assistant Secretary for Tribal Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation, served as keynote speaker, joined ship sponsor Jocelyn Billy as she broke a ceremonial bottle of sparkling wine across the bow of the new vessel.“This isn’t just any ship; it's the first of its kind.

The Dutra Group has named Harry K. Stewart as its Chief Executive Officer. Stewart, who previously held the position of Chief Operating Officer at Dutra, assumes his new role as the company celebrates its 50th anniversary. Bill T. Dutra, who led the company since its founding, will move into the role of Executive Chairman.Bill Dutra, who founded the company at age 26, is immediately recognizable by the trademark Borsalino and Stetson hats he wears in tribute to his grandfather, Antone Dutra.

The London Fire Brigade has added a pair of new fireboats on the Thames as part of a £40 million investment made by City Hall to expand the Brigade’s fleet of equipment and vehicles.The new 16.2-meter-long boats, Tanner and Errington, are named after Auxiliary Fireman Harry Errington and Auxiliary Firewoman Gillian Tanner, who in the Second World War were both awarded medals for bravery. The call signs for the boats are H23A and H23B, a reference to Adam Mere and Billy Faust, two London firefighters who died fighting a fire in 2004.Built by Holyhead Marine…

REGENT announced it has received an Approval in Principle (AIP) from Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore for its 12-passenger, fully electric, wing-in-ground effect (WIG) seaglider, the Viceroy. This AIP marks an important certification milestone for seagliders, offering a clear path for the vehicle’s classification as a wing in ground effect (WIG) maritime vessel and the commencement of commercial seaglider operations. REGENT currently has a backlog of $7 billion in provisional…

A newly retrofitted electric ferry is the first in Canada to be powered completely by a zero-emissions, lithium-ion power and propulsion system containing no diesel fuel components.In 2018, PortsToronto issued a request for expression of interest (RFEOI) to reduce air and noise emissions from its 96-foot Marilyn Bell I, used for transporting passengers, vehicles and supplies the very short distance (90-second trips) to and from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on Toronto Island.St. Catharines-based marine electrical engineering firm Canal Marine & Industrial Inc.

A newly retrofitted electric ferry is the first in Canada to enter service powered by a zero-emissions, lithium-ion power and propulsion system containing no diesel fuel components.PortsToronto’s 96-foot Marilyn Bell I, used for transporting passengers, vehicles and supplies the short distance to and from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on Toronto Island, returned to operations last week following a 20-week conversion, and is now sailing 100% emissions free.St. Catharines-based marine electrical engineering firm Canal Marine & Industrial Inc.

America’s largest military shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced that Ashutosh Gokhale has been appointed vice president, business management and chief financial officer for its Technical Solutions division.Gokhale will replace Billy Jahn upon his retirement on July 9 and will be responsible for all financial management and business management functions in Technical Solutions. Gokhale will be located at HII’s offices in Fairfax, Va., and will report to Andy Green…

Conrad Shipyard hosted a keel laying ceremony for a new 6,500 cubic yard trailing suction hopper dredge it is building for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company (GLDD). Delivery is scheduled before the end of the first quarter of 2023.The dredge will feature two 800mm suction pipes and will be able to dredge at depths of up to 100 feet. The vessel has principal dimensions of approximately 346 feet in length, 69 feet in breadth and 23 feet in depth, and total installed horsepower of 16,500. The new dredge will be well-suited to multiuse applications on various project types.

Dublin-based Irish Commercial Charter Boats (ICCB) has ordered a bespoke 12-meter landing craft to support a wave of offshore energy projects on the horizon. The Chartwell Marine-designed vessel will be built at the Arklow Marine shipyard starting this month for schedule delivery in summer 2021.With a number of large-scale energy projects coming to Irish waters, the aluminum vessel has been developed to meet ICCB’s expanding operational requirements, including surveying, assisting with cable landing and transporting supplies and personnel to near-shore offshore installations.

U.S.-based shipbuilder Metal Shark has launched a 48-meter (158’) aluminum catamaran expedition yacht, the first in its newly introduced lineup of high-speed, long range catamaran expedition yachts.The new Metal Shark M48, named Magnet, is the first-ever private recreational yacht built by Metal Shark, a diversified builder of aluminum and steel vessels for military and commercial operators worldwide. In addition to the M48, the company’s Metal Shark Yachts portfolio includes the M30 (30 meters / 100’) and M70 (70 meters / 231’).

Mike Hooks, LLC has signed a deal with Mobile, Ala. fabricator Mobile Pulley Works (MPW) to design and build a new 27-inch cutter suction dredge (CSD).The new CSD Lorraine Hooks is being designed to the latest industry standards to maximize safety, comfort, and efficiency. The dredge will house on-board crew accommodations to provide comfort and convenience for personnel while they are onboard. The new accommodations and lever control room will be constructed on vibration mounts to reduce fatigue caused by harmonic vibrations and noise levels.

Waterjet propulsion specialist HamiltonJet said it is currently working with Norway-based Offshore Windservice AS to convert five vessels from controllable pitch propeller (CPP) to waterjet propulsion and advanced control technology.At project completion, all five vessels will feature twin HM721 waterjets coupled with HamiltonJet's intuitive AVX controls.While HamiltonJet has already supported more than 80 offshore wind farm vessels globally, the company's CEO, Ben Reed, says…

Last month Maritime Reporter & Engineering News was invited to join Admiral Karl Schultz, the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, on a trek to New Orleans for an underway tour on board a mid-stream transfer operation in the Mississippi River. As the U.S. inland waterway system has endured historic water levels for more than six months, the destination provided a perfect backdrop to discuss several key messages coming from USCG leadership: the maritime industry’s critical role in facilitating U.S.

Deep in the blue waters of Key West, Honest Eco’s founding captain, Billy Litmer, said its dolphin watching tours help their guests “understand and interact with wildlife from a curious yet courteous proximity.”In creating his eco touring company, Litmer invested in everything he needed to guarantee an unforgettable experience for his guests--knowledge, custom boats, and quality gear.His boat is called Squid, and Billy built it from the hulls up. He asked David Walworth, an MIT educated boat designer and builder, to design the perfect boat for the dolphin watching excursions.

Brazos Pilot Association President Captain Billy Burns said its newest boat, Brazos Pilot, is a vessel tailored to fit the job and provide the pilot association with performance dependability and the safety systems integration to fulfill their maritime mission.The 64 x 19-ft. Defiant-class mono-hull pilot boat arrived two weeks ago and will be christened at a ceremony on Jan. 31. It was designed by Metal Shark and built at the company’s Franklin, La. shipyard. The $2.5 million new pilot boat is intended to replace the pilots’ smaller pilot boat…

Metal Shark announced it has secured a contract to build three 120’ x 35’ river towboats for Florida Marine Transporters, Inc. (FMT), signalling the U.S. shipbuilder’s entry into the towboat market.The four-decked, welded-steel, USCG Subchapter “M”-compliant towboats were designed by John W. Gilbert Associates, Inc. and will be powered by twin Cat 3512C Tier 3 marine diesel engines rated at 1,911 HP each. Construction is underway at Metal Shark Alabama, with deliveries commencing in 2019.With the FMT contract…

A fishing vessel crewmember has been arrested and charged in federal court in connection with the murder of a fellow crewmember while their vessel was sailing off the coast of Massachusetts.Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez, a Mexican national illegally present in the U.S., was charged with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the U.S.According to the charging document, on September 23, 2018, Vazquez allegedly assaulted a fellow crewmember with a hammer in one hand and a knife in the other while the U.S. flagged vessel Captain Billy Haver was sailing approximately 55 miles off the Massachusetts coast. The victim then saw that another crewmember was lying on the deck bleeding. Vazquez then struck a third crew member.

A new alliance aims to shake up traditional asset management and engineering inspection services in North America.Partners DCL Rigging & Mooring (DCL) and Aerostar Drone Solutions Inc. intend to utilize advanced, multiple-imaging sensors on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to dramatically lower the cost of conducting engineering surveys and inspection engagements.“We are using our 50 years of combined industry and engineering experience to develop alternative inspection techniques utilizing UAV technology,” said Darren Jackson, President of Aerostar.

Following the previous announcement that Jim Umpleby will become Caterpillar’s Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2017, Caterpillar Inc. announced today additional changes in its executive ranks. The company’s Board of Directors has appointed current Construction Industries Group President Tom Pellette, 53, group president of Energy & Transportation, the position previously held by Umpleby. Replacing Pellette, the Board has appointed Bob De Lange, 47, group president of Construction Industries. De Lange is currently vice president of the Excavation Division. Additionally, the Board has appointed Billy Ainsworth, 60, senior vice president and strategic advisor to the Caterpillar Executive Office.

When Barack Obama became the first president to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge, his visit highlighted not only a new course in international relations, but showcased on-going scientific collaborations with the country only 90 miles off the Florida coast. "Ocean currents know no boundaries,” said Billy Causey, regional director of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' Southeast Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean region. “They’re a conveyor belt, moving important marine life between our countries. Late last year, NOAA, the U.S. National Park Service and Cuba’s National Center for Protected Areas agreed to share research to help the countries work together on some of the Caribbean’s most ecologically significant resources.

A shipwreck discovered off the coast of North Carolina is likely one of three Confederate blockade runners known to have been lost in the area, archaeologists said on Monday. The remains of the iron-hulled steamer were located on Feb. 27 near Oak Island. It would be the first Civil War-era vessel found in the area in decades, said the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology. Billy Ray Morris, director of the state's underwater archaeology branch, said he expected to be able to positively identify the 225-foot-long (68-metre) vessel when he leads a dive team to examine it on Wednesday. "To turn up a new wreck is a pretty big deal," he said in a telephone interview, adding sonar images showed the vessel to be largely intact.

Retired Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) William "Bill" H. Plackett died peacefully the evening of March 4. He was 78. Plackett became the sixth MCPON Oct. 1, 1985. He relieved Billy C. Sanders and held the job for three years before Duane R. Bushey assumed duties in September 1988. Plackett was born in Paxton, Illinois, and joined the Navy at the age of 19 in 1956. He attended radarman "A" school in Norfolk, Virginia and was assigned to the Naval Control of Shipping Office in Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. He served tours aboard Commander, Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet embarked upon amphibious force command ship USS Mount McKinley (AGC 7), and Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe in Naples, Italy.