Contract Design News

The much-needed replacement for the U.S. Coast Guard’s long-serving medium endurance cutters (WMEC) took a giant step closer to joining the fleet as the first Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) was launched and christened at Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) in Panama City, Fla. on October 27, 2023.The future USCGC Argus (WMSM 915) was christened by the ship’s sponsor, Captain (Ret.) Beverly Kelley, the first woman to command a U.S. military vessel, the 95-foot patrol boat, USCGC Cape Newagen (WPB 95318).

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Glosten announced it has been hired by San Francisco Bar Pilots to design new station boats that will meet California Air Resources Board (CARB) emission requirements.Glosten’s support of the new station boats includes a propulsion feasibility study, which is currently underway, and a contract design package.The first two station boats are expected to be in service by the end of 2024, with the third in service by the end of 2025, making San Francisco Bar Pilots the first pilot association in California to acquire vessels that will meet CARB’s Commercial Harbor Craft Regulation. The rules…

Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) won an Indefinite Delivery Contract (IDC) for naval architecture and marine engineering services for the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Philadelphia District, Marine Design Center. This contract continues BHGI’s partnership with the Marine Design Center (MDC). Some of the projects BHGI has worked on for the USACE include, but are not limited to, retrofits, finite element analyses, electric load analyses, vibration analyses, computational fluid dynamics analyses, as well as barge, towboat and dredge design.In partnership since 2010, BHGI and the MDC team have worked on a wide variety of projects both for the USACE and other federal agencies, including the United States Coast Guard, NASA, and the National Park Service.

Crowley has been selected by Senesco Marine to provide design verification and production packaging for a hybrid-electric passenger vehicle ferry for Casco Bay Lines of Portland, Maine.Under the contract, Crowley will use its development experience in electric and hybrid propulsion systems to verify the contract design by Elliott Bay Design Group and develop the production package that is necessary for Senesco Marine to begin construction. The production package provides critical…

UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography today announced that naval architecture and marine engineering company Glosten has been selected as the naval architect for the university’s new California coastal research vessel. The new vessel will feature a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-hybrid propulsion system.Selected after participating in the university's request for proposal process, Glosten will provide the preliminary design, contract design and detailed design for the research vessel to be operated by Scripps Oceanography.“This vessel will be the first of its kind…

North Kingstown, R.I. shipyard Senesco Marine will build a hybrid-electric passenger vehicle ferry for Portland, Maine-based Casco Bay Lines.Designed by Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), the 164-foot ferry will replace an existing diesel-powered ferry, the Machigonne II, resulting in a reduction of 800 tons of carbon dioxide each year.EBDG has supported Casco Bay Lines and their steering committee since 2018 as they prepared and planned for this replacement ferry, operating between Portland and Peaks Island, Maine.

Louisiana shipbuilder Bollinger Shipyards announced Friday it has submitted its final proposal to the U.S. Coast Guard to build the next round of Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC). If chosen, Bollinger would construct and deliver a total of 11 OPC vessels at its facilities in Houma, La. over the next decade.OPCs will provide the majority of offshore presence for the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet, bridging the capabilities of the 418-foot national security cutters, which patrol the open ocean, and the 154-foot fast response cutters, which serve closer to shore.

Bollinger Shipyards on Monday announced it will construct a new pontoon launcher for General Dynamics Electric Boat to support the construction and launching of the U.S. Navy’s Columbia Class Ballistic Missile Submarines.The concept and contract design for the 496- by 95-foot pontoon launcher was performed by the Bristol Harbor Group in Rhode Island. The detail design engineering will be performed at the Bollinger facility in Lockport, La. The launcher is scheduled to be delivered…

On Monday, the new ocean transport barge Holland arrived at Electric Boat’s Groton Shipyard. The barge was purpose-built to support delivery of Columbia class ballistic missile submarines. General Dynamics Electric Boat is the prime contractor on construction of the Columbia class.The Holland was designed by Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) and constructed by Bollinger Shipyards, LLC, of Lockport, La. The namesake of the new barge is John Holland, the Irish-born immigrant who designed the first submarine purchased by the U.S. Navy.

Naval architects and marine engineers sit on the front lines of the maritime industry’s battle toward decarbonization. Morgan Fanberg, President, Glosten, discusses the challenges and opportunities ahead.Put in context the challenge ahead for ship owners and ship designers to meet emission targets of 2050?I started my career in 1998 and as a young marine engineer, the challenges that I faced were taking old boats and meeting SOLAS requirements, developing ship yard packages for modifications such as oily water separator upgrades (for example).

Skagit County Public Works and Seattle-based vessel designer Glosten are seeking proposals from electrical integrators to provide the vessel and shore electrical systems and the automated charging plug for the all-electric ferry design to replace the M/V Guemes.The Washington State Legislature recently passed SHB1502, providing authority for the county to select this equipment during the vessel’s contract design. The selected integrator will be required in the bid specifications…

Bollinger Shipyards on Saturday christened the Holland, an ocean transport barge for General Dynamics Electric Boat. The Holland will support the construction and maintenance of the United States Navy’s Columbia Class ballistic missile submarines and Virginia Class fast attack submarines. General Dynamics Electric Boat is the prime contractor on the design and build of the Columbia Class submarine, which will replace the aging Ohio Class ballistic missile submarines.“Bollinger…

China's COSCO Shipping Group and the Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) have signed an agreement to jointly work on developing shipping derivatives such as container capacity futures, according to an article posted by the bourse on Thursday.China's largest shipping line has been talking to the DCE for years about shipping futures.

Louisiana shipbuilding group Bollinger Shipyards has placed its bid to build the second round of vessels as part of the U.S. Coast Guard's Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program.If selected, Bollinger would construct and deliver a total of 11 ships to the U.S. Coast Guard over the next decade, helping to sustain the Bollinger workforce through 2031, the company said.Bollinger has been actively involved in every step of the U.S. Coast Guard’s OPC acquisition process…

Shipbuilder Halter Marine is teaming with naval architecture firm Gibbs & Cox, Inc., on the U.S. Navy’s contract to perform design studies for the development of the Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV). The LUSV studies contract has an anticipated completion date of August 2021 with an option for additional studies, which would extend the forecasted completion date to May 2022.The LUSV will be a high-endurance ship able to accommodate various payloads for unmanned missions to augment the Navy’s manned surface force, according to the Navy’s program summary. Plans call for a vessel about 200 to 300 feet long that can function either partially or completely autonomously."We are honored to be part of the Gibbs & Cox team participating in the Navy’s LUSV studies contract…

Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards announced Wednesday it will construct a state-of-the-art, floating dry dock for Groton, Conn. shipyard General Dynamics Electric Boat to support the construction and maintenance of the United States’ new Columbia Class of Ballistic Missile Submarines.The detail design engineering will be performed at the Bollinger facility in Lockport, La. The concept and contract design for the 618ft by 140ft dry dock was performed by the Bristol Harbor Group in Rhode Island.

Bollinger Shipyards won a contract to build an ocean transport barge for General Dynamics Electric Boat, a barge designed and built to transport submarine modules to Electric Boat’s Groton Shipyard for final assembly and test.  The concept and contract design for the 395 x 100ft. Ocean Transport Barge was performed by the Bristol Harbor Group.  The detail design engineering will be performed at the Bollinger Lockport New Construction facility in Lockport, Louisiana and the construction will take place at the Bollinger Marine Fabrication facility in Amelia, La. Delivery is scheduled for 2021.

Alabama's historic Gee's Bend Ferry recently entered service after being converted from geared-diesel to become the first zero-emission, electric-powered passenger/car ferry in the United States. Owned by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) and operated by HMS Ferries, the 15-vehicle/132-passenger ferry runs on the Alabama River between Camden and Boykin, AL."As a first-of-its-kind vessel in North America, the Gee's Bend Ferry will have impact far beyond the State boarders.

Concept Development of Large Cryogenic Liquid Transport of High Value GasesHerbert Engineering was selected by Agility Gas Technology of Park Ridge NJ to develop a ship design concept that will capitalize on Agility’s novel, less expensive yet safer technology to build large atmospheric-pressure cryogenic-liquid chemical transport ships. Specific designs are under development for very large volume liquid ethylene, ethane and propylene transport.According to Charles Matar, CEO of Agility…

VT Halter Marine was selected for Phase 1 Preliminary/Contract design for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) AGOR Variant (NAV). For the NAV program VT Halter Marine teamed with Gibbs & Cox, Inc. to provide NAVSEA and NOAA a design approach that will deliver efficient and multi-mission effective NOAA AGOR Variant (NAV) Ships. Together, the design team brings together a group of companies with more than 160 years of combined experience in designing. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) made the announcement of the awards for the firm-fixed-price groups for the shallow coastal, continental shelf, and worldwide ocean survey and data collection requirements ships Phase I. Initial contract award for VT Halter Marine Phase I is $1.465 million.

Germany's TT-Line has signed a contract with China's Jinling shipyard for a Green Ship.The concept design for the new dual fuel RoPax ferry has contributions from Denmark's OSK-ShipTech and its sister firm Steen Friis Design - both part of Danish marine consultants OSK Group.With a particular emphasis on flexibility and fast turn-around in ports, OSK-ShipTech has assisted TT-Line with the concept design for their new Green Ship. The firm contract with Chinese yard Jinling Shipyard for a 230 m RoPax newbuilding also includes an option for a sister ship.“We are proud to contribute to TT-Line’s fleet development and in addition to developing the concept for this new Green Ship we have been responsible for the contract design as well as basic design…

Rhode Island shipbuilder Blount Boats said it has signed a contract with the nation’s largest state power organization to construct an icebreaking, all-welded-steel, diesel-powered, double screw tugboat.The new vessel for the New York Power Authority (NYPA) will be built to operate in seasonal ice near the entrance to and within the upper Niagara River. This vessel will replace existing vessels in the NYPA fleet currently used for the installation, removal, and maintenance of…

With a renewed wave of offshore industry investment in Brazil, there is a growing demand again for specialized vessels on the horizon. Underwater service providers play a major role in maintaining offshore assets, especially in deep water, by  performing diving operations and ROV surveys (Remotely Operated Vehicles). In the plethora of Brazilian operators, a company stands out from the crowd, having performed work for the Brazilian state-run oil company Petrobras for several years: Belov Engenharia Ltda.Understanding this new demand…