Derecktor Shipyard News

The Board of Directors of Hendry Marine Industries, Inc. announced the appointment of Mr. John P. Gallagher as President of Gulf Marine Repair effective January 29, 2019. Gallagher, a graduate of The Webb Institute of Naval Architecture, is a seasoned maritime executive with over 30 years of leadership experience inoperations management, naval engineering, ship construction and ship repair. Highlights of Mr. Gallagher’s career include VP Operations, Derecktor Shipyard; Chief Executive, BMT International, Inc.; and President, Northeast Ship Repair.

Bob Kunkel needs no introduction to Marine News readers. Kunkel, President of Alternative Marine Technologies, previously served as the Federal Chairman of the Short Sea Shipping Cooperative Program under the Maritime Administration and Department of Transportation from 2003 until 2008. A past Vice President of the Connecticut Maritime Association, he is a contributing writer for Maritime Logistics Professional magazine and of course, Marine News. A graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy…

Mapping and shaping the growth of marine hybrid means many things to different stakeholders. The journey leads us all to the same place. If you follow the advancements in automotive design, the term or tag “hybrid” has come to define the alternative energy movement on our roads and highways. HEV autos have moved past Ford and GM in Detroit and into the hands of contemporary entrepreneurs and inventors the likes of Tesla’s Evan Musk or Dr. Victor Wouk. BMW, Ferrari, Bentley and…

LNG? Methanol as fuel? Hybrid systems? Tier 4? Reducing noise? Cutting emissions without crushing fuel economy? Marine News readers have questions and Bob Kunkel has answers. Kunkel, President of Alternative Marine Technologies, previously served as the Federal Chairman of the Short Sea Shipping Cooperative Program under the Maritime Administration and Department of Transportation from 2003 until 2008. A past Vice President of the Connecticut Maritime Association, he is a contributing writer for Maritime Professional and Marine News. A graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Kunkel sailed as a licensed engineer and eventually continued his career in ship construction at NASSCO, San Diego, Hyundai Heavy Industries, S. Korea, Chengxi Shipyard and Dalian New Shipyard in China.

Short sea shipping is alive and well on America’s East Coast. In the United States, counties and states directly on the shoreline constitute less than 10 percent of the total land area (not including Alaska), but account for 39 percent of the total population. From 1970 to 2010, the population of these counties increased by almost 40 percent and are projected to increase by an additional 10 million people or 8 percent by 2020. Coastal areas are substantially more crowded than the U.S. as a whole, and population density in coastal areas will continue to increase in the future.

Amtech specializes in ship design integration and construction supervision dealing with new propulsion technologies, niche trades and operational efficiencies. Its South Korea office and staff have delivered over 250 ships and the U.S. offices are well versed in U.S. construction, Jones Act applications and the domestic workboat markets. Amtech boasts $450 million of ships under construction in Korea until 2017. Closer to home, the company has successfully delivered the first…

Damen licenses another U.S. Robert E. Derecktor Inc. and Damen Shipyard Group have entered into a license agreement authorizing Derecktor to act as an official builder of Damen designs. The agreement will see Derecktor offer its customers pilot boats and wind farm support vessels combining the range and international experience of Damen designs with its own American craftsmanship, which Derecktor says creates an innovative, cost-effective experience for its customers, with proven performance and reliable U.S.-based support and maintenance.

Battery based energy storage systems for marine applications are finally moving, cleanly along the global waterfront at full speed. The UN Report on climate change on November 2, 2014, stated that the unregulated use of carbon based fuels must cease by the end of the century. While people can debate the causes of global climate change, this type of strong statement is increasingly familiar. The shipping industry is one of the largest consumers of carbon-based fuel, and as such, has great reason to be concerned.

A different kind of emission in the compliance spotlight – above and below decks. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment during its 2012, 56th session submitted a draft revised code on noise levels onboard ships. The code set out mandatory noise level limits for machinery spaces, control rooms, workshops, cargo blocks and accommodation spaces in an effort to address health and safety issues on board ships, ATB’s and/or tugboats.

Those MarineNews readers who are not familiar with Bob Kunkel probably should be. That’s because Kunkel, President of Alternative Marine Technologies, previously served as the Federal Chairman of the Short Sea Shipping Cooperative Program under the Maritime Administration and Department of Transportation from 2003 until 2008. He is a past Vice President of the Connecticut Maritime Association, a contributing writer for many maritime and technical trades publications, including Maritime Professional Magazine and MarineNews.

Jensen Maritime Consultants hired its third naval architect, Jianjun Qi, in the company’s new office in the New Orleans business district, reporting to Jensen General Manager Sergio Fifi. Qi brings to Jensen a decade of naval architecture, marine engineering and shipyard expertise. Before joining Jensen he worked as a naval architect at Incat Crowther, of Morgan City, La., a diversified naval architecture group, and served as a senior naval architect for Derecktor Shipyard in Bridgeford, Conn.

The new 440-ft. (134-m) monohull high-speed ferry Corsaire 13000 will soon undergo speed trials at the French shipyard Alstom Leroux Naval, and the successful testing and subsequent operation of the advanced vessel will prove the value of the complete propulsion system supplied by MTU. The ship is planned to operate for the French SNCM (Societe Nationale Maritime Corse-Mediterranee) on the 189-n m. crossing from Marseille and the island Corsica at 42 knots. The ship's propulsion and power generation system — virtually all of which was supplied by MTU — is truly one of the vessel's distinguishing features. The engines, gas turbines, gearboxes…

The Fire Island Ferries, Inc. took delivery of AMERICA, an 85 ft. Freight Boat built by Derecktor Shipyard Conn. LLC. This is the first boat to have been delivered by Derecktor’s Connecticut facility. AMERICA will be used between the Long Island operator’s home port of Bay Shore, on the South shore of Long Island, and various destinations on Fire Island. The new vessel shall be used primarily to ferry cargo needed by contractors working on Fire Island, and various commercial delivery vehicles and contractors. Designed by Nigel Gee & Associates, the ferry is a fairly traditional looking vessel with a singlechined hull. Hull and superstructure are all-aluminum alloy. The bow of the boat has an enclosed section for cargo storage and passengers.

The wife of Alaska’s senior senator Ted Stevens, is scheduled to christen Alaska's latest fast ferry at the Derecktor Shipyard in Bridgeport, Conn. The ship -- M/V Chenega -- is scheduled to begin service in Alaska’s Prince William Sound in late spring. Designed by Nigel Gee and built by Derecktor Shipyard, the vessel is the second aluminum passenger and vehicle carrying catamaran built for the state. Once it is put into service, it will provide daily service between its homeport of Cordova and the surface highway accessible communities of Valdez and Whittier -- at travel times of almost half those of most Alaska Marine Highway vessels.

The wife of Alaska’s senior senator Ted Stevens, christened Alaska’s second fast ferry at the Derecktor Shipyard in Bridgeport, Conn. The ship -- M/V Chenega -- is scheduled to begin service in Alaska’s Prince William Sound in late spring. Designed by Nigel Gee and built by Derecktor Shipyard, the vessel is the second aluminum passenger and vehicle carrying catamaran built for the state. Once it is put into service, it will provide daily service between its homeport of Cordova and the surface highway accessible communities of Valdez and Whittier -- at travel times of almost half those of most Alaska Marine Highway vessels. The name Chenega was nominated by sixth grader Emily Oskolkoff of Ninilchik School in the Kenai School District who won a Statewide Essay contest to name the new ferry.

Montco Offshore is the beneficiary of the latest innovative newbuild from the Bollinger Shipyards stable. The companies are touting the new L/B Myrtle, a 137.5 ft. unit, as a giant leap forward in the evolution of liftboats. The unit is outfitted with 245-ft. legs and the self-propelled floating platform has the ability to work in water depths to 180 ft. with a 15-ft. air gap while lifting a total of 850 KIPS of variable load. The feature that separates this liftboat from others, however, is that it is equipped with a bowthruster and controllable pitch (CP) propellers for greater maneuverability and pinpoint positioning of the huge legs with oversized pads on the ocean bottom.

The passenger vessel industry continues to be mired in a construction malaise with high-speed passenger only ferries and more conventional passenger auto ferries the only bright spot. The epicenter of the passenger vessel ferry business is the New York City metro area where dozens of new ferries have been added to replace the PATH and other subway lines destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Suddenly "the way to work" for thousands of commuters was severed. Recent deliveries into the area include five 79-foot catamarans for NY Waterway. They are single deck, 149-foot passenger only ferries. The company also has purchased two 340-passsenger fast ferries from NY Fast Ferry. The ramp up in New York City ferry services has not been without difficulties, however.

With faster speeds and lighter hulls, ship builders and owners require lightweight equipment. Maritime Dynamics will be incorporating weigh saving features into its ride control system to address this challenge. The first measure has been to design the ride control hydraulics system to operate other onboard equipment. Maritime Dynamics offers hydraulic packs, which, in addition to the ride control system, operate the propulsion waterjet steering, and reversing system. During docking maneuvers, the power packs can operate car ramps, capstans and anchor winches. This summer, Maritime Dynamics will install its first commercial computer-based ride control system with an embedded Microsoft Windows operating system.

Through a series of coincidental meetings, Southeastern New England Shipbuilding Corporation (SENESCO) was formed by seven individuals with different, unique backgrounds. Although only three of the original seven founders are still involved with the company, the focus remains the same. In fact, the young company is expecting its first delivery this autumn. According to Richard Carpenter, president and director of the company, the seven founders joined up during the winter months of 1993 and 1994. "The driving engine was a series of conferences called 'Navigating Beyond 94,'" he says. Carpenter, who had 30 years experience as a practicing attorney…

Derecktor Shipyards signed a contract with the New York/New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Association for the construction of two ¾ all aluminum ¾ fast pilot boats. The two vessels will be built according to plans by Camarc Small Craft Designs of Worthing, U.K. in Derecktor's Mamaroneck facility. Delivery is scheduled for fall 2000. The Sandy Hook Pilots serve the port of New York, the busiest commercial port in the US. They operate four boats from a stationary mother ship anchored near Ambrose Lighthouse in open waters and in a rough environment. "The Sandy Hook Pilots wanted a safe, reliable boat with superior ride comfort," said Gavin Higgins, general manager of Derecktor Shipyards.

Derecktor Shipyards is putting the finishing touches on a 134.5 ft. high-speed catamaran for the Woods Hole Steamship Authority at the yard's facility in Mamaroneck, N.Y. Delivery is slated for May of 2000. The other bidders for the contract included Dakota Creek Shipyards, Halter Marine and Pequot River Works. The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket Steamship Authority, the oldest of its kind in the U.S., provides the only year-round passenger and vehicle ferry service to the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Service is provided from Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven, and Hyannis to Nantucket. Seasonal service is also provided from Woods Hole to Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard.

Glen Paine, Executive Director of the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) and Pacific Maritime Institute (PMI) announced today that Derecktor Shipyard, on behalf of Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS), awarded a contract to MITAGS for High Speed Craft (HSC) Bridge Resource Management and Simulator Training. Derecktor is building the M.V. FAIRWEATHER for AMHS, a 235'X 60' fast passenger vehicle ferry that will be powered by four Kamewa 90 waterjets and have a service speed of 32 knots. MITAGS' STN Atlas Full Mission Shiphandling Simulator, with Kamewa style controls, 360 degree theater and a 279' X 79' Fast Ferry model, will be utilized for two training sessions. The first five-day training session for six (6) AMHS officers will be held in September.