Leevac News

Scott Theriot has been named president and CEO of Southwest Shipyard L.P., effective August 12, 2020.Theriot takes over from Read Boles who has served as interim president and CEO since February, following the passing of the shipyard's previous president and CEO Martin DeCamp.Boles has returned to his advisory role on the company's board of directors.Theriot has more than 30 years of marine industry and executive leadership experience in vessel new construction and repair in the Gulf Coast region…

US Offshore Support Vessel Analysis 2018 and 2019. The US GOM Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) market is suffering, utilization remains poor, and many owners are still squeezed financially. However, a poor market forces people to adapt and for those willing to take risks, the upside can be extremely large.US Owners 2018 vs. 2019: Within the US GOM, 2018 saw a period of strategic thinking and tactical business decisions. Tidewater Marine completed their merger with GulfMark Offshore to create the world’s largest OSV player.

On April 8, 2015, LEEVAC Shipyards, LLC delivered the second of two LEEVAC-designed 270 ft., diesel-electric, DPS-2 FIFI I Offshore Support, ACC Platform Supply Vessels, the Ram Country to Aries Marine Corporation. The Ram Country, likes its sister ship, Ram Nation, was constructed at LEEVAC Shipyard Jennings, LLC and later transported to LEEVAC Shipyard Lake Charles, LLC facility for the vessel’s outfitting, commissioning, and testing. Construction of the Ram Country spanned approximately 21 months from the cutting of steel to delivery.

On Tuesday, January 27, LEEVAC Shipyards Jennings, LLC launched hull 367, a platform supply vessel (PSV) designed by LEEVAC Design Services, LLC (300 DE-52 HAB PSV). Hull 367, the first of a two-vessel newbuild program for Tidewater Marine, is LEEVAC’s first launch in 2015, a year that marks the company’s 50th anniversary. The vessel is 300 ft. x 62 ft. x 24 ft. deep, has a diesel-electric plant, accommodations for 52 persons, and is ABS Classed A1 AMS, ACCU, OFFSHORE SUPPORT, DP-2, FiFi-1, HAB (WB), UWILD ENVIRO and GP will be certified for worldwide operations.

From the design loft to loftier designs and better-built ships, software has changed the face, and build, of nautical vessels. The far-reaching impact of ship design and construction software on the marine industry cannot be overstated, especially in an era of increasing regulation, bigger, sometimes more complex ships, and razor-thin margins. With shipyards and fleet owners alike, the end goal is the same – cutting costs without compromising safety and reliability. And to hear ship designers…

LEEVAC Shipyards Jennings, LLC launched the M/V Ram Nation, the first vessel of a new series of 4,000 DWT PSVs for Aries Marine Corporation, on Tuesday, March 18. The Ram Nation is scheduled to be delivered during the third quarter of this year. The Ram Nation is an LEEVAC-designed 270 ft., diesel-electric, DPS-2, FI FI 1 Platform Supply Vessel that will be certified for worldwide operations. Chris Vaccari, owner and CEO of Leevac, said the Ram Nation is the first of four LDS-designed vessels currently under construction.

LEEVAC Shipyards Jennings, Louisiana, inform of the successful 'splash' launch of the Platform Support Vessel (PSV) 'M/V Ram Nation', pictured here. The Ram Nation is a LEEVAC-designed 270 ft., diesel-electric, DPS-2, FI FI 1 Platform Supply Vessel that will be certified for worldwide operations. Chris Vaccari, owner and CEO of Leevac, explained that the Ram Nation is the first of four LDS-designed vessels currently under construction. The design was a joint effort between LEEVAC’s engineering and Aries’ operational teams.

Designers, Robert Allan, inform that Leevac Shipyards has completed the construction of the second of their  Z-Tech designed 2400 tugs. The latest, 'Zeus', has been delivered to its owners Suderman & Young Towing Company of Houston, Texas following the earlier delivery of her sister 'Chloe K' to her owners: Bay-Houston Towing Co. of Houston, Texas. Both tugs are operated by G&H Towing of Galveston, Texas on behalf of their owners. The Z-Tech Class tugs from Robert Allan Ltd. are designed primarily for operation in major ports and marine terminals.

The offshore market continues to be a significant driver for marine innovation, as vessels and their operators are critical factors to ensure that offshore operations – increasingly conducted in deeper, more hostile waters further from shore – are conducted in a safe and efficient manner. Here Maritime Reporter examines some notable recent designs, developments and deliveries. Eastern Shipbuilding Group, which has been extremely busy of late in the offshore sector, delivered M/V HOS Red Rock (Hull 202) to Hornbeck Offshore Services, LLC.

The launch of the new Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) 'MV Torrens Tide' at the company's Houma shipyard was safely accomplished in just 9 seconds, but ship's namesake Mary Torrens said she would have driven twice as far to witness her vessel take the plunge. "I am humbled and honored to be included in Tidewater's long standing tradition of naming vessels after its employees and I thank the nominating committee at Tidewater Inc. for this privilege. I am especially proud that the M/V Torrens Tide is being built in Louisiana…

LEEVAC Shipyards, LLC recently delivered the first of two Z-Tech 2400 harbor tug boats, the Chloe K to Bay-Houston Towing Co. TheChloe K was constructed at LEEVAC Shipyard Jennings, LLC and was later transported, via one of LEEVAC’s own dry-docks, to LEEVAC Shipyard Lake Charles, LLC facility where the Chloe Kreceived her final outfitting, commissioning, and testing. “This is the first tug that LEEVAC Shipyards, LLC has built in many years. This was namely due to the draft restrictions at our Jennings facility.

Bay-Houston Towing Co. announced it has taken delivery of the first Z Tech 2400 tugboat, the Chloe K, designed by Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, and built by Leevac Shipyards LLC of Jennings, La. The Z Tech 2400 tugs are a smaller version of the Z Tech 7500 tugs that are already in Bay-Houston Towing Co.’s fleet. While they are smaller, they have enormous power for their size. •The forward deck (over the skeg) has a low, flat sheer, creating a spacious, relatively flat and safe working deck, without any obstructive anchor chains, etc.

LEEVAC Shipyards, LLC through its newly created subsidiary LEEVAC Shipyards Houma, LLC (LEEVAC) has completed the acquisition of substantially all assets of Quality Shipyards, Inc. (Quality) located at 3201 Earhart Street in Houma Louisiana from Tidewater Marine, LLC (NYSE: TDW). The acquisition of assets includes 35 acres of industrial property located on 2,500 feet of waterfront along the intracoastal waterway, 4 drydocks (the largest measuring 4,200 tons of capacity), 100,000 square feet of covered production facilities and several large track cranes.

Leevac Shipyards Jennings LLC, of Jennings, LA, a subsidiary of Leevac Shipyards, LLC signed contracts with Hornbeck Offshore Services, LLC, an affiliate of Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE:HOS) of Covington, La., for the construction of two  STX Marine SV 310 Multi-Purpose Supply Vessels; 302 x 76 x 26-ft,, 12,070 BHP diesel electric powered MPSV’s. “These will be the twenty-third and twenty-fourth vessels to be built by Leevac for Hornbeck” said Christian Vaccari, President and CEO of LEEVAC.

LEEVAC Shipyards Jennings LLC, Jennings, LA, announced it has signed contracts with Tidewater Marine, LLC of New Orleans, LA to build two LEEVAC Design Services “LDS ” Platform Supply Vessel (PSV), a 300’ x 62’ x 24’ diesel electric PSV with options for two additional vessels. The LDS 300 DE PSV will have a deadweight capacity of 5400 LTs and will carry more than 17,600 barrels of liquid mud. It will be powered by four Caterpillar Model 3516C Tier 3 IMO II Marine variable speed diesel propulsion generator sets rated at 2100kw each.

Siemens Industr awarded a multimillion dollar contract by LEEVAC Shipyards, LLC to equip two newly constructed Aries Marine Corporation marine platform supply vessels (PSV) with its unique diesel electric propulsion solution at Leevac’s facilities in Jennings, La. “The demands placed on the onboard systems and technologies of today’s PSVs are high as these vessels are specialized and tailored based upon particular machine layouts, power requirements, automation processes, climatic conditions and more,” says David Grucza, marine business manager, Siemens Industry, Inc. The two 270 ft PSVs will be outfitted with Siemens Blue multi-drive, low-voltage system.

Leevac Shipyards Jennings LLC,  Jennings, La., signed contracts with Aries Marine, Inc of Lafayette, La., to build two LEEVAC Design Services “LDS” 270 DE PSV, a 270 x 56 x 21.5 ft. diesel electric Platform Supply Vessels (PSV). “We are very excited to have this opportunity to begin this partnership with a company like Aries Marine” said Christian Vaccari, President of LEEVAC. The LDS 270 DE PSV will have a deadweight capacity of 4000 LTsw and will carry more than 13,000 barrels of liquid mud. Each will be powered by four 3516C Caterpillar generators rated at 1825 kw each.

LEEVAC Shipyards Jennings, LLC, Jennings, LA, has signed contracts with Bay Houston Towing Co. and Suderman & Young Towing Company, both of Houston, TX, to build two (2) 80' x 38' x 16' Z-Tech 2400 Class Terminal / Escort Tugs. "We are very excited to have this opportunity to begin this partnership with companies like Bay Houston and Suderman & Young" said Christian Vaccari, President of LEEVAC. "These vessels wil primarily service the escort and towing activity in our operations in the Ports of Houston and Galveston," said Mark Kuebler of Bay Houston Towing, Co. Construction for this Robert Allan design will begin immediately with delivery for the first and second vessels slated in June 2013 and September 2013, respectively.

As a player in the Gulf lightering business, AET recognizes the need for modern, new lightering support tonnage to better serve its clients and aid safe operations. Although the new generation lightering support vessel (LSV) might look similar to a Gulf supply boat, several characteristics set it apart. It is designed to be easily built and operated. It also features less piping, ballast and cargo tankage. Since the vessel is mission-specific to handle Yokohama fenders and small cargos for tankers…

Platform supply vessel Cindy Brown Tide was delivered to offshore-service giant Tidewater on Oct. 24, and chartered to oil company BP in the Gulf of Mexico. The boat's namesake is someone missed by many. "The vessel was named for Cynthia Niklaus Brown, a wonderful woman who passed away in late 2009 in Houston after being diagnosed with cancer," said Joseph Badeaux, general manager and vice president at Houma, La.-based Quality Shipyards, a subsidiary of Tidewater. Brown, a New Orleans native…

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $9.98 million in grants to 15 small shipyards throughout the United States to pay for modernizations which will increase productivity and help the country’s small shipyards compete in the global marketplace. “In cities and towns across America, shipyards are creating jobs and keeping our nation's economy growing," said Secretary LaHood. The U.S. Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Small Shipyard Grants Program provides equipment and technical skills training for America’s maritime workforce…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration announced $9.8m in grants to 19 small shipyards in the . The grants are part of the new Assistance to Small Shipyards program, set up under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006. “Small shipyards are vitally important for the health of the maritime industry, and for the economy of the Nation,” said Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton. The purpose of the grants is to make capital and infrastructure improvements that facilitate the efficiency, cost-effectiveness and quality of domestic ship construction, conversion or repair for commercial and federal government use. The grants cover a maximum of 75-percent of the estimated cost of improvements. The companies are responsible for the remainder.

The Department of Transportation has announced 70 grants totaling $98m in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds that will be used to improve small shipyards throughout the United States. The funds, awarded through the Maritime Administration’s Assistance to Small Shipyards program, will help create and preserve jobs, provide valuable employment training and make much needed improvements to shipyards across the country. The Small Shipyards Grant program provides up to 75 percent in ARRA funds for a project and requires the remainder be matched by the shipyard. A detailed list of the grantees is as follows. •    Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc.,  Philadelphia, PA: $2,312,614, for the first year of training program.