Swan Island News

Vigor announced it completed a nine-month docking selected restricted availability (DSRA) on USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112), returning it to service on-schedule.Work performed includes overhauling machinery, repairing the underwater hull and implementing significant renovations to the ship's superstructure.The contract, which was awarded to Vigor after a successful challenge last year, marks the third DSRA Vigor has completed at Pearl Harbor since 2021. Vigor previously competed DSRAs for USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) and USS William P.

Vigor announced it has completed a three-year modernization project on U.S. Navy Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chosin (CG 65) at its Harbor Island shipyard in Seattle.The project, which encompassed more than 1.7 million hours of work for Vigor employees, in addition to work by dozens of subcontractors and the U.S. Navy, was one of the largest, longest and most complex in Vigor’s history, the company said. Work completed including weapons, communications and information systems modernization, as well as upgrades to many other areas of the ship.

Vigor, a Titan company, has been awarded a $131 million U.S. Navy contract to complete a docking selected restricted availability (DSRA) on USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) at Harbor Island in Seattle. The ship arrived at Harbor Island on November 4, becoming the fourth U.S. Navy vessel currently undergoing maintenance at the Seattle shipyard.The DSRA will consist of underwater hull preservation, propulsion overhaul, structural work, valve overhaul, sonar work, deck preservation and significant modifications and alterations.

Vigor reports it has completed the modernization of USS McCampbell (DDG 85) at Swan Island, sending the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer on to its new homeport at Naval Station Everett, Wash. The 18-month, more than $155 million project was the largest ever completed by Vigor’s Ship Repair team, and the largest of its kind at Swan Island in nearly 30 years, the company said.“Our skilled workers at Swan Island were honored to support the U.S. Navy and get USS McCampbell back into service,” said Adam Beck, Vigor Executive Vice President of Ship Repair.

USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, docked at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) for the ship’s docking selected restricted availability (DSRA).Vigor, a Titan Company, and Hawaii Regional Maintenance Center (HRMC), responsible for surface ship maintenance at PHNSY & IMF, will partner to complete the DSRA. The work is expected to continue into early January 2022.William P. Lawrence’s availability will include routine maintenance…

The Los Angeles Pilot Service has taken delivery of two customized 56-foot Camarc Design pilot boats built by Vigor Industrial at its Vancouver, Wash. facility, located on the northern side of the Columbia River. The Angels Pilot and Angels Navigator were handed over to the LA Pilot Service at Vigor’s shipyard on Swan Island in Portland, Ore. in early October.Camarc designs are optimized to function in the most extreme climates in the world. The UK firm's pilot boat designs are deployed throughout Europe…

Diverse Newbuild & Repair Business Buoys 2018The year 2018 is off to good start at Vigor. The Harbor Island facility welcomed a new drydock christened the Evolution. The $20 million Evolution is the third drydock at Vigor’s Seattle facility and largest in the Puget Sound region, measuring 640 x 115.5 ft. with a lift capacity of 22,000 LT.Other investments in Seattle include a buildout of a dedicated aluminum production facility which greatly expands Vigor’s fabrication capabilities and capacity for workboats…

Marine News looks back at the past 12 months and showcases the best of North America’s workboat design shop and shipyard output. In a year where some stakeholders might not rank 2016 as the best of years in the shipyard or on the waterfront, we might disagree. And, there is plenty to write about. New contracts, deliveries and designs all combine to show that the collective workboat waterfront is moving forward, with technology, the environment and replacement tonnage requirements as the main drivers.

The two newest inland river towboats in Tidewater Transportation and Terminals’ fleet, Granite Point and Ryan Point, were christened during a late afternoon ceremony Saturday, June 11 at Vancouver Landing in Vancouver, Wash. After Deacon Tim Dooley from Portland’s Holy Family Parish delivered a blessing, Patty Reed, wife of Bruce Reed, Tidewater’s Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, and Diane Laya, wife of Marc Schwartz, Tidewater’s Maintenance and Engineering Manager…

For nearly two decades, Frank Foti has led Vigor’s transformation from a single, struggling shipyard to a thriving, increasingly diversified industrial company with 2,500 employees, 12 locations and approximately $700 million in annual revenue. According to Vigor, Foti often describes his motivation in three words: “Industrial Jobs Matter.” Committed to improving long-term, family-wage job opportunities workers and their families and communities, Foti and his management team have, over time, has worked to strategically expand and diversify the company, investing in training facilities and infrastructure along the way. Also according to Vigor…

A small group of protesters and activists are gathering at the Cathedral Park boat ramp in Portland, preparing to stay for a 24-hour vigil as they wait for Royal Dutch Shell Oil's icebreaker ship, the MSV Fennica, to depart from Portland for the Arctic, reports Reuters. Following the lead of protesters in Seattle who tried to block ships headed for Shell's planned oil exploration in the Chukchi Sea, the Portland "kayaktivists" said they would conduct a vigil overnight on the Willamette River, which runs through downtown Portland. "Our goal is to basically demonstrate as much community resistance to Shell’s plans to drill for oil and secure new oil reserves in the Arctic,” said Meredith Cocks, organizer with environmental activist group Portland Rising Tide.

A cadre of volunteers navigate the regulatory labyrinth and a host of safety requirements to bring back to life an enduring symbol the nation’s can-do spirit and resiliency. Early next year, a 78-foot Patrol Torpedo 305 boat, being restored at the National WWII Museum, should be U.S. Coast Guard compliant and ready for passengers. The fast-attack PT-305, equipped with cannons, torpedoes and machine guns, served in the Mediterranean in 1944 and 1945, operating from Bastia, Corsica.

Vigor Fab has delivered Harley Marine Services’ newest vessel, the 250’x70’x15’8” 'Iliuliuk Bay' (an Aleut name meaning Big Island). The deck barge is purpose-built to enhance quality of service provided to customers living and working in Alaska. Iliuliuk Bay is in transit to Dutch Harbor and will enter service on November 3rd. Her unique design provides a flexible workhorse that can easily switch between containers and other cargo to serve the diverse needs of Harley Marine’s customers. She will transport a wide variety of cargo between Dutch Harbor and neighboring islands.

For Vigor Industrial, a privately-held shipbuilding and repair company headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the future looked bright and a bit ominous at the same time. Work was coming in, dock space was filling up, future orders were signed, and new properties purchased; in short, business was booming. But dark clouds crept in around the edges of this rosy picture. As recruiters set out to find new talent to meet the growing demand, they encountered a candidate pool without the necessary skills to pick up a welding torch and go to work.

Looking toward the future and with a weather eye on what could come next, Oregon-based Vigor Industrial launched a six-month training program this July in welding, fabricating and fitting with South Seattle Community College at a new center on Harbor Island. Vigor acquired the site overlooking downtown Seattle when it bought Todd Pacific Shipyards in 2011. And, as an active bidder for the U.S. Coast Guard’s coveted Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program, Vigor also knows that they’ll need to perform when the time comes. A skilled workforce will be an important part of that equation.

Crowley Maritime subsidiary, Jensen Maritime complete design of 2 ASD tugboats & a deck cargo barge for Harley Marine. Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering company Jensen Maritime recently completed the designs of two new ASD tugs, based on the popular Valor tugboat design, and a 250’ x 70’ x 15’ 8” deck barge for customer Harley Marine, a Seattle-based marine transportation provider. The tugs, named Robert Franco and Ahbra Franco, will provide tanker escort and ship assist services along the U.S. West Coast once delivered.

Jensen Maritime, Crowley Maritime Corp.’s Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering company, recently completed the designs of two new ASD tugs, based on the popular Valor tugboat design, and a 250’ x 70’ x 15’ 8” deck barge for customer Harley Marine, a Seattle-based marine transportation provider. The tugs, named Robert Franco and Ahbra Franco, will provide tanker escort and ship assist services along the U.S. West Coast once delivered. The barge, Iliuliuk Bay, will transport a wide variety of cargo between Dutch Harbor and Akutan, Alaska, with up to three runs per week. Jensen designed the two new industry-setting tugboats similarly to the classic Valor concept, but upgraded them with Tier 3 Cat 3516C engines and Rolls-Royce US 255 Z-drives.

US Fab, a Vigor Industrial company, will soon begin construction on a 250’x70’x15’8” deck barge for Harley Marine Services at Vigor’s Swan Island shipyard in Portland, Oregon. This purpose built barge was designed by Jensen Maritime Consultants to transport a wide variety of cargo between Dutch Harbor and Akutan, Alaska with up to 3 runs per week. “Having the ability to collaborate with Jensen and Harley during the initial production design for this barge, will allow us to have maximum efficiency during construction,” said Bryan Nichols, Sales Manager at Vigor Industrial.

Vigor Industrial is a comprehensive marine services provider specializing in shipbuilding and ship repair. Three years ago, Vigor initiated an aggressive growth strategy that consolidated major shipyard facilities in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska under one umbrella, and more than doubled the size of its business, and leading a renaissance of the marine business on the U.S. West Coast. Over the next five years, Vigor has set its sights on an expansion plan that will double the current size of the company. In early 2012, Vigor Industrial acquired Alaska Ship & Drydock (ASD).

“There is a resurgence of the marine industry in the Pacific Northwest we haven’t seen for 20 to 30 years now,” said Vince Piscitello, Vice President of Business Development for Vigor Industrial LLC. “The oil and gas industry is really new to our area,” he said, although he expects to see it grow significantly with Shell’s exploration of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off Alaska’s northern coast. State run ferry operations in Washington and Alaska are at a point where they must renew fleets built in the 50s and 60s.

Alaska has approved Vigor Industrial’s bid to assume Alaska Ship & Drydock’s (ASD) private/public partnership leases to operate the Ketchikan Shipyard. The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority unanimously voted today in Anchorage to transfer leases to the new Vigor Alaska Ship & Drydock subsidiary, clearing the way for Vigor’s acquisition of the operating company. The purchase was first announced Feb. 7 pending AIDEA approval. Officials of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough and the City of Ketchikan also approved the transfer. “We start today working with the people here in Ketchikan and throughout Alaska to build even more maritime and industrial jobs at this great facility…

Vigor today announced its plan to acquire Alaska Ship and Drydock Inc. (ASD), further consolidating the business of ship repair on the U.S. West Coast. ASD intends to transition its business and assets to Vigor pending approval of the transfer of ownership by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), the owner of the Ketchikan Shipyard where ASD is based. The private companies hope to finalize their agreement on or before March 1st. ASD would operate the Ketchikan Shipyard (KSY) as the Alaska Ship & Drydock LLC subsidiary…

Bryan Nichols, one of the leading maritime business development professionals in the Pacific Northwest, is joining forces with VIGOR Industrial, which owns and operates the premier shipyards in the region. Nichols joins VIGOR as a sales representative for the company, which builds, repairs and modernizes commercial fishing and cargo vessels, ferries and military ships at six locations in the Northwest. Nichols had been sales and marketing manager at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders of Whidbey Island, Wash. “Joining VIGOR is an exciting next step for me,” Nichols said.