Kvichak News

Waterjet propulsion systems supplier Marine Jet Power (MJP) announced it has appointed Kevin Kirby as president of MJP, Inc. and regional sales director of MJP in the Americas region. He will be responsible for business development, strategic market analysis and customer relations in addition to operations.Kirby brings more than 30 years of marine industry expertise, including marine design and engineering, program management and new product development. Most recently he acted as director of marine sales for a propulsion system integrator.

When discussing the arrival of autonomous workboats, many – especially those developing the technologies that enable them – say it’s is not a matter of if, but when. In fact, autonomous harbor tugs are already being put to the test in Singapore, where authorities hope to establish the technological infrastructure to enable fully autonomous ship operations. In the U.S., an autonomous vessel was shown to be able to respond to marine oil spills.But is autonomy really the future?

Sea Machines Robotics CEO & President.Michael Gordon Johnson is a marine engineer, an accomplished entrepreneur and sector leader with a primary goal of building progressive and sustainable innovation for modern society. He is the founder of Sea Machines, a Boston-based tech company that is a leading provider of autonomous control and intelligent perception systems for marine vessels. Johnson earned a marine engineering degree from Texas A&M University before starting a career focused on complex projects in offshore oil and gas, marine transportation and salvage.

As a part of its cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD), Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics announces that it has successfully demonstrated its autonomous systems in action on board a Kvichak Marco skimmer boat during events held along the Portland harbor earlier today.Sea Machines’ technology opens a new era of capability for the marine industry, and today the company demonstrated its ability to increase the safety, productivity and predictability of response for marine oil-spill operations.

Sea Machines Robotics has been a progressive leader in advancing autonomy in the maritime space, and today it announced a deal with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MarAd) to demonstrate the value of Sea Machines’ autonomous technology in marine oil-spill response ops. The scope of the deal has Sea Machines installing its SM300 autonomous-command system aboard a Marine Spill Response Corp. (MSRC)-owned MARCO skimming vessel and will train MSRC personnel to operate the system.

The U.S. Army has chosen the Vigor design for its Maneuver Support Vessel (Light), MSV(L), a new generation of landing craft to replace the aging LCM-8 Mike boats. “This award is the culmination of a five year process of research and development that first began with Kvichak prior to its merger with Vigor,” said Frank Foti, Vigor CEO. The Vigor MSV(L) design was developed in partnership with BMT following a detailed study of the Army’s unique needs and the available design options to fulfill those needs.

U.S. shipbuilder Vigor said it has begun constructing a fifth 45’ Response Boat - Medium C (RB-M C) for its long-time customer, the New York Police Department (NYPD) Harbor Unit. The vessel will be fabricated at Vigor Ballard (formerly Kvichak Marine) in the Seattle metro area with delivery expected in November. It will be the seventh RB-M C built for three different police departments. The RB-M C is the commercial variant of the Response Boat - Medium (RB-M) designed by Vigor in partnership with Camarc Design for high speed and high performance…

Sea Machines is bringing autonomous self-driving systems to the world of workboats. At an impressive virtual reality demonstration seen late last year and then again at a frigid, late winter visit to the Boston waterfront, the future of workboat technology became all too evident for this writer. The late George Allen, former head coach of the Washington Redskins football team perhaps said it best when he coined the phrase, “The future is now.” If so, then Michael Johnson, the founder of Sea Machines Robotics has brought that reality to the marine industry. The technology company targets the emerging market of autonomous marine vessels. That’s not some sort of futuristic vision; those capabilities are here, now.

Vigor said it was awarded the contract to build two additional ferries for WETA (the Water Emergency Transportation Authority) in San Francisco, Calif. The shipbuilder started constructing the first two WETA ferries in this class in spring 2015, said Tim Kolb, General Manager of Vigor Ballard. Under the latest contract, the two new hulls will be constructed at Vigor Ballard (formerly Kvichak) and the superstructure at Vigor’s Harbor Island shipyard. Designed by Incat Crowther…

Domestic ferries adjust their business models to met regulatory pressures and exceed environmental standards with an eye towards improved service. And, not a minute too soon. In North America, stalwarts in the ferry business continue to shorten journey times compared to surface alternatives, while at the same time, bring accessibility to barrier and coastal islands that would otherwise be impossible to reach. Established stakeholders continually fine-tune their operations in a…

Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) said it has been awarded a U.S. Coast Guard contract for two additional Response Boats–Medium (RB-Ms) vessels as part of a Foreign Military Sale to The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This award brings the total number of RB-Ms to 176 built by Team RB-M, originally formed by FMM and Kvichak Marine. FMM will act as the prime contractor and program manager, and the vessels will be built by Vigor at its Ballard, Wash. facility (formerly Kvichak Marine).

Vigor expanded its growing portfolio of international sales with the delivery of two, 19m all-weather pilot boats to The Port of Duqm Company (PDC), SAOC, Sultanate of Oman. The Port has been undergoing a major multiphase expansion and the new pilot boats will play a key role in ensuring the safety of vessels calling on the port. “This is an important delivery for us,” said Keith Whittemore, Vigor Executive Vice President of Business Development. “PDC is a world class, state-of-the-art Port with a major commitment to quality and safety. Designed by Camarc Design, Ltd., UK, and built at Vigor’s Ballard facility (formerly Kvichak Marine), the vessels not only function as pilot boats but also as search and rescue and oil spill recovery vessels.

Private partnerships, executed perfectly – that’s West Coast boatbuilding in today’s challenging business climates. P3 Partnerships: no, we’re not talking about infrastructure funding. But, in our P3 version, boatbuilding in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska is alive and well, because of it. Long-standing enterprises and relative newcomers are all experiencing an uptick in projects. Here, as part of our annual MN100 top company profiles, we take a look at how three organizations have either merged and/or partnered with complementary companies to expand skills…

Vigor’s Seattle shipyard recently delivered a 95’ x 38’ x 16’, 3,000 hp ATB Twin Screw Tug, Dale R Lindsey, to Harley Marine Services Inc. Designed by Elliot Bay Design Group for primary operation in Alaska, the ATB tug utilizes an Articouple FRM-43M coupler system to pair with the 20,000 barrel oil barge, Petro Mariner. It features a raised aluminum pilothouse for optimal visibility built by Kvichak. Dale R Lindsey is the 11th vessel built by Vigor for its long-time customer, Harley Marine.

Kvichak, a Vigor company, delivered a fourth, 45-foot Response Boat - Medium C (RB-M C) to its longtime customer, the New York Police Department Harbor Unit. The Kvichak RB-M C is the commercial variant of the Response Boat - Medium (RB-M), purpose built for the U.S. Coast Guard. To date, 174 RB-Ms have been delivered to the Coast Guard. The vessel was designed by Kvichak in partnership with Camarc Design for high speed and high performance, including tactical handling and specialized mission capabilities, the shipbuilder said.

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…

Export hulls – through the FMS Program, as well as Direct Sales – are a key piece of the business model. Even as the crash in energy prices feeds the oversupply of offshore support vessels – a key staple of U.S. boatbuilding diets – and the dwindling backlogs of some so-called ‘second tier’ yards,  a number of U.S. boat builders are still seeing robust demand for security vessels. Separately, tightening federal, state, municipal and overseas budgets are being trumped by the increased need for security craft that can perform more than one function.

Marine services company Harley Marine Services (HMS) has expanded its management team, naming Don Martin as Vice President and General Counsel and Steve Carlson as Vice President of Engineering, the company announced today. Prior to joining Harley Marine, Martin was the Vice President and General Counsel for Delta Western and Hawaii Petroleum where he oversaw all aspects of safety, risk management and regulatory compliance for the fuel distribution companies. Prior to Delta Western, Martin served as the Director of U.S.

Kvichak Marine Industries, a Vigor Company, is currently constructing the fourth 44.5-foot Response Boat Medium – C (RB-M C) for the New York Police Department (NYPD) Harbor Unit. The first three vessels were delivered in April 2010, August 2012 and April 2013. The RB-M C’s have been providing maritime security and law enforcement along with search and rescue in the New York metropolitan area. “The RB-M C has proven itself in the most challenging missions,” said Art Parker, Vigor sales manager. These all-aluminum vessels are designed by Camarc Design, U.K.

Dometic Marine is an engineering leader of innovative products for the global marine industry and offers a large worldwide sales and service network. Products include air conditioning, refrigeration, ship-wide ventilation, air purification, water purification, and sanitation. Dometic, Condaria, Marine Air Systems, and Cruisair air conditioning systems offer a wide range of compact, modular, and shell-and-tube chiller systems that provide ideal climate control with capacities up to 2.4 million BTUs.

Hyman Freedman began making seat cushions for horse-drawn buggies over 120 years ago. A century later, Freedman Seating Company is still a family owned-and-operated business, producing seats to the highest quality standards, compliant to applicable safety standards. Marine products include light weight aluminum marine seats and notable customers include Kvichak, MidShip Marine, Armstrong Marine, and St. John’s Ship Building. Freedman Seating manufactures passenger seats and seating solutions for the marine market from its 375,000 square foot facility in Chicago, Ill.

When one thinks of offshore renewable energy, one usually thinks of offshore wind. For the first time progress is being made in the U.S. to develop offshore wind resources. The first steel foundation jacket has been placed in the ocean floor to support the Deepwater Wind project off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island. (See www.dwwind.com/press/#/1). But recently, progress is also being made in the development of tidal and wave energy resources closer to shore, which are known as marine hydrokinetic or MHK resources.

Hyman Freedman began making seat cushions for horse-drawn buggies over 120 years ago. A century later, Freedman Seating Company is still a family owned-and-operated business, producing seats to the highest quality standards, compliant to applicable safety standards. Marine products include light weight aluminum marine seats and notable customers include Kvichak, MidShip Marine, Armstrong Marine, and St. John’s Ship Building. Freedman Seating manufactures passenger seats and seating solutions for the marine market from its 375,000 square foot facility in Chicago, IL.