Bouchard News

Seattle-based maritime transportation provider Centerline Logistics announced it has acquired a fleet of four liquid tank barges and four tugboats from maritime asset holding company JMB Shipping.The deal closed on February 23, and its terms were not disclosed. Prior to the acquisition, JMB Shipping was owned by JMB Capital Partners Lending, an investment firm that bid $115 million in 2021 to purchase a portion of Bouchard Transportation's tug and barge fleet after the New York-based marine transport company went bankrupt.

Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc. and three former and current management officials from the Long Island-based petroleum barge company have paid $375,000 in restitution to the brother of one of two seamen killed in a 2017 barge explosion off Port Aransas, Texas.The seaman alleged the company fired him for cooperating with investigators and reporting safety concerns to the U.S. Coast Guard following the deadly blast on board Buster Bouchard/B. No. 255. The National Transportation…

Morton S. Bouchard, III, fourth generation leader of family-owned Bouchard Transportation, has been ordered to step down from his role as chief executive officer as the Long Island-based tug and barge operator continues to navigate through bankruptcy and a string of legal challenges.Bouchard, the company's CEO since 1992, was ordered out of his role last week by a bankruptcy judge in Houston, and Matthew Ray of restructuring advisor Portage Point Partners has been appointed as…

Long Island-based barge operator Bouchard Transportation has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after several years fraught with legal and financial difficulties.The family-owned oceangoing tug and petroleum barge firm filed alongside several of its subsidiaries Monday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.According to the filings, Bouchard has between 1,000 and 5,000 creditors, liabilities between $100 million and $500 million and assets worth between $500 million and $1 billion.

Bouchard Transportation Co. reports all back pay has been processed as the company continues to work to raise capital that would allow it to return its vessels to service, the company's president and CEO Morton S. Bouchard III said Tuesday in a letter to staff, customers and vendors.The full letter is below:To Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. Valued Staff, Customers and Vendors:On Monday, March 16, 2020 Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. as agent on behalf of the individual vessel corporations is pleased to announce that all back pay has been processed. Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is pursuing enforcement action against Bouchard Transportation Company after the shipping company failed to comply with a captain of the port order for one of its two vessels anchored in the Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, Texas, area of responsibility.According to the Coast Guard, tugs Kim M. Bouchard and Danielle M. Bouchard and their associated barges have been anchored off Texas Point since mid-December with no known plans to move and crews unpaid since January, raising safety concerns for the crews remaining aboard as well as the public and other professional mariners, and environmental concerns for the region.Combined…

There’s a barge full of reasons why many operators turn to ATBs.A  mainstay of the U.S. coastwise dirty and refined products trades, articulated tug barges (ATB) have increasingly filled a void left as the fleet of Jones Act tankers (with crew complement requirements exceeding that of tugs) has aged out. With the cargo capacity of the larger ATBs – some with barges exceeding 300,000 barrels capacity – rivalling that of workhorse tankers that had served oil consuming regions, the concept certainly makes sense from a supply and distribution perspective.With 50…

The U.S. Coast Guard has ordered three of Bouchard Transportation Company's tug and fuel barge units currently anchored in New York Harbor to be moved out of anchorage and moored at a safe berth until additional safety inspections determine they are fit to return to service.The order from the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port of New York and New Jersey is the result of recent safety checks determining that the vessel's present operational condition poses a risk to the safety of local waterways.

The Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) L’Adroit has adopted the Argentinian flag and becomes the A.R.A. BOUCHARD. The first one of the four OPVs ordered by Argentina has been designed and developed by Naval Group on its own resources. Handed over to the Argentinian Navy two months ahead of schedule and after only ten months of upgrade and modernization works. The three others OPVs will be delivered from April 2021 at the pace of one unit every six months.L’Adroit becomes the A.R.A BOUCHARDSince mid-February…

The U.S. towing and tug business is 5,500 boats, more than 31,000 barges with an estimated total impact on U.S. GDP of $33.8 billion.“At a macro level, the bigger ships are causing downward pressure on the ship assist business because there are fewer ship calls given the increased capacity of these vessels. However, certain ports have seen tremendous growth, based on strategic location and infrastructure investments that have attracted these larger ships and been a net plus for these areas.”Kate Fuhrman…

The view from the Bouchard Boardroom and … beyond.The roots of the now familiar and reliable articulated tug and barge (ATB) business are deep and stretch all the way back to the 1800’s. Along the way, various patents to connect a tug and a barge with a secure mechanical connection were filed. The concept began to gather momentum in the late 1960’s when Edwin Fletcher with ARTUBAR, and the Bludworth family of flexible pushing systems were pioneering efforts to marry the economies of pushing with the safety and seakeeping inherent in mechanically linking the tug and barge at sea. Other systems were developed and tried; not all were successful.As a baseline…

Bouchard Transportation Co. announced the delivery of ATB unit M/V Evening Breeze and Barge No. 252 (B. No. 252), respectively, from VT Halter Marine Inc. (VT Halter Marine) and Bollinger Shipyards.M/V Evening Breeze left VT Halter Marine’s Pascagoula Shipyard facility on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, and will meet and pair up with B. No. 252 before sailing to join Bouchard’s fleet service in New York.The Evening Breeze is 4,000hp meeting U.S. EPA-Tier 4 requirements, measuring 112 feet by 35 feet by 17 feet, and equipped with an Intercon Coupler System.

Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. announced Friday that one of its barges has ended its shipyard period after completing a major overhaul.The work was performed at Gulf Marine Repair in Tampa, Fl. She left the shipyard earlier this week.Bouchard Barge No. 295 (B. No. 295) left Gulf Marine Repair in Tampa, Fla. earlier this week following an extensive scope of repair and upgrade work, a Bouchard spokesperson told MarineLink.Approximately 90 percent of the the barge’s main deck plate has been replaced…

The ocean-going petroleum barge company Bouchard Transportation said that ATB tug M/V Evening Breeze was launched at US-based medium-sized ships builder VT Halter Marine's Pascagoula shipyard.The launch of the M/V Evening Breeze marks a milestone achievement in Bouchard’s most recent expansion efforts; with the launch of sister ATB tug M/V Evening Stroll not far behind.Bouchard’s Safety First philosophy remains at the forefront of their operation, and is powerfully supported through VT Halter Marine, Inc.’s ability to help advance their fleet with the most innovative technologies.Bouchard is dedicated to offering a safe work environment for their crew and a reliable service to their customers…

ST Engineering reports that its marine sector won $311m worth of shipbuilding/repair contracts in the third quarter alone, including options for its shipbuilding business, as well as the ship and rig repair segments for progressive deliveries at its yards in Singapore and the US. In the US, the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) awarded its US shipyard a contract, including options worth $244m for the detailed design and construction (DD&C) of two firm and up to four optional Auxiliary Personnel Lighter Small APL Class Berthing Barges. The anticipated delivery periods of the two firm vessels are in the second and third quarter of 2020, respectively.

Mississippi shipbuilder VT Halter Marine, Inc. said it has secured a new contract to build an articulated tug barge (ATB) tug with an option for a second vessel for Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc.Construction of the new vessel, M/V Evening Stroll, begins immediately at the builder’s Pascagoula, Miss. shipyard, with delivery scheduled for December 2019. This vessel will enter into Bouchard’s fleet service in New York, N.Y to transport liquid petroleum products throughout the…

In 2016, Bouchard Transportation Co. partnered with SUNY Maritime College to privately host the required USCG Leadership & Managerial Skills Course for all BTC Tug Captains & Chief Engineers. Following course completion, all Tug Captains then received a full day of simulator training at the Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. Tug & Barge Simulation Center at SUNY Maritime College. Proper training and education remains of vital importance to BTC, and ensures a constant safe operation for vessel crews and customers alike.

In 1993, Bouchard Transportation Co. christened the B. No. 230, which was the first double-hulled barge to enter service in the United States. Joined together for this milestone celebration was (pictured left to right): Mr. John Dane III, former President/CEO, Halter Marine Group Inc.; Mr. Gerhard Kurz, former President, Mobil Shipping and Transportation Company (MOSAT), a Mobil Oil-affiliated company; and Mr. Morton S. Bouchard Jr., former Chairman, BTC. The July 2018 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News will feature a special “Bouchard Transportation Co.

In 1990, Richie Bates (pictured) joined Bouchard Transportation as a mate on the Ellen S. Bouchard, and soon rose to Captain of the Morton S. Bouchard Jr. in 1994. As one of BTC’s long-standing employees, Capt. Bates currently serves as Captain of the M/V Donna J. Bouchard, and leads his crew with a laser focus on always delivering petroleum products safely and efficiently. The July 2018 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News will feature a special “Bouchard Transportation Co. Celebrates 100 Years” magazine. For more information contact: Greg Trauthwein, trauthwein@marinelink.com, t.

Longtime employee Patrick Conlin begins his tenure in 1968 as a dispatcher at Bouchard Transportation Co., eventually moving up to the company’s head of operations until his retirement in 2010. Conlin also had the privilege of working with Morton S. (“Buster”) Bouchard Sr., and Morton S. Bouchard Jr.—both of whom he credits as “always reinvesting profits in quality equipment for the next generation.” The July 2018 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News will feature a special “Bouchard Transportation Co. Celebrates 100 Years” magazine.

The third generation of the Bouchard family continues within the family business as Buster’s sons Morton S. Bouchard Jr. and Frederick E. Bouchard join the company as Dispatchers in 1955. It was also during this time that Bouchard Transportation Co. furthered the tugboat side of its business with the construction of the Evening Star.   The July 2018 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News will feature a special “Bouchard Transportation Co. Celebrates 100 Years” magazine. For more information contact: Greg Trauthwein, trauthwein@marinelink.com, t. 516-810-7405.

In 1975, tugboats Bouchard Boys and Evening Light enter service, both at 3,900-hp. It was also during this year that Bouchard Transportation Co. formed its long-standing current relationship with Caddell Dry Dock & Repair Co.—a partnership--to this day--is still based on trust, loyalty and family heritage. The July 2018 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News will feature a special “Bouchard Transportation Co. Celebrates 100 Years” magazine. For more information contact: Greg Trauthwein, trauthwein@marinelink.com, t. 516-810-7405.

In conducting some research for our Bouchard Transportation 100th Anniversary special edition coming out in July (#BTC100), I was paging through historical volumes of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, which date back to 1939. Pictured here is a page from the November 1944 edition seemed particularly topical and timely, as it is a short story on the commissioning of the first of four heavy duty iceabreakers for the United States Coast Guard. As the USCG plans forward for the next-generation of heavy duty icebreakers, perhaps they can use history as a guide and order four.