Bollinger Delivers Bourchard Barge

The Bollinger built 35,000 BBL tank barge B. No 231 sails past the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge entering New York Harbor as the latest addition to the growing OPA’90 compliant fleet of Bouchard Transportation

Bollinger Marine Fabricators, L.L.C., Amelia, La., a Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. company, has delivered B. No. 231, the first of two double hull, 35,000 barrel (BBL) oil tank barge units built to meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90), to Bouchard Ocean Services, Melville, N.Y.

The B. No. 231 is a manned, clean oil, oceans tank barge measuring 300-ft. long, with a 64-ft. beam and a depth of 21-feet. The barge has ten cargo tanks, with Byron Jackson cargo pumps, driven by John Deere engines. The barge has accommodations with full galley for four, and is classed ABS, +A1 Oil Tank Barge, Manned Oceans. The sister ship, B. No. 233 is scheduled to deliver from Bollinger Marine Fabricators in the second quarter of 2008. Bollinger will also be delivering the 80,000 BBL, B. No. 282 in the 4th quarter of 2007, and the B. No. 260, a 60,000 BBL in the 3rd quarter 2008, from the Bollinger Gretna facility.

Bouchard conversion projects at Bollinger Gulf Repair and Bollinger Algiers are moving forward with the tank barge B. No. 295, previously B. No. 195, being transformed from a single hull to double hull vessel to meet the requirements of OPA ’90, with her tug, the 127-foot, Bouchard Girls, as well as the tug Ellen S. Bouchard at Bollinger Algiers undergoing regulatory renewals and upgrades. The B. No. 295, Bouchard Girls and Ellen S. Bouchard will be retrofit with the Intercon connection system.