Bouchard Signs Contracts With Bollinger

Bouchard Coatwise Management, Corp., Hicksville, N.Y., one of the largest operators of double hull articulated tug/barge ATB units in the U.S., has joined the list of Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. customers with the signing of a contract for Bollinger to build two 6,000 HP tugs, and two double-hull, clean product ocean-going barges that meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA ’90). One will have a 110,000-barrel capacity and the other will be able to carry 135,000 barrels. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. The tugs will be built at Bollinger’s Lockport, La., division and the barges will be constructed at Bollinger-Gretna in Harvey, La. Delivery of the first ATB unit is scheduled for the second quarter of 2003 and the delivery of the second unit planned for the second quarter of 2004. Guarino & Cox, LLC, naval architects, marine designers and consultants, Slidell, La., designed both ATB units. Morton Bouchard, III, president of Bouchard said, “Bouchard Coastwise Management is pleased to become part of Bollinger Shipyards’ customer list. Although Bouchard is a new customer with Bollinger, we are certainly not new to the Gretna yard, which has built excellent equipment. With the ownership of Bollinger, I am very confident that the B. No. 225 and B. no. 242 will be the best yet. I am pleased with the relationship that has developed with Boysie and his staff and look forward to future projects. Modules for the two barges will be fabricated at Bollinger’s Lockport new construction division and shipped to Gretna where they will be joined to other components produced there, where final assembly and installation of piping and other systems will be completed. The first new Bouchard barge, B. no. 225 will be 430 ft. long, with a 79-ft. beam and a depth of 34 ft., the second barge, B. No. 242 will be 487-ft. long, with an 80-ft. beam and a depth of 36.6 ft. Their sterns will be built with a notch and vertical ladder structure as part of its Intercon coupler system. The new tugs, to be named Jane A. Bouchard, and Morton S. Bouchard IV, are in honor of the mother and son of the president, Morton Bouchard III. The tugs will be 130 ft. in length, with a 38-ft. beam. Each will be powered by two EMD 16/645 F7BA diesel engines developing 3070 HP each at 800 RPM. They will drive 140 in. bronze propellers through Reintjes reveres/reduction gears with a ratio of 4.48:1.