As Graham Gulf News

As technology needs penetrate the growing offshore sector, Harvey Gulf will depend on Advanced Logistics’ software to support its expanding fleet deployments. When offshore heavyweight Harvey Gulf International Marine deployed Advanced Logistics’ marine management system, SAMM, and preventative maintenance module, Preventer, on its fleet of marine transportation vessels, it signaled a firm commitment from one of the fastest growing – and highly regarded – U.S.-flag marine operators to ramp up its IT profile. Louisiana-based Advanced Logistics LLC, a provider of offshore marine and logistics management software, caters largely to the oil & gas sectors.

Looking back at the Cummins Hotips#84 from 1999 (www.haig-brown.com Hotips) one can see how this class of vessels has evolved over the past decade. The crew boats were already getting larger with vessels up to 183 by 35 ft being the largest built for the Gulf of Mexico at that time. The larger boats demanded more power with the shift from six-cylinder 700-HP KTA19 engines to the larger 12-cylinder 1350 hp KTA38-M2. In the spring of 2009 C&G Boatworks in Mobile launched the crewboat Gulf Princess for Graham Gulf. At 185 by34 ft the size had not grown so much but the level of sophistication had.

Earlier this year C&G Boat Works Inc. launched the Gulf Princess for owner . Originally conceived as a 175 by 34-foot vessel the decision was made during construction to add a ten-foot extension bringing the vessel length to 185-feet. The original power package was retained. This included four1800-hp Cummins KTA50-M main engines turning 48-inch propellers through ZF 4650 gears with 2.5:1 reduction. A Cummins 6CTA8.3DM engine powers the Thrustmaster TH250RT retractable bow thruster. Two Cummins 85 KW 6BTA5.9DM/Newage generator sets supply the vessels electrical requirements.

The area directly south of Lafayette, La., is authentic bayou country, known for Cajun culture, excellent food, unique music and, for boat lovers, the crew/supply boat capital of the world. Four boat yards in this area build these multi-engine, all- aluminum, speedy vessels, almost exclusively. Each yard turns out up to six crew/supply boats a year. In fact, three of the shipyards are located within just a few miles from each other in the tiny hamlet of Loreauville, La., a town that seems to be made up mostly of aluminum welders. That, of course, is an exaggeration, but not by much. Not every vessel delivered from these shipyards goes to work supporting the search for oil and gas…

As noted in the accompanying article the Gulf of Mexico is in the midst of a drilling malaise. The days when southern shipyards routinely turned out 50-60 supply boats and an equal number of crew/supply vessels is over at least for the time being. The last three years has seen an unprecedented number of OSVs joined the fleets of Tidewater, Hornbeck, Otto Candies, Edison Chouest and other major offshore operators. Leevac Shipyards is a prime example. For the last four years they have built almost exclusively for Hornbeck Offshore Services, producing a number of 200-260 ft. very capable supply boats including four 240-ft. platform supply vessels in 2003. Today their order book includes a huge casino boat and a large 445-ft. by 78-ft. tank barge, but no OSVs. Quality Shipyards, Houma, La.

The one constant about the management of offshore vessel operating companies is the domination of family members of the founder. Except for the largest of these companies, Tidewater, Inc., that is a public NYSE-listed firm, most of the companies in this category, large and small, are run by the descendents of the founder. Many of these companies still bear the founder's name and most of the vessels are named after family members. In 1948, Abdon Callais converted a shrimp trawler into an offshore service vessel and that began a company that is in its third generation of providing transportation of fluids and cargo to offshore oil and gas rigs. Abdon's sons Harold and Ronald became involved with offshore oil buisness.

Project manager Larry Smith is excited about the latest crew boat built at C&G Boat Works' Mobile shipyard for sister company Graham Gulf. Larry started working with owner Janson Graham's grandfather 32 years ago and takes a kind a family interest in each new boat, but this one, the Graham Honor, is the company's first jet. "It allows a flatter hull," explains Smith, "With only about 1.5 ft. The overall molded depth for the 155 x 29-ft. hull is 13 ft. The 155-ft. LOA results from the addition of a 10-foot extension out over the transom to provide extra deck space and to protect the jets. This results in a big 98 x 25-ft. aft deck capable of 200 tons of cargo. The move to jets also allows some shifting in the engine spaces.

The Graham name is well known in the Gulf of Mexico maritime world with family ownership of fleet operator Graham Gulf and the C&G Boat Works in Mobile, Ala. As Graham Gulf’s newest crew boat leaves the C&G Boat Works and goes into service this month it will mark a special memorial. The 165-ft. vessel is named for Gayla Graham, sister to Janson Graham and a partner in the firm, who died tragically in an auto accident last year. The Gayla Graham is getting every extra attention to detail that her builders can provide in honor of her namesake. Larry Smith, who overseas the Graham Gulf jobs in the shipyard, said, “We’re doing a special job on this one. The boat is built to comply with Subchapter T rules and full class in accordance with ABS High Speed Craft Guide.

The Graham name is well known in the Gulf of Mexico maritime world with family ownership of fleet operator Graham Gulf and the C&G Boat Works in Mobile Alabama. As Graham Gulf's newest crew boat leaves the C&G Boat Works and goes into service this month it will mark a special memorial. The 165-foot vessel is named for Gayla Graham, sister to Janson Graham and a partner in the firm, who died tragically in an auto accident last year. The Gayla Graham is getting every extra attention to detail that her builders can provide in honor of her namesake. The boat is built to comply with Subchapter T rules and full class in accordance with ABS High Speed Craft Guide. This classification allows for 80 passengers.

It takes about ten and a half months to complete a 155-ft. supply boat at C&G Boatworks in Bayou LaBatre. So the boat that Janson Graham of Graham Gulf, had started this past July, should deliver some time next April or May. Sea trials for the new vessel will attract some attention, since it is a sister to boats delivered this past spring, but it will have different power. The earlier boats were powered by four 1575 HP engines for a total of 6300 HP. The new boat will be powered by four Cummins KTA38M2 engines each rated for 1350 HP at 1900 RPM for a total of 5400 HP. The owner expects the same 23-knot light and 20-knot loaded speed as the earlier boats as the Cummins engines are lighter in weight. The main engines will turn into ZF 4540 gears with 2.59:1 ratios.

The repower of Brother, a 140-ft. aluminum offshore crew/supply vessel with Cat 3508Bs, has reportedly improved efficiency more than 20 percent, and helped to decrease downtime significantly, according to Mike Dickinson, Eastern Division general manager for Graham Gulf Inc. of Bayou LaBatre, Ala. Graham Gulf currently operates five 140-ft. aluminum offshore crew and supply vessels in the Gulf of Mexico. All of the boats were designed and built by C&G Boat Works, a sister company of Graham Gulf, also located in Bayou LaBatre. Brother entered service in January 1998 powered by another manufacturer's 16-cylinder engines rated at 1,100 bhp. After more than two years of operation, Graham Gulf decided that the engines were not performing at the level required for the job.

With over 550 vessels in service, Tidewater, Inc., is by far the world's largest offshore oil service operator. Headquartered in New Orleans, La., Tidewater operates wherever offshore oil and gas is found. While the industry has undergone a slow down in 2002-03, Tidewater is confident that current trends indicate business will improve and the company has been upgrading its fleet of vessels to meet customer needs. "We have a very strong balance sheet," said Stephen Dick, Executive Vice President of operations for North America, North Sea and West Africa for the company. "We have been moving aggressively in the area of new vessel construction, especially U.S. flagged supply boats and crew/supply vessels," Dick added.