Bay County News

Eastern Shipbuilding Group is one of America’s leading shipbuilders. Perhaps best known for its history building tugs, towboats and offshore supply vessels, the company is today finding success in other markets, with notable build projects underway for the U.S. Coast Guard, Staten Island Ferry and dredging contractor Weeks Marine. Eastern’s president Joey D’Isernia weighs in on the yard’s current workload, market drivers and the challenges overcome and on the horizon.Where do you see the best opportunities for Eastern Shipbuilding Group today?We see a lot of opportunity in the defense sector…

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) has opened a new outfitting and repair yard in Port St. Joe, Fla.The new facility, dedicated to final outfitting and testing of commercial new construction vessels as well as topside repairs, adds to the company’s operational capabilities a 40-acre site that encompasses 1,000 feet of deepwater bulkhead with unrestricted access to the Gulf of Mexico test and trials grounds. “We are proud to commission our third facility with the strong support from the local community and our dedicated workforce…

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) announced that Lance C. Lemcool has accepted the position as vice president of commercial sales and marketing. “Lance is a welcome addition to the ESG leadership team”, said Joey D’Isernia, president of Eastern Shipbuilding. “He is versed in nearly all areas of shipbuilding and his experience will be well applied to maintaining our status as a world class builder of government and commercial vessels.”Lemcool, a veteran of the United States Air Force and United States Navy, started his career in the marine industry in 1989.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group reports that steel cutting for the second Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), Coast Guard Cutter Chase (WMSM-916), commenced on April 27, 2020 at its facilities in Panama City, Fla. The cutting of steel started the fabrication and assembly of the cutter’s hull, and ESG is to complete keel laying of Chase in 2021. Additionally, ESG has commenced the placement of orders for long lead time materials for OPC #3, Coast Guard Cutter Ingham (WMSM-917).Eastern’s President Mr.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, a family-owned and operated shipbuilder that is involved in both government and commercial vessel construction and repair, is focusing on helping its employees recover from the effects of Hurricane Michael.The company’s two major shipyards are based in Bay County, FL, which was declared a major disaster area in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael.“The damage caused by Hurricane Michael has affected our community and our lives. As a family-owned business, we consider our employees part of our family and they are our first priority,” said President Joey D’Isernia. “We remain committed to doing everything we can to help them through this difficult time.”ESG and its network of suppliers are currently supporting ESG employees with meals on-site as well as water…

Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) has received Notice to Proceed (NPT) from The City of New York Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) for the detail design and construction of three new Staten Island-Ollis Class Ferries for the Staten Island Ferry Division. Eastern is extremely honored to be the winning shipyard that will construct and deliver three new Staten Island Ollis Class Ferries to NYCDOT and the Staten Island Ferry Division. The three Ollis Class double-ended 4500 passenger ferries, are from a design provided by Elliot Bay Design Group, with each ferry featuring four Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) 12-710 Tier 4 compliant propulsion…

The U.S. Coast Guard awarded a contract to Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc., of Panama City, Florida, Thursday for the production of the lead Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) and up to eight follow-on cutters. The total award was valued at $110.29 million. The contract has a potential value of $2.38 billion with options to produce nine cutters. The OPC acquisition will replace the service’s aging fleet of medium endurance cutters, some that are in excess of 50 years old. Each OPC will feature a flight deck and advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment. The OPC will provide a capability bridge between the National Security Cutter and the Fast Response Cutter, which operates closer to shore.

Rescues in Saginaw Bay, Michigan, Sunday evening and Lake Erie Monday morning are the latest in an alarmingly high number of Great Lakes ice rescues since Saturday, prompting a Coast Guard reminder of the risk of venturing out onto the ice and of the importance of taking appropriate safety precautions. The names and hometowns of the rescued and assisted are not being released. At about 7:30 p.m. Sunday, a 911 operator contacted search-and-rescue controllers at the Coast Guard Sector Detroit Command Center to report a disoriented man on Saginaw Bay in blizzard conditions. The man called 911 from his cell phone, allowing the dispatchers to determine his coordinates before losing communication with him.

In February, the U.S. Coast Guard chose three finalists to design its new Offshore Patrol Cutters, with awards to Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, La., Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City, Fla. and General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works in Maine. Each company was awarded a Phase I design contract valued at between $21 million and $22 million. At the end of the 18-month Preliminary and Contract Design Phase I, the Coast Guard will choose one company’s team for a Phase II Detailed Design and Construction contract for the lead OPC.

Two men are rescued after their snowmobiles crashed through the ice about a mile offshore on Saginaw Bay near Bay City, Mich., and meanwhile the Coast Guard continue their efforts to keep the users of the ice-bound Great Lakes safe by gathering ice depth data. Personnel at Coast Guard Station Saginaw River, in Essexville, Mich., received a night-time call from Bay County 911 dispatch stating that two people had broken through the ice. The county dispatch told the individuals to remain on site so their location could be determined based on the cell phone information.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. of Panama City, Fla. announced it has been selected as one of the three finalists to design the United States Coast Guard’s new Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC). In accordance with the terms of the $22 million dollar Phase I finalist award cap, Eastern said it will spend the next 18 months finalizing the engineering and ship design in order to become the final shipyard selected to build the first OPC. The OPC fleet is expected to total 25 Cutters, while the initial contract is for up to 11 Cutters.