Breaux News

If nothing else, building vessels in the U.S. is a complicated business.In a session on the domestic shipbuilding marketplace, at Marine Money’s late-November 2023 conference held in New Orleans, Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards (with more than a dozen facilities, in Mississippi and Louisiana), described his company’s architecture as a “three-legged stool approach: commercial newbuilds, government newbuilds and repair/conversion capabilities”.On the same panel…

Marine security, tracking, monitoring and video surveillance systems company GOST (Global Ocean Security Technologies) announced the promotion of Scott Breaux to Global Sales and Marketing Director – Business Strategies Analyst.In his new role, Breaux will oversee GOST’s initiatives and strategies for both recreational and commercial maritime markets. His responsibilities will include identifying potential markets for expansion, ensuring supply chain viability and establishing new global partnerships.“I’ve known Scott for over a decade…

Franklin, La. shipbuilder Gulf Craft in December delivered WINDEA Intrepid, a new crew transfer vessel built for WINDEA CTV, a partnership between Hornblower Wind and MidOcean Wind.Designed by Incat Crowther and classed by Bureau Veritas, the 30-meter-long aluminum catamaran has capacity to carry 24 technicians, plus six crew. It is powered by four Volvo DI13 main engines that drive quad Volvo IPS propulsion units. The vessel is described as "hybrid-ready", meaning it has been…

In the 65 years, since Roy Breaux, Sr. founded Breaux’s Bay Craft and on down through three generations, the yard has built over 1700 hulls. Through the regular expansion and contraction of the oil industry, they learned to pivot from market demand to market demand.As the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico moved farther offshore, the demand for larger and faster crew boats, was met by Breaux. The fine-hulled aluminum crew boats grew to 125-foot vessels powered by up to five 700 hp Cummins KTA19 engines…

Sea Change - America’s first hydrogen powered ferrySWITCH Maritime’s new 70-foot passenger ferry Sea Change is navigating uncharted waters as the United States’ first zero-emissions, hydrogen fuel cell-powered, electric-drive ferry.The pioneering aluminum newbuild, constructed by Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine, Inc. (AAM), has been completed and was launched this summer, though permitting of hydrogen fuel systems for maritime vessels is still being worked out with the U.S. Coast Guard.“Legislation and laws for passenger safety did not exist yet for this type of vessel.

Newly formed dredging and marine infrastructure services firm Encore Dredging Partners, LLC. (EDP) said it has acquired Inland Dredging Company, LLC for an undisclosed purchase price.EDP said it completed the transaction with support from its sole financial sponsor, Austin, Texas-based private equity firm AV Capital. League City, Texas-based EDP is a mid-sized cutter suction and mechanical dredging services provider focused on navigable waterways throughout the U.S.For 24 years, Dyersburg, Tenn.-headquartered Inland has provided dredging services throughout the Central U.S.

Metal Shark has delivered an 88-foot, 150-passenger high speed aluminum catamaran for NYC Ferry operated by Hornblower.The Incat Crowther-designed HB122 is the 22nd vessel Metal Shark has built for NYC Ferry, and the 35th passenger vessel delivered from its Franklin, La. shipyard since April 2017.Metal Shark and Horizon Shipbuilding (which has since been taken over by Metal Shark) were selected to built the new fleet of NYC Ferry vessels in 2016.Halimar Shipyard, Breaux Brothers Enterprises and St John’s Shipbuilding are also building new ferries for the New York operator.

The first two low emission EPA Tier 4 compliant 29-meter passenger ferries, named H401 and Curiosity, have been delivered for the still expanding NYC Ferry by Hornblower, said naval architect Incat Crowther, whose digital ship design package allowed identical vessel to be constructed at independent shipyards; Halimar Shipyard of Morgan City, La and Breaux Brothers Enterprises of Loreauville, La.The new vessels complement the 17 Incat Crowther designed 26-meter vessels and 14 29-meter vessels already been delivered to NYC Ferry.

As momentum continues to slowly ramp up in the offshore sector, Horizon Maritime said it has grown its fleet with the addition of another multifunctional offshore support vessels (OSV) from Houston-based Tidewater Marine.The new vessel, Tidewater Enabler, joined Horizon’s fleet in August and is capable of supporting various specialized marine applications, the company said. The OSV  is designed for operations in harsh weather conditions and features a 100-metric-ton/2,000-meter subsea crane…

We have had a great first couple of months at the Dredging Contractors of America. As the new CEO and Executive Director, I have begun to visit the companies, their facilities and associated dredging projects. So far, I have surveyed the beach re-nourishment project in Ocean City, Md. undertaken by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock. I’ve canvassed Weeks Marine’s repair and yard facility in Jersey City, N.J. In the last week of February, I visited Mike Hooks Inc.’s corporate headquarters and boatbuilding and repair yard in West Lake, La.

A new all-terrain vessel propulsion system specially engineered and built for operation in extreme shallow water, riverine and mud flat environments will safely and reliably propel a vessel through dense vegetation, mud and debris-strewn waters. The highly durable Swamp Shark Drive system has been introduced through a partnership between Louisiana-based boat builder Metal Shark has partnered with Angelle Development, LLC of Breaux Bridge, La. “I began designing this system and building the initial prototype in 2011 with the goal of creating the ultimate ‘go anywhere…

Former Louisiana state official Scott A. Angelle will head-up the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Angelle, who most recently served as Vice Chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, will assume his new position May 23. “Scott Angelle brings a wealth of experience to BSEE, having spent many years working for the safe and efficient energy production of both Louisiana’s and our country’s offshore resources,” Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said.

Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Washington infomred that Tidewater Marine International Inc. has sold their 41.2m x 8.2m x 3.5m depth / 2.38m draft, high-speed, aluminum crew / supply vessel “Patrice Tide” to private European operators. Built by Breaux Brothers Enterprises, Inc. of Loreauville, Louisiana in 2002, the vessel is powered by four 1,007bkW Cummins KTA 38M2 diesels totaling 5,400BHP driving four 44” x 46” fixed pitch props. This produces a speed range of 15 – 30kn on abt. 100 – 260gph, and range of abt. 1,721nm at economical speed. Vessel’s maneuverability is enhanced by a 150HP tunnel bow thruster. The 233.7mtdw, Vanuatu-flagged vessel has a deck cargo capacity of abt. 182.9mt on a 22.9 x 7.0m, 1.9t/m2 clear deck aft and a total of 72 persons on board.

In order to tap into Colombian stranded gas reserves, Pacific Rubiales Energy Corporation and EXMAR nv have partnered in a project to build and operate a floating LNG liquefaction, and storage unit, the Caribbean FLNG, which will be stationed at a jetty several kilometers off the Caribbean coast of Colombia for at least 15 years. In order to protect the hull of the Caribbean FLNG, keep it clean and facilitate class inspections over that time period without recourse to drydock and without causing harm to the local marine environment…

Wison Offshore & Marine has announced  the award of a binding agreement with Vessel Gasification Solutions (VGS) of New Jersey, U.S.A., for the supply of the industry's first barge-based floating LNG regasification unit (FRU) to be installed offshore India. The FRU, which will be owned by VGS, will consist of a newbuild, non-propelled barge equipped to perform the regasification and send out of a maximum of 1,000MMscf/d of gas. The facility will be moored on a jetty structure located approximately 8km offshore Andhra Pradesh on India's eastern coast…

Shanghai-based Wison Offshore & Marine Ltd., a subsidiary of the Wison Group, announced  agreement with EDF Trading and Exmar NV to support their collective endeavors to pursue LNG export opportunities in North America using offshore, barge-mounted natural gas liquefaction facilities developed by Exmar, Wison and Black & Veatch. Under the agreement, Wison would be responsible for the turnkey engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPCIC) services for the mobile, self-contained units that would be capable of tying in to existing pipeline, tank and jetty infrastructure to enable LNG export. These plants will utilize topside liquefaction equipment and packages designed by Black & Veatch using its proven PRICO single mixed refrigerant technology.

Caveats and some doubts remain. Marine companies along the Gulf of Mexico will be busy in 2013 producing offshore vessels to meet expected growth in the region’s deepwater drilling sector over the next several years. Vessel repairs will be active too. Worker training will be stepped up to address a skilled labor shortage. And nearly three years after BP’s spill off coastal Louisiana, safety will remain a priority. But with the nation teetering on a fiscal cliff – which may spur tax increases and government spending cuts – demand for official and military vessels could be affected…

Wison Offshore & Marine Announces Award for construction of World’s First Floating LNG Liquefaction Unit. Shanghai-based Wison Offshore & Marine Ltd., a subsidiary of the Wison Group, announced today the successful award of a contract by the Exmar group for engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPCIC) of the world’s first Floating LNG Liquefaction, Regasification and Storage Unit (FLRSU). The facility will be used by Exmar under a Build, Own, and Operate contract with Pacific Rubiales Energy Corporation, and located on the Caribbean coast offshore Colombia.

At its Annual General Meeting in Washington, DC in early April, more than 70 WISTA USA members and guests gathered to discuss issues of concern to the maritime community. Leading authorities from the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Department of Justice, regulatory and trade associations, and the U.S. Congress met with shipping professionals to discuss and debate the current status of environmental and enforcement issues and the impact of the 112th Congress on the industry, and to examine strategies for moving forward.

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) will receive the Ninth Annual Waterways Council, Inc. Leadership Service Award on Wednesday, February 24, 2010, at 6 p.m. at the W Hotel, Washington, DC. As one of the principal leaders in the effort to get the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) authorized in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007, Senator Grassley will be honored for his strong support for the improvement of the Nation’s ports and commercial inland waterways system…

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) will receive the Eighth Annual Waterways Council, Inc. Leadership Service Award on Wednesday, February 25, 2009, at 6 p.m. at the Willard Hotel, Washington, DC. Senator Harkin will be honored for his steadfast commitment to the improvement of the Nation’s ports and commercial inland waterways system over his many years in Congress. Harkin worked to broaden the support for locks and dam improvements crafting a measure with Senator Kit Bond (R-MO) that made improvements to environmental programs on the Upper Mississippi River. That resulted in a broadening of the coalition in support of moving forward with both improved locks and environmental mitigation. The measure was passed as a part of the 2007 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).

Early this February, Breauxs Bay Craft will deliver their largest crew boat to date to Gulf Offshore Logistics. It is the third in a three boat series for GOL. The red-hulled Miss Lauren is a 180 ft DP2-equipped crew boat. She is powered by four Cummins KTA50 mains each delivering 1800 hp at 1900 RPM to Twin Disc MG6848 gears with 2.93:1 ratios. Two of the four Nibral 54x54-inch propellers are mounted on 24 ft by five-inch Aquamet shafts while the other two are on 28 ft shafts reflecting the positioning of the four engines.

Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Washington reported the sale of four U.S. flag, 110 x 24 ft., aluminum hull crewboats from Stanco Boat Rental Ltd. Panama. The four vessels, Milky Way, Brenda Lee, Twix and Kit-Kat are all being delivered promptly on their own bottom directly to the Buyer. Three of the vessels are sister-boats, built by Breaux Bay Craft in Loreauville, La., in 1979 and 1980. Each of these vessel has capacity for about 38 tons of deck cargo plus seating for 59 passengers and accommodations for a crew of five.