Conrad C Lautenbacker Jr News

Without much fanfare, VT Halter Marine, Gulfport, Miss. is completing a number of very large and capable vessels for both commercial and U. S. Government interests. The company seems on track with the objectives set last year by CEO Boyd E. "Butch" King to add additional projects to their two shipyards located in the Pascagoula, Miss. area. For example, the company will christen the Oscar Dyson October 17. This is a very unique Fisheries Survey Vessel for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a Federal Government agency. The vessel is 208 ft. long with a 49-ft. beam and a relatively deep 28-ft. hull that has a maximum draft of 19 ft.. The Oscar Dyson has a steel, ice-classed hull with an aluminum deckhouse and is anticipated to run at 14 knots.