Fiberglass Tow Targets News

Horizon Shipbuilding formalized a contract with Dixie Towing, Jacksonville, Fla. for the construction of a 70 ft. (21.3 m) Z-drive tug. Designed exclusively for Dixie by Glowacki Engineering, also of Jacksonville, tug is scheduled for a fall 2000 delivery. The company is also involved in constructed a 135 ft. (41.1 m) dinner cruise vessel and a series of 28 ft. (8.5 m) fiberglass tow targets for the U.S. Navy.

ConAgra Inc., the second largest U.S. food manufacturer, has agreed to sell American Commercial Lines LLC (ACL) its large U.S. inland barge fleet and operations. Financial terms of the deal, which ConAgra said was part of ongoing series of strategic divestments, were not announced. ACL will acquire 930 owned and chartered barges, nine chartered towboats and one dry dock, the companies said in a joint statement. The deal includes Peavey Barge Lines, Brown Water Towing Inc. and Superior Barge Lines, Inc. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval but is expected to be completed in the next 30 days, the companies said. Greg Heckman, president and CEO, ConAgra Trade Group, said, "Our decision to sell the barge company is a strategic one.

Horizon Shipbuilding and SLOK Nigeria Limited have signed contracts for the construction of three offshore vessels - all of which will operate under a long-term contract with Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited. The contract calls for Horizon to build a 200 ft. (61 m) steel Single Point Mooring (SPM) Oil Spill Response Vessel with a total of 4,000-shaft hp. The vessel will be fitted with controllable pitch propellers and a dynamic positioning system, and will be constructed to ABS class requirements for unrestricted service, thus meeting all SOLAS requirements. A second contract calls for Horizon to construct two 155 ft. (47.2 m) aluminum crew boats for SLOK Nigeria. The vessels, which total about 4,000-shaft hp, will be driven with five propulsion shafts.