Marine Design Inc News

Proliferation of energy related transport continues to drive commercial U.S. As the United States aims towards energy independence by the end of this decade, domestic shipyards and vessels owners are reaping rewards from this most unexpected turn of events. Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, has been the main (and well publicized) culprit in the rapid turn of events. While the proliferation of gas has been widely known for years, the presence of oil, in quantity, was a pleasant…

Horizon Shipbuilding, Inc., Bayou La Batre, AL, has delivered the fourth in a series of 74’ towboats to Canal Barge Company, Inc. of New Orleans, LA. The Jane Merrick is 74’ long with a 32’6” beam and an 8’6” draft. Designed by Marine Design, Inc. of Gulf Breeze, Florida, the vessel is capable of pushing fully loaded fuel barges at 10 knots. Its 2000 horsepower is provided by Cummins K38M, tier II 12 cylinder marine propulsion engines, and drives 74” Kahlenberg propellers through Reintjes WAF 562 reduction gears. There are comfortable accommodations for six personnel plus the Captain.

Boksa Marine Design, Inc. is pleased to announce its recent hire of Jeffrey Kuenning, who will join the Boksa Marine Design team as a naval architect and marine engineer working in the Lithia, FL office. Kuenning will have an immediate impact on the development of a variety of custom yacht and commercial marine design projects for the company. Kuenning comes to Boksa Marine Design with 10 years of experience developing a broad range of marine design expertise including structural and mechanical design, stability analysis and engineering project management.

Horizon Shipbuilding, Inc., Bayou La Batre, AL, has delivered the second in a series of 74’ Towboats to Canal Barge Company, Inc. of New Orleans, LA. The Susan J Gundlach is 74’ long with a 32’6” beam and an 8’6” draft. Designed by Marine Design, Inc. of Gulf Breeze, Florida, the vessel is capable of pushing  fully loaded fuel barges at 10 knots. Its 2000 horsepower is provided by Cummins K38M, tier II 12 cylinder marine propulsion engines and drives 74” Kahlenberg propellers through Reintjes WAF 562 reverse reduction gears. Ship’s power is generated by two 85 KW Cummins generators.

Both Milestones Met In Same Week. Horizon Shipbuilding has delivered the fourth in a series of 120’ Towboats to Florida Marine Transporters of Mandeville, LA. The M/V Dale Artigue joins her sister ships, M/V’s Capt. W. D. Nunley, Capt. Kirby Dupuis and Brees in pushing cargoes throughout the inland waterways of the United States. “Like the other towboats we have built, the Artigue adds to FMT’s stable of workhorses,” said Ben Forrest, Horizon Project Manager. “The workmanship that our guys put into this boat is easily recognizable.

BMD provide naval architecture services for two commercial vessels. Boksa Marine Design, Inc. (BMD) has provided hull, structural and outfitting design for two recent Workskiff built boats, a 25’ RIB law enforcement boat and a 31’ RIB salvage and towing vessel. “We’ve been fortunate to partner with Workskiff on these two projects as well as many others over the years. Their boats help clients meet the challenges faced on the water and efficiently operate in all weather conditions,” said Nick Boksa, President of Boksa Marine Design. BMD managed the entire design of both vessels.

Military appetite for powerful and agile smaller platforms heats up. The use of small craft by terrorist organizations and domestic terrorist cells is a worldwide threat as demonstrated by the bombing of the USNS COLE. The attack on Mumbai, India, in November of 2008, brought the danger to the forefront. Nations realized that to combat this asymmetrical small craft threat, a similar small craft defense – not replacing, but in parallel with traditional larger platforms – is required.

Military appetite for powerful and agile smaller platforms heats up. The use of small craft by terrorist organizations and domestic terrorist cells is a worldwide threat as demonstrated by the bombing of the USS COLE. The attack on Mumbai, India, in November of 2008, brought the danger to the forefront. Nations realized that to combat this asymmetrical small craft threat, a similar small craft defense – not replacing, but in parallel with traditional larger platforms – is required.

Boksa Marine Design, Inc. has teamed up with KonaCat to develop the KonaCat 85' Passenger Catamaran. This fast catamaran design can carry up to 200 passengers and 5 crew members. The particular vessel will be designed to cruise at speeds above 30 knots. The ferry will be constructed with Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) under the KonaCat Fast Build Kit System . Expected custom design and build time is just 6 months. Located in Mobile, Alabama, KonaCat is a builder of custom composite catamarans. Their fast build system ensures timely turn around times on custom designed catamarans.

Designed by Bristol Harbor Group, Inc., (BHGI), , , under contract by Argosy Transportation Group, Inc., , the Jean-M 2501, a very built inland deck barge, was launched this week and is set to enter service next week. The 250 x 54 x 12-ft. barge is designed to transport large, over-dimensional cargo on the inland waterways. A 3/4" thick deck and substantial longitudinal stiffeners will allow her to not only carry a 3,000 lbs / sq. ft. deck load, but to do so anywhere along her length.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts awarded the design contract for a 40-45-ft. fisheries patrol boat to Response Marine, Inc. of Newburyport, Mass. (Pictured below, left). The 35+ knot boat will be used for fisheries enforcement, boating safety enforcement, homeland security as well as search and rescue patrols. Respone Marine is teaming with Marine Design Inc. of Gulf Breeze, Fla., on the project, which is expected to be completed in late 2003 for construction proposals early in 2004. Response Marine has also been hired by Winninghoff Boats to design and manage construction of its most recent fire/rescue boats. These include two 30-ft. twin outboard, pilothouse boats with firefighting systems up to 1,500 gpm at 150 psi, and a single outboard, open boat with a 550 gpm system.

Technology, The Aluminum Association, Inc. Aluminum has been used in the marine industry for more than 100 years because of its light weight and ease of fabrication combined with good corrosion and fatigue resistance. However, for much of the past 30 years, fiberglass has been the material of choice of North American boatbuilders, particularly for higher-volume production lines. Competitively priced compared with boats made from most other materials, fiberglass boats can also be made from standardized molds that reduce their construction time and labor. Aluminum alloys, which are specified for marine use, offer many benefits, though, too.

Harbor Services, Inc., a support organization for the Canaveral Pilots Association of Port Canaveral, Fla. has taken delivery of a 40 ft. pilot boat of welded aluminum by Winninghoff Boats, Inc. Designed by Bill Preston of Marine Design, Inc., this boat is an updated version of a pilot boat design that Preston has been perfecting since 1976, incorporating improvements in equipment, systems and construction methods along the way. The most significant changes on this 1998 version are the use of foam fendering, the addition of a second helm station and the creation of NC cutting files for hull and superstructure components.

For many years the fortunes of the Great Lakes-based shipbuilders and naval architects was based solidly on the building level of the owners who were also based on the 94,000 sq. mi. of water that makes up the five Great Lakes. That is no longer as true a statement as it once was. While there are many projects in this area designed and build by Great Lakes firms for owners in the area, an impressive number of significant commercial market projects as varied as Staten Island, New York ferries and Gulf of Mexico crew/supply boats were designed and or built on the Great Lakes. The Kennedy Class of double ended auto/passenger ferries is one of the most recognizable images of New York City. Every weeknight millions of people see one during the opening of the David Letterman Show.