Metal Shark Boats News

Australia's Birdon Group announced its U.S. subsidiary has reached a deal to acquire Metal Shark Boats' shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Ala.Birdon America said it will utilize the 32-acre facility for vessel repair work as well as newbuild activity, including construction of the U.S. Coast Guard's $1.187 billion 27-vessel Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program awarded to Birdon in 2022.Birdon Group CEO, Jamie Bruce, said, “The investment in this facility will not only ensure we deliver on our promise to the U.S.

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance and repair industry, announced its yearly member safety awards for 2023.“Workforce health and safety is embedded into the fabric of our industry because the teams that work in our shipyards and throughout the industrial base are the most important asset we have in building and repairing the U.S. commercial and military fleets,” said Matthew Paxton, president of the Shipbuilders Council of America.

As a rudderless U.S. Navy debates maritime strategy, fleet futures and platform performance, America’s naval shipbuilding industry can look forward to another year of relative stasis.Barring a major geopolitical incident or unexpected maritime provocation, government shipbuilding isn’t going to change course. With Admiral Michael Gilday approaching the final “lame duck” year of his four-year term as Chief of Naval Operations and the 2024 election season looming, the prospect for major changes in the Navy’s demand signal seems limited.Aside from the U.S.

My first visit in 2007 to the American Society of Naval Engineers’ (ASNE) Multi-Agency Craft Conference (MACC) was an eye-opener. Having built a naval architecture career with frigates, destroyers and other large naval and commercial ships, I was eager to learn of the smaller craft used by the U.S. Navy and other government and military bodies. As my flight into Norfolk, Va. descended over Chesapeake Bay, I gazed in amazement as a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) raced toward Virginia Beach, slowed, glided up the beach and into its shore base.

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipyard industry, today announced the 2022 Annual Shipyard Safety Awards. SCA recognized a total of 15 U.S. shipyards and repair facilities with seven recipients receiving multiple awards.SCA honors shipbuilding and repair organizations with the “Excellence in Safety” Award and “Improvement in Safety” Award each year for enhancement of operations and promotion of safety and accident prevention.

In any business, companies that achieve success must do at least one thing extraordinarily well. Shipbuilders like Metal Shark Boats are among companies that have taken their success to the next level by do a lot of things well. Government and commercial. Aluminum, steel and fiberglass. Serial and custom. Newbuild and repair. Sixteen to 300-plus feet. Patrol boats, pilot boats, fireboats, passenger ferries. Domestic and international. Metal Shark has thrived across the board.A…

USA-based shipbuilder Metal Shark and Sea Machines, a Boston-based developer of autonomous marine technology, have partnered on the introduction of a new 29-foot autonomous vessel now being offered through Metal Shark’s “Sharktech” autonomous division.The new Sharktech 29 Defiant welded aluminum monohull pilothouse vessel features OEM-integrated Sea Machines technology offering a full range of advanced capabilities including active control and collision avoidance. The system allows for either traditionally manned…

Shipbuilder Metal Shark has been selected to build the next generation of fire boats for the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department.Miami-Dade has selected the Metal Shark “50 Defiant X” fireboat, a welded aluminum monohull vessel featuring a proven hull form and a specialized arrangement optimized for firefighting. The new fire boats are being built at Metal Shark’s Jeanerette, Louisiana production facility and are intended to replace older fire boats currently operated by the Department.The 50’ x 15’ vessels will be powered by twin inboard diesel engines mated to water jet propulsion units…

Metal Shark Expands Internationally with New Croatia Engineering Facility.Shipbuilder Metal Shark has established a foothold across the Atlantic with the opening of a dedicated European engineering office.Metal Shark’s first location outside of the United States, “Metal Shark Croatia” is a new engineering facility recently opened in the city of Rijeka on Croatia’s northern Adriatic coast.The facility currently employs nearly 20 naval architects, machinery systems engineers, and…

Four new high speed patrol boats manufactured by shipbuilder Metal Shark have entered service with the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) on the island of Aruba.The vessels were commissioned into service with a ceremony on January 23rd at DCCG’s Station Aruba in the district of Savaneta on Aruba’s southeast coast. Among those present were officials from the Aruban government, Dutch Ministry of Defense, DCCG, and Metal Shark, as well as local and regional media outlets.The new…

Thomas Chance founded C & C Technologies in his home in 1992. Today C & C is a global oil field surveying and mapping company with more than 550 employees in ten offices worldwide. C & C was the first company in the world to offer autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) survey services to the oil industry and remains a world leader in the field. In April of 2015, he sold C & C Technologies to Oceaneering International. Complementing the autonomous underwater vehicle business, Mr. Chance started Autonomous Surface Vehicles, Ltd., or ASV, in 2010. ASV has 140 employees, four offices across the globe and has built more than 100 state-of-the-art unmanned boats for the defense and commercial sectors.

On Saturday, June 16, 2018, Webb Institute awarded 21 Bachelor of Science degrees at its 122nd Commencement Ceremony. Each graduating student received a dual degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Webb’s commencement ceremony included inspirational remarks from Webb’s President R. Keith Michel and keynote speaker, Dr. Kirsi K. Tikka, Executive Vice President and Senior Maritime Advisor at American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and former Webb Institute Professor of Structural Engineering. Dr. Tikka’s inspirational speech touched on how Webb graduates can take advantage of the technological advancements in the marine industry and use them to make major impacts in the field.

Louisiana-based shipbuilder eliminates preheat and saves time with Dynasty 400 TIG welders.As a well-known shipbuilder specializing in the design and production of vessels, Metal Shark Boats doesn’t shy away from tackling tough and diverse jobs. It’s a philosophy that has fueled the company’s growth from small shop to major industry player.Launched more than three decades ago as a small family-owned operation crafting custom fishing boats, the transition to Metal Shark Boats began…

Six newly built military patrol boats constructed by Louisiana based shipbuilder Metal Shark have been delivered to the Vietnam Coast Guard. The new deliveries follow an initial round of six Metal Shark 45-foot Defiant-class patrol boats delivered to the Vietnam Coast Guard in the province of Quang Nam in May of 2017. The delivery follows back-to-back U.S. presidential visits to Vietnam from President Obama in 2016 and President Trump in 2017, a visit by Secretary of Defense James Mattis in January 2018, and a visit by the U.S.

Metal Shark Building Four 350-Passenger Vessels and an Additional 150-Passenger Vessel for NYC Ferry. Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark is once again building multiple high-speed aluminum catamaran passenger vessels for the NYC Ferry Service Operated by Hornblower. In early August, Metal Shark received orders from Hornblower for four 97’ x 28’, 350-passenger USCG Subchapter K vessels, which are a new and larger platform than the fleet of 150-passenger vessels NYC Ferry currently operates. An additional 85’, 150-passenger USCG Subchapter T vessel has also been ordered. All of the new vessels are currently in production at Metal Shark’s Franklin, Louisiana waterfront shipyard, with accelerated delivery timelines calling for all five vessels to complete and deliver in 2018.

Naval architect Ryan Rendall has joined the naval architecture, marine engineering and marine surveying firm The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI).   Prior to joining TSGI, Rendall worked for Metal Shark Boats as a naval architect and marine engineer. He received a B.S. in Marine Engineering from Texas A&M University. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Society of Naval Architects & Marine Engineers and the Marine Technology Society.

Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark has announced the launch of its new website. The new metalsharkboats.com features an all new design boasting fresh content, increased functionality, and robust search tools that facilitate navigation within the company’s vast product portfolio. “Metal Shark has expanded its focus to include a diverse range of markets, so we tasked ourselves to create an easily navigable website that allows us to reach the right customers with the right products and message,” explained Josh Stickles, Metal Shark’s vice president of marketing.

Metal Shark is a leading shipbuilder specializing in the design and production of boats and ships for military, law enforcement, fire rescue, and a wide spectrum of commercial applications. At its facilities in Franklin and Jeanerette, Louisiana, Metal Shark manufactures vessels in aluminum, steel, and fiberglass. In addition to the diverse lineup of models designed by its in-house team of naval architects, Metal Shark has partnered with Damen Shipyards to offer the proven and globally supported range of Damen vessels up to 80 meters.

Honda Marine is set to market its complete range of outboard marine four-stroke engines at the 2016 Miami International Boat Show, February 11-15, 2016. At this year’s show, the Honda Marine team will showcase its four-stroke outboard engine, ranging from 2.3 to 250 horsepower, Honda Marine’s full line of current production models meets California Air Resources Board (CARB) 3-Star standards, ensuring their availability and regulatory compliance in all 50 states, the manufacturer said. Important Honda Marine show highlights include a spotlight on the company’s newest marine outboard engine, the Honda BF100. Incorporating a host of Honda exclusives and technologically advanced features…

Workboat operators are taking a second look at Dometic’s SeaXchange Reverse Osmosis Systems as missions expand and demands on these vessels increase. It’s no secret that Dometic Group’s products are sold in almost 100 countries, supported by as many as 6,000 employees. Better known on the water for their penetration of the recreational and yacht markets, Dometic’s attention is now focused on the workboat sector as well. Beyond a complete range of air conditioners, engine room ventilation systems, refrigerators, awnings, cookers, sanitation systems, lighting, mobile power equipment, comfort and safety solutions, the need for a clean and reliable source of water is paramount for today’s offshore fleets. That’s where Dometic’s SeaXchange Reverse Osmosis Systems come in.

Louisiana-based boat manufacturer Metal Shark Aluminum Boats has hired Carl Wegener as its Director of Commercial Sales, the company announced today. Wegener brings a diversified background in engineering, strategic planning, and business development, with over 25 years of experience in the boat and shipbuilding industry. At Metal Shark, he will utilize this background and his extensive list of industry contacts to develop the company’s relationships with operators in the passenger ferry, fast crew, utility, entertainment and pilot boat markets.

Louisiana-based boat manufacturer Metal Shark announced it has commenced operations at its new shipyard, where the first of its recently announced Endurance-class catamarans is now in production. In January, Metal Shark acquired a 25-acre waterfront tract situated on the Charenton Bypass Canal in Franklin, Louisiana, and announced plans to develop the new property into a facility to support its planned aluminum and steel shipbuilding efforts for vessels up to 250’ in length. Six months later, the new facility is operational and production is underway.

Established in 1986, Gravois Aluminum Boats and its government/commercial entity Metal Shark Boats are leading suppliers of welded aluminum boats for defense, law enforcement, and commercial entities. Customers include the U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, Army, Air Force, the militaries of partner nations worldwide, and a growing list of state and local law enforcement agencies. Metal Shark has entered the shipbuilding sector with a new 25-acre shipyard, maintaining in excess of 110,000 SF of combined manufacturing space (both yards), and a full slate of new builds underway.