Steel Hull News

On Yonges Island, South Carolina, just up the Wadmalaw River from Charleston, the fourth-generation maritime company Stevens Towing Company continues to rewrite its own history. Long known for its towing and barge work, its ship repair business is growing at light speed, transforming what began decades ago as an internal maintenance yard into a dynamic commercial shipyard serving tugs, barges, OSVs, and dredge vessels from Florida to Virginia. At the center of this evolution is Kurt Olsen…

With winter in full swing, the U.S.-flagged fleet of Lakers have tied up in ports across the Great Lakes region to perform critical maintenance before the navigational locks in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan reopen on March 25th.Hundreds of skilled shipyard workers will flock to the area to support the nearly $150 million maintenance investment being made on these massive ships. The state receiving the largest amount of work is Ohio with $51.5 million, followed closely by Wisconsin at $51 million…

Generally, government owned vessels, particularly ones engaged in law enforcement, are seemingly last in line when it comes to fuel efficiency. Not so in France, as the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture (DGAMPA), in late 2024 sealed the deal and commissioned the SOCARENAM-MAURIC consortium to design and build an offshore patrol vessel (OPV) which combines hybrid propulsion and wind sails, among other energy saving/emission reduction enhancements.According to the government agency…

Newly released data from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) states that about 97% of the world’s fleet of cruise ships was built in Europe, and 98% of ships on order, based on cost, will be built here.The total investment cruise lines are making in new ships built in Europe from 2024 to 2036 is currently €57 billion, with additional orders anticipated.In the next 12 years, 72 of the 76 ocean cruise ships will be built in European shipyards (97%) of which 40 in Italy (52.6%)…

Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA has been awarded a $54,997,317 fixed-priced incentive (firm-target) contract modification for the construction of two additional Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700-class vessels for the U.S. Navy.Austal USA was awarded an initial contract for the construction of three LCU 1700-class vessels, with options for an additional nine vessels, in September 2023. The potential value of the contract for up to 12 vessels is $379.7 million.This contract modification brings the total number of LCU currently scheduled or under construction at Austal USA to five.Paddy Gregg…

An articulated tug and barge (ATB) hit a known underwater rock near Kodiak, Alaska, last year, leading to a grounding that caused $1.4 million in damages, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday.The Brice Marine-owned and -operated tugboat Cingluku and barge Jungjuk were transiting into Shakmanof Cove from Marmot Bay on May 25, 2023, with six crewmembers onboard. The Cingluku and Jungjuk operated together as an ATB, and were primarily used to transport containerized cargo and vehicles.

Australian shipbuilder Austal announced that the Australian Government has ordered two additional Guardian-class Patrol Boats from Austal Australia, valued at approximately A$39 million.The 39.5-meter, steel-hull patrol boats, to be constructed at Henderson in Western Australia and scheduled for delivery in 2026, are in addition to the 22 Guardian-class Patrol Boats previously ordered by the Australian Government under the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project (SEA3036-1) since…

Austal Limited announced Austal Vietnam has been awarded a contract to design and construct a 71-meter roll-on-roll-off (RORO) passenger cargo vessel for The Degage Group of French Polynesia.The new steel monohull ferry design includes an aluminium superstructure accommodating up to 140 seated passengers and 17 crew, and features a main cargo deck area of 494 square meters; capable of transporting a combination of 10- and 20-foot containers, palletized cargo and vehicles.With a cruising speed of 12 knots and a range of 1…

Everett, Wash. repair yard Everett Ship Repair said it recently completed hull repairs and upgrades of the MV Excellence, a steel-hulled mothership processing vessel built in the 1970s in Japan. The vessel, measuring 367.5 feet in length and 56 feet in width, is undergoing extensive upgrades to the onboard ammonia-based refrigeration system. The modernization of this system will provide additional refrigeration capacity to the vessel, without an increase in power demand.The new refrigeration equipment was installed in a large opening cut below the waterline, necessitating drydocking.

Fire Island Ferries has taken delivery of its newest vessel, Fire Island Maid, designed by Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) and built by Metal Shark in Bayou La Batre, Ala.The 70- by  23-foot multipurpose vehicle ferry features a steel hull and aluminum superstructure and is equipped with a hydraulic ramp for loading and unloading heavy equipment. The reinforced deck is capable of supporting fully loaded concrete trucks and general cargo up to 100,000 pounds. The aft pilot house accommodates two crew and up to six passengers (assumed to be in their vehicles).

Classification society Bureau Veritas has successfully reviewed a 3D design of a 2500 m³ hopper dredger from Damen Shipyards, being a step to granting it approval in principle. The pilot project for 3D model-based class approval is meant to pave the way toward using three dimensional computer designs as standard procedure to achieve class notation for seagoing vessels.Vessel steel hull Design evaluation based on 3D models in parallel to its classification review process has become possible thanks to the new data exchange format - OCX.

Manitowoc, Wis. shipbuilder Burger Boat Company announced it has delivered a new car/passenger ferry vessel to the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority (EUPTA), located in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.The 92-foot U.S.-made steel ferry, Neebish Island III, will operate year-round on the St. Mary’s River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula between Barbeau, Mich., and Neebish Island. The vesselwas designed by Seacraft Design, LLC of Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

Infinity Nine, the second of the Kando series of contemporary explorer yachts from AvA Yachts was delivered to its owner NBA basketball star Tony Parker in early November.Atilla Küçükdiker, chairman and founder of AvA Yachts, said, “It is a proud and happy day that we as AvA Yachts team have delivered Infinity Nine! We describe our Kando series yachts as contemporary explorers and Infinity Nine really is a superb demonstration of both contemporary style, inside and out, and superb exploration potential with class-beating efficiency…

Australian shipbuilding group Austal Limited announced that the Australian Government has ordered an additional Guardian-class Patrol Boat from Austal Australia for A$15.2 million.The 39.5-meter steel hull patrol boat, to be constructed in Western Australia and delivered in September 2024, is in addition to the 21 Guardian-class Patrol Boats ordered by the Australian Government under the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project (SEA3036-1) in 2016.Fifteen of the 21 vessels have been delivered to 11 Pacific Island nations under the Australian Government’s Pacific Maritime Security Program…

Norway's Kongsberg Maritime has secured a contract award with Polish shipbuilder Remontowa Shipbuilding SA (RSB) to supply three shipsets of Kongsberg Hugin Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) systems and related HiPAP positioning and communication systems for three newbuild warships for the Polish Navy.The total contract value exceeds €10 million, with the Kongsberg equipment planned for the next three ships in the Kormoran II Mine-Countermeasures (MCM) vessel program (#4, #5, and #6).These three ships will be delivered between 2026 and 2027.

The technology group Wärtsilä and Danish ship operator A.P. Moller - Maersk have provided a means for preventing corrosion in scrubber discharge pipes. The permanent in-pipe solution is designed to solve corrosion problems associated with open-loop scrubber washwater discharge.The majority of the estimated 5,000 scrubber systems installed across the global fleet are of open-loop configuration. With this system, seawater is used to scrub SOx from the exhaust gas, with the used water then being discharged back to the sea after cleaning.Under IMO Guidelines…

The Canadian Coast Guard has awarded Heddle Shipyards a $36.14 million vessel life extension contract for the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) George R. Pearkes. The vessel will be dry-docked and enter an extended maintenance period designed to increase its operational life.The Hamilton, Ont. yard secured the contract following an open and competitive bid process. The project was awarded by Public Services and Procurement Canada on behalf of the Canadian Coast Guard.Life extension work includes steel hull reinforcement…

Metal Shark won a contract to build a new vehicle ferry for Fire Island Ferries, a vessel designed by Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG).Construction of the new Fire Island Maid recently commenced at Metal Shark’s Bayou La Batre, Alabama shipyard, and the 70 x 23-ft.vessel features a steel hull and aluminum superstructure. With its hydraulically operated bow ramp and reinforced decks designed to support fully loaded concrete trucks and general cargo, the new ferry will provide transport between Bay Shore…

A new 168-foot double-ended passenger, truck and automobile ferry has been launched for service on Lake Erie.Designed by TAI Engineers, LLC and built in Houma, La. by Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, LLC (TMC), the new ferry Carmen Lee is expected to enter service in early 2022 for a partnership between the Lorain Port Authority (LPA) and Kelleys Island Ferry Boat Line in Ohio. It can hold 149 passengers and 36 trucks and automobiles, providing service between Marblehead, Ohio and Kelleys Island…

Moduteh Marine, of Tacoma, Wash., has gained recognition on meeting the stringent conditions of military contracts. In 2020 they completed a contract to build a fleet of five small tugs. These carry the military designation Work Boat Docking.“The mission of the CNIC Work Boat Docking (WB Docking) is to provide waterborne support at U.S. Navy Installations,” said Modutech’s Brian Swindahl. “The boats are required to have the ability to safely assist vessels including submarines for mooring and dry-docking…

Rescue teams were battling against time on Friday to find a missing Indonesian Navy submarine lost in the Bali Sea with 53 crew, which would be rapidly running out of oxygen if not already crushed by water pressure.Search helicopters and more ships left Bali and a naval base in Java heading to the area where contact was lost with the 44-year-old KRI Nanggala-402 on Wednesday as it prepared to conduct a torpedo drill, with the head of the Indonesian submarine fleet aboard.If the submarine was still intact…

There are many hallmarks of great civilizations, but perhaps none so universal as their desire to push the boundaries of human achievement through innovation. A key source of American pride has always been our ability to dream big. When it comes to ships, there is no more powerful example of this than the SS United States.“America’s Flagship” was more than a symbol of our nation’s post-war strength and global reach. She remains a singular and unrivaled marine engineering and design achievement.Curiously…

AvA Yachts is currently building M/Y Infinity Nine, the second of AvA’s Kando series being built for former NBA star Tony Parker.Parker visited the yard to witness construction firsthand, and to date the hull and superstructure are now complete with the final coating of the hull underway. All major equipment has been delivered and installed and the interior fit out has begun in earnest.An extended swim platform at the stern, a full beam master with floor to ceiling windows and a gym on the upper deck…