Steel Vessels News

Bermuda-based global shipping company Team Tankers International finalized the sale of the last two of its five older medium range (MR) tankers.Team Tankers has managed to free up a funds for new investments after divesting MR tankers, said CEO Hans Feringa.Feringa said: “We finalized the sale of the last two of our five older MRs at attractive levels, concentrating our efforts on our younger, more sophisticated, deep sea assets. With the sale of the older MRs and certain intermediate ships…

Shipbuilder Metal Shark has delivered two new pilot boats to New Orleans-based operator Belle Chasse Marine Transportation, LLC (BCMT).Designed in-house by Metal Shark and built at the company’s Jeanerette, La. production facility, Jet 1 and Jet 2 are 45-foot welded aluminum Defiant-class monohull pilothouse vessels featuring an extensively proven hull design. The vessels feature a unique deck arrangement designed for pilots and customized to meet BCMT’s specific requirements.Both vessels were recently delivered and are now operating on the Mississippi River…

Australian-based global ship building company Austal and the UK-based, Norwegian-owned cruise shipping line Fred. Olsen have partnered on two next generation trimarans with advanced environmental credentials.Starting with the design process, Austal’s R&D team used optimized lightweight structures and the benefits of Austal’s ongoing weight reduction program to reduce the power required to achieve the vessel’s high speed.This results in significantly lower emissions from the main engines compared to a steel vessel equivalent.

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…

Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark has delivered a custom welded-aluminum pilot boat to the Brazos Pilots Association in Freeport, Texas.The new vessel, “Brazos Pilot,” is a 64’ x 19’ Defiant-class monohull pilot boat designed by Metal Shark and built at the company’s Franklin, Louisiana shipyard. This new pilot boat is intended to replace the pilots’ smaller, single-engine 40’ pilot boat, improving safety for crews while enhancing service to operators and providing around…

ABS Launches New Guide for Liquefied Gas Tank Barges with Remote Control and Monitoring of Essential Systems; outlines requirements for design and construction of unmanned barges equipped with various degrees of automation. ABS released guidance to assist shipyards and barge operators:  The Guide for Building and Classing Liquefied Gas Tank Barges with Remote Control and Monitoring of Essential Systems.The Guide provides requirements for the design and construction of barges equipped with various degrees of automation…

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…

Rolls-Royce received Approval in Principle (AIP) from classification organization ABS for its novel hybrid propulsion system for tractor tugs.The AIP was granted following an evaluation of the world’s first hybrid tug, a unique vessel designed by Jensen Maritime and which Nichols Brothers Boat Builders will deliver to Baydelta Maritime LLC in February 2019. The vessel will be the first tug boat installed with the Rolls-Royce hybrid propulsion system.ABS considers the Rolls-Royce hybrid system is…

Metal Shark announced it has secured a contract to build three 120’ x 35’ river towboats for Florida Marine Transporters, Inc. (FMT), signalling the U.S. shipbuilder’s entry into the towboat market.The four-decked, welded-steel, USCG Subchapter “M”-compliant towboats were designed by John W. Gilbert Associates, Inc. and will be powered by twin Cat 3512C Tier 3 marine diesel engines rated at 1,911 HP each. Construction is underway at Metal Shark Alabama, with deliveries commencing in 2019.With the FMT contract…

Mississippi shipbuilder VT Halter Marine, Inc. has launched a new ferry, Powhatam, for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).In November 2016, VT Halter Marine was awarded the contract for the design, construction and delivery of the new 499-passenger/70-vehicle ferry that will replace the current vessel, the Virginia, which was built in 1936. The new ferry Powhatam, measuring 270ft x 65ft x 15ft, is capable of holding up to 70 passenger vehicles, or 14 trucks/buses…

Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark said it has acquired the assets of Alabama-based Horizon Shipbuilding, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2017.Metal Shark will assume ownership of Horizon’s fully developed 35-acre shipbuilding facility in the Mobile Bay region, following a motion approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Southern District of Alabama on June 5, 2018.The Horizon facility, which features separate east and west yards both fronting a dredged deepwater inlet…

Two new 50-meter multi-mission offshore vessels (MMOV) will soon help the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) fight illegal fishing in Philippine waters. The sister ships – DA BFAR MMOV 5001, named BRP Lapu-Lapu, and DA BFAR MMOV 5002, named BRP Francisco Dagohoy – were built by Manilla-based Josefa Slipways, and have recently completed speed and endurance trials ahead of their upcoming delivery. According to designer Incat Crowther, the new vessels will enhance law enforcement’s capability to patrol and protect territorial waters…

Eric Coleman has joined Elliott Bay Design Group's team of naval architects and engineers, bringing with him six years of marine experience. Coleman’s experience is broad, with an emphasis on preliminary and detail design work of aluminum and steel vessels. He has worked on a wide variety of commercial vessels and charter yachts up to 210 feet in length. His background includes hands-on shipyard experience, comprising production oversight, class and regulatory compliance, and designing for production.

Eastern Shipbuilding’s forward-thinking inland towboat design now features CAT Tier 4 propulsion and aftertreatment. When Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) introduced its cutting edge 4,000 hp Thunderbolt inland towboat designed around twin azimuthing AAA Propulsion electric V-Pod propulsion and diesel-electric technology back in 2015, the approach was collaborative, with input from operators, naval architects (Gilbert Associates, Inc. (GAI)) and propulsion OEM’s. In selecting the podded propulsion system for inclusion on the design…

Canadian Department of National Defense selects ABS for classification and certification services for its entire non-combatant fleet. ABS, a provider of classification and technical services to the marine and offshore industries, said it has been awarded the Non-Combatant Class Society (NCCS) contract by the Canadian Department of National Defense to provide classification and certification services for the Royal Canadian Navy’s non-combatant vessel fleet. “For many years, ABS has been actively involved with classing naval non-combatant vessels as a commitment to promoting ship safety…

Engineering, design and maritime consulting services provider NETSCo, Inc. has recently promoted Jan Flores to vice president, and welcomed new additions Trish McIntyre as engineering manager and Matt Davidson as junior naval architect/marine engineer. “In recent years, Jan has been instrumental in the success and growth of NETSCo and I am excited to promote him to this important position,” said Rich Mueller, founder, president and CEO of NETSCo. “Jan’s experience in taking our company goals and vision to new levels has strengthened our status as an industry leader.

Demand for methanol and vegoil will moderately support global seaborne trade causing the shipping fleet trading in chemicals and vegoils to expand, according to the latest edition of the Chemical Forecaster, published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. A press release from Drewry said that the orderbook contains 144 stainless steel vessels totalling 3.4 mdwt for delivery by 2020, almost 22% of the existing capacity for such vessels; 63 of these vessels are in the size range of 25…

Gateway Dredging has taken delivery of a 55’ 1,200 HP twin screw conventional towboat. The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI) provided the design and engineering services to JB Marine Service, Inc. where the towboat was constructed in St. Louis, Mo. The vessel was designed to ABS rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels for Service on Rivers and Intracoastal Waterways. It was designed with TSGI’s best interpretation of the USCG 46 CFR Subchapter M regulations, since it was still pending at the time of design…

[Press Release] ABS announced the publication of the ABS Guide for Building and Classing Subchapter M Towing Vessels. The Guide is designed to aid domestic owners comply with new U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) requirements governing towing vessels that operate in U.S. inland waterways. “As a trusted advisor to industry, ABS stays at the forefront of changing regulatory requirements so we can offer the best guidance to our clients and other industry stakeholders,” says ABS Americas Division President James Watson. The new Guide addresses requirements for lifesaving appliances, fire protection, machinery, piping, electrical, structure and stability/load line.

Proactive effort shows commitment to safety and environmental protection. ABS, a provider of maritime shipping and offshore classification services, has been selected by Kirby Corporation to provide classification and International Safety Management certification for 11 push boats. Under the requirements proposed, but not yet enacted, by the United States Coast Guard, towing vessel companies will be required to receive a Certificate of Inspection and comply with a new set of regulations relating to the construction and operations of safety equipment and recordkeeping.

Since its founding in 1862, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), a New York registered not-for-profit corporation, has been committed to setting standards for safety and excellence as one of the world’s leading classification societies. Today, ABS brings together the latest technical solutions and best-in-class services to meet the growing regulatory, safety and environmental stewardship needs of its members and clients. With nearly 4,000 employees operating in 200 offices across 70 countries around the world…

The Navy conducted the first-ever, shipboard, full-speed catapult shots using the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) aboard the aircraft carrier Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), Naval Sea Systems Command announced May 15. EMALS is a carrier-based launch system designed to expand the operational capability of the Navy's future carriers to include all current and future planned carrier aircraft. The recent test shots, known as "no-loads" because no aircraft or other loads were attached to the launching shuttle…