Over the past six months, Conrad Industries has been busy delivering and building a variety of new workboats. From ferries to tugs to barges, Conrad has used its past accomplishments to attract customers to its shipyards in Morgan City, La., and Orange, Texas, putting together an impressive current order book. Among the vessels delivered or currently under construction are the following:
The new Martha's Vineyard ferry Woods Hole. EBDG photo.
In May, Conrad’s Morgan City, La., shipyard delivered the Woods Hole, the newest ferry for the Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority, Wood Hole, Mass. The new ferry makes the 45-minute run between Woods Hole and Martha’s Vineyard. Elliott Bay Design Group in Seattle designed the 235'×64'×18'6" Woods Hole. The single-ended ferry can accommodate 10 tractor-trailer trucks on its roll-through cargo deck, or 50 passenger vehicles, or a mixture of trucks and cars, plus 384 passengers on the second deck. Over the freight deck is the passenger deck’s two lounge areas with reclining seats, Wi-Fi stations and a concession area. Passengers also have an open foredeck. Powered by a pair of MTU 4000 diesels that together put out 5,362 hp, the Woods Hole has a design service speed of 14.5 knots and a top speed of 16 knots.
- In June, Conrad signed a contract with Harley Marine Services of Seattle to build two new 116', 4,560-hp ATB tugs. "It is always gratifying to get new business from a valued long-time customer," Conrad president and CEO Johnny Conrad said in a statement announcing the signing of the contract. Designed by New Orleans-based Entech Designs, the two new tugs will be powered by GE 6L250 Tier 4 diesel engines rated at 2,280 hp each. Both vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2017.
- Also in June, Conrad announced the formation of a new business unit focused on LNG projects. The new business unit is being led by led by Conrad vice president Brett Wolbrink. Conrad is the builder of the first LNG bunker barge in North America, currently under construction at its Orange, Texas, shipyard, and anticipates a delivery date of early 2017. The 232'x48'8"x15'8" bunker barge was designed by Bristol Harbor Group, Bristol, R.I., with significant input from both Conrad and GTT, the French company that developed the LNG cryogenic membrane containment technology being used for the project. The 4,200 cu. meter barge is being built for WesPac Midstream and its affiliate, Clean Marine Energy, which will deploy the barge out of Tacoma, Wash. Conrad continues to actively pursue other LNG opportunities, including developing designs for additional transport barges, dual-fuel powered towboats, and other research and development projects.
- In July, Conrad signed a contract to build four Damen Stan 3711 123'x36'6" tugs for Young Brothers Limited, Honolulu. The four new twin-screw tugs will be powered by GE 8L250 engines rated at 6,000 hp. Designed for high stability and maneuverability, the tugs will have a maximum bollard pull of 80-metric tons and a top speed of 12.5 knots. (No delivery date has been released.)
- In August, Conrad Shipyard, Morgan City, La., was awarded a contract by the Corps of Engineers for the construction of a 110'6"x60'x8'6" crane barge that will operate on the Olmsted Locks and Dam Project. Conrad is also installing two government-supplied cranes — a wicket lifter crane and a telescoping marine crane. The floating crane barge will be used to raise and lower the steel dam wickets and perform maintenance functions at the Olmsted Lock and Dam on the Ohio River. When raised, wickets block water and feed it to adjacent boat locks that safely harbor barges to a lower elevation when the river is low. The barge will be ABS classified as a Maltese Cross A-1 Barge, Maltese Cross AMS, CRC, for service on rivers and Intracoastal waterways as a government floating crane. (No delivery date has been released.)
- In September, Conrad was awarded a contract to build a 300'x68' steel crane barge for the Army Corps of Engineers. The barge will be used in floating crane service by the Corps’ Rock Island District in support of its maintenance mission on the inland navigation system. The barge is designed with a deckhouse and crew support area, generator room, shop area, office and heads. Below deck will enclose machinery spaces, storage areas and tankage. The vessel will be classified ABS Maltese Cross A1, Floating Crane-Intra-Coastal Waterways Service, and Reinforcement B with Crane Register Certificate. (No delivery date has been announced.)
- Also in September, Conrad was awarded a contract to build two deck barges for the Corps of Engineers. The barges will be delivered to the Corps’ Mobile District in Alabama and will be used to transport and store the district’s stop logs used for lock maintenance and construction activities. The two barges are being built at Conrad's Orange, Texas, shipyard. (No other details, including delivery date, have been announced.)
- Another September contract was for three 110'×38'×17' tugs for Baltimore-based Vane Brothers. The new Assateague-class ATB (articulated tug/barge unit) tugs are designed by Castleman Maritime LLC, Clear Lake Shores, Texas, and developed using ABS rules for a classed vessel. They will feature raised forecastles and will admeasure under 500 gt. The tugs will be powered by two Cummins QSK-60 diesels each producing 2,200 hp at 1,800 rpm. The engines will turn open 4-bladed, 102", bronze propellers mounted on 9.5" shafts through Karl Senner-supplied Reintjes WAF 873 marine gears with 7.087:1 reduction ratios. Two 125-kW Cummins generators and one 60-kW Cummins emergency generator will power the tugs’ electrical systems. The design features the Beacon Finland JAK-700 coupling system that will connect each tug to its 405'×74', 80,000-bbl. barge. Crew access to the barges will be accomplished via a Schoelhorn-Albrecht custom-made gangway. Castleman Maritime’s designers worked closely with the designers at Bristol Harbor Group, Bristol, R.I., who designed the ATB barges that the new tugs will have as mates. The first tug, Assateague, is scheduled for delivery in August 2017.
