Monday, January 8, 2007

BIG NEWS FOR ERIE SHIPBUILDING

A higher source at Erie Shipbuilding tells me that the JAMES R. BARKER won't be laying up here; however, the PHILIP R. CLARKE is due in Erie at the end of the week for its five year survey.

Additionally, the JOYCE L. VANENKEVORT and her barge are here for minor steel work, and so that the tug can have its propellers pulled for repair. The props were damaged in an early season mishap in the Saginaw River, which is the result of shoaling along with low water levels.

Construction at the yard will be beginning very soon on a 244-foot hopper scow barge for a New Jersey-based company. The work is expected to be completed by the middle of summer and the contract apparently includes an option for a second scow.

Governor Ed Rendell today announced that, as part of $1.5 million grant package to the Erie region, Erie Shipbuilding is being awarded $702,250 to train workers and purchase equipment as part of its $6.4 million expansion program that will modernize its shipyard, including a first-of-its-kind robotic welding system.

1 comment:

Erie Buff said...

Thanks for the info. I am a minor great lakes shipping buff and I was rather supprised to see the trader pulled into Erie shipbuilding last week as i was arriving at work( were i work its easy to slip down and take a few pictures of ships in the dry dock). I hadn't thought about it much but then got to talking to a friend of mine thats also into shipping and even he didn't know why it was here. Yours is the first site that had any news about why it was here.