DONJON TO BUILD HOPPER BARGES

Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair has been awarded a contract to construct two hopper barges (with an option for a third) for Sterling Equipment of Quincy, MA, according to a report on Marinelink.com. The barges are to be 225' long, 42' wide and 12' deep. The barges are on an ambitious construction schedule and expected to be delivered by the middle to the end of August.

This is good news for Donjon, which lost revenue from the cancelled McKEE SONS drydocking earlier this year.

Sterling, based in Quincy, MA, operates a fleet of 11 tugs and numerous barges and cranes, specializing in rentals to the construction industry on the east coast.

BOOTHE/CONTENDER DEPART FOR SEA TRIALS

KEN BOOTHE SR. and barge LAKES CONTENDER departed Erie at 0900 this morning on sea trials, after being delayed a day. The duo was still out on trials at 2100. After returning to port, the duo will undergo final fitting out before christening at Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair on April 10. I will post more photos Saturday.

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BOOTHE/LAKES CONTENDER outbound.


Stern view.

NEW BARGE NAMED

The name of the new barge under construction at Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair has been announced. In Donjon's Fall 2010 newsletter, accessible online here, the barge has been announced to be SEAJON ENTERPRISE, which honors the new partnership between Donjon and Seacor Marine. I had first reported that Erie Shipbuilding was in talks with Seacor on December 30, 2008, and nearly two years later it appears Seacor now has a presence in Erie.

In addition, according to the article, the yard is planning to build a mid-gate at the 800' mark of the drydock for 2011. This will allow the drydock to be flooded in two separate sections and allow construction to continue while vessels are drydocked.

The article states, I should point out, that the tug and barge will have a length overall of 913 feet. If this is true this will mean the barge will be over 800 feet long, making it much bigger than the JOYCE L. VANENKEVORT/GREAT LAKES TRADER, the ATB that it was originally to be based on.

Revised 01/18/11: Barge length, according to Donjon, will be 740'. The newsletter appears to have been a mistake.

TUG KEN BOOTHE SR. TO BE MOVED WEDNESDAY

The new, elevated pilothouse was placed on the tug KEN BOOTHE SR. today in the graving dock at Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair, and the tug is scheduled to be floated from the drydock and into the West Slip tomorrow morning. Sources report that part of the shipyard's crew will report for work at 0300 and begin work; the yard would like to have the tug ready to be moved by 1000 or 1100 in case of ice near the drydock gate.

At that time, the completed modules of the new barge under construction will be moved into the drydock, and the drydock door will remain open all winter.

Donjon Shipbuilding Update

Donjon Shipbuilding today placed the crew's cabins on the new tug under construction. The engines are in and rudders remain to be fitted, but in the near future the tug, tentatively named CLYDE VANENKEVORT will be floated out of drydock and completed alongside the pier at the yard, according to sources within the yard.

CUYAHOGA is due at 0130 Friday morning.

SHIPYARD LAYS OFF WORK FORCE

I have received word that Erie Shipbuilding, due to problems stemming from obtaining funding to continue building the new tug-barge unit the company is building, has laid off its entire work force. Reports are that the layoff is only planned to be for two weeks.

I will update as I learn more.

Erie Shipbuilding Update

Erie Shipbuilding LLC continues construction on the new 840-foot-long tug and barge unit worth $50 to $60 million dollars. Construction on the barge recently began, and the tug's hull is already in place in the drydock and is waiting on engines that have yet to be delivered.

The company, however, despite this contract, has not been immune to the recent global economic slowdown, having recently laid off more than half of its work force. The company has also cut back to just one shift.

FIRST BARGE DUE TO DEPART MONDAY MORNING

The first of the six deck barges being built as a joint venture between Donjon Marine and Port Albany Ventures is scheduled to depart Erie under tow of Port Albany Ventures tug HERBERT P. BRAKE on Monday morning.

Saturday morning, ahead of the high winds that have plagued Erie harbor for the past two days, the BRAKE shifted to East Dobbins Landing and is moored behind the VICTORIAN PRINCESS. Sunday afternoon, the WITTE 4003 and one of the deck barges were moved out of Erie Shipbuilding and tied up alongside the shipyard's pier at the West Slip. However, the deck barge moved out was not the SUE B., which was christened in the dual christening ceremony with the WITTE 4003 on September 26.

The barge brought out of the drydock today was named PAV 101, and is owned by Port Albany Ventures. The barge, when it leaves, is bound under tow of the BRAKE for Albany, New York, via the New York State Barge Canal.


HERBERT P. BRAKE at Dobbin's Landing today.


Stern view.


Overhead stern view.


Another overhead view.


Stern view of the WITTE 4003.


PAV 101.


Bow view of the WITTE 4003.


Another view of the WITTE 4003.

Erie Shipbuilding Update

I have confirmation that the six additional barges Erie Shipbuilding is going to be building are the six deck barges for the same firm as the scow they are building now. The contract is worth $5 million.

Erie Shipbuilding Media Mention

Erie Shipbuilding LLC is mentioned in the Ed Mathews column in today's Erie Times-News. The mention is about the 245-foot scow, Hull 101, that the yard is building. It also mentions that the company has contracts for six more barges. I'm guessing these are the $1,000,000 deck barges for the same firm as the scow, but I'm not sure. I'll have to find out.


Hull 101 under construction at Erie Shipbuilding.