Spud Barge News

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced over $653 million to fund 41 port improvement projects across the nation under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).The investments—part of the largest dedicated funding for ports and waterways in history, nearly $17 billion through the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—are intended to help grow capacity and increase efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports and inland…

Gulf Coast shipbuilder Conrad Shipyard was awarded a contract to build a new steel spud barge for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.Conrad was the sole bidder for the contract, which was awarded by the Corps' Philadelphia district. Under the $9,106,800 firm-fixed-price award, Conrad will design, construct, test, and deliver the new barge.Work will be performed in Morgan City, La., with an estimated completion date of April 14, 2025.

Conrad Shipyard said it delivered a new deck barge to Ashton Marine LLC, a marine transportation company based in Muskegon, Mich., earlier this month.Named the AM 3600, the 240- by 60- by 14-foot ABS deck barge will carry 3,600 tons of bulk materials and project cargo throughout the Great Lakes area. The barge is equipped with two 50-inch spud well pockets for an easy conversion into a spud barge.Ashton Marine has one of the newest fleets on the Great Lakes, with two oceangoing tugs, and two ABS hopper barges rated for a combined capacity of 3,800 tons.

“Your true pilot cares nothing about anything on earth but the river, and the pride in his occupation surpasses the pride of kings.” -Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi (1883).That statement made by the great chronicler and river pilot over 137 years ago is arguably as true today as it was then. But what has changed dramatically in the almost century and a half since then is the variety and complexity of the daily challenges that river pilots confront on our increasingly busy inland waterways.

Belle Chasse, La. shipyard C&C Marine and Repair said it has grown its indoor fabrication space to accommodate an expanding pipeline of newbuild and repair projects.The shipyard announced Wednesday it has acquired from Versabar, Inc. a 35,000-square-foot fabrication building complete with four 40-ton overhead gantry cranes, equipped with 10-ton auxiliary cranes. C&C Marine and Repair took possession of the building from Versabar, following the expiration of a lease back provision in the 2018 Purchase Agreement.

An allision in the maritime sector is defined as an accident in which a moving object strikes a stationary object (bridge fender, bridge deck, dock, dredging vessel, etc.). According to the Maritime Law Association (MLA) such an accident calls the “Oregon Rule” into play. Simply put, the Oregon Rule states that “…when a moving object hits a stationary object, the moving object is presumed at fault. The moving vessel thus has the burden of proving an alternate theory of causation…

Cenac Marine Services and its dynamic, third generation leader, Arlen “Benny” Cenac Jr., continue to flourish, in good times and bad. Through it all, leadership, philanthropy and investments that extend far beyond the company’s gates have made all the difference.As this year quickly churns to its inevitable close, Cenac Marine Services isn’t the nation’s biggest towboat operation, but its profound impact on the people and environment of the U.S. Gulf Coast and beyond is unquestionable. At a time when most operators are happy to simply strive for an environmentally correct and regulatory compliant business signature, Arlen “Benny” Cenac Jr.

A ceremony will be held July 29 at Cenac Marine Services headquarters in, Houma, La. To commemorate the christening of its newest vessel, M/V Quincey Cenac, as well as the company’s donation of a spud barge to Terrebonne Parish. The newest addition to Cenac’s growing fleet, M/V Quincey Cenac is the 24th and final vessel in its most recent series. Cenac Marine Services said a new series of vessels is in development for the near future. The donated spud barge will be utilized by the parish to transport equipment for levee conservation and upkeep.

One doesn’t usually think about cranes when talking about dredging, but cranes form a big part of the niche business. And, even though Indusign/E-Crane Worldwide has over 200 cranes in operation since Lieven Bauwens and Geert Watteeuw partnered up over 20 years ago, they are perhaps not that well known in dredging circles on this side of the pond. The Belgian company has tons (pun intended) of experience engineering their balance cranes. During that time, their equilibrium crane has more than proven itself in the scrap industry…

Precision Is Imperative. The statement made by the great chronicler and river pilot himself over 130 years ago is arguably as true today as it was then. But what has changed dramatically in the six score and 10 years since is the variety and complexity of the daily challenges that river pilots confront in our modern world. The sophistication of locks, dams and the proliferation of bridges, the mercurial fluctuations in water levels and the consequences to those who fail to factor in all of the above when planning their commercial river trips can be career killers.

McDonough Marine Service has launched the first in a series of seven new inland spud barges. The spud barges are being constructed at Yager Marine Industries in Owensboro, Kentucky and range from 110’ to 140’ in length. The first of the series to be launched is the KS 4011 with the dimensions of 110’ x 40’ x 7’6”. The barge was designed with a boxed stern that provides maximum flotation during crane operations. This design provides operators an opportunity to work safely in the inland marine construction environment, McDonough said.

Personnel from T&T Salvage aboard the Todd Michael spud barge are on scene for cooling operations of the tank barge. Response operations continue for a tug and barge that allided with a pipeline near Bayou Perot 30 miles south of New Orleans Thursday. Personnel from T&T Salvage aboard the Todd Michael spud barge are on scene for cooling operations of the tank barge. The fire remains stabilized. The Coast Guard has placed temporary flight restrictions over the airspace near the Shannon E. Settoon barge at and below 5,000 feet within approximately a one-mile radius.

Conrad Industries Inc. announced its fourth-quarter and twelve months 2011 results and the addition of new business during the first quarter totaling $61.8 million. For the quarter ended December 31, 2011, Conrad had net income of $6.8 million and earnings per diluted share of $1.09, compared to net income of $3.3 million and earnings per diluted share of $0.51 during the fourth quarter of 2010. The Company had net income of $19.2 million and earnings per diluted share of $3.01 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2011, compared to net income of $10.3 million and earnings per diluted share of $1.60 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010.

Conrad Industries, Inc. has announced its fourth quarter and twelve months 2011 results and the addition of new business during the first quarter totaling $61.8 million. New business added during the first quarter of 2012 includes the signing of new contracts and sales of stock barges which brings estimated current backlog to approximately $68.7 million, compared to $47.1 million at December 31, 2011, $112.3 million at March 31, 2011, and $89.5 million at December 31, 2010. New contracts added during the first quarter of 2012 include four 297'6"x 54'x 12' 30,000 bbl. tank barges, a 245'x 48'x 12'LPG tank barge, a 260'x 72'x 16' ocean deck barge…

St. Johns wins barge contract with one of world’s largest construction companies. St. Johns Ship Building of Palatka, Fla. won a contract to construct a custom crane spud barge for Skanska, one of the largest construction companies in the world. This is the first contract St. Johns has signed with Skanska USA, a leading national construction company with 7,000 employees in the U.S. and 2010 revenues of $4.8 billion. “In a highly competitive environment, Skanska chose St. Johns because they saw our previous work…

The Southeastern New England Shipbuilding Corp. (SENESCO) will build a 165 ft. dredge barge that will have the ability to walk along harbor floors. Boasting a trio of vertical spuds operated by winches, the forward spud will allow the barge to move without tug assistance. The shipbuilding company formed the agreement with Sterling Equipment of East Boston, Mass.; the project's completion is scheduled for April 2001. A subsidiary of the Cashman Group - a major New England contractor - Sterling's contract is the 10th barge project for SENESCO.

The Southeastern New England Shipbuilding Corp. (SENESCO) will build a 165 ft. dredge barge that will have the ability to walk along harbor floors. Boasting a trio of vertical spuds operated by winches, the forward spud will allow the barge to move without tug assistance. The shipbuilding company formed the agreement with Sterling Equipment of East Boston, Mass.; the project's completion is scheduled for April 2001. A subsidiary of the Cashman Group - a major New England contractor - Sterling's contract is the 10th barge project for SENESCO.

Liquid Waste Technology, Inc. Initial applications have included cleaning out a cooling tank at a nuclear power plant without taking the system out of service as was necessary before. Click for specifications and picture. For Assistance with anchoring, positioning, and other dredging support activities. LWT has developed a flexible multi-purpose barge - only $59,000! Click for specifications and pictures. Most dredging contractors have encountered situations where congested weeds or vegetation have made lake or pond jobs next to impossible. LWT has solved this problem with its new excavator (patent pending). LWT, the developer of the Pit Hog™ and "Runt" lines of small dredges…

By James P. Nader & Rudolph F. An occupational study estimates that the number of commercial diving positions nationwide will grow to an anticipated total of 5,000 positions over the next decade. For the uninitiated, the focus of these commercial divers spans the gamut from extensive inspection of hulls and pipelines to the construction and repair of underwater structures to the demolition and removal of underwater obstacles, and onwards to the search and rescue of people and missing objects. While the commercial diving industry is certainly diverse, every diver shares a certain level of risk of injury when entering the water. Therefore…

Everybody talks about the John J. Harvey, and quite a few of them are doing something about it. The chipping, scraping, and painting you'd expect a 74-year-old fireboat to require has proceeded since the vessel became privately owned in 1999, but that's only the beginning of the discussion. For within the city the fireboat served for its first sixty years, a peculiar love/hate seems to have developed toward the harbor. That, more than leaks, can influence the future of the most historic of vessels, even as it affects contemporary ones doing their daily chores. The John J. Harvey was built for these waters in 1931, launched into them by the Todd shipyards at Brooklyn and serving them steadily, reliably, even heroically.

Conrad Industries, Inc. announced the award of a contract for the construction of a ferry, and the signing of contracts for the construction of sixteen barges and a major ferry repair, with a total value of $36.6 million. The Texas Department of Transportation awarded Conrad a contract for the construction of a 264’x66’x15’6” passenger/vehicle ferry scheduled for delivery during 2009 with a contract price of $22.5 million. The ferry will transport up to 70 cars and work the Galveston terminal. Also, The Puerto Rico and Municipal Islands Maritime Transportation Authority has executed a contract for a dry dock inspection and general repairs to Motor Vessel Culebra II, a 500 passenger, 150’ x 28’ aluminum hull.

Conrad Industries, Inc. million at December 31, 2006. Bay-Houston Towing Co. vessels for the others under construction. additional 214’x42’x12’ 8,500 bbl. our Morgan City facilities. by two other customers.

Resolve Towing and Salvage, Inc. a Division of Resolve Marine Group Inc. (RMG) has constructed a 400-ton "A" frame. This unit, with a 100-ft. boom and a lift capacity of 400 tons, is now the largest "A" frame in this region. The "A" Frame is currently mounted on an RMG owned, U.S. Flagged ABS loadline spud barge. Immediately upon being put into service, the A-Frame completed its' first mission, the removal of the derelict vessel Red Diamond in Northern Florida. Both the barge and "A" frame will be stationed in the Southeastern U.S. and Caribbean.