MN100: Blount Boats, Inc.
The Company:
Over time, the Blount shipyard has built more than 365 vessels. Today, Blount Boats’ clients include Fire Island Ferries, Casco Bay Island Transit District, Puerto Rico and Municipal Islands Maritime Authority, Spirit Cruises, Circle Line Statue of Liberty (Hornblower), South Ferry on Shelter Island, Long Island, and the Kwajalein Army Base on the Marshall Islands.
The Case:
Blount has been building high quality, innovative shallow draft designs for 66 years. Blount’s designs have created new industries such as dinner boats and mini-cruise vessels and also improved efficiency in the fishing and oil and gas industry. In April of this year, Blount Boats delivered the Atlantic Pioneer, America’s first U.S.-flagged Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) for Atlantic Wind Transfers. It began service for Deep Water Wind Block Island at the end of May. The 21-meter aluminum vessel was designed by South Boats IOW (Isle of Wight), who has designed and built approximately 81 crew transfer vessels for the European Offshore Wind Sector servicing wind farms throughout Europe. In 2011 Blount Boats signed an exclusive licensing agreement with South Boats covering the U.S. offshore wind industry. The South Boats’ 21m is a twin hulled, all aluminum catamaran, dual certified to USCG Subchapter T (Small Passenger) to carry up to 47 passengers and subchapter L (Offshore Supply Vessel) to carry up to 16 offshore workers. Over the past three years, Blount has delivered 30 vessels, including a series of 16-meter aluminum crew boats, built under license with Damen.