New & Notable: Bollinger Launches Innovative OSV Hull

Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., Lockport, La., has added another new design to its list of "less is more" offshore service vessels (OSV) that have cargo carrying capacities of larger vessels without the added equipment, operational and maintenance costs to their owners or operators. The design was developed in close cooperation with operator L & M Bo-Truc Rental Inc., of Golden Meadow, La., who signed contracts for two of the new OSVs.

The first hull was launched February 6, 2004 and delivery of the first boat, Cheramie Botruc 38 is planned for June 2004, with the second vessel, Cheramie Botruc 39, following in about three months thereafter.

The latest is a new 191-ft. platform supply boat that meets all new regulatory requirements including DPS1 and is under 200 gt. Slotted between Bollinger's new 166-ft. and 207-ft. supply vessels, the new 191-ft. boat can be contrasted to 180-ft. and 185-ft. OSVs, which were considered standards for Gulf of Mexico (GOM) service in the 1980's and 1990's.

"By comparison," said Danny Irby, executive vice president new construction, of Bollinger, "the old 180s carried around 1,750 barrels of liquid mud and 3,500 cu. ft. of dry mud. Our new 191 can carry 2,500 barrels of liquid mud and 4,800 cu. ft. of dry bulk mud. The older boats usually carried around 500 tons of cargo on approximately 4,000 sq. ft. of aft deck space. Our new boat can carry 900 long tons on her deck that has almost 5,000 sq. ft. of clear deck cargo area."

He added that the older GOM standards carried around 61,000 gallons of fuel oil while the new Bollinger design more than doubles that with a 125,000-gallon capacity. "That," he said, "gives the 191 more revenue time serving offshore installations and less time returning to base for fuel." In addition to being 191-ft. in length overall, the new boats will each have a beam of 46-ft. and a 15-ft. depth. Each will be powered by two Cummins KTA50-M2 diesel engines developing 1,600 bhp each at 1,800 rpm. They will drive Nibral propellers through Twin Disc MG 5600 reduction gears with a ratio of approximately 6:1. Eight other Cummins diesels will power two service generators, two generator drives, an emergency generator, bow thruster and pump systems. Accommodations for 18 will be provided in seven cabins.