Kvichak Marine Industries News

When discussing the arrival of autonomous workboats, many – especially those developing the technologies that enable them – say it’s is not a matter of if, but when. In fact, autonomous harbor tugs are already being put to the test in Singapore, where authorities hope to establish the technological infrastructure to enable fully autonomous ship operations. In the U.S., an autonomous vessel was shown to be able to respond to marine oil spills.But is autonomy really the future?

As a part of its cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD), Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics announces that it has successfully demonstrated its autonomous systems in action on board a Kvichak Marco skimmer boat during events held along the Portland harbor earlier today.Sea Machines’ technology opens a new era of capability for the marine industry, and today the company demonstrated its ability to increase the safety, productivity and predictability of response for marine oil-spill operations.

Sea Machines Robotics has been a progressive leader in advancing autonomy in the maritime space, and today it announced a deal with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MarAd) to demonstrate the value of Sea Machines’ autonomous technology in marine oil-spill response ops. The scope of the deal has Sea Machines installing its SM300 autonomous-command system aboard a Marine Spill Response Corp. (MSRC)-owned MARCO skimming vessel and will train MSRC personnel to operate the system.

Domestic ferries adjust their business models to met regulatory pressures and exceed environmental standards with an eye towards improved service. And, not a minute too soon. In North America, stalwarts in the ferry business continue to shorten journey times compared to surface alternatives, while at the same time, bring accessibility to barrier and coastal islands that would otherwise be impossible to reach. Established stakeholders continually fine-tune their operations in a…

Private partnerships, executed perfectly – that’s West Coast boatbuilding in today’s challenging business climates. P3 Partnerships: no, we’re not talking about infrastructure funding. But, in our P3 version, boatbuilding in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska is alive and well, because of it. Long-standing enterprises and relative newcomers are all experiencing an uptick in projects. Here, as part of our annual MN100 top company profiles, we take a look at how three organizations have either merged and/or partnered with complementary companies to expand skills…

Kvichak, a Vigor company, delivered a fourth, 45-foot Response Boat - Medium C (RB-M C) to its longtime customer, the New York Police Department Harbor Unit. The Kvichak RB-M C is the commercial variant of the Response Boat - Medium (RB-M), purpose built for the U.S. Coast Guard. To date, 174 RB-Ms have been delivered to the Coast Guard. The vessel was designed by Kvichak in partnership with Camarc Design for high speed and high performance, including tactical handling and specialized mission capabilities, the shipbuilder said.

Export hulls – through the FMS Program, as well as Direct Sales – are a key piece of the business model. Even as the crash in energy prices feeds the oversupply of offshore support vessels – a key staple of U.S. boatbuilding diets – and the dwindling backlogs of some so-called ‘second tier’ yards,  a number of U.S. boat builders are still seeing robust demand for security vessels. Separately, tightening federal, state, municipal and overseas budgets are being trumped by the increased need for security craft that can perform more than one function.

Kvichak Marine Industries, a Vigor Company, is currently constructing the fourth 44.5-foot Response Boat Medium – C (RB-M C) for the New York Police Department (NYPD) Harbor Unit. The first three vessels were delivered in April 2010, August 2012 and April 2013. The RB-M C’s have been providing maritime security and law enforcement along with search and rescue in the New York metropolitan area. “The RB-M C has proven itself in the most challenging missions,” said Art Parker, Vigor sales manager. These all-aluminum vessels are designed by Camarc Design, U.K.

Kvichak Marine Industries, a Vigor Company, was recently awarded a contract to design and build a 48’ all-aluminum foil assisted research catamaran for the King County Environmental Laboratory. The vessel will operate in Puget Sound, the Straits of Juan de Fuca and adjoining inland waterways. The vessel will be conducting water sampling research along with marine buoy calibration, maintenance and retrieval, tours and shoreline surveys, dive and ROV operations. This will be the thirteenth foil assisted catamaran Kvichak has built since 2000.

Kvichak’s Rapid Response Skimmers (RRS) are perhaps best known for their use by the U.S. Navy, but the design of these robust and well-designed units has evolved over time and today boasts placement in virtually every major spill organization. When, just this past October, Kvichak Marine won a U.S. Navy contract for 12 30-foot Rapid Response Skimmers (RRS) for delivery over the next 18 months, with options for up to 30 additional skimmers to be delivered through 2019, that wasn’t necessarily earthshaking news. That’s because the aluminum Kvichak RRS is already the Navy’s tier one response asset. The new craft will supplement the Navy’s current fleet of over 85 units in operation in Navy ports worldwide since 1994.

Incat Crowther is designing a pair of 41m catamaran passenger ferries for WETA of San Francisco. The design of the vessels, which will be built by Kvichak Marine Industries, showcase Incat Crowther’s ability to analyze, dissect and meet a set of requirements. The vessel features an isolated cabin, to be built under subcontract by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, and carries 400 passengers. The layout of the cabin responds to stringent requirements for seating configuration, with a mix of forward facing and booth seats, with and without tables. The elevated wheelhouse offers excellent visibility, meeting operational requirements. In responding to the tender, the team worked hard to offer improvements is passenger flow, snack bar functionality and utility space.

Kvichak Marine Industries, a Vigor Industrial Company, was awarded a contract by the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), San Francisco, Calif. for the design and construction of two all-aluminum 400 passenger-only ferries. The new vessels will replace two of WETA’s 12-vessel fleet that are approaching the end of their expected life. Designed by Incat Crowther, Australia, the 135’ x 38’ all-aluminum catamarans will feature MTU 12V4000 M64+ EPA Tier III engines rated 1,950 BHP at 1,830 RPM coupled with ZF7600 reduction gears as the propulsion system.

Kvichak Marine Industries, Inc, a Vigor Industrial Company, delivered the first of three new Bristol Bay boats. The new, top house design all-aluminum 32’ x 16’ jet propelled gillnetter is a product of the Kvichak design team and is powered by twin Volvo D11 EVEC-E engines rated for 510 BHP coupled to ZF 305-3 marine gears and  Hamilton HJ364 water jets providing a top speed of 35 knots. This new Kvichak design combines shallow draft capability with short transit times to the line, and the ability to maintain planning speed when partially loaded.

Kvichak Marine Industries, Inc. was recently awarded a contract for construction of a 60’ aluminum catamaran research vessel for the California Department of Water Resources designed by Incat Crowther, Australia with design guidance and customer representation by Jensen Maritime Consultants. The vessel’s primary application will be monitoring water quality, phytoplankton, zooplankton and benthic macro-invertebrates. The vessel will be operating in the San Francisco Bay Estuary, San Pablo Bay Estuary and the Pacific Ocean within five miles of shore and the adjoining inland waterways.

Merger positions combined company to play a dominant role in recapitalization of North Pacific fishing fleet and emerging Arctic oil gas operations. Kvichak Marine Industries and Vigor Industrial today announced the companies are merging to unite their strengths in the design and fabrication of aluminum workboats, shipbuilding, and boat building. Under the terms of the merger, Kvichak will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Vigor. Kvichak’s current owners (Jim Meckley, Brian Thomas and Keith Whittemore) will join Vigor as shareholders and as members of the leadership team. “My partners and I are very excited to be joining Vigor. Sharing best ideas and practices across companies will make us even more competitive and create a more stable business base for our workers…

Kvichak Marine Industries  has been awarded a contract for the construction of two 19m all-weather pilot boats for the Port of Duqm Company SAOC, Sultanate of Oman, the company announced today. Designed by Camarc Design, Ltd., UK, the vessels will also function as search and rescue and oil spill recovery vessels. The all-aluminum vessels will be powered by twin Cummins QSK-19 marine diesel engines rated for 800 hp at 2100 rpm each and twin ZF 2000A transmissions driving NiBrAl 5-bladed fixed propellers,  providing an operating speed of ~20 knots.

Proliferation of energy related transport continues to drive commercial U.S. As the United States aims towards energy independence by the end of this decade, domestic shipyards and vessels owners are reaping rewards from this most unexpected turn of events. Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, has been the main (and well publicized) culprit in the rapid turn of events. While the proliferation of gas has been widely known for years, the presence of oil, in quantity, was a pleasant…

Kvichak Marine Industries Inc. responds quickly to new customer requirements, works with potential customers to develop complete specifications, and ultimately delivers the best suited product for the mission. Kvichak builds a variety of vessels for multiple Federal agencies as well as state and local municipalities. To effectively maintain Kvichak’s reputation as a world-class boat builder, Kvichak currently has four divisions, Headquarters/Seattle Facility, Response Boat Medium Division, KMI Leasing Company, LLC, Kvichak/Marco Pollution Control, and Flashmark Tech cutting facility.

Kvichak Marine Industries, Inc. recently delivered a multi-mission 66’ all-aluminum Shallow Draft Crab and Salmon Tender to the Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (NSEDC). The vessel was christened the Paul C. Johnson in honor of the late Paul “Koublou” Charles Johnson of Unalakleet, AK at a ceremony at Fisherman’s Terminal in Seattle. Designed by Kvichak Marine to the mission specifications of NSEDC, the 66’ x 25’ vessel is intended for very shallow draft crab and salmon tendering operations in the Norton Sound region, and will draw just 4’-6” when fully loaded.

Kvichak Marine Industries, Inc. announced the start of a production run of 32’ Bristol Bay Gillnetters for the 2015 season. This new, top house design all-aluminum 32’ x 16’ jet propelled gillnetter is a product of the Kvichak design team and will be powered by twin Volvo D11 EVEC-E engines rated for 510 BHP coupled to ZF 305-3 marine gears and  Hamilton HJ364 water jets. This fresh design will combine shallow draft capability with short transit times to the line, and the ability to maintain planning speed when partially loaded. The unique top house arrangement maximizes creature comforts while maintaining a large efficient working deck.

The 95’ BHT-150 hovercraft SUNAX, built by Kvichak Marine Industries and owned and operated by Aleutians East Borough, is for sale through public competitive bid. The hovercraft will be sold through a sealed bid process. An IFB package will be available May 15, 2014, copies will be provided upon request. The bid due date is June 10, 2014. The sale includes spare equipment/materials. The hovercraft is available for inspection by interested parties in Akutan, Alaska. Builder . . . . . . . Designer . . . . . . . . Griffon Hoverwork, Ltd. Length (overall) . . . . . . . . . . . Beam (overall) . . .

Kvichak Marine Industries recently delivered Astoria, a self-righting 74’ all-aluminum pilot boat, to the Columbia River Bar Pilots (CRBP) of Astoria, Oregon. Astoria is the third CRBP pilot boat designed by Camarc, Ltd., of the UK and built by Kvichak. The pilots christened Astoria at a ceremony last week where the vessel has joined Columbia, built in 2008. Chinook, built in 2000 is retiring this spring. The pilots operate the vessels over the bar at the mouth of the Columbia River.

Building programs continue, spanning the full range of missions, despite budget concerns. Amidst all the talk of Beltway budget cutbacks and sequestration, the U.S. Coast Guard is quietly investing approximately $30 billion in major acquisition projects to modernize its physical assets. The process of recapitalizing these older and difficult-to-maintain assets has never been an easy task, and the Coast Guard has seen its share of bumps along the way. For example, the initially messy Deepwater debacle initially kicked off what has evolved into today’s more successful recapitalization process, now run by the Coast Guard’s Acquisition Directorate, which stood up in July 2007.