Silver Ships Delivers Workboat to USACE Pittsburgh District

Theodore, Ala. aluminum boatbuilder Silver Ships recently delivered an Explorer 40 workboat to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Pittsburgh District for use on the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers.

The second of three Explorer 40 series workboats ordered by USACE Pittsburgh District, the 40-foot workboat will support the Corps’ mission of improving navigable waterways and water infrastructure.

The custom-built 40-foot vessel is powered by Twin 350HP Suzuki outboard motors that give the vessel enhanced maneuvering capabilities for working in tight spaces. This Explorer 40 features a walkaround cabin, Furuno navigation and radar systems, Westerbeke 20KW generator, Maxilift cranes with a 2,000-pound capacity at a 5-foot range and an A-Frame with a 3,000-pound lift capacity. This workboat will be used to support maintenance efforts of navigation locks and dams as well as buoy tendering operations.

USACE Pittsburgh District, also known as the Headwaters District, is one of seven districts that monitor the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division. Responsible for more than 328 miles of waterways including areas such as western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, eastern Ohio, western Maryland and southwestern New York. Pittsburgh District’s navigation system includes 23 locks and dams on the 16 multi-purpose flood damage reduction reservoirs, 42 local flood damage projects and more.