Gulf Island Shipyards on a roll

Gulf Island Shipyards, with facilities in Houma, Jennings and Lake Charles, La., has been on roll. The company’s upcoming projects have benefitted from a diverse collection of impressive new-build contracts. At Houma, there’s a transformation project that involves the former casino boat Kanesville Queen, that includes adding a 60-foot mid-body and paddlewheel to become Memphis-based American Queen Steamboat’s 362-foot, 245-passenger American Countess. In May, Gulf Island was awarded a $63.5M Navy contract for design and construction of a steel hulled towing, salvage and rescue ship (T-ATS). The new boat will also be built in Houma. In 2017, the National Science Foundation awarded Oregon State University a grant of $121.88M for construction of the first of three regional class research vessels. In the summer, the grant was supplemented with an additional $88M that allowed Gulf Island to proceed with the contract for the second vessel for the University of Rhode Island. A third is anticipated to be awarded in 2019. Other projects include an order for 10 Robert Allan-designed 98-foot Z-Tech tugs, a ferry for North Carolina, two towboats for an unnamed owner and a Great Lakes tug. (Source: Work Boat 11/27/18)