The 95-foot J.L. O’Brien, delivered in February, is the fourth oil spill response vessel (OSRV) built by Midship Marine Inc. for Clean Gulf Associates, a nonprofit cooperative in New Orleans.
The $5 million boat is docked in Leeville, La., next to the offshore hub of Port Fourchon, for around-the-clock cleanups in the Gulf of Mexico.
Rick Hinojosa, design manager at Midship Marine in Harvey, La., explained how his company landed the work. “After we repaired a CGA vessel seven years ago, CGA management asked us for price quotes to build three (Coast Guard)-approved, live-aboard 95-foot oil skimmers,” he said. “Until then, no vessels like that had been built. There were hurdles to cross, particularly because live-aboard skimmers are typically constructed of steel, which easily meets fire criteria.”
After meetings with the Coast Guard, plans were hammered out and construction began on the nation’s first fleet of all-aluminum OSRVs. “Our goal was to make these vessels user-friendly and not complicated to operate,” Hinojosa said. “It was a joint effort between us and CGA to accomplish this.”
In April 2013, Midship delivered Breton Island, following H.I. Rich and Galveston Island in the series. The boats, positioned in Venice, La., the Port of Vermilion, La., and Galveston, Texas, respectively, exceeded everyone’s expectations, Hinojosa said.
This story is from the American Ship Review 2018 edition of Professional Mariner.
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This story is from the American Ship Review 2018 edition of Professional Mariner.
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