Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding busy with 16 ships repair and 6 newbuilds construction

The winter repair season is in full swing at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS) in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Sixteen vessels of various sizes from the Great Lakes bulk carrier fleet are in for winter repair, consisting of five 1000-foot bulk carriers, eight medium sized ships 600-700 feet long, and three tugs, the shipbuilding company said in a media release.

The scope of the repairs is as wide as the variety of ships at dock and include vessel repowering from steam propulsion to diesel; steel and piping repairs; bulkhead renewals; machinery inspection and repairs; exhaust scrubber installation; painting; and, regulatory inspections. Customer expectations are high as work completion is expected to coincide with the start of shipping season on the Great Lakes.

Fincantieri’s shipbuilding and repair professionals are ready for the challenge. The recent three-acre expansion to the now 55-acre shipyard included new manufacturing buildings and additional computer-aided manufacturing equipment. The Shipyard is equipped with a 7000-ton floating dry-dock and two graving docks along with lifting.

Sixteen Vessels are docked for Winter Repairs at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding capacity to meet the most demanding requirement. FBS Vice President and General Manager, Todd Thayse discussed the time-sensitive nature of the mission: “We have a very robust lineup of vessels that need to be ready to sail around mid-to-late March,” he said. “Our workforce here at FBS is well prepared for this yearly challenge, as many of these seasoned professionals have more than 20-years experience; in fact, many have worked before on building some of the same vessels we now have in for repair. Our management team is focused on customer satisfaction, and we employ all of our assets on a 24-hour, 7-day week basis to ensure that we meet the critical deadline of each ship.”

In addition to the heavy schedule of the Winter Fleet, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding has six vessels under construction that will operate as articulated tug barge units (ATB) scheduled for deliveries in 2017 and 2018.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Company is an operating division of Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG), the United States subsidiary of global shipbuilding giant Fincantieri, employing more than 19,000 shipbuilding professionals in 20 shipyards on four continents, and with a track record of building more than 7,000 ships.

Fincantieri is a leading shipbuilding group dedicated to the construction of cruise ships and large ferries. The Company also specializes in building a wide range of ship types, including frigates, corvettes, patrol vessels and submarines, offshore and mega yachts. Fincantieri has built 70 cruise ships since 1990 (of which 47 from 2002) and other 14 ships are currently being designed or built in the Group's yards. In January 2013 Fincantieri acquired STX OSV (today VARD).