Bouchard takes delivery of ATB unit M/V Evening Breeze and Barge No 252

Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. (Bouchard) has taken delivery of ATB unit M/V Evening Breeze and Barge No. 252 (B. No. 252) from VT Halter Marine Inc. (VT Halter Marine) and Bollinger Shipyards.  M/V Evening Breeze left VT Halter Marine’s Pascagoula Shipyard facility on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, and will meet and pair up with B. No. 252 before sailing to join our fleet service in New York.

The Evening Breeze is 4,000hp meeting U.S. EPA-Tier 4 requirements, measuring 112 feet by 35 feet by 17 feet, and equipped with an Intercon Coupler System.  Chief Executive Officer of VT Halter Marine stated, “We are pleased to build on our 37+ year relationship, designing and building quality, safe, industry leading tugs and barges for the Bouchard family. We thank Bouchard for the trust they place in VT Halter Marine and our talented group of tug and barge shipbuilders.”

Constructed by Bollinger Shipyards, the B. No. 252 is the sister vessel to the B. No. 250, measuring 317’6 feet by 70 feet by 28 feet.  The B. No. 252 has a 55,000 barrel capacity, and will be used to transport clean petroleum products throughout the Jones Act Market.

Bollinger Shipyards President & CEO, Ben Bordelon said, “We are proud to continue to be a part of the great success of the Bouchard Family. Mr. Bouchard and his family continue to invest into the future by continuing to modernize its fleet. It is a great American story to have multiple generations of Bouchards continue on as leaders in our industry. On behalf of our many talented craftsmen down the bayou, the Bollinger team is thankful for the opportunity to build this Jones Act classed vessel for Bouchard Transportation.  The Bollinger and Bouchard families have a long tradition of working together, and we appreciate the opportunity to further this tradition.”

The delivery of the M/V Evening Breeze & B. No. 252 represents our ongoing fleet expansion plan, as we continue to seek ways to invest profits into new and more advanced equipment. These Jones Act vessels include the newest modifications to the Intercon and pin system, as well as the most technologically advanced equipment in various spaces that are designed to reduce total emissions, thus ensuring a more eco-friendly fleet.  The Evening Breeze is the first tug in our fleet with tier 4 engines.

Upon taking delivery, Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc. President & CEO, Morton S. Bouchard III said,

“Continuously maintaining and advancing our equipment has always been our top priority.  We are excited to welcome a new 55,000 BBL clean oil barge to our fleet, as well as our first tug with tier 4 engines. Our Safety First philosophy remains at the forefront of our operation, and the M/V Evening Breeze & B. No. 252 are strong representations of VT Halter Marine and Bollinger Shipyard’s ability to help advance our fleet with the most innovative technologies.  Our relationship with both VT Halter Marine & Bollinger Shipyards goes back decades, and I am very thankful for all of the hard work and talent that their teams have put into producing another cutting edge ATB unit for Bouchard.”

We are dedicated to offering a safe work environment for our crew and a reliable service to our customers, and will continue on our 100 year old tradition of always building the finest and most advanced tugs and barges in the industry.

Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc.’s history dates back to its incorporation nearly 100 years ago in 1918 by founder, Capt. Fred Bouchard, the youngest tugboat captain in the Port of New York. Bouchard is a family owned business and the nation’s largest independently-owned ocean-going petroleum barge company. The company’s areas of operation span throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.  The fleet consists of 25 barges, ranging from 35,000 to 260,000 barrels, and 26 tugs, ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 horsepower. Contact: Danielle M. Bouchard, Director of Communications, e-mail: dbouchard@bouchardtransport.com

VT Halter Marine is the marine operations of VT Systems. Based in Pascagoula, Miss., it is a leader in the design and construction of medium-sized ships in the United States. VT Halter Marine designs, builds and repairs a wide variety of ocean-going vessels such as patrol vessels, oil recovery vessels, oil cargo vessels, ferries, logistic support vessels and survey vessels. Please visit www.vthaltermarine.com. Contact: Robert Socha, Senior VP, e-mail: corporatecommunications@vthaltermarine.com

VT Systems is an engineering company providing integrated solutions to the commercial and government markets in the aerospace, electronics, land systems and marine sectors. VT Systems’ innovative solutions, products and services include aircraft maintenance, repair and modification; software solutions in training and simulation; satellite-based IP communications technology; network solutions that integrate data, voice and video; rugged computers and computer peripheral equipment; specialized truck bodies and trailers; weapons and munitions systems; road construction equipment; and ship design and shipbuilding. Headquartered in Alexandria, Va., VT Systems operates globally and is a wholly owned subsidiary of ST Engineering. Please visit www.vt-systems.com.Contact: Christine Hicks, Manager Corporate Communications, e-mail: chicks@vt-systems.com

Bollinger Shipyards provides new construction, repair and conversion products and support services to the commercial offshore energy and marine transportation markets around the world, and to the U.S. Government and naval shipbuilding marketplace from our U.S. Gulf of Mexico facilities.  Family owned and operated since 1946, Bollinger maintains ten ISO 9001:2008 certified shipyards and a fleet of eighteen dry-docks for shallow draft and deep water vessels. Bollinger has earned a premier reputation for superior quality, value, timely service and delivery to its customers.