Bollinger Marine Fabricators

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Bollinger Shipyards is an American constructor of ships, workboats and patrol vessels.[1] The firm was founded in 1946. Its thirteen shipyards and forty drydocks are located in Louisiana and Texas. Its drydocks range in capacity from vessels of 100 tons displacement to 22,000 tons displacement.

Coast Guard vessels

The United States Coast Guard has called upon Bollinger Shipyards to build many of its vessels, much of the work performed under the Integrated Deepwater System Program.

Marine Protector cutters

Marine Protector showing its stern launching ramp.

Bollinger secured the contract to build approximately fifty Marine Protector cutters.[2] These 87 foot vessels were staffed by a crew of 10. Uniquely for Coast Guard vessels of this size they were designed to be capable of being crewed by crews of mixed gender. These high speed vessels were lightly armed, mounting just two Browning M2 fifty caliber machine guns. But they were equipped with a stern launching ramp, capable of launching and retrieving a high speed pursuit boat while the cutter was still in motion. The launch and retrieval of the pursuit boat required just one sailor to remain on deck.

Island Class cutters

Bollinger originally built 54 110 foot Island class cutters, so named because each cutter was named after an Island. These vessels were staffed by a crew of 18, and their primary armament was a 25 mm autocannon. Bollinger secured a contract to refit the Island Class cutters, adding thirteen feet to their stern, so they too could launch and retrieve a pursuit boat from a rear launching ramp.[3][4] The refit also included replacing the original deckhouse and refitting the crew accommodation so they could carry a mixed gender crew of 18. The refitted 123 foot Island class cutters proved to be so unseaworthy, forcing the scrapping of all eight boats. As a result, in August 2011, the US government sued Bollinger over the failed modifications, alleging that the company made false statements about the hull strength that would result from its extensions to the patrol boats.[5]

Sentinel Class cutters

In 2008 Bollinger secured a contract to build 24-34 Sentinel Class cutters.[6] These 42.8 meter 240 ton vessels will be staffed by a crew of 22, and will armed with four fifty caliber machine guns in addition to a 25 mm autocannon. These vessels too would be capable of launching and retrieving a high speed pursuit boat, without coming to a stop. These vessels too would be capable of being staffed by a mixed gender crew. They were designed for missions of five days. The first three vessels were launched in 2011 and will be commissioned in 2012.[7]

United States Navy vessels

Cyclone-class patrol ships

Bollinger built 14 Cyclone-class patrol ships for the U.S. Navy between 1993 and 2000. The ships are 179′ (55 m) long carry a crew of 28 (4 officers, 24 enlisted). Their mission is coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance. These ships can also provide full mission support for Navy SEALs and other special operations forces. As of 2010, four of these vessels have been decommissioned in the Navy. Three have been loaned to the Coast Guard. One vessel, PC-1, was given to the Philippine Navy. The other ten vessels are still in active service with the US Navy.[8]

References

  1. "Bollinger: Company Profile". Bollinger Shipyards. http://www.bollingershipyards.com/company%20profile.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-08. 
  2. "Aircraft, Boats, and Cutters: Cutters: 87-foot Coastal Patrol Boat (WPB) - Marine Protector Class". United States Coast Guard. 2009-03-31. http://www.uscg.mil/datasheet/87wpb.asp. Retrieved 2009-10-09. 
  3. Nathaniel R. Helms (2005-06-23). "Coast Guard Scramble Over Deepwater Snag". Military.com. http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Defensewatch_062305_Helms,00.html. Retrieved 2009-10-08. 
  4. "Coast Guard ends cutter conversion program". marinelog.com. 2005-07-18. http://www.marinelog.com/DOCS/NEWSMMV/2005jul0181.html. Retrieved 2009-10-08. 
  5. Laster, Jill, "Shipbuilder sued over failed extension of 110s", Military Times, 17 August 2011.
  6. "SENTINEL Class Patrol Boat: Media Round Table". United States Coast Guard. 2008-09-30. Archived from the original on 2009-10-03. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uscg.mil%2FACQUISITION%2Fnewsroom%2Fpdf%2Fsentinelmediabrief.pdf&date=2009-10-03. Retrieved 2009-09-26. 
  7. Chris Vaughn (2011-11-29). "New CG Cutter Named for Local Hero". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/11/26/3552733/new-coast-guard-cutter-bears-name.html. Retrieved 2011-12-02. "The Coast Guard chose to name its latest fast-response cutter after Flores. The ship is being launched from the Bollinger Shipyards in southern Louisiana and will undergo several months of testing before it is commissioned and joins the fleet."  mirror
  8. "Patrol Coastal". Naval Vessel Register. United States Navy. http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/s_PC.htm. Retrieved 2010-02-28.