Rhiannon Ballard Report 2: Regional Boat Builders and Technology It is said that the countrys most skilled builders

of aluminum boats are found in South Louisiana. And so it is. Boat-building enterprises in southern Louisiana, like Bollinger, Swiftships, and Breaux Brothers, are some of the leading innovators in marine technology. Bollinger At Bollinger, we take pride in our reputation for quality and performance in the vessels we buildusing state of the [art] industry technologies, our highly automated materials processing capabilities and lean processes help us to better manage costs resulting in increased value and savings for our customers...If you are looking for the highest quality of workmanship coupled with the latest technology and modern manufacturing processes in a company which stands behind its name, look no further than Bollinger Shipyards. We are Americas shipbuilders of the future. Bollinger has built over 600 vessels to date. The main contract that the company has is that of USCG patrol vessels. Currently, they are focused on building the first 154 ft. Sentinel Class patrol boat for the coast guard. Bollinger has made significant investments in facility to modernizations, even improving productivity through lean manufacturing initiatives that were designed to eliminate waste, optimize flow arrangements, and further improve quality by improving worker efficiency. Bollinger has 629,000 sq. ft. of under roof processing and fabrication shops available that are designed to accommodate one-off and short-run series vessel construction.
Photo via http://www.marinelink.com/news/bo llinger-sentinel335593.aspx

Swiftships Swiftships continues to ride the leading edge of medium-sized vessel design and manufacture[Our] designs follow U.S. Military Specifications, U.S. Coast Guard requirements, American Bureau of Shipping Classifications Rules, Lloyss Rules, and other classification requirements as dictated by the customerStrong

construction, high performance, and excellent styling have created a worldwide demand for Swiftships vessels. Swiftships relies on time-tested processes and new technologies. They not only utilize custom methods for design and development, but also computer-aided fabrication technology. Their proprietary advanced designs are easily adaptable. For example, the same hull design technology that makes the new 57 meter offshore crew and supply vessel is also used for the 57 meter patrol boat. Swiftships specializes in all boats, including fast supply vessels, offshore supply vessels, patrol boats, pilot boats, mine warfare vessels, riverine warfare craft, research vessels, ferryboats, and custom motor yachts. The materials used to create these boats include steel, aluminum, and fiberglass. Swiftships uses custom methods to employ custom manufacturing while remaining versatile in order to adjust to consumer requirements. The Swiftships name reflects proven quality, performance, and reliability. This company has continued to modernize its products through the use or human engineering and ergonomics. Properly-sized hatches and doors ensure convenient access for all employees. Swiftships follows strict quality controls and safety standards, even subjecting finished boats to a series of tests in order to assure a high-quality product.
Photo Via http://swiftships.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/07/Welcome_ 175_FSV_Crew_Boat3.jpg

Breaux Brothers Enterprises Our vessels are extremely well build and highly regarded by the industry and the U.S. Coast Guard and the ABS. We know what crew boat operators want and build to suit their needs, be it providing maximum cargo deck loads, passenger and liquid capacities and more. Breaux Brothers specializes in the custom-built vessels. They are on the job every day and involved in every aspect of production. The owner of Breaux Brothers are second and third generation boat builders. Breaux Brothers is one of the industry leaders in the crew boat world. They are the best of the best and provide a long working life of dependable service. Breaux Brothers was founded in 1983 to build aluminum boats. Thirty years later, this is still their goal. They supply fast supply vessels, crew boats, yachts, pleasure craft, workboats, passenger vessels, pilot boats, patrol boats, oil response vessels, and many more.

Photo Via http://breauxboats.net/elements/he aders/bg_rotate_home_02.png

Resources "About Beaux Brothers." Beaux Brothers Enterprise. Beaux Brothers Enterprise, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. <http://breauxboats.net/about.html>. "Crew Boats." Breaux Brothers Enterprises. Beaux Brothers Enterprises, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. <http://breauxboats.net/vessels_crewboats.html>. "New Construction - Services." Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. <http://www.bollingershipyards.com/service/New-Construction->. "Production." Swiftships. Switftships Shipbuilders, LLC, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. <http://swiftships.com/services/shipbuilding-production/>. "Vessels." Beaux Brothers Enterprise. Beaux Brothers Enterprise, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. <http://breauxboats.net/vessels.html>.