NAVSEA exercises $18.48 million YRBM barge option

Conrad launched the first in a series of YRBM barges on order for the Navy ain August last year.

Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Conrad Shipyard LLC, Morgan City, La., an $18,484,619 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-22-C-2253) for the detail design and construction of one additional Yard, Repair, Berthing, and Messing craft (YRBM barge), with delivery to Norfolk, Va. This award also includes exercise of a design changes option.

Work will be performed in Amelia, Louisiana, and is expected to be completed by June 2025.

Conrad’s initial contract for the YBRMs included options for an additional seven barges. In June 2023, the Navy exercised its option for the fifth YRBM barge. This latest option is the sixth to be exercised.

Conrad launched the first vessel in the series in August of last year.

The YRBM barges provide a temporary home away from home and workplace for service men and women whose vessels are in port for repairs and/or maintenance.

The YRBM barge is an ABS A1 accommodation barge with a 151-foot, 4-inch by 49-foot, 4-inch by 14-foot footprint. The vessel provides pier side living accommodations capable of berthing 199 mixed gender personnel, messing for 300 personnel, and includes spaces for medical offices, classrooms, workspaces, laundry rooms, storerooms, and lounge areas.

In its most recent quarterly report Conrad said that it expects to deliver the first YRBMbarge to the U.S. Navy in early 2024, the three additional YRBM barges in 2024 and the fifth YRBM barge in 2025.

However it noted that “due to rapidly rising inflation since the time of our fixed-price bid, we have recorded substantial forward losses on the first five vessels.”