Blount sub-licenses MAPC to build South Boats crew transfer designs

South Boats 26-m crew transfer vessel

JUNE 5, 2018 — Blount Boats, Inc., Warren, RI, has signed a sub-license agreement with Maritime Applied Physics Corp. (MAPC), Baltimore, MD, for the building of offshore wind crew transfer vessels to South Boats designs.

Cowes, U.K., based South Boats has designed and built approximately 30% of the crew transfer vessels serving European offshore windfarms. Blount Boats, a Rhode Island shipyard in business since 1949, has held the U.S. license for South Boats designs since 2011.

In 2016 Blount Boats delivered the Atlantic Pioneer, a South Boats 21 m transfer vessel, to Rhode Island Fast Ferry. The vessel is the first U.S.-flagged crew transfer vessel to operate in U.S. waters and services the Deepwater Wind Block Island Project which is the first, and currently the only, offshore windfarm operating in the United States.

MAPC is a 32-year-old company that designs and builds vessels for commercial and military customers. These include both manned and unmanned vessels from 4.3m to 40m in length.

MAPC recently designed and built five USCG Subchapter T passenger vessels for use on Chesapeake Bay, delivered 24 air-dropped rescue vessels for use by the para-rescue jumpers of the Air National Guard, and is currently designing a 40m unmanned vessel for emerging Navy requirements. MAPC produces vessels in composites for its smaller designs and in aluminum and steel for its larger craft. It fabricates vessels in aluminum and steel in Baltimore and composites in its Brunswick, ME, facility.

MAPC’s Baltimore facility includes a 52,000 ft² deep-water fabrication facility containing two 180-foot bays that are serviced by 30-ton bridge cranes. The facility includes full-service machining, electronics, and welding shops.

“We are thrilled to have found a well-qualified partner to build South Boats designs as the offshore wind industry develops and demand for crew transfer vessels increases exponentially,” says Blount Boats President Marcia Blount. “MAPC’s technical expertise, quality control, and location will assist in making South Boats the vessel of choice as we work together to ensure continued superb performance.”

Mark Rice, President of MAPC, says, “We are particularly excited to be working with Blount Boats as we have a long-standing admiration for their vessels and people. By collaborating with Blount on the production of South Boat designs, we are able to increase the collective production capacity, bring new technologies to the market, satisfy regional content needs, and rapidly introduce product to the rapidly growing market for Jones Act compliant crew transfer vessels.”

The sub-license currently covers the waters off the coast of Maryland, but can be expanded to other geographic areas by written agreement.