Crowley christens heavy-lift deck barge

Crowley Maritime Corporation in the US has christened Marty J, the first of three Heavy Lift 455 Series barges under construction at Gunderson Marine in Portland, Oregon. The three 123 metre by 32.20 metre deck barges are being built to be utilized for project work in the offshore energy industry in the Gulf of Mexico.

The barge was christened Marty J as a tribute to Marty Johnson, the Crowley employee who died while on a salvage assignment onboard the ?Cougar Ace? in July of last year. Tom Crowley, Jr, chairman, president and CEO, said “The naming of this vessel serves as a tribute to one of our former employees who made such an impact on his co-workers, this company and the industry in which he was involved. We hope that his legacy will continue in these American-flagged vessels that he helped to design.”

Crowley?s new Heavy Lift 455 Series barges have 7.70 metre side shells and will provide both the capacity and deck strength needed to accommodate the favoured larger units for offshore exploration and development. The barges offer increased stability for loads up to 4,200 pounds per square foot in order to carry the larger offshore structures now being planned and engineered for deepwater projects. The barges will also be suitable for use in other regions, including Alaska, where Crowley has regularly performed summer sealifts to the North Slope