WorkBoat

Commuter ferry operator New York Waterway scored a coup against rival SeaStreak, when it won a new contract with Monmouth County to again operate its ferries from the county terminal at Belford, N.J. – four years after SeaStreak had ousted NY Waterway.

President Donald Trump has issued a memo calling on the Pentagon to source vessels for up to three Navy ship classes from foreign shipyards and to launch or acquire a new Navy shipyard to help shoulder the service’s long-term shipbuilding needs.

Shipbuilder Austal USA, Mobile, Ala., on Friday announced it has delivered the lead ship in a series of landing craft utility vessels for the U.S. Navy. LCU 1710 was launched in August 2025 and began sea trials in February. The 139'x31' vessel is the first in a series of up to 12 landing craft under construction at Austal USA under a Navy contract awarded in 2023. If all options are exercised, the deal would be worth $379.7 million.

The Deputy General Manager - Ferry Division plans, organizes and directs all activities and functions of the Ferry Division, including administration, operations and maintenance and performs related duties as required. The Deputy General Manager - Ferry Division reports to the General Manager and performs duties, subject to executive approval and within limits of Board policy guidelines.

TOTE Services hosted more than 30 shipbuilders, equipment manufacturers, marine suppliers and defense contractors Aug. 7 as it began assembling a nationwide supply chain for the U.S. Navy’s medium landing ship (LSM) program. The Washington industry day brought together companies from more than a dozen states to discuss the program’s schedule, technical specifications, vessel design standards, bidding requirements and subcontracting opportunities.

AEVEX Corp. is moving deeper into maritime autonomy with an agreement to acquire BlackSea Technologies, a Baltimore manufacturer of unmanned surface and subsea vessels, in a deal valued at up to $650 million. Solana Beach, Calif.-headquartered AEVEX will pay approximately $250 million in cash and $350 million in shares of its Class A common stock, with another $50 million tied to performance-based earnout consideration.

Blessey Marine Services Inc., Elmwood, La., will implement OpenTug’s BargeOS Invoice Intelligence platform to automate voyage invoicing and shorten customer billing cycles, the companies announced Aug. 12. The software will connect Blessey’s voyage activity, operational data, contracts, vendor expenses and financial records in a single billing workflow. The companies said the system will allow Blessey to process voyage costs in near real time and improve the speed and accuracy of voyage closeout.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and J. Alex Kelly, the state’s commerce secretary, gathered alongside Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves at the American Magic High Performance Center August 12 to present a $9 million check to support construction of Birdon America Inc.’s southeastern headquarters at the Port of Pensacola. “There are moments in a city’s history that define trajectory for not just years but for generations, and I certainly think this is one of those days,” Reeve’s said.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (Marad) has awarded $35.18 million to 45 shipyards in 24 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands through the 2026 Small Shipyard Grant Program. The grants will support equipment purchases, infrastructure improvements and workforce training intended to increase shipyard productivity and expand local employment opportunities.

The Trump administration’s third oil and gas lease sale inf the Gulf of Mexico brought $82.68 million in high bids for 59 blocks, the Department of Interior reported. The sale held Aug. 12 at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, was the third Gulf offshore oil and gas lease sale required under the omnibus tax cut legislation passed by Congress. Sixteen companies submitted 69 bids totaling $99.47 million.