Boston Harbor Shipyard & Marina (BHSM), East Boston, Mass., completed a multi-barge roll-on operation using its 500-ton floating drydock, Providence, to launch two newly fabricated dock barges destined for a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) ferry terminal.
The 115'x30' barges, each weighing120 tons, were built by Boston-based Blue Atlantic Fabricators, a BHSM tenant and AISC-certified facility. The units will serve as docks at the MBTA’s Hingham ferry terminal. Blue Atlantic was awarded the project in February 2025 and delivered the first two of three dock barges in November. The third is currently under construction.
The docks are expected to “improve rider experience,” said Michael Julian, general manager of Blue Atlantic Fabricators, “and bring them into compliance with updated accessibility standards.”
For the transfer, the barges were rolled directly from Blue Atlantic’s fabrication shop onto Providence using self-propelled modular transporters supplied and operated by Bay Crane Northeast, Wilmington, Mass. The drydock deck was matted to create a runway and secured in position with assistance from BHSM tenant ACK Marine.
“The fact that the dry dock can sink to over 12 feet allowed us to be able to block the barge high enough for the SPMTs to safely egress from the pontoon deck with room to spare,” said Myles Murphy, drydock manager at BHSM.
Engineering and planning support for the operation came from A. Waller Associates and JMS Naval Architects, which developed the dock loading arrangement, ballast plan, and sequencing.
“This is a great example of what can be achieved when shipbuilders, heavy-lift specialists, naval architects, and shipyard operators work as one team,” Murphy said.
BHSM installed the Providence in May 2025. The 120’x60’ drydock measures 46’ between its wingwalls. It features eight ballast tanks, each with a remotely operated pump and flood gate valve. BHSM said the system is fully computer-controlled from a central control station, and 12 LevelCOM sensors monitor the tank levels and draft at all four corners for accurate leveling. The drydock is outfitted with 10 sliding side-bilge blocks (five per side) which move along tracks to support various hull configurations.
