Horizon Shipbuilding Inc. has delivered a landing barge to Sunset Key Transportation Corp. The 60'x18' barge provides access to the exclusive Sunset Key Cottages located on a small island near Key West, Fla. The barge replaces venerable LCM8 boats that were purchased from U.S. government salvage and were refurbished. The boats have reached the end of their service life.
Detail design was performed by Horizon’s in-house engineering department based on a basic design created by Shipwright LLC, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Horizon enlisted longtime team member Gulf Coast Air and Hydraulics for the ramp hydraulic system.
“We were sourcing shipyards that could deliver quickly and Horizon provided that. During construction Hurricane Irma hit Key West, which created even more urgency for the barge” Barry Kimball, Sunset Key's executive program manager, said in a statement. “Horizon redoubled their efforts to get us this critical asset as soon as possible, which is appreciated.”
“This project is a testament that Horizon is open for business and remains capable of producing a quality boat at a good price,” Travis R. Short, Horizon’s president, said in a statement. “I’m also quite proud that my team was able to deliver the relatively complex barge in 90 days, including the detail design work.”
Horizon said they had a very successful showing at the 2017 International Workboat Show in New Orleans earlier this month. The company’s 86' NYC Ferry was named one of the 10 Significant Boats of 2017 and Horizon’s vice president, Lance C. Lemcool, discussed innovative shipbuilding during the Shipyard Program on the second day of the show.
In addition to the landing barge, Horizon is nearing completion of an 88' Coast Guard-inspected bunker boat and is currently performing a comprehensive repair project on the TVA towboat Red Wagner in addition to other repair work.
