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May 15, 2001

Bordelon Marine To Christen First of Three Utility Boats

Following the well established tradition, Bordelon Marine of Lockport Louisiana will host a river front Christening for the first of three mini-supply boats that they are having built at Bollinger Shipyards. The ceremony, followed by a reception, will take place between 1:30 and 5:30 in the PM on June 1, 2001 at the Hilton Hotel on the New Orleans Riverwalk. Representatives of the marine press are invited.

The delivery of the three boats will double the Bordelon fleet to six vessels. Such an expansion in a small firm presents some unique challenges. The boats are being built to a throughly proven design. "But," says Wes Bordelon, son of founder and CEO Terry Bodelon, "We have gone a bit further in accommodations with such things as carpeting and extra TVs. In the wheelhouse we have a yacht-type curved console and enhanced Furuno navigation and communication packages. We wanted the crews to take pride in the boats as we feel that contented crews work better and safer."

Crew safety will be augmented with an in house safety school covering topics from USGA/OSHA Safety Standards to drug and alcohol awareness. "We feel that a comprehensive safety program is very important and must be an integral part of operations, if you are to succeed in today’s market." explains Bordelon.

The new boats will carry a crew of five while providing accommodation for up to ten guests. Each boat will be 145 by 36 feet with a maximum draft of 11.5 feet. Normal operating draft will be eight feet. The three new boats will each be powered by a pair of Cummins KTA_38MO diesel engines rated for 750BHP at 1600 RPM. They will drive Bollinger 72 by 57-inch, four_blade, stainless steel propellers through Twin Disc MG5301 gears with a 4.96:1 reduction. Two pilothouse stations will be equipped with hydraulic steering and a 272 HP Schottel, STT_110 tunnel bow thruster will aid manoeuvring and station keeping. The Cummins engines feature a "package" that meets new IMO emission standards with direct drive liquid mud pumps off of the generator engines eliminating belt systems. The boats’ electrical power will be provided by two Cummins 6CTA8.36 diesels driving two Cummins 99 KW generators.

Oil free bilge systems and dirty oil collection tanks will be on each vessel. Each of the new Bordelon boats will be equipped with 4 liquid mud tanks with a total capacity of 49,332 gallons. Other tankage capacities include 28,675 gallons of fuel, 400 gallons of oil, 250 gallons of hydraulic fluids and 13,776 gallons of potable water. Their large 95 by 32-foot aft decks will be able to carry up to 390 long tons of cargo.

"While some companies in the Gulf of Mexico operate huge fleets of vessels," says Wes Bordelon, for whom the first boat will be named, "Those of us with smaller entrepreneurial companies have been able to succeed through niche marketing and flexibility in meeting our client’s needs. These new 145-foot boats have the capacities of the old 160-footers. At under 100 registered tons they are able to maintain a competitive position in a highly competitive market."

Wes is the second generation in the family business founded by his mother and father, Bunny and Terry Bordelon, for whom the subsequent vessels, to be delivered later this summer, will be named. When the first boat is Christened in keeping with many generations of tradition, the family will be on hand to greet clients, suppliers and guests. Those of you who will be able to attend are requested to confirm with Wes at his e-mail address below. Those members of the marine press who are not able to attend can contact Wes for a variety of photos of the new vessel.

For more information:

Wes Bordelon
Vice President
Bordelon Marine, Inc.
120 Waguespack St.
P.O. Box 279
Lockport, LA 70374
1-800-826-9968
Ph(504) 532-5333
Fax (504) 532-3817
E-mail: wes@bordelonmarine.com
Web page: www.bordelonmarine.com

or:

Robert Socha
Marketing & Sales
Bollinger Shipyards, Inc.
Phone: 504 532-2554
Cel: 504 858-9799
E-Mail: roberts@bollinger.com
Web: http://www.bollingershipyards.com/

or:

Joe Gregory
Territory Sales Manager
Cummins Mid-South
110 E.Airline Highway
Kenner, LA 70062
Phone: 504 468-3535
Cel: 504 343-8369
Fax: 504 465-3408
Other: 1 800 359-4830
E-Mail: joe.gregory@cummins.com

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