34 May 18,1998

Neuville Boat Works, Inc. Growing on Bayou Teche

J.O. Neuville has been building aluminum boats on Bayou Teche near New Iberia Louisiana since 1968. Now semi retired, J.O. is handing operations of the company, Neuville Boat Works, Inc., to the second generation of the family. His sons, Errol and Kerry, face new challenges. With the demand for larger boats continuing, the firm is in danger of outgrowing its bayou. As the boats they build grew from 32- and 42-footers to 100-footers they developed an ingenious launch system with a wheeled cradle and a mobile crane. But when they launched a 150-footer for Steve Miguez of Iberia Crewboat in 1997, the bayou was barely wide enough. With a 170-footers for Steve and McCall on company architect Don Bordelon's drawing board, it looks like they are going to have to dig a hole in the opposite bank of the narrow bayou or rework their launching style. But they aren't spending to much time worrying about that, with Steve's third 150-footer being framed in the building jig. At the same time they have just launched a similar 150 footer, the "Miss Vickie" under the direction of Norman McCall for Seacor Marine's Graham crew boat company. They also have another 150-footer in mid construction for Seacor.

Steve Miguez has deep roots in the Bayou country that entwine both Cajun and Spanish traditions dating back to the first Miguez who found his way via the Canary Islands from Spain on the old Iberian Peninsula to the New Iberia. Steve and his wife Glenda, who is also J.O.'s daughter, have owned crew boats since the 1970s and their firm has grown steadily ever since. In 1980 they launched a 105-footer, to join the ten 32-42 footers that they operated. With the downturn they hunkered down and waited out the lull.

As the oil business came out of the doldrums in 1991 they launched a 135-footer. Their first of what will be three 150-footers, was launched in 1997. Steve has sold off all but his 150-footers to operate a small modern fleet of big boats. "I threw away my crystal ball back in the '80s," he says, "Now I make my best guess based on talking to friends in the industry and reading trade magazines. But no one knows what to expect two years or even six months down the road."

Like many others in the business, one of the people that Steve talks to and watches is Norman McCall. It was Norman's preference for Cummins engines that prompted Steve to try them in his first 150-footer and continue with them in the second and third boats. The 150X29-footers are powered by five, six cylinder KTA19-M3 engines generating a total of 3500 hp to drive the boat and its 33,000 gallons of water and 18,000 gallons of fuel to rigs as much as 137 miles from the shore base. The 170-footer, planned for launching in 1999 will be powered by four V-12 cylinder KTA38 engines.

With bookings tight and prices climbing from the $1.8 million that the 150-footer cost him in 1995 to around $2.5 million that the latest will cost, Steve plans to sit back and consolidate for a time. But he has hedged his bets with spaces booked for two more new boats in 2001.

For photos of Steve Miguez or the Seacorp boat "Miss Vickie" ready for launch, contact Alan Haig-Brown.

For further information and photographs of the 150-footers at Seatrials contact:

Red Cunningham
Marine Sales
Cummins Mid-South
Hwy.90 East
P.O.Box 1229
Amelia, Louisiana 70340
Phone: (504) 631-0576 Fax: (504) 631-0081

Don Bordelon
Naval Architect
Neuville Boat Works, Inc.
6402 Daspit Rd.
New Iberia, Louisiana 70560
Phone: (318) 229-6507 Fax: (318) 229-8242

Steve Miguez
Iberia Crewboats
6403 Daspit Rd.
New Iberia, Louisiana 70560
Phone: 318 229-6005 Fax: 318 229-6873

Invoice #012 to: Rachel Bridges
Cummins Marine
4500 Leeds Ave. Suite 301
Charleston, South Carolina
29405-8521

500-476, 475-451, 450-426, 425-401, 400-376
375-351, 375-351, 350-326, 325-301, 300-276, 275-251, 250-226, 225-201
200-176, 175-151, 150-126, 125-101, 100-76, 75-51, 50-26, 25-0