Bollinger Shipyards is relying on ShipConstructor® 3D marine production software to build the US Coast Guard’s Sentinel Class Fast Response Cutters (FRC).
The Sentinel Class is a new generation of USCG patrol boat that is a replacement for the Island Class Cutters Bollinger built almost a quarter century ago. The contract for up to 34 vessels is expected to last ten years.
These cutters are based on a Damen 4708 hull form modified by Bollinger using ShipConstructor to meet the US Coast Guard’s specific requirements.
“We’ve used ShipConstructor for everything—the entire model, structure, HVAC, piping, everything,” says Dennis Fanguy, Bollinger’s Vice President of Quality Management Systems.
The company has used ShipConstructor on other naval vessels such as the USS Freedom (LCS 1) and Fanguy explains why.
“If someone knows AutoCAD, they can be quickly trained on ShipConstructor. It is way easier to learn than competing products,” he says.
Bollinger has 13 shipyards and is the largest vessel repair company in the Gulf of Mexico region with a total of 40 dry-docks in Louisiana and Texas.
“Increasingly, ShipConstructor is becoming the tool of choice for Navy and Coast Guard projects, “says Michael Viala, Sales & Marketing Manager for ShipConstructor Software Inc. “Bollinger’s use of our software for the Sentinel Class Cutters is yet another example of this trend.”