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www.sea-technology.com March 2016 / st 31 I n early 2014, Louisiana-based aluminum boat manufac- turer Metal Shark broke ground on a new 25-acre shipyard capable of producing aluminum and steel vessels of signif- cantly greater size than the patrol boat offerings for which the company is best known. Metal Shark announced its in- tent to leverage these new shipyard capabilities, expanding into new markets and differentiating itself from others in a crowded feld of small-boat builders. Since commencing operations at its new Franklin, Loui- siana, yard, Metal Shark has designed, built and delivered a wide range of large monohull and catamaran freboats, pilot boats, patrol boats and port security vessels, while continu- ing to produce vessel feets for military and law enforcement customers at its headquarters in nearby Jeanerette. Metal Shark has now signaled its entry into the DSV market with the delivery of its 75-ft. Endurance DSV, a pur- pose-built dive support vessel built for Broussard, Louisiana- based subsea service provider Aqueos Corp. Aqueos provides a wide range of services, including sub- sea pipeline installation, inspection and repair; platform in- spections; marine terminal installations and overhauls; and other diving and ROV services to the oil and gas sectors in the Gulf of Mexico and Pacifc West Coast. The company turned to Metal Shark to produce a vessel that addresses and mitigates inherent hazards associated with live-boating; the practice of maintaining a mobile, as opposed to anchored, vessel in support of dive operations. Features The Endurance DSV, which Aqueos has named "SPLASH" (Special Purpose Live-Boating and Survey Hull) is a 75-ft. welded-aluminum pilothouse catamaran optimized for crew movement, visibility, protection and functionality. The vessel has been equipped with a full complement of high- ly specialized systems supporting live-boating operations. Viewed dockside at Metal Shark's Franklin yard, the DSV is all business, with dual heavy-duty trapezoidal rubber rub rails protecting the vessel's welded aluminum hull and a large, all-glass pilothouse towering above. Stepping aboard and viewing the tank racks, hydraulic crane, decompression chamber and the veritable boatload of specialized dive gear, the vessel's true nature becomes apparent. "The 75-foot Endurance DSV serves as a great example of our capability," Metal Shark's President Chris Allard ex- Catamaran Dive Support Vessel 75 Endurance DSV Handles the Hazards of Live-Boating By Henry Myron The Metal Shark 75 Endurance DSV underway near the company's Franklin, Louisiana, yard.