According to a PR published by Bollinger Shipyards on April 11, 2023, the U.S. Navy has awarded the Lockport-based shipbuilder the detailed design and construction contract for the sixth Auxiliary Personnel Lighter–Small (APL(S)) 67 Class berthing and messing barge.
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Barracks Ship (APL-65) at Naval Air station North Island. (Picture source: US DoD)
Construction will take place at Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and is anticipated to begin in the second quarter of 2023.
The previous five APLs were built by VT Halter Marine, which Bollinger acquired in late 2022. Halter received the initial contract in 2018. APLs are used by the Navy to house crewmembers when ships are in port for availabilities and Inter-Deployment Training Cycles.
The barges are mobile and can be towed to new bases or shipyards to support changing fleet requirements and also offer potential use for humanitarian missions and other temporary assignments.
APLs are 269 feet long, 69 feet wide, and have a draft of 7 feet. Each vessel is equipped with offices, classrooms, washrooms, laundry facilities, medical treatment areas, a barber shop, and fitness center.
With mess seating for 224 enlisted personnel and 28 officers, each meal is served via five 20-minute shifts to allow food service for 1,130 personnel (three meals per day). The vessels are fitted with mixed-gender berthing spaces for 74 officers and 537 enlisted personnel, for a total of 611 people.
Berthing barge
A barracks ship or barracks barge or berthing barge, or in civilian use accommodation vessel or accommodation ship, is a ship or a non-self-propelled barge containing a superstructure of a type suitable for use as a temporary barracks for sailors or other military personnel.
