Shipbuilding has been part of Pensacola’s economy for centuries. Patti Marine has completed construction of an 800-ton dry dock, which was funded with a matching $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation‘s Maritime Administration.
Background: Located on Bayou Chico in Pensacola, Florida, Patti Marine has built fishing vessels, tug boats and passenger vessels since the late 1970s. The company built the first licensed riverboat casino, Dubuque Casino Belle. More than 40 employees work at Patti shipyard, which has built more ships for the Army Corps of Engineers than any other builder over the past 20 years.
The dry dock is already in use for work on a Navy vessel, the 132’x27’ YDT-18 diving training boat Poseidon.
- In a statement sent to workboat.com, the company stated: “This marks a significant enhancement to the shipyard’s capabilities and reaffirms Patti Marine’s longstanding commitment to serving private, commercial, and government maritime needs. The dry dock represents the shipyard’s continued investment in modern infrastructure to meet evolving industry demands.”
“As the company looks toward the future, it celebrates not only the launch of the new dry dock, but also the progress being made across its construction programs,” according to the company. “This Thanksgiving, Patti Marine is especially grateful to be building—building vessels, building innovation, and building strong relationships within the maritime community.”…