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Nov 12-14, 2024 • Morial Convention Center • New Orleans, LA

Significant Boat Awards

2023 WorkBoat's Significant Boat Awards

What qualifies as a “Significant Boat”? A vessel earns this designation by being the pioneer in its category, part of a successful series, engaged in a unique mission, operating in unconventional locations, or contributing to the exploration of new workboat frontiers such as wind energy.

Selecting the 10 Significant Boats annually involves a degree of subjectivity, given the multitude of deserving candidates. Nevertheless, the editorial team follows specific parameters to ensure a fair representation. For instance, efforts are made to include at least one boat from each sector covered by WorkBoat, spanning inland towboats and barges, tugs, offshore service vessels, passenger vessels, etc. Additionally, the goal is to feature one boat from each U.S. region — East Coast, West Coast, Gulf Coast, and the Great Lakes whenever possible.

Join us on the Main Stage as we honor WorkBoat’s 2023 Significant Boats! The award ceremony will be held on Wednesday Nov. 29th from 4pm-5pm.

A happy hour will be held during the awards from 3:30pm-5pm.

This year's Significant Boats are....

Artemis: 46'x16' Tour Boat

Builder: BRIX Marine, Port Angeles, Wash

Owner: Hawaiian Adventures Kona, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Designer: BRIX Marine, Port Angeles, Wash.

Capt. Les Eldredge: 62'x21'6"x20' Crew Transfer Vessel (converted charter fishing boat)

Builder: Hornblower Shipyard, Bridgeport, Conn.

Owner: Coast Line Transfers Inc., New Bedford, Mass.

Designer: Nautical Design & Consulting LLC., Berwick, La.

Empire State, Patriot State, State of Maine, Lone Star State, TBD: 524.3'x88'6" (Security Multimission Training Vessel)

Builder: Philly Shipyard, Philadelphia

Owner: Maritime Administration, Washington, D.C.

Designer: Herbert Engineering (guidance design), DSEC (detail and function design), TOTE Services, Philly Shipyard

Freedom: 100'x34'x10'9" Towboat

Builder: Vessel Repair, Port Arthur, Texas

Owner: Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, Tenn.

Designer: Sterling Marine, Fairhope, Ala.

Neebish Islander III: 92'x33' Car-Passenger Ferry

Builder: Burger Boat Co., Manitowoc, Wis.

Owner: Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority (EUPTA), Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

Designer: Seacraft Design, Sturgeon Bay, Wis

Over the Horizon Cutter Boats: 25'6"x8'6" Patrol Boats

Builder: Inventech Marine Solutions, Bremerton, Wash.

Owner: U.S. Coast Guard, Washigton, D.C.

Designer: Inventech Marine Solutions, Bremerton, Wash.

R.B. Weeks: 364’6”x79’6”x27’3” Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge

Builder: Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Panama City, Fla.

Owner: Weeks Marine, Cranford, N.J.

Designer: Royal IHC, Netherlands

Seaway Trident: 60'x28'x10'6" Tug

Builder: Washburn & Doughty, East Boothbay, Maine

Owner: Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., Massena, N.Y.

Design: Glosten, Seattle

Shackleford: 73'x26.7' Wind Survey Vessel

Builder: All American Marine, Bellingham, Wash.

Owner: Geodynamics, Newport, N.C.

Designer: Teknicraft, Auckland, New Zealand

Signet Sirius, Signet Capella: 103'4"x45'6"x15'7" Rotortugs

Builder: Signet Shipbuilding & Repair, Pascagoula, Miss.

Owner: Signet Maritime, Houston

Designer: Robert Allan Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia