Panama City, FL — Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) today announced the successful completion and redelivery of the HOS Rocinante, a first-of-its-kind U.S.-flagged Service Operation Vessel (SOV) converted for Hornbeck Offshore Services. The vessel marks a major milestone in the evolution of the U.S. offshore service fleet to be future-ready for both the offshore wind and petro-energy sector demands for broadly capable marine support vessels.
Originally built by ESG as an offshore supply vessel, the HOS Rocinante has undergone an extensive conversion at ESG’s Allanton and Port St Joe Shipyards in Panama City, Florida. The project transformed the vessel into a next-generation SOV engineered to support technician accommodation, safe personnel transfer, and multi-day offshore operations in harsh, open ocean environments — capabilities essential for offshore wind farm construction and maintenance, as well as traditional offshore energy projects.
Key conversion elements include:
- Installation of a walk-to-work motion-compensated gangway and other personnel transfer solutions
- Enhanced dynamic positioning (DP) and propulsion capabilities for precise station-keeping
- Upgraded accommodation and workspace capacity for offshore technicians with single person staterooms
- Significant improvements to cargo handling and client warehousing/storage systems
- Energy storage system for enhanced power reserve and improved failure mode operability
“This is a full circle moment for our team to be able to convert a vessel that we built more than ten years ago. The delivery of the HOS Rocinante demonstrates what American ingenuity and skilled labor can accomplish,” said Joey D’Isernia, CEO of Eastern Shipbuilding Group. “This vessel is now one of the most capable multi-market offshore support assets in the U.S. fleet, built right here on the Gulf Coast by America’s best shipbuilders.”
The SOV is uniquely positioned to support both offshore wind development and petro-energy operations, offering Hornbeck Offshore Services unmatched flexibility to meet the evolving needs of domestic and international energy customers.
The project supported hundreds of skilled jobs at Eastern’s yards and throughout its Gulf Coast supplier network and reinforced ESG’s leadership in high-complexity vessel construction and conversion.
###
About Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc.
Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) is an American owned and operated shipbuilder with three shipyards on the Florida Gulf Coast. They build world class vessels for national defense and commercial clients. ESG is the largest private sector employer in Northwest Florida and is a 2017 recipient of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Small Business of the Year award. With a portfolio of over 350 vessels and Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) certified systems, ESG is known as one of the most diverse vessel construction companies in the country. www.easternshipbuilding.com
