VESSEL REVIEW | YRBM-57 – US Navy welcomes new class of berthing and messing barge to auxiliary fleet

Conrad Shipyard of Amelia, Louisiana has handed over YRBM-57, the first vessel in a new class of yard, repair, berthing and messing barges (YRBMs) ordered from the company by the US Navy.

The non-self-propelled vessel has a length of 151.33 feet (46.125 metres), a beam of 49.33 feet (15.04 metres), a draught of 6.75 feet (2.06 metres) at full load, a depth of 14 feet (4.3 metres), and a displacement of 1,290 tonnes. It was built to have a service life of 40 years.

The YRBM was designed and constructed by Conrad Shipyard to feature a new and innovative design tailored to meet the US Navy’s operational needs. The vessel recently completed its acceptance trials even as Conrad Shipyard's Amelia facilities were subjected to extreme weather when Hurricane Francine swept through southern Louisiana in late September 2024.

Significant personnel capacities

The barge will provide pierside living accommodation capable of berthing 199 mixed gender personnel and messing for up to 300 personnel. There will also be spaces for medical offices and examination rooms, classrooms for 72 personnel, a conference room that can seat 25, workspaces, self-service and bulk laundry rooms, storerooms, and lounge areas.

Dan Conrad, Senior Vice President and Director at Conrad Shipyard, said the YRBM boasts accommodation where navy sailors can comfortably work, rest, dine, and exercise while their ships are in port for repairs and maintenance.

Supporting the navy's maintenance activities at home and overseas

As was the case with their predecessors, the new YRBMs will be used in line with navy planning and scheduling of maintenance activities in such a way that surface ships and submarines that are slated for repair are matched with available barges. This ensures that the crews of navy combatant vessels undergoing maintenance will be nearby and thus readily available to assume control as soon as the vessels are cleared to return to operations.

Because of the YRBMs’ significant capacities, they will provide berthing and messing space for the crews of cruisers, destroyers, and smaller amphibious ships, whereas many of the navy’s older barges could each accommodate only a limited number of personnel.

Another seven YRBMs from the same class are under construction at Conrad Shipyard. All eight vessels in the class were designed and built in compliance with American Bureau of Shipping rules.

YRBM-57 was handed over to the US Navy in San Diego following its delivery voyage from Conrad Shipyard's Amelia faciltiies. The barge will initially be homeported in Japan to support the navy's forward-deployed ships in the country.