Delaware Bay Shipbuilding Co. LLC
Delaware Bay Shipbuilding Co. LLC is a small custom shipyard in Leesburg, New Jersey, that builds and repairs commercial work boats in steel and aluminum. Completed vessels include the 45' aluminum research vessel RV Explorer for Research Vessel Explorer LLC of Cape May and the 64' steel-hulled oyster boat Jill Louise for Bivalve Packing Company of Port Norris. Alongside new construction, the yard runs a service division offering marine electrical, hydraulic, piping, repower, metal repair, fendering, and windows and doors work, plus in-house marine engineering and custom part fabrication. The company was founded by Eric Berg and Michael Tilsner, both with over 20 years in the commercial marine industry.
Delaware Bay Shipbuilding Co. LLC
Delaware Bay Shipbuilding Company is a small, custom-focused shipyard in Leesburg, New Jersey, building and repairing commercial work boats in steel and aluminum. The yard emphasizes a tight-knit shipyard experience, with every vessel customized to the owner's requirements and designs developed in partnership with outside naval architects. Founders Eric Berg (a licensed USCG 100-ton captain and former general manager at Yank Marine) and Michael Tilsner each bring more than 20 years in the commercial marine industry; Tilsner has been involved in building 45 commercial vessels, largely USCG Subchapter T and K.
Services
- Custom new-build construction of metal work boats
- Marine engineering and design, including custom part development using modeling software
- Marine electrical services, including CNC-cut DC distribution panels
- Hydraulic system installation: steering, propulsion, crane and winch
- Repowering and propulsion upgrades
- Metal boat repair: hull damage, corrosion, structural weaknesses
- Pipe design, fabrication and installation for plumbing, HVAC, fuel and exhaust
- Fendering installation and maintenance (rubber, foam, pneumatic)
- Windows and doors
- Welding and fabrication, including custom stack houses
Vessel Types
- Research and dive vessels for scientific exploration and data collection
- Commercial fishing and oyster boats with deck gear, storage and processing areas
- Workboat/salvage vessels
- Government and patrol craft, including law enforcement and rescue applications
- Survey vessels (a line announced as coming soon)
Notable Builds
- RV Explorer — 45' x 15.5' x 4'10" aluminum research vessel, 30 tons, twin Cummins V-drive diesels (670 hp each) with ZF gears, Cummins 17 kW Onan generator; designed with LeMole Naval Architecture and Specmar Inc.; delivered to Research Vessel Explorer LLC, Cape May, NJ
- Jill Louise — 64' x 20' x 4'5" oyster boat, 60.5 tons, corten steel hull with aluminum pilothouse, Cummins QSM11 455 hp, 12 kW Phasor genset, auxiliary hydraulic pump engine for on-deck conveyors, hoppers and tumblers; designed by Farrell and Norton Naval Architects for Bivalve Packing Company, Port Norris, NJ
- Hull number one — 45' x 15'6" aluminum workboat/salvage vessel, keel laid 2021
Location
- 69 River Rd, PO Box 124, Leesburg, NJ 08327, United States
- Phone: (609) 425-1443 · [email protected]