If you walked past the Palafox Pier, drove across the Pensacola Bay Bridge or through downtown Monday, you couldn’t have helped but notice a massive yellow vessel docked at the port. And if you were wondering what it was, you’re aren’t alone.
Social media blew up Monday afternoon as residents took turns sharing their thoughts on what it could be.
What is that huge structure docked at the port?
That ship is the TX-10,000, America’s largest heavy-lift vessel. It was formerly called the VB-10000 before it was purchased, and it’s stopped by Pensacola a few times before.
The vessel made its first stop in the area in 2011, then it stopped here again for a weekend in 2018 and most recently in November 2019.
Although it looks a bit like a roller coaster, it’s actually a ship used in offshore oil operations. The vessel has a lift capacity of up to 7,500 tons and two barges support the large arch with a claw suspended from the middle.
The vessel opted to visit Pensacola this week to wait out heavy weather in the Gulf and it’s expected to stay until Friday, according to city officials.
The giant vessel was renamed to TX-10000 after it was acquired by Xenos Marine, a Texas-based company, following a mandatory five-year drydock maintenance at Gulf Copper Shipyard in Galveston, Texas.
How big is the TX-10000?
The vessel measures 297 feet long, 310 feet wide, and 250 feet tall, with a 166-foot-wide span between its pontoons, according to Workboat, and its gantry system is rated for a 10,000-ton lifting capacity, however offshore operations are limited to 7,500 tons due to pontoon restrictions.
One of the vessel’s most notable achievements is its involvement in salvaging the Golden Ray, a 660-foot car carrier that capsized in 2019 with 4,300 vehicles onboard.
The latter ship submerged into the St. Simons Sound in Georgia, leading to the largest wreck removal in U.S. history and the subsequent involvement of the TX-10,000.
What is the TX-10000?
The TX-10000 is the largest heavy-lift vessel ever built in the United States. It is U.S.-flagged and Jones Act-compliant, enabling unrestricted operations in U.S. waters.
The TX-10,000 was originally built by Versabar and later sold to TCM, a Teichman Group affiliate, in 2020.
It was acquired by Xenos Marine, a joint venture between Matt Fish and the Teichman Family,in December 2024 and they renamed the vessel to reflect its new ownership. Xenos principal Matt Fish has overseen all operational and logistical aspects of the vessel since its construction and played the same role for its predecessor, named the VB-4000.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Did you see the massive yellow vessel docked at Port of Pensacola? Here’s what it is
Reporting by Edward Bunch III, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
